Bytow Betowo (Kashubian) Stadium

Bytow (Polish: [ˈbɨtuf] (listen); Kashubian: Betowo; German: Butow [ˈbyːtoː]) is a town in the Gdansk Pomerania region of northern Poland with 16,888 inhabitants (2004). In the Slupsk Voivodeship (1975–1998), it was the capital of Bytow County in the Pomeranian Voivodeship (since 1999).

The origins of Bytow can be traced back to the early Middle Ages when a fortified stronghold once stood near the town. In 1346 as Butow it obtained Chelmno town rights from the Teutonic Order, which controlled it since 1329. During the Thirteen Years' War (1454–1466), the town was the site of heavy fighting and changed hands over time. Eventually, King Casimir IV Jagiellon granted the town to Eric II, Duke of Pomerania, as a perpetual fiefdom. After the Partitions of Poland, Bytow became part of German Prussia and remained in Germany until the end of World War II. At the final stages of the war, Bytow was the center of heavy artillery shelling initiated by the Red Army, resulting in more than 55% of the buildings destroyed.

Throughout its whole history, Bytow was known to be a multicultural town inhabited by Kashubians, Poles, Slovincians, Germans, and Jews. Since 2000 a bugle call is played during important events which taking place in the area. Bytow is a popular tourist destination in the region of Pomerania and is famous for its medieval Teutonic Castle built in the late 14th century.