Torun Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips

Toruń Christmas Market returns to the Old Town Market Square on 20 November 2026, when the organiser officially opens the new edition; the following day, 21 November, the city Christmas tree is lit, marking the start of the festive season in Toruń. The organiser says the market is growing again and will have more stallholders than ever. One thing to watch: the market's website lists 20 December 2026 as the end date in its page title, but says stalls trade until 10 January 2027 in its opening-hours box. We'll confirm which applies once the schedule is published.

A UNESCO-listed Gothic old town, the smell of gingerbread and Santa every Sunday – below you'll find opening hours, how to get there, how to pay, parking costs, tips and the best gingerbread experiences nearby. More Polish cities, dates and maps: Christmas markets in Poland 2026.

At a glance: Toruń Christmas Market 2026

Dates	from 20 November 2026; ends 20 December 2026 or 10 January 2027 (the organiser's site lists both)
Opening hours	Mon–Thu 12:00–21:00, Fri 12:00–22:00, Sat 10:00–22:00, Sun 10:00–21:00
Where	Old Town Market Square (Rynek Staromiejski) and surrounding streets
Admission	free (open event)
Getting there	Plac Rapackiego and Aleja Solidarności (CKK Jordanki) stops, a few minutes' walk from the square
Organiser	Toruń Christmas Market (2025: Fundacja Razem dla Torunia)

Hours as published on jarmarktorun.pl on 13 October 2026. The event schedule is “coming soon” – we'll update this article.

What to see, eat and buy

Toruń's market surrounds the Old Town Market Square, in the shadow of the Gothic Town Hall, the Nicolaus Copernicus monument and merchant houses from the city's Hanseatic heyday. It isn't a giant festival like Wrocław's, but an intimate market in a beautifully preserved medieval town – and that makes all the difference when there are cobbles underfoot and fairy lights against brick gables overhead.

Crafts and stallholders

The organiser promises both familiar favourite stalls and brand-new attractions. Local craftspeople, makers and traders from all over Poland will come to Toruń – more of them in 2026 than in any previous edition. Look for tree decorations, ceramics, jewellery and gifts by local makers.

Gingerbread, of course

Toruń has been famous for its gingerbread for centuries. At the market and in the shops around the square you'll find pierniki in every shape, from little hearts to the traditional lobed katarzynki – and in the nearby gingerbread museums you can bake and decorate your own. Add mulled wine, hot chocolate, grilled food and sweets. Note that under the 2025 market rules, alcohol could only be sold and drunk in designated zones. No 2026 prices have been published.

A short history of Toruń gingerbread

Gingerbread has been baked in Toruń since the Middle Ages, when the city sat on trade routes that brought in exotic spices. The gingerbread bakers' guild was an important one, and richly carved wooden gingerbread moulds survive in museum collections. The best-known shape is the katarzynka, made of six joined circles, with several legends about its origin. Visiting the market without a bag of gingerbread is almost unthinkable here.

What to bring home

Gingerbread, obviously – in decorated tins, chocolate-coated or iced, from the market or the shops around the square. It travels well and keeps for weeks. If you join a museum workshop, your own decorated gingerbread is the best souvenir; ask for a box so it survives the trip.

Santa every Sunday and kids' workshops

Santa traditionally visits the market every Sunday, and the organiser hints that he may turn up on other, unannounced days this year too. As every year, there will be a wide range of Christmas workshops for children. Under the 2025 rules, children under 13 had to be accompanied by an adult.

Christmas tree lighting

The most atmospheric moment of the season is Saturday 21 November 2026, when the city tree is lit on the square, the day after the official opening on 20 November. If you can choose, that weekend is a great time to go – just expect crowds.

Gift idea: gingerbread won't last until New Year, but a Toruń map poster will. Mark the square or the Vistula boulevard with a heart and download a print-ready PDF.

Practical tips for international visitors

Money: paying in złoty

The currency is the złoty (zł, PLN). Many stalls take cards and contactless, but carry a little cash for small purchases. Opt for PLN whenever a card terminal suggests converting to your home currency. For reference, the organiser lists parking at 7.30 zł for the first hour in the city-centre zone.

