Setting off on a journey around Poland, we often find ourselves searching for places that can truly surprise us, showing us something genuinely new. And Włocławek, a city that still seems somewhat underrated, yet is packed with fascinating history and quite a variety of attractions, is just such a place. Picturesquely located on the banks of the majestic Vistula river, in the heart of the Kujawy region, within the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, this former important bishopric centre and historical capital of Kujawy has plenty to offer someone who enjoys delving into local stories and discovering less obvious spots. Whether you’re interested in ancient monuments, art, local culture, or perhaps simply dreaming of a moment’s respite in green, tranquil spots, Włocławek has something that might catch your attention. So, join us for a virtual, or perhaps even a real, wander through its streets, to uncover its most interesting, sometimes well-hidden, secrets.

Historical Sites in Włocławek: History in Stone and Brick

Włocławek is a city with history reaching deep back to the 11th century. Interestingly, it gained city rights as early as the 12th century, and for many, many centuries it played the role of a genuinely significant centre on the regional map. Walking through its Old Town, charming in places, it’s not difficult to spot all the traces of bygone eras. Townhouses preserved here and there, fragments of walls, and even defensive towers are reminders of the city’s former fortifications, while the more monumental buildings, both sacred and secular, clearly testify to Włocławek’s importance throughout the centuries. But can you truly feel all this history at every turn? Well, you have to be willing to look for it.

Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: A Gem of Gothic Architecture

The central, and undoubtedly the most important point of the Old Town, and arguably its greatest pride, is the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its history stretches back as far as the 14th century, and the foundation stone for this impressive structure was consecrated precisely in 1340. Construction, as was often the case, continued over subsequent centuries, although significant, arguably the most important, changes were made at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, overseen at the time by the renowned architect Konstanty Wojciechowski. This truly imposing Gothic building captivates with its soaring structure (it reaches high, after all!), and its interior conceals a real wealth of detail.

Inside the Cathedral, you absolutely must pay special attention to the sarcophagus of Bishop Piotr of Bnin – it’s said to have come from the workshop of Master Wit Stwosz himself. Doesn’t that sound incredible? Next to the cathedral itself, in Kopernik Square, stands the Neo-Gothic Bell Tower from 1853, as well as the building of the College of Cathedral Vicars, dating from 1732-1736. Inside the cathedral, the eye is drawn to the polychrome decoration, executed between 1900 and 1901 by the Jasiński brothers, Stanisław and Zdzisław. (Personally, I find the details in Gothic cathedrals simply mesmerising).

Old Market Square: A Walk Through the City’s Historic Heart

Włocławek’s Old Market Square, beautifully situated right by the Vistula, forms a kind of natural extension of the popular 3 Maja Street. It’s a place with a rich past, although today, it must be said, its character differs somewhat from its former self – a bustling, lively commercial centre. Standing in the Old Market Square, you can easily spot the beautiful boulevards, the wide expanse of the Vistula river, and that distinctive lattice bridge. Sometimes just a moment is enough to feel the atmosphere of bygone days.

Bishop’s Palace: A Trace of Medieval Power

Interestingly, the Bishop’s Palace was erected on the site of the former medieval castle belonging to the bishops of Włocławek. This is undoubtedly another very important point on Włocławek’s map of historical sites, constantly reminding us of the immense role of the Kujawy Bishopric, of which Włocławek had been the capital since as early as 1123. It’s worth mentioning here, as a curious fact, that in former times the Bishops of Włocławek even owned… the village of Łódź. Such connections are always a bit surprising!

Townhouses of the Old Town: Architectural Gems Waiting to Be Discovered

Włocławek can genuinely boast many beautiful, though sometimes slightly neglected, historic townhouses, especially in the area of the Old Town and its adjacent streets. Walking, say, along 3 Maja Street, which connects the Old Market Square with Freedom Square (once known as the New Market Square), you’ll quickly notice how many of these buildings are in urgent need of renovation. But, on the other hand, their architectural potential is simply enormous! It’s worth noting the building of the former District Authority (Starostwo), erected in the mid-19th century, which still looks very impressive today.

Another interesting, and in my opinion, truly beautiful street is Brzeska Street, which runs from Freedom Square towards Kopernik Square and the Cathedral. Among its buildings is an 18th-century Neoclassical building, which was once home to the famous ‘Rozbicki’ Hotel. Places like these have a soul of their own.

City Walls and Towers: Echoes of Former Defence

These remains of the city walls and towers in Włocławek are further tangible evidence of its former defensive functions. And although, sadly, they haven’t survived intact (do city walls ever survive intact?), the fragments that remain nonetheless allow us to imagine what the city looked like centuries ago and how crucial its protection was back then. Who knows how many invaders those old walls witnessed…

Town Hall: What Remains of the Renaissance Showpiece?

