Stare Miasto (Lublin)

Lublin's Old Town is a compact medieval quarter of narrow lanes, small courtyards and painted facades, set on the hill between the Krakow Gate and the castle. At its centre is the Rynek, the market square, wrapped around the old Crown Tribunal that once housed the highest court of the region. The scale is small and the streets are quiet compared with the promenade below, which is part of the appeal.

This is the historic core and the best part of the city for wandering. The lanes twist and open onto courtyards, and many townhouses carry Renaissance and later decoration on their fronts. You can cross the whole quarter in fifteen minutes, but it rewards a slower loop, ducking into side streets and looking up at the facades.

The market square is the heart of it, framing the former town hall that became the Crown Tribunal. The building sits in the middle of the square and now serves as the city's Wedding Palace, with a route through its cellars. Around it run streets of painted houses, and the quarter is bracketed by the Krakow Gate at one end and the Grodzka Gate at the other.

The town was walled in the 14th century, and the street plan of the Old Town dates from that period. The town hall on the square was rebuilt in Renaissance style after fires in the 16th century. From 1578, by the decision of King Stefan Batory, it served as the Crown Tribunal, the highest court for the province, which is the role most tied to the building. It was reworked in Classicist form in the late 18th century.

An hour is enough for a relaxed loop of the lanes and the market square. Add more if you climb the Trinitarian Tower, visit the cathedral or carry on up to the castle, all of which sit at the edges of the quarter.

Enter through the Krakow Gate from the promenade, or from the castle side through the Grodzka Gate. The quarter is pedestrian and reached on foot from anywhere in the centre. For transport across the city, see the Lublin guide.

The Old Town sits on a slope and its lanes are cobbled and uneven, which can be hard going for wheelchairs and prams. The market square itself is fairly level once you are up in the quarter.

The quarter is ringed by the city's main sights:

• The Trinitarian Tower, for the highest view over the rooftops.
• Lublin Castle, just beyond the Grodzka Gate.
• Krakowskie Przedmiescie, the promenade outside the Krakow Gate.

It is the former town hall in the middle of the market square that from 1578 served as the Crown Tribunal, the highest court of the region. Today it holds the city's Wedding Palace and an underground route.

It is small and walkable. You can cross it in about fifteen minutes, though the lanes and courtyards are worth a slower loop of an hour or so.