Day 1
Arrival in Krakow. Our guide greets the group at the airport. Private coach transfer to the hotel. Overnight stay in Krakow.
Day 2
Jewish culture as it one was… We learn about the Jewish life and culture before the war. We visit Kazimierz, an old Jewish town in Krakow, that became world famous thanks to The Schindler’s List film made here by Steven Spielberg. Seeing 16th century synagogues, old cemeteries, or the old fashioned, crooked streets with antique shops, we can still capture the spirit of life in the old Jewish town. We discover the remains of the Jewish culture: the Remuh synagogue and the cemetery, Tempel or Kupa synagogue. In the Old Synagogue we enjoy the workshop of the Hebrew caliraphy! To get the idea of the variety of the Jewish heritage in Poland, we see an amazing photo exhibition in the Galicja Jewish Museum.
In the afternoon we discover all the highlights in the Old Town in Krakow: Main Market Square, splendid St. Mary’s Basilica, the Cloth Hall and the Wawel Hill with the magnificent Royal Castle and the Cathedral. Overnight stay in Krakow.
Day 3
Enjoy Poland! We get to know the Polish tradition and the folk culture. After breakfast we take a landscape trip to the Tatra Mountains region. We stop in Zubrzyca Górna, where we visit an open air museum of the folk wooden architecture. Here we enjoy the workshop of glass painting, that is typical for this region. You paint your own painting on glass and then you take it as your souvenir from Poland! We stop in Chocholow – a traditional village with the old wooden cottage houses, that are more than 100 years old. We also visit the shelter, where the local smoked cheese (oscypek) is made. We visit Zakopane – the ski resort, known as the winter capital of Poland, located in a picturesque valley at the foot of the Tatras. It 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, the best example of the Zakopane style, a famous local market, we go by the funicular to the top of Gubalowka Hill (1123 m ) to admire the panoramic view of the Tatras. After the tour we enjoy some free time in Zakopane. Overnight stay.
Day 4
After breakfast we go on a rafting trip to the Pieniny Mountains. We admire the wonderful landscapes and enjoy one of the most famous tourist attractions in Poland – rafting through the marvelous gorge of the Dunajec River! Rafting is very a old fashioned way of travelling and surprisingly a rather dry type of experience (two raftsmen navigate it with a long, wooden stick). During our tour we drive around the picturesque Pieniny Mountains region discovering all the highlights: a unique wooden church in Debno Podhalanskie (15th century, UNESCO), Niedzica Castle, Czorsztyn Lake and the dam. Then we head to Krynica, one of the most famous SPA resorts in Poland. Here we go by cable car to the top of Jaworzyna Krynicka to see the view of the Beskidy Mountains. Then we walk around the historical centre of Krynica.
Day 5
Hidden in wood: the Orthodox Church heritage. After breakfast we enjoy the panoramic tour in the region of Krynica, getting the idea of the multicultural history of Poland. We see the picturesque towns, well known health resorts, the ruins of the Castle in Rytro, the beautiful Valley of the Poprad River. We visit the wooden orthodox churches with the old furnishings and icons we discover the impressive heritage of the Orthodox church culture. In one of the museums we enjoy the workshop of painting the icons and learn about the cultural diversity of Eastern Europe. On the way to Krakow we visit 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. Overnight stay in Krakow.
Day 6
After breakfast we leave for the airport.