Muzeum i Miejsce Pamięci w Bełżcu
Museum and memorial site on the grounds of the former German Nazi extermination camp in Bełżec, a branch of the Majdanek State Museum; free admission.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Bełżec was the first of three German Nazi extermination camps established as part of Operation Reinhard. The camp operated from March 1942; mass murder was halted in mid-December 1942, and the site was liquidated by June 1943. According to historians’ research, between about 440 and 453 thousand people were murdered here, mainly Polish Jews.
The first monument was unveiled on this site in 1963. The new memorial complex, designed by Andrzej Sołyga, Zdzisław Pidek and Marcin Roszczyk, was opened on 3 June 2004. The museum was established on 1 January 2004 as a branch of the Majdanek State Museum.
The permanent multimedia exhibition “Bełżec – Extermination Camp” presents the history of the camp and the policy of extermination in the General Government, based on photographs and audiovisual materials. Objects found during archaeological research can also be seen, for example instructions from the undressing room and everyday items. The site includes numerous places of remembrance, among them the Ohel and the cemetery mound with plaques for the localities from which the transports departed.
Key themes
- Permanent exhibition “Bełżec – Extermination Camp”
- Memorial complex from 2004 with the Ohel and cemetery mound
- Objects found during archaeological research
- Free app with eyewitness accounts and archive photographs
- Free admission; guided tours by booking
Permanent exhibition
- Bełżec – obóz zagłady – Multimedia exhibition on the history of the German Nazi extermination camp in Bełżec and the extermination policy in the General Government, with objects from archaeological research.
- Founded
- 2004
- Operated by
- Państwowe Muzeum na Majdanku
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Entry to the grounds and to all exhibitions is free of charge and requires no booking. Guided tours are charged and require advance booking (rezerwacje@belzec.eu).
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: not available
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The museum building has level floors without thresholds, a toilet for people with disabilities and an induction loop at the information point. A wheelchair can be borrowed free of charge. The path to the Ohel is paved with stone cobbles, and the area behind the Ohel and around the cemetery mound is not accessible to people with limited mobility. There is no Polish Sign Language interpreter on site.
Kids & families
Only partly suitable for kidsRecommended for ages 14+
Because of the character of the site, the museum does not recommend visits for children under 14.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Buses from Lublin and Warsaw to Tomaszów Lubelski, and from there a bus to Lubycza Królewska with a stop in Bełżec. There is a direct train from Lublin to Bełżec (timetable at rozklad-pkp.pl).
By car
Paid parking
Large car park at the museum; one-off fee: passenger car PLN 5, motorcycle PLN 5, minibus PLN 15, coach PLN 40. Bicycles can be left free of charge on the racks.
- Accessible parking
The site is located on the south-eastern edge of Bełżec, near national road No. 17.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
- Coat check: not available
- Lockers: not available
A site plan and publications can be bought at the information point. There is no cloakroom or left-luggage office.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photography for private use is permitted; publication and commercial use require prior contact with the museum. |
| Good to know | The guide leads tours in Polish, English and German; booking in advance is required. A free mobile app is available with descriptions of the places, eyewitness accounts and archive photographs and documents. The tour begins at the information point. Dress and behaviour appropriate to the character of the place are expected; animals are not allowed (except assistance dogs), and smoking is prohibited. |
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Izba Pamięci Terroru Komunistycznego w Tomaszowie Lubelskim
Muzeum Pożarnictwa w Oseredku
Zespół Cerkiewny w Radrużu
Krasnobrodzkie Muzeum Parafialne
