Few things make experiencing a city so enjoyable, as visiting with someone who has fallen in love with it. For my friend Lara, Lublin was where she learned to speak the Polish language, made her best friends, and had amazing memories. Though she'd spent less than two months of her life there, she was completely enchanted. From the first moment she mentioned a trip there, I was fully committed. We initially thought our plans may be spoiled by lack of free hostel rooms (which is a bit bizarre, considering we looked a month in advance, and Lublin is by no means a tourist town), but we were able to put together a plan for a weekend away there. Last Friday, Julie, Lara, and I hopped on a PolskiBus (which is much more efficient/clean/comfortable/modern than the Polish train system), and headed to Lublin to stay with Lara's friend Maria.
We got in late Friday evening, but we rallied our strength and headed into old town for our first glimpse of the city. While Lublin is still in need of some repairs, it is in the process of grand renovations, which are fully revitalizing the beautiful historic districts. After an initial walk, we got some not so traditional kebabs at Kebab Habiby. If you aren't aware, kebabs are quite fashionable street food in Europe, especially from Germany on East. I've had some delicious kebabs during my time abroad, but Kebab Habiby's are likely my favorite. There that kind of truly amazing food that you dream about afterwards. If you're in Lublin, before you get pierogi or nalesniki, I suggest you first get a lamb kebab with mixed garlic and hot sauces at Kebab Habiby (my mouth is watering just thinking about them).
After a walk and dinner, we even managed to muster up enough energy for a drink out (working long weeks really kills your affinity for "going out" on the weekends) at Club Opium. Luckily, it turned out it was a pretty chill night at the bar, and we enjoyed beers in a lounge area, before heading back for some much needed rest.
Saturday morning I got to sleep in a little. Maria kindly squeezed all of us into her very functional apartment, and fed us some delicious breakfast, before serving as our chauffeur and tour guide of the area. Most of Saturday was spent touring nearby Majdanek. After our trip there, we had a late lunch at an Irish pub (it was by no means a traditional weekend in terms of food), before exploring more of Old Town Lublin. It was fun to walk around and hear Lara's stories about her time there. She actually participated in an intensive language course in Lublin, where she spent 8 hours a day in courses, and any free time out exploring the town and nearby areas. It obviously payed off, as Lara is one of the few Americans I've ever met who is fluent in Polish (I can barely say hello and excuse me).
Old Town Lublin
Archway in Old Town Lublin
Julie, Lara, and I in Old Town Lublin
Saturday night we squeezed another person into the apartment, one of Maria's friends who was visiting from Warsaw. After some brief rest, we headed back to Old Town for a night out at Dom Kultury. Lublin is a large university town, hosting thousands of students at its six universities. As a result, it has a wonderfully eclectic nightlife. The club we went to is newer, and it is absolutely amazing. I had a really great time. Lara had really wanted to go out in Lublin, both to relive her glory days of summers there, and to celebrate her friend Maria's upcoming wedding. Maria's getting married to an American in September, so this was the only opportunity Lara had to go out with her before the big day. As a result, we threw her an unofficial bachelorette/girl's night out, which I think was quite a success. The DJ was excellent, and we had a blast dancing and getting to know one another.
The weekend went by too quickly, as it was Sunday before I knew it. Maria dropped us and our luggage off in Old Town so we could spend the last hours of our time in Lublin there, before catching our bus back to Warsaw. We spent most of the day at Lublin Castle. It's one of the highlights of visiting the town. Though the facade is a little underwhelming, it hosts a very interesting folk art museum, and the absolutely breathtaking Holy Trinity Chapel. If ever in Lublin, it's a must-see. The Chapel was originally completed in 1418, and is decorated with paintings displaying a mix of Western and Eastern Orthodox styles. Most of the castle was completely renovated when Russia took over the area in the 1800s, and from 1831-1954, the castle served as a prison (under the Tsars of Russia, free Poland, Nazi occupation, and Soviet rule), but the Chapel was spared.
Holy Trinity Chapel at Lublin Castle
Panorama of Holy Trinity Chapel
View of Old Town Lublin from Lublin Castle
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