Torun i Polen - 12 tips på saker att se och göra

Torun in Poland is a beautiful and historically interesting city that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This lovely little town on the Vistula River was our first stop on our autumn trip through Poland and the Czech Republic. We didn't have time to tell you everything during the trip, so here are all our tips.

Torun in Poland

Torun is a surprisingly beautiful and interesting city. The city is not too big, which is quite nice, and at the same time there is a lot to see. As well as being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it's the birthplace of Nicolaus Copernicus and a town famous for its historic gingerbread.

Torun is located in the centre of Poland, about 18 miles south of Gdansk and 21 miles north-west of Warsaw.

1. strolling on Rynek Staromiejski (Old Town Square)

When you arrive in Torun, it is natural to head to the Old Town Square, Rynek Staromiejski. For many centuries, this square was the heart of the city, where everything from trade to executions took place. Today, it's more of a square where you can enjoy outdoor seating.

It is home to the mighty Town Hall, but also buildings such as the House of Arthur and the 'House under the Stars' (Kamienica pod Gwiazda). There is also a statue of Nicolaus Copernicus.

2. Being impressed by the Town Hall

Perhaps the most striking building in the Old Town Square is the Town Hall. Built at the end of the 14th century, the building is a symbol of the city's former grandeur. It houses the City Hall Museum with its rich collection of Gothic arts and crafts.

READ MORE: Krakow - weekend in Poland's historical gem
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3. Check out historic houses in Torun

Many historic Polish cities have been destroyed by war, but Torun survived. The houses in the Old Town stand where they are, as they 'always' have, since the 13th century. Don't they look like 13th century houses? No, the houses have of course been renovated, plastered and redesigned over the years. But if you scratch the surface, old paintings from the 13th century come out!

Many houses in the city were used as residential buildings, while others were used as storehouses. Many still exist in the city and you can recognise them by their different windows. Today, most have new uses. The one you see in the picture below, for example, houses a restaurant.

4. Familiarise yourself with all the myths and stories of the city?

We were lucky enough to be walking around with a guide (thanks to the Polish State Tourist Board!), which meant we were treated to a whole host of intriguing myths. Take, for example, the fiddler in the Old Town Square. The story is about how the town rejected a poor woman as a 'witch' and how she later cast a spell that caused the town to be invaded by frogs. What to do? The leader's daughter was promised to the man who could get rid of the frogs - and one man managed to play the violin so that the frogs gathered around the violin.

The donkey looks cute too, right? Not at all! It was apparently an instrument of torture, where men were forced to sit across the sharp back with weights around their feet. What about the dog? We don't really remember, but it meant something special if you patted it on the back or tail. You can travel to Torun and find out!

Looking down on the city, you can also find the names of various Polish celebrities carved in a gingerbread-like shape (of course!).

5. Take a guided walk (or ride) through Torun.

Did we say we got to hear about all these myths and stories by taking a guided tour? Very interesting! You can inquire about guided tours at the local tourist office, or you can choose to go on a guided tour in an old classic car.

READ MORE: Poznan, Poland - 11 things to see and do
READ MORE: Unesco World Heritage Sites in Poland - 16 places of interest

6. See the remains of the city walls

The whole of Torun was once framed by a city wall. Today much of the wall is gone, but the wall is still very clear in the direction of the Vistula River. Here you will also find the large stately gate (where they used to pour boiling tar on unwelcome guests) and the cute little coffee cart (which according to our guide serves very good coffee).

7. Try to stand straight at the Leaning Tower

Did you think only Pisa has a leaning tower? Think again! Torun has a tower that leans considerably (1.5 metres!). According to legend, this medieval tower was built as a penance for the sins of a repentant knight.

Today you can test how sinless you are by standing with your back to the wall and your heels next to it. If you manage to stay standing, you are sinless, but if you fall, you are a sinner. What happened to Peter ...? The guide tried to save the situation, but it's a bit doubtful how it went ...

8. Visit the house of Nicolaus Copernicus

Perhaps one of the most important and interesting sights in Torun is the house where Nicolaus Copernicus was born, the astronomer who proved that the earth revolves around the sun and not the other way round. Today it houses a museum about his life and achievements. The museum is very interesting and we have written a separate post about it.

READ MORE: Nocolaus Copernicus' house in Torun, Poland

9. Peek into St John's Cathedral

There are several churches in Torun and one of the most interesting is St John's Cathedral (Torun Cathedral). Construction of the church began in the mid-13th century and continued in stages for 200 years.

The church may not be that impressive on the outside, but it's well worth a look inside. It includes the main altar of St Wolfgang from 1502-1506 and a medieval font in which Nicolaus Copernicus was baptised in 1473.

10. Eat gingerbread

Torun is famous for its gingerbread, which began to be baked in the 14th century. Gingerbread was very popular back then and still is today. Those who want to can go to the gingerbread museum and learn the noble art of baking Polish gingerbread. We settled for shopping at the gingerbread shop Pierniki.

The shop is filled with different types of gingerbread, and they definitely don't look like the Swedish version. What about gingerbread dipped in chocolate, for example? We weren't sure which ones to buy, so Peter asked the shop assistant to show us some popular ones.

