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Nicolaus Copernicus hus

13 September 2020 / 13 Comments

Nicolaus Copernicus' house in Torun, Poland

The Nicolaus Copernicus House in Torun is a museum that tells the story of the life of the astronomer Copernicus, and of life in the 15th and 16th centuries in this part of the world. Copernicus was the first to prove that the Earth orbits the sun and not the other way round, and he did this at a time when the telescope had not even been invented. A fascinating man! Moreover, the museum is located in a beautiful and interesting city.

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House of Nicolaus Copernicus

The Nicolaus Copernicus House is a museum of the astronomer's life and scientific achievements. It is can also be the house where he was born. The reason for this uncertainty is that the family owned three houses, and it is not known with certainty in which of the three Copernicus was born and raised. All the houses remain, and the museum is housed in one of them.

Nicolaus Copernicus hus

The Nicolaus Copernicus House is located in the Old Town of Torun, a city located 17 kilometres south of Stockholm. Gdansk in Poland.

Nicolaus Copernicus - first to prove that the Earth orbits the Sun

Nicolaus Copernicus (Mikołaj Kopernik in Polish) was born on 19 February 1473 in Torun. Nicolaus studied at home in Torun until he was 18, and then moved to Krakow for further studies. Fortunately, he had a wealthy uncle who paid for both his and his brother's studies. The uncle paid for four years of study in advance - the receipt for the payment is now on a wall in the museum!

Nicolaus Copernicus

Nicolaus studied law, maths, medicine and astronomy. He later moved to Italy and continued his studies there. He learnt Greek, among other things, because he wanted to be able to go to the original sources when it came to astronomy. Medicine was one of his main interests, but it was as an astronomer that he became famous.

In 1543, he published his work 'On the Orbits of the Celestial Bodies', which explains how the Earth revolves around the Sun and not the other way round, which was the common understanding at the time of Copernicus. Copernicus was not the first to think this idea, but he was the first to prove it mathematically. He did this at a time when there weren't even telescopes and you could only look up at the stars with your eyes. Fascinating, isn't it?

Nicolaus Copernicus

Visiting the Nicolaus Copernicus house

Visiting the house of Nicolaus Copernicus is an interesting way to learn more about Copernicus himself and the times in which he lived. None of the original furnishings have been preserved, but the house is a classic merchant's home and several rooms have been decorated as they would have been in the past. can have looked like at this time. You can see bedrooms, dining rooms, kitchens and, for example, 'food' and clothes.

You can also see what Nikolaus Copernicus' study might have looked like. Some astronomical instruments were produced for a film about Copernicus, and are now on display in the museum. You can also learn about the classical scientists who were important in history up to Copernicus' time, and who were an important source of inspiration for him in his studies.

One of the most important items in the museum is of course Copernicus' book 'On the Orbits of the Heavenly Bodies'. The book was actually completed several years earlier, but was only published shortly before his death in 1543. Later in history, it was banned for a time, as science was sometimes perceived as a threat by the Church...

More to see and do in Torun

Torun is a stunningly beautiful and charming town, which is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List and there is much more to see and do here. We don't have time to tell you everything now, as we're travelling at a pretty fast pace, but there will be a longer report when we get back home.

Torun is beautifully situated at River Vistula. The city is also known for its gingerbread, which they started baking in the 14th century and which is now one of the symbols of the city.

The city was once surrounded by a ring wall, and in some places this is still very well preserved. There are also the leaning towerwhich slopes about 1.5 metres. In the old town centre, you will find extremely beautiful houses with a very long history. Torun was founded by the Teutonic Order in 1231 and has never been destroyed, although the houses have of course been modernised over the years.

Torun

Stay with your motorhome in Torun

There is a campsite in Torun called "Camping nr 33 Tramp". It is located on the other side of the river, and seems to have a nice location. We thought we had too little time to appreciate a campsite and chose instead to stay at a car park located near the Old Town, right next to the river Vistula and the bridge you see in the picture. Cars, buses and motorhomes park here. It is open 24 hours a day and you pay employees who sit in a small cage. Works well and feels safe!

