WALKING TOUR: PRE-WAR CRIMINAL WARSAW Activity Overview
A Walk Through the Crime Chronicle of Pre-war Warsaw is a tour of the city centre, which had a darker side before the war. The guide tells stories about the underworld of the former capital and the places where the exploits of Warsaw’s criminals unfolded. This is a walk for those who prefer crime anecdotes to official chronicles.
The character of this tour: it’s a fact-based walk, presented in a light, anecdotal form — no lectures or dates to memorise, with the focus on stories about people and places.
A walk through pre-war downtown Warsaw. Before the war, our capital was not nearly as elegant as it is portrayed in the chronicles. Gangsters, thieves, burglars and murderers lurked everywhere — in dark alleyways and in broad daylight. Characters such as Hipek the Madman, Bloody Wiktor and Daddy Tasiemka still capture the imagination to this day. And this walk is dedicated precisely to these shady individuals.
Example route: Smolna, Foksal, Nowy Świat, Warecka, Warsaw Insurgents’ Square, Jasna, Mazowiecka, Saxon Garden, Senatorska.
In addition to the guide, a coordinator will accompany the group. She will pick you up from your office or another chosen location and take you to the meeting point with the tour guide. It is also possible for all participants to meet directly at the tour’s starting point.
Live music – PLN 1,299 per group: just like the Pre-War Warsaw Crime Chronicle, this walk can be enhanced with a street musician playing guitar or banjo. They’ll play, sing and add commentary throughout the tour, performing classics of old Warsaw street music in the style of pre-war hits. This option naturally extends the walk by around 30 minutes.
The walk can be conducted in English for an additional fee.