The delightful theatre, in the Art Nouveau style with Neo-Baroque elements,
was built in 1904 by the Viennese architects Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann
Helmer. The Kontakt Theatre Festival is held here each year in early summer,
bringing together theatre performers from all over Europe and drawing large
and enthusiastic audiences to its performances.

The Gothic Church of the Virgin Mary (Kościół NMP) was built for Franciscan
monks in 1270–1300. It has an unusually richly ornamented east gable. Late
14th-century wall paintings can be seen in the south aisle, while in the
north aisle is a 16th-century Mannerist organ loft, the oldest in Poland. By
the presbytery is the mausoleum of Anna Vasa, sister of Zygmunt III, made in
1636. She was of royal blood but could not be buried at Wawel Castle because
she was of the Protestant faith.

The Old Market Square is the city’s finest open space and still the vibrant
heart of its historic district. The centrepiece is the town hall, but on all
four sides of the square there are fine buildings. On the south side, at No.
7, is the Meissner Palace, built in 1739 for Jakob Meissner, mayor of Toruń,
and given a Neo-Classical façade in 1798. Many of the town houses retain
their original details, such as that at No. 17, with a portal made in 1630.
The most attractive house in the square is Star House, at No. 35 on the east
side, built in 1697. It has a richly ornamented façade, with stuccowork
motifs of fruit and flowers. In the square stands a monument to Nicolaus
Copernicus made by Friedrich Tiecek in 1853, and a fountain with the figure
of a raftsman who, according to legend, rid the citizens of Toruń of a
plague of frogs by playing his fiddle.

The town hall, an imposing building with an internal courtyard, was erected
in 1391–9 as a two-storey edifice. In 1602–5 the Gdańsk architect Antonis
van Opbergen added the third floor and gave the building its current
Mannerist appearance. The lower parts of the tower date from the 13th
century. Standing 42 m (138 ft) high, it commands a fine view over the city
of Toruń.

The town hall now houses a museum featuring Gothic art, 19th-century
paintings and local crafts. The building’s original interiors are also
noteworthy, especially the vaulting of the former bakery and wool stalls on
the ground floors of the east and west wings.

The town hall also features a restaurant and a popular pub, Pod
Aniołem , in the basement.