Police detain 26-year-old French climber atop 310-metre Varso Tower in Warsaw

Sunday morning ascent

Emergency services in Warsaw launched an immediate response on Sunday morning, 13 September 2026, after receiving reports of an unauthorized individual scaling the exterior facade of Varso Tower without safety ropes or harnesses. Security personnel stationed at the skyscraper, located at the intersection of Chmielna Street and Jana Pawła II Avenue in Warsaw's Wola district, first noticed the climber and contacted police dispatchers at 7:47. The specialized operation began shortly before 8:00 as local police units and State Fire Service crews converged on the scene. Firefighters cordoned off the perimeter around the base of the tower and deployed two large jumping cushions at ground level to manage safety risks during the ascent. The 26-year-old French national continued making his way up the external structural elements of the building unaided.

Interception and police custody

Police officers and specialized firefighters from a high-altitude rescue team positioned themselves on the roof of the skyscraper to wait for the climber to reach the top. When the 26-year-old arrived at the roof, emergency personnel took him into custody immediately without further incident or physical confrontation. First responders confirmed that the man completed the entire climb unharmed and in good physical condition. Following the rooftop apprehension, the man was transferred directly into the custody of the Wola district police department for official processing. Investigators are examining the full circumstances of the climb to determine what legal consequences and charges the French citizen will face.

Junior Aspirant Bartłomiej Śniadała of the Warsaw Metropolitan Police confirmed the outcome of the rooftop operation.

The man reached the roof, where police officers and firefighters from the high-altitude group were waiting for him. The man arrived at the top safe and sound.

History of ascents at Varso Tower

Sunday's climb marks the third unauthorized ascent of Varso Tower by solo climbers within a single twelve-month window. On 27 September 2025, another French citizen, 24-year-old climber Titouan Leduc, mounted the exterior facade without protective gear and reached the roof at a height of 230 metres. Leduc was arrested immediately upon arrival on the rooftop by waiting police officers and subsequently received a formal charge for disturbing domestic peace. In June 2026, Polish climber Marcin Banot, known for solo ascents on skyscrapers internationally, also scaled the exterior to the top of the tower. Banot had previously been detained in Argentina after high-altitude firefighters removed him from one of that country's tallest buildings, leading to several days in jail.

Skyscraper profile and security

Varso Tower stands as the tallest building in Poland and the entire European Union, reaching a total architectural height of 310 metres including its spire. The 53rd floor of the structure, located at an altitude of 230 metres, features a public viewing terrace that holds the distinction of being the highest observation point in the European Union. Located in Warsaw's Wola district, the tower serves as an architectural centerpiece for the capital, but its sheer height and facade design have turned the structure into a target for extreme climbers. Sunday's swift intervention by capital emergency services concluded the ascent rapidly, leaving the climber in detention as authorities review site security protocols.