We visited Chełmno on our way to Ciechocinek, near the end of my amazing visit to Poland. It’s a smaller city of about 20,000 people on the bank of the Wisła (Vistula) river in the area known as Pommerania. It is a fairly old city an has at times belonged to the Teutonic Knights, Poland, and Germany (its German name was Kulm). Chełmno was a member of the Hanseatic League and a prosperous trade center. You can see my pictures of Chełmno here: http://poland.leonkonieczny.com/Poland%202011/Chełmo/index.html.
Once a fortified (walled) town, many of the walls still remain. It also is home to five historic and old churches, some dating back to the 11th century. When Germany invaded Poland and started World War II, they murdered about 5,000 Poles from the area. And when they retreated at the end of the war, they set fire to a number of structures in town. But, to this day, a lot of the historic beauty of Chełmno remains. Enjoy the photos, I know I do.
