Chełmno is often called the city of lovers, but also Little Krakow or Polish Carcassonne. All these names are related to its historical character and beautiful monuments that have been preserved here. It is worth seeing the Old Town surrounded by defensive walls and numerous buildings from various eras.
The city was founded by the Teutonic Knights in the thirteenth century under one location act with nearby Toruń. Both cities became members of the hanse, which brought them a lot of income from trade. The medieval period was the best time in the development of Chełmno. At that time, a network of streets in the center and huge city walls were created, which have survived to this day at a length of about 1700 m. Town towers and gates were also part of the fortifications. Among them are the Powder Tower and Maiden Tower and the Grudziądz Gate.
In the center of the Old Town there is a market square with a Renaissance town hall and tenement houses from different periods. There are also several interesting gothic churches within the center. The most important of them is the Church of St. Jakub and Mikołaj and the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the latter, the relics of St. Valentine, the patron saint of lovers. This is why Chełmno is called the City of Love and the famous Chełmno Valentine's Day is celebrated here. The Chelmno Academy, operating here in the Middle Ages, is also associated with the churches of Chełmno, the level of which was compared to that of the Kraków Academy, which gave rise to calling the city Little Kraków.
An interesting attraction of Chełmno is the Miniature Park of Teutonic Castles. Chełmno was one of the first castles, and then the cities that fell within the Teutonic state, and the park presents defensive construction from the areas of Pomerania, Kujawy and Warmia and Mazury.
