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Life Behind the Iron Curtain
5.0
29 Ratings
Warszawa
Discover Warsaw’s communist past on a 2.5-hour walking tour. Uncover absurdities, survival stories, and hidden gems from behind the Iron Curtain.
Discover Warsaw’s communist past on a 2.5-hour walking tour. Uncover absurdities, survival stories, and hidden gems from behind the Iron Curtain.
Duration:
2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Plac Konstytucji - Let’s meet at Constitution Square, where we’ll start by exploring the square that was supposed to be the new city center of the Polish People’s Republic.
- Marszałkowska - From the Square, we’ll go along the wide Marszałkowska Street, which was used for parades and marches. On the way, we’ll see one of the most iconic places…
- Plac Konstytucji - Let’s meet at Constitution Square, where we’ll start by exploring the square that was supposed to be the new city center of the Polish People’s Republic.
- Marszałkowska - From the Square, we’ll go along the wide Marszałkowska Street, which was used for parades and marches. On the way, we’ll see one of the most iconic places of the Polish People’s Republic.
- Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development - The building of the Ministry of Agriculture is a perfect example of socialist realism. We’ll find out what characterizes this style and why the buildings were built this way.
- Mysia 3 - On Mysia Street we’ll see the Free Speech Memorial and talk about censorship and espionage.
- Central Department Store Cedet - One of the most challenging aspects of life during the times of the Polish People’s Republic was buying everyday things. Let’s find out why in front of the former Central Department Store.
- Dworzec Centralny w Warszawie - Let’s take a look at the Central Railway Station and Downtown Railway Station and talk about local, regional, and international travel during the times of the Polish People’s Republic.
- Palace of Culture and Science - We’ll finish in front on the Palace of Culture and Science where we’ll tell you everything you need to know about this symbolic, yet very controversial, building.
What's Included
- Full info pack about Warsaw prior to your tour (FAQ, useful links, and more!)
- Visual aids
- Recommendations about more places to visit, where to eat, drink, etc.
- Full info pack about Warsaw prior to your tour (FAQ, useful links, and more!)
- Visual aids
- Recommendations about more places to visit, where to eat, drink, etc.
What's Not Included
- Entry fee to the viewing terrace in the Palace of Culture and Science (28 PLN)
- Entry fee to the viewing terrace in the Palace of Culture and Science (28 PLN)
Additional Information
Of all the things you think you know about communism, there’s one thing you can never wrap your mind around: its absurdity.
On the outside it was a Cold War and the hammer and sickle, but to the average citizen it was just one ridiculous thing after another that made life difficult.
Learn how the Poles managed to survive nearly 40 years of communist…
Of all the things you think you know about communism, there’s one thing you can never wrap your mind around: its absurdity.
On the outside it was a Cold War and the hammer and sickle, but to the average citizen it was just one ridiculous thing after another that made life difficult.
Learn how the Poles managed to survive nearly 40 years of communist oppression with ingenuity, smarts, and a tractor full of humor.
Join this walking tour to hear about: the most controversial building in the entire city (and for more than one reason!), the smallest icon of communism that’s so cute you’ll want one of your own, how people were able to buy things at completely empty stores, why “what can I get you?” was one of the biggest jokes at the time, how the state made sure Poles didn’t travel too far, socialist realism and why you’ll probably think it looks nice, but Poles won’t agree
Don’t just visit Warsaw, discover it!
Tour duration: approx. 2,5h
Distance: approx. 3 km
- Not recommended for travelers who have problems with walking long distances
Location
Constitution Square
plac Konstytucji
We meet on the Constitution Square, in front of MDM Hotel . Look for a guide with a green and white umbrella
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(29 Ratings)
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Y5838ljjeffreyh
Sep 17, 2025
The Iron Curtain - I had such a great time with Warsaw Undiscovered that I ended up taking two of their tours in just a few days! On Monday, I did the Life Behind the Iron Curtain tour with Oliwia, and it was so fascinating and well done that I signed up for their Historic Heart of Warsaw tour on Wednesday with Agnieszka.
Both tour guides were fantastic storytellers who really knew how to make history come alive. They shared so many interesting stories that kept me engaged the whole time, and they gave great insight into Polish culture. I didn’t feel like a tourist—I genuinely felt immersed in the city’s rich history and culture.
Oliwia’s tour gave me a powerful look at life in Poland during the Iron Curtain years, while Agnieszka’s tour brought the historic heart of Warsaw to life with amazing details and behind-the-scenes stories. Each tour was a different experience but equally captivating.
If you want to go beyond the usual sightseeing and truly understand the soul of Warsaw, I highly recommend Warsaw Undiscovered. These tours were enjoyable and really opened my eyes to the city’s history in a way that stuck with me.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Y2212cbrachels
Sep 12, 2025
Excellent tour. - Very informative and enjoyable. Interesting to hear individual stories from that time. I would thoroughly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hh_in_az
Aug 25, 2025
Fun and enlightening tour - I learned a lot during this tour that shows us what life was like during the communist era from the perspective of the common man or woman. Our guide was highly knowledgeable, witty, and engaging. One of the top tours I've been on!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tanyak3012
Aug 15, 2025
We enjoyed the peek! - Terrific tour with Olivia - we learned so much about life behind the Iron Curtain and appreciated the old photos and map she shared. Olivia made what could have been a boring tour really quite interesting. We enjoyed Olivia’s personal anecdotes and her dry sense of humor. If I am able to visit Warsaw again I will definitely sign up for one of the other tours Olivia leads - we just ran out of time in this trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Judith_d
Aug 14, 2025
Fantastic - Olivia’s Life Behind the Iron Curtain walking tour was fascinating. I learned a lot and found it interesting to compare how each country managed things differently during that time- after doing similar tours in other countries. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Rbd5218ig
Aug 2, 2025
A great morning - It was a great tour, led by a kind and knowledgeable tour guide who taught me lots.
I would highly recommend.
Thanks very much for a great morning!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jennifer_k
May 2, 2025
Great Insights - Olivia is excellent. We learned a lot from her. Sharing some about her family's experience really made this tour so much better and more relevant. She knows her subject from a lot of different perspectives.
Review provided by Viator
Peterbc7164wg
Apr 13, 2025
A peep behind the iron curtain to understand what life in Poland was like from 1945 to 1989 - This walk was excellent- informative, interesting and sometimes funny. Our guide showed us how different life was under the communist umbrella and what a challenge it was to change into a modern democratic society. I highly recommend it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sharontz8164iz
Apr 11, 2025
The best guides in Warsaw - Oliwia is a brilliant tour guide. Every time we visit a new city on holiday, we go on a walking tour and Oliwia is one of the best (if not the best). She loves Warsaw and her passion for it is infectious. We went on 3 tours (Praga, Historic Heart and Life Behind the Iron Curtain) with her. The city has quite a history and a lot of character and each tour brought different aspects to life and helped us make sense of Poland and its people. She covers a lot as you walk and has an excellent knowledge of many different topics, answering our many questions. She has a personal connection to the city too which brings added relevance. She’s informative, fluent in English and also a lot of fun (with a dry wit) and can adapt, as we saw, to the variety of people who join her tours. We would definitely recommend her to anyone visiting the city and, based on our enjoyment of the city as a direct result of meeting Oliwia, we will definitely be back for more! Thank you.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pieterwiek
Mar 26, 2025
Interesting Warsaw - Olivia, our guide, did a great job. She showed details you would never noticed by yourself. Her stories were hearttouching. Happy to be able to share this valuable insights. Dziekuje, Olivia!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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