Why Visiting Torun Old Town in Poland is Such a Welcome Surprise

Poland doesn’t have many cities left these days with original, intact old towns thanks to World War II. Most are now just reconstructions – looking at you Warsaw. That’s not a criticism, it’s just the unfortunate truth. Krakow may be the country’s best-known historical city, but visit Torun near the heart of Poland and you’ll find a worthy challenger.

Home to a beautifully preserved, still-standing old town, Torun is a destination that quickly wins over visitors. Wander through its streets for even a short while and you see why the city is worth visiting. You’ll find that there are many things to do in Torun as a tourist, especially once you find all the landmarks tied to Nicolaus Copernicus, its famous astronomer.

Torun was recommended to me through a travel forum, as I hadn’t heard of the small city before then. A little research later, it became a natural inclusion in my Poland travel plans. Get ready for a lot of historic, UNESCO heritage-listed charm as we look at what to do in the medieval town of Torun.

Getting to Torun

Torun is one of the easier places in Poland to get to as the city is well-positioned just north of the country’s centre. It helps a lot that Torun is conveniently located around halfway along the train journey between Warsaw and Gdansk. You can get to Torun from both in between 2.5 and 3 hours.

When coming by train, it’s worth noting that the train station is on the far side of the river to the old town. To get across, you can take a local bus to the Old Town for next to nothing (2.8zl / 0.66€). If you come to Torun by bus from other cities, that isn’t an issue.

If you plan to drive to Torun, you have the benefit of easily visiting other cities in the area including Bydgoszcz and Lodz. However, Torun Old is about half-pedestrianised, so enquire about parking and prepare for a lot of one-way streets.

Hotels in Torun

Based on what I saw during my visit, I’d say more people visit Torun on a day trip than stay overnight. Which is a shame in my books. Staying in Torun lets you spend longer exploring the city, eating its food, and also seeing how pretty it is illuminated at night.

Torun also has a huge selection of hotels and accommodation to choose from. My stay at the Hotel Gromada Torun, which is in the Old Town, was affordable and perfectly fine, nothing overly special. If you want special, maybe try one of these highly-rated options:

• Hotel Petite Fleur
• Apartamenty K2 Podmurna 36
• Hotel 1231

The things to do in Torun

Over two days in Torun, I had the opportunity to explore quite a lot of the city. Torun Old Town is the main focus for most visitors and with good reason, especially day trippers, but it helps to know what else is there to see.

Old Town of Torun

A visit to Torun is very likely to centre on the city’s old town and with nearly all the sights, plus bars and restaurants, you may not even leave the historic centre your entire stay. This is with good reason, as Torun Old Town is immensely pretty and pleasantly walkable. Everywhere you look there are remarkable buildings flaunting intricate Gothic architecture.

At its busiest around the central square and main pedestrian street, deviate away from there and you find Torun’s streets to be mostly quiet, with the occasional walking tour passing by.

I should mention here that Torun is far more popular as a day trip it seems, with lots of walking tours coming through during the day and everyone seeming to leave before dark. It’s a noticeable increase but I never felt Torun to be overly busy or chaotic like Krakow or Gdansk.

Old Town Market Square

A perfect place to start a visit is with the large Old Town Market Square in the centre of Old Town. Very much the beating heart of Torun’s old town, the square is where you will find some of the most beautiful buildings in the city, such as the Postal Building and the Arthus House. The square is a great opener and should get you in the mood to explore and enjoy Torun’s charms.

Of particular interest is the bronze Donkey statue on the edge of the square. While it may look quite cute and is frequently mounted by tourists for a photo-op (which is allowed), its presence reflects something far darker.

In the past, criminals of Torun were for their crimes strapped to a wooden donkey in this very spot and forced down onto a sharp metal plate on its back. Not so cute now, right?

Frog Fountain

Perhaps a small spot, but still a cute little spot in the Old Town Market Square, is the cute Frog Fountain. The fountain tells the story of Torun’s own version of the Pied Piper. The statue at the centre is of Janko Muzykant, who saved the town from a plague of frogs, caused by a witch of course, by playing his fiddle and luring them to the forest.

Torun Town Hall

As is the way in Europe, the Town Hall in the centre of the Old Town Market Square is the focal point for Torun and a gorgeous one at that. The most important building in Torun, it dates back to the late 14th century.

