After taking a rickety bus into the center of town from the train station, we passed through one of the main gates and into the Rynek Głowny (main market square). Much like in Wrocław and Poznań, the market square is dominated by the brick-gothic, 14th-century Ratusz (town hall) - a beautiful and original(!!!) center of local government.
The square is also home to several original medieval palaces, which we would probably call elaborate townhouses, each of which houses a museum dedicated to displaying different elements of Toruń's long, varied history. Perhaps most impressive though, is the trio of medieval and early modern churches that surround the square. On three of its four corners, the market square is framed by the monumental brick-gothic Church of Our Most Holy Lady Mary, the yellow and white Renaissiance Jesuit Church, and the brick-gothic Cathedral-Basilica of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist, all of which dominate the skyline of the medieval Old Town. St. Mary's especially is noted for its amazing gothic wall paintings and original medieval choir stalls.
We had lunch at one of Toruń's culinary exports, the increasingly-popular restaurant Manekin, where they specialize in making naleśniki - a sort of thick, sweet-batter quesedilla with a variety of fillings and sauce toppings. Emily tried the cranberry-camembert-arugula-almond filling with a sweet cheese sauce, and Bryan tried the spicy Indian chicken filling with a spicy tomato sauce. Both were excellent!
After lunch we walked down the narrow, cobblestone streets to the river's edge, where we found the snow-covered ruins of the brick-gothic Teutonic Castle. The remains of this once-imposing fortress are the center of Toruń's early history. The Teutonic Knights were an order of monk-knights who came to Poland and Prussia to convert pagans to Christianity. Thus their castles served as both citadels and abbeys. Their high central keeps were surrounded by the brothers' cells, the chapter house, the cloisters, the dormitory, and the chapel, which were all topped by high ramparts and defensive towers. Most characteristic of Teutonic castles however, was the Dansker or latrine-tower, a protruding defensive-looking tower connected by a bridge. Most Teutonic castles were equipped with one of these towers, and in the case of Toruń it is the only original part of the castle remaining intact (picture below), other than the cellars. Interestingly, the castle in Toruń has been almost untouched as a ruin since 1454, when the citizens of the city rose up in revolt against the Teutonic Knights and destroyed the citadel. The city became part of the Kingdom of Poland and kept the castle ruins as a reminder of their former "subjugation." It was one of the earliest castle-ruin-tourist attractions in Europe.
After touring the castle with an unhealthy (Bryan) level of excitement, we walked along the medieval city wall back toward the city center and our next stop, the house in which the famed astronomer Mikołaj Kopernik (Nicholas Copernicus) was born. The people of Toruń are very proud of their local history, and being Copernicus' first home is no small part of that pride. The house is now a museum dedicated to both Copernicus' life and discoveries, as well as to typical life in Toruń in the 15th and 16th centuries. Many of the interior furnishings are original, and the dark-wood, thick-beamed entry hall is especially impressive - "like something straight out of Romeo & Juliet" Emily said.
Next we stopped at the city's famous "Leaning Tower," one of the towers along the medieval city wall that has adopted a significant lean over the last six hundred years and has become part of local legend. Instantly recognizable, the top of the tower leans almost 2 meters over its base, and legend says that if someone can stand against the inclined wall with both their heels and head touching the brick, it's an indication of being without sin. We both attempted this challenge, and needless to say, neither of us could hold ourselves up against the wall.
Our final stop in this marvelous city was the Muzeum Piernika (Gingerbread Museum), the only such museum in Europe. Since the middle ages, Toruń has been renowned throughout Europe for its gingerbread. Located at the confluence of several trade routes, bakers in the city had particular access to the three main ingredients in gingerbread - wheat and rye from Eastern Europe, various types of honey from the Baltic region, and spices from Asia and the Mediterranean. Bakers specialized in producing different types of gingerbread and partnered with woodcarvers (intricate mold designs) to create a huge industry, from which they exported their products throughout Europe and the Atlantic. Even after the industrialization of trade and baking in the 19th century, Toruń remained the center of the gingerbread world into the 20th century, and is still one of the largest producers of the sweet treat in the world. Much of the city smells like gingerbread and the museum was actually fascinating, as well as extremely tantalizing...we immediately bought several packs of gingerbread after our tour and remarkably, we still wish that we had bought more.
After an incredible but exhausting day, we returned home for a long winter's nap. We can't wait for our next trip but first, some much needed rest. Love from Toruń and Warszawa, and thanks for reading! We'll be back soon!
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