Bromberg Poland. What is worth seeing in Bydgoszcz? Kitchen and food

After visiting Torun I really wanted to visit Bydgoszcz. The city is well known; it is larger in population than Toruń.

Naturally, I did not listen to our landlords in Ciechocinek, who said that there was nothing to do in Bydgoszcz. They come from Toruń and praised Toruń a lot, but about Bydgoszcz they said that it was not worth going there, there was nothing interesting there. In fact, there are not as many attractions in Bydgoszcz as in Torun (for example), but I can’t say that there is absolutely no need to go there. This is a city with its own zest. I can say this: when you go to another city, it is best not to expect anything from it and not to compare it with other cities.

A little history about Bydgoszcz

Bydgoszcz is a Polish city located in northern Poland, with a population of 356,177 people (the eighth largest in population). It has been the capital of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999. Bydgoszcz was a place of trade and grain (in the 15th-16th centuries), thanks to which it became one of the largest in Poland. Granaries have been preserved in Bydgoszcz. Situated on the Brda River. Since this city is located on the water, it is also called the local Venice. Although there are not many attractions here, it is very pleasant to walk here.

It takes about 3 hours to drive from Ciechocink, taking into account the downtime at stops (it takes about 2 hours to drive from Torun). We found a direct bus to Bydgoszcz for 25 zlotys.

In the first photo there is a church. This is the Church of St. Andrew Boboly on Kościelecki Square, in the center.

Market Square. On the market square in the distance you can see the monument “Struggle and Martyrdom”, dedicated to the victims of Nazi Germany.

Monument “Struggle and Martyrdom” nearby.

The streets in the center look quite attractive.

One of the main attractions in Bydgoszcz is the small island of Mill on the Brda River.

Walking around the island we came across a beautiful cascade

Two steps from the cascade, this is the view.

On the left, the white building is the Opera House.

Granaries

Tightrope walker. This is one of the main attractions in Bydgoszcz. Of course, from a distance it seemed like he was a living person. The tightrope walker staggered in the wind. But then they saw that it was a sculpture after all. We had a question, how does it hold up? But it turned out that the leg on which he rests (bent) is 5 times heavier than the sculpture itself as a whole. This sculpture has been here since 2004.

Old granaries

We didn’t notice how we came to this monument. On the one hand, it is unique and unusual, on the other hand, it gave me goosebumps all over my body, since this monument is called “Flood”. If you look closely, you can see a far from happy picture.

We left Bydgoszcz barely. Using e-podroznik.pl we looked up what time our bus would be. We go to the ticket office, ask for tickets to Ciechocinek, and they tell us: departure in 1 minute, tickets from the driver. We ran, but the bus was delayed. We waited 20 minutes. It turned out that the bus was not ours. We ran a second time, they told us at the ticket office that in 5 minutes there would be a bus on the second platform. Not ours again. We found on our own where the bus starts from, at least with a transfer in Torun.

You can leave for Torun from platform No. 1, there is a timetable at the stop there.

In general, Bydgoszcz is an interesting town in its own way, which is pleasant to take a walk in. You can go there once.

TOURISTS' ANSWERS:

Bydgoszcz is a Polish city that is the administrative center of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. It is located in the northern part of the country, located on the banks of two rivers - the Vistula and Brda. The exact date of the founding of the city is unknown, but there is a legend that it was founded by two brothers who came from the south of the country in order to find a successful and comfortable place to found a settlement. We can say that the brothers succeeded one hundred percent. By the way, the brothers' names were Byd and Goshch. Today, Bydgoszcz is not only a city with a large port and a stunning ancient history, but also a rapidly developing business center. When visiting Bydgoszcz, be sure to see its sights. So, here's about the sights. I advise you to see everything that the excursion program will offer you, but if you want to explore everything on your own, then the following information will probably be useful to you.

