Treasures of Polish Architecture

TREASURES OF POLISH ARCHITECTURE ( 11 days / 10 nights )

WARSAW (1) – RZESZOW (1) – KRAKOW(3) – WROCLAW(2)

LODZ (1) – WARSAW(2)

Day 1 – WARSAW  ( D )

• Arrival Warsaw in the morning.
• Full day sightseeing of Warsaw : Old Town with Barbican Walls, Castle Square with Royal Castle, drive along Royal Route from Old Town to Belvedere Palace and Lazienki Palace and Park complex
• Entrance to Royal Castle – completely destroyed during II World War and rebuilt thanks to public funds
• A stroll thru Lazienki park to Lazienki Royal Palace – a Baroque residence of king Stanislaw August Poniatowski
• Discovering a modern downtown of the city : Palace of Culture, hotels, office buildings
• Welcome dinner at Belvedere restaurant in Royal Lazienki Park ( in a style of old orangery )
• Overnight in Warsaw ( suggestions : hotel Bristol, Le Regina, Polonia Palace )

Day 2 – WARSAW – Lancut – RZESZOW /325 km   ( B, D)

• After breakfast transfer to Lancut (306 km, 5,5 hrs).
• Stop in Sandomierz – considered one of the best examples of Gothic and Renaissance urban architecture
• Visit Baranow Sandomierski Castle ( 16^th ) with mannerist decorations by Tyman von Gameren
• Visit to the Castle Museum in Lancut, magnificent residential palace and park complex (unique carriages collection, Orangery, Stables, exhibition of Ortodox Art, old park in English style)from 17^th
• Dinner at the castle restaurant in Lancut
• Continue to Rzeszow (18 km).
• Accommodation at the hotel in Rzeszow, overnight ( suggested hotels : Grand Hotel, Hilton Garden Inn, Rzeszow, Prezydencki ).

Day 3 – RZESZOW – Wieliczka – KRAKOW/170 km (B, D)

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• A short sightseeing tour of Rzeszow (the historic Promenade – most famous and the oldest street of the city, Old Town Square with historic townhouses from XV-XIX c. , Town Hall from XVI c., the underground tunnels – tourist route attraction situated 0,5m-10m under the Old Market Square, Castle of Lubomirski Family – most representative and characteristic monuments in Rzeszow, Old Synagogue, New Synagogue).
• Transfer to Krakow.
• En route stop at Tarnow to see medieval urban layout of Old Town and bima preserved from the local synagogue as well as 16^th century cemetery with 3000 tombstones.
• Pass thru Magnate’s Castle in Nowy Wisnicz (which combines defensive and residential architecture surrounded by picturesque landscape )
• Continue to Krakow
• OPTIONAL : On the route stop at Wieliczka. Visit Wieliczka Salt Mine underground museum and sanatorium (therapeutic microclimate). Unique underground tourist route leading thru tunnels, bridges, chambers decorated with sculptures and altars – all carved in salt
• Check in, dinner at hotel and overnight in Krakow.

Day 4 – KRAKOW (B, D)

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Full day tour of Krakow, including the Royal Wawel Hill, the pride of Krakow: Wawel Royal Castle and Cathedral (crypts, kings’ chapels, enormous Sigismund Bell on bell tower), Old Town area with the 13th century Cloth Hall and Gothic Mary’s Church on the Old Town Market Square – the biggest town square in medieval Europe with famous Sukiennice ( Cloth Hall ), the Barbican Walls and Florianska Gate
• Electric car ride from Old Market Square to Wawel Hill to visit Wawel Castle interiors – our national symbol. Wawel Castle was the seat of Polish rules up to the end of 16^th c.
• Dinner at local restaurant with folklore show ( Krakow’s and highlanders’ folklore ).
• Overnight at the hotel in Krakow.

Day 5 – KRAKOW – Zakopane – KRAKOW /220 km ( B, D )

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• In the morning full day excursion to Zakopane, town at the foot of the Tatra Mountains, 1000 m above sea level. Winter capital of Poland where the World Championships of Ski and other sport events are organized. Famous from a unique wooden style of architecture. Special mountain climate and beautiful landscape attract many visitors all the year round.
• Visit to picturesque town and its surroundings (a walk along the famous Krupowki Street, followed by a visit to Jaszczurowka – small wooden church in architectural style typical for Zakopane, with unique Chapel of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Sanctuary of Fatima on Krzeptowki – an example of contemporary sacral architecture. Shopping at a local flea market and a funicular train ride to Gubalowka Mt. to admire beautiful panorama view on Tatras. Drive to Chocholow village – a living museum with wooden 18^th century houses
• Optional : visit to the wooden church in Debno ( 15^th ) – example of sacral wooden architecture, on the Wooden Track of Malopolska region, listed on UNESCO Heritage list
• Dinner at local restaurant – inn in Zakopane
• Transfer back to Krakow, overnight in Krakow.

