TOURIST GUIDE EN Vilnius LUBLIN is a city boasting a rich, Lublin – basic information Gdańsk centuries-long history. The traces Minsk of that history are still present Szczecin Due to its geographical location close Białystok in the architecture of the well- to the eastern border of the European Union, Berlin Poznań preserved, exquisite Old Town. Lublin is an important cooperation centre between WarsaW Łódź Lublin’s historical heritage, with a strong Eastern and Western European countries. presence of the Jagiellonian tradition, Lublin’s historical and educational resources, and its open-mindedness Wrocław LUBLIN formed from a melting pot of nations, and hospitality, attract both young people seeking educational Katowice intermingling cultures and religions, opportunities and artists and creators trying to find inspiration. Prague Kraków Rzeszów Lviv creates a magical atmosphere, which Lublin, with its theatres, galleries, museums, the Philharmonic, and is a source of diverse experiences the opera and operetta scene, is the unquestionable centre of cultural and an inspiration for creativity. life for this part of Poland. Popular and widely-recognised international The IBB Grand Hotel Lublinianka in Lublin, previously festivals are held in Lublin almost all the year round. Bratislava the Lublin Commercial Chamber from 1899 This abundance and diversity of cultural events Lublin is the largest city in eastern Poland MAJOR ROADS: and the capital of the Lubelskie Province. were among the factors enabling Lublin to compete nr 17 Warsaw - Hrebenne (to Lviv) nr 19 Białystok - Rzeszów It has a population of 350 thousand. for the title of European Capital of Culture 2016. nr 12 Żary - Dorohusk DISTANCES TO THE LARGEST Białystok 254 km HOW TO GET TO LUBLIN: POLISH CITIES: Gdańsk 504 km Krakowskie Przedmieście—the view from the Trinitarian Tower by rail Katowice 352 km www.pkp.pl Kraków 273 km by bus Łódź 250 km www.pkswschod.pl Poznań 442 km by minibus Rzeszów 168 km www.busy.info.pl, www.lublin.rozkladyjazdy.pl/busy Szczecin 695 km BORDER CrossINGS WITH ukraINE Warsaw 168 km in tHe LUBELSKIE ProVINCE: Wrocław 435 km Dorohusk (road and rail), tel. +48 82 566 62 00 Zosin (road), tel. +48 82 696 64 00 Hrebenne (road and rail), tel. +48 84 667 45 00 DISTANCES TO SELECTED CITIES Moscow 1239 km AND COUNTRIES NEIGHBOURING Minsk 507 km BORDER CROSSINGS WITH BELARUS IN THE LUBELSKIE PROVINCE: WITH POLAND: Vilnius 598 km Terespol (road and rail), tel. +48 83 376 43 00 Kiev 598 km Koroszczyn (road), tel. +48 83 376 34 74 Lviv 220 km Sławatycze (road), tel. +48 83 376 72 00 Bratislava 765 km INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: Prague 844 km Lublin Airport Berlin 735 km www.airport.lublin.pl 3 Situated on the trading trail connecting Along the paths Europe with Asia and the East, Lublin of history became an important trading centre; its famous Jagiellonian fairs attracted merchants from all over Europe, Lublin is a city with nearly and even from the Ottoman Empire. seven hundred years of history. Trade, crafts and services also created favourable conditions In the city, where the cultures of the East and the West for settlement. Ruthenians, Armenians, Germans, Czechs, meet, many nations and religions reached their heyday. Lublin Castle Jews and Tatars began to settle in the city, and Lublin became It was the seat of the Jagiełło Family, the signing a melting pot of nations, cultures and religions. The multinational place of Prussian Homage and the Polish-Lithuanian Catholic, Orthodox, Jewish and Protestant community had their Union, which played a crucial role in Polish statehood. Lying on the hills of the Lublin Upland, places of worship in Lublin. After World War I, when the Republic of Poland was reborn, Lublin became its first capital city. It was Lublin owed its early development to For ages of religious freedom, Lublin was a place friendly not only also, for a brief moment, the capital of the People’s the fact that it was situated on the trading to Catholics; religious movements such as the Arians, Calvinists Republic of Poland, and the city where the workers’ trail that led from the Black Sea to and Lutherans, who were quite numerous, freely developed strikes began in July 1980, sparking the downfall in the city. Many influential citizens of Lublin, like the Dukes of Communism in Poland. the Baltic Sea and further into Europe. from the Ostrogski Family and the Czetwertyński Family, belonged to the Orthodox Church. Despite the turbulent history As early as in the 12th century, the first castle was erected of the Orthodox Church in Lublin, the 17th-century Transfiguration Holy Trinity Chapel at Lublin Castle and in the 13th century, a brick tower was added. It was a defensive of Christ Cathedral Orthodox Church has been preserved. structure with living quarters (a donjon), which has been Inconspicuous at first sight, it holds a beautiful iconostasis preserved till modern times. In the 14th century, during the reign with a number of historic masterpieces. of King