Bydgoszcz is a city located on the Vistula and Brda rivers in Northern Poland. This eighth largest city in Poland is an important centre of business for the whole country, a city with three state universities and sixteen private institutions of higher education. The city is famous for its charming waterfront and Art Nouveau style buildings. There is plenty to see and do in this city, which has its distinctive charm and a slower pace than some other cities in Poland.
Green areas are part of the city image. Bydgoszcz is often called a green or a garden city. It owes this title not only to the parks, old avenues of trees within the city, but also to Poland’s largest city park called the Myślęcinek. Its 800 hectares of forest include the Polish Fauna Garden, one of a few in Poland, a botanical garden, an Alpinarium, an equestrian centre and tennis courts, just to name a few.
One of the most curious features of the city is the Mill Island on the Brda River, also known as the “Bydgoszcz Venice.” The houses sit so close to the edge of the water that they almost appear to be resting on it. This is a great place to try some tea, coffee, or beer while soaking up the atmosphere.
The city of Bydgoszcz also had several noteworthy churches. At the top of the list is the Bydgoszcz Cathedral, with its 15th-century red brick exteriors and colourful interiors. The Minor Basilica of St. Vincent de Paul is another exciting stopping point. This large church can hold up to 12,000 people, and its interiors were modelled after the Pantheon.
The city’s riverside location provides visitors with the opportunity to view some of Bydgoszcz’s greatest sights by boat. Water tours are a wonderful way to enjoy the scenery both during the day and at night. Everyone who visits this town should admire the view of the city lit up at night from the vantage point of the bridge over Brda near the Old Market Square. There is also a sculpture here suspended on a rope over the river called “Man Crossing the River” that is probably unlike any other sculpture you have seen before.
One of its strongest points is also the fact that it is an important road and railway junction and inland harbour as well.
The city has its own airport, the Bydgoszcz Ignacy Jan Paderewski Airport, which has several regular domestic and international flights (to Warsaw, Krakow, London, Dublin ,Bristol, Birmingham) but it’s also not too far from the airports in Poznań and Gdansk.