Włodawa Synagogue Complex Museum

The Synagogue Complex Museum in Włodawa (say vwo-DAH-vah) is a unique group of three former Jewish community buildings in eastern Poland. Its centerpiece is the 18th-century Great Synagogue, where a neo-Baroque Torah ark with polychrome decoration from 1936 survives and is regarded as one of the best-preserved in Poland. If you are exploring the borderlands near the Bug River and want to understand the Jewish heritage of this region, it is the most important stop in town.

History of the synagogue complex

The Great Synagogue was built between 1764 and 1774, probably to a design by Paweł Antoni Fontana, on the site of an older wooden prayer house. The Czartoryski family paid for part of the construction. In the second half of the 19th century a second story was added over the vestibule, along with two corner rooms. During World War I a fire destroyed the interior, and the new Torah ark was completed in 1936. In World War II the German occupiers devastated the building and used it as a storehouse for military equipment, which it remained until 1970. After restoration work in the 1980s it has housed a museum since 1983.

The complex also includes the Small Synagogue, recorded in sources from 1782-1786, and the Community House from 1928, a newer house of study. Together the three buildings form an ensemble that stands out even among the towns of the Lublin region.

What to see in the Great Synagogue

• The main prayer hall, about 16.5 by 18.3 m and 10.5 m high, with a nine-bay cross-ribbed vault resting on four Ionic columns. Stucco medallions show plant and animal motifs.
• The 1936 Torah ark (aron ha-kodesz) with painted decoration: seven steps lead up to the niche, and the crest includes two griffins, a Torah crown and a menorah.
• Permanent exhibitions: "Judaica", "The Women's Gallery" and "In the Melamed's Room", a recreated schoolteacher's room from a cheder.
• Ritual objects, among them Torah scrolls from the second half of the 19th century, rimonim, pointers, mezuzot and Hanukkah lamps.

The prewar reading platform (bimah) was lost during the war. A replica was built in 2004 from prewar photographs but is not a permanent fixture.

How long to spend

Plan one to two hours for the museum, or about half a day with a short walk around town. Guided visits are for organized groups of up to 30 people, and groups should register two days in advance. Guided tours in English are available for a fee (see below). Outside regular hours the price list allows entry for PLN 25 and a guide for PLN 150 in Polish or PLN 250 in English, but such a visit must be arranged with the museum in advance.

A day-out idea: Monday, cinema and a walk

The cheapest day to visit is Monday, when entry to the exhibitions in the Great Synagogue building is free. The museum also runs the "Zachęta" cinema, with screenings Monday to Friday at 10:00, 12:00 and 2:00 p.m. by prior request (PLN 10 regular, PLN 7 reduced). For groups there is a 1.5-hour educational walk through town. If you like to see places from the inside, book a guide, because it helps you notice details of the stucco work and the ornament of the Torah ark.

Who it suits

The complex appeals to anyone interested in Polish-Jewish history and architecture, and to families, because a family ticket exists. The museum also runs educational walks around the town, including one that follows the Włodawa ghetto and the last journey of local Jews to Sobibór.

Practical information (as of October 2026)

• Address: ul. Czerwonego Krzyża 7, 22-200 Włodawa.
• Opening hours: October to April Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., closed on weekends. May, June and September: Mon-Fri 9-4, Sat-Sun 10-2. July and August: Mon-Fri 9-5, Sat-Sun 10-5.
• Closed on: 1 and 6 January, Easter, Corpus Christi, 15 August, 1 and 11 November, Christmas Eve, Christmas and 31 December.
• Tickets: regular PLN 18, reduced PLN 12, family ticket (2 adults and 2 children under 18) PLN 12 per person. On Mondays, entry to the exhibitions in the Great Synagogue building is free, while the other exhibitions cost PLN 10 regular and PLN 7 reduced (prices from 1 December 2025).
• Guide: PLN 100 in Polish, PLN 200 in English, per group.
• Contact: +48 538 412 654, +48 82 572 21 78, poczta@muzeumwlodawa.eu.

How to get there

Włodawa lies on the Bug River on the border with Belarus. It is about 45 km straight-line from Chełm and about 75 km from Lublin. Driving is the most convenient option, and seasonal weekend trains from Chełm sometimes run in summer, so check the current timetable.

Nearby

Beyond the museum, Włodawa has other sights of the old multicultural Polesie region, and the Sobibór memorial site lies a few kilometers from the town. The annual Three Cultures Festival takes place in September.