upków

Upków is a village situated in the administrative district of Gmina Szydłowiec, within Szydłowiec County of the Masovian Voivodeship in east-central Poland. The settlement lies approximately 3 kilometres south-east of the town of Szydłowiec and 100 kilometres south of Warsaw, placed on the plains that separate the central Polish lowlands from the southern uplands. Its coordinates are 51°22′N 20°55′E, and the area is characterised by gently rolling fields that are predominantly used for agriculture.

The earliest documented reference to Upków dates back to a 14th‑century land register in which the village is listed under the ownership of the local branch of the Czarnkowski noble family. Throughout the centuries the settlement remained a small agrarian community, experiencing modest growth during the reign of King Stanisław August Poniatowski in the late 18th century when it benefitted from a small local trade route. In the 19th century, following the partitions of Poland, the village fell under the jurisdiction of the Russian Empire and later the Second Polish Republic after 1918.

According to the latest census, the population of Upków totals around 220 residents, with a demographic composition largely composed of families who have lived in the area for multiple generations. The economy is largely based on the cultivation of cereals, rapeseed, and sugar beet, supplemented by livestock rearing, especially cattle and pigs. A small cooperative dairy operates in the village, supplying processed milk products to the surrounding towns.

Infrastructure in Upków includes a primary school that serves the local children, a volunteer fire brigade, and a community hall that hosts local events. The nearest major road, the national highway 50, provides connectivity to Szydłowiec and the larger Warsaw metropolitan area. Public transportation is limited to a weekly bus service that links the village to the regional rail network at Szydłowiec station.

Cultural and historical landmarks in Upków are modest but meaningful, including a wooden church built in the early 19th century that features a simple altar and an 18th‑century bell. An annual harvest festival is celebrated each autumn, drawing participants from neighbouring villages and reflecting the agrarian traditions that have shaped the community's identity.