Toruń
Department of Organic Chemistry
Faculty of Chemistry
Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
Gagarina 7 street, 87 100 Torun
Toruń, located on the River Vistula, has two distinct faces. The former is that of one of the oldest and most beautiful cities in Poland. Anyone who finds themselves in the city centre facing the majestic, Gothic building of the Town Hall, which overlooks the Old Town Square, will confirm the special beauty of the city founded in 1233. 
The medieval architectural layout includes buildings in Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and neo-Gothic styles, among which you can find numerous high quality monuments which have fortunately survived till the present day in their original condition. This is particularly rare in this part of Europe. The panorama of the Old Town seen from the Vistula includes the buildings of the Town Hall, SS Johns’ Cathedral and the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, towering over the roofs of the town houses, along the well-preserved city walls by the river. This view delights visitors in every season. The Old Town in Toruń has been listed among UNESCO’s World Cultural and Natural Heritage sites, which is unsurprising to the crowds of tourists that visit Toruń each year (approximately 1.5 million).
The latter face is that of Toruń as the site of one of the most important Polish universities, and one with a well-established reputation, which in 2015 celebrated its 70th anniversary. Young students are present on the campus and elsewhere in the city, in its streets, clubs, cafes and pubs. In a population of nearly 200,000, four thousand are employed at the University, while it educates 25,000 students. This creates a dynamic cultural and intellectual atmosphere throughout the year to complement the stunning scenery of the Old Town.
Toruń is a site of international festivals – among these are KONTAKT International Theatre Festival and PIERWSZY KONTAKT – Theatre Festival of Debutants (held every other year), the One Actor’s Theatre Festival, the International Film Festival Tofifest, Bella Skyway Festival, and music festivals, such as Probaltica: Toruń – Music and Architecture, and many others. In cooperation with the city authorities, the University organises the Toruń Science and Art Festival which, due to its captivating program, is very popular among the residents of Toruń and its region, which attracts dozens of thousands of viewers annually.
Thanks to its location Toruń is very well connected with the main airports in Gdańsk and Warsaw. There is also an airport in neighbouring Bydgoszcz