You step off Krakowskie Przedmieście at the Kraków Gate and the pedestrian street keeps going behind you, cafés spilling onto the pavement, while ahead the lanes narrow toward the Old Town Square and the castle on its hill. That walk between the gate and the castle is the spine of a visit to Lublin, and almost everything worth your time sits within it or a short ride away.
Lublin suits travellers who like a compact historic centre with a serious story behind it, and who are willing to give a day to a memorial site on the city's edge as well as to churches, cellars and museums. It is a walking city, and a city of layers, from a 13th-century donjon to a 16th-century trade cellar under a townhouse.
This guide covers the main sights, the museums, the parks and the events the sources describe, followed by a one-day plan that strings the strongest of them together.
Top things to do in Lublin
1. The Castle of Lublin and Chapel of the Holy Trinity
The castle at Zamkowa St. 9, at the northernmost part of the Old Town near the Main Bus Station, was rebuilt in the 19th century in the neogothic style. Go through to the yard to see the 13th-century Romanesque donjon and the Chapel of the Holy Trinity, whose interior conceals Byzantine wall paintings dating back to 1418.
If you have more time, the museum interior is worth it, especially the Polish Paintings Gallery and the large Union of Lublin painting by Jan Matejko. Adult admission is 6.50 zł, student or child 4.50 zł.
2. Lublin Museum
The Lublin Museum shares the castle address at Zamkowa St. 9, near the main bus station, and holds a gallery of Polish historical and modern painting plus folk and weapon expositions. It is the natural companion to the castle and chapel visit rather than a separate trip.
Opening hours run Jun–Aug Tue–Sat 10:00–17:00 and Sun 10:00–18:00, and Sep–May Tue, Thu and Sat 09:00–16:00 with Wed and Sun 09:00–17:00. Adult admission is 6.50 zł, student or child 4.50 zł.
3. Lublin Cathedral and Trinity Tower
At plac Katedralny you will find a baroque church with wall paintings, and a tower that gives a wide city panorama. The tower is the reason to come with time to spare; the church itself is free to enter.
General hours are 10:00–17:00, though from October to April it opens only Sat and Sun 10:00–17:00. For the tower, a normal ticket is 15 zł and students and children pay 10 zł.
4. Kraków Gate
One of the two original city gates, built in the 14th century in the Gothic style and later rebuilt in the Baroque period, the Kraków Gate stands on Łokietka Sq. in the very centre of Lublin, at the end of the pedestrian zone. It is a symbol of the city, and its clock has occupied the same spot since the 16th century.
Time your visit for noon, when a trumpeter plays the "Hejnał" from the balcony. Next to the gate there is a small Lublin History Museum, so the two combine easily.
5. Lublin History Museum
The Lublin History Museum sits at Łokietka Sq. 3, near the Kraków Gate, and is small enough to fold into the same stop as the gate itself. Hours are Wed–Sat 09:00–16:00 and Sun 09:00–17:00.
Admission is modest: adult 3.50 zł, student or child 2.50 zł. Pair it with a walk down Krakowskie Przedmieście afterwards.
6. Krakowskie Przedmieście
This street begins at the Kraków Gate and runs as a pedestrian zone through downtown. It is the place to stroll, and to stop for a coffee in one of the restaurants along the way.
Use it as your connective tissue: it links the gate area with the churches further along, and it is at its most pleasant when you are not in a hurry.
7. Grodzka Gate
Take the street leading out of the castle towards the Old Town and you reach the Grodzka Gate, one of the original city gates, rebuilt in 1785. It was also known as the Jewish Gate, as it separated the Jewish District from the Old Town.
Entering the gate, there is a door to the «Brama Grodzka — Teatr NN», a cultural institution with a permanent exhibition dedicated to common Polish-Jewish history. Hours are 09:00–15:00 and admission is 5–12 zł.
8. Crown Tribunal
The Crown Tribunal on the Rynek, the Old Town Square, was built in the 1400s and served as the highest court in Lesser Poland. It is a landmark of the square rather than a long stop, and it orients you for the streets around it.
Use it as a meeting point: the entrance to the Lublin Underground Route is at the southern side of the Crown Tribunal.
