MERCHANTS’ ROUTE
WROCŁAW – LUBLIN – LVIV

In 1450 and 1454 the Polish king Casimir Jagiellonian issued the documents that allowed merchants to go from Ruthenia to Wrocław. Since then the route between Silesia and Lviv: Bolesławiec – Wieluń – Brzeźnica – Radomsko – Przedbórz – Żarnów – Opoczno – Skrzynno – Radom – Zwoleń – Kazimierz – Lublin – Krasnystaw was obligatory for townsmen from Lublin. In 1455 the king ordered his officials to allow all merchants to travel freely along the route. These documents gave rise to the international fame of his new trade route that connected the most significant centres in Silesia (in the Czech Kingdom then) and Ruthenia (within the area of the Kingdom of Poland).

The route of Wrocław – Lublin – Lviv was used by merchants to trade in cloth, oxen, wax, fur coats, etc. The route called Radom – Lublin helped omit the burdensome depot in Kraków, which was profitable for burghers from Lublin. They became middlemen in trade on a large scale, especially during fairs due to the convenient location of Lublin and royal privileges. The merchants from Wrocław who were in contact with Western Europe and the merchants from Lviv who took part in the trade with the East benefited from the route, too. The route, connecting the cities via Lublin, was of international importance until the late 15^th c.

“The Merchants’ Route” Wrocław – Lublin – Lviv competed with the older, formerly monopolistic, trade route of Wrocław – Kraków – Lviv. This route omitted the capital city of  Kraków in favour of Lublin that was situated more east. This road was also an European cultural road. Moreover, it was one of those roads which allowed the cultural exchange between the Latin and Byzantine civilizations, i.e. the West and East of Europe. The road was particularly  recognized when it has been included into "Via Regia” – Major Cultural Road of the Council of Europe “ and the network of Santiago de Compostela – Kiev.

The cultural aspects of the “Merchants’ Route” have considerably changed for centuries. However, there are still sights and events which date back to its heyday in the 2^nd half of the 15^th c. Market squares famous for  international trade still exist in Wrocław, Lublin, Lviv , and other historic cities and towns.  Globetrotters can also explore attractions like castles, town halls, shrines, frescoes, fairs, etc. All these sights hep you  understand how people used to travel and trade. So follow the merchants who in Casimir Jagiellonian’s days did great business along the route of Wrocław – Lublin – Lviv.

Main route:

Wrocław – Bolesławiec – Wieluń – Brzeźnica – Radomsko – Przedbórz – Żarnów – Opoczno – Skrzynno – Radom – Zwoleń – Kazimierz Dolny (Kazimierz-upon-the-Vistula)– Lublin – Krasnystaw – Lviv.

Written by: Janusz Kopaczek, Piotr Nurzyński, Bartosz Tratkowski.