Bialystok is the largest city in northeastern Poland and the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. Bialystok is the tenth-largest city in Poland, second in terms of population density, and thirteenth in area.

Bialystok is located in the Bialystok Uplands of the Podlaskie Plain on the banks of the Biala River. It has historically attracted migrants from elsewhere in Poland and beyond, particularly from Central and Eastern Europe. This is facilitated by the nearby border with Belarus also being the eastern border of the European Union, as well as the Schengen Area. The city and its adjacent municipalities constitute Metropolitan Bialystok. The city has a warm summer continental climate, characterized by warm summers and long frosty winters. Forests are an important part of Bialystok's character and occupy around 1,846 ha (4,560 acres) (18% of the administrative area of the city) which places it as the fifth-most forested city in Poland.

The first settlers arrived in the 14th century. A town grew up and received its municipal charter in 1692. Bialystok has traditionally been one of the leading centers of academic, cultural, and artistic life in Podlachia and the most important economic center in northeastern Poland. Bialystok was once an important center for light industry, which was the reason for the substantial growth of the city's population. The city continues to reshape itself into a modern middle-sized city. Bialystok, in 2010, was on the short-list, but ultimately lost the competition, to become a finalist for European Capital of Culture in 2016.