Itinerary

DAY 1

You are met on arrival and taken to your hotel in Old Town. This afternoon your city tour includes the key historic landmarks including the splendid interiors of the gothic Town Hall, Artus Court a decorative mansion, and St. Mary’s Basilica, the largest gothic church in Poland.

Radisson Blu, Gdansk

DAY 2

The Tri‐Cities are Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot, together the country’s biggest industrial, academic and cultural center, with more than 1,000 years of history. You visit Westerplatte Peninsula, site of the start of WWII, and the Monument of Solidarity, along with the impressive Oliwa’s Cathedral. See the Gdansk Shipyard and the young port of Gdynia, where you visit an amber polishing workshop to learn the history and polishing process of these gems called the “Gold of the North.” After a traditional lunch with local vodka, the rest of your day is at leisure. (B,L)

Radisson Blu, Gdansk

DAY 3

This morning depart for Malbork Castle, one of the largest gothic fortresses in Europe. After your tour, continue to Warsaw, arriving by late afternoon. The capital of Poland, Warsaw is an active and attractive city with a rich history and cultural life. (B)

Le Regina, Warsaw

DAY 4

Today’s city tour of this UNESCO World Heritage site includes its Old Town, completely rebuilt after WWII, the Jewish Ghetto and the elegant Royal Route with the Palace on the Water in Lazienki Gardens. Stand on the observation deck of the huge socialist Palace of Culture, and visit the new Warsaw Rising Museum. (B)

Le Regina, Warsaw

DAY 5

Enjoy the scenic drive through the Mazovia region to Żelazowa Wola, the birthplace of Polish composer Frederic Chopin. Explore the museum home of this national hero, before continuing south to Czestochowa. Here you tour the 15th century gothic Jasna Gora Monastery, a cherished pilgrimage site and home of the miraculous Black Madonna Icon. Arrive in the ancient city of Krakow by early evening. (B)

Hotel Stary, Krakow

DAY 6

This morning travel aboard a private horse‐drawn carriage for a tour of beautiful and medieval Krakow. Visit Wawel Royal Castle, which houses a priceless collection of ornamental Arras and Renaissance Gobelin tapestries. Explore Market Square, the biggest medieval square in Europe, with the gothic St. Mary’s Church and the yellow Sukiennice Cloth Hall with its 13th century market stalls. This afternoon make the solemn journey to visit the impressive Holocaust Memorial at the Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration amps. (B)

Hotel Stary, Krakow

DAY 7

Your morning is at leisure to relax or explore delightful Krakow. In the afternoon, take a drive to the amazing Wieliczka Salt Mines. Created in the Middle Ages, these mines are a labyrinth of almost 200 miles of underground chambers and galleries with lakes, chapels and intricate salt sculptures. Today a UNESCO World Heritage site, you can explore part of the mine caverns including the incredible Chapel of St. Kinga. (B)

Hotel Stary, Krakow

DAY 8

Drive out to Poland’s winter capital, the mountain resort of Zakopane. Celebrated for its unique wooden architecture, youʹll see the Old Cemetery, and stroll 19th century Kościeliska Street, Krakow’s Market Square with its plethora of wooden sculptures, handicrafts and unique highland cheese shops. Have a lunch of local specialities, with time left for relaxing in the town, a carriage ride or visit to the local ethnographic museum. Enjoy captivating views of the Tatras Mountains on your ride back to Krakow. (B,L)

Hotel Stary, Krakow

DAY 9

Today drive west into castle‐filled Lower Silesia, an area that has been under the control of Poles, Czechs, Austrians, Hungarians and Germans. Stop in the scenic medieval city of Wroclaw ‐ Set along the Odra River, the city is cut into 12 islands by the river’s tributaries and countless canals. Your fascinating walking tour of the city center and the gothic island of Ostrów Tumski, includes the Old Town Market and some of the most beautiful sacral architecture in Europe. Take a relaxing riverboat cruise to get a different perspective of this unique city. Your afternoon drive ends at your 19th century former Prussian mansion accommodations in the Jelenia Gora Valley near Karpniki. (B)

Oak Manor in Karpniki

DAY 10

Today explore the beauty of the Jelenia Gora Valley as you make your way to Karpacz, a mountain resort. Visit the Wang Temple, a 12th century Scandinavian‐style church built in Norway, then delicately moved to Karpacz in the 10th century by command of Countess Fryderyce von Reden. Explore the Karkonoski National Park and the Kamieńczyk waterfall en route back to your luxurious hotel. (B)

Oak Manor in Karpniki

DAY 11

Today’s excursion takes you first to see the elaborately carved 17th century wooden Church of Peace in Jawor. Next, visit the colorful displays at the Borowski Glass Studio and workshops, before continuing to the ceramics center of Bolesławiec, to tour a working ceramics factory. Relax with lunch in beautiful Kliczkow Castle to learn more about the noble history of Poland’s unique Lower Silesia region. Enjoy some time relaxing at your hotel this afternoon. (B)

Oak Manor in Karpniki

DAY 12

This morning depart for a relaxing drive across the border into the Czech Republic and to Prague. In the afternoon, your sightseeing tour includes the highlights of this city of bridges, cathedrals, gold‐ plated towers and church domes. See the medieval Charles Bridge adorned with baroque statues of thirty saints, Wensceslas Square, the Gothic Town Hall with its astronomical clock, St. Nicholas Church, and Prague Castle, the largest ancient castle in the world. (B)

The Augustine, Prague

DAY 13

Today you are taken to the airport for your flight home or on to your next destination. (B)

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