Old Town Hall ★Toruń began building this town hall after a privilege granted in 1391. Merchants' shops, the town council and the court all shared one roof, which was rare in medieval Europe. The tower is the oldest part: it has stood since 1274 and was raised in 1385, when a clock was added. Around 1600 the corner turrets and decorative gables were added, and in 1703 the building burned during the Swedish siege. Today it houses the Regional Museum, and the tower terrace looks out over the whole Old Town and the Vistula.
Planetarium ★The round brick building with battlements looks like a tower, but it is a former gas holder from 1860. Since 1994 it has housed a planetarium: the sky with stars and planets is projected under the dome. It is one of the most visited places in Toruń, with over 290,000 visitors in 2022. A show takes longer than this stop, and it is worth booking tickets in advance.
Nicolaus Copernicus House ★Two Gothic town houses at 15 and 17 Kopernika Street hold a museum dedicated to the astronomer, who was born in Toruń in 1473. Historians still argue about exactly which house he was born in. Inside you can see what a wealthy merchant's home looked like, along with instruments and old astronomy books. The museum is a branch of the Regional Museum, and admission is charged.
Leaning Tower ★This 14th-century tower of the town walls is 15 metres high, and its top leans almost one and a half metres out of plumb. It probably began to lean in the Middle Ages, when the sandy ground subsided, but legend says it was built as a penance by a Teutonic Knight who broke his vows. In the 18th century it was a women's prison. Try leaning your back against its wall: by tradition only those whose sins are lighter than that knight's can keep their balance.
Cathedral of the Two Saints John ★The largest church in the Old Town and once the burghers' parish church. Its tower holds the Tuba Dei bell, the Trumpet of God, cast in the early 16th century; in 1703 the Swedes tried to carry it off, but the town paid a ransom. Inside is the font where, by tradition, Nicolaus Copernicus was baptised, and the heart of King John I Albert, who died in Toruń in 1501, is buried here. It has been a cathedral since 1992.
Toruń Gingerbread Museum ★Toruń gingerbread has been famous since the Middle Ages; the first record of it dates from 1380. The museum opened in 2015 in Gustav Weese's former gingerbread factory on Strumykowa Street. You will see old wooden moulds, machines and how gingerbread used to be baked. Admission is charged; separately, on Rabiańska Street, the Living Gingerbread Museum runs baking workshops.
House under the StarThe house at Market Square 35 has medieval roots, but its famous facade dates from the late 17th century. It is covered with stucco garlands of fruit and leaves, and at the top shines the golden star that gives it its name. Inside, a wooden spiral staircase with a figure of Minerva has survived. Since 1970 it has housed the Museum of Far Eastern Art.
Church of the Assumption of MaryThis Gothic church was built by the Franciscans, who came to Toruń in 1239. It has no tower, but its interior is very tall, with star vaults. For almost two centuries, from 1557 to 1724, it was used by Protestants. In the chancel stands the black-and-white 1636 mausoleum of Anna Vasa, sister of King Sigismund III Vasa.
Church of the Holy SpiritThis Baroque church with a light-coloured tower stands on the west side of the square. It was built by Toruń's Protestants after they had to give up St Mary's Church following the Toruń Tumult of 1724; it was consecrated in 1756. The tower was only added in 1897-1899. Since 1945 the Jesuits have cared for it, and it serves as the university church.
Artus CourtIn the Middle Ages the Artus Court was a meeting place for wealthy merchants of the Brotherhood of St George, and later parliaments met here. The first building stood on this spot as early as around 1385. The present one, with its richly decorated brick facade, was built in 1889-1891. Today it is a cultural centre with concerts and performances.
Convent GateOne of the three surviving gates in the walls facing the Vistula. It was built in the first half of the 14th century and raised around 1420. It is named after the nearby Benedictine convent. Look up in the passage: you can see the slots for the portcullis, the grille that was lowered against enemies.
Sailors' GateThis gate led from the port on the Vistula straight to the market square. It was built between the late 13th and mid-14th century. Polish kings entered the town this way, so the Royal Route along Żeglarska Street begins here. Through the gate you can see the Vistula as if in a picture frame.
Esken HouseA Gothic town house from the 14th century, bought in 1518 by Franciszek Esken of a wealthy merchant family. The ornate Renaissance portal was added around 1590. In the 19th century the house was turned into a granary, hence the rows of small windows. Today it houses the Museum of the History of Toruń.
Bridge GateThe largest of the gates facing the Vistula. It was built in 1432 by master builder Hans Gotland. In the late 15th century a wooden bridge was built from here across the Vistula, lasting until the 19th century, and the gate is named after it.
Monstrance TowerThe only octagonal tower in Toruń's walls, built in the mid-15th century. In places its walls are up to two and a half metres thick. It owes its name to its shape, which resembled a monstrance. It stands on Podmurna Street, which runs along the old walls.
St James's ChurchThe former parish church of the New Town, begun in 1309. The outer walls of the chancel are richly decorated in brick, and the distinctive double roof of the tower was built after a fire in 1455. The church does not face exactly east, because it had to fit into the street grid. Walk around it and look for the ceramic inscription by the chancel.
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