Chojnice Old Town is a compact historic centre in Chojnice, Poland, with a market square, two church squares and a surviving fragment of medieval defensive walls. You can link its central sights on foot, with the museum and churches adding history to a town-centre stroll; the centre is about a 2-minute walk from Hotel Ratuszowy.
- Starting point: Old Market Square
- Historic features: town hall, fountain, churches and medieval walls
- Museum: six historic buildings along the walls
- Museum timing: hours vary between September–June and July–August
Start in central Chojnice
The Old Market Square is a natural starting point for a walk through central Chojnice. The square features Chojnice Town Hall and a fountain recreated in 2002, with sculptures depicting the St John’s Day Parade.
From there, continue toward Church Square. The two public spaces sit close to one another, and the town’s historic centre also includes a surviving fragment of medieval defensive walls. That gives you a simple route through the main historic area without needing to plan a long circuit.
Follow the historic streets
Chojnice’s historic streets connect its squares, churches and remaining medieval walls. The regional tourism board describes the Old Town’s historic part as suitable for a stroll, making a relaxed walk a practical way to see the town centre.
As you move between the squares, look for the traces of the old defensive line and the historic buildings gathered around it. The museum occupies several of these buildings, so the walls and museum complex form part of the streetscape as well as a place to visit.
If you want to make the walk part of a fuller day in town, the one-day Chojnice itinerary sets out a broader plan.
Add the Museum of History and Ethnography
The Muzeum Historyczno-Etnograficzne w Chojnicach occupies six historic buildings along a surviving fragment of the medieval defensive walls. Its complex includes Człuchowska Gate, formerly called Stone Gate, and the historic towers Baszta Wronia, Baszta Szewska and Baszta Kurza Stopa, alongside Dom Szewski and Dom na Murach.
The museum’s buildings and walls make this stop part of the town-centre walk, not just an indoor visit. You can find the main museum address at ul. Podmurna 15; the Człuchowska Gate exhibition is at ul. Podmurna 13, and the Kurza Stopa gallery is at ul. Podmurna 3.
From September through June, the museum is closed Mondays, open Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 16:00, and open Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 to 15:00. In July and August, Tuesday-to-Friday hours extend to 17:00, while weekend hours remain 10:00 to 15:00. Last admission is 30 minutes before closing.
The museum also closes on listed public holidays, and admission requires a valid ticket or invitation; the director sets charges separately. For a closer look at planning the visit, read this visitor guide to the Chojnice museum. Check the official site before you go.
Visit the Church of the Beheading of St John the Baptist
The Church of the Beheading of St John the Baptist is one of the historic churches on Church Square. Built between 1340 and 1360 in the Vistula Gothic style, it was elevated to the rank of minor basilica by Pope John Paul II on March 11, 1993.
A tombstone dated 1625 for Jan Doręgowski remains set into the south wall of the basilica’s nave. Church Square also features the late-Baroque Post-Jesuit Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, so you can take in two distinct church buildings in the same part of the centre.
This guide to the Church of the Beheading of St John the Baptist focuses on the basilica.
Allow time for a relaxed town-centre walk
Allow enough time to wander between the Old Market Square, Church Square and the fragment of medieval walls rather than treating the centre as a checklist. The squares are close together, and the museum’s historic buildings sit along the walls, giving the walk a clear thread through Chojnice’s past.
You can begin at the Old Market Square, continue to Church Square, then include the museum complex if its opening hours suit your plans. If you are visiting the museum, leave room for its last-admission cutoff and check for holiday closures before setting out.
FAQs
What are the main things to see in Chojnice Old Town?
The Old Market Square, Chojnice Town Hall, the fountain, Church Square, the two churches and the surviving medieval walls are central highlights. The museum complex occupies historic buildings along the walls.
When is the Chojnice museum open?
It is closed Mondays. Tuesday-to-Friday hours are 10:00 to 16:00 from September through June and 10:00 to 17:00 in July and August; weekend hours are 10:00 to 15:00.
Do you need a ticket for the Chojnice museum?
Admission requires a valid ticket or invitation, and the director sets admission charges separately. The museum’s last visitors enter 30 minutes before closing.
Can you visit both churches on Church Square during a walk?
Both the Church of the Beheading of St John the Baptist and the late-Baroque Post-Jesuit Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary are on Church Square.