At a glance…
- Days To Spend: 3, maybe even 4
- Get Around: By walking, or bus if distanct
- Get In and Out: By train
- Pay: With a bank card or cash, in Zloty
- Speak: In Polish or English
- See: the Old Town, Brewery Underground, Lublin Castle, Churches, Centre for the Meeting of Cultures
- Should you go?: Yes!
Lublin is the largest city in Eastern Poland, and is definitely a gem not be missed. The same pretty old town and churches that are standard in Poland, but also a wealth of other attractions that make this city stand out above most other cities in Poland.
General Impressions
One of the most positive aspects of Lublin is the lack of tourists, particularly foreign tourists, which can really bring down a city, like they do in Krakow. Whilst there are sufficient tourists to support a healthy tourism infrastructure, the city is far from being overran with tourists.
Transport
Getting Around
Lublin is quite concentrated, but some of the more distant attractions require the use of the bus network. Otherwise, walking is just fine.
Getting In and Out
Reaching Lublin is easiest by train, which is connected to the cities of Warsaw and Rzeszow (and a slew of smaller cities). The border cities with Ukraine and Belarus can also be reached from Lublin.
Money
The Polish Zloty is used here, and both card and cash payments are welcome. ATMs are common, but most will charge you a fare for using them.
Language
Everyone speaks Polish, though young people will also speak English for the most part. Older people are a bit of a mixed bag, but well-educated older Poles will speak English too.
Time
There’s quite a lot to do for such a small city! We spent 3 days here, and there were still other activities we could do.
My Favourite Spots
Old Town
Lublin has a pretty old town, though this is quite standard for Poland as mentioned already. Still, it is a great place for pictures.
Lublin Castle
Lublin Castle is very interesting from the outside, and is unlike any other castle I had seen before. Inside, it’s a bit of a mess with many different, conflicting architectural styles. We only toured the Keep in the castle, which featured displays detailing the Castle’s history, as well as fantastic views over Lublin from the top of the tower.
Churches
There are numerous churches in Lublin that are pretty both inside and out, but by far the most beautiful, and perhaps one of the most beautiful in the whole world to me, is the Archcathedral, located just outside the Old Town. The inside is decorated amazingly in a style unique to this particular church.
Plac Po Farze
A small square located in the Old Town, it contains the foundations of a church. This is far from the main attraction however, as a viewing terrace provides a perfect view of Lublin Castle, and a great photo opportunity, especially after dusk when the castle is lit up.
Lublin Open Air Village Museum
Old 18-20th century houses from rural Poland are brought into Lublin to be reconstructed in a model village to illustrate what life was like in villages in rural Poland in those time periods. Many of the houses are furnished and have plaques explaining what you can see. The Museum is large, and has a wide variety of houses to be explored, as well as two churches, a windmill, and many shops. This is a great way to learn how people lived in the past 2 to 3 centuries.
The Brewery Underground
The Perla Brewery makes their headquarters in Lublin, and their old Brewery building has not been converted to an outdoor cinema, bar, and of course, a tourist attraction where one can tour the underground of the brewery, sample some beers, and learn about beermaking and the history of the building and the brewery. The cost of the ticket is almost returned in the beer you get to sample, and you also get a coaster as the ticket. Definitely a place to check out.
Centre for the Meeting of Cultures
This is something that took us completely by surprise. This is a stunning modern building that houses a cinema, an opera, both free and paid art exhibitions (unfortunately, one of the exhibitions that really caught our eye was in the process of being put together), a roof garden, and a great little bar serving excellent local craft beer.
Conclusion
Lublin is a relatively unknown but awesome destination! There’s loads to do, and the city itself is very pretty. I’d wholeheartedly recommend a visit to this city in Eastern Poland.
We May Roam 