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Toruń the town lies on the eastern side of the Vistula River valley with a geographical position of 53 01'N latitude and 18 35'E longitude. Toruń spreads over an area of about 115 sq km. Toruń, often called the Copernican Town, after the name of its world famous citizen, is one of the oldest and most charming Polish cities

Vistula waters reflect the medieval walls, gates, towers, the enormous block of the Old Town parish church, and a row of old town houses and granaries. The mirror image, which enhances the beauty of the historical panorama, has symbolic significance - it is a gift, which the Vistula rewards Torun for not turning away from it, as many towns undergoing modernisation have done. 

Torun's tradition as a garrison town was maintained by many military units stationed in the city, including the 4th Air Force Division, and above all the Gunnery Academy representing the town's age-old artillery tradition. 

The city's cultural life was best represented by two institutions: the Dramatic Theatre  and the Artists' Confraternity founded in 1920 and led by Julian Falat and Artur Gorski. Architecture, painting, sculpture and craftsmanship flourished in Torun mainly in the Middle Ages, at the time when the Gothic style predominated. During that period, works of art were produced not only on the strength of local craftsmanship, but also thanks to the affluence of Torun's citizens, foreign masters and artisans could also be commissioned to work for the city. Such a situation was also greatly facilitated by the international organizational structure of the main religious orders, such as the Franciscans and the Dominicans. The monastery workshops contributed immensely to Torun's medieval architecture and art. Many works created within the town or its extensive patrimony show influence of or were actually produced by artists from Bohemia, Germany, Gotland, or the Netherlands. 

Dutch influences became dominant in the 17th century. The workshop of Antoni van Obbergen from the Netherlands, for instance, carried out the most prestigious undertaking of rebuilding the Old Town Hall. Soon afterwards, in 1629, Torun again made use of Dutch achievements while erecting a new system of modern bastion-type fortifications, vital to the town's safety.

Various traces of the daily life of Torun's former citizens can be seen in over 300 surviving historical buildings. Most of them were constructed during the Middle Ages but, as fashion and tastes changed, they subsequently obtained Renaissance, Baroque, classicistic or neo-historical decor. In effect, only a few dozen pure Gothic elevations, gables, portals, ceilings, or wall polychromes can still be seen in today's Torun. There are, of course, many others hidden under layers of paint and plaster, mostly dating back to the latter half of the 19th century.

Torun's Old Town Hall, one of the prime examples of European medieval burgher architecture, is the testimony of its growth and high position among other merchant towns. As was common practice at that time, the hall was constructed in stages. First, in 1259, a merchant house and a cloth hall were built in the middle of the town square. Later, between 1274 and 1279, bread benches and stalls, a tower, and the first town hall, a courthouse and town-scales were added. At that stage, all the buildings were separate structures. In 1343 lean-to stalls were added around the merchant house and in 1385 the tower was raised up to its present height. Then in 1393, when the Council was granted the privilege to construct a new town hall, all those separate elements were joined into a two-storey quadrangle.

Torun ceased to be the voivod-ship capital and the headquarters of district military and railways authorities. On the other hand, it acquired a university. The core of its academic staff were the professors of the Stefan Batory University repatriated from Vilnius. The new University also obtained an extensive collection of books from Stefan Batory's library, which were illegally moved to Torun. The institution chose Nicolaus Copernicus as its patron and formed a strong Department of Astronomy. The University also boasted a unique Department of Historical Monuments and Conservation Methods within the Faculty of Fine Arts, formed on the initiative and with the assistance of the pre-war Chief Monument Preservation Officer, Prof. Jerzy Remer. The Department soon achieved fame and international recognition.

Since the late 1960s, Torun has seen expansive growth of new, suburban districts. The construction of a University campus was initiated. Numerous industrial enterprises, sports centres and housing estates have been built. Torun's population has doubled in relation to the period before the Second World War, reaching 200,000 inhabitants. In accordance with a programme prepared in 1958, the Old Town District has been relieved of an excessive number of inhabitants but still plays an important role as a shopping centre, and above all a tourist and cultural centre. In its efforts to promote culture, Torun can draw upon its rich legacy, which many cities in Europe may be envious of.

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