Welcome to the geographical centre of Europe and birthplace of Copernicus! Nestled in the heart of Poland, Torun is a unique place: a large central part of town is a UNESCO World Heritage site – all of it. This massive area is full of pretty, wondrous sights, but there’s plenty more to Torun other than that. Here’s why you should put Torun down on your list of places to visit in Poland.
Medieval living
The UNESCO-designated part of Torun consists of the New Town and the OldTown, as well as the ruins of a castle built by the Teutonic Knights. The New Town is only 50 years younger than the OldTown, which when we’re talking about the Middle Ages, is not exactly ‘new’. Most of the buildings within these sections have been built and rebuilt over the centuries, all hailing from different periods.
To get a feel for what Torun was like in ye olden days, head to the outskirts of the OldTown where you can walk around a recreated village made up of straw-roofed buildings, just like the ones that used to be contained within the castle walls. Another famous part of the walls is the leaning tower which sits by the river. You’d think there would be a museum inside, but no, it’s a mini-gallery and bar.
When Torun took up the UNESCO mantle, it had to get rid of the trams in the Old and New Towns, but this was just part of a Torun tradition for covering up old transport links. Many streets used to be moats and canals, and in some places you can find glass floors which allow you to see hidden streams beneath the streets. Hidden history can be found throughout Torun – enter many modern-looking restaurants and you may be surprised to find that if you glance up at the ceiling, it’s a wooden original from hundreds of years ago.
Architectural delights
The Old and New Towns contain architecture from every period. You name it, they’ve got it. Baroque, modernist, Bauhaus, etc etc. If you have a nose for architecture, you will adore sniffing about the different streets, seeing what you stumble across.
Much of Torun is full of old wooden buildings sitting amongst more modern ones, as well as old communist blocks. The mix is beguiling and makes everywhere you go a journey of curiosities. Just outside the central heritage section is the area of Bydgoska-Przedmiescie which, particularly Bydgoska Street, also has its fair share of unusual architecture, including buildings that have wooden frames but brick walls, with little towers and large roofs. The area was a hub for intellectuals pre-WWII – once the war began, the Gestapo occupied one attractive building that is today a renovated pre-school.
Also around Torun, you’ll find this theatre which looks like a wardrobe. Just to the left alongside, there’s a big grandfather clock. Seeing as big things are cool in Torun, the citizens are looking forward to the big cultural centre that’s being built near to the OldTown, which will have large exhibition spaces and a new concert hall.
Cultural Torun
Being the birthplace of Copernicus, Torun has a bit of an obsession with the astronomer, unsurprisingly. For a start, it’s home to NicolausCopernicusUniversity, one of the country’s top universities, attracting people from all over Poland as well as other countries. Also, understandably, there’s a wonderful planetarium in Torun, full of history. A prominent statue of the scientist in the Old Town Square is the top meeting place in town and always has people milling around. There are bars seconds from the statue too, so when you do meet up, you can go straight to a catch-up drink.
For those in the know, the Camerimage Film Festival is one of the top industry festivals in Europe. As it grew, it moved to nearby Bydgoszcz, but it began in Torun and you can see the town has a love for the cinematic – the dilapidated town hall in the New Town Square was converted into a brilliant cinema. There are plenty of concerts held around Torun too, with the city’s philharmonic orchestra finding many opportunities to perform. The elegant opera hall is a particular favourite.
For those who like a bit of the visual arty stuff, the Centre for Modern Art (or CSW) is an impressive modern building that hosts plenty of free exhibitions as well as a few pay ones. The building is always full of art students from the university, looking to find inspiration. Afterwards, they hit the town and find a different kind of inspiration in the city’s many drinking holes and clubs.
How to get to Torun
Torun is just 50km away from Bydgoszcz, a destination well-served by international flights. You can get a short train ride from Bygodszcz central station, or just take one of the many PKS buses. The journey won’t take longer than an hour, either way. Torun is also close enough to Warsaw to justify a day trip from there. The train from Warsaw Central takes 2 hours 49 minutes. Buses are also available, but they take a less direct route.
Featured image by Polska Zielona Sieć
