Old town
First-timersThe market square and the medieval centre.
Toruń city guide
Things To Do In Toruń
A Gothic city of red brick on the Vistula that came through the war intact: Copernicus's birthplace, a leaning tower, the ruins of a Teutonic castle and the country's most famous gingerbread.
1473
Copernicus born here
1997
UNESCO World Heritage Site
1454
The castle destroyed
Copernicus's Gothic city
Toruń was founded by the Teutonic Knights in the thirteenth century and grew rich as a Hanseatic trading town on the Vistula. It is one of the few Polish cities to have come through the Second World War almost undamaged, and its medieval old town of Gothic brick churches, merchants' houses and walls is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Nicolaus Copernicus, who put the sun at the centre of the universe, was born here in 1473, and the city makes the most of it. It is also famous across Poland for its gingerbread, made here since the Middle Ages.
Toruń is small, beautiful and relaxed, with a large university. One or two days is right.
Where to stay
The old town is small and walkable. Stay inside it.
Vistula boulevard
ViewsThe riverside below the walls.
Map © MapTiler © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Toruń
Start on the Old Town Market Square, with the great brick Town Hall, whose tower you can climb, and the statue of Copernicus.
The House of Copernicus, where he was born, is a museum of his life and work. The Living Museum of Gingerbread lets you bake your own in a medieval-style workshop.
The Leaning Tower, part of the old city walls, leans more than a metre off vertical. The ruins of the Teutonic Knights' castle, destroyed by the townspeople in 1454, are open to visit. The Cathedral of St John has one of the largest medieval bells in Poland.
Walk along the Vistula boulevard below the walls, especially at sunset.
Free things
Free things to do in Toruń
The old town, its squares, churches and walls are free, and so is the riverside boulevard.
The view of the old town from the far bank of the Vistula is free.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Toruń
Toruń gingerbread, pierniki, is the city's speciality, sold in every shape in shops around the square.
Restaurants around the square serve Polish food, and milk bars are cheap. A meal is €8 to €15.
Nightlife
Going out in Toruń
Toruń has a relaxed student nightlife in the old town, with bars in brick cellars.
A beer is €2.50 to €3.50.
Getting around
Getting around Toruń
The old town is small and walkable. The main station is across the river, with buses into town.
Trains reach Warsaw in about two and a half hours, Gdańsk in about two and a half and Bydgoszcz in about forty-five minutes. The nearest airport is Bydgoszcz.
Costs
What Toruń costs
Toruń is cheap. A careful day is €30 to €40.
The currency is the złoty, not the euro. Cards are accepted almost everywhere; use a bank ATM and decline the machine's currency conversion.
Safety
Staying safe in Toruń
Toruń is very safe.
Emergency number is 112.
Day trips from Toruń
Most visitors come for the old town itself.
Bydgoszcz
A city of granaries on the river Brda.
What's on
What is on while you are there
The light festival in summer turns the old town into a gallery.
19 February
Copernicus's birthday
Old town
Events around the astronomer's birthday.
Summer
Bella Skyway Festival
Old town
Light installations and projections across the medieval streets.
When to go
May to September is best.
Jan
Cold
Feb
Copernicus's birthday
Mar
Thawing
Apr
Spring
May
Excellent
Jun
Warm
Jul
Warm
Aug
Light festival
Sep
Good
Oct
Autumn
Nov
Grey
Dec
Christmas
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros.
Prices are in złoty locally; these are euro equivalents.
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- Beds—
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- Doing things—
Toruń travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
Is Toruń worth visiting?
Yes, for one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Poland, Copernicus and the gingerbread.
Was Toruń damaged in the war?
Very little. It is one of the few Polish cities whose old town survived almost intact.
Can I make gingerbread?
Yes, at the Living Museum of Gingerbread.
How do I get to Toruń?
By train from Warsaw or Gdańsk, about two and a half hours.
How many days do you need?
One or two.
Where was Copernicus born?
In Toruń, in 1473. His house is now a museum.
When is the best time to visit?
May to September.
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