Castle in Kruszwice. It is located near the city of Bydgoszcz, on one of the most popular routes among tourists, called the “Eagle Nests Path”. The castle was built in the fifteenth century. Immediately upon completion of construction, the castle became, quite deservedly and justifiably, the residence of the Polish kings. History will help you understand why it is deserved and justified. The fact is that in the fourteenth century, there were internecine wars between the Polish princes, as a result of which the city was almost completely destroyed by King Boleslav Wrymouth. The city was restored, but not for long, since already in the fifteenth century it was chosen and successfully occupied by the troops of the medieval crusaders. In those days, Poland was ruled by Casimir the Great, and it was he who, having won a victory over the restless crusaders, gave the order that a reliable stone castle be built in Kruszwice, the main function of which was to strengthen the borders of Poland from the militant Pomerania. A century later, namely in the sixteenth century, the castle lost its value due to the lack of attacks and, as a result, was completely neglected and fell into complete disrepair. In the seventeenth century, Poland was attacked by the Swedes, who almost completely destroyed not only the castle itself, but also the city in which it was actually located. Thus, the ruins of the castle stood for a very long time, gradually collapsing under the influence of unfavorable weather conditions, and only at the end of the nineteenth century, it was decided to restore the castle. It was not possible to completely recreate the castle, but the observation tower, called Myshinaya, was completely reconstructed and it is currently the main attraction of the castle.

Czluchov Castle. The castle is located in a town of the same name, near the city of Bydgoszcz. The Teutonic castle, which was built between 1312 and 1365, as you might have guessed, is the main attraction of this small provincial town. The history of this castle is quite turbulent, and I would even say that it was simply turbulent. Here, judge for yourself. In 1454, Polish troops drove the knights of the Teutonic Order out of the castle and for three hundred years the castle lived a quiet life from 1466 to 1770, being a quiet and cozy residence of the Polish kings. The kings lived so calmly and comfortably here that in the period from 1633 to 1637, on the territory of the castle, a new building of two floors was erected as royal chambers. In addition to the fact that kings lived here, the castle also served as a fortress that guarded the northwestern border of the country. In 1656, the country was attacked by the restless Swedes and they managed to take possession of this castle, but they did not triumph for long, because a year later in 1657, the castle was recaptured and returned to the Poles. A hundred years later, in 1786, a fire occurred in the castle, which destroyed it almost completely, and what was not destroyed by the fire was destroyed by local aborigines, dismantling the walls of the castle for their own needs. By 1811, all that remained of the once majestic structure was a forty-six-meter-high tower. In the period from 1826 to 1828, new construction developed here. The idea was to build a Lutheran Church on the site of the castle, using the surviving foundation and tower. The idea was a success, the church was built, and a bell tower was installed in the tower. In post-war times, there was a legend that the famous Amber Room was taken out by Hitler’s soldiers and hidden in secret dungeons of this particular castle.

Archaeological reserve in Biskupin. This reserve dates back to 750 - 400 BC and is open to tourists. It is located in the town of Biskupin, which is adjacent to Bydgoszcz. The story of its discovery is as follows. In 1933, archaeological excavations were carried out in these places, during which traces of a settlement of tribes of the Lusatian culture of 750-400 BC were found. It was decided to complete the excavations and completely restore the ancient city. What the scientists restored shocked the whole of Europe, since this city is the oldest settlement - a fortress - in the whole of Europe. Regarding the population of the ancient city, there are two versions. According to one version, the city was inhabited by one thousand inhabitants, and another version says that one and a half thousand aborigines lived in the city. It was possible to restore their daily routine. Basically, local residents were engaged in trade, cattle breeding and agriculture. Trade was very important, since the famous “Amber Road” passed near the settlement. According to archaeologists who explored the area, the settlement was destroyed by Iranian nomads. Surprisingly, it was possible to completely restore the lowest layers of the settlement in the form in which the local residents left it, almost two and a half thousand years ago.
Every year, at this very place, an archaeological festival is held, which is considered the largest event of its kind in Poland. Be sure to visit this place, don’t be lazy, because in all of Europe you will not find or see anything like it. An amazing place in every way!

