Known since the 12th century, Lublin has a rich history and culture. Its Old Town is well-preserved, with a market square, a semi-regular grid of streets, sections of the Gothic city walls, and beautiful 16th–19th-century burgher residences.

The ninth-largest city in Poland lies on the northern edge of the scenic Lublin Upland, approximately 100 kilometers (90 miles) west of the Ukrainian border, 150 kilometers (106 miles) southeast of Warsaw, and 230 kilometers (143 miles) northeast of Kraków. Lublin's Old Town and Śródmieście are the best places to see the city's historic architecture ranging in style from Gothic to Baroque. 

All Polish cities are gorgeous, and each has a unique history. Lublin is no exception. As a Lithuanian, I find it exciting that the union of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland took place in Lublin in 1569, forming the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, one of Europe's largest countries during the 16th and 17th centuries. My inexplicable fondness for Poland makes me believe I have mixed ancestry because of this historical fact, and my great-great-grandparents were perhaps both Lithuanians and Poles.

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Lublin Map

How to Get to Ljubljana

By Plane

Lublin International Airport is about 10 kilometers east of the city center, near the town of Świdnik. In 15 minutes, an electrified train route connects Lublin Central Train Station to the airport. There are also two bus routes. 

By Train

The train connection from Warsaw to Lublin is excellent. It is also accessible by train from other Polish cities and neighboring countries: Czechia, Slovakia, and Ukraine.

By Bus

You can get to the city in 3 hours by direct bus from Warsaw. There are also bus routes from Eastern European countries to Lublin.

Lublin Public Transportation

Line 151 trolleybus on Lipowa Street

Trolleybuses and buses make up Lublin's public transportation, with 30 percent of them being electric and environmentally friendly. On summer Sundays, several excursion trolleybuses are available. The routes, denoted by different colors, begin at the Kraków Gate and can take between 2 to 4 hours, depending on the subject of the excursion.

Car Rental in Lublin

DiscoverCars.com is the best website for car rental in Lublin. They compare car rental prices from many providers so you can find the best deal for you.

Top 10 Attractions in Lublin

1. Lublin Castle

Lublin Castle from the southwest

The Lublin Castle, erected in the 12th century for Polish High Duke Casimir II the Just, is one of the country's oldest remaining residential castles. After four centuries, Sigismund I the Old, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, renovated it into a splendid royal home. Unfortunately, the castle was devastated during the 17th-century battles and rebuilt in Neo-Gothic style in the 19th century; only the earliest parts – the tower and chapel – survived intact.

Folk costumes on display at the Lublin Castle

The castle, used as a jail for 128 years, is now part of the Lublin Museum, with well-preserved objects explaining its history. From the top of the tower, you can enjoy a spectacular view of Lublin and the surrounding countryside.

Address: Zamkowa 9, 20-117 Lublin, Poland
Website: The National Museum in Lublin

2. Holy Trinity Chapel

The chapel's Byzantine-Ruthenian murals

The Gothic Chapel of the Holy Trinity, located within the courtyard of Lublin Castle, is regarded as one of Poland's most notable medieval masterpieces. The chapel contains Poland's best-preserved Byzantine-Ruthenian murals painted in the 15th century and unearthed in the 19th century.

Address: Zamkowa 9, 20-117 Lublin, Poland
Website: The National Museum in Lublin

3. Lublin Underground Trail

Lublin in medieval times, model

The Lublin Underground Trail is a tourist trail that runs beneath the Old Town and introduces visitors to nearly 1,000 years of the city's history. It is approximately 280 meters (920 feet) long. The tunnels are clean and safe; nonetheless, they are not original and were constructed only for touristic purposes. The tour lasts around 45 minutes. 

Address: Rynek 1, 20-111 Lublin, Poland
Website: The Lublin Underground Trail

4. Lublin Archcathedral

The church's interior

The Archcathedral of St. John the Baptist, designed by the Italian architect Giovanni Maria Bernardoni and completed in the early 17th century, was one of Poland's first Baroque churches. The illusionistic murals by Czech painter Josef Mayer are truly remarkable in the interior; they are from around 1757 and depict Biblical scenes.

The church's crypts

Aside from the rich Baroque interior, the church's highlights include its 18th-century sacristy, crypts, and polychromies in the treasury. Anyone interested in art, religion, architecture, or history will enjoy it.

