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On the Jewish trail

ON THE JEWISH TRAIL ( 7 days/6 nights)

WARSAW (1) – Treblinka – Tykocin – BIALYSTOK (1) – Sobibor – LUBLIN (1) – Lezajsk – Lancut – RZESZOW (1) – Tarnow – Bochnia – KRAKOW (2)

Day 1 – WARSAW

Arrival Warsaw, transfer to the hotel
Half day tour of Jewish heritage in Warsaw: the area of the former Jewish district and sites tied with the Ghetto Uprising in 1943, the Ghetto Heroes Memorial Monument by Natan Rappaport, the Judenrat Building, Anielewicz’s bunker and the Umschlagplatz – starting point for the deportation of Jews by the Nazis to death camps. Museum of the History of Polish Jews opened in 2014. The Jewish Cemetery which survived Nazi destruction with the graves and mausoleums of Icchak Lejb Peretz, Ludwik Zamenhof and many others. Entrance to the Jewish Historical Institute which boast the largest collection of Judaics, a museum and excellent library and to the Nozyk Synagogue in the heart of the pre-war Jewish district
Optional : visit at Janusz Korczak orphanage
Welcome dinner ( Kosher food available )
Overnight in Warsaw

Day 2 – WARSAW– Treblinka – Tykocin- BIALYSTOK ( 250 km )

After breakfast departure for Treblinka ( 105 km )
Visit Treblinka camp – museum of struggle and martyrdom. Former death camp to exterminate Polish and European Jews was established here in July 1942 ( date of first transport of Jews from Warsaw’s ghetto ) . Over 800 thousand prisoners lost their lives there including Janusz Korczak and his orphanage children.
Continue to Tykocin to visit a Baroque synagogue founded in 17th c. In the main prayer hall we can see: bima, Torah scrolls covered with a crown, menorah, tallits, Aaron ha-Kodesh and wall paintings. Now a branch of Podlasie Museum.
Drive to Bialystok
Short tour of Bialystok – little traces remain of the Jewish community living in the past in Bialystok’s Jewish district- Szulhof : three surviving synagogue buildings, a few houses including Ludwik Zamenhoff family house , a few architectural details, statues and plaques as well as Jewish cemetery , mass grave of over 900 Jews murdered during ghetto liquidation and the building of former Jewish Hospital
Overnight in Bialystok

Day 3 – BIALYSTOK –Sobibor – LUBLIN ( 340 km)

After breakfast departure for Sobibór ( 230 km )
Visit at Sobibor concentration and extermination camp – founded in 1942 where 250 thousands Jews lost their lives. A camp is famous for the uprising and sucessfull escape of large group of prisoners in October 1943
Continue to Lublin ( 110 km )
In the afternoon sightseeing of Lublin -although the Lublin Jewish Quarter with a magnificent synagogue Maharshal and Maharam were destroyed during the war and occupation there are still many traces of Jewish presence there. In 2001 Memorial Lublin Jews trail was opened – 2,5 km long route includes 13 objects and places associated with the history of the Jewish community in Lublin. The trail begins at the foot of the Lublin Castle and ends at Grodzka Gate in the Old Town, including synagogue “Chevra Nosim“, Yeshiva – the former Jewish school, local cemetery etc
Check in and overnight in Lublin

Day 4 – LUBLIN – Lezajsk – Lancut – RZESZOW ( 190 km )

After breakfast departure for Lezajsk ( 140 km )
Lezajsk – located in the valley of the San River Lezajsk is known as a center of Hasidism. This is due to the tzaddik Elimelech, who settled in the city in 1772. Visit local Jewish Cemetery with Elimelech tombstone – a place of Jewish pilgrimages from all over the world ( especially on 02 March – the anniversary of his death)
Continue to Lancut ( 50 km ), visit Baroque synagogue from 18^th with preserved bima , Aron ha Kodesh and polychrome, mikveh and the site of former Jewish Cemetery. Lancut is best known for impressive Lubomirski Palace
Sightseeing of Rzeszow – in the 19 c. Rzeszow could compete with Krakow for the “Galician Jerusalem” title.
In 1880 Jews made up more than half the population of 11 thousand inhabitants of Rzeszow. Old Town and New Town synagogues, former Jewish Ghetto site, Jewish Cemetery

Day 5 – RZESZOW – Tarnow– Bochnia – KRAKOW ( 170 km )

After breakfast departure for Tarnow to see bima preserved from the local synagogue and 16^th century cemetery with 3000 tombstones.
Continue to Bochnia to visit former ghetto area and cemetery established in 1872. Posibility to visit Museum presenting Judaica from the area
Drive to Krakow
In the afternoon the walking tour of Old Town with St. Mary’s Basilica, Cloth Hall, Florian Gate and Barbican Walls followed by the Royal Route to Wawel Hill with Wawel Royal Castle and Cathedral – the place of coronation and burial of Polish kings, noblemen and famous Poles.
Dinner at local restaurant in Kazimierz area with Klezmer music and Jewish menu
Overnight in Krakow

Day 6 – KRAKOW

Half day Jewish tour of Krakow including : Jewish Quarter Kazimierz and the former ghetto area, including visit to the Remuh Synagogue with the Old Jewish Cemetery, Alt Synagogue – Museum of Jewish History and Culture, Pod Orlem Pharmacy. Guided visit at Schindler’s Factory museum or Galicja Jewish Museum
In the afternoon visit Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi Concentration Camp – the largest site for the murder of Jews brought here under the Nazi plan for their extermination. More than 1,100,000 men, women, and children lost their lives here.
Dinner at local restaurant with folklore show
Overnight in Krakow

Day 7 – KRAKOW

Optional :

Day 7 – KRAKOW – Kielce –WARSAW ( 300 km )

After breakfast departure for Kielce
Stop in Kielce to see Pfefer Synagogue from 1908, now containing city archives, Zagajski synagogue, former Jewish cemetery, Jewish Cemetery from 1870 at Pakosz Street where Chaim Szmuel Horowitz ( tzaddik from Checiny ), Mordechaj Kuzmirer ( tzaddik from Kielce) and Jews from Kielce ghetto as well as victims of 1946 pogrom are buried ( now lapidarium )
Arrival Warsaw
Performance at Esther Kaminska Jewish Theatre
Overnight in Warsaw

Day 8 –WARSAW