The Treasures of Poland

WARSAW (Welcome Dinner) 6:00PM, meet your guide and the rest of the group in the hotel lobby. Drive along the beautifully renovated Royal Route with its historical monuments and residences. Stop at Castle Square for a short walk through the Old Town, and then join us for welcome dinner at a local restaurant. Your meal will include typical Polish dishes and famous Polish vodka, “Zubrowka”.

his morning we introduce you to the highlights of Warsaw. A half-day sightseeing tour includes Old Town, beautifully rebuilt after World War II, with the impressive Royal Castle, seat of the kings of Poland. Here the Constitution of May 3rd was proclaimed in 1791, the second oldest constitution, after the US Constitution, in the world. You will admire some of its 300 rooms and see the Canaletto Room with 23 of his paintings, the Throne Room, the magnificent Knight’s Hall with six large paintings by Marcello Bacciarelli, the Marble room with its 22 portraits of Polish kings and the largest and most impressive of all the castle’s chambers, the Ballroom. Continue our tour with a drive to the area of the former Warsaw Ghetto. Enroute you will see the building of the National Opera House and Town Hall. Following lunch on your own, we will invite you to the famous Warsaw chocolate factory “Wedel” to taste the delicious hot chocolate at the “Wedel Old Fashioned Shop”.

This evening you will take an unforgettable musical journey through the world-famous compositions of our greatest composer, Frederic Chopin, at a two-part piano recital.

After breakfast we depart for Zakopane – one of the most popular vacation resorts in the Tatra Mountains. Enroute we stop in Czestochowa to visit the Jasna Gora Monastery and the Black Madonna Shrine with its miraculous icon. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant. In the evening we arrive in Zakopane beautifully situated at the foot of the Tatra Mountains, in the valley between Gubalowka and Giewont. It is the most popular resort in Poland and one of the most beautiful places in all of Poland, owing to its picturesque location. Once, a small mountain village, Zakopane became a fashionable artist’s retreat at the beginning of the 20th century.

In the morning you will have a sightseeing tour of Zakopane, whose wooden architecture blends with the natural landscapes and it is copied in other parts of Poland - known as Zakopianski Style. You will visit the Jaszczurowka Chapel, a great example of the wooden architecture in Zakopane, and the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima at Krzeptowki, which was built by the people of Zakopane to thank the Lady of Fatima for saving the Pope after an attempt on His life. Admire the breathtaking views of the Tatras from the top of Gubalowka* Mountain and shop for souvenirs of arts and crafts of the Highlanders (Gorale) in the local shops. After lunch on your own, we continue on to Krakow. Enroute we take a spectacular rafting trip on the Dunajec River** in Pieniny National Park. Tonight’s dinner will be served upon arrival at the hotel.

Important note: *Funicular to Gubalowka Mountain (subject to confirm on spot; service depends on the weather and funicular technical conditions) **Dunajec Raft Trip (subject to confirm on spot; service depends on the weather and the level of the river)

The morning sightseeing tour will feature Wawel Hill with its impressive Royal Castle and Wawel Royal Cathedral - the place of the cult of St. Stanislaw and St. Jadwiga, Queen of Poland. Its 18 chapels are true architectural masterpieces. The giant bell, Zygmunt

from 1520 ranks with the world’s largest. This is the place where Polish kings were crowned and buried. Continue the tour with the walk to the Old Town with its restored Main Square of magnificent houses and palaces. There, you stop at St. Mary’s Basilica, where to see the magnificent wooden altar by Wit Stwosz. In the middle of the square is Cloth Hall built before 1349, but renovated in the 16th century with many shopping stalls inside. After lunch on own we drive to Auschwitz-Birkenau, to visit the Martyrdom Museum of the former Nazi concentration camp, the infamous factory of death.

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.

Important note:

***Optional tour to Wieliczka Salt Mine – booking of the tour is requested 30 days prior tour departure.

- The regular tour of Wieliczka Salt Mine lasts 2-3 hours.

- There are approximately 800 stairs along the entire Tourist Route, 380 of which are at the beginning of the tour.

- Make sure to put on comfortable shoes.

- The visit is always conducted under the supervision of local guide (the Miner) – obligatory.

- The temperature underground falls within the range of 17-18°C, regardless of the season. We advise you to dress appropriately taking the above in mind.

Only a small carry-on luggage (with maximum dimensions 20 x 20 x 35 cm) is allowed during the tour of the Mine. Guests may leave larger luggage in a special luggage lockers, but keep in mind that the number of lockers and their size are limited. Museum cannot guarantee the availability of an appropriate locker.

Buffet breakfast at the hotel ends your tour.

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.

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 own, we drive to Gdansk. Upon arrival, we take a brief walk through the town’s Old Town.

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.

After breakfast we drive to Gdynia, youngest of the tri-city complex, which also includes Sopot the famous and fashionable seaside resort. Here you can still see the oldest and longest wooden pier in Europe. We will also visit Oliwa Cathedral famous for one-of-a-kind pipe organ, to enjoy a concert. Lunch at a local restaurant and in the afternoon we drive for Warsaw.

WARSAW (Breakfast) Buffet breakfast ends your tour.