Brodnica Museum

Brodnica Museum has no single building. Its collections are spread across three historic sites in the old town: the cellars of a Teutonic Knights' castle, a medieval town gate and a granary more than four hundred years old. A visit is really a walk through Brodnica, with archaeology and architecture taking turns.

History: from regional museum to three venues

The museum was founded on 29 March 1973 as the Regional Museum in Brodnica and later took its present name. From the start it has covered the archaeology, history, ethnography and nature of the Brodnica area. The collection now runs to more than 50,000 inventory items and nearly half a million objects, and the museum has staged over 230 exhibitions. According to the museum, around 40,000 people visit each year.

What to see

• Teutonic Castle (ul. Zamkowa 1) – the former seat of the Teutonic commanders of Brodnica. Work on what was probably a timber stronghold began around 1285, and the brick castle went up between 1305 and 1339; the castle chapel was consecrated in 1339. The cellars hold two permanent exhibitions: "The Brodnica Region in the Middle Ages", with crossbow bolt heads, swords, tools and models of early hillforts, and sculptures and architectural details from the lost castle chapel.
• Chełmno Gate, also called the Stone Gate (Mały Rynek 4) – built in 1310–1330, raised by a storey around 1370 and restored in 1898. In the 19th century it served as a prison. It has stepped gables with pinnacles and a surviving section of the gate passage; a timber portcullis has been reconstructed in the entrance. Today it houses a gallery, and the adjoining small townhouse hosts temporary exhibitions.
• Granary (ul. św. Jakuba 1) – a Renaissance building from around 1604, rebuilt around 1900 from two to four storeys. The original timber beams survive inside. It holds the exhibition "Daily Life of Mesolithic Hunters from Mszano 10,000 Years Ago" and the Centre for Environmental Education.

Interesting facts

In 1997 the Mesolithic hunters exhibition won a prize in Poland's national Museum Event of the Year competition. It presents finds from excavations near the village of Mszano, linked to hunter-gatherers of the Middle Stone Age. The castle later passed from the Teutonic commanders to royal governors, and from 1605 to 1625 it was the residence of Princess Anna Vasa of the Vasa dynasty.

Tripto tip

To see all three sites, buy the combined pass: according to the museum's price list it costs PLN 20 (reduced PLN 10) and is valid on the day of purchase, while a ticket for a single site is PLN 8 (reduced PLN 5). In season, from 15 May to 15 September, the museum is open daily 10:00–17:00; out of season it is closed on Mondays and opens from morning to mid-afternoon on other days (Sundays 10:00–14:00). Tickets can also be bought online. Allow 1.5–2 hours for all three sites. As the museum points out, the historic buildings are not fully accessible to visitors with significant disabilities.