Chełm

Chełm (Ukrainian: Холм, Kholm) is a Baroque town in Lubelskie, Poland. It lies on the main Warsaw - Kyiv road and rail routes, where it is the nearest sizeable Polish town to the Ukrainian border. The border towns are Dorohusk in Poland and Yahodin (or sometimes Yagodin) in Ukraine.

Understand

Get in

By train

There are several trains daily from Lublin. If coming from Warsaw you will likely change trains in Lublin. The 🌍 Main train station is a bit outside of the old part. There are, however, two direct trains from the capital: at 13:40 (arriving in Chełm at 17:33) and also a few hours later the Warsaw to Kyiv train stops in Chełm at 20:05. To Warsaw, the direct trains are in the wee hours.

There is also the smaller 🌍 Chełm Miasto station which is slightly closer to the old town. Check in advance if the train you want to take stops here.

By bus

There are frequent bus connections from Lublin. The 🌍 Bus station is just on the edge of the old part of the town.

See
  • 🌍 Chełm Chalk Tunnels (Chełmskie podziemia kredowe), Lubelska 55a, ☏ +48 82 565 25 30, . Individual travelers can explore the tunnels at 11:00, 13:00 and 16:00 (additional times in July and August), groups need reservation. From the Middle Ages until the 19th century, Chełmistas would dig chalk out of the ground their houses stood on and then sell it. Eventually the diggings merged to create a subsidence problem in the buildings above and an extensive (15 km) labyrinth under the town. About 2 km of it are open for tourists to explore. 12 zł. 
  • 🌍 Basilica of the Birth of the Virgin Mary (Bazylika Narodzenia Najświętszej Maryi Panny), Lubelska 2. One of the main sights of the city. As a church and monastery complex the Basilica of the Birth of the Virgin Mary stands in the centre of Chełm on Chełm Hill (also called Cathedral Hill or Castle Hill). Over its history, the church has been Ukrainian Orthodox, Ukrainian Catholic (also known as Greek Catholic), and Roman Catholic. Surrounding the basilica's grounds is a city park and a cemetery. 
  • 🌍 Small Synagogue (Mała Synagoga). Built between 1912-1914. The building houses a bar. 
  • 🌍 Orthodox Church of John the Evangelist (Cerkiew św. Jana Teologa), Henryka Sienkiewicza 1, ☏ +48 82 564 70 44. 
  • 🌍 Kretzschmar Palace (Pałac Kretzschmarów), Pocztowa 50. One of the most beautiful buildings in Chełm dating back from the end of the 19th century/beginning of the 20th century. The name of the building originates from Wilhelm Kretzschmar, a local industrialist who ordered the building. The building is in use an office for the local government since the Second World War and not open for visits. 

Do
  • Bicycle tours and sightseeing.
  • Before the Second World War the city of Chełm and its region was a place of meetings of many different cultures and religions. Mainly Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Yiddish and Protestant. That's why there are many historical monuments to see. A full list of monuments is included on an interactive map of the Chelm's region with the pictures and descriptions can be found on http://www.chelm.info/zabytki-chelm-krasnystaw-wlodawa.

Sleep

Budget
  • Schronisko Młodzieżowe PTSM (Youth Hostel), ul. Czarnieckiego 8, ☏ +48 606 685 099, +48 604 110 386, +48 82 564 00 22. Check-in: 17:00 - 21:00. From doubles to twelve bed dorms, call before arriving. 25 - 35 zł. 
  • Dom Pielgrzyma (Pilgrim's Home), ul. Lubelska 2 (in the parish house), ☏ +48 82 565 36 56. 53 beds in 5 rooms. 15 zł. 

Mid-range

Go next
  • Lublin - the regional center
  • Kovel, Ukraine - via the Dorohusk/Yahodyn border
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