The Treasures of Poland – 11-day group tour

Day 1 Saturday – Warsaw

(Welcome dinner)

Arrival at Warsaw Chopin Airport. Taxi transfer to your hotel.

At 6 pm you will meet your guide and the rest of the group in the hotel lobby. The Royal Route and its buildings with historical value will be the first thing to explore. You will pass the Copernicus Monument, the University of Warsaw and the Presidential Palace until you reach the Castle Square. You will have a short walk around the Old Town. Afterwards, a welcome dinner consisting of traditional Polish meals and the Polish vodka “Zubrowka” will be served for you at a local restaurant.

Overnight in Warsaw.

 

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Day 2 Sunday – Warsaw

(Breakfast)

In the morning you will discover more Warsaw sights. During a half-day Warsaw city tour you will see more of the Old Town which, completely destroyed in World War II, was wonderfully reconstructed. The magnificent Royal Castle, Polish kings’ seat and the place of the proclamation of the second constitution in the world – the Constitution of May 3^rd will undoubtedly impress you. Inside you will visit some of its 300 rooms, including the Canaletto Room with 23 of his paintings, the Throne Room, the King’s Hall, the Marble room and the splendid Ballroom. After the visit at the Castle, you will have lunch in a restaurant in the Old Town. Afterwards, you will pass by The National Opera House and the Town Hall. You will finish the tour in the area where the Warsaw Ghetto was located.

Next, you will visit the famous Warsaw chocolate factory ‘Wedel’ to taste the delicious hot chocolate at the ‘Wedel Old Fashioned Shop’.

In the evening, we will invite you for a piano recital. You will listen to Frederic Chopin’s masterpieces performed by of one the most talented Polish musicians. During the concert you will taste delicious sparkling wine.

Overnight in Warsaw.

Day 3 Monday – Warsaw – Czestochowa – Zakopane

(Breakfast, Lunch)

After breakfast, you will head to Czestochowa where you will visit Jasna Gora Monastery. It is the main Catholic center in Poland and its greatest pilgrimage destination, visited by more than 5 million pilgrims yearly. Every August, people join walking pilgrimages to Jasna Gora to pray in front of the famous Black Madonna painting – one of the most recognizable sacred images in Poland. You will have lunch at a regional restaurant in the city of Czestochowa.

You will spend the afternoon in Zakopane – a beautifully located holiday resort at the foothill of the Tatra Mountains, known as ‘the winter capital of Poland’ and a center of Goral (Polish highlanders) culture. Its picturesque location between Gubalowka and Giewont is a guarantee for breathtaking mountainous views.

Overnight in Zakopane.

Day 4 Tuesday – Zakopane – Krakow

(Breakfast, Dinner)

After breakfast, you will partcipate in Zakopane tour. You will admire the characteristic wooden architecture built in the so-called Zakopianski Style. One of its best examples is the Jaszczurowka Chapel. Another wooden church in Zakopane is the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima at Krzeptówki – constructed by the Gorals after the attempt on Pope John Paul II’s life. Then, you will admire the amazing views from the Gubalowka Hill*. You will also discover local shops with souvenirs and regional products hand-made by Gorals. Afterwards, you will have time to arrange lunch by yourself and also some free time at your disposal. Make sure to taste traditional local specialties, especially the famous Oscypek sheep cheese.

Next, you will depart from Zakopane and go to the Pieniny National Park to participate in an exciting rafting trip on the Dunajec River**. Next, you will arrive in Krakow and have dinner at your hotel.

* Funicular to Gubalowka Mountain (subject to confirmation on the spot; service depends on the weather and technical conditions)

** Dunajec Rafting Trip (subject to confirmation on the spot; service depends on the weather conditions)

Overnight in Krakow.

