Part of its appeal surely rested on its location: nestled next to the Vistula, Torun proved a likely site for travellers up and down that watery route. As a result of the trade that accompanied them, Torun grew wealthy over the centuries and built to display that wealth. Fortunately, most of what was constructed remains as Torun survived WWII essentially intact. Along with its genuinely lovely Old and New Towns, Torun can also boast a world-famous native son: Nicholas Copernicus. Having established that the sun and earth maintain a slightly different relationship to one another than claimed elsewhere, Copernicus entered history and Torun along with him.