Bydgoszcz is not always the sole destination of tourists visiting the city. The majority of people coming to the city on the Brda River aim to learn about the entire region of Kujawy and Pomerania, in particular about nearby Toruń. The most convenient way to cover the distance of 50 km between Toruń and Bydgoszcz is to travel by bus. From the bus station [1] at Jagiellońska St. we can get to the historic centre by trams No. 1 and 4 – we get off at the first stop at Jagiellonów roundabout and continue on foot. We can also choose trams No. 3 or 8 and get off at the second stop, by the Opera Nova, from where we head to the Old Market Square along a footbridge over the Brda River.

Another option is to give up on public transport and just take a stroll. We are bound to be impressed by the revitalized old city slaughterhouse facilities [2] from the late 19th century. On the area of what was once a major factory in the city there previously was a house used by Jerome David Salinger - the author one of the most famous contemporary novels - The Catcher in the Rye. The writer lived in our city for some time. Currently there is the largest shopping centre in the region there - “Focus Mall”.

When moving on towards the Old Market we go past a building from 1860 – the former seat of the Directorate of the Municipal Gasworks [3], which today serves the Pomeranian Gas Company. Initially, the gas produced here was consumed by as few as 250 people. The dynamic development of the city caused, however, that during the inter-war period it was the largest gas plant in Pomerania and one of the largest gasworks in Poland.
From the doorsteps of the gasworks we can admire a view on one of the most interesting examples of urban planning in the city. The far end of Piotrowskiego Street is crowned by the St. Vincent a'Paulo Roman Catholic church [4]. This neoclassical building, modeled after the Pantheon in Rome, was built between 1925 - 1968 (interior finished in 1978) as a thanksgiving for the return of Pomerania to the Homeland. At the end of the 20th century, it was elevated to the rank of a Minor Basilica by Pope John Paul II (More: route Around the City Centre).

A walk from the bus station to Jagiellonów roundabout [5] takes around 10 minutes and is highly recommended if we want to obtain a more detailed picture of the city (For the next section of the way see the route: From the airport straight to Old Market).

• From the airport straight to the Old Market