Poland · Vintage Car Tours

Nowa Huta retro cars ride & Kombinat offices and shelter

4 Hours Round trip from Kraków Easy pace

The journey

Trip highlights
  • 01 Ride through Nowa Huta in a vintage communist-era car
  • 02 Explore Plac Centralny and the district’s Socialist Realist architecture
  • 03 See the WWII IS-2 tank in front of the local veterans museum
  • 04 Visit the symbolic Lord’s Ark church
  • 05 Learn the history of the Nowa Huta steelworks and Kombinat
  • 06 Enter the former administrative buildings and director’s offices
  • 07 Descend into a Cold War commanders shelter with your guide
  • 08 Enjoy pickup and drop-off in central Kraków

Step into Kraków’s socialist-era past on a guided journey through Nowa Huta, one of the city’s most distinctive districts. Travel in a vintage communist-era car and explore the planned urban layout, monumental architecture, and key landmarks that shaped this utopian industrial neighborhood.

Along the way, visit Plac Centralny, see the WWII IS-2 tank, stop at the symbolic Lord’s Ark church, and learn about the history of the steelworks that gave birth to the district. The experience also includes entry to the former administrative buildings of the Kombinat and a descent into a Cold War shelter, revealing another layer of Nowa Huta’s remarkable story.

Step into Kraków’s socialist-era past on a guided journey through Nowa Huta, one of the city’s most distinctive districts.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 4 Hours
Tour type Shared
Activity level Easy
Accommodation Not included
Transport Included
Wheelchair access No
City Cracow
Languages English

Day by day

The itinerary

1
Day 01

Plac Centralny

Heart of the Nowa Huta - A stroll through the Central Square and Roses Avenue – the spot where once stood the biggest statue of Lenin in all Poland, before it was taken down in 1989. See the remains of Socialist Realism architecture in the heart of the town, and learn more about the urban layout of a city, and the history of its construction.

WWII soviet tank "IS 2" in front of the local museum of veterans

A great opportunity to take some pictures with a genuine polish IS2 tank, which took part in real battles on the eastern front of WWII, and which still stands proudly in Nowa Huta, thematically appropriate right next to the Military Effort Museum and the Ludowy Theater.

Lord's Ark church of Nowa Huta

St. Mary’s Church of the Lord’s Arc – the first church built in Nowa Huta after a long campaign and fightings by local people, against an idea of atheistic city as the original communist town shouldn't have churches at all. It later became a symbol of rebellion against the socialist regime. We visit the Church outside and if it is open also inside

Steelworks of Nowa Huta main gate

The main gates of Nowa Huta steelworks, and the grand entrance to Kombinat office buildings, together with the famous sign “Huta im. T. Sendzimira” (meaning “T. Sendzimir’s Steelworks”) – altered after the fall of communism. Learn about Kombinat’s history and the huge steelworks initiative, which was the reason why the new city was founded.

Administrative buildings and director's offices

Administrative building of steelworks and its offices : director's room, control room, engineer's office, spiral staircases, conference rooms etc.

Cold War commanders shelter

Descend into one Nowa Huta’s of military shelters, which served as headquarters in times of emergency – one of the many traces of Cold War around Nowa Huta. 

The route

Where you'll travel

Tour route map
Round trip from Kraków 1 city · 4 Hours

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

  • Local guide
  • Entrance to an administrative buildings of steelworks
  • Entrance to a cold war shelter of managment board (with flaslights)
  • Transport by classic vehicle from era
  • Pickup from center of Krakow
  • Drop off to center

What's Not Included

  • Food and drinks
  • Gratuities

Know before you go

  • Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Not stroller accessible
  • Not suitable for pets
  • Participants age minimum 8 years (not suitable for children due to the lack of seat belts in some vehicles)
  • Entrance to industrial territory of steelworks is not offered
  • During the tour, we climb numerous of stairs, it is not recommended for people with mobility limitations
  • Operated by a polish local guide speaking english
  • Comfortable walking shoes are recommended, we walk shorty around places that we go between on retro cars
  • The cars are antique, so not all of them have seat belts. In the cars we drive, it is not required by a law due to their historic character. If you do not feel comfortable traveling in a vehicle without seat belts, we do not recommend this trip.
  • Pick up option has a meeting point on Zyblikiewicza street in Krakow center around 45 minutes before a start of activity (make sure you bought this option).

Logistics

Meeting & route

Meeting point
Kraków, PL
Tour start
Kraków, PL
Tour ends at the same location as the start point.
End of the journey

Your 4 hours finish where they began, in Kraków.

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