How to spend one day in Toruń – perfect walking itinerary

Sitting on the banks of the Vistula River in northern Poland, Toruń is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in the country. It’s known for its red-brick Gothic architecture, colourful townhouses, the ruins of a Teutonic castle and more gingerbread shops than anyone could possibly need. It’s also the birthplace of Nicolaus Copernicus, the astronomer who discovered that Earth and the other planets orbit the Sun – and yes, Toruń is very proud of him.

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While this blog post was written with the help of ChatGPT, all of the content (photos and text) is my original work. I actually went to Toruń and visited all of the places featured in this blog post.

Despite all that history, you can see a lot of Toruń in one day. The Old Town is compact, easy to explore on foot and perfect for a day trip.

This walking itinerary will take you through Toruń’s most beautiful streets and past its essential landmarks, with stops for specialty coffee, gingerbread, a Planetarium show and, finally, a walk along the Vistula River.

Sounds good? Let’s go!

Let’s start with some basics though.

Is one day in Toruń enough?

Yes, one day is enough to see the highlights of Toruń. The historical centre is compact and easy to explore on foot, so you can visit the main landmarks and still have enough time for coffee, gingerbread and dinner. If you want to explore beyond Toruń and take day trips to Malbork Castle – the largest brick caste in the world or spend one day in Bydgoszcz – the Venice of Poland, which also happens to be my hometown, wink wink – you’ll obviously need to stay a little longer.

Before we begin…

Keep in mind that…

• this itinerary was created with spring, summer and early autumn visits in mind – you’ll need enough daylight to explore the city and finish the day with views of Toruń from across the Vistula;
• the starting time should be 9 am at the latest, but I really recommend to start even earlier. Toruń’s Old Town gets busy during the day, so come earlier if you want to enjoy its beautiful streets without the crowds – and take much better photos;
• there is a coffee and pastry stop included, but it’s not right away. Napar (the coffee shop) opens at the rather ridiculous hour of 11 am, so have breakfast beforehand if you need food first thing in the morning;
• you won’t need to use public transport. The entire itinerary is walkable, except for the final trip across the Vistula. Technically, you could walk there too, but I don’t want you cursing my name halfway across the bridge. Save your legs and take a taxi, Uber or Bolt instead;

And last but not least:

• this itinerary involves spending the whole day in Toruń. You can obviously pick and choose if you only have a few hours, but if you want to follow it to the letter, you’ll need a full day.

So the question is:

Where to stay in Toruń?

There are plenty of hotels, B&Bs and apartments to choose from, but I recommend Apartamenty Monka, located in a quirky wedge-shaped building right beside the Vistula and just steps away from Toruń’s Old Town.

Book your quirky stay in Apartamenty Monka now!

Ok, we covered all the basics.
So lace up your comfiest shoes, grab your camera and let’s explore the city of Copernicus and gingerbread!

How to spend one day in Toruń: perfect walking itinerary

Below you can find a map with all the places from my “one day in Toruń” itinerary.

You’ll be using maps throughout this itinerary, so make sure you’re connected from the moment you arrive. I use Saily eSIM for easy mobile data while travelling. Get yours here.

First stop: Explore Toruń Old Town without the crowds

I can’t recommend starting your day early enough. Exploring the quiet streets of Toruń before most visitors arrived was easily my favourite part of the day. The shops and attractions may still be closed, but you’ll have the beautiful medieval streets almost to yourself and much better conditions for photos.

Btw, is this your first time in Poland? Check out my everything you need to know before visiting Poland guide for all the practical tips that will make planning your trip much easier.

Toruń gets really busy later in the day, especially during the summer season. Don’t worry about missing anything while it’s closed, though. This itinerary will take you through the Old Town several times, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to return and experience it at peak busyness too. Lucky you!

For now, simply walk around, enjoy the quiet and start getting to know the city.

Places not to miss in Toruń Old Town

• Old Town Square – the heart of Toruń, surrounded by colourful townhouses, cafés and some of the city’s most important landmarks;
• Old Town Hall – the huge Gothic building dominating the square. We’ll return here later to climb its tower;
• Nicolaus Copernicus Monument – standing directly in front of the Town Hall and reminding everyone who Toruń’s most famous former resident is;
• Artus Court – one of the grandest buildings on the square, and definitely one of the most photogenic;
• House Under the Star – an elaborately decorated Baroque townhouse topped with, unsurprisingly, a golden star;
• Nicolaus Copernicus House – the Gothic townhouse believed to be the birthplace of the famous astronomer;
• Cathedral of St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist – one of Toruń’s most important Gothic churches;
• the medieval city walls and gates – especially the Monastery, Sailor’s and Bridge gates along the Vistula side of the Old Town;

and my personal favoutire:

• the Leaning Tower – a medieval defensive tower that gradually began leaning because it was built on unstable ground. It’s also a fun photo stop – you can test your innocence by trying to stand straight against its leaning wall or take the obligatory picture pretending to hold it up.

