Glorious, gothic Torun; a city whose magnificence lies in its obscurity; off-the-beaten-track and proud. Visitors come here to wander amidst the spires of the city’s old town centre, where the main sights cluster around a pleasant central square: The great 13th-century clock tower of the Ratusz Town Hall, the grand façade of the Kamienica Pod Gwiazdą (House under the Star), the sprawling remains of the ancient Teutonic bulwarks and the grand Dąmbski Palace to name just a few.
Another group of visitors come here on a pilgrimage to pay homage to the great Polish thinker Nicolaus Copernicus, who was reputedly born in one of the historic houses at Torun’s heart. Reminders of Torun’s most famous protégée can be seen right throughout the city, from the sculpted epitaph in the main Cathedral to the unassuming plaque that graces the wall of his 15th-century home-come-modern museum.
Elsewhere Torun tourist guides are quick to recommend a walk along the Vistula banks, while the city is also home to the most famous gingerbread bakeries in all of Poland, cooking up batches of tasty pierniki breads every day of the year.