Mazurkas Travel Poland

Poland
Planning Manual for the Travel Trade
MAZURKAS TRAVEL
Discover Poland with us
LEISURE GROUPS
For groups, who simply want to enjoy colourful stay in Poland, we would be pleased to be of help in finding
the right components and in making the program happen to everyone’s satisfaction. We can arrange the following
steps as part of our service: welcome arrangements at the airport, transfers to and from the main airports, hotel
accommodation at competitive prices, hospitality desks at the hotel, sightseeing programs tailored to your
clients’ interest, experienced multi-lingual guides to accompany your clients, entrance tickets to all venues.
LOCAL TOURS OFFICE AND FIT DEPARTMENT
At our full service Local Tours Office, your customer can drop in seven days a week, to
book an excursion, buy a ticket for a concert or just for information. At our FIT Department
we offer a wide spectrum of services available for individual travellers, from a standard
excursion to an exclusive private visit to Poland. Our specially selected guides deliver a
good and clear explanation at every point of interest to your guests, in a requested language.
CONFERENCE & CONGRESS BUREAU
Mazurkas Travel Conference & Congress Bureau-PCO is a specialised division within the Mazurkas Travel
Ltd. Our Congress Team consisting of experienced professionals, has been organising successful events
for more than 10 years. Whether you organise an event for the first time, or have years of experience, you
will find that using our services in Poland gives many benefits. Major events are a serious undertaking and
we provide the assurance of Professionalism, Confidence, Responsibility, Speed of Action and Flexibility.
DMC POLAND
Today, with staff of over 100 dedicated professionals at your service in our offices in Warsaw,
we are proud to be the leading Destination Management Company in Poland. We specialise in
design and implementation of tailor-made-programs for Incentive Groups, Product Launches,
International Conferences, Conventions, Board Meetings and special interest tours. Mazurkas
Travel DMC Poland will always be able to propose something to you, from concept making to
consulting, ground arrangements, venue finding, accommodation, transportation, banqueting etc.
TRANSPORTATION
Mazurkas Travel Transportation Department operates a fleet of modern luxury coaches of various
sizes, with semi-reclining seats, telephone, large luggage capacity and air-conditioning. All our
coaches are regularly inspected and maintained by our own team of experienced and responsible
technicians at our own garage. Our drivers are experienced and traveled all round Europe.
BEST WESTERN MAZURKAS HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTRE
Mazurkas Travel is also proud to be the owner of a 4-star hotel Best Western Mazurkas located
14 km from Warsaw. This modern and comfortable hotel offers 158 rooms. There are also
conference rooms, restaurant George Sand and bistro Frederic Chopin offering Polish and
international cuisine. Mazurkas Travel also offers services at a newly built Conference Centre with
34 modern meeting rooms with largest hall for up to 1000 people and fine dining in 3 restaurants.
27 Wojska Polskiego Ave., 01-515 Warsaw, Poland
Tel: +48/22/ 536 46 00, 536 46 01; fax: +48/22/ 839 20 90
E-mail: [email protected], www.mazurkas.com.pl
CONTENTS
Unesco Treasures
Great Personalities
Warsaw Worth Seeing
D
ear Partners,
A rich cultural and religious heritage, eventful history, and beautiful natural
landscapes all add up to make Poland a great place for discovery. From the scenic charm of
Krakow and sparkling coastal waters of Gdansk bay the snowcapped peaks of the magnificent
Tatra mountains, Poland will satisfy your senses on every level.
In our latest brochure “POLAND”, Mazurkas Travel brings you the best Polish tours and
itineraries, hotels and restaurants, activities and guided tours. We are also featuring new,
special itineraries: Along the Vistula River, The Mosaic of Silesia and Galicia, Poland &
Lithuania, Poland – the land of UNESCO treasures.
With 19 years in travel industry, we are one of Poland’s most experienced incoming tour
operators. Because Mazurkas Travel is a “complete” travel company, do not hesitate to
contact us for any travel related questions: tailor made programs, package tours, sightseeing
tours, seminars, congresses and conventions, conferences and incentives, product launches,
press trips, motor coach rental and simple hotel bookings. Our team of dedicated travel
experts will gladly be of your assistance.
We passionately believe in providing the highest quality, best value and exceptional service
every time. There is no better way to see Poland than on one of Mazurkas Travel tours.
WELCOME TO POLAND!
Mazurkas Travel Team
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Cracow Worth Seeing
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Gdańsk Worth Seeing
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Mazury Worth Seeing
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Zakopane Worth Seeing
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Cities Worth Seeing
14
Special Interest Tours
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Four Capitals in Poland
17
Poland – the land
of unesco treasures
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Highlights of Poland
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The Eastern Part of Poland
22
Folk Art Tour
24
Cracow – the Capital
of Europe 2000
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Unique Museums
& Collections in Poland
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In the Circle
of Great Music
and Architecture
30
In the Footsteps
of Frederic Chopin
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Music in Poland
Jewish Roots in Poland
Mysterious Nights
in Castles and Palaces
Along the Vistula River
Polish Christmas
Pilgrimage to Poland
In the footsteps of Karol
Wojtyła Pope John Paul II
Educational Program
Poland Between Tradition
And Modernity
Polish - Ukraine Mosaic
Poland and
the Baltic Countries
Poland & Lithuania
The mosaic of Silesia
and Galicja
Golf in Poland
Spa & Wellness in Poland
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OLD TOWN IN WARSAW
Completely destroyed during the WWII and carefully
reconstructed afterwards. Every authentic architectural
fragment found among the ruins was incorporated in the
restoration. UNESCO’s decision to include Warsaw’s Old Town
on the list of cultural treasures of the world heritage is proof of
its value and recognition of the work done by Polish restorers.
WIELICZKA SALT MINE
The oldest salt mine in Europe, the impressive underground
world of salt lakes, chambers, galleries and the unique
museum of Salt Works created by many generations of Polish
miners. A part of the mine has been opened to the public as a
museum, and it is a fascinating journey through the labyrinth
of tunnels and levels.
Wooden Churches of Southern MaŁopolska
In the southeastern region of Poland you can find wooden
Orthodox and Roman-Catholic churches. Six of them were
entered on UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage List.