The shop assistant put six bags on the counter and Peter said 'I'll take them all'. Was it expensive? No, it wasn't. Poland is an affordable country.

11. Try beer at a local brewery (and eat Polish food)

After our guided tour, we made our way to the brewery and restaurant. Jan Olbracht. If you want to try beer in Torun, this is definitely the place to go, and the environment is nice and cosy.

We chose a ready-made tray with a few different types of beer. Fun! The most special beer was the one that tasted "gingerbread" (not so strange when you are in Torun perhaps!). We were told that this was the brewery's most popular beer. It was not our favourite, but the lighter beers were very good.

What about the food? We took the opportunity to eat one of our favourite dishes in Poland, duck with red cabbage. Soooo good! For starters, we chose a small toast with chicken liver. This was also super tasty!

12. Enjoy the view of the Vistula River

The Wisla River flows past Torun on its way to Gdansk. The walkway along the river is really nice, with great views of both the river and the beautiful bridge.

If you stand on the bridge, or on the other side of the river, you also have a fantastic view of the city of Torun.

More to see and do in Torun

What else is there to see and do in Torun? We had a limited time in the city, but here are some more things to see and do according to a tourist brochure (in Swedish!) that we got at the tourist office.

Planetarium Orbitarium
Wilama Horzycas Theatre
Church of the Virgin Mary Assumption
The ruins of the German Order's castle
Baj Pomorski Theatre
The new square
Church of St James
Centre for Contemporary Art
Ethnographic Museum
City park
Fort IV
Dybowski Castle
Zoobotanical garden
Barbarka recreation and leisure area

READ MORE: Lodz in Poland - 15 tips for things to see and do
READ MORE: Facts about Poland - 30 things you (might) not know

Things to do in Torun - on film

Where to stay in Torun?

There are of course many different places to stay when visiting Torun. We travelled by motorhome, so we have the best knowledge of campsites and pitches.

Hotels and hostels

There are many different hotels, and also hostels, in and around Torun. We photographed a central hostel called "Hostel Freedom", because we liked the name! You can of course find more hotels and hostels on various hotel websites.

Camping and caravanning

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 that this time we had too little time to stay at a campsite and chose instead to stay at a car park located near the Old Town, right next to the river Vistula.

Cars, buses and caravans park here. It's open 24 hours a day and you pay employees who sit in a small courtyard. Works well and feels safe!

More to do in Poland

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

More tips on what to do in Torun?

Have you been to Torun in Poland? Is it a city you are curious to visit? Do you have even more tips?

Facts about Torun in Poland

Country: Poland
Vojvodship: Kujavia-Pomerania
Name: Toruń (German and formerly Swedish: Thorn, Latin: Thorun)
Location: About 45 kilometres east of Bydgoszcz and 200 kilometres northwest of Warsaw.
River: Vistula
Population: Around 202 000 (2016)
Industries: Traditional woollen industry and manufacture of optical instruments and electronic products.
University: Uniwersytet Mikołaja Kopernika is named after Nicolaus Copernicus, who was born in Toruń on 19 February 1473.
World Heritage: The city has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997.

History of Torun

Early history: Even before the city was founded, there was a Slavic settlement here.
Founding: The city was founded by the Teutonic Order in 1231 and received city rights in 1232.
1281: Torun was admitted to the Hansa.
1466: After the Thirteen Years' War, a peace treaty stipulated that Torun would belong to Poland. The city flourished and prospered.
1650s: Swedish troops invaded Poland under Charles X Gustav, and Torun was occupied by Sweden during 1655-1658.
1703: Torun surrendered to Charles XII.
1704: Stanisław Leszczyński, who had the confidence of Charles XII, acceded to the throne.
1793: With the partition of Poland, Torun became part of Prussia.
20th century: Torun became a Polish town again in 1920 and 1945.

3 Comments

Add yours →

World by Tina says:

How nice to join you in Poland - at a distance=)

24 September 2020 - 18:49

BP says:

Absolutely love the city. The architecture is completely to my taste and everything is extremely well preserved. A very charming city with character I would say.
Strange that Torun is known for gingerbread. Do not like gingerbread but love beer without gingerbread flavour;-)

24 September 2020 - 23:05

Lena - good for the soul says:

My goodness, there were so many things to experience in that city. But gingerbread beer! No, that doesn't sound good! And you can wonder what those two in the pictures were doing with masks!

Hug Lena

30 September 2020 - 5:35

Torun, Poland - 12 things to see and do

Torun in Poland

1. strolling on Rynek Staromiejski (Old Town Square)

2. Being impressed by the Town Hall

3. Check out historic houses in Torun

4. Familiarise yourself with all the myths and stories of the city?

5. Take a guided walk (or ride) through Torun.

6. See the remains of the city walls

7. Try to stand straight at the Leaning Tower

8. Visit the house of Nicolaus Copernicus

9. Peek into St John's Cathedral

10. Eat gingerbread

11. Try beer at a local brewery (and eat Polish food)

12. Enjoy the view of the Vistula River

More to see and do in Torun

Things to do in Torun - on film

Where to stay in Torun?

Hotels and hostels

Camping and caravanning

More to do in Poland

More tips on what to do in Torun?

Facts about Torun in Poland

History of Torun

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World by Tina says:

BP says:

Lena - good for the soul says:

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