Torun owes its origins to the Teutonic Order, which built a castle there in the mid-13th century as a base for the conquest and evangelization of Prussia. It soon developed an important commercial role as part of the Hanseatic League. Torun’s historic core, represented by its well preserved complex of medieval architecture and the original urban layout was included on UNESCO’s List in 1997. Thanks to the great astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus Torun is well known not only in Poland but also beyond its borders.