Haczow – a 15th century church made of fir-wood and covered
with shingles; Blizne – a shingle-roofed church erected
at the turn of 15th century contains fragments of Gothic
and Renaissance wall paintings; Sekowa – the harmonious
silhouette of the church as an original, spiry roof; Binarowa
– boasts a very precious wall paintings depicting scenes
from the New Testament; Debno – 15th century church has
many unique paintings, sculptures and artistic handiworks;
Lipnica Murowana – includes precious wall paintings as well
as Baroque sculptures.
BIAŁOWIEŻA NATIONAL PARK
One of the oldest national parks in Europe and one of the
largest regions of primeval forest in Central Europe, is also
the last natural forest with the fragments of primordial wood.
The Białowieża National Park is home to an impressive variety
of animals, including the uncontested king of the region – the
European bison.
TEUTONIC KNIGHTS CASTLE IN MALBORK
Is the largest brick castle in Poland and one of the oldest ones.
As a splendid example of a classic medieval fortress with
multiple defensive walls, a labyrinth of rooms and chambers
with exquisite architectural details and decoration, nominated
for inclusion in the list of the heritage treasure by UNESCO.
ZAMOŚĆ
Called a “Pearl of Renaissance” or “Town of Arcades”, city which
got into the UNESCO list in 1992. Designed four centuries ago,
is the only Renaissance town in Poland that has more than 100
architectural monuments of significent historical and artistic
value.
OLD TOWN IN TORUŃ
One of the most magnificent historic cities in Poland and the
birthplace of Copernicus, a great Polish astronomer. It’s Old
Town has been included in the UNESCO list thanks to the
most impressive 13th century Town Hall, superb churches and
streets uncovering Toruń’s past glory.
4 MAZURKAS TRAVEL
OLD TOWN & KAZIMIERZ DISTRICT in CRACOW
The former royal capital of Poland nominated to be the
cultural capital of Europe in the year 2000. Cracow has
traditionally been one of the major centers of Polish culture,
and its cultural statue remains unchanged. A city known
for its beauty, historical monuments and vast collection of
works of art. The street plan of the Old Town, including
the Wawel Hill, Stradom and Kazimierz, the former Jewish
district, was listed by UNESCO as a part of world cultural
heritage in 1978.
AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU
The former Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau has
been the largest “death factory” in the history of humanity
and silence witness of human tragedy. Included in the
UNESCO list in 1979.
KALWARIA ZEBRZYDOWSKA
The second-largest shrine in Poland, after Częstochowa.
It is famous for its Calvary on the hill slope, the first such
imitation of the original one in Jerusalem. The scenes of
Jesus arrest and interrogation, the way of the Cross and
the Passion of the Christ are enacted every year with the
participation of a hundred thousand pilgrims and tourists.
In 1999 it was put in the UNESCO list of the World Cultural
and Natural Heritage.
Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica
Both temples were not supposed to be reminiscent
of traditional churches. They were to be constructed with
the use of low quality materials and located within the range
of a cannonball from the city walls. And this is how two
Europe’s biggest wood-and-clay shingled constructions
were built, each seating a few thousand people. With
modestly looking outside wall, they both have rich baroque
decorations inside.
Muzakow/Muskauer Park
Occupying more than 1700 acres, is one of the largest
landscape parks in Europe. It stretches on both sided
of Nysa Luzycka River and constitues the Polish-German
border. The largest part of the park is located on the Polish
side. The Poland and German authorities started the renewal
program in 1980s. This project has become a unique example
of fruitful bilateral cooperation in the field of protection and
conservation of cultural landscape.
The Centenary Hall (Hala Ludowa) in WrocŁaw
For the sake of its unusual construction it is recognized
as one of the most outstanding structures of the 20th
century architecture worldwide. The 42-meter-high and
95-meter-large hall is topped with huge, unsupported dome,
67 meters in diameter, regarded as a great achievement
in its day. During the last few years, the Centenary Hall
in Wroclaw offered its hospitaliy facilities to the organizers
of monumental opera shows that attract music lovers from
all over the Europe.
John Paul II (1920-2005) one of the greatest
man in the history of 20th century. Karol Wojtyla
was born in small town Wadowice and became
Pope John Paul II in 1978. John Paul’s influence
was felt far beyond the Vatican. In 1979, his first
visit to his homeland as Pope was a major catalyst
for the collapse of communism in Poland. The visit
was a harbinger of events that would bring down
communist regimes across the Soviet Bloc. John
Paul II was the most traveled pope in history, visiting more than 120
countries during his 26-year papacy, nearly every country in the world
which would receive him.
Henryk Sienkiewicz (1846-1916) Nobel
Prize Winner in Literature for his outstanding
Qvo Vadis. His early works are satirical sketches,
betraying a strong social conscience. He made
a trip to America in 1876 and travelled as far as
California. His travels provided him with material
for several works, among them the brilliant short
story Latarnik (1882) [The Lighthouse Keeper].
After his return to Poland, Sienkiewicz devoted
himself to historical studies, the result of which was his great trilogy
about Poland in the midseventeenth century.
Lech Wałęsa (1943 - ) the Noble Peace Prize
Winner in 1982 was born in Popowo, Poland.
After graduating from vocational school, he worked
as a car mechanic at a machine center from 1961
to 1965. In 1967 was employed in the Gdansk
shipyards as an electrician. In 1978 with other
activists he began to organize free non-communist
trade unions and took part in many actions on the
sea coast. He was kept under surveillance by the
state security service and frequently detained. In December 1990 in a
general ballot he was elected President of the Republic of Poland.
Władysław Reymont (1868-1925) Nobel
Prize Winner in Literature in 1924 for his
major work “The Peasants”. Born in the village
of Kobielo Wielkie in that part of Poland which was
under Russian rule. He produced feverishly short
stories, poems, dramas and novels without end.
Like Maxim Gorky, Reymont relied on experience,
and used his adventures as raw material for his
fiction. Between the years 1884 and 1894 he kept
diary, which helped him in his literary apprenticeship. In 1902 Reymont
moved to Paris, where he finished his major work, The Peasants
Maria Curie Skłodowska
(1868-1934) Nobel Prize Winner in Phisics in
1903 and Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry in
1911 together with her husband, she was awarded
half of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903, for their
study into the spontaneous radiation discovered by
Becquerel, who was awarded the other half of the
Prize. In 1911 she received a second Nobel Prize,
this time in Chemistry, in recognition of her work
in radioactivity. Born in Warsaw on November 7, 1867. She met Pierre
Curie, Professor in the School of Physics in 1894 and in the following year
they were married. The discovery of radioactivity by Henri Becquerel in
1896 inspired the Curies in their brilliant researches and analyses which
led to the isolation of polonium, named after the country of Marie’s birth,
and radium.
