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Communist Warsaw Tour by Walkative!

Duration: 2h
Languages: English, Spanish
Quality Verified Registered on July 05, 2017

Walkative was established in 2007 by a group of young enthusiasts who also happened to be licensed tour guides. Today, we operate in 20 cities in countries across all of Europe and beyond, including France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Ukraine and Israel. We have already guided more than 3 million tourists, with more than 350 000 in 2023 only! Despite this growth, we stay true to our values: be local and present the history of our cities in a professional, yet entertaining way, accessible for everybody, regardless their budget. We provide service not only in big, well established places like Berlin, Paris or Krakow, but also smaller, less known, yet no less fascinating locations, like Nice, Toruń or Lublin. We cooperate with highly trained, professional guides providing both engaging tip-based and regular fixed-price tours. And most importantly - we know our cities by heart! Join us and stay Walkative!

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  • Free booking and cancellation
    Free payment tour, no set price, booking and cancellation are free

Tour description

The thing you simply cannot help not to notice when arriving in Warsaw is the Palace of Culture and Science. Despite the new development and skyscrapers built in the last two decades, the 46-floor Gotham-like colossus still remains the city’s icon. Let us tell you the story behind it: the story of Warsaw between 1945 and 1989. Rebuilt from a sea of ruins and transformed into the grey capital of the communist paradise: the People’s Republic of Poland.

Communism left its marks all over the city; it was meant to overshadow everything that was before and that was to come in the future. Let us show you some of the iconic post-war architectural landmarks and learn about their role in shaping a new kind of person – Homo-Sovieticus. Hear a story of control, terror, and propaganda, but also of the absurdities of daily life under communism. Understand the everyday struggle to have a normal life in a situation that, from today’s point of view, was very abnormal.


We will talk about:

· Everyday life in the People’s Republic of Poland
· The inner workings of communist propaganda
· Examples of monumental architecture
· Anti-communist movement

 

ℹ️ ⚠️ ATTENTION - booking rules

Please note that our free tours are designed for individual travelers and small private groups only. Hence, we do not accept parties of 8 or more people on regular free tours and guides have the right to deny participation to such groups. If you travel in a party of 8 or more please book a private tour in advance.


If you show up at the meeting point with the bigger group our guide will ask you for the payment (10 eur/person) before the tour or cancel your reservation on the spot. To confirm your reservation please arrive 10 minutes before starting. We can not guarantee participation when you will be late.                                  

Please note that multiply bookings (under different names) for 7 people who belong to one group will still be treated as one organized group and the guide has the right to deny participation to such parties.

This policy is implied in the best interest of our individual visitors. 

Please respect our rules.     

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  • Meeting point:
    plac Grzybowski 3/5, 00-115 Warszawa,...
    plac Grzybowski 3/5, 00-115 Warszawa, Poland
    View on map

    Look for a guide with a yellow umbrella! All Saints Church, address: Plac Grzybowski 3/5.

How much does this tour cost?

Free tours do not have a set price, instead, each person gives the guru at the end of the tour the amount that he or she considers appropriate (these usually range from €10 to $50 depending on satisfaction with the tour).

Tour opinions

42 ratings
4.5
By category
Professionalism
4.5
Fun
4.5
Expression
4.48
Quality
4.5
Route
4.51
Generic
5 stars
31
4 stars
5
3 stars
4
2 stars
1
1 star
1
MARIA MELINA 17 Mar 2024
Warsaw

Verified booking
Travelled in group - Mar 2024
it was an amazing time
Konstantinos 12 Mar 2024
Xanthi

Verified booking
Travelled alone - Mar 2024
I now have an insight in how life was during the communist years, and how decisions made back then still affect the city and its citizens.
maria 18 Feb 2024
Montpellier

Verified booking
Travelled alone - Feb 2024
Increíble tour! El guía polaco y vivió en la época comunista por lo que cuenta experiencias propias y de su familia. Súper recomendable e interesante. De los mejores tours que hice!
ITZIAR 14 Jan 2024

Verified booking
Travelled in couple - Jan 2024
Ha sido muy ameno y hemos aprendido mucho. Nos hemos quedado con una idea muy clara de lo que supuso la época comunista para Polonia.
Tomke 13 Jan 2024

Verified booking
Travelled in couple - Jan 2024
Our guide was funny and informed, but he gave some infos that turned out to be conspiracy theories or at least biased infos. He was clearly a supporter of the PiS and said that the new government was planning a coup (media wise). That was disappointing!
Show 42 reviews

Who is this tour for?

Accessibility
Non suitable for people with reduced mobility.
Groups
Does not accept large group reservations.
Pets
Suitable for carrying pets.

What should you know?

Minimum of attendees
A minimum of 5 people is required for the tour.
Additional costs:
The tour does not require the payment of entrance fees or additional expenses.
Free cancellation
If you will not be able to attend the tour, please cancel your booking, otherwise the guide will be waiting for you.
Payment methods
Only cash payment is accepted.
When do you want to go?
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