9. Lublin Underground Route
The Lublin Underground Route begins at Rynek 1, at the southern side of the Crown Tribunal. It is a system of underground cellars, basements and corridors from the 16th and 17th centuries, which served as storehouses when Lublin was a major trade centre, and a 250-m-long route is available on guided tours.
From May to October tours run Tue–Fri at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00, and Sat–Sun at 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 16:00 and 17:00; from November to April, Mon–Fri at 14:00 and Sat–Sun at 12:00, 13:00, 14:00 and 16:00. Tickets are 25/20 zł.
10. Cellar Under Fortuna
At Rynek 8, the Cellar Under Fortuna holds ten underground rooms with multimedia exhibitions about history, one of them a former winery with unique Renaissance polichrome. Entry is at 12:00.
Tickets are 30 zł, reduced 15 zł. Because it sits on the same square as the Crown Tribunal, it fits neatly before or after the underground route.
11. Po Farze square
Po Farze square contains the uncovered foundation of the 14th-century St. Michael church, and it offers a beautiful view of the castle. It is a short, quiet stop rather than a destination in itself.
Combine it with the castle and Grodzka Gate, since all three sit at the northern end of the Old Town.
12. St. Stanislas Dominican Basilica and Monastery
One of the oldest churches in Lublin, built around 1253, this basilica and monastery on Złota St. was rebuilt into its current shape after a fire in 1575, in the style of Lublin Renaissance. Take time over the various chapels that surround the church and open to the inside.
To find it, go to the Market Square, face the Crown Tribunal, pass it on the left and continue straight on for 200 m.
13. Our Lady the Victorious Church
A Gothic-Renaissance church on Narutowicza St. at the corner of Peowiakow, donated by King Ladislaus Jagiello after his victory over the Teutonic Order Knights at Grunwald/Tannenberg in 1410.
From Lithuanian Sq., take Krakowskie Przedmieście to the Galeria Centrum department store, then turn right. It pairs well with a walk along that street.
14. St. Joseph Church and the Barefoot Carmelites Monastery
Another example of Lublin Renaissance style, this church and monastery on Świętoduska was built in the 17th century. From Kraków Gate, follow Krakowskie Przedmieście and then take the first street right downhill.
It is a short detour off the main pedestrian route, so it works well as a break in a walk between the gate and the Old Town.
15. Our Lady Help of Christians Church
A Lublin Renaissance church and monastery on Kalinowszczyzna / Lwowska, built in 1621 by Franciscan order monks and renovated at the beginning of the 19th century to create three floors: a lower and upper church plus an attic with community rooms.
It is a short walk from the Castle, around 10 minutes, which makes it an easy addition to a castle visit.
16. Majdanek State Museum
The Majdanek State Museum at Droga Męczenników Majdanka 67 is the site of a former Nazi German extermination and slave labour camp. It is the most sobering place in this guide and deserves unhurried time.
Reach it by bus no. 28 or 47, or trolleybus no. 153, 156 or 158. Hours are Apr–Oct Tue–Sun 08:00–16:00 and Nov–Mar Tue–Sun 08:00–15:00.
17. Lublin Open Air Village Museum
The Lublin Open Air Village Museum at al. Warszawska 96 is one of the largest open air museums in Poland, with ethnographic exhibits from around the Lublin region. From the city centre, take bus no. 5, 18 or 20.
Hours are Nov–Mar 09:00–15:00, Apr and Oct 09:00–17:00, and May–Sep 09:00–19:00. Adult admission is 30 zł, student or child 20 zł, and children below 7 are free.
18. Saxonian Garden
The Saxonian Garden (Ogród Saski) is in the city centre near the KFC restaurant. Established in 1837, it is one of the oldest city parks in Poland and was renovated in 2013.
It is an easy pause between the downtown sights, and a good place to sit once you have finished the museum stretch.
19. UMCS Botanic Garden
The UMCS Botanic Garden at Sławinkowska St. 3 is near the road to Warsaw and the Skansen Museum, reached by bus no. 5, 18 or 20. Hours vary through the year: April and September 09:00–18:00 with Sat–Sun 10:00–18:00, May and August 09:00–19:00 with Sat–Sun 10:00–19:00, June and July 09:00–20:00 with Sat–Sun 10:00–20:00, and Oct–Mar 09:00–17:00 with Sat–Sun 10:00–17:00.
