Toruń

If you’ve spent your time in Poland jostling with the crowds in Kraków or wandering Warsaw’s sprawling boulevards, then Toruń will come as a revelation. This magnificent walled Gothic town on the banks of the Vistula should be high on every traveller’s list, especially as its delights seem low on everyone else’s, leaving visitors to revel virtually unrestricted in its wealth of historic buildings and city defences, all of which WWII left mercifully untouched. The entire town is listed as a Unesco World Heritage site for being an unusually well-preserved example of a medieval European trading and administrative centre.

Beyond architecture, Toruń is also well known as the birthplace of Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543). His name (Mikołaj Kopernik in Polish) is all over the town, and you can even buy gingerbread shaped in his image. This other Toruń icon – its pierniki (gingerbread) – is famous across Poland.

Explore Toruń

Old Town Hall
The Old Town Hall dates from the 14th century and hasn’t changed much since, though some Renaissance additions lent an ornamental touch to the sober…
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Cathedral of SS John the Baptist & John the Evangelist
Toruń’s mammoth Gothic cathedral was begun around 1260 but only completed at the end of the 15th century. Its massive tower houses Poland’s second-largest…
E
Explorers' Museum
This is usually the last subdivision of the Regional Museum on visitors’ mental itineraries, which is a shame as it tells an interesting story. It…
E
Eskens' House
The impressive Gothic House of the Esken family, set behind the cathedral, was converted into a granary in the 19th century. It contains city history…
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Toruń Gingerbread Museum
Not to be confused with the commercial Gingerbread Museum across town, this branch of the Toruń Regional Museum is housed in a former gingerbread factory…
S
St Mary's Church
Toruń’s third great Gothic structure in the Old Town (after the Town Hall and Cathedral) is St Mary’s Church, erected by the Franciscans at the end of the…
G
Gingerbread Museum
Learn about the history of Toruń gingerbread and create a spicy concoction of your own under the enlightened instruction of a mock-medieval gingerbread…
H
House of Copernicus
While it's not clear if Copernicus was actually born here, this branch of the Regional Museum is dedicated to the famed astronomer's life and works. More…
H
House Under the Star
The House Under the Star is a chunk of madly stuccoed architectural confectionery embellishing the Main Square. Inside you’ll discover an outpost of the…

Old Town Hall
The Old Town Hall dates from the 14th century and hasn’t changed much since, though some Renaissance additions lent an ornamental touch to the sober…
C
Cathedral of SS John the Baptist & John the Evangelist
Toruń’s mammoth Gothic cathedral was begun around 1260 but only completed at the end of the 15th century. Its massive tower houses Poland’s second-largest…
E
Explorers' Museum
This is usually the last subdivision of the Regional Museum on visitors’ mental itineraries, which is a shame as it tells an interesting story. It…
E
Eskens' House
The impressive Gothic House of the Esken family, set behind the cathedral, was converted into a granary in the 19th century. It contains city history…
T
Toruń Gingerbread Museum
Not to be confused with the commercial Gingerbread Museum across town, this branch of the Toruń Regional Museum is housed in a former gingerbread factory…
S
St Mary's Church
Toruń’s third great Gothic structure in the Old Town (after the Town Hall and Cathedral) is St Mary’s Church, erected by the Franciscans at the end of the…
G
Gingerbread Museum
Learn about the history of Toruń gingerbread and create a spicy concoction of your own under the enlightened instruction of a mock-medieval gingerbread…
H
House of Copernicus
While it's not clear if Copernicus was actually born here, this branch of the Regional Museum is dedicated to the famed astronomer's life and works. More…
H
House Under the Star
The House Under the Star is a chunk of madly stuccoed architectural confectionery embellishing the Main Square. Inside you’ll discover an outpost of the…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Toruń.

See
Old Town Hall
The Old Town Hall dates from the 14th century and hasn’t changed much since, though some Renaissance additions lent an ornamental touch to the sober…
See
Cathedral of SS John the Baptist & John the Evangelist
Toruń’s mammoth Gothic cathedral was begun around 1260 but only completed at the end of the 15th century. Its massive tower houses Poland’s second-largest…
See
Explorers' Museum
This is usually the last subdivision of the Regional Museum on visitors’ mental itineraries, which is a shame as it tells an interesting story. It…
See
Eskens' House
The impressive Gothic House of the Esken family, set behind the cathedral, was converted into a granary in the 19th century. It contains city history…
See
Toruń Gingerbread Museum
Not to be confused with the commercial Gingerbread Museum across town, this branch of the Toruń Regional Museum is housed in a former gingerbread factory…
See
St Mary's Church
Toruń’s third great Gothic structure in the Old Town (after the Town Hall and Cathedral) is St Mary’s Church, erected by the Franciscans at the end of the…
See
Gingerbread Museum
Learn about the history of Toruń gingerbread and create a spicy concoction of your own under the enlightened instruction of a mock-medieval gingerbread…
See
House of Copernicus
While it's not clear if Copernicus was actually born here, this branch of the Regional Museum is dedicated to the famed astronomer's life and works. More…
See
House Under the Star
The House Under the Star is a chunk of madly stuccoed architectural confectionery embellishing the Main Square. Inside you’ll discover an outpost of the…

Guidebooks

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