Address: Królewska 10, 20-109 Lublin, Poland
Website: Archikatedra Lubelska

5. Dominican Abbey

The basilica's interior

The Dominican monastery with the Basilica of St. Stanislaus is on the European Heritage List. The religious complex on the site was built in the late Middle Ages and subsequently restored in the 17–18th century, with Renaissance and Baroque styles.

Paintings gallery in the Dominican monastery

The interior of the basilica is beautiful. The Dominicans also admit visitors to their monastery, where there is a permanent exhibition of historic liturgical vestments and jewelry and a gallery of paintings.

Address: ul. Złota 9, 20-400 Lublin, Poland
Website: Dominikanie Lublin

6. Tower of the Trinity

At night, the Trinitarian Tower

The Trinitarian Tower is one of several attractive towers in Lublin's Old Town. The imposing 60-meter (196-foot) structure was built in 1819 by Antonio Corazzi, an Italian architect. It has an observation deck on top, which draws tourists because the panoramic view is spectacular. As you climb, you'll notice a collection of sculptures of Christ and angels.

Address: ul. Królewska 10, 20-109 Lublin, Poland

7. Jewish Restaurant Mandragora

The restaurant's interior

Located on the vaulted floor of a historic building in Lublin's main square, Mandragora is a beautiful restaurant serving tasty traditional Jewish cuisine. The interior design reflects the cultural history of pre-war Jewish Lublin. It's as though you've gone back in time.

Address: ul. Rynek 10, 20-112 Lublin, Poland
Website: Mandragora Restaurant

8. Lublin Plaza

Inside the Lublin Plaza shopping mall

Lublin Plaza is a three-story shopping and entertainment complex in the city center. A nice assortment of shops and restaurants, as well as plenty of space. If you enjoy shopping or simply wandering around to see what they have to offer, this is a great spot to spend some time. Every year, 5 million people visit the mall.

Address: ul. Lipowa 13, 20-020 Lublin, Poland
Website: Lublin Plaza

9. Kraków Gate

Krakowskie Przedmieście Street; the Krakow Gate (left) and the Trinitarian Tower (right) in the background

The Kraków Gate, an octagonal tower built in the 14th century, is the city's architectural icon, today houses the Lublin History Museum. The museum's collections depict Lublin's history from the 16th to the 20th centuries. They contain archives, archaeological items, historical and artistic artifacts. The tower provides a stunning view of the city.

Address: pl. Łokietka 3, 20-109 Lublin, Poland
Website: Museum of History of the City of Lublin

10. Necropolis

Grave statues at the Necropolis of Lublin

The Necropolis on Lipowa Street is the oldest and most well-known cemetery complex in eastern Poland. The site is multinational and multi-faith in nature, as it has a Roman Catholic cemetery, an Evangelical-Augsburg cemetery, an Orthodox cemetery, and a military-municipal cemetery. The Necropolis, built at the beginning of the 18th century, now resembles an open-air museum, with numerous valuable sculptural works on the tombstones.

Address: Lipowa 16, 20-024 Lublin, Poland

Great Lublin Tours

Lublin is a beautiful city, often referred to as the capital of eastern Poland. You might like to discover this city by taking one or more of the recommended tours provided below. Enjoy!

Polish Currency

Poland's currency is the złoty. Once it meets the requirements, as a member of the European Union, the country will be adopting the euro.

Where to Stay in Lublin

On Booking.com, you can book over 300 homes, apartments, and other unique places to stay in Lublin. 

Booking.com

According to this online travel agency for lodging reservations, Lubhotel, Focus Hotel Premium Lublin, and Hotel Grodzka 20 are some of the most famous hotels in Lublin.

What to Buy in Lublin

Honey. Even if this natural bee product is a popular delicacy in your country, it will still be an enjoyable Polish souvenir. The most popular types of this sweet substance in Poland are linden and buckwheat, which you can buy in almost any store in Lublin. 

Krówki Candies. Presented at the beginning of the 20th century, these "little cows" are well-known Polish sweets made from condensed milk, cream, sugar, and butter.

Oscypek Cheese. It is a salty smoked dairy product made from sheep's milk with the addition of rennet. To get a golden color and a little creamy inside, smoking this cheese uses spruce or pine wood. This traditional Polish cheese is tasty, with a long shelf life. 

Salt Lamp. The Wieliczka and Klodawa salt mines in southern Poland near Krakow are rich in Polish crystalline salt. The salt lamps act as an air ionizer, reducing harmful radiation from home devices (cell phones, laptops, microwaves, and televisions), restoring the nervous system, and allowing you to relax.