Sadly, the roof and upper floors were severely damaged during the war with the Swedish in 1703 and had to be reconstructed. Some bricks still wear the char marks of that fire.

There is a legend, that the Town Hall is in its own way a calendar, where the main tower symbolises a year, the turrets the four seasons, and the grand halls, minor rooms and windows reflect the months, weeks and days in a year. If that’s the case, that’s some next-level planning and detail!

Town Hall Museum

Inside the Town Hall, you’ll find the District Museum, said to be the best in the city of Torun. The museum does a great job of taking you through the city’s history, but also its culture and trade.

A visit includes seeing the wonderful Grand Hall, admiring some incredible parquetry that Torun excelled at, plus displays of local modern artwork that caught my eye. The museum ticket, including the tower, costs 17zl (4€) as of 2016.

Town Hall views

And speaking of the Town Hall Tower, you’ll want to pay the entry fee for the views from the top alone. While it may be accessible by a narrow, winding staircase (aren’t they all?), once you’re at the top you’re treated to some stellar views out over the city of Torun. Nothing quite like seeing a place from above to give you a newfound perspective and appreciation.

Copernicus landmarks in Torun

While visiting Torun it won’t take long to learn who the city’s favourite son is. Right on the busiest corner in the old town is a large statue of famed astronomer and Torun native, Nicolaus Copernicus.

Born in Torun on February 19, 1473, Copernicus has multiple mentions around town, including the beautiful house in which he was born. The house hosts a small museum of Copernicus, but I decided against visiting in favour of the above District Museum.

Old City Walls

Like many medieval towns, Torun was once protected by a double ring of city walls to protect against invading forces. Today, only the side along the Vistula River remains, but that does include several gates and Torun’s very own “Leaning Tower“.

They may not be too noticeable unless you choose to either walk along them or head out to the riverfront, but they’re there and give you a sense of what they must have been like.

Teutonic Castle

In most places, having the remains of a castle would be considered a major attraction. However, in Torun, the remains of the Teutonic Castle have been relegated to the sidelines. Once you hear the history it seems almost poetic.

You see, the castle was destroyed by the people of Torun in the 15th century. They tore it down to end the city’s subservience to the foreign Order of the Teutonic Knights. Still, the Teutonic Knights did give them most of the city’s fortifications, so they can’t have been all bad, right?

The remains were left untouched for centuries before excavations began to honour the 500th anniversary of the Thirteen Years’ War in which the castle was destroyed. Entrance into the ruins has a fee, but you can walk about most of the outer remains for free. It gives you an idea of how big a castle once stood there.

Churches of Torun

Torun wouldn’t be a Polish city if it didn’t have plenty of churches, and the old town alone has 2 churches and a cathedral. Torun Cathedral is an immense sight and does a great job of dominating the city’s skyline but aside from its size is not overly interesting.

I found the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary just off the Old Town Square to be more ornate and have a bit more presence.

Explore beyond the Old Town

If you have time and have explored Old Town to great lengths, then it’s worth checking out Torun’s New Town. Located to the Old Town’s east, the New Town has an entirely different look about it. The buildings here reflect a different era, with a far more modern European feel.

Still, there are some things worth seeing in the New Town. Probably the main one is the Church of St Jacob, with its “M” shaped tower. Leaving the Old Town also helps establish Torun as a real city and not just some hamlet trapped in time.

Try Polish gingerbread

When it comes to souvenirs and what Torun is known for, gingerbread tops the list for both. The baking of gingerbread has been part of the city’s culture since as far back as the 14th century. Seeing the baking tins and moulds they once used, they look like works of art rather than baking tools. You can find plenty of places to get yourself some gingerbread to take home.

See Torun by night

Torun is perhaps even more captivating at night than it is during the day. With the street lights, the brick buildings take on a different mood. You notice different subtleties all over the place when exploring Torun at night.

They do a good job of illuminating the old town and giving the city a romantic feel. Unlike Krakow where the Old Town fills with partygoers, Torun has a gentler atmosphere. It’s no wonder that the city seems to be a popular spot for couples. 

Have you had the chance to visit Torun before? If not, what about the medieval city has you most intrigued? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

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