Czesław Miłosz (1911-2004) a Nobel Prize
Winner in Literature in 1980. Born in Seteiniai,
Lithuania. Most of the war time he spent in Warsaw
working there for the underground presses. In the
diplomatic service of the People’s Poland since
1945, he broke with the government in 1951 and
settled in France where he wrote several books in
prose. In 1953 he received Prix Littéraire Européen.
In 1960, invited by the University of California, he
moved to Berkeley where he has been, since 1961, Professor of Slavic
Languages and Literatures.
Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849) the great
composer and pianist, was born in Zelazowa Wola.
The musical talent of Fryderyk became apparent
extremely early on, and it was compared with the
childhood genius of Mozart. The majority of his most
outstanding and profound works were composed in
Nohant . He died of pulmonary tuberculosis in his
Parisian flat in the Place Vendôme. He was buried in
the Père-Lachaise cemetery in Paris. In accordance
with his will, however, his heart, taken from his body after death, was
brought by his sister to Warsaw where it was placed in an urn installed in
a pillar of the Holy Cross church .
Wisława Szymborska ( 1923- ) Nobel Prize
Winner in Literature in 1996. Born in Kornik in
Western Poland on 2 July 1923. Since 1931 she
has been living in Cracow, where during 19451948 she studied Polish Literature and Sociology at
the Jagiellonian University. Szymborska made her
début in March 1945 with a poem “Szukam slowa”
(I am Looking for a Word) in the daily “Dziennik
Polski”. Szymborska has published 16 collections
of poetry and has also translated French poetry. Wislawa Szymborska is
the Goethe Prize winner (1991) and Herder Prize winner (1995)
MAZURKAS TRAVEL 5
arsaw Worth Seeing
Legend speaks of Warsaw’s past. One of them tells of a mermaid – half woman
half fish swimming in the waves of the blue Vistula River in front of Mazovian
fisherman and foretelling of the founding an indestructible city. Another account
speaks of the founders of the city, Wars and Sawa, lovers whose names were
combined to give Warsaw its name.
SIGHTSEEING OF WARSAW [3 h]
Enjoy this great opportunity to get acquainted
with the history of Poland’s capital. See the
Old Town, intricately reconstructed after
World War II, and the movie ”Warsaw
Remains” at the Warsaw Historical Museum
which will give you a better understanding of
Warsaw’s tragic history. The Old Town is an
excellent example of a compromise between
the historic values and modern needs - art
galleries, shops, charming restaurants, cafes,
craftsmen workshops. Take pleasure in a
drive along the Royal Route with its beautiful
palaces, aristocratic residences, famous
statues and historic churches. See the historic
sights of Warsaw - the Ghetto Memorial, the
Monument of the Warsaw Uprising, the Tomb
of the Unknown Soldier, Chopin’s Monument,
and the Belvedere Palace.
FREDERIC CHOPIN TOUR [3 h]
It was the genius of Frederic Chopin that made
Poland famous in the music world. While
staying in Warsaw, get acquainted with the
collections of his mementoes and with the
6 MAZURKAS TRAVEL
headquarters of the Chopin Society. See the
last original piano of the great composer. Next,
go to the Chopin family apartment, now home
of the Academy of Fine Arts. There is a late
Baroque Church where Chopin used to play.
Enjoy a private piano concert at one of these
places.
JEWISH HERITAGE [3 H]
Before the Holocaust, Warsaw was the most
important Jewish center in Europe. It was home
to a vibrant political, social and cultural life of
Polish Jews, with Jewish theatres, newspapers,
numerous schools, yeshivas, sports and social
clubs. Starting in 1940, the Nazis concentrated
450,000 Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto. Although
the Ghetto was destroyed there are now some
monuments commemorating the Holocaust
including the memorial to the Ghetto
Heroes. There used to be three major
temples. Only the Nożyk
Synagogue,
serving
the
small
community
to this day, remains. The
Jewish
Nieborów Palace
Nieborów Palace
Historical Institute and Museum contains rare
Jewish documentation including mementoes
of the Holocaust. Your Jewish interest tour
features also the only European Yiddish State
Theatre and the Genscher Cemetery, one of the
oldest Jewish historic monuments in Warsaw.
WARSAW PALACES [3 h]
Warsaw has been the capital of Poland for
the last four hundred years. For centuries,
monarchs have been constructing the beautiful
palaces you can admire today. You have a
great choice. Begin with the Royal Castle
- the early Baroque, five-wing building with
a courtyard and a clock tower. For many
centuries it housed both the Royal Court and
the Government. Continue with the Wilanów
Palace - summer residence of Jan III Sobieski,
the king who defeated the Turks at the Battle of
Vienna in 1683, or see the Palace on the Water
- the magnificent palace and garden complex
– a private retreat of Poland’s last king at the
end of the18th century.
ŻELAZOWA WOLA & BROCHÓW [4 H]
Leave Warsaw to reach the nearby Żelazowa
Wola, a village on the Utrata river and visit
a charming old Polish manor, the birthplace
of the composer and national hero F. Chopin.
The house where Chopin was born is now a
museum surrounded by a large garden. All
the rooms have been restored to perfection
and contain a collection of family portraits
and other Chopin memorabilia, including
music manuscripts and a cast of his left hand.
A possible piano recital in the concert room.
Afterwards, continue to Brochów, a typical
Mazovian village with a Renaissance basilica
of unique defensive character erected in the
16th cent., the place of Chopin’s parents
wedding and of the baptism of F. Chopin.
MAZOVIAN ESCAPADE [6 h]
Old Market Square
An exciting tour along charming villages
and farms, aristocratic palaces and manor
houses - the most fabulous sites of Mazovia.
After a departure from Warsaw, a short
visit to Żelazowa Wola, the birthplace of F.
Chopin. The charming manor where he was
born houses a collection of mementoes of the
Chopin family. Next, Łowicz - a small town
known for cultivating the folk traditions in
music, dress, embroidery and paper cut - outs.
