Medieval Town of Toruń


World Heritage Identification Number: 835

World Heritage since: 1997

Category: Cultural Heritage

Transboundary Heritage: No

Endangered Heritage: No

Country: 🇵🇱 Poland

Continent: Europe

UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America

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The Medieval Town of Toruń: A Glimpse into the Past

The Medieval Town of Toruń, located in the north-central region of Poland, stands as a testament to the rich history and cultural heritage of this ancient city. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, it offers visitors a unique opportunity to explore the remnants of a medieval trading city that has remarkably preserved its original street pattern and numerous early buildings.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

Torun owes its origins to the Teutonic Order, which built a castle there in the mid-13th century as a base for the conquest and evangelization of Prussia. It soon developed a commercial role as part of the Hanseatic League. In the Old and New Town, the many imposing public and private buildings from the 14th and 15th centuries (among them the house of Copernicus) are striking evidence of Torun's importance.

UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site

The Committee decided to inscribe this property on the basis of criteria (ii) and (iv), considering that Torun is a small historic trading city that preserves to a remarkable extent its original street pattern and outstanding early buildings, and which provides an exceptionally complete picture of the medieval way of life.

Encyclopedia Record: Medieval Town of Toruń

Medieval Town of Toruń is the oldest historic district of the city of Toruń. It is one of Poland's World Heritage Sites and Seven Wonders of Poland. According to UNESCO, its value lies in its being "a small historic trading city that preserves to a remarkable extent its original street pattern and outstanding early buildings, and which provides an exceptionally complete picture of the medieval way of life". The Medieval Town has an area of 60 ha and a buffer zone of 300 ha. It is composed of the Toruń Old Town, Toruń New Town, and the Toruń Castle.

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Additional Site Details

Area: 48 hectares

UNESCO Criteria: (ii) — Significant interchange of human values
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape

Coordinates: 53.0105555556 , 18.6041666667

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Image of Medieval Town of Toruń

© 1bumer, CC BY-SA 4.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)

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Country Information: Poland

Flag of Poland

Official Name: Republic of Poland

Capital: Warsaw

Continent: Europe

Population (2024): 36,554,707

Population (2023): 36,687,353

Population (2022): 36,821,749

Land Area: 306,100 sq km

Currency: Polish złoty (PLN)

Country Data Sources

Last updated: January 18, 2026

Portions of the page Medieval Town of Toruń are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset and on text from the Wikipedia article Medieval Town of Toruń, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes made. Additional original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Committee. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.

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