Fragments of the town walls with Gothic gate towers, the Basilica of St Thomas the Apostle and trails through the Drwęca Valley give Nowe Miasto Lubawskie a distinctive cultural and historical character. The town lies in the valley of the meandering Drwęca; its eastern part is within the Obszar Chronionego Krajobrazu Doliny Dolnej Drwęcy protected landscape area. The historic market square also retains its distinctive character. The urban complex of Nowe Miasto Lubawskie was entered in the register of monuments in 1957.
The Basilica and Medieval Architecture
Construction of the Church of St Thomas the Apostle began around 1300. Inside the basilica are several altars dating from the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as a late Renaissance choir and an organ from the early 17th century. A Gothic mural from the second half of the 15th century is located in the nave. It depicts Christ crucified. In the vestibule, the vault corbels are shaped like human heads with demonic grimaces. The different building elements and furnishings thus take visitors through several centuries of church art, without limiting interest to a single era.
Town Walls, Gate Towers and Museum
Construction of the town walls began in the 1330s. Fragments of the medieval fortifications remain, including the Gothic Brodnicka and Lubawska gate towers. Despite later alterations, original loopholes and distinctive turrets have been preserved on the Lubawska Tower. These towers offer tangible architectural details through which surviving parts of the town’s defensive architecture can be described.
The Brodnicka Tower is also known as Baszta Kurzętnicka. In the 19th century, it was converted into a town archive; since 1959, it has housed the Muzeum Ziemi Lubawskiej. Its collections illustrate the history and everyday life of the region’s residents over several centuries. Check the current opening hours before visiting the museum. The historic townscape also includes the parish cemetery, with gravestones, a Neoclassical mortuary chapel, adjoining burial chapels and a cemetery gate.
Explore on Foot and by Bike
The 13-kilometre TO-2215 hiking trail connects Nowe Miasto Lubawskie with the yellow trail in the Drwęca Valley. It starts near the former railway station and runs via Nawre, Nowy Dwór Bratiański and Chrośle to Radomno. Another option is the 12.8-kilometre cycle route between Nowe Miasto Lubawskie and Kurzętnik, which passes through the Drwęca Valley, protected as part of the Natura 2000 network. Both routes are similar in length, but differ in mode of transport, route and destination. The family cycle route starts at the market square and runs along Kościelna, Działyńskich and Tysiąclecia streets. Check the current condition of the designated routes before setting out.
The Camino de Santiago also passes through Nowe Miasto Lubawskie. Its onward route runs through the Drwęca Valley and forests, and along the shores of the lakes of Warmia and Masuria. This brings together routes with different focuses in the area: the locally described family cycle route, a specified hiking route to Radomno, a cycle connection to Kurzętnik and the long-distance pilgrimage route. The route descriptions help distinguish these options without combining them into a single tour.
Cultural Events
Kinoteatr Harmonia has 197 seats and can accommodate up to 300 people for cultural events and concerts. Alongside the churches and towers, this venue adds film, concerts and other cultural events to the town’s cultural offering.
Discover more destinations: Kuligi, Grodziczno, Ostaszewo, Kurzętnik.
Return to the broader travel overview: Nowomiejski.
