Toruń escaped major damage in WWII and is widely considered the best-preserved Gothic town in Poland. The city is known around the country for the quality of its gingerbread and, indeed, with its handsome, red-brick churches and elegant, intricate facades, Toruń resembles nothing more than a beautifully crafted gingerbread cookie.
Toruń is famous as the birthplace of Nicolaus Copernicus, who revolutionised the field of astronomy in 1543 by asserting the earth travelled around the sun. He's a figure you will not be able to escape – you can even buy gingerbread men in his likeness.
The usual starting point on Toruń's Gothic trail is the Old Town Market Square (Rynek Staromiejski), dominated by a massive red-brick Town Hall and lined with finely restored houses. At the southeast corner, look for a Statue of Copernicus, a regular feature in holiday snaps.
Old Town HallMUSEUM
The Old Town Hall dates from the 14th century and hasn’t changed much since, though some Renaissance additions lent an ornamental touch to the sober Gothic structure. Today, it houses the main branch of the Toruń Regional Museum. Displays include a collection of Gothic art (painting and stained glass), a display of local 17th- and 18th-century crafts, and a gallery of Polish paintings from 1800 to the present. Climb the tower for a fine panoramic view of Toruń’s Gothic townscape.
House of CopernicusMUSEUM
While it's not clear if Copernicus was actually born here, this branch of the regional museum is dedicated to the famed astronomer's life and works. More engaging than the exhibitions of period furniture and writing is a short audiovisual presentation regarding Copernicus’ times in Toruń, with a model of the town. A third element of the museum, titled World of Toruń’s Gingerbread, offers insights into the arcane art of gingerbread creation.
Cathedral of SS John the Baptist & John the EvangelistCHURCH
Toruń’s mammoth Gothic cathedral was begun around 1260 but only completed at the end of the 15th century. Its massive tower houses Poland’s second-largest historic bell, the Tuba Dei (God’s Trumpet). On the southern side of the tower, facing the Vistula, is a large 15th-century clock; its original face and single hand are still in working order. Check out the dent above the VIII – it’s from a cannonball that struck the clock during the Swedish siege of 1703.
Gingerbread Museum
MUSEUM
Learn about gingerbread’s history and create a spicy concoction of your own under the enlightened instruction of a mock-medieval gingerbread master. All of it takes place in a renovated 16th-century gingerbread factory.
BUS
The bus station (Dworzec Autobusowy Arriva ; www.rozklady.com.pl) is a 10-minute walk north of the Old Town; from here, Polski Bus (www.polskibus.com) connects to Warsaw (3¾ hours, four daily) and Gdańsk (two hours, four daily). For other places, it's usually better to take the train.
TRAIN
Toruń's main train station (Toruń Główny; www.pkp.pl) is located on the opposite side of the Vistula River and linked to the Old Town by bus 22 or 27 (or a 2km walk). Useful direct train connections include those to Gdańsk (50zł, three hours, three daily), Kraków (73zł, seven hours, three daily), Poznań (30zł, two hours, two daily), Warsaw (52zł, 2¾ hours, five daily).
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