Bydgoszcz–Toruń metropolitan area

Bydgoszcz–Toruń metropolitan area (Polish: bydgosko-toruński obszar metropolitalny) is the name of the bi-polar metropolitan area in the middle of the Vistula river centered on the cities of Bydgoszcz and Toruń in north-central Poland. The distance between the built-up areas of the cities is about 30 km. They are the administrative capitals and economic centers of Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship.

Despite the fact that these two cities are integrating gradually, they have been in a great competition through the centuries. In September 2004 the Medical Academy in Bydgoszcz joined Toruń University as Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz. Although not without some controversy, this is usually considered as an important step in the integration process.

Depending on the calculation method and on what is the exact area taken into consideration, the total population varies from between about 600,000 and 800,000 inhabitants.