Old Market Square
Stary Rynek

Stary Rynek is the name of Bydgoszcz’s old market square, which was laid out in 1346 in connection with the city’s founding by King Casimir the Great. It is designed as a rectangle of about 125×100 meters, following the typical medieval town plan, where the square was the center of trade, administration and the church. The square was home to the city’s old town hall, which was built in the Gothic style in the 14th century and later rebuilt in the Renaissance style until it was demolished in the 19th century. The town hall housed the city council chamber, court and archives. The square was surrounded by brick and half-timbered townhouses, which often had basements used for storage.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the square was gradually modernized, and several of the buildings were given Baroque and Classicist facades. After the city was incorporated into Prussia, new public buildings were built, and the square developed into an administrative center. During World War II, many of the historical buildings were damaged, but after 1945 the square was rebuilt. In the post-war period, it also became an important memorial site, as it was here that the German occupying forces carried out executions of the Polish population in 1939, which was later marked with memorial plaques and monuments.

Today, the Stary Rynek is an architectural and historical center of Bydgoszcz. The buildings in the square reflect different periods from Gothic and Renaissance to Classicism and Eclecticism. The modern reconstructions were carried out with respect for the original proportions, and under the square there are preserved cellars and remains of earlier structures. To the west is the city’s current town hall, which is a former Jesuit college, which was built continuously between 1644 and 1782. In front of the college was a Jesuit church until it was demolished along with several other buildings by the Germans during World War II.

St. Martin and St. Nicholas Cathedral
Katedra św. Marcina i Mikołaja

Katedra św. Marcina i Mikołaja is the cathedral of Bydgoszcz, dedicated to Saint Martin and Saint Nicholas, and is the oldest surviving church in the city. It was built in the period 1466–1502 on the foundations of an earlier wooden and brick church from the 14th century. The building is an example of brick Gothic architecture typical of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region. It is designed as a three-aisled basilica with a higher nave and lower side aisles, ending with a polygonal choir. The masonry is made of red brick with decorative blind areas and buttresses, while the roof structure is covered with tiles.

The interior houses one of the most important Gothic works of art in the region, namely the icon of the Virgin Mary from the late 15th century, known as the Bydgoszcz Madonna. The altarpieces date from the Renaissance and Baroque periods, and there are epitaphs, sculptures and votive offerings that reflect the city’s ecclesiastical and civic history. The church acquired its current appearance in the 18th century, when the Baroque furnishings were installed, including the high altar and the pulpit. In 2004, the cathedral was elevated to the episcopal seat of the newly established Diocese of Bydgoszcz. It has undergone several restorations, mainly in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Basilica of St. Vincent de Paul
Bazylika św. Wincentego à Paulo

Bazylika św. Wincentego à Paulo is a basilica dedicated to Saint Vincent de Paul. It was built between 1925 and 1939 according to designs by the Italian architect Adam Ballenstedt. It is one of the largest churches in Poland from the 20th century and was built as a monumental neoclassical building inspired by Roman basilicas and domed architecture. The ground plan is designed as a Latin cross with a central dome, which has a diameter of 40 meters and a height of 65 meters, making it visible from large parts of the city.

The building was built of reinforced concrete covered with stone and plaster and has a distinctive portico with columns in the Corinthian order. The interior was also designed in the neoclassical style with a large domed hall, side chapels and a marble high altar. The windows are decorated with stained glass, which was installed in the post-war period, when the church was completed and consecrated in 1945 after war interruptions. The basilica was elevated to a minor basilica in 1997 by Pope John Paul II and serves as a parish church and a place of pilgrimage.

Opera Nova

Opera Nova in Bydgoszcz was started in 1973 as an ambitious project to create a modern opera house in Poland, but due to economic and political circumstances, construction was only completed in 2006. The building is located on the Brda River on a site that was previously an industrial area. The architecture was designed in a modernist style with a cylindrical main building flanked by lower side buildings. The facades are clad in white stone and large glass sections that support the functional form.

The opera house contains a main hall with space for around 800 spectators, a smaller hall with 200 seats, as well as rehearsal rooms, workshops and administrative offices. The acoustic design of the main hall was developed in collaboration with specialists and makes it possible to hold both opera, ballet and symphonic concerts. The stage is equipped with modern stage technology such as a revolving stage and hydraulic systems. Opera Nova is today one of the most important cultural centres in the region and hosts the annual Bydgoszcz Opera Festival, which attracts ensembles and artists from all over the world.

Pomeranian Philharmonic
Filharmonia Pomorska

The Filharmonia Pomorska is a philharmonic orchestra founded in 1953, and five years later it got its own building. The opera was designed by architect Stefan Klajbor in a style that combines classicist proportions with modernist elements. The façade is designed with column-like pilasters and a monumental entrance, while the interior is characterized by functional solutions adapted to concert use.

The concert hall can accommodate over 900 spectators and is known for its acoustics, which are considered among the best in Poland. The building also houses a smaller chamber music hall. The acoustics are designed with careful use of wooden panels, plastered walls and ceiling structures, which ensure optimal sound distribution. Since its construction, the Filharmonia Pomorska has been a centre of musical life in the region, with a permanent symphony orchestra and an extensive concert programme.

Polish Theatre
Teatr Polski

The Teatr Polski in Bydgoszcz was founded in 1949, but the building itself was built in 1947–1949 on the ruins of previous theatre buildings that had been destroyed during World War II. The architecture is functionalist with a simple, geometric facade without classical ornaments, reflecting the sober approach to cultural construction in the post-war period. The building was built of concrete and brick with a symmetrical facade, where the entrance is marked by a glass front.

The theatre has a main hall with space for approximately 300 spectators and is equipped with a flexible stage that can be adapted to both classical dramas and modern performances. The building also houses a smaller stage, rehearsal rooms and workshops. Throughout its history, the institution has distinguished itself as one of the most experimental theatres in Poland. It has presented both classical works and avant-garde performances and has hosted international theatre festivals.

Mill Island
Wyspa Młyńska

Wyspa Młyńska or Mill Island is an island in the Brda River in the centre of Bydgoszcz. It has been a centre of the city’s economic life since the Middle Ages, when water mills, sawmills and later industrial workshops were built here. The island was connected to the city’s market square by bridges and functioned as a kind of technical and economic hub. In the 18th and 19th centuries, a number of industrial buildings were built on the island, such as granaries, mills and warehouses.

The architecture of the island reflects this history. Several of the preserved buildings date from the 18th and 19th centuries and are built of brick with functional details such as large doorways, beamed ceilings and storerooms. Among the most striking buildings are the old granaries, which have now been converted into museum facilities under the Leon Wyczółkowski District Museum. The island has preserved its historic structure with small streets, bridges and canals that reflect the former industrial landscape.