Torun Gingerbread – Museums, Workshops and Where to Buy the Best

Copernicus made Torun famous in the world of science, but for most visitors the city tastes, above all, of gingerbread. Torun gingerbread was already being baked here when the city belonged to the Hanseatic League, and the old recipes and wooden moulds have survived to this day – in the museums, workshops and shops of the Old Town.

In this guide you’ll find two gingerbread museums with workshops you can visit as a group, tips on where to buy gingerbread to take home as gifts, and an idea for how to end your gingerbread day in Torun.

How Torun gingerbread became famous

Gingerbread-making in Torun has medieval roots. Decorative gingerbread was pressed into carved wooden moulds, and its flavour won over admirers including Fryderyk Chopin and Pope John Paul II. In the 18th century Jan Weese took over one of the town’s gingerbread bakeries, and between the two world wars his family business was one of the largest companies in Pomerania. Today the tradition is carried on by the Kopernik confectionery factory (Fabryka Cukiernicza Kopernik), and the culture of Torun gingerbread has been added to Poland’s National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Gingerbread attractions in Torun

1. Muzeum Toruńskiego Piernika (Museum of Torun Gingerbread)

This branch of the District Museum in Torun is at Strumykowa 4, in a late 19th-century building that once housed Gustaw Weese’s factory. The exhibition takes you through the history of gingerbread baking, shows off a rich collection of wooden moulds and even recreates interiors from the communist era, with multimedia displays and a corner for children too. The real highlight, though, is the workshop on the ground floor: with a guide showing you how, you’ll make decorative gingerbread from the original dough and spices, and finish with a tasting. The museum takes workshop bookings for groups and has its own shop.

2. Żywe Muzeum Piernika (Living Museum of Gingerbread)

At Rabiańska 9, sightseeing turns into a performance. The Master Gingerbread Baker and the Witch lead guests through the old guild rituals: there’s a solemn oath, grinding flour on a quern, kneading the dough to an old recipe and shaping gingerbread in wooden moulds. The biscuits then go into the oven, and everyone takes their own gingerbread home. Upstairs you’ll see historic machinery and hear about Torun’s gingerbread factories from the time when Poland was partitioned, and anyone who fancies it can decorate their gingerbread with coloured icing under the guidance of an artist. There’s a shop and a café on site, and tickets can also be bought online.

3. Piernikowa Aleja Gwiazd (Gingerbread Avenue of Stars)

On the Old Town Market Square, in front of the entrance to Dwór Artusa (Artus Court), plaques shaped like a katarzynka – Torun’s most recognisable gingerbread – are set into the paving. Each one honours a famous person and bears their signature. It’s a great spot for a group photo before your gingerbread tour.

Where to buy the best gingerbread in Torun

You can buy gingerbread almost everywhere in Torun, but it’s worth knowing where to look for the best.

1. Kopernik’s own shops

Classic Torun gingerbread, including katarzynki, is made by the Kopernik confectionery factory. Its own-brand shops are right in the heart of the Old Town – among others at Rynek Staromiejski 6, Żeglarska 24 and Kopernika 42. It’s the easiest way to buy gingerbread gifts without endless searching and comparing.

2. Museum shops

Both the Museum of Torun Gingerbread and the Living Museum of Gingerbread have shops. Buying after a workshop has one big advantage: you already know what to look for, and once you’ve worked at the baking bench yourself, it’s easier to appreciate gingerbread pressed in traditional moulds.

3. Smaller gingerbread bakeries

Besides the museums, Torun also has independent gingerbread bakeries that run workshops and sell their own creations. They’re worth a visit if you’re after something less predictable than the classic box from the souvenir shelf.

4. Your own bake

The most personal souvenir of all is gingerbread you’ve baked yourself at a workshop. It doesn’t have to be perfect – what counts is the story you’ll tell when you hand it over to friends and family.

Which gingerbread to choose

The classic choice is katarzynki, whose shape is echoed by the plaques on the Gingerbread Avenue of Stars – according to tradition, their name commemorates a nun called Katarzyna (Catherine). Beyond those, the shops sell chocolate-covered gingerbread, filled varieties and decorative pieces pressed in wooden moulds. The latter more often end up on a shelf as decoration than on a plate.

Practical tips

• Bookings – if you’re coming with a larger group, sign up for a workshop well in advance and agree the date and terms directly with the museum.
• Shop last – buy your gingerbread at the end of the day so you’re not carrying bags around while sightseeing.
• Events – the District Museum organises events such as Święto Toruńskiego Piernika (the Torun Gingerbread Festival); check the date in the museum’s calendar.
• Fun for everyone – the shows and workshops work just as well for families as for a group of adult friends.

A gingerbread day, a party night

After a day in the workshop and the shops, it’s worth changing the pace. A private tram with a professional sound system, club lighting and a welcome drink makes for an evening that shows you Torun from a different angle – the route can loop around the Gothic Old Town, through Rapacki Square and along the Sikorski Embankment. We can arrange catering on board, and a party host will keep the atmosphere going. Gingerbread workshops followed by a tram ride work brilliantly for a hen party, for example, but the combination suits any occasion – you’ll find the details on our Torun tram party page.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need to book gingerbread workshops in Torun?

For a group, definitely. The Museum of Torun Gingerbread takes workshop bookings for groups, and tickets for the Living Museum of Gingerbread can also be bought online. Check available dates before you arrive.

Where can you buy gingerbread gifts in Torun?

The easiest option is Kopernik’s own shops in the Old Town – for example on the Old Town Market Square and on Żeglarska Street – or the shops at both gingerbread museums.

Can you have a tram party after the workshops?

Yes. We agree the date, route and attractions individually, and the offer includes tram hire, a sound system, club lighting, a welcome drink, catering and photo coverage, among other things. We prepare options both for smaller groups of up to 30 people and for larger ones – find out more on the TramParty Torun page.