A possible performance of ”the Łowicz peasant
wedding” in the ethnographic park. We
continue to Nieborów, a gorgeous Radziwiłł
family residence, where we shall encounter the
famous Niobe - an antique sculpture.
MAZURKAS TRAVEL 7
racow Worth Seeing
SIGHTSEEING OF CRACOW [3 H]
The origins of Cracow are obscure.
An old legend says that the city was
founded by the mythical ruler Krak on
the Wawel Hill, above a cave occupied
by a ravenous dragon. Krak disposed
of the beast by offering him animal
skins stuffed with tar and sulphur;
which it duly and fatally devoured.
In reality, traces of human habitation
from prehistoric times have been
found in the city area, while the first
historical record are of Slavic people
settling along the banks of the Vistula
River here in the 8th century.
8 MAZURKAS TRAVEL
For the Polish people, Cracow is a special
city: the old capital of kings, the place where
kings were crowned and laid to rest. Today,
Cracow is the key to understanding Poland and
Poland’s place in Europe. Come and see the
Old Town area within the Planty greenbelt - an
excellently preserved medieval city. We start
the walk next to the old defence walls. The
vast Old Town Market Square is considered
to be one of the largest town squares in
Europe. The surroundings of the square have
remained unchanged for almost 700 years and
contain buildings of historic value such as
St. Mary’s Church with the famous wooden
altar, the Town Hall Tower, the Cloth Hall,
the ”Wierzynek” restaurant and the burgher
houses. Every hour, you can hear the bugle
call to the four corners of the world from the
tower of St. Mary’s Church.
THE MUSEUMS OF CRACOW [3 H]
Without a doubt, the Czartoryski Collection
remains a gem among the objects held by
the National Museum. The museum displays
collections gathered by some of the most
eminent Polish families. The most important
treasures of this collection are the ”Lady
with an Ermine” by Leonardo da Vinci, and
the ”Good Samaritan” by Rembrandt. The
Szołajski Museum has a Collection of Polish
crafts (from the Middle Ages until the 18th
century) and the most precious collection of
Gothic paintings and sculptures in Poland. The
manuscript of Copernicus’ main work ”De
Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium”, which
shattered the medieval vision of the world, is
a real ornament of the Jagiellonian Library.
There are more traces of striking discoveries
in the Cracow collections. A Jagiellon-period
globe (at the Jagiellonian University Museum)
features the first depiction of America.
THE WAWEL CASTLE TOUR [2,5 H]
Wawel Castle is the most popular and the richest
museum in Poland. In its 71 magnificent rooms
with 7,040 sq. meters of floor space, several
thousand works of art of greatest value are on
display. Through a tall vaulted gate we enter
the Renaissance arcades of the castle courtyard.
This is where the colourful pageants, the
knights’ tournaments and entertainments were
held. The most valuable of all the works of art
in the Wawel collection are the Arras tapestries.
This great art legacy is due to King Sigismund
Augustus, who commissioned the work with
the best Flemish weavers, and supervised
its progress over twenty years. A visit to the
Wawel Cathedral which used to be the scene of
coronations and is the eternal resting place of
the kings of Poland. Wawel Hill is dominated
by the Cathedral, the Castle and the defence
towers. In the Sigismund Tower hangs the
largest bell in Poland, called Zygmunt.
THE KAZIMIERZ DISTRICT
AND SCHINDLER’S LIST TOUR [3 H]
Enter the maze of narrow streets of the former
Jewish district of Kazimierz, to take a plunge
into the culture of a different world. The
dramatic history of the Jewish community,
exterminated by the Nazis, was presented
In the footsteps of Holy Father
– Pope John Paul II in Poland
by Steven Spielberg who made the movie
”Schindler’s List” in the actual setting. In the
past, Kazimierz was a distinct town with its
own Market Square and Town Hall, as well
as thriving culture, this having blossomed
with particular force in the 16th century. That
period witnessed the foundation of Poland’s
oldest Judaic shrine, the Old Synagogue, and
then the Remuh Synagogue with the adjoining
Renaissance cemetery. Visit the Old Synagogue
with the exhibition that shows the history and
culture of Jewish community of Cracow.
AUSCHWITZ [4 H]
The Death Camp in Oświęcim, known as
Konzentrationslager Auschwitz, was in fact
a complex of camps, the largest Nazi death
factory, where four million people, mostly
Jews, perished. Auschwitz consisted of several
units, including the largest one at Brzezinka
(Birkenau). Of the millions of people brought
there in the period of 1940 -1944, only 60 to
70 thousand utterly emaciated victims survived
the time of liberation of the camp. At present,
the National Museum of Oświęcim is situated
on the site of the former camp.
WIELICZKA SALT MINE [4 H]
A visit to the Wieliczka Salt Mine - a worldclass tourist attraction. Over 700 years many
generations of Polish miners have created the
underground world, exceptional in its beauty,
with rich interior decoration of the chapels, the
original linings of the galleries and workings,
and the underground salt lakes. We can see up
to 20 excavated chambers on 3 levels, full of
beautiful statues sculpted from salt as well as
the Salt Works Museum. The Wieliczka Salt
Mine is on the list of the World Cultural and
Natural Heritage.
PIESKOWA SKAŁA [4,5 H]
The Pieskowa Skała Castle is beautifully
located in the Ojców National Park. Erected in
the 14th century, the spectacular fortress which
can be admired now is the result of extensive
rebuilding which took place in the 16th century.
This is one of the best preserved castles in the
upland region. On display is a collection of
European art from the Middle Ages to the
mid-19th century including paintings, furniture,
Flemish and Dutch tapestries, sculptures,
ceramics and drawings.
CZĘSTOCHOWA [5 H]
One of the most important places of religious
worship in the Christian world, with tradition of
pilgrimages that goes back to the 14th century.
In recent years, this place has been visited by
4-5 million pilgrims annually, including 100
thousand from abroad. Only Lourdes and
Fatima host more pilgrims. The enormous
role of Jasna Góra with the marvellous picture
of the Black Madonna, in the religious and
cultural life of the nation can be seen from the
names commonly used for this place: Capital
of the Kingdom of Poland, the Confessional of
the Nation. Your tour will include: the Basilica
with Black Madonna Shrine, the exhibition
devoted to the 600-years of the Monastery, the
Armoury Room, as well as the Treasury Room
with precious gifts.
