In the heart of Europe

IN THE HEART OF EUROPE ( 9 days / 8 nights)
BUDAPEST (2) – KRAKOW(2) – WROCLAW (2) – BERLIN (2)

Day 1 – BUDAPEST

• Arrival Budapest
• Half day city sightseeing tour with local guide – Heroes’ Square with Millenary Monument, City Park with Vajdahunyad Castle, Andrássy Avenue with its 19th century palaces, State Opera House, St. Stephen’s Cathedral (inside), Parliament, Margaret bridge, Castle Hill with its mediaeval houses, Matthias church (inside), Fishermen’s Bastion, Royal Castle, Gellert Hill with Citadel and Liberation Monument.
• In the evening Gulyas Party Dinner with folklore show and Gypsy music
• Overnight in Budapest

Day 2 – BUDAPEST

• After breakfast visit to Houses of Parliament
• Afternoon free
• Optional : Szentendre – travel to a small, medieval artist town dating back to 15th -18th  centuries with many museums and shops. Visit at Margit Kovacs Ceramic Museum
• In the evening : Danube River cruise with welcome drink or dinner on board
• Overnight in Budapest

Day 3 – BUDAPEST – Zakopane – KRAKOW ( 430 km )

• After breakfast transfer by coach to Krakow via Slovak and Polish Tatra Mountains
• En route visit of Zakopane – the winter capital of Poland and Tatra mountains:  Krupowki Street , Old wooden church and cemetery, wooden houses in Zakopane’s architecture style. Visit at local market at the footstep of Gubalowka Mt (souvenirs: hand- made lace napkins  and table cloths, sheepskin cloths, wooden souvenirs). Continue to Krakow
• Overnight in Krakow

Day 4 – KRAKOW

• In the morning half day sightseeing of Krakow : Old Town with Market Square with Cloth Hall
  ( Sukiennice ) and St.Mary’s Church with famous wooden altar of Wit Stwosz. Florian Gate and Barbican Walls. A walk along Grodzka Street to Wawel Hill to see Wawel Castle courtyard and Wawel Cathedral with the tombs of Polish kings. A short visit in Kazimierz – former Jewish district
• In the afternoon visit to Wieliczka Salt Mine – world-famous underground attraction listed on UNESCO heritage list
• In the evening dinner with folklore show at one of the local restaurants
• Overnight in Krakow

Day 5 – KRAKOW- Auschwitz – WROCLAW ( 300 km)

• In the morning departure for Auschwitz to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau former concentration camp and ‘death factory’ where 3 million prisoners were exterminated from 1940 till 1945
• Continue to Wroclaw – old Polish city situated on the Oder River
• In the afternoon brief sightseeing of Wroclaw – a city of hundred bridges ( in fact there are 112 bridges and 12 islands within city limits )
• Dinner at one of local restaurants : ‘Piwnica Swidnicka’ situated in a Gothic Cellar or at mini-brewery ‘Spiz’
• Overnight in Wroclaw

Day 6 – KRAKOW- Auschwitz – WROCLAW ( 300 km)

• In the morning sightseeing of Wroclaw Old Town Market Square with ornamented Gothic Town Hall and astronomical clock from 16th c. , Centenial Hall ( People’s Hall ) –UNESCO heritage monument Entrance to Baroque Aula Leopolidina ( Lepoldinum Hall ) of Wroclaw University
  Afternoon free
• Optional : entrance to Panorama Raclawicka – rotunda building displaying a huge 19th century battle painting by Kossak and Styka
• Optional : excursion to Swidnica ( 65 km) to visit Church of Peace ( UNESCO heritage)
• Overnight in Wroclaw

Day 7 –  WROCLAW – Dresden – BERLIN ( 460 km)

• After breakfast departure for Berlin
• En route stop in Dresden to visit Church of Our Lady and Zwinger Palace – architectural complex considered the one of the most important buildings of the late Baroque in Europe. Built on a rectangular plan with a courtyard surrounded by garden with fountains, gateways and pavilions.  August the Strong brought here his collection of exotic plants and porcelain. Worth seeing are the collections of Chinese porcelain from 15th century and best known German porcelain from Meissen
• Continue to Berlin, overnight in Berlin

Day 8 –  BERLIN

• After breakfast half day city tour of Berlin including Reichstag- enter the dome to admnire magnificent panorama of Berlin, Brandenburg Gate – symbol of united Germany, Opera House, Schiller Theatre, Alexanderplatz  with TV tower, Unter den Linden Avenue.  Entrance to Pergamon Museum
• Optional – Cruise on the Spree River  to see the most important objects of East and West Berlin
• Afternoon free
• Optional : visit to Charlottenburg Castle and Potsdam
  Charlottenburg Castle –complex of buildings and garden in French style. The most beautiful and largest residence of the Hohenzollern was built as a summer residence of the first Queen of Prussia – Sophie Charlotte, whose name was given to the palace and surrounding areas
  Potsdam – visit the Nues Palace and Sansoussi Palace and Park considered as Prussian Versailles. Most of the buildings and sculptures palace owes Frederick the Great
• Evening free
• Optional : clubbing – visit some of most famous Berlin clubs  
• Overnight in Berlin

Day 9 –  BERLIN

• After breakfast transfer to the airport
• Departure flight home