You don’t need to enter all or any of these places yet. Treat this first walk as an introduction to Toruń. Later in the day, you’ll see a much busier – and very different – side of the Old Town.

Second stop: Coffee at Napar

It’s finally time for coffee, and there’s no better place for it than Napar. This cute specialty coffee shop has a cool, modern interior, excellent-quality coffee and a selection of pastries if you need a little treat after your early-morning walk.

Alongside all the coffee classics, make sure to try their jasmine nitro cold brew. It’s refreshing, slightly unusual and easily one of the most memorable coffees you’ll have in Toruń.

Third stop: Visit the Toruń Planetarium

You can’t visit the birthplace of Nicolaus Copernicus without including at least one space-related attraction, so your next stop is the Toruń Planetarium. Choose one of the shows projected across the dome, sit back and give your legs a short break after all that walking.

It’s a popular attraction, especially during the summer, so booking your tickets in advance would normally be a very sensible idea. Unfortunately, the system becomes unnecessarily complicated if you don’t speak Polish.

Important info about the tickets!

Foreign-language versions are provided through headphones, and due to their limited availability, those tickets can only be reserved in advance by calling or emailing. Get all the details here. Yes, calling a Polish planetarium to reserve headphones is apparently the best solution anyone could come up with.

If that sounds like too much effort – and honestly, it does – you can try buying your ticket at the Planetarium when you arrive. Just keep in mind that tickets and headphones may no longer be available, particularly during the busy summer season.

On behalf of Poland, I apologise for the stupidity of this system and I sincerely hope that you manage to catch a show!

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Fourth stop: Time for lunch

By now, you’ve walked around the Old Town, had your coffee and travelled through space, so it’s probably time for some actual food.

My favourite place to eat in Toruń is Dwa Stoliki. It has absolutely nothing to do with traditional Polish cuisine – they serve Asian-inspired dishes such as bao buns, bowls and dumplings, but the food is excellent, with plenty of vegan options too. As the name suggests, the restaurant really does have only two tables (maybe 2 more if it’s warm outside), so you may need to order takeaway and eat in the nearby park.

If you’d prefer something more traditionally Polish, try:

• Pierogarnia Stary Młyn – the obvious choice for pierogi, served boiled or baked with plenty of different fillings. Order one of the mixed plates if you want to try several kinds;
• Spichrz Restauracja w Toruniu – a traditional Polish restaurant inside a restored historic granary, serving pierogi alongside classic Polish and regional dishes.

And if neither Asian food nor traditional Polish cuisine sounds appealing:

• Cukiernia & Restauracja Sowa – a more modern take on traditional Polish cuisine, with a wider selection of dishes and plenty of cakes and desserts if you still have room afterwards.

Fifth stop: Learn about Toruń’s gingerbread

You can’t spend one day in Toruń without learning something about its most famous sweet, so your next stop is the Museum of Toruń Gingerbread – Muzeum Toruńskiego Piernika in Polish.

Located inside a former gingerbread factory, the museum takes you through the history of Toruń’s gingerbread, from its ingredients and traditional wooden moulds to old packaging and modern production methods. You can explore the exhibitions alone or book a ticket that also includes a gingerbread-making workshop, where you’ll prepare your own decorative gingerbread souvenir.

And yes, foreigners can actually buy regular museum tickets online! The ticket website is available in English, so no phone calls to random Polish people are required this time. There is one small catch: the standard workshops are conducted only in Polish. English-language workshops are available for groups and must be arranged in advance. Unless you’re in Toruń during the weekend – gingerbread making workshops in English are held at 2 pm on Saturdays or Sundays.

My honest opinion?

The museum was fine, but I didn’t find it particularly special. Then again, I’m Polish, I’ve eaten pierniki my entire life and grew up watching my mum make them, so you may enjoy it much more than I did – especially the gingerbread-making workshop. Or, if it doesn’t sound like something you’d enjoy, just skip the museum altogether.

Sixth stop: Continue exploring the Old Town and buy some souvenirs

After leaving the museum, continue wandering through Toruń’s Old Town, which should now be fully awake – and probably much busier than it was this morning.

You’ll find plenty of souvenir shops and stands selling everything from magnets and postcards to Copernicus-themed mugs and other classic Toruń memorabilia.

