Best of Warsaw Free Tour

This tour is operated by our partner Orange Umbrella Free Tour Warsaw.

What do Chopin, Stalin, Marie Curie, and a few brutalist buildings have in common? They all show up on this Free Walking Tour through Warsaw’s most iconic contrasts. On this 2-in-1 experience, you’ll explore the city’s two very different faces: the elegant Royal Route, lined with baroque churches, aristocratic mansions, and tales of 17th, 18th, and 19th century high society; and the post-war Communist heart of the 20th century, rebuilt in concrete, ambition, and ideological flair.

Your journey kicks off on Krakowskie Przedmieście Street, the jewel of the Royal Route. Pass the Church of Saint Ann and the stately Presidential Palace before wandering into the academic heart of the city at the University of Warsaw. Hear stories of Marie Curie’s student days and imagine a young Chopin composing his first notes at his family home nearby.

Then, things take a sharp architectural turn. Walk along Karowa Street to see brutalism in its rawest form, before heading to Świętokrzyska Street, where socialist-realist buildings still stand tall in concrete defiance. Gaze up at the once-tallest skyscraper in Europe, the Prudential Tower, and end your walk in front of the infamous Palace of Culture and Science — Stalin’s “gift” to the people of Warsaw, equal parts landmark and ideological billboard.

This tour is a stroll through centuries of style clashes, political statements, and historical curveballs. Two eras, one city, and more contrasts than you can shake a guidebook at. From royalty to realpolitik, baroque beauty to block-style brutalism, this is Warsaw’s greatest hits in just 2 hours and 15 minutes.