Kuyavian-Pomeranian (Kujawsko-Pomorskie) is in north-central Poland, straddling the lower Vistula, with nearly 2 million residents. The voivodeship, formed in 1999, unites historic regions: Kuyavia, parts of Pomerelia, Chełmno Land, and Dobrzyń Land. Bydgoszcz is the Voivode's administrative seat; Parliament and Marshal's Office are in Toruń.The landscape includes numerous lakes like Gopło and vast forests, especially the Tuchola Forest (Bory Tucholskie). Culturally, Brick Gothic of Hanseatic towns on the Vistula and archaeological sites like Biskupin shape the region.
The most important travel destination is Thorn (Toruń), whose medieval Old Town has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997 and where Nicolaus Copernicus was born. Bydgoszcz is the region's largest city; other cities include Włocławek, Grudziądz, and Inowrocław. North of Toruń, on the Vistula River, lies Chełmno, which received Chełmno law in 1233 and has a well-preserved Old Town with six Gothic churches.
About 8 km south of Żnin, the open-air museum Biskupin showcases a reconstructed fortified settlement from the 8th century BC. In the spa town of Ciechocinek on the Vistula River, three wooden brine graduation towers dating from 1824 to 1859 stand, with a total length of approximately 1.7 km, making them the largest wooden structure of their kind in Europe.
Thorn (Toruń) is on the Vistula River in north-central Poland, sharing the capital role of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship with Bydgoszcz. The Teutonic Order founded the city in 1231; it received city rights in 1233 and later became an important member of the Hanseatic League. Nicolaus Copernicus was born here in 1473, lending his name to the university founded in 1945. The city has about 192,000 inhabitants.
The medieval city, with its Brick Gothic, has been UNESCO World Heritage since 1997. It consists of three parts: the Old Town in the west with the Town Hall, St. John's Cathedral, and St. Mary's Church; the New Town in the east, established from 1264; and between them on the southern edge, the remains of the Teutonic Knights' Castle. The street network has largely remained unchanged since medieval times.
In the evenings, you can meet up in the pubs and cellar bars around the Old Town Market. Toruń is also well-known for its gingerbread, the Toruński piernik.
Sights in Kuyavian-Pomerania
Discover the most important sights and attractions
Museum
Biskupin
The fortified Lusatian Culture settlement, dating to c. 747 BC, was discovered 1933 by teacher Walenty Szwajcer and students. Today it's an open-air museum with reconstructed ramparts, a street of wooden houses, about 8 km south of Żnin.
The small town on the Vistula received Kulm law in 1233 and was a member of the Hanse. Its well-preserved medieval Old Town with six Gothic churches, around 2.3 km of city walls, and the Renaissance town hall on the market square has been a national historical monument since 2005. In the Parish Church of the Assumption of Mary, a relic of Saint Valentine is kept.
