Escape From Sobibor

Take a break on your journey and view the exteriors of the Big Synagogue in Łęczna. This temple from the mid-seventeenth century was used by the Nazis as a grain warehouse and by the end of the war, it was in ruins.
Thankfully, the Synagogue was renovated and for a time hosted a museum, which included Jewish exhibits, along with general local history. The museum is now closed and the exhibits moved to Lublin Castle.
Take note of the small collection of tombstones at the side of the Synagogue.

I found the visit to the Sobibor extermination camp, unsurprisingly, a sobering experience. Located within a forest, the site is eerily quiet and peaceful, which is a far cry from its time of operation.
Over the course of a year and a half, from Spring 1942 to the Autumn of 1943, an estimated 170,000 to 250,000 captives, mainly Jews, were massacred here. Gassed by exhaust fumes, similar to the set up in Bełżec, there were very few survivors at the wars end. Those lucky enough to remain alive, had been transferred to a Lublin labor camp when Sobibor was closed down.
The reason for the closure of Sobibor is a tragic, but also inspirational story. On the 14th of October, 1943, the inmates at the camp, following a detailed plan, killed a number of on-duty SS officers, before breaking out. Approximately 300 captives managed to escape, but most were subsequently rounded up and killed. Following the breakout, the head of the SS, Heinrich Himmler, gave the order to close the camp and raise it to the ground.
Today, there is almost nothing to see of the original camp. I found the on-site museum, however, highly informative. The stone covered ground, a memorial to those who died, is also very impactful.

Park in the small town of Włodawa, on the border with Belarus, and head for lunch.

Enjoy a relaxing lunch at this popular café in the centre of Włodawa. Savour the cosy surroundings and try the pierogi, Kawiarnia's tasty Polish dumplings.

Stretch you legs after lunch with the short walk to the Włodawa Synagogue. Unfortunately the excellent museum within this building it is closed for renovation, but this temple is worth viewing externally.
The Great Synagogue was built between 1764 and 1774, with the Small Synagogue being established around the same time.

Head back to your car and prepare to carry on your journey.

Have a quick stop at the Miedzyrzec Podlaski train station to pay your respects and to remember the 24,000 Jews that were deported from here to the extermination camps.

Take a walk around the Miedzyrzec Podlaski's pleasant town square.
Look out for the Memorial to the Victims of the Jewish Ghetto, near the southern corner of the square.
There is also a memorial on the small stone wall between the florist cabin and the statue, on plac Jana Pawła II, near the eastern corner of the square.
The ghetto in this location housed approximately 20,000 Jews and was 'liquidated' in stages between 1942 and 1943.

Wander through the Jewish cemetery, taking in the wonderfully carved tombstones. Reflect on the 200 Jews who were shot at this cemetery on 3rd May, 1943, due to the lack of space on the deportation train. The graves also contain thousands of Jews who passed away during the tough transit journeys from Miedzyrzec Podlaski's ghetto.

Break up the journey back to Warsaw by visiting the cemetery at Siedlce.
From the path that extends into the cemetery from the main road, take a left and search out the Memorial for the Children of Zamojszczyzna.
The memorial marks the mass deportations in the Zamojszczyzna region during 1942. An estimated 110,000 Jews, of which as many as 30,000 were children, were transported from this area.