Day 6 – KRAKOW – Auschwitz – WROCLAW /270 km ( B, D )

• After breakfast departure for Wrocław
• On the route stop in Auschwitz. Visit the former Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. Now, the Martyrdom Museum – remainder of terror and holocaust, The Memorial of over 1.1 million victims murdered here during the Second World War (barracks, gas chambers, watch towers, ruins of crematories, shocking exhibition of victims belongings: hairs, clothes, glasses, shoes and other personal properties).
• Continue to Wroclaw.
• Dinner and overnight in Wroclaw.

Day 7 – WROCLAW– Jawor – WROCLAW

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Sightseeing tour of Wroclaw – called the city of hundred bridges including : Old Town Market Square with characteristic Town Hall ( 16^th century), Wroclaw University with entrance to magnificent Baroque Aula Leopoldina . Ostrow Tumski Island with the complex of sacral buildings is the oldest part of the city
• Entrance to Centenian Hall (People’s Hall) – pearl of world’s modernist architecture, built in 1910 as a first public venue of reinforced concrete. This engineering marvel is 42 meters high and 152 meters long and has 65 meters dome.
• Transfer to Jawor ( 50 km )
• Visit to a Church of Peace in Jawor and Swidnica. A wonderful half-timber Protestant churches were erected in mid 17^th century after 30 years wars. Jawor church can accommodate 6 thousand faithful in its baroque, rich decorated interiors. The near-by Church of Peace in Swidnica can seat 7,5 thousand people
• Optional : organ concert in one of the churches
• Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Wroclaw

Day 8 – WROCLAW–LODZ 220 km ( B, D )

• After breakfast departure for Lodz
• City tour of Lodz . Visit the city landmarks, a palace of Israel Poznanski – now a city museum of Lodz,   the Manufaktura – a centre of entertainment, culture and commerce. A revitalization project, unique at the Polish and European scale, combining modern forms and architecture with the restored 19^th century buildings of the former cotton factory of Israel Poznanski. 20 ha of surface includes a market with colourful fountains, Museum of the Factory, Museum of Art, restaurants, over 300 shops, discos. A walk along the Piotrkowska Street – one of the longest shopping streets in Europe (a length of approximately 4,2 km.), a centre of entertainment and commerce.
• Dinner and overnight in Lodz

Day 9 – LODZ – Torun – WARSAW / 380 km ( B, L )      

• After breakfast departure for Torun ( 160 km )
• Half day sightseeing of Torun – city where Copernicus lived and worked including Old Town, the Copernicus House museum, City Hall, granaries, St .Mary’s Church, fragments of defensive medieval city walls, gates and towers, ruins of Teutonic Knights’ Castle etc. The layout of Old and New Town streets and squares has not changed since the Middle Ages and is placed on UNESCO Heritage list
• Optional : Visit at Gingerbread museum – 16^th century gingerbread factory. Gingerbread baking lesson by groups’ participants (you can bake your own souvenir and get a special baker’s diploma )
• Lunch at the local restaurant – Old Granary
• Departure for Warsaw ( 220 km )
• Overnight in Warsaw

Day 10 –WARSAW – Kazimierz Dolny – WARSAW / 300 km ( B, D )      

• After breakfast departure for Kazimierz Dolny ( 150 km )
• Visit Kazimierz Dolny – a charming town picturesquely situated on the right bank of the Vistula River in the hills, valleys and gorges. For years it fascinated with its unique atmosphere, attracting many tourists. Before the II World War Jews made up almost the half of the population of the city.
• Visit market square with Renaissance buildings, climb up to the ruins of Gothic Castle, tasting a famous ‘bread cock’ beaked in a local bakery
• Transfer back to Warsaw
• Farewell dinner at the local restaurant, overnight in Warsaw

Day 11 –WARSAW – ( B )

• Breakfast at the hotel
• transfer to the airport for the flight back home