The birthplace of Nicolaus Copernicus. The city which sits on both banks of the Vistula has the greatest wealth of Gothic architecture in Poland. Its medieval centre with the original urban layout was entered on UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage list. There is the Old Town Square with its Old Town Hall in the middle. From the top of the town hall tower enfolds a fine panoramic view. Other monuments include the statue of Copernicus, three Gothic churches, Copernicus family house, city walls and gates, ruins of the Teutonic Knights' castle and the Crooked Tower. Many museums, planetarium and a skansen.

The layout of streets of Toruń Old Town, which has not been changed for centuries, the most beautiful Polish panorama - of the illuminated medieval part of the city seen from the Vistula River side, Nicolaus Copernicus birth house - the famous son of Toruń, silent arches of St. Johns Cathedral - where the great astronomer was baptised, the tomb of princess Anna Wazówna in Saint Mary church, The Town Hall of unique beauty, whose courtyard remembers the "Toruń Mutiny" drowned in blood in 1724...

The Leaning Tower - It is a medieval city tower, which owes its name to its substantial vertical deviation (1.40 m). It was built in the XIV century as a vertical, 15 meter tower merged into the system of town walls and placed on four-wall foundations, but the wall from the side of the town was not fully erected. A gallery for the guards connecting the tower to the town walls ran through openings in side walls and the lack of the internal wall allowed for easier hoisting of ammunition. As early as in the Middle Ages a layer of sand slid from the ground on which the tower was erected, which caused the leaning of the tower until it settled on compacted soil.
In XVIII century the tower ceased to play a defensive role. The back was built to its full height, the ceilings were levelled and the building became a prison for women. In XIX century it was rebuilt and functioned as a smithy and a gunsmith’s lodgings. In the second half of the XX century, it became solely an apartment building. Then the gothic hip roof was replaced by a new shed roof. In 1960s the tower hosted several cultural societies and nowadays its interiors contain a pub and a souvenir shop. The tower is now one of the most characteristic sites in the Old Town.

Toruń cathedral of saint John the Baptiser and saint John the Evangelist is the oldest gothic church in the Land of Chełmno, the beginnings of which are connected with the moment of granting Toruń the City Rights in 1233. The building of the church started shortly after translocation of the city to its present location (1233-1236). At first the choir was built and the main aisle followed. In late XIII century, a three-aisle church, which was lower and narrower than the present church, was built. In XIV and XV century the church was enlarged. Its dimensions reached over 56 m in length, and the height of the interior exceeded 27 m. In 1406 an unknown tower collapsed and a second tower was built to the height of 52 m. A massive 7 tonne bell was hung in the tower. The bell was cast in Toruń in 1500 and was named “Tuba Dei" ie. "God’s Trumpet", it is one of the biggest bells in Poland – its diameter is 2.17 m. In the lutheran period, the protestants used the church and whitewashed the walls of the church to cover the paintings. The interior is decorated mainly in baroque style. A gothic XIII century font in which Nicolaus Copernicus was baptised can still be found in the church.

Toruń covers an area of 115.75 km2, that is 11,575 hectares. The purpose of different areas and the rules of building on them and their management are described in the local plans of spatial management. Now 20% of the city has such plans.

Plans of spatial management are prepared by Municipal Office of Town Planning on behalf of the President of Toruń. The final decision whether to whether to approve the draft submitted by the President is made by the City Council, which then passes a resolution in this matter.

The procedure of the preparation and the passing of a plan consists of 14 stages that are described in detail in the resolution concerning planning and spatial management. More important stages that take place during the preparation of the plan are described below:

• After the City Council have passed a resolution to the making of a plan, the President announces (in the local press and by means of proclamation) the beginning of a plan, defining the time of submitting suggestions to a plan - not shorter than 21 days after the date of announcement.
• The President considers suggestions submitted after the announcement not later than 21 days after the final date of submitting suggestions.
• Having made a draft of the plan, at least 7 days before displaying it, the President announces (in the local press and by means of proclamation) the date of putting the plan on display to the public. The plan should be on display for at least 21 days.
• During the time it is on display, not shorter than 14 days after the last day of being on display, people may submit comments concerning the plan.
• After this period (21+14) the President considers the comments concerning the plan
.
• The draft of the plan is then directed to the City Council, which passes a resolution to accept it.
• During the seven days after the draft is approved by the City Council, the President sends the plan documentation to the voivode to check its accordance with the law.
• The voivode, during 30 days after receiving the documentation, decides whether the plan is in accordance with the law and directs resolution for publication in the Official Journal of the Kujawsko-Pomorkie Province. The plan starts being in effect 30 days after its publication.