Is the answer helpful?

Bydgoszcz is a fairly large Polish city.
Bydgoszcz was once a small fishing village, which then grew into a developing trading hub. In the middle of the 14th century, the town was inhabited by knights of the Teutonic Order, and then an influx of Jews began to the town. In the 15th and 16th centuries, grain was actively traded here, then salt, and so little by little the city grew and became more and more popular. It should be noted that for most of its existence, Bydgoszcz was still under the rule of the German state.

Bydgoszcz can be considered a fairly large city; more than 350 thousand people live here. In addition, it is a developing economic center of the country. And cultural too. Various opera, music and film festivals are held here. There is also the famous Concert Hall (Filharmonia Pomorska) and the Opera House.

Visit in Bydgoszcz Cathedral of Saints Martin and Nicholas (Katedra pw. sw. Marcina i Mikolaja). This is a Catholic church in the Gothic style, which was built on this site in the 15th century. The most valuable architectural monument. The church was built on the site of another 14th century church. That temple burned down during a terrible fire, so the construction of a new church began immediately. It was decided to make the church larger, and the altar also expanded by as much as two meters. True, the money allocated for construction was not enough, and no matter how local residents donated money, construction was still suspended for some time. However, with the coming to power of a new mayor, the richest man in the country, by the way, the situation changed radically, so the church was quietly completed, and even more beautiful than they wanted. In general, the church was built in 1466. Then they reconstructed it in the 16th century - added chapels and raised the roof.
True, then the church was “attacked” by fire again, it was lazily reconstructed, but little by little it fell into disrepair. And then it was completely plundered. During the period of the Duchy of Warsaw at the beginning of the 19th century, the French and Russians used the church for military purposes. A little later, Prussia sponsored the renovation of the church, and it was consecrated, a brand new one, albeit without chapels, but with three old beautiful altars. Later, the walls were decorated with paintings, and stained glass windows were installed. At the beginning of 1945, however, the church again came under attack - it was shelled, the roof was damaged, and the stained glass windows were broken. Water penetrated through the leaky roof, and furniture and decorative items inside began to become damp and deteriorate. But still, the church somehow, having gone through all these unimaginable obstacles, survived and today welcomes parishioners. Pope John Paul II also congratulated the church on its 500th anniversary by sending a special letter to Bydgoszcz. The church, by the way, is most impressive with a number of windows that look like honeycombs, forgive the comparison. The church is made of red brick, the roof is covered with red tiles, the arches are painted white. Fits very harmoniously into the environment. Inside, the church is full of colors and luxury: dark blue vaulted ceilings, purple columns, green and red walls, gilded bas-reliefs and decorations everywhere, neat benches. Beauty and nothing more!

Address: Farna 2

District Museum named after. Leona Wyczolkowski (Muzeum Okregowe im. Leona Wyczolkowskiego)

This regional museum has been operating since 1923. The history of the museum dates back to the moment when the city historical society began collecting artifacts and archaeological finds. That was in the 80s of the 19th century. When the Polish authorities came to Bydgoszcz in 1920, they decided to open the museum. A building was found on the western side of the Old Market. A local priest was chosen as director. Initially, the museum's largest collection was archaeological. It was really big - about 1000 exhibits! A few years later, the museum added a hall of Polish art with 195 paintings and 28 sculptures. In 1937, the museum received paintings by local artist Leon Wychulkovsky, who died. There were a lot of paintings, about 400 pieces, and his engravings and drawings, as well as some memorabilia, were also donated to the museum. That is why it was decided to name the museum after him. To preserve the collections during the cruel years of World War II, the exhibits were transported to nearby trees, but some were lost or damaged. As many as 58 boxes of artifacts and several boxes of coins simply disappeared. Things returned to their original place in 1946, the museum began to work again and at the same time the exhibition was renamed. Today in the museum you can visit 8 exhibitions, but there are also temporary ones. The museum's collection amounts to about 125 thousand exhibits.