Day 5 Wednesday – Krakow – Auschwitz – Krakow

(Breakfast)

After breakfast, you will participate in half-day Krakow city tour. The program includes the Wawel Hill with the Royal Castle, the seat of three Polish monarch dynasties. There, you will have a chance to see valuable art, treasured furniture and other unique objects from the past. You will also visit the Wawel Cathedral, the former venue for coronations, royal weddings and funerals. In the Cathedral’s vaults, many Polish kings are buried. Inside, you will admire 18 chapels which are considered true architectural masterpieces. You will see the giant Sigismund’s Bell, ranked as one of the biggest in the world. The Unesco-listed Main Market Square in the Old Town is your next stop. There, you will admire the Renaissance Sukiennice (the Cloth Hall), once a major centre of international trade. You will also enter the famous St. Mary’s Basilica and see the awe-inspiring wooden altarpiece carved by Veit Stoss.

After lunch, you will head to the infamous Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau – the primary symbol of the Holocaust. The museum exhibition contains original documents, suitcases, shoes and other belongings of the murdered prisoners.

Overnight in Krakow.

Day 6 Thursday – Krakow

(Breakfast)

In the morning time on your own.

Coffee and cake at the famous Krakow caféteria and a visit to Czartoryski Museum, that presents most valuable art collection in Poland, and one of the most valuable in Europe. “The Lady with an Ermine” by Leonardo da Vinci or the “Landscape with the Good Samaritan” by Rembrandt van Rijn, as well as many other masterpieces of not only painting, but also sculpture, crafts, military, applied arts are presented in the renovated interiors of the museum.

Evening and dinner on your own.

Overnight in Krakow.

Day 7 Friday – Krakow – Lowicz – Torun

(Breakfast, Lunch)

After breakfast, we leave for Torun. On the way, we will stop in Lowicz, a typical Mazovian town famous for folk art: colorful costumes and beautiful paper cut-outs. You will be invited for a home-hosted lunch by a local family, whose charming cottage is located at the foot of the former Lowicz Castle. You will be welcomed in a typical Polish way, with bread & salt, and enjoy your meal served by the young married couple in their lovely house. You will have time to talk about their day to day life and have your dessert in a beautiful garden. We continue to Torun, where the balance of the

day is at leisure.

Overnight in Torun.

Day 8 Saturday – Torun – Gdansk

(Breakfast)

In the morning we see the highlights of Torun. It is the birthplace of Nicolaus Copernicus and considered one of the most magnificent historic cities of Poland. Its Old Town has been included in UNESCO’s list for its impressive 13th century Town Hall, superb churches and historic streets preserving Torun’s past glory. A visit to Copernicus Museum. Following lunch on your own, we drive to Gdansk. Upon arrival, we take a brief walk through the town’s Old Town.

Overnight in Gdansk.

Day 9 Sunday – Gdansk

(Breakfast)

Today we tour Gdansk in depth. We start from the Upland Gate - a fragment of the city's former fortifications and one of its main gates. Just behind it, we pass by a baked-brick construction consisting of the Prison Tower and the Torture House - relics of the 15th century Gothic defense walls. The Golden Gate, situated next to the Prison Tower, opens onto Long Market - a magnificent street, with grand mansions decorated with late Renaissance and Baroque facades. A real feast for the eyes!!! It is here that the richest burghers of Gdansk once lived. Next, we come upon the Main Town and the

Artus Court - a building used for Hanseatic League meetings. It is renowned as the most beautiful court among all of Europe’s Hanseatic cities. Just behind it stands the tower of St. Mary's Basilica, a part of the most precious and largest red-brick Gothic churches in Gdansk. On our way back we pass by Mariacka Street, with its gabled terraced houses and elegant boutiques.

The balance of the day is free to give you time for shopping Baltic arts and crafts, including unique amber jewelry and trinkets.

Overnight in Gdansk.

Day 10 Monday – Gdansk – Gdynia – Sopot – Oliwa – Warsaw

(Breakfast, Lunch)

After breakfast, you will head to the youngest town of Tricity complex – Gdynia. In this port town you will see famous Polish ships. Afterwards, you will visit Sopot – the most popular summer resort in Poland. There, you will have a chance to take a walk on Europe’s longest wooden pier.

Next, you will go back to Gdansk to listen to an organ concert at the Oliwa Cathedral. You will have lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, you will head back to Warsaw.

Overnight in Warsaw.

Day 11 Tuesday – Warsaw

(Breakfast)

Breakfast at a hotel and end of the tour.