Although historical guidebooks often list the Renaissance Town Hall as a historic landmark of Włocławek, it’s worth finding out where its modern incarnation is located and what role it serves today. In the past, town halls often changed location, and sometimes buildings fell into disrepair. In any case, it’s important to remember that the city nonetheless has many other impressive historical sites, such as the aforementioned Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as well as those mysterious City Walls and the remains of the Towers.

Museums and Galleries in Włocławek: A Journey Through Culture and History

Włocławek offers a truly rich selection of museums that allow you to immerse yourself in the local history, culture, and art of the region. It is here, in these institutions, that you can view fascinating exhibitions and very valuable exhibits, showcasing the unique heritage of both Kujawy and the adjacent Dobrzyń Land. Be prepared for a good dose of knowledge!

Museum of the Kujawy and Dobrzyń Land: Faience, Art, and More

Undoubtedly one of the most important, perhaps even the most important, points on Włocławek’s cultural map is the Museum of the Kujawy and Dobrzyń Land. Among its impressive collections is, of course, the famous exhibition of Włocławek faience – ceramics, which for many years was a true hallmark of the city, not just in Poland. The main building of the Museum, for accuracy, is located on Słowackiego Street. But the museum isn’t just about faience!

It also features, which may surprise many, a very interesting exhibition of Polish portraiture, where you can admire works by genuinely famous painters such as Olga Boznańska, Jacek Malczewski, Teodor Axentowicz, Józef Mehoffer, Wojciech Weiss, and Vlastimil Hofman. Generally speaking, the museum offers exhibitions on ceramics and art, presenting the entire wealth of creativity inextricably linked to the region.

Museum of Włocławek History: Uncovering the History of the City and Region Step by Step

The Museum of Włocławek History, which, like many museums in smaller towns, is a branch of the main Museum of the Kujawy and Dobrzyń Land, occupies two, in my opinion, lovely Baroque townhouses in the Old Market Square. Inside this museum, as one might guess, the main theme is the history of Włocławek and its immediate surroundings. Among other things, you’ll find a section of the exhibition dedicated to the famous Battle of Płowce, as well as a reconstruction of a box grave from the mysterious Pomeranian culture.

This place perfectly helps you understand how dynamically, sometimes tumultuously, the history of the city and the entire region changed over the centuries. You can also dig out some really interesting facts there, for instance about the historical rivalry between Włocławek and nearby Płock, which, incidentally, Janusz Rolicki wonderfully described in his reportage ‘Always on Sunday’.

Ethnographic Museum: An Immersion in Local Folk Culture

Another branch of the MZKiD (yes, it’s quite a museum!) is the Ethnographic Museum in Włocławek, whose aim is to showcase the local folk culture of both Kujawy and the Dobrzyń Land. And although the Museum of the Kujawy and Dobrzyń Land also has a regular, excellent open-air museum (skansen) in Kłóbka, the Włocławek Ethnographic Museum nonetheless has a lot to offer. When we visited, we happened upon an exhibition of handicrafts by indigenous Amazonian peoples, which, importantly, was a temporary exhibition and could only be seen until 19 April 2020. But even outside of temporary exhibitions, among other things, you’ll find a fascinating collection of so-called conical Madonnas, modelled on the Gothic sculpture of Our Lady of Skępe.

Granary: Temporary Exhibitions and Events in an Atmospheric Venue

On Zamcza Street at numbers 10/12 stands the historic Granary, which currently serves primarily cultural functions. Various temporary exhibitions and cultural events are organised in this historic brick building. We came across the Granary dating from 1939, which in itself was interesting. It’s always worth checking the current programme to find out what exhibitions are currently available during your visit. When we were there, an exhibition titled ‘Włocławek Alphabet of Art. Włocławek Art of the Second Half of the 20th Century…’ was running, which, unfortunately, could only be seen until 5 April 2020.

Green Corners of Włocławek: Relaxation by the Vistula and in the Parks

Fortunately, Włocławek isn’t just about old monuments and museum display cases. It’s also a city that offers plenty of places for pleasant relaxation and active outdoor recreation. Its location right on the Vistula and at the mouth of the Zgłowiączka river simply lends itself to creating such charming, green spaces, which attract both locals and tourists visiting the city. Sometimes it’s simply worth taking a break from sightseeing.

