Every tourist, going on a trip, asks himself the question: "What to see in Poland, if you are in this country for the first time?". What cities should you visit besides Warsaw? What amazing monuments of architecture and nature exist here? What must be seen? All the necessary information is presented in the article.
Torun (Poland)
One of the most popular cities among tourists in Poland, apart from Warsaw, Krakow and Lublin, is Torun, which is located in the north of the country, on the Vistula River.
The city has a long history and was founded in 1233, although the first mention of a settlement on this territory dates back to 1100 BC.
200 thousand people live in Torun, the city is divided into two parts: historical and modern. The historical part was included in the UNESCO heritage list, so millions of tourists come here every year. It is also noteworthy that this city is the birthplace of the astronomer, mathematician and mechanic Nicolaus Copernicus.
There are many attractions in Torun, everyone can find interesting things to do here, from walking around the city to visiting variousmuseums. But in order to correctly plan your route, it is worth exploring the various places in advance and setting off on a trip.
Torun Attractions
As mentioned above, the city is divided into two parts, and one of them is historical, where you can see many interesting buildings that are associated with different periods. But it will be very difficult to get around everything in one visit, and, as a rule, everyone prefers to visit several important historical places, which will be discussed below: the house-museum, monuments, art galleries, bridges and parks, as well as churches and cathedrals.
Petty-bourgeois yard
In the historical part of the city of Torun there is a building that has been preserved since the Middle Ages and was listed as a heritage site. It is called Meshchansky yard. It was built in 1489, and for a long time it served as the summer residence of the brotherhood of St. George.
The building was built of brick, has gabled roofs, indicative of the Gothic style, and was originally used as a meeting place where artisans, ordinary citizens and merchants came.
Historic buildings
Most of the sights in Torun are, of course, historical buildings built many centuries ago, which include the Meshchansky yard.
These attractions also include various cathedrals and churches:
- Church of St. James, located at Rynek Nowomiejski 6, one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in Poland. Building itstarted in 1309 and ended 40 years later.
- The Cathedral of Saints John and Torun, built in the 13th century, is one of the oldest monuments in the city. Known for its bell, which weighs over 7 tons and has a diameter of 2.17 meters. Considered one of the largest bells in Poland.
- The Church of the Assumption of the Mother of God, built in the XIII century, and almost a hundred years later was completely rebuilt. The mausoleum of Princess Anna was once located here, then the church belonged to the Lutherans, and in the 18th century it was transferred to the possession of the Bernardines.
One of the interesting sights in Torun (in Poland) is the Crooked Tower, which was built in the 14th century. It leaned over due to being built on sand and squinted right after construction was completed. This tower has a legend, from which it squinted. When the Teutonic knight, despite his promises and the monastic charter, went to visit one townswoman and sinned, the tower squinted from this.
The most famous souvenir that is brought from Torun is gingerbread and all kinds of figurines in the form of this delicacy. In honor of this, the Gingerbread Museum was opened. Branded pastries appeared in ancient times, and the first mention dates back to the 14th century, when trade routes crossed here and culinary specialists had all kinds of spices in abundance. In the museum you can get acquainted with the history of Toruń gingerbread, learn how it was produced and according to what recipes, and you can also buy various gingerbread figurines.
Interesting Monuments
Be sure to look at the monument to Nicolaus Copernicus,which is located on the Old Market Square in the heart of the city. This statue, more than 2 meters high, towers majestically in the square. Copernicus holds an astrolabe in one hand, and the other hand, or rather the index finger, points to the sky. For a long time they did not want to install it, and the author of the project, Christian Friedrich Tieck, could not live to see it installed for only two years.
Here it is worth mentioning that in addition to the monument, there is also the house of Copernicus, located on the street of the same name. It is interesting that it has not yet been precisely established in which house the scientist was born - in No. 15 or 17. Therefore, a house-museum is located in both buildings. House number 15, which consists of three floors, has many interesting items that have been collected since the 16th century, where you can see dishes, a collection of porcelain, paintings, antique furniture and much more. House number 17 contains items that were associated with the life of Copernicus.
Another interesting attraction is the monument to the rafter master. In another way it is called "fountain of frogs". This monument has long been overgrown with legends, and one of them says that once a guy, playing the violin, was able to scare away all the frogs that filled the city after the flood of the river.
City parks
Sights of Torun include natural monuments, including the island on the Vistula, which is called Kepa Bazarova. This is a historical and natural reserve where kings once rested. It was here that the Peace of Torun was signed in 1411.
To get to the island, you need to cross the Jozef Piłsudski Bridge, from where you can see a beautiful cityscape.
In the city center there is a city park where citizens and tourists like to spend time, it is very quiet and beautiful, and local waterfowl live in the stream. Trees and flowers grow everywhere, there are benches where you can take a break and go back to explore the city.
After exploring the city of Torun, you can visit other settlements. There are many attractions in our neighboring country. So, once again asking the question: what to see in Poland, with a high probability, a new route for exploring the country will be quickly built, because so many wonderful historical places are waiting for an inquisitive tourist.
