Bełżec & Lublin Old Town — Private Day Trip from Warsaw

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Bełżec operated from March to December 1942 as one of the first Aktion Reinhardt camps — the secret operation for the physical extermination of Jews in the General Government, coordinated from Lublin by SS-Gruppenführer Odilo Globocnik. Between 430,000 and over 500,000 Jews were murdered here — predominantly from the Lublin district, Galicia and Lwów. The camp was constructed in such a way that virtually no one survived to bear witness: of approximately 500,000 victims, only seven survivors are known.\n\nIn 2004, the Museum and Memorial on the camp grounds were opened. The architectural design — a field of grey lava symbolising the mass graves, cut through by a deep ravine representing the passage through death — is among the most affecting contemporary memorial sites. The underground museum documents the history of the camp and its victims through archival materials, testimonies and artefacts.\n\nLublin, approximately 80 kilometres from Bełżec, was the headquarters of Aktion Reinhardt — it was from here that the annihilation of over two million Jews in the camps of Bełżec, Sobibór and Treblinka was planned and coordinated. The Old Town of Lublin, with the Kraków Gate, the market square and the castle hill, closes the day in the historical and geographical context of the entire system of destruction in the East.\n\nThe route is long — approximately 500 kilometres in total — but can be covered comfortably in a Mercedes V-Class.

Departure from Warsaw takes place very early in the morning — the route follows the A2 motorway, then the S17 towards Lublin and onwards through Zamość to Bełżec. Total travel time to Bełżec is approximately three and a half to four hours. Given the distance, an optimal departure is around 5:30 to 6:00 in the morning.\n\nThe programme at Bełżec begins with the Underground Museum (permanent exhibition, archival materials, testimonies), followed by a walk through the memorial grounds — the ravine of the symbolic passage through death, the lava field, the central obelisk bearing the names of the towns from which victims were deported. Time at Bełżec — 90 to 120 minutes, depending on the group's pace.\n\nAfter Bełżec, the trip continues north towards Lublin. In Lublin, the programme covers the Old Town: the Kraków Gate, the market square, the castle hill with its Gothic-Renaissance castle and the Chapel of the Holy Trinity (14th century), covered in remarkable Ruthenian-Byzantine frescoes. Lublin closes the theme of Aktion Reinhardt as the command centre for the entire operation — the historical context can be discussed at the Kraków Gate or by the castle.\n\nThe return to Warsaw follows the S17/A2, arriving in the city centre by evening.

Given the considerable distance (approximately 500 kilometres return), the trip is priced individually. The cost covers the entire vehicle — a Mercedes V-Class for up to six people at the same transfer price. Please send enquiries to kontakt@viptransfers.pl or via the contact form on our website. A quote is provided within one business day.

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A guide specialising in the history of Aktion Reinhardt and the eastern Poland extermination camps can join the trip. Given the distance and the length of the route, guide arrangements require more advance planning — please indicate this need in your first enquiry.