Henryk Sienkiewicz Park: An Oasis of Green by the Zgłowiączka

One of the most popular, and perhaps the most favoured by Włocławek residents, spots for a walk or simply relaxation is the Henryk Sienkiewicz Park. Located right by the Zgłowiączka river, it was founded, interestingly, as early as 1870. And the park’s patron, after the Nobel laureate’s death in 1916, naturally became Henryk Sienkiewicz. It’s an ideal place for a moment of respite, with beautiful, shaded avenues and opportunities for active leisure – you can jog, cycle, or simply sit on a bench. Parks in Włocławek, like this one, as well as the City Park and Marshal Józef Piłsudski Park, often attract residents and tourists, serving as venues for various cultural and sporting events. (It reminds me how important such spaces are in cities, regardless of their size).

Vistula Boulevards: A Promenade Walk with a View

Piwna Street charmingly connects Sienkiewicz Park with the Vistula Boulevards. And the Boulevards? They are a fantastic spot in Włocławek, stretching picturesquely along the Vistula itself, which is simply great for a walk, at any time of day or year. Officially, it’s the Józef Piłsudski Boulevard and it’s a very popular promenade. From the Boulevards, you can admire the river in all its glory, that distinctive Rydz-Śmigły Bridge, which is nicely visible between the Cathedral and the Bell Tower, as well as the green, sometimes steep hills on the north bank of the Vistula – that’s the famous Zawiśle area. Yes, the Vistula Boulevards are a real magnet, attracting both residents and tourists, offering relaxation and genuinely beautiful views. But it can also get quite crowded there sometimes, especially at weekends.

Zawiśle: A Charming District and Proximity to Nature

Across the river, across that grand Vistula, on its north bank, lie the areas known as Zawiśle. It’s a rather pleasant district situated between the river and the forest, where you can find small, hidden beaches and where that beautiful Edward Śmigły-Rydz Bridge leads. My mother was absolutely delighted with this green area, with its peaceful atmosphere. Zawiśle is a quiet, genuinely peaceful area, and interestingly, it’s only a few minutes by bus from the central Freedom Square. It offers a fantastic escape from the city hustle and bustle and an incredible closeness to nature. Doesn’t that sound inviting?

Włocławek for Foodies: A Culinary Journey Through the City

Every trip, of course, is also, or perhaps primarily for some, an opportunity to discover entirely new flavours and get to know the local cuisine, its specifics. Włocławek, though it might not immediately spring to everyone’s mind as a culinary mecca of Poland (and actually, why not?), does have its places that are definitely worth, or even a must-visit, when seeking out those local touches.

Restaurants and Cafés: What Do Włocławek’s Establishments Hide?

Walking around the city, you’re sure to stumble upon a variety of restaurants and cafés, as well as smaller eateries. We highly encourage you to actively seek out those places that serve local specialities or simply have ‘that something’. And while, let’s be honest, you might not find widely advertised, typical regional dishes to the same extent as in some other, more ‘culinary’ regions of Poland, it is genuinely worth letting yourself be surprised. Simply try what Włocławek’s chefs and baristas have to offer. Perhaps you’ll discover a hidden gem?

Bojańczyków Brewery: History and Taste in One Place

One of the most interesting, and very atmospheric places, is the historic Bojańczyków Brewery complex, built from beautiful red brick. It’s a building that has been truly meticulously restored, combining its old history with modernity. Its interior houses, among other things, the Food Gallery Restaurant & Bar. It’s an ideal place for a relaxed lunch or dinner surrounded by this historic architecture, and perhaps above all, to try the local beer, which harks back to the city’s former brewing traditions. (Places like these always have a unique charm).

Unusual Places in Włocławek: Off the Beaten Track, Through the Eyes of a Curious Tourist

Aside from all the classic, obvious attractions that every guidebook mentions, Włocławek also hides places that are a little less obvious, but just as, perhaps even more, fascinating. These places show a different side to the city – one more connected with industry, modern technology, as well as the present day, which literally rises from the ruins of the past.

Hydroelectric Power Station: The Power of Nature and Technology in Harmony (or is it?)

A truly impressive structure, and definitely worth seeing even if it’s not a typical monument, is the hydroelectric power station on the Vistula. This huge dam not only fulfils crucial energy functions for the region but also provides a very interesting example of hydrotechnical engineering and perfectly demonstrates the power of the Vistula river, which flows through the city, being its natural, unchanging, and extremely important element of the landscape and residents’ lives. But just think about that bridge… The Edward Śmigły-Rydz Bridge, a crossing over 600 metres long, was built, and at express speed, in 1937. What’s most incredible about all this is the fact that just two years later it was deliberately blown up by the Polish army. Then the Germans rebuilt it in 1944, only for… the same Germans to blow it up again a year later. Such a turbulent history, wouldn’t you say?

