Lublin legends tour
At the heart of every legend there is a grain of truth...
Feel like an explorer and follow the trail of Lublin legends. Find out why you shouldn’t touch the stone of misfortune, what happened to the poor widow and how Lublin got its name.
- Mysterious treasure. As they say, a miracle happened during the construction of this church… a mysterious miracle. One night, when there was not enough money to finish the construction, a great storm broke out and a cart with a treasure appeared inside the city walls. How could it happen? Nobody knows. However, besides gold, there was a letter inside the box. It informed about the purpose of the treasure for the construction of the church. The temple was built thanks to gold. Come to the church and admire its treasures.
Address: Plac Wolności, St. Paweł Church.
- Don’t touch the stone! There is a legend of the Stone of Misfortune. When you walk down ul. Jezuicka, next to Trinitarian Tower, be careful not to touch the stone lying there. It has been changing its location around Lublin for centuries and bears only misfortunes. The story started when one executioner beheaded an innocent man. It was just worse and worse later… animals died, houses burned, people lost their eyesight, powder magazines flew into the air, bombs exploded. It’s not a coincidence, is it? You’d better be careful and don’t touch the stone!
Address: corner of ul. Jezuicka and ul. Teodora Gruella, the Trinitarian Tower
- The most valuable relic in the world is a story about the Tree of the Holy Cross. Despite the fact that the relic was not to remain in Lublin permanently, it just happened. The horses of Bishop Andrzej, who were carrying it, didn’t want to leave the city, so the relic stayed with the Dominicans. People say that thanks to the Tree of the Holy Cross many miracles happened in Lublin. A little piece of the Tree of the Holy Cross has survived until today and it is kept in the Basilica of Dominicans. The rest has been stolen. But did it go beyond the walls of Lublin?
Address: Monastery of Dominicans
- The legend of the Devil’s sentence. The legend of Devil’s Paw is associated with the Crown Tribunal, located in the very centre of Lublin Old Town, and it’s probably the most famous urban story in Lublin. It’s about an unfair sentence passed in a dispute between a poor widow and a magnate, bribed judges, and the devil’s court. Look for traces of this legend in the paintings of the tenement house at Rynek 4 and in the National Museum in Lublin, where there is still a table with a burned devil’s paw. The spectacle at the multimedia fountain, “Devil’s Paw”, is worth seeing too.
Address: ul. Rynek 1. The Crown Tribunal.
- Best pancakes in town! The legend of the great fire. What do pancakes have to do with a fire? A long time ago, townswoman Jadwiga, while preparing this delicacy, supposedly fell asleep over the pan, and … that’s how it all started. The wooden buildings quickly burst into flames, and the fire spread throughout the city. Fortunately, we managed to put it out, and Lublin became even more beautiful when it was rebuilt.
Address: ul. Grodzka
- The legend of Leszek Czarny’s dream. According to legend, when the Lithuanians and Yotvingians were taking over the Lublin region, Leszek Czarny came to the city from Cracow. He fell asleep under the oak, tired after the journey, where today you can see the foundations of the church of st. Michael the Archangel and its replica. He dreamed about Michelangelo who gave him a piece of good advice. Thanks to the dream Leszek Czarny won the battle, and he founded a church. Could you fall asleep there?
Address: Po Farze square
- Pike or tench? A legend about the origin of the city’s name. The name of the Plac Rybny comes from the fish markets that were organized here. And the name of Lublin? One legend says that a long time ago a prince came to the town and he was surprised that the town doesn’t have a name yet. He ordered the fishermen to cast their nets. It was supposed to take the name of the town from the name of the fish caught. Pike and tench fell into the net. The prince could not decide, pike or tench, pike or tench (pol. “szczupak lub lin”) and called the city LubLin.
Address: Plac Rybny
- How the Billy Goat jumped into the Lublin coat of arms. Once upon a time, when the inhabitants of the city had to run away from the enemy invasion, they only took a goat with them to a safe shelter. As it turned out later, the goat fed them all and they managed to survive. In gratitude, they went to the king to give them city rights and put a goat in the coat of arms. The king agreed, but by chance, the painter placed an old billy goat climbing on a vine in his coat of arms. This is how the billy goat became famous and the city is called Goat Castle. Look for a golden goat in the city!
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