Michael Hardenfelt (E-mail: m@hardenfelt.pl) – Tour guide in Warsaw and the rest of Poland. Phone: +48 600 43 53 83

Dansk version

Warsaw from a business perspective

Business guide Warsaw – for people working in Poland. We interpret the city from a business perspective. Practical knowledge about Poland.

The following are my suggestions, but I am always ready to compose an individual tour for you:

#Guide in Warsaw #Local tour guide in Warszawa #Private tour guide in Warsaw #local guide in Warszawa #tourist guide in Warsaw

8 hours: 1.650 zloty

Like a regular tourist trip, but we take a different perspective

A business tour in Warsaw is in principle (almost) identical to a regular guided tour in that many of the things we see are the same. But – the perspective is different. On the business trip, I interpret everything we see in terms of how Poles view the events of today and how it affects the mentality in Poland. This would be relatively easy if it weren’t for the fact that there are many different opinions in Poland, so my task is to convey what most Poles have learnt in school and through film and literature, and how the different groups today interpret the events. This will prepare you to understand Polish views.

Business structure and society take centre stage

The aim of the trip is to provide an insight into how the business structure and society works in Poland and to enable participants to understand the Poles they meet along the way. The business structure and society includes taxes, business forms and the shopping habits of Poles, but is a general orientation that does not replace a meeting with a lawyer, accountant or market research agency. But it may help you know what questions to ask when consulting a specialised advisor.

For people who want to work in Poland, journalists, students and others

The tour is organised for people who want to buy or sell in Poland, run a business here or are considering a job in Poland. Of course, anyone is welcome to book the tour (including journalists or students), but be aware that this is a different way to see Warsaw and Poland than a traditional tourist tour.

Number of participants

The tour lasts 8 hours and costs  1,650 zloty for up to 4 participants including transport in a city car. The price is 2,600 zloty for a maximum of 7 participants, and  then we rent a nice minibus with driver for the tour.

The tour:
Pick up at the hotel. Part one 9 am to 1 pm.

POLIN – Museum of the History of the Jewish People in Poland.

Depending on the weather, we see the museum from inside or outside, but without entering the exhibition itself.

We quickly talk about historical facts and figures. Then I’ll move on to talk about what attitudes towards Jews exist in Poland today. Here you can encounter many different points of view. We also touch on the denial of the existence of Polish anti-Semitism by many Poles. At the same time, we look at the different attitudes towards other peoples, especially Ukrainians, Russians, Germans, English and French – and finally the views of Muslims and Africans.

Jewish Warsaw - The POLIN museum tells the story of Jewish settlement in Poland
POLIN is a good place to discus Polish attitudes towards other peoples and cultures

Katyn Museum – is Poland a suffering nation?

We quickly walk through the museum and then talk about how Poles view Stalin’s murder of 20,000 Polish NCOs and how it has affected Poland. We will discuss attitudes towards Russia, the military and the war in Ukraine, and Poland’s current security policy. We also talk about Poland’s awareness of being a ‘victim’ of other nations’ evil.

Warsaw guide takes you to the Katyn museum
Michael Hardenfelt talking about how Poland sees itself as a suffering nation

Lazienki Park in Warsaw – the 1791 Constitution and the collaps of Poland

The last king of Poland built this park. Here we talk about Poland’s decline in the 18th century, Russian domination, partitions and the first constitution that tried to reform it all. How do Poles today look at 3. May Constitution of 1791 and the partition of Poland, in other words – the historical awareness of the events from the personal union with Saxony in 1697 to the collapse of Poland in 1795.

The parks in Warsaw were often made my the high nobility
The royal summer residence

Belweder – fight between Premier and President

The current political situation in Poland, which is characterised by the president and government coming from two different political camps. Among other things, this has meant that not many new laws are implemented. Is the political conflict affecting business in Poland?

