The hills of Chełmce (187 m), Rajsko (177.2 m) and Tłokinia Kościelna (164.7 m) dominate the valleys of rivers Pokrzywnica, Cienia and Swędrnia.

The neighbour comunes of the commune Opatówek are: Żelazków, Ceków-Kolonia and Koźminek in the north, Szczytniki in the east, Godziesze Wielkie in the south and the city of Kalisz in the west.

The architecture of Opatówek is dominated by the Neo-Gothic and classicistic style of the 19th century the most successful time of the town during the booming years of the Industrial Revolution.

The archbishop Jarosław of Bogoria and Skotnik built a brick church and a castle here in about 1360, which were visited by outstanding clergymen and civil dignitaries.

In that time many buildings designed by the most outstanding architects were constructed; moreover, the governor carried out reforms in his property which enabled the economical development in this area.

With the foundation of the big weaving mill by Adolf Gottlieb Fiedler, a Saxon industrialist, Opatówek started booming.

Adolf Gottlieb Fiedler received a big loan from the Polish government to build the factory in Opatowek.

Also in spite of lower salaries he followed other cloth producers to eastern regions at the time of the German Industrial Revolution.

In the end of the 19th century a Wooden Toys Factory was established in Opatowek, whose products won numerous prizes at European expositions.

At the end of 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, Opatówek was, like most cities of Greater Poland, touched by independence movements against Prussia and Russia.

After the joint German-Soviet invasion of Poland, which started World War II in September 1939, it was occupied by Germany until 1945.

In 2001 the seventh Country-wide Youth Games for Summer Sports "Wielkopolska 2001" was inaugurated at the artificial lake in Szałe.

It also contains the biggest collection of pianos and fortepianos produced on the Polish territory of Poland (in the historic building of former cloth factory).

The big transcontinental east–west motorway E30 from Berlin via Poznań, Warsaw to Moscow is just 30 km north of Opatówek.