Bychawa [bɨˈxava] is a town in Poland, in Lublin Voivodeship, in Lublin County, about 25 km south of Lublin. It has 5,327 inhabitants (2004), and belongs to historic Lesser Poland. The town was first mentioned in historical documents from the 14th century and first received its city charter in 1537. The charter was lost in 1869, causing the town to revert to village status, but the charter was regained in 1958. In 1956 - 1975 Bychawa was the seat of Bychawa County. The town has the area of 6,69 sq. kilometers, and lies in Lublin Upland.