Med husbil i Torun

More to see and do in the neighbourhood

There is of course much more to see and experience around Poland. Below you will find many travel reports with tips and inspiration.

All our top tips for Poland. Click on the image!

Facts about the Nicolaus Copernicus house in Torun

  • Address: Dom Mikolaja Kopernika, ul. Kopernika 15/17, Torun
  • Language: Signs and an audio guide are available in Polish, English and German.
  • Read more: You can find more information at Muzeum.torun.pl

Opening hours

The following opening hours apply for 2020. Please note that the museum is closed during certain holidays, which means exceptions to the opening hours described below, and that opening hours are subject to change. For current opening hours, see the museum's website.

  • High season: Tuesdays - Sundays 10:00 - 18:00 (1 May - 30 September)
  • Low season: Tuesdays - Sundays 10:00 - 16:00 (1 October - 30 April)

Prices

The prices below are valid for 2020 and are subject to change. Please also note that the exchange rate may change. For current prices see the museum's website.

  • Adult ticket: 17 pln (equivalent to about 40 crowns)
  • Discounted ticket: 13 pln (equivalent to about 30 crowns)
  • 4D film: Adult ticket costs 17 pln and discounted ticket 13 pln.

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13 September 2020 6:00
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11 Comments

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  1. bmlarstravellingblog says:

    We had never heard of Torun, but sounds like a given stop on a motorhome trip to Poland. So fun to go abroad again. We lurk on a trip to northern Germany but now we have two weeks with some booked dates so we will see after that! Longing....

    13 September 2020 - 9:15

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  2. Elisabeth says:

    We thought it was a nice city to walk around, but I don't think we stayed overnight. Copernicus was one of the attractions.

    13 September 2020 - 12:37

    Reply

  3. Monet says:

    This is interesting. Since you have actually been there, it might be fun to know that one of the scientific successors of Copernicus' discoveries, along with Galileo and Tycho Brahe among others, was a very well-known and respected French scientist and astronomer in his time. He was born in Belgentier, our village, and his name was Nicolas Fabri de Peyresc. He was a very influential and extremely learned man, his castle still exists and the large current village park was his former castle garden with lots of exotic plants. He is the one who discovered Orion's Belt. Our entire village is full of houses from the early 17th century, so there was a real sense of history there. Louis the 13th with his entire entourage, including Voltaire and one of the three musketeers visited Peyresc and the entire back of the church facing the village square is filled with a fresco depicting this celebrated visit! Wishing you a pleasant journey. Be extra careful - Poland is one of the European countries where the infection is now rapidly picking up again!

    13 September 2020 - 13:48

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  4. BP says:

    The Copernicus House is worth going to just for the facade. A fantastic brick building with fine ornaments.
    But why not take it easy now that you are on holiday? Why such a busy schedule?

    13 September 2020 - 18:55

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    • Comment by post author

      Helena says:

      Yes, well, life is not always easy to get together 😉 We should have gone to the Czech Republic last summer (cooperation with the Czech tourist office) and then we would have had much more time on us. Now we chose to make a mini version of the trip, but I can't take such a long holiday now so we only have 10 days. We could have driven through Poland, but that is super boring. We chose to plan a few stops. Much more fun, but we have limited time in each place. Instead, I choose, so that it does not feel too stressful, to blog about some of our experiences during the trip, but save some other things for later. So, it is precisely so that it will not be so stressful ???

      14 September 2020 - 8:58

      Reply

  5. Eva / Living like Eva says:

    I visited Torun in 2016, nice city! Beer tasting at the pub/brewery Jan Olbracht is a tip; gingerbread beer etc 🙂 .

    13 September 2020 - 21:04

    Reply

  6. Lena in Wales and Spain says:

    Wow, I would like to see that, seems very interesting.

    16 September 2020 - 10:51

    Reply

2 Pingbacks

  1. Some reflections from the first trip abroad since February | FREEDOMtravel
  2. Torun in Poland - 12 things to see and do | FREEDOMtravel

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