Adult admission is 5.00 zł and student or child 2.50 zł. Because it shares a bus route with the Open Air Village Museum, the two can be done on the same outing.
20. Zemborzycki Lake
Zemborzycki Lake is an artificial lake with some restaurants and bars, and it is possible to rent a boat or water skis. It is the change of pace in this list, best kept for a warm afternoon when you want to be off the streets.
21. Wincent Pol Manor
The Wincent Pol Manor at Kalinowszczyzna 13 St., near the old Jewish cemetery and reached by bus no. 1, houses exhibitions concerning the life of the Polish poet Vincent Pol and his hobby, geography, in his former manor.
Hours are Wed–Sat 09:00–17:00 and Sun 09:00–18:00. Admission is 3.50 zł, or 2.50 zł for students and children.
22. Jozef Czechowicz Literary Museum
The Jozef Czechowicz Literary Museum at Złota St. 3 in the Old Town holds exhibitions concerning the poets and authors from Lublin city and the region. Hours are Wed–Sat 09:00–16:00 and Sun 09:00–17:00.
Adult admission is 3.50 zł and student or child 2.50 zł. It sits on the same street as the Dominican basilica, so the two combine naturally.
23. Gestapo Jail Martyrdom Museum
The Gestapo Jail Martyrdom Museum at Uniwersytecka St. 1, behind the main building of the Catholic University of Lublin, is free to enter. Reach it by bus no. 5, 10, 13, 18, 31 or 57, or trolleybus no. 150.
It is a sombre stop that pairs with the other wartime sites in the city rather than with the Old Town walk.
24. TV tower
The TV tower on ul. Rektora Henryka Raabego is noted for its very unconventional design. It is a quick look rather than a scheduled visit, worth knowing about if you are passing that way.
25. Lublin's festivals and events
Lublin runs a year of events, and the city's own listing, Lublin - City of Inspiration, carries the full schedule of main events in Polish, English, Ukrainian, Belarussian and Spanish, though the event section is most complete in Polish, less so in English and Ukrainian, and basic in the other versions.
Named festivals include the International Festival of Theater "Confrontation" in May, the Festival of Theater "Neighbors" in June, and the International Lublin Meetings of Theater of Dance in November. Also on the calendar are the International Folk Meetings, Open City, Culture Night, the Jagiellonian Fair, the Lublin Juggling Carnival and the European Festival of Taste.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at the Kraków Gate on Łokietka Sq., and if your timing allows, be there at noon for the trumpeter playing the "Hejnał" from the balcony. Step into the Lublin History Museum next to the gate, then walk the pedestrian stretch of Krakowskie Przedmieście towards the Old Town.
Afternoon. At the Rynek, look at the Crown Tribunal, then take the Lublin Underground Route from its southern side, and afterwards the Cellar Under Fortuna at Rynek 8, remembering that its entry is at 12:00. Continue north to Po Farze square for the view of the castle, pass through the Grodzka Gate, and finish at the Castle of Lublin and Chapel of the Holy Trinity, adding the Lublin Museum if time remains.
Evening. Walk back down Krakowskie Przedmieście and take a coffee or a meal in one of the restaurants along the way. If you still have energy, the Saxonian Garden in the city centre is a calm place to end the day.
Frequently asked questions
When can I hear the trumpeter at the Kraków Gate?
At noon, when the "Hejnał" is played from the balcony of the gate.
Do I need to book the Lublin Underground Route?
The route is available on guided tours at set times rather than continuous entry: from May to October Tue–Fri at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00 and Sat–Sun at 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 16:00 and 17:00, and from November to April Mon–Fri at 14:00 and Sat–Sun at 12:00, 13:00, 14:00 and 16:00. Plan your day around one of those slots.
How do I get to the Majdanek State Museum?
Take bus no. 28 or 47, or trolleybus no. 153, 156 or 158. It is open Tue–Sun, 08:00–16:00 from April to October and 08:00–15:00 from November to March.
Which museums are free or cheapest?
The Gestapo Jail Martyrdom Museum is free, and the Lublin History Museum, the Wincent Pol Manor and the Jozef Czechowicz Literary Museum all charge 3.50 zł for adults and 2.50 zł for students and children.
Pick your dates around one of the festivals, mark the noon trumpeter and the underground tour times in your calendar, and you have enough to start planning a trip to Lublin.