Torun travel guide

Torun, Poland

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Torun

Introduction

Toruń is a city on the Vistula River in north-central Poland, and its historic centre is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It serves as one of the two capitals of the Kuyavian–Pomeranian Voivodeship, sharing that role with Bydgoszcz, and together with the neighbouring counties the two cities form the Bydgoszcz–Toruń twin city metropolitan area.

That position gives Toruń a dual character: a river city with a protected medieval core, and a working administrative centre within a larger metropolitan region. It previously served as the capital of the Toruń Voivodeship and, earlier, of the Pomeranian Voivodeship, before taking on its present role in the regional government in 1999.

Getting there

Toruń has no commercial airport of its own, so you'll arrive by air via one of the regional or international airports beyond the city. Bydgoszcz is the closest and handles low-cost flights from across Europe; Poznań-Ławica and Gdańsk-Lech Wałęsa also serve low-cost carriers, with Gdańsk linked to Toruń by motorway. Warsaw-Okęcie, the long-haul option, and Modlin lie further away.

Polish State Railways runs trains to Toruń from Warsaw, Poznań, Gdańsk, Łódź, Katowice and Olsztyn. Toruń Główny, the main station, sits across the Vistula from the city; walking into town takes about 35 minutes, or you can take a taxi or buses #22 and #27, which run directly to the old town from both sides of the station - buy your ticket at the kiosk on the south side, then ride two stops to Plac Rapackiego, the stop just after the bridge. Toruń Miasto is smaller but much closer to the old town, and if your train stops there, getting off is the simplest option. By car, the highway links Toruń with Gdańsk, another highway reaches Łódź, and Warsaw is reachable via route 10 or a combination of motorways. Long-distance buses also serve the city, with the bus station a short walk from the Old Town.

Getting around

The Old Town is small and public transport does not enter it, so walking is your best option for exploring the historic streets. In summertime you can also hire a pedicab. Beyond the Old Town, buses and trams are plentiful and will get you to the outer districts and the main railway station across the river.

If you arrive by train at Toruń Główny, across the Vistula from the city, buses #22 and #27 run directly to the Old Town — board on either side of the station, but buy your kiosk ticket on the south side, and take the bus two stops to Plac Rapackiego, the stop just after the bridge. Toruń Miasto is smaller but much closer to the Old Town, and if your train stops there it is the simplest option.

Where to stay

Toruń's accommodation is concentrated in the Old Town, where you can sleep among the historic buildings. A distinctive local option is to rent a furnished apartment for the night from a local family; the tourist information centre can give you a phone number or call on your behalf if you don't speak Polish.

Mid-range hotels cluster in the Old Town, including Gotyk, Heban, Petite Fleur, Pod Czarną Różą, Polonia, Retman, Spichrz and the two-star Hotelik w Centrum, Kopernik, Trzy Korony and B&B. Solaris, in a historic timber-framed townhouse with steep stairs, offers Japanese washlets but sits over a nightclub. Central Hotel and Hotel Pod Orłem are reasonably priced but sometimes noisy, while ibis Budget provides simple ensuite rooms within walking distance of the Old Town. For a splurge, the four-star 1231 Hotel, Bulwar, Mercure Helios and the somewhat dated Filmar are all close to the centre.

Food & drink

In the warmer months, Toruń's old town fills with street cafés and restaurants where you can eat and drink outdoors amid the medieval atmosphere. Some cafés sit on the bank of the Vistula, and a couple are even on boats on the river. You'll find everything from traditional dishes to fast food, along with beer, soft drinks and ice cream. If you're a football fan, plenty of street cafés let you watch a game on TV over a good Polish beer. Whatever else you do, try the gingerbread (Toruńskie Pierniki) the city is known for.

For a proper meal, Pierogi Plus near the New Town Market is a dedicated pierogi spot, while Manekin serves huge filled naleśniki with a wide choice of fillings; it gets busy at peak times, but staff will warn you of a long wait, and the branch on the old market square is particularly nice. Karotka and Ciasna both offer budget vegetarian and vegan food, and Luizjana serves Creole cooking. Jan Olbracht, mainly Polish cuisine, has its own microbrewery making several fresh beers, and you can sit in a big barrel, a pub or an upstairs restaurant room. Piccolo Grande focuses on Italian-style pizzas and pastas. For drinks, Grota on the north side of the Old Market Square has friendly staff and an excellent range of spirits, Krajina Piva is a haven for beer lovers with a huge selection of mostly regional Polish beers alongside interesting tastes from around the world, and Kadr, its walls covered with stills from films, is a good spot for a drink or two. Klub NRD doubles as a pub and a centre of alternative culture, while Lizard King is a club with rock and pop, two bars and live concerts. Among the cafés, Kona Coast serves a wide range of coffees plus soup, pasta and panini, and Cukiernia Lenkiewicz is worth seeking out for its ice cream.

