Torun for the weekend – what to see?

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The city of Nicolaus Copernicus, gingerbread, but most of all Gothic is recommended for the weekend! Today we will show you some interesting places in Torun that we discovered during one January weekend.

Is January a good time to come to Toruń? Cities like Torun can be explored every weekend of the year. In January we still hit the Christmas illuminations, so even though February was fast approaching you could still feel the festive atmosphere.

And those lights made magic. The Old Town lit up in the evening and appeared to us in a completely different light (literally), the only thing missing was snow to complete the picture and the winter atmosphere would have been in full swing. But you can’t have it all :)

Being in Torun, we just focused on this older part of the city, it was here that we spent a day and a half and it was enough to walk the streets, enter some museums or see the panorama of the city from the tower of the city hall. In addition, we went to the other side of the Vistula River to a viewpoint and were at the Mill of Knowledge Modernity Center, which is a bit far away.

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We didn’t manage to see everything we describe below in one weekend (especially when it comes to entering museums); we’ve seen a few places before, so we’re describing them in passing as well.

So what is worth seeing in Torun? We invite you to read more!

Table of contents

Old Town in Toruń

But before Copernicus and gingerbread, let’s head to the Old Town, where you can spend a few hours walking among the pretty, well-kept townhouses, sitting in cafes and looking for interesting little sculptures scattered around the Old Town of Toruń.

Town Hall and Copernicus monument

The Gothic Town Hall is located in the Old Town Square and is the heart of the Old Town. The City Hall has no longer housed the city government since World War II, and now houses the District Museum, where visitors can see, among other things. Royal Hall, Bourgeois Hall, and numerous expositions and exhibitions.

This museum can be visited for free on Wednesdays, and on other days entry costs PLN 15 for a regular ticket and PLN 10 for a discounted ticket.

We recommend climbing the city hall tower, which offers a view of the entire city. To get to the top you have to climb stairs, at times quite sharp, so you need to be very careful (especially with a baby and pregnant ;) ). It’s also hard to pass by those descending, but the views from the top make up for any hardship or inconvenience.

To enter the tower you pay separately – PLN 15 for a regular ticket and PLN 10 for a discounted ticket. At least that’s what the website states, but on the spot we found that entry costs $13, so you may be in for a pleasant surprise.

Combined tickets for the museum and the tower can also be purchased – £25 for a regular ticket and £18 for a discounted ticket.

And then there’s the panorama:

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Right in front of the City Hall stands a more than 2.5-meter tall statue of Toruń’s most famous resident – Nicolaus Copernicus, of course – with the caption: “He moved the Earth, stopped the Sun and Heaven.”

It is worth paying special attention to the townhouses surrounding the market, especially the Tenement House under the Star and Artus Court. The Church of the Holy Spirit is also located near the market.

Churches

Towering over the city, St. Mary’s Church is an example of Gothic architecture, ranked among the 3 largest Gothic churches in northern Poland. Squeezed between tenement houses, it can be difficult to make out with your eyes – so it’s worth admiring from afar, and we especially recommend viewing it from the city hall tower – from here you can best see the chancel topped with 3 turrets.

The church can be visited at any time, except during the hours when services are held.

Also noteworthy are: The Cathedral of St. St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist (it is here that the famous medieval bell Tuba dei is located) and the St. Peter’s Church. James (It is located next to the New Town Square and is the smallest Gothic church in Torun).

In search of monuments

Walking around the city, one may be tempted to look for the various sculptures scattered around the Old Town – especially for the younger ones, this may be a more interesting activity than looking at the townhouses and churches. So look together for the Dragon of Torun, Filus the dog, Torun’s Priory, Donkey and many more….

In addition to the monuments, look for colorful figurines that can be found squatting on windowsills or on the walls of some buildings.

House of Legends of Torun

You may also be interested in the House of Torun Legends, where you can listen to and even participate in local legends! Anyway, the place advertises itself as a combination of a museum and a theater, as visitors take on the roles of characters from legends and act out various scenes.

“Sightseeing” is possible at full hours and lasts about 45 minutes. Adults pay PLN 14, students pay PLN 12, and children pay PLN 10 (under 3 free).

