Walking Warsaw's Old Town: A Self-Guided Audio Tour
ID: GYG445621-801567
Category:
Country: Poland
Duration:
01:30 hours
Description
Hear legendary tales as you discover the resuscitated heart of Poland's capital on this self-guided audio tour. Experience the magic of GPS playback on a walk through the Old Town.
Warsaw’s magnificent Old Town has a turbulent and colourful history. Its beautiful buildings and atmospheric lanes were nearly lost forever when the city was reduced to rubble during World War II. On this walking tour I’ll bring the past back to life, much like the area’s inhabitants did as, piece by piece and stone by stone, they combed through the rubble to salvage what they could so Poland could miraculously replicate the Old Town using old photographs, original building plans, and even paintings of Warsaw street scenes by the famous Italian artist, Canaletto.
Our tour begins in the often-lively Castle Square, in front of its imposing Royal Castle. From there, I’ll show you some of the Old Town fortifications. You’ll hear how this renowned part of the city, with its regal elegance, was repeatedly threatened by jealous rival powers that coveted Poland’s wealth. I’ll show you statues of Jan Kiliński, a shoemaker who opposed the Russian invasion in the second half of the 1700s, and Mały Powstaniec (the Little Insurgent), which honours child soldiers who resisted Nazi occupation. You’ll also hear about the darkest period of the Old Town’s history, when Nazi Germany systematically demolished its infrastructure as the Germans tried to eliminate the Polish nation.
We’ll enter the Old Town through its imposing Barbican gate and weave through its lanes and squares. Inside, I won’t just show you the most obvious sites. You’ll go down back lanes and check out corners where you’ll hear the stories and see the sites most visitors miss. These include:
• The building known as Dom Kata, where the city executioner once lived before it was ironically repurposed as a doctor’s residence
• Szeroki Dunaj Street, named after the Danube stream and housed a heaving market
• The legend of a heartbroken prince trapped inside the statue of a bear
• St Martin’s Church, where a hunger strike against Communist oppression inspired Lech Wałęsa to form the Polish Solidarity Trade Union movement
• Beer street, or Ulica Piwna, where one woman melted a war-torn nation’s heart through her love for the Old Town’s birds
Along the way, you’ll get answers to questions like:
• Which parts of St Anna House – an Old Town building that has remained intact for more than 600 years – have been renovated?
• What was the gruesome fate suffered by Michał Piekarski after he tried to assassinate King Sigismund III?
• Where can you find the caterpillar tread of a tank that once burst through a cathedral's wall, a motif of a lion, and other colourful, quirky details that most people would miss?
• How can the bell in Kanonia Lane make your wishes come true?
On this 75-minute stroll, I’ll share the dramatic tale of how the Old Town has repeatedly flourished and fallen as it encountered dukes, kings, warriors, Nazis and Communists in its long history. It has always fought back and today stands more beautiful than ever, a time capsule filled with history, legends and inspiring artefacts.
Highlights
- Get acquainted with the darkest period of the Old Town’s history
- Hear from producer James Cowan, a history buff with a pension for storytelling
- Do it all in 90 minutes or linger at stops along the way
- Get unlimited use before your booking date and after it
- Use the virtual tour option at home
Guiding languages
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
The tour uses a mobile app. You will need to download the app and then use the voucher code provided to download the tour
It is a self-guided audio tour that you can start, pause, or restart at any time and complete at your own pace
You can download the tour at any time, before or after your booking date. It is best to download the tour before you set off for the starting point
When the download is complete, you will see a screen with a photo of the starting point and directions to it. The red start button will become active when you are at the starting point
The tour follows a set route and includes turn-by-turn directions. It works best if you start it in the right place and follow the directions from one location to the next Please note that you'll need to use your own mobile device and headphones for this tour. The tour is only available in English
The tour begins right in front of the Royal Castle, in Castle Square, Warsaw. There are many routes and ways to get there, depending on where in the city you are starting from.
From Warsaw Central Railway Station it takes approximately 40 minutes to walk to the tour starting point by walking along the main roads of al. Jerozolimskie, Marszałkowska, through the Saxon Garden (Ogród Saski) and finally Krakowskie Przedmieście.
If using public transport from the Central Station then the easiest option is to take the tram line 4 which goes directly to the Old Town. Leave the Central Station via the main front entrance and walk straight ahead for about 5 minutes until you arrive at the large roundabout connecting the major roads al. Jerozolimskie and Marszałkowska. You'll need the tram 4 service which terminates at “Żerań Wschodni“ and which runs from right to left along Marszałkowska as you approach it from the station. You need to get off after 4 stops, at the stop called “Stare Miasto”.
When should I book?
To guarantee availability book as soon as possible. Early booking is worth consideration especially if you planning the trip during high season like public holidays or weekends.
Cancellations
Cancellation is not possible. If you cancel it anyway or not show up on the excursion you will still be charged the full price of the activity and the money you paid will not be refunded.
