Lublin Castle

Lublin Castle stands on a hill above the Old Town, a whitewashed neo-Gothic block with a much older round tower beside it. The tower, a Romanesque donjon, dates from the 13th century and is one of the oldest structures in the city. The main building was raised in the 19th century on the ruins of the medieval and Renaissance castle. Today it holds a museum, and within it the Holy Trinity Chapel with its famous frescoes.

The castle brings together the city's oldest tower, its finest medieval painting and a broad art and history museum in one place. Climb the round tower for a wide view over the Old Town roofs. Step into the Holy Trinity Chapel for the Ruthenian-Byzantine frescoes. Then work through the museum galleries. It is the single richest stop in Lublin.

The hill was fortified from early medieval times, and the round stone tower was built in the 13th century. Under Casimir the Great in the 14th century the castle was rebuilt in stone, and the royal chapel went up around the same time. It became a grand Renaissance residence in the 16th century. The old castle later fell into ruin, and in the 1820s a new neo-Gothic building was raised on the site to serve as a prison. It held prisoners for well over a century, including under the German occupation, before becoming a museum in the 1950s.

The highlights are the Holy Trinity Chapel and the Romanesque round tower, or donjon, which you can climb for the view. The museum itself covers Polish painting, decorative arts, arms and regional history across its galleries. Allow the chapel to be the centrepiece, as it is the reason many people come.

Give it two to three hours to take in the chapel, the tower and the main galleries. A quick visit to just the chapel and tower can be done in about an hour.

The castle sits just north of the Old Town, reached on foot through the Grodzka Gate and across the dip below the hill. It is a short, mostly level walk from the market square. For transport across the city, see the Lublin guide.

The castle sits at the edge of the historic centre:

• The Holy Trinity Chapel, inside the castle itself.
• The Old Town, across the dip below the castle hill.
• The Grodzka Gate, on the slope between the two.

The round tower, or donjon, dates from the 13th century and is a rare survival of Romanesque building in Poland. It is among the oldest structures in Lublin and can be climbed for the view.

Yes. The neo-Gothic building put up in the 1820s served as a prison for well over a century, including during the German occupation, before it was turned into the museum you visit today.