You may have already bought some pierniki at the museum, but if not, you’ll have no trouble finding them here. For something a little fancier, visit one of the Iga Sarzyńska Wzrusza Toruń boutiques around the Old Town. They sell beautifully hand-decorated gingerbread with original designs, which makes a much more special souvenir than another standard packet of pierniki.

Optional stop: Teutonic Castle ruins

A short walk from the Gingerbread Museum will take you to the ruins of Toruń’s former Teutonic castle. It was built in the 13th century, but largely destroyed by the city’s residents during a rebellion against the Teutonic Knights in 1454.

You can pay to explore the remaining walls, underground rooms and grounds, but my honest opinion? I found it a little underwhelming. If you’re interested in medieval history, you may enjoy it more than I did. Otherwise, take a look from outside, snap a photo and continue with the itinerary. Or, you know, skip it completely.

Seventh stop: Climb the Old Town Hall Tower

You’ve already seen the Old Town Hall from below, but now it’s time to climb its tower and see Toruń from above.

The stairs will get your heart rate up a little, but the panoramic view from the top is worth the effort. You’ll see the red rooftops of the Old Town, Gothic church towers and the Vistula stretching beyond the medieval city walls. It’s easily one of the best viewpoints in Toruń – and another opportunity to appreciate just how compact the city really is.

You can buy a ticket for the tower alone, so there’s no need to visit the entire Town Hall museum unless you genuinely want to. Combined tickets are also available.

Unlike the Town Hall museum, the tower is open daily, including Mondays. Opening hours change throughout the year, so check them here before going up.

Important info!

Ok, we’re almost done with our one day in Toruń tour. I just want to say here, that the next two stops are interchangeable, so you can adjust their order depending on the weather, daylight and how much energy you have left. I would still visit the viewpoint across the Vistula first and if you only have time for one of them, choose that one.

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Eighth stop: See Toruń from across the Vistula

Order a taxi, Uber or Bolt to the viewpoint at The Observation Platform – panorama of Toruń, located directly across the Vistula from Toruń’s Old Town. Technically, you could walk there, but it’s a fairly long detour across the bridge, so driving there makes much more sense.

From the viewing platform, you’ll see Toruń’s medieval skyline in its full glory: the city walls, red rooftops and Gothic church towers stretching along the opposite bank of the river. It’s one of the best views in the city and gives you a completely different perspective from the Town Hall Tower.

Come around golden hour if you can, for the best experience.

Ninth stop: Walk along Bulwar Filadelfijski

Once you return to the Old Town side of the river, and it’s not completely dark yet, take a walk along Bulwar Filadelfijski.

The riverside promenade runs beneath Toruń’s medieval walls and offers beautiful views of the Vistula, the bridges and the city’s historic gates. It’s a relaxed place to slow down after a busy day of sightseeing and enjoy the riverfront atmosphere.

If you fancy a break, stop for a drink at Barki na Wiśle – a permanently moored barge serving drinks and food directly on the river.

Final stop: Dinner in Toruń

You’ve walked around the Old Town several times, climbed a tower, learned about gingerbread and travelled across the Vistula. You’ve earned dinner.

If you didn’t visit them at lunchtime and want to end the day with traditional Polish food, head to:

• Pierogarnia Stary Młyn or Pierogarnia Stary Toruń – for boiled and baked pierogi with a huge choice of fillings;
• Spichrz Restauracja w Toruniu – for classic Polish and regional dishes served inside a restored historic granary.

If you’ve already had enough traditional Polish cuisine, try:

• BBQ & Vegan by Luizjana – a casual restaurant serving burgers, BBQ dishes and New Orleans-inspired food, with a surprisingly large separate vegan menu;
• Chleb i Wino – a lively restaurant on the Old Town Square serving pizza, pasta and other European dishes, alongside cocktails and, unsurprisingly, plenty of wine.

And that’s a wrap!

Your one day in Toruń has officially come to an end. I hope you had a wonderful time exploring its medieval streets, learning about Copernicus, eating far too much gingerbread and admiring the city from both sides of the Vistula.

Most importantly, I hope this guide made planning your day a little easier and helped you make the most of your time in Toruń!

And if Toruń has left you wanting to explore more Polish cities, you’re in the right place. Just 30 minutes away, you’ll find the Venice of Poland – and my hometown – Bydgoszcz. Head a little farther north for one day in Gdańsk, or hop on a train and in around two hours, you could be exploring the capital city – Warsaw. And yes, I have one-day itineraries for all three!

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Hi, it’s Aga, the author of this blog. If you found this blog post interesting, entertaining or useful, please think of buying me a virtual coffee to support the site’s running costs. But if you know me, I might actually spend it on coffee. Thanks!

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