12 days incl. HB/programme from € 499,00
Arrival in Cracow. For many years the city was the seat of the Polish kings and is still considered Poland’s cultural and artistic capital. In the evening, a guided Old Town walk. Overnight in Cracow.
During the city sightseeing tour of Cracow you will see the historic buildings in the Old Town, registered in 1978 on the UNESCO List of World Cultural Heritage. The centre of the Old Town is Europe’s largest medieval Market Square with the famous Cloth Halls. St Mary’s Church with its Gothic pentaptych altarpiece carved in limewood is a meeting point for all tourists. The afternoon is free for individual visits and sightseeing. We recommend a visit to the Royal Castle and the Cathedral on Wawel Hill or to the UNESCO salt mine of Wieliczka with its famous St Kinga’s Chapel at the depth of 101m or a sightseeing tour of the Jewish district of Kazimierz. We can arrange a kosher dinner with a Klezmer concert (live) in one of Jewish restaurants located there. Overnight in Cracow.
During today’s excursion you will admire the highlights of the Tatra Mountains. It is the largest alpine-type massif in Central Europe with Mt Rysy (2,499 m), the highest peak on the Polish side. Drive to the Pieniny National Park, a small but very picturesque limestone mountain range. Here you can enjoy a raft trip on the Dunajec River through the breath-taking landscape of the Dunajec Gorge. We continue our trip to Zakopane, Poland’s most popular centre of winter sports and summer hikes, located at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. Zakopane is famous for its still alive highlanders’ folklore. We recommend a traditional Highlanders’ folklore show and lunch at a local restaurant with typical Highlanders’ specialities. Overnight in Cracow.
You leave Cracow in the morning for a visit to Czestochowa – Poland’s spiritual capital. The Pauline monastery on Bright Mountain houses the Chapel of the Miraculous Picture and the icon of Virgin Mary with the Christ child, known as Black Madonna. The Pauline monastery pulls in millions of pilgrims every year. Overnight in Wrocław.
During today’s sightseeing tour you will discover the most important attractions and historic monuments of the city. Owing the numerous bridges and crossings, Wrocław is also called a “Polish Venice”. Most of tourist attractions are located on the islands formed by the Odra River’s offshoots. The Ostrów Tumski Island shelters a complex of sacral buildings with the Gothic Cathedral of St John the Baptist. You will admire the Old Town Square with the Gothic Town Hall, which houses the city's historical museum. In the afternoon, opportunity to see the biggest baroque building in town – the Wroclaw University with its Aula Leopoldina, the city's largest secular hall from 17th century. The Centenary Hall from 1913 is the world's first modernist structure made of ferro-concrete, built by the German architect Max Berg and placed on UNESCO's World Heritage list. We also suggest visiting an impressive Panorama painting of the Battle of Racławice, the oldest and only existing example of panorama painting in Poland. Overnight in Wrocław.
After breakfast, we drive to Poznań, where our local guide awaits you for a city sightseeing tour. Tourists flock to the city centre where the Old Town Square contains a wealth of historical monuments and museums. The Renaissance town hall houses the Historical Museum of Poznań and the Museum of Musical Instruments is located nearby. Not far from the square stands the parish church, one of Poland’s most impressive baroque buildings with rich interior decorations. In 966, Ostrów Tumski Island witnessed the baptism of the first Polish ruler, Mieszko I. Overnight in Toruń.
A sightseeing tour of Toruń, the city of Nicolaus Copernicus. The 200.000 inhabitants of Torun are proud of the Old Town, which has been added to UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage List. Founded in 1233 by the Teutonic Knights, the city is home to many splendid examples of historical architecture. The Old Town Hall combines elements of Gothic with late Renaissance. Opposite, there is a monument commemorating Nicolaus Copernicus and his house of his birth collects the documents and instruments from the epoch. Torun is also famous for its tasty ginger bread. Overnight in Gdańsk .
The day starts with a comprehensive sightseeing tour of Tri-City incl. Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot. A walk through the Old Town of Gdansk including its beautiful City Hall, St Mary Church, Arturs Court and Neptun Fountain, which is a symbol of the city. The Gdańsk Crane is situated at the waterfront of the Motława River and houses the Maritime Musuem. Visit to Sopot, a noble holiday resort with its longest wooden pier in Europe and to the harbor of Gdynia. Drive to the monumental Cathedral of Oliwa, where you will listen to an organ concert. In the evening, we can arrange the dinner at a local restaurant in the Old Town of Gdańsk. Overnight in Gdańsk.
Visit to Malbork, well-known for its Europe’s largest Teutonic Knights’ castle, a classic medieval fortress with multiple defensive walls. It was built to become a seat of the Grand Master of the Order and is registered on the UNESCO List of World Heritage. Inside the castle, there is a museum with rich amber exhibits. Drive to Olsztyn and a city sightseeing tour of the Masurian Region’s capital or a cruise on the Elbląg Canal, built in the 19th century, today a historic monument of hydrographical art and a real tourist attraction. The ship moves through a lake, a canal and a meadow and you do not need to get off!. On request a barbecue dinner. Overnight in Masuria.
During today’s sightseeing tour, you will admire the highlights of Masuria. Hitler’s headquarters, known as the Wolf’s Lair, are situated in the middle of a forest near Gierłoż and consist of 30 buildings and 50 bunkers. Beside an own electric power generator and railway station there was an air-strip. The whole area was camouflaged and protected by wire entanglements and mine fields. Visit to Święta Lipka, the Jesuit monastic complex considered the most beautiful baroque construction in Poland. Built in 1721, its baroque organ has figures of saints and angels that can be put in motion. Worth a visit is Poland’s summer capital Mikołajki, located in the middle of large lakes in a beautiful landscape. We suggest a boat cruise on one of the Great Masurian Lakes. In the evening, you can enjoy your dinner at the “Farmer’s Wedding”. Overnight in Masuria.
You leave the picturesque Masurian Lakes District and drive to Warsaw, Poland’s booming capital. During the sightseeing tour, you will visit the most important tourist attractions of the city. Totally destroyed during the 2nd World War, the Old Town and the Royal Castle were reconstructed and placed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Along the Royal Route, you will find many old churches and palaces, including the Holy Cross church with the urn with Frederic Chopin’s heart. The tallest building in Warsaw, the Palace of Culture and Science, a gift from the former Soviet Union, is also worth a visit. We can arrange your farewell dinner in one of local restaurants in the Old Town.
Breakfast and departure.