Lublin, Poland – A Day Trip from Warsaw
Lublin has been on my wish list of cities to visit for a long time. It is part of my attempt to visit all the cities where Susann once lived. For a few years now, there have only been two cities left on that list – Lublin and Moscow. Yes, Moscow will take a lot longer with the current circumstances. Lublin, however, has always been within reach. So when I spent a few days in Warsaw in March I decided to go on a day trip to another part of Poland. It was time to board a train.
Day Trip from Warsaw
Early in the morning, I headed towards the Dworzec Centralny w Warszawie – the central train station. I purchased my ticket in the machine and then it was just to wait. Purchasing a ticket was quite straightforward. There were ticket machines available close to the platforms. It was a bit harder to figure out which platform to go to. There are a lot of place names in the Polish rail network, that is a fact.
I was eventually onboard a train and heading towards Lublin. It was still morning and the sun was hiding behind the clouds. The situation with the sun would not change during the whole day. Luckily it was not raining either when I arrived in Lublin – the 9th largest city in Poland.
A Day in Lublin
My day in Lublin was split into three parts – the modern city center, the old town, and an unexpected extension. But before that, I had a quite long walk from the train station to get to the city center. Lublin Główny is located to the southeast of the center.
The modern center is centered along the pedestrian street Krakowskie Przedmieście. It is a nice street and goes along one of the sides of Plac Litewski – the town square. I was exploring a few side streets and would continue to end up along the Krakowskie Przedmieście. That is one of the reasons why I quite soon after arriving continued into the Stare Miasto – the Old Town.
Walking through the city gate of Brama Krakowska is in itself an impressive experience. It is like taking a step back in time when the architecture changes and the historical atmosphere takes over. Exploring the many streets of the Old Town, and walking up towards the castle. It was a great way to spend time in Lublin. There Is that charm with old towns of modern cities that makes them so attractive to tourists.
Getting a Train Back to Warsaw
After a few hours and a late lunch break, it was time to walk back towards the train station. I took another route, one that took me past both the shopping center Centrum Handlowe Lublin Plaza and the Park Ludowy.
Once I reached the train station I directly headed to the ticket office. It was about 20 minutes before the next departure. I would, however, not be on board. The seat reservations were sold out and I didn’t want to risk having to stand the whole ride. Instead, I purchased a ticket for the next train, an hour later.
Extended Stay in Lublin and Visiting the Majdanek Concentration Camp
With one extra hour in Lublin, I had time to explore a third part of the city. I was walking to the southeast, towards the Majdanek Concentration Camp. It was quite a long walk, once more. But I did reach the site in time to explore some before needing to head back to the train station. Majdanek might not have been as bad as Auschwitz, but it was not a pretty place. It is estimated that around 78.000 people lost their lives here during the Holocaust. I visited Auschwitz in 2013 and just the thought of what happened in these concentration camps can probably break anyone. Horrific stories and seeing the sheer size makes it so much more real. I might not have entered the camp itself, but seeing it from the outside was enough for me this time.
Back to Warsaw
I was eventually back at the train station and only had a few minutes to wait before I could board my train back to Warsaw. This was quite an uneventful ride back. Once back in Warsaw, the sun was already on its way down, offering a nice sunset. It was time to prepare for the next daytrip. The following morning I was going to fly to Bergamo in Italy.
