10 Amazing Things to do in Torun… the Best Hidden Gem in Europe!

Torun could just be the best hidden gem in Europe! Did you know there was a Leaning Tower of Poland? It’s in Torun! Do you know where Gingerbread comes from? It’s from Torun! Do you know Nicolaus Copernicus, the famous astronomer, who said that the Earth revolves around the sun? He’s from Torun! Who knew this small medieval city in central Poland was one of the best hidden gems in Europe?! These are our 10 amazing things to do in Torun…

We almost stumbled across the historic city and UNESCO World Heritage Site by accident! While on our road-trip from Krakow to Gdansk, we were looking for somewhere to stay on the way, and Torun looked like an interesting place to stop. Little did we know that we were about to uncover the best hidden gem in Europe!

It’s evening when we reach Torun after our road-trip through central Poland, and we drive into the city over the Widok z mostu bridge which makes it a pretty cool welcome.

Watch the Dancing Lights at Fontanna Cosmopolis

After parking our car on the edge of the Old Town we go and see the lights and music show at the fountains Fontanna Cosmopolis.

The fountain is pretty small but there’s a crowd gathered round, the water jumps from the ground as the music plays in sync, and kids try and run through the jets without getting wet. 

See the Leaning Tower of Torun

Just around the corner is one of the most amazing things to do in Torun, the Leaning Tower of Torun, or Krzywa Wieża w Toruniu to give it its proper name.

The tower is a defensive structure from the 13th century and there are many myths and legends surrounding the lean… one being that it is leaning away from the river Wisla after the river told it to fall over! 

It’s a really unusual tower with red brick sides and a Tudor-like front in black and white. Very different to see!

Walk along Torun Waterfront & Promenade

The sun has set and it’s starting to get dark, so we head to the waterfront to see the river before it gets too dark to see.

The Widok z mostu bridge we drove over is now lit up and looks stunning with the lights reflecting on the river.

And the waterfront is busy with people sitting and drinking and enjoying the summer evening.

Where to eat in Torun… Eat Polish Dumplings at Pierogarnia Stary

We’re super hungry after our road-trip and the time is getting on… Sneha found a restaurant earlier serving traditional Polish dumplings for us to try (let’s hope they’re better than the traditional food we tried in Krakow!), and we only just make it into the restaurant before they close.

Pierogarnia Stary is also rated as the number 1, 2 and 3rd best restaurants in Torun!! 

The waiter is really helpful and helps us navigate the menu between the traditional boiled and oven-baked dumplings, and we end up with a tasting menu style selection with a mix of each.

And it’s by the far the best food we’ve had in Poland so far. Chicken, duck, pork, potato, and even a sweet dumpling for dessert… all delicious!

Breakfast in Torun at Grande Coffee Torun

Grande Coffee Torun is a great breakfast spot on the corner of the Old Town Square. We get smoked salmon on waffles… a strange sounding but very tasty dish! Their almond croissants are absolutely huge, and the coffee is good too. 

And as a bonus, they serve homemade gingerbread (and other flavour) liqueurs… while it’s a little early in the morning for us to try, we buy a small bottle for later.

See the Amazing Architecture of the Torun the Best Hidden Gem in Europe

We’re up early the next morning to see Torun Old Town before it gets too busy, and we would highly recommend you do the same!

Walking the cobbled streets and seeing the beautiful historic buildings in the early morning while it’s quiet is definitely the best time to enjoy it.

We start at Rynek Staromiejski w Toruniu, the Old Town Square, which is dominated by the huge town hall in the centre. And the buildings surrounding it are just as striking… the Church of the Holy Spirit, Artus Court and the House Under the Star.

We also see notable buildings and structures around the Old Town, including the Cathedral, the old city gates, and the performing arts theatre in an old palace.

Check out the Torun website for an English free audio guide walking tour.. Torun Audio Guide. But all you need to do is walk around the old town and look up, and you’ll be absolutely amazed!

Visit the Churches of Torun the Best Hidden Gem in Europe

The Church of the Holy Spirit looks very grand from the outside with its tall bell tower and fancy decorations, but the interior is quite plain and simple.

St. Mary’s Church, however, is quite the opposite. The outside is a huge red brick building, while the inside is extravagantly decorated with a stunning altar and artworks all around. Beautiful!

Go on a Statue Hunt around Torun the Best Hidden Gem in Europe

As well as the amazing buildings in Torun Old Town, you can hunt out and see many statues.

We can't miss the statue of Nicolaus Copernicus right in front of the Town Hall. On the opposite corner, a statue of a donkey symbolises a darker past where soldiers were punished and executed, despite its cute appearance.

On the other side of the Town Hall, you'll find Pomnik Flisaka w Toruniu, a statue of a raftsman surrounded by frogs to signify a plague of frogs that came to Torun hundreds of years ago.

Another statue we recommend finding is Pomnik Filusia w Toruniu, depicting a dog from the Polish comic-book Profesor Filutek. Super cute!

Experience the Museums in Torun… House of Nicolaus Copernicus

With Torun being the home of Nicholas Copernicus and gingerbread, there are a lot of museums to visit.

We only have limited time here though, and not having pre-planned our visit and booked any of the gingerbread experiences, we go to the House of Nicolaus Copernicus to see where the famous astronomer was born and learn more about him.

He was the first person to say the Earth revolves around the sun, and not the sun around the Earth. And on top of his achievements in astronomy, he was also a very gifted mathematician, and one his theses was a precursor to economic principles which led to the formation of the Bank of England and London Stock Exchange. Very impressive!!

The museum also shows what typical middle-class houses of the time would have looked like with rooms modelled in the style of bedrooms, offices, and kitchens. This part is ok, but we much prefer the Copernicus sections!

We wish we had more time in Torun to go to the Gingerbread Museum and get to make our own gingerbread. And we would have liked to visit the Planetarium too. So we recommend staying in Torun overnight and spending 2 days here, not just 1!

Shop for Gingerbread in Torun

We do have enough time to shop for some gingerbread though (phew!), and we get a delicious selection from Dom Piernika. 

We get some handmade traditional gingerbread, which is more like cake than the gingerbread biscuits we get at home in the UK. And it is much nicer we must say! We get a biscuit decorated with planets for Copernicus in icing (which we haven’t eaten yet). And we get some packeted gingerbread, which we’ve just eaten while writing this blog and that is also super nice! So, moral of the story, buy some gingerbread in Torun!

Where to stay in Torun

We stayed for one night in Torun at Apartamenty Hotelu Pod Orlem. It was a little strange, as it's an apartment right in the centre but part of a hotel too so we had to go and pick up the keys from Hotel Pod Orlem.

The room was quite basic but was fine for our stay, and was good value too.

TrovenTrippers Tip… Torun the Best Hidden Gem in Europe

Torun could be visited as a day trip, but we recommend staying in the best hidden gem in Europe overnight. Seeing the beautiful city lit up at night was amazing, and walking the quiet streets in the early morning was the best time to experience them before the day trippers arrived.

We would suggest spending 2 days either side of your 1 night’s stay in Torun, as we arrived in the evening and then left the following lunchtime. While it was long enough to walk around the old town and see most of the amazing architecture, we would have liked to have stayed longer and been able to visit the Gingerbread Museum.

We visited Torun on our road-trip from Krakow to Gdansk... check out our other blogs from our trip...

How to Travel from Krakow to Gdansk on a 4-Day Road-Trip of Poland!

Best Things to do in Krakow in 1 Weekend

Exploring the Wieliczka Krakow Salt Mines

Best Things to do in Gdansk in 1 Day