What to see and do

Toruń's Stare Miasto is a UNESCO World Heritage site with an almost intact medieval street layout, and it is really two formerly independent cities: the Old Town to the west, founded in 1233 and holding most of the attractions, and Nowe Miasto to the northeast, founded in 1264, with the ruins of the Teutonic Knights' Castle between them. Start in the Old Town at the house where Nicolaus Copernicus was probably born, now a museum in a 15th-century merchant's tenement covering the house, daily life of the period and astronomy, with explanations in Polish, English and German. On the Old Town Market Square stands the Gothic Old Town Hall, whose collections include 14th-century stained glass from Toruń and Chełmno churches, an exhibition on old Toruń, coins, the Court Hall and the Hall of Polish Kings; climb the tower, the oldest town hall tower in Central and Eastern Europe, for a view over the historic centre. Nearby are the Baj Pomorski puppet theatre and the House Under the Star, a richly decorated merchant's house with a painted wooden Renaissance ceiling and a small exhibition of Far East art.

Among the churches, the Cathedral of SS. Johns was the city's main church in medieval times and is where Copernicus was christened; it holds the Tuba Dei bell and a clock on the tower's southern exterior whose single hand points like a finger. The Gothic Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, built by the Franciscans, has no steeple, a very high interior filled with Gothic stalls, a Renaissance organ and Baroque altars, and is the burial place of Anna Vasa of Sweden. Elsewhere in the Old Town you can see the Leaning Tower, part of the 13th-century defence walls, and preserved medieval, Renaissance and Baroque granaries from the city's grain-trade past. The ruins of the Teutonic Knights' Castle, one of the first in Poland, are an outdoor museum whose best-preserved part is the gdanisko, while the Dybowski Castle Ruins across the Vistula can be explored at leisure. Beyond the centre, Bydgoskie Przedmieście is a late 19th- and early 20th-century residential district with timber-framed houses, a city park and a zoobotanical garden, and Przedmieście Świętej Katarzyny mixes residential and military architecture around St. Catherine's church. You can also take in the panorama from the left bank of the Vistula, the open-air Ethnographic Museum with its windmill, the Motoarena speedway stadium, and the forts of the 19th-century Toruń fortress.

When to go

Toruń sits in a transitional climate zone, caught between milder western and more extreme eastern influences. Because oceanic and continental air masses alternate over the city, conditions are highly variable, so pack for changeable weather rather than a single steady pattern.

Three days in Torun

Day one: Start in the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and let the streets set your pace. Walk to Plac Rapackiego, then follow the Vistula River, which runs through Toruń and has shaped the city for centuries. If you arrive by rail, Toruń Główny and Toruń Miasto are your likely entry points, with Polish State Railways connecting Toruń to Warsaw, Gdańsk, Poznań, Bydgoszcz, Katowice and Olsztyn. Buy tickets in English through Mobilet or SkyCash, or use Jak Dojad to plan a route. Expect the Old Town to be crowded in high season, so keep your first day loose.

Day two: Go beyond the Old Town and use the river as your guide. The Vistula links Toruń to a wider region, and the city sits in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, with Toruń Voivodeship as its historical frame. If you are moving on, Polish State Railways runs onward to Bydgoszcz, Gdańsk, Warsaw, Poznań, Katowice and Olsztyn. Warsaw airports Okęcie and Modlin are the main gateways into Poland for many travellers, with Gdańsk and Poznań as alternatives. Keep your ticket options open with Mobilet or SkyCash, and check Jak Dojad for connections.

Day three: Slow down and treat Toruń as part of a longer Polish route. The city’s UNESCO World Heritage Site status places it alongside Europe’s historic centres, and the Old Town rewards a final wander before you leave. If your journey continues, Polish State Railways connects Toruń to Warsaw, Gdańsk, Poznań, Bydgoszcz, Katowice and Olsztyn, with Gdańsk tied to the legacy of Lech Wałęsa. Buy your ticket in English via Mobilet or SkyCash, or plan with Jak Dojad. Crowded platforms are common, so allow time at Toruń Główny or Toruń Miasto.

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