The Chassidic Route

The Chassidic Route is a tourist route following the traces of Jewish communities through southeastern Poland, and soon also western Ukraine. Twenty-three communities in which priceless reminders of a centuries-old Jewish presence have survived have already joined the project. These are: Baligród, Biłgoraj, Chełm, Cieszanów, Dębica, Dynów, Jarosław, Kraśnik, Lesko, Leżajsk (Lizhensk), Lublin, Łańcut, Łęczna, Przemyśl, Radomyśl Wielki, Ropczyce, Rymanów, Sanok, Tarnobrzeg, Ustrzyki Dolne, Wielkie Oczy, Włodawa and Zamość. The Chassidic Route runs through many picturesque areas, like the Roztocze Hills or the Bieszczady Mountains, and joins localities where one can find imposing synagogues and Jewish cemeteries with gravestones dating back to the 18th, 17th or even the 16th century. Many of them are still visited by Chassidim from all over the world. Within the framework of the Route, the Foundation supports local authorities and nongovernmental organizations in protecting and promoting their townships’ multicultural heritage. Our aim is also to stimulate the development of dedicated tourism based on Jewish heritage through the establishment of permanent inter-sector partnerships. The Chassidic Route gives many places in Poland the opportunity to appear on the map of tourist attractions. Apart from well-known Zamość, included on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites, there are many places along the Route that are often omitted by tourists unaware of their significance.