Warsaw: Old Town Self-Guided Smartphone Audio Tour

Warsaw: Old Town Self-Guided Smartphone Audio Tour

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Hear legendary tales as you explore the heart of Poland's capital on this self-guided smartphone audio tour. Experience the magic of GPS playback on a walk past historic landmarks in the Old Town.

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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

Description

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.

Includes

Lifetime access to this tour in English VoiceMap App for Android and iOS Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata

Important Information

You need to install the VoiceMap smartphone app.
You can download the tour at any time, before or after your booking date. It’s best to download the tour before you set off for the starting point.
This 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.
When the download completes, you’ll 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.
This tour is only available in English.