One of the most prestigious buildings in Warsaw Polish Capital
Belweder – an important representative building in Poland

The statue of Pilsudski – Polands political present was founded in 1918

Poland’s hero of freedom became Supreme Leader when Poland regained its independence in 1918. I talk about the visions of Pilsudski and his political opponent, Dmowski, and how their legacy can still be felt in Polish politics.

Piłsudski has an enourmous inpact on today's politics
Pilsudski became the supreme leader in Poland in 1918

Palace in Wilanów – Poland as a super power

Poland was a superpower in Europe from around 1600. A significant nobility produced agricultural products with the help of an impoverished peasantry and Jewish administrators. How is this perceived today on both sides of the political spectrum.

Art in beautiful Warsaw at the Palace in Wilanow
King Sobieski’s palace in Wilanow

The temple God’s providence – what can the church decide in Poland – directly and indirectly

Here the topic is the Church in Poland and its influence on Polish society. How is religiosity expressed and how does the church exert its influence.

The church holds 4,000 seats in rows of chairs
Inside God’s Providence

The Little Town of Wilanów – how to get a place to live? And is it possible?

Housing types in Poland, housing policy. Mortgages, rental housing, social housing and prices.

Made by private urban planners, visit with guide in Warsaw
Beautiful wide avenues – and after 15 years, it’s also starting to get a local flavour

1 pm – 2 pm

Warsaw Uprising Museum – World War II and the inpact on Polish mentality

 What the Second World War means for Poland today – through memorials, literature and film, as well as through surviving family stories. And how are the resistance movements and the Warsaw Uprising perceived today.

Take the metro to Rondo Daszyńskiego to visit the museum
World War II is still extremely present in Polish society

Office building – lunch and conversation

We see how people work and have lunch in the centre of Warsaw. Loose talk. You decide, what the subject should be. After lunch, we sit down at a conversation table and I present current salaries and the tax system in Poland. We also touch on mentality, including trust in each other and in the public sector.

2 pm – 5 pm

Technical University – legal system in Poland

Here we talk about company forms, sole proprietorship, starting a business and banking and financing in Poland. We also cover the legal system, payment deadlines, waiting times and what to expect from a lawyer in Poland.

The metro station is right next Politechnika , which is one of the most fascination schools in Warszaw
Inside Technical University in Warsaw is a good place to talk

The Supreme Court – the political conflicts about the judiciary explained in a simple language

Here we’re talking about the legal system and rule of law in Poland In particular, we discuss the dualistic system of politically and non-politically appointed judges and the conflicts within the judiciary. And then we discuss whether it matters for business.

Warsaw guide: The supreme court in Warsaw erected in 1996
The Supreme Court is (perhaps) home to Poland’s highest legal expertise…

The University Library – school system and education in Poland

Inside or outside depending on the weather. Education in Poland The school system in general. Craftsmen and higher education. Differences and similarities with other Western European countries.

One of Europe’s largest rooftop gardens
The University Library shows how Poland want’s to be among the best in the world

Palace of Culture – what imprint has communism left on Polish society and business structure?

Inside or outside depending on the weather. We talk about what communism has meant for Poland, the different phases and the demonstrations in the 1980s that led to the collapse of communism. What is the current impression of communism and what lasting impressions has communism left on Poland? Here we also discuss the current business structure in Poland, which is characterised by small and medium-sized companies as well as giant companies where the state is a co-owner and has a greater or lesser influence.

Guide in Warsaw takes You to the Palace of Culture to watch the Beautiful Warsaw
A symbol of Warsaw and a symbol of Russian oppression

Golden Terraces (shopping centre in the heart of Warsaw)

Here we talk about shopping habits, cars, groceries and the status of foreign products in Poland. As we walk through the shopping centre we also talk about hiring people in Poland, immigration and labour shortages.

The Golden terraces is one of the major shopping centres in Warsaw after 1989
Close-up of the golden terraces with its undulating plexiglass roof

A small booklet will be handed out at the end of the tour with figures and details about what we’ve talked about.

Write to me at m@hardenfelt.pl to arrange a guided tour in Warsaw