House Under the Star – Museum of Asian Art

The House Under the Star (Kamienica pod Gwiazdą, roughly "kah-mee-EN-ee-tsah pod gvee-AZ-dohn") is one of the most striking buildings on Toruń's Old Town Market Square and home to the Museum of Asian Art. Behind a Baroque facade covered in stucco flowers and fruit you'll find medieval walls, a carved wooden spiral staircase and painted ceilings, plus Chinese bronzes, Japanese prints and East Asian porcelain. It's an easy, rewarding stop on any list of things to do in Toruń.

Where it is and why it matters

Toruń is a medieval Hanseatic city on the Vistula River in north-central Poland, about 130 miles (210 km) by road northwest of Warsaw. Its Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (since 1997) and the birthplace of Nicolaus Copernicus. The House Under the Star stands on the east side of the main square at number 35, a short walk from the Old Town Hall.

The walls go back to the Middle Ages, and in the late 15th century the house belonged to Filippo Buonaccorsi, known as Callimachus, an Italian humanist who tutored the sons of King Casimir IV Jagiellon. The facade got its lavish Baroque makeover at the end of the 17th century: the gable carries the date 1697, and a gilded star on top gives the house its name.

What to see inside

Step into the tall entrance hall and look up. A wooden spiral staircase of the Gdańsk type winds upward, guarded by a statue of Minerva and a lion holding a shield. The ceilings carry 16th- and 17th-century painted decoration, and an Empire-style salon from around 1800 survives upstairs.

The permanent exhibition, "World of the Orient," is built largely on the gift of collector Tadeusz Wierzejski. Highlights include:

• Chinese ritual bronzes, some more than 3,000 years old
• Tang dynasty terracotta figurines
• Chinese and Japanese porcelain and crafts
• Japanese woodblock prints and Tibetan prints
• Objects from India, Thailand and Vietnam

The museum opened here in 1970 as the Museum of Far Eastern Art, Poland's first permanent display of its kind, and took its current name in 2026. In fall 2026 a temporary show of contemporary Japanese calligraphy is on view. The small oriental garden at the back is temporarily closed for technical work.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, especially if you want to see the inside of a historic merchant's house rather than just its facade, or you need a rainy-day option. Plan 45–60 minutes. We could not confirm whether labels are translated into English, so keep a translation app handy; the architecture speaks for itself. The historic stairs limit access for wheelchair users; check the accessibility section of the museum website before you go.

Opening hours and tickets

As of October 2026:

• October 1 – April 30: Tuesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; closed Mondays. Last entry 30 minutes before closing.
• May 1 – September 30: Tuesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
• Closed on November 1, December 24, 25 and 31, and January 1.
• Tickets: 30 PLN standard, 25 PLN reduced (Polish złoty). The ticket also covers the Tony Halik Travelers' Museum nearby.
• Free admission on Wednesdays. Tickets can be bought online.

How to get there

Trains from Warsaw take roughly 2.5–3 hours; Toruń Miasto station is the closer one to the Old Town, while Toruń Główny is across the river. The nearest airport is Bydgoszcz, about 25–30 miles (40–50 km) away; Gdańsk is around 110 miles (180 km) north. The Old Town has restricted traffic and paid parking, so drivers are better off at the city's Park & Ride lots (ul. Olimpijska 42 or ul. Dziewulskiego 38) and taking a tram or bus in.

Nearby

• Old Town Hall and its viewing tower, across the square
• Tony Halik Travelers' Museum, included in the same ticket
• Copernicus House and the Toruń Gingerbread Museum
• Artus Court on the south side of the square