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Bus to Hel Returns: Biblical Number Back on Polish Route
1 Jun
Summary
- Bus route number 666 to the Polish resort town of Hel has been reinstated.
- The route's number previously caused controversy due to its association with evil.
- The bus service operates seasonally through the summer tourism season.
The popular, yet controversial, '666' bus route to the Polish resort town of Hel has been reinstated for the summer season by German transport company FlixBus. This seasonal service runs from Kraków to Hel on the Baltic coast, making stops in Warsaw and other coastal towns, with a journey time of 13 hours.
The route's distinctive number, 666, previously led to its modification to 669 three years prior, following objections from conservative Catholic groups who viewed it as an inappropriate glorification of evil. However, the number's notoriety had grown, attracting tourists who specifically sought out the novelty of the journey.
FlixBus managing director Michał Leman acknowledged the deliberate choice of the route number, aiming to leverage its playful and attention-grabbing nature. He dismissed concerns, stating that vacations should be about fun and jokes. The company also highlighted the practical need for direct connections to the Hel Peninsula, a busy summer destination, and acknowledged that the route's notoriety increased after its initial removal.
Despite the biblical connotations evoked by the number 666, the town's name, Hel, is believed by historians and linguists to have origins in old Germanic landscape descriptions, rather than any supernatural meaning.
