Torun

I did not especially enjoy my time in Toruń but that was not the city’s fault. Instead, it was our coach on a day trip from Warsaw that took a circuitous route through the countryside, turning a journey that should’ve taken under three hours into more than four through some unremarkable farmland and woodland with multiple crossings of the River Vistula our first clue something was amiss. Perhaps the driver knew of congestion we did not or just wanted to avoid highway tolls. This was annoying but I could not complain too much as the trip was provided free-of-charge as a ‘cultural outing’ as part of a conference I was attending in the capital. Regardless, we eventually arrived in the city with the outskirts being of typically brutalist concrete construction although one was brightened up by a large mural depicting Nicolaus Copernicus. After parking in a busy car park down by the river, we were led beneath the city’s defensive walls and past a leaning tower, both made of red brick rather than the marble of the more famous leaning tower in Pisa, then along attractive Medieval streets to the townhouse where the city’s most famous son was born in 1473. One of many impressive old brick Gothic structures in the city, it and the adjoining house are now a museum dedicated to Copernicus, even though most of his life's work was carried out further north in Warmia. There are various relics of his pioneering heliocentric work in astronomy as …

I visited this WHS in August 2020. Perhaps because I had too high expectations, I felt Torun was a bit of a let down in terms of its OUV, especially when compared to other Hanseatic League WHS. Torun, one of the oldest cities in Poland, in my opinion is also one of the weakest of the 'Seven Wonders of Poland'.

That said, even though none of the main sites really stand out on their own, the whole ensemble offers a very pleasant visit by the Vistula river. Torun is the birthplace of Nicolaus Copernicus, and just in front of the 13th century Gothic Old Town Hall, you'll see a statue dedicated to the astronomer and there's also 'his' house which can be visited. Next to the entrance, there's a UNESCO WHS plaque on the wall and another one one the floor. It is also possible to climb the tower for a panoramic view of the old town.

Another enjoyable view is from the opposite bank of the Vistula river, especially at sunset. Quite similar to Wismar, Germany, are the red brick churches, namely the Torun Cathedral and the gem of Torun - the Church of St. James (also on the Way to Santiago de Compostela in Poland!). All entrances to the churches were free and really worth entering if only for a quick peek to see the Gothic polychrome murals and the 14th century Gothic Cross with the Tree of Life. After a full day of exploring, I …

August 2017 - After spending 1 day in the Mazury Lakes, we drove back towards Berlin. For the last night we chose Torun. I have been there in 1994 already, but remembered it differently. It is a beautiful hanseatic city, some streets are even nicer than Lübeck, lots of brick Towers, Walls, churches etc. And you can get gingerbread everywhere "Pierniki".

There was a light festival that day, the illuminations were way to artificial though. Torun was a strategic place in WW II, so it did not suffer from destruction. Luckily, because it is really beautiful. I took a shot that night, which could have been taken 40 years ago:

The medieval city of Torun is a small, well-preserved trading town along the Vistula river. I really enjoyed my stay there, and have been thinking since what the attraction was. A major reason is that – despite its considerable size of 200,000 inhabitants – it lies too far off the beaten track for the weekend getaway and stag party crowd (which Gdansk and so many other cities in Central and Eastern Europe have to endure). It still is more a destination for Polish school trips than for foreign tourists.

Although it lies only 168km south of Gdansk, it takes significant time to get to Torun by public transport from there. The fastest trains take 2.5 hours, including a change halfway. These are not too frequent, however, plus it is wise to pre-book them as seats are reserved and do sell out. On the return trip, I got stranded at Torun’s railway station because of a delay of 53(!) minutes, which also caused missing my connection. In the end, it took me 5 hours to get back to Gdansk. So going only for a day trip from Gdansk is possible but it is a gamble.

Fortunately, I stayed for the night. The WHS zone comprises 3 parts: the Old Town, the New Town, and the ruins of the Teutonic Castle. On my first evening, I walked around the Old Town at ease. It does not have a real ‘medieval’ atmosphere, 80% of the buildings seem to date from the …

Whilst it is a pleasant and charming city, I was actually a little disappointed in Torun. I think this could be because I, unfairly, had high expectations for it but on the whole its cobbled centre felt a little more tired and scruffy than many others in the country.

The central square is pretty and the network of cobbled streets is rather nice as its layout giving clues to the development of the old and new towns. Tucked in here and there are the various sites associated with the town's most famous son Copernicus.

There is also the added bonus of escaping to the river banks, especially charming was the panoramic view from the bank opposite showing the broad sweep of the town walls. This platform can be accessed by crossing the road outside the station and walking through the small wooded area, this short diversion came in handy when we were unable to secure a place on our desired train and had an hour to kill in the small station.

Another treat is that there plenty of places around town selling Torun's most famous foodstuff Pierniki (Gingerbread) and we had a wonderful time trying out as many varieties as we could the Apricot and Dark chocolate being our particular favourite.

At night the rather charming Jan Olbracht Micro-Brewery proved a very welcoming and filling destination, completing a slow paced day around the city which proved to be an enjoyable way to recharge our batteries.

So on the whole …

Old Town is a very nice complex in Torun. It is possible to spend a lot of time walking on the streets and passages. Especially Nicolaus Copernicus House Museum and City Hall are places you need to see here. And of course, Monument of Copernicus. Nicolaus Copernicus House Museum is a possible place of his birth. Torun is worth a visit by anyone interested in the medieval art and architecture in general.

The core area of the town, the Rynek Staromiejski is full of interesting buildings with quirky little details. I spent some time looking for them on the different fascades. I found the most interesting to be the Dwor Artusa and the House under the Star, as well as Copernicus' house around the corner.

A bustling friendly city. The town centre (Rynek) is very beautiful and more and more buildings are being renovated.

Make your first stop a bookshop for a town guide before you begin walking, this will ensure you do not miss any of the main sights and also point out the more unusual ones which usually have a local tale attached to them. The bookshops also have some beautiful large colour books on Torun or Poland in general. Buying one is a must but make sure you get it at the end of the day because of the weight.

Large enough to have many facilities for tourists but small enough to make it possible to explore away from the centre.

Make time for a stroll along the Wisla and follow the medieval walls.

Hotels and guest houses are now more abundant but always ask to check the rooms first as some may still have a tendency to have a stunning reception but very basic rooms.

We have never been disappointed in any of the restaurants so can't recommend any in particular. The tables were always well presented and the food fresh and superbly cooked.

We have enjoyed many a beer or coffee with the locals, sitting outside the Ratusz or in the Dwor Atusa across the street.

Children will enjoy the story of the legendary 'Flisak' who's statue is beside the Ratusz, 'Leaning Tower', Planetarium or a boat trip on the Wisla to the salt towers at Ciechocinek.

War historians can …