June 18, 2025, 12:50 pm | Read time: 4 minutes

In this country, Thorn is known to only a few, yet it ranks among Poland’s most beautiful cities alongside Krakow, Chelmno, and Gdansk. With its completely preserved and meticulously restored old town, Thorn—located about 170 kilometers from Gdansk—is rightly called a medieval gem. TRAVELBOOK offers the best tips.

Sights in Toruń

Remnants of the Castle Complex

As a Hanseatic city, Toruń had economic success in the Middle Ages due to its strategic location on the Vistula. From here, the Vistula was navigable to the Baltic Sea with ocean-going ships. Today, over 330 monuments, including numerous patrician houses, proud churches, and fortified city gates, testify to its wealth.

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Construction of the castle complex on a hill by the Vistula began in 1233. On February 4, 1454, Toruń citizens besieged the castle. It was captured after just four days and then destroyed by order of the city council. Only some parts of the moat and fragments of the castle building remain today. The Dansker, the former latrine tower, is the only part in good condition.

Magnificent Town Hall

A walk on the Old Market, located directly at the Old Town Hall, is also worthwhile. The town hall combines elements of Gothic and Late Renaissance architecture. The oldest part of the town hall is the massive square tower from 1279. In 1703, Swedish troops destroyed the building, but it was later rebuilt. The ground floor features historical molds for baking the famous Toruń gingerbread.

Traces of Copernicus

Also on the marketplace is the monument to astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543), the most famous citizen of Toruń and namesake of the university. His nearby birthplace houses a collection of documents and astronomical instruments from his time. The ground and basement floors feature a gingerbread museum.

Churches and Towers

The monumental Church of St. Mary from the 14th century is known for its star vault. In St. John’s Cathedral, whose construction began in the 13th century and was later expanded, “Tuba Dei” (God’s Trombone), the second-largest bell in Poland, rings. Also worth seeing is the so-called “Leaning Tower,” a bastion-like tower that has tilted over the centuries on clay soil.

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Vibrant Downtown

In the evening, the area around the Old Market in the city of 200,000 inhabitants is particularly lively. Almost every house invites you to pubs, discos, or jazz cellars. Among the most famous clubs is the cellar “Pod Aniolem” under the town hall. Concerts and art exhibitions occasionally take place in the Gothic vaults. No wonder, as 35,000 students study at the university.

For Art and Culture Enthusiasts

Among the most famous events in Toruń is the International Theatre Festival “Kontakt,” which features ensembles from many countries around the world. For art lovers, the Center for Contemporary Art is also recommended; it is the first museum built in Poland after 1945.

An attraction in itself is the puppet theater next to the castle: The facade, designed as a giant cabinet, piques curiosity. In addition to several museums, including the Copernicus Museum, the Ethnographic Museum with a large open-air area is particularly worth visiting, where houses from Kuyavia and Kashubia have been authentically reconstructed. The museum is famous for its Easter and Christmas markets as well as folklore festivals.

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Text contribution: Dieter Weirauch