Cracow – with so many places connected
with John Paul II, such as the Bishop’s Palace
where Karol Wojtyła used to live, St. Florian’s
Church where he was a vicar, or the beautiful
Franciscan Church - his favourite praying
place. Franciszkanska Street with the famous
Pope’s window where John Paul II used to
show up to talk with Cracovians during his
pilgrimages to Poland. Collegium Novum, the
main building of Jagiellonian University, where
after WW II Karol Wojtyla lectured in theology;
Archbishop’s Palace, which was his home for a
number of years
Lagiewniki – the Sanctuary of Our Lord’s
Mercy consecrated by John Paul II during his
last pilgrimage to Poland, a place connected with
St. Faustina, one of the Pope’s favourite saints.
Wadowice – the birthplace of Karol Wojtyla
where you can visit his house and the Basilica;
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska - the monastery
complex of the Bernardines with the early
Baroque church of the Angelic Mother of God.
The Jerusalem service conducted in natural
scenery has attracted thousands of pilgrims from
the very beginning;
Jasna Gora Monastery in Czestochowa
– one of the most important places of religious
worship in the Christian world, with tradition of
pilgrimage that goes back to the 14th century.
In the monastery’s church there is a marvellous
picture of Black Madonna - the most famous and
adored picture of this kind in the whole country.
MAZURKAS TRAVEL 9
dansk Worth Seeing
One of the famous monuments in
Gdansk is the Neptune Fountain.
Located in the center of the Old Town
is a symbol of the city and refers
to its connection with the Sea. The
monument is dedicated to the Neptune
and sea creatures beautifully designed
by Johann Karl Stender. According to
the legend, with the help of Neptune
a famous Goldwasser vodka was
supposed to spout out of the Fountain.
SIGHTSEEING OF GDAŃSK [3 H]
We start our tour from the Upland Gate - a
fragment of the city’s fortifications and one
of its main gates. Just behind, we pass by a
baked-brick construction consisting of the
Prison Tower and the Torture House - relicts
of the Gothic walls from the 15th century. The
Golden Gate, situated next to the Prison Tower,
opens onto the Long Market - a magnificent
street, with Patrician mansions decorated with
late Renaissance and Baroque facades - a real
feast for your eyes! It is here that the richest
burghers of Gdańsk used to live. Next you
can see the Main Town Hall, with a life-size
gilded figure of King Sigismund Augustus on
top. Beyond the Main Town Hall, you admire
10 MAZURKAS TRAVEL
the Artus Court - a building used for Hanseatic
League meetings, the most beautiful court in
all the Hanseatic cities. Just behind rises the
tower of the St. Mary Basilica, a part of the
most precious and largest red-brick Gothic
church. On your way back, you pass by the
Mariacka Street, with its gabled terraced
houses and expensive boutiqes, leading to the
Long Wharf on the Motława River.
BOAT TRIP ACROSS THE BAY OF
GDAŃSK [2 - 4 H]
Take an unforgettable trip across the Bay
of Gdańsk on one of the Gdańsk Shipping
Company boats. From the deck you will
admire the most picturesque spots of the
area. During the trip we stop at Westerplatte,
Sopot, Gdynia and at the Hel Peninsula. On
board you have a great chance to try the local
fish specialities that can satisfy even the most
discerning taste.
MUSEUMS OF GDAŃSK [3 H]
The former Franciscan Monastery now houses
the National Museum. The most valuable
fragment, next to the collection of medieval
paintings and woodcarvings, is the Gallery
devoted to the Dutch and Flemish works with
the Hans Memling`s three-piece-painting of
the Last Judgement from 1472. You can learn
a lot about history and the reconstruction
Amber
work at Gdańsk during
the visit to the Historical
Museum located in the Main
Town Hall. Treasures found in sunken ships,
a collection of shells, corals and other sea life
from all over the world are surely worth seeing
at the Maritime Museum.
EXCURSION TO MALBORK,
FROMBORK AND KADYNY [FULL DAY]
With us, you are going to visit the most
attractive places around Gdańsk. We start at
Malbork, to see the famous largest fortress of
the Teutonic Knights Order. The magnificent
castle is located on the bank of the Nogat
River. Protected with draw-bridges, moats and
mounds, the complex consists of 3 parts: the
Lower , Middle and High Castles. Note the
remarkable and original palm vaulting in the
Knight’s Hall. Next, Frombork - a fortified
town by the Vistula Lagoon.The town, with
2,5 thousand inhabitants, is closely linked
with the life and work of Nicolaus Copernicus,
who revolutionised the medieval view of the
universe here. He spent the latter half of his
life at the tower of the Frombork Cathedral
- the seat of the Warmian Bishops since the
14th century. We continue to Kadyny, a small
village between the Vistula
Lagoon and a major national reservation. In
the past, this forested area was a favourite
hunting place of the Hohenzollerns. In Kadyny
you will find an eclectic Imperial Palace and a
horse-stud, where you rest while we take you
for a coach ride around the area, a great way to
see the wonderful coastal landscapes.
Oliwa Cathedral
CONCERT AT OLIWA [2 H]
The cornerstone of the Cistercian Monastery
in Oliwa was laid down in 1188. In 1925, the
monastery church was raised to the status of
a cathedral of the newly established Gdańsk
Diocese.The Cathedral is world-famous for
its organ by John Wulf and Frederic Dalitz,
from 1763-93. The 1876 pipes of tin and wood
produce wonderful harmony of sounds. The
upper part of the instrument is decorated with
statues of angels, carved stars and garlands. It
is said that the sounds of the Oliwa organs are
so fantastic that they made their constructor
faint - once he heard them for the first time.
Every summer, the best European musicians
perform here during the annual festival.
Several times every day, regular recitals take
place in the Cathedral, making this a really
impressive tour.
MAZURKAS TRAVEL 11
Św. Lipka
azury Worth Seeing - Mazurian Lakes
Warmia and Masuria is a region full of charm, magic, captivation nature, red-brick
castles, amazing fortresses from the time of WWII and the land of rolling hills, meadows
and paradise for anglers interested in a huge variety of fish. Although this region is known
as the Land of a Thousand Lakes. But unique flora and fauna are not the
only attractions of this region. It is also the land of many cultural
remnants,from burial mounds up to the technical achievements
of the 19th century. The unique sites and rich history of this land
promise a visit full of unexpected surprises. Come and visit one of the most charming
and magic region of Poland.