Address: Gdańska 4

Ancient granaries (Spichrze nad Brda)

This is the most important monument. The old warehouses are located in the Old Town of Bydgoszcz, on the Brda River embankment. These buildings were once used to store agricultural products and food that were transported along the river. I already mentioned above that the city was an important point in trade, so that in the 16th century almost every local (well, not every, but every 10th) resident was in one way or another connected with trade. Moreover, by the end of the 16th century, every sixth ship on its way to Gdańsk stopped in Bydgoszcz.
Therefore, more and more granaries began to open in the city, which belonged to ordinary citizens (as well as high-ranking residents, a bishop, for example). Gradually, in these huge buildings they began to store not only grain, but also everything in a row, for example, dishes, ceramics, etc. This particular granary, of course, is more like a big house. It consists of three timber-and-brick structures that were erected here in 1800, plus another Dutch granary from the late 18th century. The latter, by the way, now houses the Bydgoszcz Museum, and the others contain exhibition halls. We can say that these interesting buildings are symbols of the city.

Address: Grodzka 11

Also don't pass by Church of the Clares- an ancient temple with a rich history. Impressive with its 17th-century ceilings, made of wood and decorated with 112 floral mosaic designs. Address: Gdańska 2.

Be sure to take a walk around Town Hall Square– you will definitely be impressed by the houses of different heights, painted in different pleasant, discreet colors.

In general, there are plenty of interesting things to eat in this glorious city!

An ancient city with a name that is difficult to pronounce for a Russian person is one of the many Polish cities that are very beautiful and undeservedly little known in our country. It would be hard to call it a tourist destination: few people go specifically to Bydgoszcz. Meanwhile, the city is famous for its turbulent, rich, long history; beautiful architecture, attractive landscapes and convenient location. But at the same time, Bydgoszcz is not just a medieval city with cobbled streets and turrets, stuck in time centuries ago and can only offer the traveler an immersion in the mossy past. In modern Poland, this city is developing at perhaps the fastest pace.

The main and special symbol of the modern city is a unique sculptural boy-tightrope walker, who in a completely incomprehensible way stays above the water.

How to get to Bydgoszcz

By train from Warsaw, Poznan, Lvov, Kaliningrad, Berlin. By plane of the Polish airline LOT from Moscow or St. Petersburg with a transfer in Warsaw.

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Weather in Bydgoszcz

A little history

Once upon a time, Bydgoszcz was a typical fishing village on the Brda and Vistula rivers. It was this location that made the Teutons pay attention to it in the 14th century. Immediately after them, Casimir III became interested in Bydgoszcz, turning it into a full-fledged city. Trade began to develop rapidly here, raising the status of the city to the most important in the country. In the 18th century, a canal was built between Brda and Noteci, and in the 19th century a railway was built to the port of Gdansk. All this only benefited Bydgoszcz.

German rule left a clear mark on Bydgoszcz, in some places quite dramatic. The city was part of Prussia and Germany for a long time, and an impressive part of the local population were Germans. The Polish-German conflicts in 1939 resulted in the dramatic events of Bloody Sunday, a monument to the victims of which was erected in one of the city squares.

Today, in Bydgoszcz, with a population of more than 350 thousand people, many financial institutions, banks, and insurance companies are open - the medieval trading past has not faded away. In addition, there is a large university and several cultural institutions on a national and even European scale.

Popular hotels in Bydgoszcz

Entertainment and attractions in Bydgoszcz

Bydgoszcz is full of both historical and modern, no less interesting, attractions. Unfortunately, the destruction of war times caused significant damage to the city's appearance, and its development for the most part looks heterogeneous. One way or another, the Old Town off the banks of the Brda in Bydgoszcz still exists. Many buildings here and on the market square were destroyed, but those that have survived perfectly convey the atmosphere of former times.