Casimir the Great, after numerous raids by Ruthenians, Yotvingians, Lithuanians and Tatars, a stone castle with a chapel The Transfiguration of Christ Cathedral Orthodox Church was built and the city was surrounded with defensive walls. The Union of Lublin monument, bas-relief designed by Professor Paweł Maliński Lublin’s location on the trail from Vilnius to Kraków made it of particular interest to the Jagiellonians, who took Lublin under their protection and often stayed there when travelling. In 1569, the Polish-Lithuanian King Władysław Jagiełło was particularly fond of Lublin. Union was signed in Lublin, Lublin was where the sons of Kazimierz Jagiellończyk were giving rise to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, an brought up and tutored by Jan Długosz. Around the year 1520, event commemorated by the Union of Lublin monument King Sigismund I the Old ordered the reconstruction of the castle standing on Lithuanian Square. This monument has into an impressive royal residence. Italian architects from Kraków received the European Heritage Label. were hired to carry out the task. 4 5 Lublin also had an exceptionally large Jewish community. The Jewish district sprawled mainly around the castle, along Szeroka Street, probably marked out as early as before 1564, which ran through the present Castle Square. Only the wealthiest citizens built their homes on this street. The Jewish community in Lublin was famous—not only in Poland—for its centre of Talmud study. The most important building in the Jewish district was the Maharschalschul—the Great Synagogue. It had truly impressive interiors and rich furnishings (including silver candlesticks and other objects donated to the synagogue by the richest Jewish citizens of Lublin). Chachmei Lublin Yeshiva The Hall of Memory of the Lublin Jews, previously the Chewra Nosim Synagogue, 10 Lubartowska St. One of the most prominent Lublin Jews World War II brought about was Yaakov Yitzchak Horowitz, regarded the extermination of the Jewish as the father of the Hasidic movement community in Lublin. in the Kingdom of Poland. The Nazis set up a ghetto here, which was liquidated He was also known as the “the Seer from Lublin” as already during in 1942. Most Jews from Lublin (about 26 thousand) were his lifetime there were rumours about his gift of clairvoyance. deported to Bełżec, where they died in the gas chambers Isaac Singer, the Nobel Prize winner and author of the play entitled of the death camp, and about 8 thousand were murdered “Sztukmistrz z Lublina” was also affiliated with Lublin. in the concentration camp in Majdanek, Lublin. Nearly 80 thousand people died in Majdanek, including, besides Jews Today Szeroka and Jateczna Streets no longer exist, and on the site and Poles, various nationalities from 26 European countries, of the Great Synagogue there is just a small memorial obelisk. mostly Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians. Today, the former concentration camp houses Chachmei Lublin Yeshiva the State Museum at Majdanek. The museum, its barbed wire fences, guard towers, barracks, and the impressive monument and mausoleum containing the ashes of the murdered, are a memorial to the martyrdom of the victims of the genocide committed by the Nazis. 6 The State Museum at Majdanek 7 Lublin—a city THE OLD TOWN THE HOLY TRINITY CHAPEL of tourism Lublin Old Town is one of The Holy Trinity Chapel, located the finest in Poland. in the area of Lublin Castle, Among its distinctive features are the mediaeval spatial layout is one of the most exquisite and the richness of ornamentation on historic tenement houses. monuments of mediaeval art The most eye-catching are the ones from the Renaissance era, in Poland and Europe. i.e. the house of the Konopnica Family at 12 Rynek, the Klonowic tenement house at 2 Rynek, and the tenement house It was awarded the European Heritage Label. It was built of the Lubomelski Family at 8 Rynek. The Old Town is a stunning in Lublin Castle by the order of King Casimir the Great, complex with an authentic atmosphere and climate of ages- and its interiors are decorated with splendid Russian- old history. Entries to this magical place are guarded by the old Byzantine frescos funded by King Władysław Jagiełło. Krakowska Gate, one of the city’s architectural landmarks, The chapel is regarded as a unique testimony to constructed in the 14th century, together with defensive walls. the intertwining of Eastern and Western culture in Europe, as this Roman Catholic temple is decorated The Krakowska Gate with the images of the Fathers of the Orthodox Church. The Konopnica Family Tenement House, 12 Rynek St. The Donjon, Lublin Castle WnętrzeThe interiors Kaplicy Trójcy of the Świętej Holy na TrinityZamku Lubelskim Chapel at Lublin Castle THE “POD FORTUNĄ” CELLAR THE DONJON The “Pod Fortuną” Cellar is located in the historic The main tower of Lublin Castle, tenement house of the Lubomelski Family (8 Rynek), located at the southern side of the hill, was built to function and consists of 10 rooms.