Visit Bydgoszcz for the weekend!
Are you wondering if a trip to Bydgoszcz for the weekend is a good idea? Will it be possible to discover the charms of the city on the Brda River in a matter of 2 days? Do not waste any time and book time to come to Bydgoszcz! We have prepared a plan on how to spend the weekend in our city!
>> Tip << When planning a trip to Bydgoszcz, it is worth getting the Bydgoszcz Tourist Card, with which visiting our city becomes more profitable, due to free attractions and many discounts, not only in cultural facilities, but also in restaurants.
Friday - Afternoon arrival in Bydgoszcz
There are numerous parking spaces and multi-storey car parkings in the city center (located at Pod Blankami Street, Jagiellońska 23 Street, or (soon) at Grudziądzka 15 Street, where you can leave your car if your accommodation facility does not offer a parking space or is far from city center.
Start your visit to Bydgoszcz with a visit to the Bydgoszcz Information Centre (Batorego 2 Street). There, you will learn more about the city, receive a map and information brochures, and buy a cruise ticket, which is the next point on the agenda.
Head to the Staromiejski Bridge (Old Town Bridge) to capture one of the most famous views in Bydgoszcz – Man Crossing the River and Granaries on the Brda River. It is a must-see on the city map. After the photo is taken, go to the water tram stop, which is located at the Rybi Rynek (Fish Market Square). A tourist water tram cruise is one of the favorite and most popular attractions in Bydgoszcz. The tram runs in the tourist season (May - September) on two routes (Staromiejska and Słoneczna) (Old Town line and Sunny line). A cruise on a water tram is an amazing opportunity to see the city from the perspective of the Brda River and see how hydrotechnical devices work in practice.
If you have some time before the cruise, it is worth going to the Lemara Barge to listen to the chaperone stories.
7 PM / 8 PM A stroll around the Downtown
After the cruise, we recommend Bydgoszcz Downtown for an evening walk. A walk around this part of the city is an opportunity to discover interesting architecture (Gdańska Street, Cieszkowskiego Street), rest among the greenery of city parks (including Casimir the Great Park with the spectacular Deluge fountain, beautifully lit in the evening) and listen to the melody flowing from "Dzielnica Muzyczna" (monuments to composers, the building of the Pomeranian Philharmonic, a sculpture of an archer from 1910). The walk will end with a musical fountain show (9:30 PM, but you should check with the tourist information in advance), located in front of the Philharmonic Hall.
10 PM Finish the day with dinner in one of the nearby restaurants.
Saturday in Bydgoszcz
9 AM Breakfast in Bydgoszcz restaurants
Bydgoszcz restaurants invite you for tasty breakfasts. Check the list of partners of the Bydgoszcz Tourist Card and take advantage of the discounts.
10 AM Make a soap and hear stories about hygiene at the Museum of Soap and the History of Dirt
The Soap Museum is a unique place on the map of Bydgoszcz, where you can learn more about the history of cleanliness, dirt and soap making. In addition, during the tour, it is possible to take part in soap workshops, thanks to which you leave the museum with your own hand-made soap. Admission to the Museum with the Bydgoszcz Tourist Card is free, you only need to book an appointment in advance.
>> Attractions for children <<
>> Museum of Soap and History of Dirt <<
12:30 PM – 2 PM Sightseeing of the Old Town
The Old Market Square is the central square of the city, delimited in 1346 by King Casimir III the Great, a place through which the 18th meridian runs. When it’s 1:13 pm, stop for a moment at the Old Market Square to see a moving sculpture of Mr. Twardowski emerging from the window of the tenement house at number 15. Legends say that the wizard visited our city in 1560 and "performed various miracles". The stately white building visible on the other side is the town hall, and right next to it is the oldest surviving building in Bydgoszcz - the cathedral. The late Gothic temple hides in its interior extremely valuable monuments that are worth seeing. From the cathedral walls, go to the Mill Island - a green oasis located in the very center of the city. On the island there are 4 branches of the District Museum: Archaeological Collections, Leon Wyczółkowski's "house", Modern Art Gallery and the European Money Center, and the dominant object is the Rother’s Mills. Mills used to have an industrial function, today they are the seat of cultural institutions. In addition to the wide cultural offer, the Mills invite you to admire the panorama of the Old Town from its terraces.
During the holiday season, it is worth taking advantage of guided tours.
2:30 PM Lunch in Bydgoszcz restaurant
4 PM A stroll over the Old Canal, visit the Bydgoszcz Canal Museum
The Old Bydgoszcz Canal is the oldest artificial waterway in Poland that connected Noteć and Brda rivers. The representative park space with numerous natural monuments encourages you to stroll. Go through the park alleys to the Bydgoszcz Canal Museum (Staroszkolna 10 Street) to a place where you will learn about the history of this canal.
Alternatively:
4 PM Climb to the top of the Water Tower
After your meal, head towards Henryk Dąbrowski’s Hill, where the Water Tower is 45 meters high. The Water Tower is a hydraulic engineering facility that is part of the Waterworks Museum. The inside of the tower houses an exhibition about the history of local water supply and sewage systems. After seeing the industrial exhibition, it is worth climbing the narrow, winding stairs to the open gallery and admire the view of the panorama of Bydgoszcz.
7 PM Spend the evening at the cultural facilities
Bydgoszcz offers a rich cultural offer. In our city, you can listen to music in the walls of the Pomeranian Philharmonic, watch an opera or ballet at Opera Nova, or go to a performance in one of the theaters in Bydgoszcz (Polish Theater, Chamber Theater, Adria Cinema-Theater).
Alternatively:
Bydgoszcz by night - visit Bydgoszcz restaurants, clubs and beer breweries
In our city, you can dance on the dance floor of Bydgoszcz clubs, drink a golden drink in Warzelnia (Poznańska 9 Street) or in Kraftodajnia (Plan Kościeleckich 5 and 1/2) and eat well with live music (Jatki Street).
Sunday in Bydgoszcz
10 AM Learn about the city’s explosive history – Exploseum
After breakfast, go to the Bydgoszcz Forest to the former arms factory from World War II - Exploseum (25 minutes by car from the city center or by bus line 68E). The Exploseum, which is one of the branches of the District Museum, has eight buildings and an underground route. Exhibitions present, among others methods of glycerin production, the history of factory workers or the history of Alfred Nobel's inventions.
Return to the city center
1 PM Lunch at the Bydgoszcz restaurants
When looking for a suitable place for lunch, it is worth browsing the list of partners of the Bydgoszcz Tourist Card and taking advantage of the discounts.
2:30 PM Active afternoon
Get on your bike and go to Myślęcinek - an option for the persistent ones
From the "Music District" go to the nearby Bydgoszcz Agglomeration Bike station (Adama Mickiewicza Alley), rent a bike and follow Gdańska Street towards Myślęcinek. Forest Park of Culture and Recreation - Myślęcinek is one of the largest recreational complexes in Poland, it covers an area of 830 ha, of which nearly 500 ha are forest areas. In Myślęcinek, you can find a zoo, an amusement park, a ski slope, the Lost World (dinosaur park), a golf course and a wake park. After your bike ride, head back downtown for dinner.
Alternatively:
Kayaks on the Brda River in the city center
If you prefer water activities instead of a ride to Myślęcinek, you can rent a pedalo boat or a kayak at the Bydgoszcz Harbor on the Mill Island and swim on the Brda River in the city center.
This is where your stay in Bydgoszcz ends, you set off on your way back. Congratulations if you managed to complete the entire program, but there will certainly be a lot more to be discovered in Bydgoszcz for the next weekend visit :) See you there!