Nitrogen Works: An Industrial Giant (Not for Tourists, But Important)

For years, for decades, Włocławek has been an important, strong industrial centre. Undoubtedly one of its most recognisable symbols are the huge Nitrogen Works (today known as Anwil). While, it has to be said, they are absolutely not typical tourist attractions, you’re unlikely to be touring their interiors, it is nonetheless worth, very much worth, knowing about their existence, as they have had, and continue to have, a huge impact on the city and the lives of its residents. The chemical industry, represented among others by the Anwil plant, is an important, inseparable part of Włocławek’s identity, shaping it in many ways.

Shopping Mall on the Site of a Former Factory: Modernity on the Ruins of the Past (Literally)

Another, perhaps slightly unusual, but incredibly telling place, which clearly demonstrates Włocławek’s contemporary transformations, is the shopping mall built quite literally on the ruins, on the site of the former Włocławek Faience factory – the one known for its faience. It symbolises how the city is changing, how this history, this industrial past, intertwines with contemporary times and consumerism (well, that’s the way it is). Włocławek Faience and all its ceramic products, including the famous, sometimes controversial ‘pikasiaki’ (that is, the progressive ceramics line from the late 1950s and early 1960s), were for long decades a real source of pride for the city, something that set it apart. Today, the memory of this tradition is still very much alive, although physically, new buildings, modern malls, are springing up precisely on the site of the former plants, creating this new urban fabric. And actually, is it really creation, or rather replacement?

Włocławek – What Else Is Worth Knowing? Reflections from the Road and Beyond

Travelling around Włocławek, just as I once did with my mother, you can discover a multitude of intriguing details that don’t always make it into standard guidebooks. For example, Kościuszki Street, a fairly straight street, connects the PKP (Polish State Railways) Station in the centre with Freedom Square. The first impression when you alight from the train, say, from Gdańsk, at that PKP Station, might not immediately be the best – train stations can vary – but it’s worth simply walking a bit further, towards the centre.

And then you arrive at Freedom Square, the former New Market Square, which has impressive dimensions, measuring as much as 160 by 130 metres! This is undoubtedly the central and arguably the most well-known square in Włocławek. The vast majority of this square is taken up by a large, well-maintained green space, often adorned with colourful floral arrangements, and in its centre stands the Monument to the Polish Soldier. It’s worth taking a moment to look around here.

Look out for characteristic buildings too. Be sure to note the townhouse that stands on the corner of Kościuszki and Kilińskiego streets – this is Mühsam Palace, a solid, two-storey townhouse erected around 1894 for Hugo Mühsam, a well-known social activist and industrialist. Further on, walking along Brzeska Street, the one leading from Freedom Square towards Kopernik Square, you’ll pass the Franciscan Friars’ monastery complex, built between 1639 and 1644, as well as the All Saints Church from 1795.

Not far from here, on the same axis, stands the Neo-Gothic Evangelical-Augsburg Church, erected between 1877 and 1879 according to the design of architect Franciszek Tournelle. And you only needed to walk just past the oldest church in Włocławek, the Church of St. Witalis (whose construction dates back to the first half of the 14th century – just think how many years that is!), to arrive directly at Kopernik Square, the historical heart.

Adjoined, quite literally, to the Church of St. Witalis, is the Library building, added in the 19th century. Completing the picture of Kopernik Square is a substantial townhouse, which houses the District Authority (Starostwo). And speaking of treasures, in the Włocławek Diocesan Museum, located at 3 Kopernik Square, you can see some truly extraordinary exhibits. Seriously! You’ll find there, among other things, listen to this, the cervical spine of St. Adalbert or original prints by Albrecht Dürer! And on top of that, surprisingly, artefacts from Africa, such as a stone manger from Burkina Faso. Who would have thought?

Not far from the Church of St. Witalis and the aforementioned District Authority, at the intersection of several streets (Brzeska, Cyganka, and Wojska Polskiego) and Kopernik Square, we also spotted a very interesting mural, naturally, advertising the famous Włocławek Faience. Returning for a moment to the Old Market Square, a monumental structure there that truly gives the square its character is the Church of St. John the Baptist, built in 1538 – another witness to history.

Filip Springer, in his intriguing book ‘Archipelago City’, calls the centre of Włocławek, and I quote, in one word: Mordor. This might sound controversial and certainly prompts reflection on the challenges the city faces, but at the same time, it showcases its perhaps unconventional, raw character, which will be appreciated by those looking for something authentic rather than polished for tourists. Włocławek, picturesquely situated by that grand Vistula, with the mouth of the picturesque Zgłowiączka, was, after all, as we already know, the capital of the Kujawy Bishopric for centuries. And returning to a personal note – even though I travelled to Włocławek from Gdańsk, I was confirmed in my belief that Poland is truly a country well worth, and very much so, discovering, step by step. And this Zawiśle, that charming district where small houses stand, located between the river and the forest, just a few minutes by bus from Freedom Square, is just one of many examples of places waiting to be discovered.