Zamość Synagogue

The Zamość Synagogue is one of the finest Renaissance synagogues in Poland and a powerful reminder of the Jewish community that helped shape this UNESCO-listed planned town in the Lublin region. Built in the early 17th century on the initiative of Sephardic Jews, it was ransacked by the Nazis and used as a library after the war. Carefully restored, it reopened in 2011 as the Synagogue Center, with a multimedia museum on the history of the Jews of Zamość (say "ZAH-moshch") and the surrounding area.

History

The town's founder, Jan Zamoyski, granted privileges to merchants of many backgrounds, including Sephardic Jews. The masonry synagogue was built in 1610–1620. Women's galleries were added on the north and south sides in the second half of the 17th century, and a vestibule linking the synagogue to the community house followed in the 18th century. Over time, the community became predominantly Ashkenazi.

During World War II, the Germans devastated the building and used it as a warehouse and carpentry workshop. The Jews of Zamość were murdered in the Holocaust; the final liquidation of the ghetto took place on October 16, 1942. From 1958 to 2005 the building housed the town library. In 2005 it was returned to the Jewish community, and the Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage in Poland (FODŻ) restored it with support from the World Monuments Fund and EEA and Norway Grants. The Synagogue Center opened on April 5, 2011.

What to see

• The prayer hall, roughly 12 × 12 m, with ornamental stucco vaulting, Hebrew inscriptions and a Tree of Life motif.
• The Torah ark (aron ha-kodesh) from the first half of the 17th century, framed by columns and topped with a crowned pediment.
• The crested attic and stone portal on the exterior.
• The multimedia museum on the history of local Jews, plus temporary exhibitions and concerts.

The synagogue is the starting point of the Hasidic Route, a heritage trail through Jewish sites in southeastern Poland, and in season the center runs guided walks around the former Jewish quarter, including a mikveh.

How long to stay

Allow 45–60 minutes. Modest dress is expected. Groups of more than 10 must book in advance.

Opening hours and admission

As of October 2026:

• March 1–October 31: Tuesday–Sunday 10 am–6 pm, last entry 5:30 pm.
• November 2–end of February (winter 2026/27): Tuesday–Sunday 10 am–2 pm; booked groups at other times.
• Closed: Mondays, Polish public holidays and Jewish holidays.
• Admission: by donation ticket of PLN 15, 50 or 100.
• Contact: Pereca 14, phone +48 84 639 00 54, zamosc@fodz.pl. Schedule changes are posted on the center's Facebook page.

How to get there

The synagogue is at Pereca 14 in the northeastern part of the Old Town, about 150 m from the Great Market Square. Zamość is about 90 km (55 miles) southeast of Lublin; direct trains take about 2 hours from Lublin and 4.5 hours from Warsaw.

Nearby

• Armenian Houses and the Zamość Museum, about 150 m.
• Salt Market, right next door.
• Bastion VII, about 300 m.