Leaning Tower Of Toruń

The Leaning Tower of Toruń, Krzywa Wieża in Polish, is a 14th century Gothic defensive tower that stands in the medieval town wall on ul. Pod Krzywa Wieza. It leans about 140 cm from vertical, a tilt caused by the clay subsoil shifting beneath it. Today the interior is closed for conservation works, so the tower is seen from the street, where it is free to view at any time.

Why Does The Leaning Tower Of Toruń Lean?

The Leaning Tower of Toruń leans about 140 cm from vertical because the clay subsoil beneath the town wall shifted. It was built in the 14th century as a Gothic defensive tower in the wall, and over time the ground movement pulled it off plumb. The building later served as a women's prison and a smithy before becoming a much photographed corner of the medieval town.

The tilt is visible from the pavement without any ticket, because the tower rises straight out of the brick defensive wall that runs along the street. The tower and the wall stand together at the end of ul. Pod Krzywa Wieza, and the Toruń Travel Guide treats the whole medieval circuit as one walk. The oldest surviving fragment of Toruń's walls, which stands 6 m high, is at the end of the same street, so the tower and the wall are seen together.

Can You Go Inside The Leaning Tower Of Toruń?

The interior of the Leaning Tower is closed to visitors because of ongoing conservation works, and no reopening date has been published. The exterior on ul. Pod Krzywa Wieza remains free to see at any time. When the tower is open to the public, an adult ticket costs 20 zl and a reduced ticket costs 10 zl.

The practical upshot for a visit is simple: plan to see the tower from the street, where the full tilt is easy to take in from the pavement. There is no ticket to buy for the exterior, and the street itself is a normal open lane in the medieval town. Anyone hoping to climb the tower should leave that off the itinerary for now, because the interior stays closed while the conservation work continues. The medieval walls and gates are free to walk along, and the Leaning Tower is a natural first stop on that circuit.

Three surviving gates on the Vistula side stand near the tower, and they are free, open street space. For anyone walking the line of the medieval fortifications, the Leaning Tower is the point where the wall reaches its oldest surviving height.

What Does It Cost To See The Leaning Tower, And Where Is It?

Nothing has to be paid to see the Leaning Tower, because the exterior on ul. Pod Krzywa Wieza is free to view at any time. The street sits on the line of the medieval wall, and the oldest surviving wall fragment stands 6 m high at the end of the same street. When the tower is open, an adult ticket costs 20 zl and a reduced ticket costs 10 zl.

The costs line up neatly across the medieval sights. The tower's street view and the medieval gates and walls cost nothing, while the Teutonic Castle ruins at ul. Przedzamcze 3 charge 20 zl for an adult ticket and 12 zl reduced. The ruins open Monday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00 and sit 0.6 km, about 7 minutes on foot, from Rynek Staromiejski.

What Else Stands Along The Medieval Walls Near The Leaning Tower?

Three surviving gates on the Vistula side of Toruń, Brama Mostowa, Brama Zeglarska and Brama Klasztorna, stand along the same stretch of brick wall as the Leaning Tower, and stretches of wall remain between them. The oldest wall fragment, 6 m high, rises at the end of ul. Pod Krzywa Wieza. The gates and walls are free, open street space.

The walls and gates run on the Vistula side of the medieval town, so they make an easy extension of any walk through the Old Town. The Teutonic Castle ruins sit between the Old Town and the New Town, close enough to the tower to visit in the same walk, and they are run by Torunska Agenda Kulturalna.

For a guided walk that takes in the medieval streets around the tower, the Medieval Town Walking Tour is the walking tour to consider.

How Do You Fit The Leaning Tower Into A Day In Toruń?

The Leaning Tower needs no timed entry or ticket for the view from the street, so it slides into any part of the day. Pair it with the free medieval walls and gates, then walk 0.6 km, about 7 minutes on foot from Rynek Staromiejski, to the Teutonic Castle ruins at ul. Przedzamcze 3, which open daily from 10:00 to 18:00.

There is no need to buy a ticket for the tower itself, so the visit is quick by design: stand on ul. Pod Krzywa Wieza, look at the lean, and carry on to the gates. For a fuller medieval circuit, the one day in Toruń itinerary ties the walls to the Old Town Hall Tower and the Copernicus House.

For a guided walk of the medieval centre, the Medieval Town Walking Tour is the option to look at, and the operator's live listing is where to Check availability. If a low-cost group walk fits better, the Budget Guided Sightseeing Walk also runs through the old town.

For a private option, the Budget Private Medieval Walk keeps the group size down while following the same medieval streets.

Whichever way the rest of the day is planned, the Leaning Tower works as a short stop rather than a timed visit, and it leaves room for the castle ruins, the gates and the wider circuit of the old town.

Common Questions About The Leaning Tower Of Toruń