From Lutsk to Chełm without a queue at the border — less than three hours by car, and another hour to Lublin. So you can go to Poland not only on business but also for a few pre-holiday days: stroll through the market, listen to carols in the square, and see cities that for centuries were part of one land with us. Polish Polissia — Chełm Land and Podlasie — lies just beyond the Bug River, and we already have separate pages about its sights.
Below is how Christmas markets took place last year in Chełm, Lublin, Włodawa, and Biała Podlaska, what is already known about December 2026, and how to cross the border on the busiest days.
When the holidays are in Poland
Roman Catholics celebrate Christmas Eve (Wigilia) on December 24, Christmas on December 25 and 26. Starting from 2025, December 24 is a public holiday in Poland, so almost all shops are closed from December 24 to 26, except for gas stations and emergency pharmacies. Instead, there are three trading Sundays in December; in 2026, these are December 6, 13, and 20. Orthodox parishes in Poland mostly celebrate Christmas on January 7.
Markets usually operate a week before Christmas Eve, and in small towns — only for a day or two. So the best time to visit is the third week of December, but that is also when the longest queues at the border occur.
Chełm
The nearest large city across the border is Chełm, the ancient Kholm, the capital of King Danylo. Last year, the Eastern Christmas Market (Wschodni Jarmark Świąteczny) operated on December 19–20, 2025, from 9:00 to 18:00 at Luchkovskyi Square — the former Market Square. They sold honey, gingerbread, homemade juices and jams, cheeses, sourdough bread, cebulaki — wheat flatbreads with onions, as well as Christmas decorations, wreaths, ceramics, and crafts made by local housewives’ circles. At the opening, scouts handed over the Bethlehem Peace Light to the city, and in the evening there was a communal Wigilia for residents. The next day the market ended with caroling accompanied by the song and dance ensemble of the Chełm Land. Dates are announced annually by the city authorities.
From the square, streets of the Old Town lead uphill to Vysoka Hirka, where Prince Danylo’s palace stood, and to the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Theotokos with its bell tower. Along Liublinska Street is the Baroque Church of the Apostles’ Dispersion with an 18th-century interior.
Lublin
Lublin is 70 km from Chełm, over an hour by car. Last year, the main city market was held in the Old Town from December 18 to 21, 2025, as part of the Christmas Festival: on Thursday and Friday from 14:00 to 20:00, on the weekend from 11:00 to 20:00.
One date is already set for 2026. According to Polish media, the marshal’s office of the Lublin Voivodeship will hold a market on December 19–20, 2026, on the pedestrian street Krakowskie Przedmieście near the town hall: about 40 vendors of regional products and crafts, heated tents, and a stage with concerts. On Saturday it will operate from 11:00 to 20:00, on Sunday from 12:00 to 19:00. Dates for the city market in the Old Town are announced by the Lublin city hall.
Włodawa
Włodawa lies on the Bug River, right at the junction of Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus, 50 km north of Chełm. Last December, the Christmas market was held by the city museum near the synagogue complex — one of the best preserved in Poland. Nearby is the Church of St. Louis of the Pauline Fathers from the 18th century. New Year’s Eve here is celebrated outdoors: last year the House of Culture organized free concerts on Chvorobok Square, and at midnight there was video mapping.
Near Włodawa, old wooden churches have been preserved — in Horostyte and in Hola. They have Orthodox parishes, so Christmas services take place here on January 6–7.
Biała Podlaska
Biała Podlaska is the northernmost of these towns, 75 km from Włodawa. Last year, the market took place on Saturday, December 20, 2025, at Wola Square (the former Market Square) from 10:00 to 18:00. It was organized by the city, the tourist and cultural information center, and the city cultural center: regional products, Christmas tree decorations, folk art and crafts, concerts by local bands, and a meeting with St. Nicholas for children. At noon, the market was opened by the mayor, and the scouts delivered the Bethlehem Light to the city. Check the city website for dates this year. More about the region between Chełm and Podlasie in the article “Polish Polissia: what to see beyond the Bug”.
How to cross the border
From Volyn, you can currently cross by car only via Ustyluh – Zosin: about 90 km from Lutsk to the checkpoint, and another 75 km from Zosin to Chełm. Since June 2022, Yahodyn – Dorohusk only allows trucks over 7.5 tons and scheduled buses. Trains run through railway Yahodyn to Chełm, from where you can transfer to Polish trains to Lublin and Warsaw.
Queues increase every year before the holidays. According to border guards, during the pre-holiday period up to a quarter more people cross the border than usual. Last year on the evening of December 19, 110 cars were waiting to exit at Ustyluh, with the highest number — up to 170 cars — on December 20–21, the first weekend before Christmas. Bus passengers told Suspilne they waited up to 20 hours. After the holidays, border guards expected a return wave of entry, though smaller.
What follows from this:
- Do not plan to leave on the last weekend before December 24 — this is the peak. Weekdays earlier in December are much calmer.
- Border guards recommend crossing the border early in the morning or late in the evening when traffic is lighter.
- It’s better to return not on the first weekend after the holidays, but on a weekday.
- If you travel by bus — check with the carrier which checkpoint the route uses: buses and trucks enter an electronic queue.
Current queues on both sides, the zloty exchange rate, and the best hours to cross are shown on our checkpoint pages in the “Border” section.
Documents
- Biometric international passport. You can stay in the Schengen area without a visa for up to 90 days within 180 days.
- From April 10, 2026, the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) will be in effect: upon first crossing, your face will be photographed and fingerprints scanned, so processing takes longer. The EU ETIAS permit is promised to be introduced by the end of 2026, but there is no exact date — check before your trip.
- Men aged 18–60 can leave only under exceptions provided for during martial law, with supporting documents and a military registration document (the electronic one in “Reserve+” is also acceptable). Men under 23 years old will be allowed to leave freely from August 28, 2025.
- A child under 16 traveling with one parent can leave without notarized consent from the other; the child’s international passport and birth certificate are required.
- For vehicles — registration certificate and “Green Card” insurance policy.
- By land to Poland, you can bring in 40 cigarettes and 1 litre of strong alcohol per adult. Do not bring meat, sausage, or salo into the EU.
There is a curfew in Ukraine — plan your route to the border so you don’t end up in a queue on the road at night; check the hours with the Volyn Regional Military Administration. Charge your phone and take a power bank: you may have to wait at the border longer than it seems.
