The Grand Tour of Poland
Description
Day 1: Warszawa
Arrival in Warszawa.
Overnight stay in Warszawa.
Day 2: Warszawa - Żelazowa Wola (57 km)
In the morning we will take you on a sightseeing tour of Warszawa. Looking at the city today it is difficult to believe that it was virtually razed to the ground during the Second World War. Once known as the “Paris of the North” and blessed with beautiful 18th Century architecture it was bombed and dynamited out of existence. The colourful town houses, the surrounding defensive wall, church towers and the mass of the Royal Castle – all of them have been rebuilt from scratch. A real treasure is to be found in Łazienki – a 17th Century architectural-park complex. In the afternoon you will visit Żelazowa Wola, an estate 50 km from Warszawa which was the birth place of Frederic Chopin. Today it houses a museum where visitors can see family portraits, documents and several manuscripts of the composer.
Overnight stay in Warszawa.
Day 3: Warszawa - Mikołajki (299 km)
The following day you will go to the village of Mikołajki in the Masurian Lake District. Mikołajki is primarily a hub for sailing and water sports enthusiasts. The local area also boasts a rich variety of fauna and flora. Mikołajki borders the Masurian Landscape Park.
Overnight stay in Mikołajki.
Day 4: Mikołajki - Gdańsk (256 km)
After breakfast you will set off for Pomorze, the origin of “Baltic gold”, i.e. amber. Today you will see an amber grinding workshop where while you treat yourself to a glass of Gold Wasser skilled staff will give you a jewellery making presentation.
Overnight stay in Gdańsk.
Day 5: Gdańsk – Gdynia - Sopot
After breakfast you will take a sightseeing tour of Gdańsk, closely connected with the name of Lech Wałęsa – the Solidarity activist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. You will walk along the “Royal Way”, taking in such major sights as the 17th Century Golden Gate, the Neptune Fountain, which stands in front of the late-Gothic Artus Court, and the City Hall, dating from the 14-15th Centuries. The City Hall tower offers a spectacular view of the city. One of the most interesting buildings in old Gdańsk is St. Mary’s Church – the largest Gothic church in Poland. Later you will travel to Sopot where you will be able to walk along the longest pier in Europe and have a coffee in one of the town’s cafes, which will help restore your energy before moving onto Gdynia. The harbour here is home to many famous ships open to the public, including the destroyer "Błyskawica", a precious national relic and the only remaining ship that was built before the World WAR II, and the Dar Pomorza, a Polish sailing frigate currently preserved in Gdynia as a museum ship.
Overnight stay in Gdańsk.
Day 6: Gdańsk - Malbork - Toruń (196km)
After breakfast you will travel to Malbork to see the Castle of the Teutonic Knights, an outstanding feat of Late Medieval defensive and residential architecture. It consists of three castles surrounded by separate fortifications and covering a total area of 21 ha. After seeing the castle you will head for Toruń, the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus. The layout of the town’s market square and adjacent streets has remained unchanged in 700 years. One of its peculiarities is the leaning Tower, built at the end of the 13th and the beginning of the 14th Centuries, which is inclined at an angle just like the famous Leaning Tower of Piza.
Overnight stay in Toruń.
Day 7: Toruń – Gniezno – Poznań (157 km)
The next city on your itinerary is Poznań, but on the way you will stop off at Gniezno. The town played a pivotal role in Poland’s history. It became the first capital of Poland in the 10th Century, the seat of the archbishops of Gniezno, the capital of its first archdiocese and an academic centre. Standing on Lech Hill is one of Poland’s most magnificent historic monuments – Gniezno Cathedral. The present Gothic edifice dates from the 14th-15th Centuries. In the afternoon you will head for Poznań, famous for its Poznań International Fair. Mieszko I, Poland’s first prince, took a liking to this stronghold and built the biggest castle in the country there in the 10th Century. You will certainly visit the Old Town and see the Market Square and Town Hall, the parish church of St. Stanislaus and Ostrów Tumski island, the site of one of the first capitals of the Piast state. It was here in 968 that the first Polish bishopric was founded and shortly afterwards its magnificent cathedral built. The cathedral features a Byzantine-style Golden Chapel, which contains the tombs of the first Polish rulers.
Overnight stay in Poznań.
Day 8: Poznań - Kórnik - Rogalin - Wrocław (177 km)
In the morning you will head for Wrocław, visiting en route Kórnik Castle, regarded as one of the most beautiful examples of modern neogothic architecture in Poland. It’s 19th Century interiors have been preserved almost unchanged. You will then visit the palace in Rogalin. This 17th Century estate includes a park, a coach house, St. Marcelin’s Church – and the Raczyński Mausoleum.
Overnight stay in Wrocław.
Day 9: Wrocław
Your trip to Wrocław will begin with the city’s wonderful town hall, positioned in the centre of the Old Town. You will likewise enter the lavish Baroque Aula Leopoldyna (Auditorium Academicum) – the elegant hall of Wrocław University. Your visit to the oldest part of the city will also take in the largest of its 12 islands – Ostrów Tumski. It was here in the 13th Century that the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist and the two-level gothic Church of the Holy Cross were built.
Overnight stay in Wrocław.
Day 10: Wrocław – Auschwitz - Kraków (271 km)
In the morning you will set out from Wrocław for Kraków, visiting on the way Auschwitz-Birkenau – an extermination camp museum, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On the site of the former camp you will find a dozen or so brick buildings, in which the prisoners lived. Nowadays the museum includes an exhibition of various items plundered from the prisoners and those murdered.
Overnight stay in Kraków.
Day 11: Kraków - Wieliczka (13km)
After breakfast you will explore the thousand-year old city of Kraków. Its most Market Square, the biggest such square in Europe, whose urban layout has remained unchanged since its foundation. You will walk from the Market Square along the Royal Way to the castle standing on Wawel Hill. From the 11th Century the castle was the seat of Poland’s rulers and the cathedral alongside the castle was the place where Poland’s kings were crowned. It is also where they are buried. From the top of one of the cathedral towers – the Sigismund Tower, you will be able to enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of the city. In the afternoon you will go to Wieliczka, the home of the world’s oldest continuously operating company. Salt has been mined in Wieliczka since the 13th Century. Your tour of the mine will pass through 20 chambers on three underground levels where you will see lakes, chapels with salt figurines, bas reliefs and chandeliers.
Overnight stay in Kraków.
Day 12: Kraków - Zakopane (104km)
After breakfast we will take you on a trip to Zakopane – Poland’s winter capital. Zakopane is situated in the Tatra Mountains. Apart from its beautiful mountain landscapes you will also enjoy its wooden Highland architecture, find out about the region’s folklore and try some typical Highlander cuisine.
Overnight stay in Kraków.
Day 13: Kraków – Częstochowa (143 km)
Your final day includes a trip to Jasna Góra (Bright Mount), the home of the magnificent Pauline fathers Monastery. Jasna Góra’s greatest treasure is the Black Madonna icon. From its very beginning the picture has been credited with many miracles, which has brought this Marian shrine fame and drawn crowds of pilgrims from all over the country and Europe.
Overnight stay in Kraków.
Day 14: Kraków
Departure.
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