One of the urban legends says that the famous Pan Tvardovsky, who made a deal with the evil spirit, spent some time in the city, and since then his figure can often be seen in the window of one of the buildings in the Old Town. At lunchtime and in the evening, the window opens, and the gentleman appears in it to the accompaniment of crazy music and devilish laughter, waves his hand and disappears. This small performance consistently attracts a crowd of spectators on the street.

3 things to do in Bydgoszcz:

Meet in the Old Town the mythical Pan Tvardovsky - the Polish Faust, who, unlike the latter, paid for his indiscretion.
Hear the melody coming from the Clarice Church four times a day - from 9 am and every three hours thereafter.
See the stone fountain “Children with a goose” on the old market square.

Church of Saints Martin and Nicholas

The oldest building in the city is the Church of Saints Martin and Nicholas, erected in the late Gothic style at the end of the 15th century on the site of a wooden church burned by the Teutons. Inside, in Rococo and Baroque interiors, there is an important Christian shrine: a 16th-century icon of Our Lady of the Rose. The icon is believed to have miraculous powers. Another significant city church is the small Gothic-Renaissance Church of the Order of the Clarices, also known as the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin. It was built at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries. The beautiful decoration was lost, but in the interior you can still see the original wooden ceiling from the 17th century, very beautiful, a beautiful Gothic chandelier, artistic forging items and a wooden altar also from the 17th century.

Holy Trinity Church and St. Vincent's Basilica

The Church of the Holy Trinity was built at the beginning of the 20th century and is a beautiful baroque building made of red stone with a bell tower. Inside you can admire the frescoes and the icon of the Mother of God of Częstochowa.

The largest church in the city and one of the largest in Poland is the Basilica of St. Vincent, the construction of which was completed in 1939. Inside this monumental church, built in the image and likeness of the Roman Pantheon, can accommodate about 12 thousand people. The neoclassical dome is made of reinforced concrete and has a diameter of 40 m.

Mill Island

One of the most atmospheric places in the city is the restored Mill Island. It is located in the very heart of the city, a few steps from the old market square. In medieval times it was the center of industrial life. The oldest buildings have not survived, but on the island you can see 18th-century warehouses and colorful 19th-century red brick industrial buildings, pedestrian bridges and green areas with old chestnut trees.

Hotel "Pod Orlom"

Typical of the architectural appearance of Bydgoszcz in the 19th century is the famous Hotel Pod Orlom. The building was completed in 1896 and became a hotel from the very beginning. Its beautifully decorated facade is made in the classic style of neo-Baroque architecture, decorated with wrought iron grilles, stucco cornices and stained glass windows.

Bydgoszcz has the largest city park in Poland with an area of over 800 hectares.

Granaries and Vychulkovsky Museum

One of the official architectural symbols of the city is a complex of three former granaries on the street. Grodská, which overlook Brda near the old market square. Built at the end of the 19th century, these colorful half-timbered buildings were used for their intended purpose for some time, and today the exhibition of the Leon Wyczulkowski Museum is located here. The museum itself occupies several buildings, and its collection includes not only works by Vychulkovsky himself, but also other works of art.

Other city attractions

Other interesting and notable buildings in Bydgoszcz are, for example, the former office of the Prussian Eastern Railway, the main post office building in the New Town, and the Palace of Justice. The Jesuit College was built in the mid-17th century by order of the mayor's office. For some time it housed a city school, and today, after a major restoration in the late 90s. last century, the municipality is located here.

The city sculptures are also noteworthy. This is a bronze archer in the Jan Kochanowski Park, a monumental monument to Casimir III and, of course, the main and special symbol of the city - a unique sculptural boy-tightrope walker who in a completely incomprehensible way stays above the water.

