It is a city that enchants and delights. The atmosphere, the tiny Old Town, the nice pubs, the life that throbs in the city at least until midnight. Lublin has that “something” that guarantees a great weekend – relaxation, good food, sightseeing, peace and quiet, and at the same time learning something new.
Lublin is one of the oldest cities in Poland. Here, in 1569, the Union of Lublin took place, which united Poland and Lithuania into one state for the next century. Called the “Jerusalem of the Polish Kingdom” or the “Jewish Oxford,” Lublin was at the same time for centuries the leading center of the Jewish Diaspora in Central Europe. The only literary Nobel laureate to write in Yiddish – Isaac Bashavis Singer– came from here.
It is a young in spirit, university-oriented, yet quiet city that is great to explore on foot – straightforwardly made for a pleasant day trip or two.
Walking around Lublin
We begin our walk around the region’s capital at the representative Plac Litewski, to which the aristocratic Lubomirski Palace adjoins on one side and which is surrounded by elegant bourgeois townhouses on the other. From here, it is only a few steps away from the 14th-century quadrilateral Krakowska Gate – one of the symbols of the city and the main entrance to Lublin’s Old Town.
Lublin’s small but charming Old Town impresses with its ornate colorful Renaissance and Classical townhouses, regional dishes in numerous restaurants and atmospheric cafes. In just a square kilometer of land, it houses 110 historic buildings. On the way to the small market, you will see beautiful, colorful lanterns and flags overhead, at which passersby love to take photos.
The market square itself is surrounded by polychrome-decorated townhouses that once belonged to Lublin’s bourgeoisie – not only of Polish and Jewish, but also of German, Italian or Armenian descent. There is a good chance you will come across a local market with delicacies from the region in season.
From the market square you can turn right to see the Dominican Monastery, crowned with a Renaissance attic, or walk down to reach Plac Katedralny. The Cathedral of Lublin, one of the first Baroque buildings erected outside Italy, rises next to it.
Next to the cathedral, the Trinity Tower climbs 65 meters up. At its top you will find a terrace with panoramic views of the city. Right next door, in one of the courtyards you will hit the House of Words, a historic printing house converted into a branch of the local cultural center. There are exhibitions of old prints and paper-handling demonstrations, and in the evenings there are meetings with writers.
Returning to the market, you can also enter the streets on the other side to have a coffee at the cozy bookstore Między Słowami. From there, it’s only a few steps away from the picturesque staircase decorated with quotes from the poems of Lublin poet – Julia Hartwig.
A third option for continuing the walk from the Market Square is to go straight down through the small Grodzka Gate, which once separated the Jewish part of the city from the rest of the city. Just outside the gate, a view on Lublin Castle opens up.
It is worth going inside primarily to see the stunning Byzantine-Ruthenian paintings in the Chapel of the Holy Trinity. Built in the 14th century, the temple is a unique combination of Gothic architecture and eastern polychrome interior, symbolically connecting the west and east of Europe. One can gaze for long moments at the golden angels adorning the chapel’s dark blue vault and contemplate the light streaming in through the narrow windows.
Jewish Lublin
The part of the city below the castle was inhabited by the Jewish community for centuries. A remarkable reminder of its presence is the Yeshiva of the Sages of Lublin – built in the interwar period thanks to donations from around the world, a magnificent and modern for the time college that trained rabbis.
In the old Jewish cemetery of Kalinowszczyzna, there is the tombstone of Jacob ben Horovitz – nicknamed “the Seer of Lublin” – a Hasidic rabbi and Kabbalist who was famous for his uncanny ability to predict the future.
Lublin today
Today, the regional capital is a city young in spirit and full of students, which is alive with festivals and cultural events in spring and summer. It hosts such events as Culture Night, East of Culture – Other Sounds, Jagiellonian Fair or European Festival of Taste.
You can feel the energy of today’s Lublin by peeking into the Meeting of Cultures Center – a modern facility, climbing with a wall of sloping panels and glass panels above Theater Square. Inside are multipurpose rooms for cultural events, a bookstore and numerous cafes.
From the first floor, elevators take eager visitors to a scenic terrace turned into a beautiful garden. Plants typical of the Lublin region have been planted there: buckwheat, herbs, field flowers or apple trees, and bees have their hives.
This combination of the dynamics of city life with a celebration of proximity to nature and sacred tranquility could be considered the essence of Lublin.