Day 1
Arrival in Warszawa. Our guide greets the group at the airport. Private coach transfer to the hotel. Dinner. Overnight stay in Warszawa.
Day 2
After breakfast we enjoy the sightseeing of Warszawa. We walk around the Old Town (UNESCO) to see all its highlights: the Royal Route, Royal Castle and the most famous monument – the Sigismund’s Column, St. John’s Cathedral and the picturesque Main Square with the monument of Mermaid – symbol of Warszawa. We drive around the city centre admiring all the landmarks of the capital, among them well known Palace of Technology and Science (a ‚compulsive’ gift from Stalin). We also visit the beautiful Lazienki (Baths) Park with the famous statue of Fryderyk Chopin and the 18th century Palace on the Water, the suburban residence of the last king of Poland. After lunch break we visit the Warsaw Rising Museum to learn about the dramatic history of Warszawa during World War II and to understand the phenomena of the city. Return to the hotel, free time, dinner, overnight stay in Warszawa.
Day 3
After breakfast we leave for TriCities (Trójmiasto). On the way, we stop in Malbork (UNESCO) to see one of the largest and finest brick medieval castles, beautifully located on the Nogat River. The fortified monastery was the headquarters of the Master of the Teutonic Order, who moved here from Venice in the 13th c. It became one of the finest examples of the Crusading Teutonic Order architecture in Europe. After the guided tour of the Malbork castle we continue to TriCities (Trójmiasto). Arrival at the hotel, dinner, overnight stay.
Day 4
After breakfast we enjoy a full day tour of TriCities (Trojmiasto) – Gdansk, Sopot, and the harbour in Gdynia. We walk around the Old Town of Gdansk, known as the City of Amber. We see the Town Hall, Dluga Street with its 16th and 17th century tenement houses, Gothic St. Mary’s Church and a famous statue of Neptun. We also see the shipyard,symbol of solidarity and struggle of Polish people with the communist regime. During the tour we also visit a marvellous Gothic cathedral in Oliwa, famous for its enormous baroque organs. Here we listen to the concert of the organ music. Afterwards, we enjoy some free time in Sopot, a famous health resort, where we walk along the longest wooden pier (Molo) in Europe and admire beautiful sandy Baltic beaches! Dinner in one of the local taverns. Return to the hotel, overnight stay.
Day 5
After breakfast we leave for Torun (UNESCO). Here we walk around the Old Town admiring the medieval layout and architecture of the city (14-15th century houses, Main Market Square with the Gothic Town Hall, fortifications, Copernicus’ House). The Old Town of Torun has one of the best preserved complexes of the medieval residential architecture, giving an idea of the life of the trading Hanzeatic city in the Middle Ages. We also enjoy some free time – for lunch or tasting gingerbread, the local product. Then we head to Lodz, where we have a brief tour of the city, known as the Polish Cotton Empire for its textile industry which developed in the 19th century. Here we see the unique complex of the 19th century industrial brick architecture and the highlights of the city: Poznanski Palace and the factory, Piotrkowska Street with Art Nouveau tenements houses. Free time, dinner, overnight stay.
Day 6
After breakfast departure for Czestochowa. Here we visit Jasna Gora, the biggest shrine in Poland where the Holy Icon of Black Madonna is kept. During a brief guided tour we see the magnificent baroque Basilica, the Holy Chapel and the treasury. Afterwards, we go to Auschwitz-Birkenau, the symbol of Holocaust and the Nazi crime. We visit the concentration camp in Auschwitz (Auschwitz I): the exhibition in the prisoners’ blocks, the crematorium and the gas chamber. Then we move to Birkenau (Auschwitz II), the largest extermination camp built by the Nazis during World War II. Here we see the Gate of Death, the wooden barracks, and the Victims Memorial. Arrival in Krakow, dinner, overnight stay.
Day 7
After breakfast we enjoy a tour of the Old Town of Krakow (UNESCO). We discover all its highlights: Main Market Square (the largest medieval square in Europe), splendid St. Mary’s Basilica (with the biggest medieval altar of Europe!), the Cloth Hall and the Wawel Hill with the magnificent Royal Castle and the Cathedral – the main Coronation church of the Polish kings. We also drop into the students Quarter to see the oldest Polish university – the Jagiellonian University and a marvellous courtyard of Collegium Maius building. After lunch break we head to Wieliczka to see one of the oldest and the biggest Salt Mines in Europe (UNESCO). During the underground tour we discover the treasures of the mine: chambers, lakes, chapels, including famous St. Kinga’s Chapel with its magnificent decoration carved in salt. Return to Krakow, dinner, overnight stay.
Day 8
After breakfast we leave for Zakopane. We enjoy a landscape tour of the Tatra Mountains region, the highest mountain range in Poland. We visit Zakopane – a ski resort, known as the winter capital of Poland. Located in a picturesque valley at the foot of the Tatras, Zakopane attracts visitors with its unique atmosphere, traditional wooden architecture, magnificent cuisine and the folk culture of the local mountaineers. We see the traditional wooden church here, the best example of the Zakopane style, famous local market (time for souvenir hunters!). We also go by the funicular to the top of Gubalowka Hill (1123 m) to admire the panoramic view of the Tatras (if the weather is good we go back by chair lift). We also stop in Chocholow – a traditional village with the wooden cottage houses that are more than 100 years old. After the tour we enjoy some free time in Zakopane! Return to Krakow, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 9
After breakfast we leave for the airport.