Is Bydgoszcz in Poland worth visiting?

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From the start, I need to warn you. It’s probably the most objective post I have ever written. I originally come from Bydgoszcz, so my heart will always be there a little bit. From the other side, on a daily basis I don’t live there anymore. That means that I do observe the city from a distance, see changes, positives, and negatives.

I also read quite many opinions from tourists or other travel bloggers. Most of them are very positive. It actually feels a bit funny, as it often comes from… the Polish people! Yes, until a few years ago Bydgoszcz was not getting many ‘wow’ opinions. Mostly because… it wasn’t even visited. Somehow people were skipping it, choosing the more known cities. But recent years have changed things. Maybe even thanks to social media? The beauty of the city has been noticed.

And the proof of this thesis is that you are reading this blog post. It probably means you have heard something but still wonder if it’s worth it to put in an effort and visit this city.

Let me give you a few reasons why Bydgoszcz, a city in Poland, is worth visiting.

Rivers and the Canal

I think it’s safe to say Bydgoszcz is a city built on the water. It lies next to two rivers: Brda, which passes through the city centre, and Wisła (Vistula), the biggest Polish river, which passes in the Fordon neighbourhood (not that it matters for this post, but it was my neighbourhood).

Additionally, there is Bydgoszcz Canal, the canal almost 27 km long built in 1773-1774, and some smaller water streams.

It all creates the impression that the city is on the water and makes the city centre full of the river views. It just makes the views nicer; there are green places to walk, chill or even enjoy water sports like kayaking.

You can also take a boat which will take you on the canal, and you will be able to see how locks work.

The canal was and still is of high importance, so in addition to views, it’s a very interesting point from historic and hydrotechnical points of view.

In Bydgoszcz, two international waterways, E70 and E40, meet.

Less Crowded

Even if Bydgoszcz is gaining the deserved attention of Polish and foreign tourists, it’s still a lesser-known city without mass tourism. Thanks to this, it’s less busy and crowded, and visiting can be just nicer (without huge lines and tickets sold-out for weeks).

There is still enough vibe and atmosphere, though, so you will not walk in the empty city without anything happening.

All-Year-Round

You can visit Bydgoszcz all year round, and you will always have things to do and see. Obviously, during spring and summer it might be nicest because of the weather; it will be more grey between November and March. However, it still can be an interesting destination.

Autumn colours fit very well for the architecture of the city; especially Mill Island looks beautiful with colourful leaves.

In the second half of November and December, the city shines with Christmas decorations and because of the Bydgoszcz Christmas Market.

History, architecture, streets, and tenement houses

Bydgoszcz is a perfect city for walking and visiting. It’s compact enough to walk from place to place and big enough not to get bored very quickly. In every corner of the city centre, you will find interesting spots and architecture. I especially like tenements houses in the Secession (Art Nouveau) style.

The other nice place for a walk is Mill Island.

The city has a rich history; it got city rights in 1346. Unfortunately, part of the monuments were destroyed during wars; there are still many left, though.

You will have places to visit and walk, but also sit at the coffee.

Here I described the walk which you can take in the centre.

Nature

If you look at the map, you will notice that the city is actually surrounded by forests. In the south, it’s Puszcza Bydgoska; in the north, it’s not far to the region and forest called Bory Tucholskie.

There are also many forest walks and trails in the city itself, for example, between the Fordon and Myślęcinek neighbourhoods.

Myślęcinek (more precisely: Forest Park of Culture and Rest) is the biggest city park in Poland. There are forest paths, but also botanical gardens, a small ZOO, small lakes, etc. It’s a favourite place for citizens to rest and easy to visit for tourists too.

It’s just a few kilometres away from the centre, and you can easily reach it even via tram.

In the city you can use the river, Mill Island, and canal for water activities; there are also city parks.

I think it’s a big plus for the city, especially if you have a bit more time during your visit.

Culture and Sports

Culture

In Bydgoszcz, you will find many cultural and sports venues. There is Opera, now in additional development. It is where the well-known yearly Bydgoszcz Opera Festival takes place.

There is also the Pomeranian Philharmonic, known for having one of the best acoustics in Europe.

Bydgoszcz is often called ‘The City of Music’; there are more music festivals in the city, for example, The River of Music. The city is even part of the Unesco Creative Cities Network, in the Cities of Music part, obviously.

Sports

There is Łuczniczka Arena, a sports and concert hall. It hosted different big sports events like the Volleyball World Championships in 2014. At the moment it doesn’t host the biggest events, as other arenas in Poland are more modern, but I had to mention it, as it’s where and when my sports volunteering started.

However, the athletics stadium (Zawisza) is one of the best in Poland, and it regularly hosts bigger and smaller athletics events like the European Championships U23.

They took place in Bydgoszcz in 2017, and it’s already announced that they will return to the city in 2027.

So if you are a music or athletics lover, Bydgoszcz can be a good destination for you.

Museums

There are also different museums in the city, so you will have some under-roof activities in case it rains.

Part of them are unique attractions like the Museum of Soap and History of Dirt, a highly rated museum, or Exploseum.

That’s not all, of course, but these are the main points that come to mind when someone asks me why they should come to Bydgoszcz.

In the last 20 years the city has changed a lot. You will not notice he changes, but surely you can notice how nice and interesting a city it is. Before writing this blog post, I asked my partner, who is not Polish and who visited the city a few times with me, what reasons he would give for why foreign tourists should visit it. He said: ‘It’s just a nice typical Polish city with some interesting and pretty points, not too big and not too small’. Not sure if this description convinces you, but hopefully with the other points I described, it does.

Click here for more practical information regarding your trip to Bydgoszcz; you will find there all information regarding how to get there, public transport, etc.

Here, I’m describing accommodation options.