Located in the centre of the Old City Market Square, the monumental Old City Town Hall is one of the biggest and most magnificent town halls in Europe. It is a monument to Toruń's glory as the former trade empire of Hansa. The construction began in 1274 and it was extended and rebuilt between 1391 and 1399 and extended again at the end of the 16th century.
Today Town Hall hosts the District Museum, which is one of the oldest and the greatest in Poland. Its origins date back to the year 1861 when the German Städtisches Museum in Thorn (Municipal Museum in Toruń) was established; on the other hand in 1876 Polish Science Society of Toruń founded another museum. It was only 1930 when these two were combined into one Municipal Museum. The museum exhibits were among others archaeological artefacts and the elements of old Toruń, Gothic art gallery, coins and mints etc.
References:The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.
In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians.