The Polish bus route No. 666, which a few years ago was at the center of a scandal due to associations with the "number of the devil," will be back in service. This summer, it will transport tourists to the popular Baltic resort of Hel, and the carrier does not hide that the unusual number was chosen to attract attention.
The controversial bus route No. 666, which runs to the Polish seaside resort of Hel, will resume operations this summer. It was canceled three years ago due to complaints from believers.
As reported by The Independent, the so-called "Highway to Hel" (a play on the title of the song Highway to Hell by the Australian rock band AC/DC) was operated by the local company PKS Gdynia, but in 2023, after protests from some religious groups, the route was renamed to 669.
In particular, one such organization accused the bus company of "spreading Satanism." At the same time, the route number attracted a lot of attention: tourists photographed the buses, posted pictures on social media, and referred to this route as the "bus to hell."
However, the bus company FlixBus has now announced the resumption of this route with a new 13-hour itinerary connecting Krakow with Hel, passing through the capital Warsaw and the most popular resorts on the Hel Peninsula.
The new route will operate daily during the summer season, departing from Krakow at 6:00 AM, arriving in Warsaw around 10:30 AM, and reaching Hel by 8:00 PM.
"The number 666 was deliberately chosen as a marketing element aimed at increasing the route's visibility on the popular resort route to Hel," said FlixBus representative Alexander Kalenik to the Polish news agency TVN24.
"It's better when the route itself explains where it leads. In this case, there is really nothing more to say. Everyone will understand," added FlixBus Managing Director for Eastern Europe Michal Lehman, as reported by the Trójmiasto.pl website.
Hel Resort – Interesting Facts
The resort town of Hel, located in the Pomeranian Voivodeship in northern Poland, is a popular vacation spot, attracting tens of thousands of tourists daily in the summer.
Hel is situated at the tip of the 35-kilometer-long peninsula of the same name on the Baltic Sea and has about 3,000 residents.
The history of route No. 666 shows how an ordinary bus route can turn into a tourist attraction. Despite previous protests from religious activists, the carrier decided to bring back the memorable number, betting on recognition and traveler interest. Given the excitement surrounding the route, the "road to Hel" promises to become one of the most talked-about summer trips in Poland again.
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