LAND OF A THOUSAND LAKES [6H]
Enjoy your outstanding trip through the Mazury
region, called “The Land of a Thousand Lakes”.
See the beautiful lakes situated in the northern
part of Poland, including a stop in Święta Lipka
with its 17th century Baroque church where
you can also listen to an organ concert, as well
as the 14th century castle in Olsztyn, a city
where Nicolaus Copernicus lived and worked,
Gierłoż to see the ruins of the thick walls of
the former bunker complex, called the Wolf’s
Lair - the headquarters of Adolf Hitler during
World War II. Now the complex of bunkers
houses a museum commemorating the history
of WW II.
ELBLĄG-OSTRÓDA CANAL [6H]
The Canal was built in order to provide for
cheap transportation of timber to the Baltic. This
interesting construction, put into service in 1860,
is surrounded by picturesque landscape. A series
of slipways with a hydraulic system can slide a
ship to the canal below. Without leaving your
ship, you once move through a lake or a canal,
while another time you move on land, through a
meadow. Both the scenery and the engineering
techniques are really worth seeing.
12 MAZURKAS TRAVEL
SWIETA LIPKA [3 h]
One of the best known Shrine of the Holy
Virgin and also one of the most beautiful
Baroque sacral monuments in northern
Poland. The pride of the church, besides the
miraculous statue of the Holy Virgin, is its
organ, a sumptuously decorated instrument of
some 5000 pipes and moving figurines when
played. Apart from the church, you should
also walk around the cloister ornamented with
frescoes by Meyer.
TEUTONIC
KNIGHTS CASTLES [8H]
The Teutonic Knights arrived Masuria in the
mid-13th century, therefore in Masuria region
you can see many of the Teutonic castles
such as: Nidzica that served as headquarters
for the high Commander of the Order of
the Teutonic Knights; Reszel – a massive
brick structure with a round tower; Lidzbark
Warmiński – a castle where resided Nicholas
Copernicus, now a museum; and Frombork
– a palace complex on top of Cathedral Hill
ranked among monuments of the highest
class, now housing a museum of Nicholas
Copernicus.
OLSZTYN – THE
CENTER OF
MASURIAN REGION [4H]
A town founded in 14th century has
been successive overlapping
of Prussian and Polish
influences, as most of
this region. With ten lakes,
surrounding forests and
the steep-side Łyna River,
Olsztyn has many attributes to
make it worthy of a long stay
including Gothic structures and
the preserved Old Tow. After
massive rebuildings, the city
is now the largest and most
important urban center
in Warmia and Masuria.
The two most important
historical buildings in town
are the castle and the cathedral. The
castle is now a museum and one of the most
important exhibits with a chart desinged by
Copernicus to measure the length of the year.
Other places of interest are St. Jacob’s Cathedral,
the Old Town’s High Gate, Historical Museum
and the recently renovated Old Town Hall.
RAFTING DOWN
THE DUNAJEC RIVER [3H]
A unique mountain range stretches north-east
of the Tatras: limestone rocks, microclimate
and a wide variety of flora and fauna, are the
characteristic features of these mountains.
Rafting down the Dunajec river through the
Pieniny Gorge on highlanders’ raft, is believed
to be one of the greatest attractions of Poland.
While on a raft navigated by two highlanders,
you can admire one of the most beautiful river
gorges in Europe.
The beauty of
Morskie Oko Lake [6H]
Climb up to see the most beautiful mountain
lake in Europe.It is accesible to all visitors.
Admire the magnificent views of the highest
peaks, pure crystal water and breath the freshest
air. Visit the mountain refuse on the shore of
the lake where you can try local specialities.
Zakopane [4H]
Stroll down the Krupowki- main pedestrian street
in Zakopane, the meeting point for all visitors. It is
vibrant and picturesque, full of tourists occuying
the numerous cafes, restaurants and souvenir
shops. Take time for your own shopping. Do not
be afraid of taking the cable up the Gubałówka
Hill to enjoy the unforgettable views of Polish
and Slovak Tatras.
Highlanders Culture [4H]
akopane Worth
Seeing
Tatra Mountains
Just like Aspen in United States or Chamonix in
France, Zakopane is a favourite winter destination
in Poland. This is a most famous Polish mountain
resort, winter sports center and the capital of Polish
Highlanders culture. The wild beauty of the country
around Zakopane, the clear mountain streams, the
immense forest and most of all the breathtaking
landscapes of the Tatra Mountains will leave you
enchanted forever.
Area around Zakopane called Podhale is
inhabited by Polish Highlanders. They
managed to keep their culture alive and
distinct from mainstream culture for centuries.
They are proud of their original dialect,
traditions, architecture and cuisine. Their
wooden architecture blends with the natural
landscapes and it is coppied in other parts of
Poland (Zakopianski Style). See the beautiful
Jaszczurówka Chapel designed by great Polish
artist Stanisław Witkiewicz.
Visit the Hermitage of St. Brother Adalbert,
where Pope John Paul II used to pray. Get a
taste of the origial local cuisine at one of the
Highlander’s Inn, try kwaśnica, oscypek and
placek zbójnicki. Local enssamble will entertain
you with colorful dancing and singing, the art
of glass-painting will be presented.
Ludźmierz
- Sanctuary of Our Lady [3H]
Visit the oldest parish church in Podhale. See
the miracleous figure of Our Lady Queen of
Podhale. This wooden sculpture is almost
600 years old. Every year in September on
the holiday of Our Lady Siewnej the basilica
becomes the center of a colorful and spectacular
harvest festival. This is a place where the
Highlanders Culture is vividly alive.
MAZURKAS TRAVEL 13
ities Worth Seeing
Lublin Worth Seeing
SIGHTSEEING OF LUBLIN [3 h]
Lublin is the largest city and the main cultural
center of Eastern Poland. It is known for its
universities including the Catholic University
of Lublin. The tour will include the Old Town
dated from the 14th century, with the Town Hall
remodeled in the Neoclassical period and the
Baroque Tribunal in the center of the Market
Square. See the Gothic Dominican Church, the
Krakowska Gate as well as the Grodzka Gate
which leads to the Neo-Gothic castle built in
the 14th century. The most prominent part of
the castle is its magnificent Gothic Chapel - an
example of well-preserved Russian-Byzantine
murals. See the 17th century Greek-Catholic
church and the Neoclassical Synagogue, as
well as the old Jewish cemetery.
