The Martyrs of Majdanek

Take the opportunity to pay your respects at this Jewish Cemetery which as established in 1826. Jews settled in Góra Kalwaria (Calvary Mountain) around 1795, and by the Second World War, they made up roughly half the population of this small town. Tragically, the whole Jewish population of this community were transferred to the Warsaw Ghetto, and from there to Treblinka.

Park your car and prepare to walk through the historic town of Kazimierz Dolny.

It is a beautiful walk into the Market Square, with lovely old buildings full of character on all sides.
As I walked around this fascinating area I reflected on the fact that before the Second World War, 60% of the town's population were Jewish, but by the Spring of 1942, every Jew had been removed from the town by the Nazis.

The old Synagogue still stands and has been converted into a popular boutique hotel.
The hotel hosts an exhibition titled "Jewish Kazimierz". This is an excellent chance to see the town during its heyday before the war, with a series of photos having been taken during 1930 and 1931, documenting the sites and people.
The hotel also has a small gift shop which sells Jewish inspired items.

Return to your car and prepare to carry on your journey.

The main reason for me to visit Kazimierz Dolny was to see the hauntingly striking Holocaust Memorial Wall, which is part of the old Jewish Cemetery. This wall has been constructed with pieces of gravestones.
During the Second World War, the Nazis forced the 1,400 or so Jews from the town to pave the local roads with the gravestones from the Jewish Cemetery. These Jews, herded together in a ghetto, were then moved to the extermination camp at Belzec in 1942. After the war, this Memorial Wall was constructed using the pieces that remained.
Make sure to explore the area behind the wall, as you will see a scattered collection of Jewish gravestones that had been left in place.

Stop for lunch at this restaurant which is popular with tourists visiting the area. Enjoy the regional dishes and large portions in typical Polish surroundings.
When perusing the menu, pay attention to the restaurant's venison dishes, which they are famous for.

Park your car here.

On arriving at the Majdanek Concentration Camp, my attention was immediately drawn to the huge rectangular concrete monument. This Communist-era monolith looms over the camp, and is sited next to the visitor centre.
The monument is an imposing tribute to the estimated 150,000 prisoners held at the camp, 80,000 of which were executed here, with 60,000 of them being Jewish.
From the monument, walk down into the camp, some of which has been preserved, with many of the buildings hosting various exhibitions. The camp was established in July 1941 and the prisoners were to be used in the SS and police workshops and at construction sites.
The inmates came mainly from Poland, but a significant amount also came from Russia and Ukraine. As the camp filled up with prisoners, it started to change from being solely a labour camp to an extermination camp, as evidenced by the massive incinerator at the far end of the site.
Majdanek was liberated by the Red Army on 23rd July 1944 and today provides a chilling reminder of man's inhumanity to man. A visit to Majdanek is a truly moving experience.
Open Hours: Tuesday - Sunday: 09:00 - 18:00 Monday: Closed

Walk back to the car.

Park your car in front of the castle and prepare to ascend the stairs up to the fortress.

I think that Lublin Castle must have the most handsome façade of any fortification. This neogothic architectural style is stunning, with its clean lines and symmetry, but what you see before you was completed only in 1828, following reconstruction.
This hill, however, has been fortified since at least the 12th century, with many additions and alterations happening since then. The new style initiated in 1828 heralded a change in usage, from the castle being a defensive structure to being converted into a prison.
Serving initially as a Tsarist prison, before incarcerating criminals from the independent Poland in between the world wars, Lublin Castle became a Nazi internment location. Somewhere between 40,000 and 80,000 people were processed through the prison, many of whom were Jews.
The most horrific moment, however, occurred in 1944 just before the Nazi's withdrew. It was at this point, the Nazis massacred the 300 prisoners left in the prison. Unfortunately the castle's gruesome history did not improve, since a further 35,000 Poles were held at the prison by the Soviet occupying forces.
Today the castle has been transformed into an interesting museum and art gallery. I found, however, that the highlight of the visit is the chapel, which is illuminated by a set of wonderful wall paintings from 1418. Open Hours Note that last admittance to the castle's museum is usually 17:00.

The walk from the castle into the centre of Lublin Old Town is an absolute delight, offering a kaleidoscope of striking and colourful buildings, one of which houses Mandragora.
This restaurant feels so homely and the Jewish dishes that it serves are the perfect way to wind down after a day of discovery.

Head back to your car, past the rainbow coloured buildings.

Chill out in your accommodation for the night and recharge your batteries ready for the next day of travelling.