10 Synagogues on the Chassidic Route in Poland

The Great Synagogue in Kraśnik is a Baroque-style Ashkenazi synagogue built between 1637 and 1654 after a fire destroyed an earlier wooden synagogue. Over the centuries, it underwent multiple renovations, including the addition of women's sections and interior modifications. Severely damaged during World War II and later used as a warehouse, the building suffered significant alterations. Today, the synagogue serves as a cultural center and is open to visitors.

The Yeshiva Chachmei Lublin, built in 1928–1930 by Rabbi Meir Shapiro, was a prestigious yeshiva designed to elevate Torah study. It featured modern amenities and a vast library, but the Nazis looted and burned its books during World War II. The building still stands and serves as a synagogue today.

The Great Synagogue in Łęczna, built between 1648 and 1655, is a Baroque brick structure that now serves as a museum. Originally made of stone, it was destroyed by fires in 1670 and 1846 before being rebuilt in brick. The synagogue marks the historic presence of the Jewish community in the city.

The Włodawa Synagogue complex, built between 1764 and 1774, includes the Great Synagogue, the Small Synagogue (Beit Midrash), and a Jewish administrative building. Designed in the Baroque style by Paolo Antonio Fontana, it is one of Poland’s best-preserved synagogue complexes. Damaged in both World Wars and later used as a warehouse, it was restored in the 1980s and now serves as a museum dedicated to the history and culture of Polish Jews.

The Zamość Synagogue, completed in 1618 in the Renaissance style, is the best-preserved late Renaissance synagogue in Poland and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built by the city's Sephardic Jews, it served as a place of worship until World War II, when the Nazis repurposed its interior. After WWII, the synagogue fell into disrepair but was restored and repurposed as a Jewish museum in 2005. Today, it houses the Jewish Museum of Zamość and serves as an educational center.

The Baroque Synagogue in Łańcut, built in 1781 to replace a wooden synagogue is one of Poland’s most valuable Jewish religious monuments. Known for its rich polychromy and stucco decorations, it was carefully restored in the 1960s and now serves as a Jewish museum.

The New Synagogue (Scheinbach’s Synagogue) in Przemyśl, built between 1910 and 1918 by architect Stanisław Majerski, is a former Orthodox Jewish house of prayer. Desecrated by the Nazis in 1939, it was later repurposed as a textile factory under the Communist government. Since 1967, the Neo-Baroque brick building has served as the Ignacy Krasicki Przemyśl Public Library.

The Lesko Synagogue, built between 1626 and 1654, is a Baroque stone synagogue that once served the town’s Jewish community. It was the only one of six synagogues in Lesko to survive World War II, although its interior was devastated. Restored in the late 20th Century, the building now houses the Museum of the Jews of Galicia and an art Gallery.

The Rymanów synagogue, built in the late 18th century, features elevated semicircular windows and a circular tower integrated into the nave. The southern side has lower-level windows for the women's section. In the late 19th century, the synagogue was reconstructed with a four-pillar bimah added and although damaged during WWII, fragments of murals are still visible.

The New Town Synagogue in Dębica, built in the late 18th century, features a late Baroque design with distinctive round-headed windows. During World War II, the Nazis burned its interior, and after 1945, it was repurposed as a grain storage and later a market hall. Renovated in 1994, it became a museum with a section dedicated to Dębica’s Jewish history. Despite past destruction, many original architectural features remain, and an information plaque outside details its history.