KAZIMIERZ DOLNY & KOZŁÓWKA
[6 h]
A small and lovely town located on the Vistula
River - with its beautiful Market Square
surrounded by Late Renaissance houses, old
churches, granaries and the ruins of a castle
overlooking the town. See the Parish Church
with lovely Renaissance and Rococo decorations.
Drive to nearby Kozłówka to visit the Baroque
palace, housing the Zamoyski Museum, which
has a rich collection of original old furniture,
ceramics, crystal mirrors, sculptures, clocks and
paintings.
14 MAZURKAS TRAVEL
MAJDANEK [1,5 h]
A former Nazi concentration camp, second only
to Treblinka and Oświęcim, set up in 1941. The
barracks, guard towers and long lines of formerly
electrified double barbed-wire remain as they were
50 years ago. Here, thousands of people were shot,
gassed with Zyclon B and incinerated. The tragic
history of this camp is presented in the museum.
ZAMOŚĆ [3 h]
A Pearl of the Renaissance, designed
four centuries ago by Italian architect
Bernardo Morando, today stands relatively
unchanged. The mid-17th century Town
Hall, houses with decorative attics on
their tops and some oriental motives on
their facades, the splendid 19th century
basilica and more than 100 architectural
monuments of significant historical and
artistic value, make this beautiful town
worth seeing while traveling through
Poland. Zamość’s Old Town was
included
in
the
World’s
Cultural Heritage
list by
UNESCO.
Worth Seeing
SIGHTSEEING
OF WROCLAW [3 h]
Wroclaw is becoming third largest tourist
destination in Poland after Krakow and Warsaw
and it is a city definitely worth seeing. Wroclaw has
fascinating history. It belonged to Poland, Czech
Kingdom, Habsburg Empire, Prussia, Germany
and even for a short time to Hungarian King
Matthias Corvinus. In 1945 it returned to Poland
heavily destroyed. The post-war reconstruction
lasted well into the 80s. Now Wroclaw is an
internationally recognized tourist center famous
for its numerous gothic cathedrals and Market
Square, which was called „second beautiful
in Europe after Brussels” by the Queen of
Belgium who visited in 90s. The Town Hall
in the middle of square is considered the
most beautiful gothic Town Hall in Europe.
Colorful burgher houses around the square
feature numerous art galleries, small
hotels, cafes and excellent restaurants.
We continue the sightseeing of Wroclaw
towards Odra River. We visit Wroclaw
University founded in 1670 by Emperor
Leopold. The most beautiful building
in the complex is Aula Leopoldina with
absolutely marvellous
barocco
interior from 17th
century.
OSTRÓW
TUMSKI
ISLAND [2 h]
Wroclaw
Next
stop
is
Wroclaw’s „must
see”-the Cathedral
Island, the core
of the city, where
first settlment was
established in 9th
century and first
church was built in 10th century. Now the island
is dominated by impossing Gothic Cathedral
with two towers. Inside the Cathedral we
admire main altar from 1522 and many chapels
representing various styles. There are two other
big Gothic churches on the Island as well as
a number of bishop’s residences and colorful
burgher houses.
PANORAMA RACŁAWICKA [1,5 h]
You should not miss the opportunity to visit
the Panorama Racławicka- one of the wonders
of Wroclaw. This is a gigantic painting hanged
inside the circular rotunda and it is viewed
from the central balcony. The painting shows
the battle of Raclawice in 1794 between Polish
Insurrectionists and Russian Army.
ANTONIN [6 h]
A former summer residence of the Polish
magnate Antoni Radziwill located about
1,5 hour drive from Wroclaw. This wooden
structure was designed by Karl Friedrich
Schinkel as a Hunting Palace and is an unusual
structure. The large main body, three-storey
hall with column in the middle and a chimney
for the central fireplace. Four side wings
designed as living rooms, also were used by
the famous guests who visited Antonin, such
as Frederic Chopin. Today the palace is a hotel,
but also a place of Chopin piano recitals that
are held here during the summer. Also one of
the rooms houses some Chopin memorabilia.
The palace is beautifully surrounded by a
forest, a pleasant place for walks.
OŻARÓW [8 h]
A timbered manor-house of mid-18th century
is the seat of the Manorial Interiors Museum
at Ożarów, about 2 hours drive from Wroclaw.
It is in the type of the Old-Polish manor
houses that are very rare in Poland nowadays.
Permanent exhibition arranged in stylistic
interiors is showing a nobleman’s house in
its habitabel and representative functions. A
drawing-room, boudoir, study, dining-room,
a room with unting trophies and girlish little
room, are full of old furniture, paintings articles
of atistic hadicraft, knick knackes, albums and
genuine files. That makes an impression that
the manor-house is still alive.
Poznañ Worth Seeing
SIGHTSEEING OF POZNAŃ [3 h]
The first settlement here can be traced back to
as early as the 9th century. The first ruler of
Poland, Mieszko I, who baptized the country,
founded his first church right here. The church
was reconstructed after the war. In the 15th
century it took on a Gothic shape. The most
interesting part of the city is the Old Town
with its famous Renaissance Town Hall, now
housing the Historic Museum. In the middle of
the attic, above the clock, you can see two metal
goats butting their horns 12 times every day at
noon. You also should not miss the Museum
of Musical Instruments with its impressive
collection of hundreds of instruments, from
whistles to concert pianos from all over
the world, dating from the 15th to the 20th
centuries. The castle on Góra Przemysława,
where the premises are shared by the Museum
of Decorative Arts and the National Museum,
with a magnificent collection of paintings.
castle, built in the 15th century, which houses
a nice collection of art: painting, furniture,
books and manuscripts. In the surrounding
gardens there are thousands of different trees
with enormous oak trees among them. The next
stop is Rogalin, with its Rococo-Neoclassical
palace of the Raczyński family, which was
built at the end of the 18th century. Now it is
a branch of the National Museum in Poznań
and has an impressive collection of furniture,
paintings, sculptures, china and tapestries.
Among other treasures, works of such famous
Polish painters as Matejko, Chełmoński can be
seen.
