Torun, between Copernicus and Gingerbread

It is suggested to start driving early to make the most of the day.

After almost two hours of driving, you can make a stop in the city of Plock. Leave the car at this car park and get ready for a short walk and a coffee. Another option is to park in one of the spaces provided on Józefa Kwiatka Street.

From the car park you can take a short walk along Grodzka Street, one of the most commercial streets in the city. There are also several cafés and restaurants.

If you feel like it, you can choose somewhere on that street to have a coffee or you can take a detour to another street nearby. On Tumska Street you will find this place where they prepare delicious coffees and you can also order a mid-morning snack. There are pancakes, scrambled eggs, toast, avocado, ham, etc.
Open Hours Monday-Friday: 8:30-20:00 Saturday: 9:00-20:00 Sunday: 10:00 - 20:00
Note: It is suggested to have something to eat and buy a sandwich to take with you because the drive to the next town is almost two hours and coincides with lunchtime.

Before returning for the car, you can go to the Polk Pier. There you can take a walk along a footbridge and look out over the Vistula River, the most important river in Poland, which runs through the whole country. Also, to get to the pier on foot, the path may take you up a small hill, from where you can also see the river.

Return to the car and get ready to drive the last few kilometres to the town of Torun.
Obviously, the city of Płock has several other attractions, such as the Cathedral or the Mazovia Museum, but it is not the purpose of this route to stop here, it is only suggested as a stopover so that the journey by car is not so long.
Another option is to stop in Plock for a coffee and food so you can get to Torun earlier and make the most of your day there.

Welcome to Torun! You can leave the car in this place and enjoy the afternoon in the city. Please note the museums you want to visit from the ones suggested below, because of the timetable.

The first proposal is that you visit the House Museum of Nicolaus Copernicus. As the opening hours of the museums are not very long, it was suggested to have lunch in the car on the way to the city.
In the Copernicus museum you can learn about life in a middle-class family and the works of Nicolaus Copernicus in a modern and interactive way. There are audio guides, augmented reality, 4D cinema, holograms and much more.
Open Hours May 1 through September 30: Tuesday - Sunday: 12:00 - 18:00 From 1 October to 30 April: Tuesday - Sunday: 10:00 - 16:00
For more information and to purchase tickets, you can visit website.

We continue with the museums! After learning about Copernicus' thought and work, we suggest visiting one of the two museums dedicated to gingerbread biscuits (known as piernika), a Torun tradition not to be missed.
✅One of the museums is the Piernika Museum. In this museum you can make your own biscuit and decorate it. You can also learn about the history of this product and some of its secrets.
Open Hours Monday-Sunday: 10:00 - 18:00 You can read more information and buy tickets on this website.
✅The other museum is The Museum of Toruń Gingerbread. This museum is located in the oldest European gingerbread factory. There you can see a huge collection of wooden moulds, make your own biscuit, see a traditional kitchen and hear legends about gingerbread.
Open Hours June 1st - June 30th: Monday - Sunday: 11:50 - 18:00 From 1 May to 30 September: Tuesday - Sunday: 11:50 - 18:00 Closed Mondays From 1 October to 30 April Tuesday - Sunday: 9:50 - 16:00 Closed Mondays
For more information about workshops and the museum, or to get tickets, see the website.
Don't forget to buy gingerbread biscuits to have on the trip!

You must be hungry and a bit tired! So the next suggestion is to find a cosy café to rest and have a bite to eat. At Bread House Café you will find coffee, tea, juices, delicious sweet cakes and tasty filled bagels, sandwiches, salads and soups.
Open Hours Monday - Friday: 7:45 - 21:00 Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 - 21:00

The town hall building is located in the centre of the old town (which was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site), surrounded by lively shopping streets.
There is a museum in the town hall, but the most beautiful thing is to be able to climb the tower. If you travel between May and September you can go up to 20:00 to the town hall tower, from where you have a nice view of the city. The rest of the year it closes at 16:00 or 18:00. For more information, check out this website.
There, near the town hall, you will see the main statue of Copernicus. You will also find a sculpture of a donkey and the church of the holy spirit. In front of it, you can see the fiddler's fountain (with a legend similar to that of the Pied Piper of Hamelin).

You can continue strolling through the streets of the old town to enjoy the good atmosphere. You will surely pass by the Cathedrals of Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist. Although it is closed at this time, you can still see it from the outside.

It may be a little early for dinner (although this is personal), but it is recommended to eat here before driving to the hotel in another city.
There is a place in Torun where many tourists and locals go for dinner, because it specialises in baked pierogi. Although it is always full, it is a good idea to try this speciality. You can also order soups, salads and other traditional dishes. And the place is very cosy.
Open Hours Friday - Saturday: 11:03 - 22:56 Sunday - Thursday: 11:03 - 21:56
For more information and to book a table, please visit the website.

After dinner, drive to the city of Gniezno so that you don't have to drive so many kilometres the next day. Look for a centrally located hotel with parkink and breakfast. If you choose this hotel, when you wake up you will be in one of the most beautiful streets of the city: Chrobrego Street.