The mat brings together Lublin Castle and the donjon, Holy Trinity Chapel, Brama Krakowska, Brama Grodzka, the Old Town Market Square and Crown Tribunal, the Lublin Underground Trail, Trinitarian Tower, Plac Litewski and the Multimedia Fountain, Ogród Saski and the Lublin Village Open Air Museum.
Lublin Castle gives the mat a strong destination near the Old Town, while the donżon adds a clear tower shape to spot, circle and return to. Children can drive to the castle, park outside, and set off again towards the gates and streets below.
Fun Fact: Lublin Castle now houses the National Museum in Lublin, and the medieval donjon is one of the oldest surviving parts of the castle complex.
The Holy Trinity Chapel is one of the most distinctive places within the castle complex. Its castle setting makes it easy to place within imaginative journeys, while its painted interior adds cultural depth to the landmark mix.
Fun Fact: The chapel is famous for its medieval Byzantine-Ruthenian wall paintings, completed in the early 15th century.
Brama Krakowska is one of Lublin’s most recognisable Old Town entrances. On the mat, it works as a satisfying gateway feature: a place to drive through, pause beside, or use as the start of an Old Town route.
Fun Fact: Krakowska Gate was part of Lublin’s medieval fortifications and has become one of the city’s best-known symbols.
Brama Grodzka helps connect the Old Town with the castle side of the city. It gives children a useful crossing point between different parts of Lublin as they build routes and stories.
Fun Fact: Brama Grodzka was historically known as a gate leading towards Lublin’s Jewish quarter and is now closely associated with the Brama Grodzka NN Theatre Centre.
The Old Town Market Square gives children a natural centre point for meetings, deliveries and turnarounds. The Crown Tribunal adds civic history and a memorable Old Town focus to this part of the mat.
Fun Fact: The Crown Tribunal in Lublin was an important appeal court for the Crown of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and it is linked with the dramatic Devil’s Paw legend.
The Lublin Underground Trail brings hidden routes into the design. It can inspire rescue missions, secret journeys and stories that move between the city above and the cellars below.
Fun Fact: The tourist trail runs through old cellars beneath Lublin’s Old Town.
The Trinitarian Tower is a distinctive part of Lublin’s skyline. On the mat, it works as a strong visual marker that children can use for orientation between Old Town routes and nearby landmarks.
Fun Fact: The tower is one of the best-known viewpoints in Lublin, giving visitors a high look over the Old Town roofs, churches and streets.
Plac Litewski adds an open civic space to the mat, while the Multimedia Fountain brings movement and a playful meeting point. This area works well for gathering, turning around and beginning a new city-centre route.
Fun Fact: The Union of Lublin was signed in 1569, creating the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the square is also known for its public fountain.
Ogród Saski brings green space into the Lublin landmark mix. Parks are useful on a play mat because they soften the city layout and create places for picnics, pauses, walks and quieter story moments.
Fun Fact: Lublin’s Ogród Saski opened in the 19th century and is often described as one of Poland’s older municipal parks.
The Lublin Village Open Air Museum broadens the mat beyond the historic city centre. It introduces traditional rural buildings and heritage, helping children see that a place can include city streets, green spaces and older ways of life.
Fun Fact: Open-air museums are sometimes called skansens, after the famous museum in Stockholm, and they preserve buildings within arranged landscapes.
Landmarks give children useful anchors for play. A gate can become an entrance, a square can become a meeting point, and a castle can become the destination at the end of a carefully planned route. As children drive toy cars around the mat, they can use words linked to place and movement, such as near, around, through, across, beside and back again, while gently recognising names, shapes and features from the real city.
For local families, the Lublin Hippo Mat™ feels personal because it reflects places they may already know, from the castle and Old Town gates to the park, square and museum. For former residents, relatives or visitors, it can be a warm reminder of the city and its character, with local detail that feels meaningful during everyday floor play.
The mat includes a playful selection of Lublin landmarks, including Lublin Castle and the donjon, Holy Trinity Chapel, Brama Krakowska, Brama Grodzka, the Old Town Market Square and Crown Tribunal, the Lublin Underground Trail, Trinitarian Tower, Plac Litewski, Ogród Saski and the Lublin Village Open Air Museum.
Yes. The Lublin Hippo Mat™ is designed as a road play mat with drivable routes for toy cars, alongside recognisable local landmarks that support storytelling and imaginative play.
Children can use the landmarks to build routes, name places, describe directions, recognise local features and create stories. This gently supports vocabulary, observation, early geography language and thoughtful screen-free play.
Every Hippo Mat™ helps fund play and learning for children through Reg’s Pledge.
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