Are you in Bydgoszcz just for 1 day? Do you want to make the most of your limited time in our city, but don't know where to start? We have prepared a one-day sightseeing program for our city for you.
>> 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.
>> Tip << Some places (District Museum, Rother Mills) are opening Friday-Sunday 12:00 (midday). You can choose Museum of Soap or water tram cruise as early attractions, as they are operating from 9-10 AM every morning.
10 AM Arrival to 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 we can leave the car and walk to the first point of the program.
10 AM – 12 PM Visiting the Old Town
We start our tour with a visit to the Bydgoszcz Information Centre (Batorego 2 Street). We learn more about the city there, we get a map and information folders. Equipped with materials, we begin our tour. We are located in the Old Market Square is the central square of the city, marked out in 1346 by King Casimir III the Great, a place through which the 18th meridian runs. The impressive white edifice visible from the Old Market Square 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 walls of the cathedral, we 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. The Mills used to have an industrial function, today they are the seat of cultural institutions. In addition to the exhibition on history of the city (“Knots”) and wide cultural offer, the Mills invite you to admire the panorama of the Old Town from its terraces.
12 PM Make a soap and listen to 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. Additionally, during the tour, we take part in soap workshops, thanks to which we leave the museum with our own hand-made soap. Admission to the Museum with the Bydgoszcz Tourist Card is free of charge, you only need to book a visit in advance.
>> Make a soap at the Museum of Soap <<
1 PM See Master Twardowski, take a selfie on the Old Town Bridge and go on a cruise by water tram
We continue our walk around the Old Town. Now we go towards Mostowa Street to the Staromiejski Bridge (Old Town Bridge), which separates the Bydgoszcz Old Town from the city center. 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"
>> Legend about Master Twardowski <<
Then we go to the Staromiejski Bridge (Old Town Bridge) to capture one of the most famous views in Bydgoszcz – Man Passing the River and the Granaries on the Brda River. It is a must-see on the city map. After the photo has been taken, we go to the Water Tram stop below, which is located at the Rybi Rynek (Fish Market Square). A 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/Old Town line and Słoneczna/Sunny line). A cruise on a water tram is an amazing opportunity to see the city from the perspective of the Brda River.
3 PM Lunch in Bydgoszcz restaurants
At the Old Market Square, Jatki Street, Długa Street or in Bydgoszcz's Venice, there are many gastronomic facilities where you can eat well. And if we would like to get to know the flavours of Bydgoszcz, it is worth going to restaurants included in the Bydgoszcz culinary trail.
4:30 PM – 6:30 PM A stroll around the Downtown
We tried Bydgoszcz specialties, bought souvenirs at the Bydgoszcz Information Center ( Batorego 2 Street), so we can go to the next sightseeing point, which is a walk around Bydgoszcz Downtown. A walk around this part of the city is an opportunity to discover interesting architecture from first decades of 20th century (Gdańska Street, Cieszkowskiego Street), rest among the greenery of city parks (including Casimir the Great park with the spectacular Deluge fountain) and listen to the melody flowing from the "Music District" (monuments to composers, the building of the Pomeranian Philharmonic, a sculpture of an archer from 1910).
7 PM Dinner in one of Bydgoszcz restaurants
When looking for a suitable place for dinner, it is worth browsing the list of partners of the Bydgoszcz Tourist Card and taking advantage of the discounts.
8 PM Departure from Bydgoszcz
If the sightseeing plan presented is not enough, we invite you to Bydgoszcz for longer. Bydgoszcz offers tourists many more attractions!
