Torun Old Town

Torun, on the Vistula, is one of the few Polish cities whose medieval old town survived the Second World War undamaged, a UNESCO ensemble of Gothic red-brick churches, merchant houses and a great town hall. It is the birthplace of the astronomer Copernicus and the home of Polish gingerbread, piernik, baked here since the Middle Ages.

What you actually see

• The Gothic old town - the red-brick town hall, churches and merchant houses.
• The Copernicus house - the museum in the astronomer's birthplace.
• The gingerbread - the piernik shops and the living gingerbread museum.
• The riverside walls - the medieval fortifications along the Vistula.

When to go

The warm months for the riverside and the old town; it is quieter and less touristy than Krakow or Gdansk. A clear day suits the brick architecture.

Honest expectations

It is less famous and so less crowded than the big Polish cities, which is a bonus. The gingerbread is a genuine tradition worth trying. It is a compact old town, easily seen in a day.

Nearby

The Vistula river runs alongside; Gdansk and the Baltic coast are to the north.