Lublin Favorites

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Favorite thing: Many of Lublin's main sights are beautifully illuminated at night. Among them are of course many buildings in the old town area, such as the Crown Tribunal and the Trinitarian Tower.

One night when we walked across the market square there was even someone testing different light patterns on the facade of the Crown Tribunal.

From the square Plac Po Farze a scenic view of the illuminated castle can be enjoyed.

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Favorite thing: The large Lithuanian Square (plac Litewski) got its name from the Lithuanian gentry who stayed here during the debates about the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (Union of Lublin) in 1569.

The Union of Lublin is commemorated by the Lublin Union Monument. The cast iron obelisk can be found near the south western end of the square.

Not far from the obelisk stands Lublin's oldest hotel. Hotel Europa was built in Polish Renaissance style in the late 19th century.

The Jozef Pilsudski Monument was erected in 2001 near the south western end of the Lithuanian Square. He was the Chief of State of the second Polish Republic and he stayed several times in Lublin.

Nowadays the Lithuanian Square with its large green areas is a popular recreation area for the local people.

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Favorite thing: The old town market square (Rynek) has a seize of 62 x 72 m and in its middle stands the neoclassical Crown Tribunal. Please read my "Things to do tips" for more info about the Crown Tribunal.

It is surrounded by fine burgher houses:

The building at Rynek 12 is the so called Konopnic Tenement whose Renaissance facade is from the early 16th century. Both Charles XII of Sweden and Peter the Great were guests here.

At the address Rynek 6 the Chociszewska Tenement with its late Gothic window frames can be found. The history of the building dates back to the 16th century.

Other well worth seeing buildings include the Klonowica Tenement from the 16th century at Rynek 2, the building at number 11, which once belonged to the Franciscan order and the Wieniawskich Tenement at Rynek 17, which now houses the restaurant Gospoda Sielsko Anielsko.

Favorite thing: Having a walk from Constitution Monument in Krakowskie Przedmiescie all along this street to the Castle that is now the city history museum on the following route:
Constitution Monument in Krakowskie Przedmiescie - Lokietka Square - Bramowa - Grodzka - Zamkowa to the Castle.

Fondest memory: visiting the Castle and admiring the stories about it and its interior.

Fondest memory: While on the train bound for Warsaw. I was sitting with a native Lublin, who's studying archeology & about the history of Lublin. We had a nice chat about the town. Many good infos & stories I acquired from him about Poland !
His name is Stanislaw...

Fondest memory: My fond memory in Lublin was wandering around the town, watching the people running their everyday lives...
Seeing many beautiful buildings & monuments along the way.

The photo on the left was taken on a street while I was walking to the train station to catch my train back to Warsaw.
I didn't want to take the town bus directly to the train station, I would prefer to walk & this I find is so enjoyable !

Favorite thing: In almost any town with old buildings you could walk with your head up high staring at the lovely facade details ... Otherwise you miss out a lot from the beauty and charm of the places you're visiting.

And this is so true of Lublin! This detail comes from the front of the Great Tribunal in the market square, but I suggest you check also the buildings in the Deptak walkway that takes you from the centre to the Old Town. Some of the details are stunning!

Fondest memory: The details, of course! They show that people cared for their culture and civilisation to be expressed in architecture as well...
Compare that with the unimaginative architecture of communist era, and you'll see what I mean :-)

Favorite thing: I got a kick out of looking at the famous Devil's Claw mark on the Old Tribunal's table exibited on the Lublin's museum groundfloor!

Apparently, once there was a poor widow who was unjustly sentenced by the corrupted Tribunal to pay a high compensation fee to a rich magnate. On hearing the sentence she cried: "If I were tried by devils, I would have been given a fair sentence!". The devil heard her: he came at night, made the judges change the sentence, and left his claw stamp on the Tribunals table...
True or not, the 1637 Lublin Chronicle has the whole story!

This picture is actually a fragment of a postcard with the story on it as well. The claw is covered with glass so using flash would be no good; non-flash photo would be too dark as the table itself is quite dark.