'Spreading Satanism': Poland's 666 bus route to Hel gets number change

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Poland's infamous 666 bus route that takes travelers to the resort town of Hel is reportedly getting a number change after years of complaints from the country's religious conservatives.

PKS Gdynia, the company that runs the Polish bus line, announced it was "turning the last 6 upside down" in an attempt to make the route to Hel "less controversial," according to a report from the BBC last week.

The move comes as complaints about the route mounted, with some saying using the route number was akin to "spreading Satanism."

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People walking on the Baltic Sea sandy beach in city of Hel. (Michal Fludra/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The route had become legendary among tourists, especially those from English-speaking countries. Hel is just one letter short of "Hell," while the number 666 is referred to in the Bible as the "number of the beast."

According to the report, many took to social media to complain about the impending change.

"It was a worldwide advert," Krzysztof Nadolski said of the number.

Others noted that many in Poland would be unlikely to understand the connection between 666 and "hell," since the Polish word for hell is "pieklo." Nevertheless, the route gained notoriety in international circles.

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"I have often read about route 666 to Hel on foreign websites or Facebook groups," one social media poster said. "I am convinced there were tourists who would have probably arrived faster by train, but for fun they took bus route 666."

"What is Hel without 666," joked another, who added the change was a "perfect example of how NOT to do marketing."

Another user joked that the country should just change the name of the city.

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The towers of the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel and St. Florian the Martyr in Warsaw, Poland. (Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

"I think that the next step should be to change the name of the town of Hel to something else because it is against our Christian Polish roots," the user said, alluding to the country's predominantly Roman Catholic population.

The controversial route, which typically runs in the summer along the popular Baltic Sea coast of Poland, is set to officially change its number on June 24.