Teutonic castle and city walls

More specifically, it is the ruins of a Teutonic castle, the construction of which began in the 13th century. Not much is left of the Gothic castle, but the ruins and the underground where there is, among other things, a museum, are open to the public. An armory, an archaeological exhibition or a model of the castle.

Admission to the ruins is paid and costs PLN 10 for a regular ticket and PLN 6 for a discounted ticket

Leaning Tower

One of the symbols and most photographed landmarks in Torun is the Leaning Tower, which is part of the city walls. Unfortunately, it is not open to the public.

Two buildings next door are worth noting: a Baroque granary and a Gothic granary.

City walls

In addition to Torun’s famous Leaning Tower, the city’s walls include gates and towers (walking from the Leaning Tower toward the Teutonic Castle): Monastery Gate, Dovecote Tower, Sailor’s Gate and Bridge Gate. The walls are another example of Gothic architecture in the city.

Torun Kopernika

Copernicus in Torun is a must! Copernicus here abounds. We have already mentioned the monument to Poland’s most famous astronomer, but at least two more sites deserve attention in Torun.

Planetarium

The destination of all school excursions ;-) Who has not been to the Toronto planetarium during their school education? We were, however, probably a lot has changed here in these more than 20 years. We let it go this time, because Olive is still too little for this type of place anyway (the planetarium is for children from 4 years old) – but we will return here in a few years :)

It is worth noting that in addition to the planetarium, there is the MARS#17 Base, an interesting interactive space where you can play the role of space crew members, and the Geodium, another interactive exhibition this time about the planet Earth.

Astronomical shows last about 30-40 minutes. On the January weekend, the queues to enter were not there, but we have seen photos from the vacations where crowds loom at the entrance, so we recommend buying tickets through the Planetarium’s website.

A regular ticket costs PLN 14, and a discounted ticket costs PLN 12.

Nicolaus Copernicus House

The building reopened to the public in June 2018, offering a more interactive and modern experience, including. 4D cinema.

Inside its interiors, we can learn not only about the figure of Copernicus, but also a lot about the history of Toruń, astronomy and bourgeois life.

A regular ticket costs PLN 15, and a discounted ticket costs PLN 11. The aforementioned 4D film has an additional fee of 15 zloty and 11 zloty.

Gingerbread city of Torun – gingerbread museums

Noteworthy are two, quite different museums: the Living Gingerbread Museum and the Museum of Torun Gingerbread. Although similar in name, they show the symbol of Torun from a completely different side.

The Living Gingerbread Museum is more of an interactive attraction, a workshop – here you can take part in the preparation of gingerbread under the watchful eye of the Gingerbread Master and the Spice Witch, who introduce you to the world of gingerbread, full of secrets and magical ingredients. All prepared baked goods are taken home with them, so a souvenir from Toruń ready and handmade. A brief history lesson also awaits upstairs – here you can learn how gingerbread was once baked.

Due to the nature of the Museum, admission is only possible at specific times, and the ticket offices open only before shows.

Tickets are priced at: PLN 17 – adult, PLN 12 – children and students (under 3 years of age, entrance is free).

The Museum of Torun Gingerbread is the largest gingerbread museum in Europe and shows the history of gingerbread, the machines and tools used to prepare them. Here you can also try your hand at gingerbread baking, but the larger part deals with the origins of gingerbread making, the role of gingerbread in everyday life or the development of baking technology.

Prices including gingerbread baking are PLN 13 for a regular ticket and PLN 9 for a discounted ticket (display alone: PLN 10/PLN 7).

Viewpoint on Torun

Once we’ve walked around the Old Town and seen it from the City Hall tower, it’s worth going to a special vantage point located on the other side of the Vistula giving yet another perspective.

We’ve been both in the evening and during the day and can’t decide which view we liked better :)

The Mill of Knowledge Modernity Center

The Knowledge Mill is a place far from the strict center of Toruń, but worth including in your weekend plans. It’s a very interesting, interactive place, full of learning, experience, exploring the world. Good fun is not only for the youngest, although many of the exhibitions are specially prepared for children. On several floors you can experiment, learn, explore physical phenomena…. about this place will be a person entry, because it is a must see in Torun, especially for families with children!