There are well-known legends about delicious Torun gingerbread, and the beauty of the Old Town has long been attracting photographers and artists from all over the world. However, world-wide fame was brought to Torun by the great astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, who shocked the medieval minds by discovering the heliocentric astronomical model of the world. Currently, memorials have been erected in all countries in honor of Nicolaus Copernicus, streets, an airport in Wroclaw, a star in the constellation of Cancer, and a minor planet are named after him. And at 17 Kopernika Street in Torun, a house-museum devoted to him was opened.

In an ancient, beautiful tenement house of the 15th century, built in the late Gothic style, once a little boy was born who later became the great scientist. He spent his childhood here. Then, he moved to Krakow, where the young Copernicus’ fate surrendered to astronomy. Today, in his father’s house in Torun, there is his personal and historical museum, the Copernicus House. It was opened in 1960, and in 1973, in honor of the 500th anniversary of the brilliant scientist, the neighboring building at number 15 was passed to the museum.

At the entrance to the first building, museum visitors are greeted by a black marble plaque and a bust of Nicolaus Copernicus.

The permanent exhibition features the scientist’s personal belongings, including ancient astronomical tools like the astrolabe, a device for measuring horizontal angles, and the quadrant for determining earth coordinates. Here you can also see the heliocentric model, created according to his drawings and sketches and numerous objects of the 16th-21st centuries. The exposition of the second building introduces guests to the culture of Torun. The old spacious rooms are decorated with authentic wall paintings from the 16th-18th centuries, antique furniture, and artworks of the 17th century. Of particular interest are the medieval collections of tin-glazed pottery, as well as Gothic oak cabinets and a mid-17th century globe.