Getting to Toruń

Toruń has no major international airport of its own. The nearest is Bydgoszcz (about 50 km away); many visitors fly into Gdańsk or Warsaw and continue by train to Toruń Główny station. The station is on the opposite bank of the Vistula from the Old Town: take a bus across the bridge to Plac Rapackiego, a few minutes' walk from the market, or walk for about 25 minutes.

When to go

The market opens at 12:00 on weekdays and 10:00 at weekends. Monday to Thursday in the early afternoon is the calmest. After dark (around 15:30 in December) the market and the Gothic houses look their best, and on Fridays and Saturdays stalls stay open until 22:00. Opening weekend and Sundays with Santa are the busiest.

A simple afternoon plan

Arrive around noon and start with a workshop at one of the gingerbread museums – book ahead. Then stroll the market in daylight, visit Copernicus House and walk to the Leaning Tower. Come back to the square after dark for mulled wine and finish on the Vistula boulevard: the lit-up old town seen from the riverside is Toruń's classic view.

Driving and parking

Parking in the centre can be very difficult. According to the organiser, the first hour costs 7.30 zł in the city-centre paid zone, 4.00 zł in zone A and 1.80 zł in zone B; the penalty for not paying is 92 zł (rising to 230 zł after 5 days). The city roads authority (MZD Toruń) publishes a map of municipal car parks.

Kids, accessibility and dogs

Sunday Santa visits and the workshops are the highlights for children. The Old Town is cobbled, so buggies are easier outside peak hours. The organiser doesn't publish dog or accessibility rules; choose a quiet weekday if you bring a dog.

Make a weekend of it

Staying longer? Visit the Planetarium right by the old town or the interactive Mill of Knowledge science centre – both great on a winter day with kids. On a dry day, walk the Vistula boulevard and the city walls, then return to the market in the evening. Toruń is compact, so you can do it all on foot.

Where to stay

Old Town rooms go fast for the opening weekend and December Saturdays. Suggested places to stay, with their distance from the square, are on the organiser's hotels page. Cheaper options are in the Bydgoskie and Chełmińskie Przedmieście districts, 10–20 minutes' walk from the square.

Nearby: what else to see

• Toruń Old Town – the UNESCO-listed Gothic old town where the market is held.
• Living Museum of Gingerbread – hands-on workshops where you bake your own gingerbread; great with kids.
• Museum of Toruń Gingerbread – the history of gingerbread making in a former gingerbread factory.
• Nicolaus Copernicus House – a Gothic townhouse and museum dedicated to the astronomer born in Toruń.
• Leaning Tower – a tilted tower in the city walls; try standing straight next to it.
• Teutonic Castle ruins – a few minutes from the square, by the Vistula.

Museums, medieval walls and granaries on the Vistula: see things to do in Toruń.

FAQ: Toruń Christmas Market 2026

When does the Toruń Christmas Market open in 2026?

The official opening is on 20 November 2026, and the Christmas tree is lit on 21 November.

When does it close?

The organiser's website gives two dates: 20 December 2026 (in the page title) and 10 January 2027 (in the stall opening hours). We'll confirm once the schedule is published.

What are the opening hours?

Monday–Thursday 12:00–21:00, Friday 12:00–22:00, Saturday 10:00–22:00, Sunday 10:00–21:00.

Is there an entrance fee?

No, it's a free, open event.

How much is mulled wine?

The organiser lists parking charges but no food or drink prices for 2026.

Can I bring my dog?

We found no dog rules on the market's website. Weekend evenings around the Copernicus statue are noisy – come on a weekday with a dog.

Can I drink alcohol anywhere at the market?

Under the 2025 rules, alcohol could only be sold and consumed in designated zones. The 2026 rules will appear in the new market regulations.

Before you go: a Toruń map poster is the perfect gift for anyone who fell for this city over their first gingerbread. Toruń and Bydgoszcz are only about 50 km apart – both are in Christmas markets in Poland 2026.