A German concentration and extermination camp on the outskirts of Lublin. Today the State Museum at Majdanek — a memorial where barracks, gas chambers and objects belonging to victims survive.
Majdanek was established in 1941 on the outskirts of Lublin and operated until July 1944, when it was liberated by the Red Army. It is one of the few camps whose buildings survived largely intact — which is why visiting here is literal: you walk between barracks rather than across an empty field.
What to see
Prisoner barracks, bathhouses, gas chambers and the crematorium survive. The museum holds permanent exhibitions, including objects that belonged to victims. The Monument-Mausoleum stands on the site.
How to visit
You can visit individually or with a guide — for school groups and organised tours a guide is recommended. Silence and gravity are expected on the site; do not take photographs without need, do not eat, do not talk loudly. Allow two to four hours, depending on how long you stay with the exhibitions.
Getting there
The museum lies within Lublin, on Droga Męczenników Majdanka. City buses reach it, and it is a short ride from the main railway station.