The author of the impressive “tightrope walker” is the modern Polish sculptor Jerzy Kęziora, and such a balancing boy is not the only one among his creations. The sculptor embodied a similar idea in 2008 in Sopot in the form of a boy with a catch.

Bydgoszcz Venice

The Bydgoszcz Venice quarter is also becoming a popular attraction. It is located, naturally, on the river, penetrated by canals and built up in the 19th and 20th centuries by various architects, including quite eminent ones. It was decided to give the quarter the shine of a truly tourist place in modern times, and the reconstruction of some buildings of the complex continues to this day.

Museums and theaters of Bydgoszcz

The former German explosives factory DAG Fabrik Bromberg has now been converted into the Explozeum, an open-air museum of industrialization that is open to the public. In addition, the city has a water museum, which occupies a beautiful old water tower. In the Pomeranian War Museum you can see documents of the country's recent military history of the 19th and 20th centuries.

The cultural life of the city is also rich these days. The building of the New Opera in Bydgoszcz was built in 1974 on the river bank and has a characteristic, recognizable shape of three elongated washers. Its contours have become, in a way, the calling card of the new Bydgoszcz. And the concert hall of the Pomeranian Philharmonic is rightfully considered one of the best in Europe: its wonderful acoustics are ideal for performing classics. However, the hall is also used with equal success for holding modern concerts. In addition, Bydgoszcz is one of the most important centers of jazz music in Europe.

Useful information for tourists about Bydgoszcz in Poland - geographical location, tourist infrastructure, map, architectural features and attractions.

Bydgoszcz is a Polish city founded, according to legend, by two brothers, whose names formed its name. Byd and Gost, who arrived from the south, were fascinated by the ideal area for settlement, adjacent to the river with low hills with an easily passable ford. The settlers considered the numerous roads converging in these places leading to busy trading cities to be an additional advantage. Modern archaeological excavations do not contradict the legendary tales - the remains of fortified settlements found here date back to the 11th century.

Historical documents first mention the city existing on the Brda River in 1238. Originally a fishing settlement, in the Middle Ages Bydgoszcz (due to its border location) became a fortified refuge for trade routes along the Vistula. Apparently, this is why the city attracted the greedy interest of the knights of the Teutonic Order, who occupied it for seven years after its capture in 1331.

Only after coming under the hands of Casimir Polski, who granted him municipal rights, Bydgoszcz began to develop rapidly. In the subsequent 15th – 16th centuries, trade in salt and grain raised the city to the pinnacle of economic prosperity, making it one of the largest populated areas in Poland at that time. The prosperous city was mercilessly destroyed by the “Swedish flood,” as the Poles called the Swedish invasion in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries.

The first partition of Poland in a series of subsequent transformations handed Bydgoszcz over to the strengthened Prussia, which renamed it Bromberg. The flow of Prussian capital into the city allowed the construction of the Bydgoszcz Canal to begin in 1773, which subsequently significantly increased cargo flow. In 1851, the city, absorbed by Prussia, was connected to Berlin by a railway line, and the subsequent electrification in 1896 made it possible to run trams along the illuminated streets.

In the period 1920 – 1939, the city belonged to Poland, after which it was captured by the Nazis. Mass executions and forced labor were stopped by the Soviet army, which liberated Bydgoszcz in the landmark year 1945.

Currently, the rapidly developing city is an economic, academic, cultural, medical, sports and military center. In addition, the tourist attractiveness of Bydgoszcz is undeniable. There are Catholic churches and various museums here.

A unique monument of engineering is the still operational Bydgoszcz Canal, the lock system of which has been reconstructed several times. No less interesting is the wooden frame structure of the former granary, which was successfully operated in the 18th – 19th centuries. Among the local churches of Melpomene are the New Opera and the Polish Theater, which adheres to the classical repertoire, proudly bearing the name of Hieronymus Konyecki.