Żyrardów – Visit a small Polish Town

This tour is more personal for me – I will take you to my hometown 😊

Żyrardów is the only fully preserved 19th-century industrial urban complex in Europe. For over 150 years it was called the „Capital of Linen”. It was the European leader of the textile industry. The Żyrardów factory was once the biggest linen production centre in Europe, employing nine thousand people.

But I know different Żyrardów. The one in 1990s when communism ended and industry collapsed. A small town that relied on one factory suffered immensely. Unemployment and poverty spiralled.

On the tour you will see Żyrardów in a moment of a very interesting transformation. It started recovering and there`s a new, young generation – people my age – who make effort to revive the town. They have energy, vision, ideas and determination. Will they succeed?

The town is in the middle of the road between old and new. You will see a few of the largest industrial buildings in Europe – some still ruined and collapsing, some re-done and turned into pricey lofts, restaurants or art centers.

I consider Żyrardów an epitome of Poland`s post-communist economic transformation – both painful and successful. I find it the right place to understand Poland after communism – the good and bad sides of the end of communism, birth of free-market economy, the impact of all these changes on people`s life.

The tour will commence with collecting you from your accommodation in a comfortable car or minivan. Driving time to Żyrardów is only 40-50 minutes from downtown Warsaw.

On the tour, we will find some time for lunch 😊

How it works?

Duration:
5 hrs

Meeting point:
at a place convenient to you: your hotel, airport, train station etc.

Transportation:
Private car

Price:
1800 złoty – maximum 4 persons (5-seat car)
2200 złoty – 5-6 persons (mini-van)
2500 złoty – 7-19 persons (bus)
2800 złoty – 20 persons and more

What`s included:
Guiding service
Car service
parking fees

Extra expenses:
None

Book:
If you like this tour, just drop me a message with your preferred date and time. Let me also know how many of you are coming and where are you staying in Warsaw.