15 Best Things to Do in Torun, Poland

Torun has always been one of my favorite places to visit in Poland and I’m always more than happy to return there.

Recently, during one of my trips around my home country, I spent a few days there again, to do proper sightseeing in Torun and its surroundings. Not only I revisited some of the well-known places, but I also discovered new ones that charmed me.

I’m always surprised that Torun isn’t so popular among international travelers as the city has really a lot to offer. And so in today’s article, I’m sharing all the best things to do in Torun to hopefully convince you that you should visit Torun too!

Why visit Torun

Torun is one of the most popular destinations in Poland and it gets numerous visitors for a reason.

The place got its city rights already in the 13th century and since it’s never really been badly destroyed today you can admire some impressive buildings and structures dating back to Middle Ages. In fact, medieval architecture and urban planning were the reasons why Torun was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997.

Torun was also the birthplace of the world-famous astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus and you can find many places connected to this great persona all over the city. And then there is delicious Torun gingerbread that is already a good reason to visit Torun.

How to get to Torun

Torun is located 200 km west of Warsaw (the capital of Poland), 170 km south of Gdansk, and 50 km east of Bydgoszcz.

Getting to the city is really easy with numerous train and bus connections from many places in Poland. The nearest airport is in Bydgoszcz.

How many days for visiting Torun

Since Torun’s center is not very big and most of the best places to visit in Torun are located near each other, you can see the city in one day. However, I recommend spending there a bit more time, to get to know the city properly, visit some of the museums and go on day trips to discover the nearby region too.

How to get around Torun

Most of Torun attractions are located in the Old Town and can be easily reached by walking.

You might need to use public transport to get from the train station to the center since it’s located on the other side of the Vistula river, some 2km away from the Old Town. Fortunately, there are frequent buses connecting these two places.

Things to do in Torun

And here is the overview of the best things to do in Torun – hopefully it will help you plan your own trip to Torun!

Wander around the Old Town

The best way to get a feel of Torun’s Old Town and fall for the place is to explore it leisurely. It’s not a very big area but hides some real gems.

The main pedestrian street is Szeroka and that’s where you can find some of the most beautiful houses (be sure to look up when walking this street!).

But it’s worth getting into the maze of backstreets too, preferably without the map. There are some picturesque lanes and charming corners around. I especially enjoyed the brick arches between the houses (on Ciasna street), a mural with the old map of Torun, or small puppets sitting on the walls.

The Old Town in Torun is packed with details that make the place so interesting and special and it’s up to you to find them all.

See Torun from above

Everywhere I travel to I try to find a viewpoint where I can admire the city from above, to get a better perspective of the place. And so one of the first places I visited in Torun where the Town Hall tower. Not only it’s a great place to see Torun’s vista, but the tower itself is also one of the oldest monuments in the city.

It’s the oldest part of the Town Hall, dating back to the end of the 13th century (it got its current look over a hundred years later, in 1385). It’s also the oldest tower of this kind in Central and Eastern Europe and a great example of medieval Gothic architecture.

The entrance to the tower is located near the Nicolaus Copernicus monument. You need to walk 175 stairs to get to the top but the view is definitely worth it. From the viewing platform, you can admire the beautiful panorama of Torun’s Old Town, Vistula river, and beyond.

Another place to look at Torun from above is the nearby cathedral tower where you can also see the largest medieval bell in Poland – “Tuba Dei”.

Admire the impressive Gothic architecture in Torun

Since 1997 Torun’s Old Town has been included in UNESCO World Heritage List and that’s mostly thanks to its exceptional and authentic medieval Gothic architecture.

The city, founded in 1233, has never been badly destroyed and today has the second-largest (after Krakow) number of Gothic buildings in Poland. Many of them are real masterpieces from medieval times, the perfect examples of brick architecture from that time.

It’s not difficult to find impressive Gothic buildings in Torun’s Old Town, when wandering around you will easily stumble across them every few steps. Some of the most important ones include churches (including the cathedral), city gates, towers, and numerous townhouses.

In the past Torun also had the Teutonic Order castle (not as spectacular as the one in Malbork but still), however, it’s in ruins today.

Learn more about cosmos in Torun’s planetarium

One of the biggest attractions in Torun is the local planetarium where you can learn more about the cosmos, universe, and stars. It’s located in the 19th-century industrial building in the Old Town and was opened on 17th February 1994, on Copernicus’s birthday.

The shows are held in Polish, English, German, Spanish and Russian languages so you can easily add the planetarium to your Torun itinerary.

See old city walls

Torun got its city walls already in the first half of the 13th century (expanded in further years) but sadly they were mostly taken down in the 19th century. Fortunately, there are numerous remnants of old fortifications that you can still find all over the place. There are still 3 gates (out of 11) and 9 towers (out of 12) standing as well as parts of the walls.

The most impressive part of the city walls is on the side of the Vistula river (this part, especially near the Leaning Tower, is the oldest city wall in Poland).

To make the walls even more special and interesting you can spot some tiny puppets and other details that decorate the brick construction – sometimes you need to take a closer look to spot them but it only adds up to the charm of the place.

Marvel at art nouveau gems

Even if I’m a huge fan of art nouveau architecture, it took me a few visits to Torun to finally realize how many splendid townhouses there are around. But when I did – I was overwhelmed with all the beauty of townhouses.

In the Old Town, I found the most impressive ones along the main pedestrian street – Szeroka. When wandering around be sure to look up to see some of the fine details and features.

There are even more beautiful art nouveau houses in the center and beyond (like Bydgoskie Przedmieście neighborhood) so if you like this style of architecture as much as I do, you will surely appreciate this feature of Torun.