GNIEZNO [2 h]
The first capital of Poland, sited on seven
hills and surrounded by lakes. The oldest part
of the city is Góra Lecha, where a fortified
settlement was raised in the 8th century. The
main purpose of the visit to Gniezno is to see
the cathedral built before 977 by Mieszko I,
repeatedly demolished and rebuilt over the
centuries. It has the famous Romanesque
Doors with panels presenting scenes from the
life of St. Adalbert, as well as a silver reliquary
of the saints, a number of statues, paintings,
epitaphs and tombstones. The library has a
valuable collection of illuminated manuscripts
and the cathedral treasury houses a collection
of silverworks.
KÓRNIK & ROGALIN [6 h]
While in Poznań, you should not miss two
towns famous for their historical buildings.
Kórnik, where you can see the magnificent
MAZURKAS TRAVEL 15
pecial Interest Tour
THE TRAIL OF NAPOLEON
A cult of Napoleon had always existed in our
country. In our national anthem, we sing “....
dał nam przykład Bonaparte jak zwyciężać
mamy...” (“Bonaparte showed us how to win”).
The Poles were grateful to him for establishing
the Duchy of Warsaw (1807 - 1815), his real
contribution towards the regaining of our
independence. Even nowadays, Poles like to
discuss Napoleon’s role in the history of our
country. They respect the mementoes (such
as commemorative plaques, documents) and
monuments (palaces and castles where the
emperor lived while staying in Poland).
AGRICULTURE
Special tours organised for farmers and other
people with agricultural interest are becoming
more and more popular in Poland. The country,
in the process of transformation, is especially
interesting for its difficult evolution from a
centrally-planned economy to a free market.
We organise special tours for almost all kinds
of agricultural interests, starting with dairy and
pig farms, through bee-keeping, right through
to the ones organised for forestry workers. We
also prepare meetings with representatives of
the government (Ministry of Agriculture) and
regional administration, as well as meetings
with specialists in the different branches.
EDUCATIONAL TOURS FOR
TEACHERS
With a rich history and with process of
transformation in educational system Poland
offers unique tour possibilities for teachers of
different levels and specialities. Also, a wide
variety of tours following the places of WW II
are especially interesting for history teachers
and students. The numerous Polish national
parks, the most famous one in Białowieża (one
of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage spot
in Poland) with preserved original fragments
of the primeval forest and home to the largest
European mammal - the European Bison as
well as thousand of other animal species offers
a unique opportunity to all teachers of biology
and other ecological subjects environmental
sciences to extend their knowledge.
16 MAZURKAS TRAVEL
POLISH NOBLES
The tour aims to discover the role of the
Polish aristocrats in the cultural and economic
development of our country. You shall visit
palaces and castles owned by Polish nobles,
such as Kórnik, Gołuchów, Łańcut, Nieborów,
Zamość. We will give you a chance to talk with
the descendants of the Polish noble families:
Zamoyski, Radziwiłł, Potocki and others. The
tour is designed for those who enjoy travel
combined with Polish history.
ANCIENT ORGANS IN POLAND
A tour for those who are interested in the
history of organs and lovers of organ music. In
Poland, in the 17th and 18th centuries, several
organ workshops were in operation and this
is why one can now find unique samples of
this sumptuous instrument, such as the ones
from Oliwa or Leżajsk, dating from the 18th
century. You will hear an organ music concert
performed by best players. If you are an organ
player you can play the organ yourself!
NARROW - GAUGE RAILWAYS
There are many opportunities to see narrowgauge trains in Poland, as well as visit numerous
museums of narrow-gauge railways. The biggest
and most interesting one is located in Sochaczew
near Warsaw. The history of those railways
began in Upper Silesia before 1853, when the
first tracks were constructed. In the beginning,
the small freight cars were drawn by horses.
Steam engines started to operate in 1872.
THE TRAIL OF FORTRESSES
The stormy history of Poland gives many
examples of the role of fortresses as an important
and sometimes the only viable form of defence.
Through the centuries numerous foreign invaders
constructed their forts to protect themselves, and
make their domination stronger. Development
of the art of fortification building followed the
development of the means of warfare. Today,
Poland is the only place where you can visit and
compare fortresses constructed by the Russians,
by the Austrians, by the Prussians and the most
modern construction dated from World War II,
in Gierłoż.
TOURS FOR POLITICAL &
ECONOMIC ADVISERS
Poland - the first country of the region that initiated
the process of bloodless political and economic
changes, is already a member of NATO and aims
for EEC membership. This proves a fascinating
taste of the changes and makes the tours to
Poland a rare chance to investigate and examine
both political and economic transformations
on the living organism of a nation. A very
complicated process of privatisation gives an
opportunity to observe this transformation for
economic advisers both from developed market
economies as well as from countries which enter
this long process only now. Poland might also be
a model of political changes from a communist
dictatorship to full democracy.
POLISH FOLKLORE
In spite of continuing modernization and
economic changes, Poland boasts a very lively
folk culture. In many regions of Poland, folk
customs and traditions, singing and dancing,
costumes and language are cultivated. The
proposed program covers Central Poland with
the Łowicz region (famous costumes and paper
cut- outs), and South Poland, with the very
distinctive Highlander folklore of the Żywiec
Beskidy Mountains and the Tatras.
TOURS FOR ORCHESTRAS
AND CHOIRS
The rich music calendar in Poland creates many
opportunities for performing groups and choirs
from all over the world. The various festivals
and contests held throughout the year allow
music ensembles of all kinds to find their place
if they want to display their talents in front of
a Polish audience. Choirs, classical music,
orchestras as well as jazz combos and modern
music groups, will have their place to perform.
Recitals are held at venues ranging from private
concert halls, through churches and other unique
historical places, to open-air festivals. Groups
of various kinds, amateur and professional,
will have an opportunity to compete with other
ensembles from Poland or other countries.
OLD CLOCKS IN POLAND
COACH MUSEUMS TOUR
EAGLE NESTS TOUR
ETHNOGRAPHIC TOUR ...
our Capitals of Poland
DAY 1 [D]
WARSAW THE POLITICAL AND
ECONOMIC CAPITAL OF POLAND
Arrival meeting and welcome formalities.
Afternoon visit of the Royal Castle - the
seat of the country’s rulers since 1596 when
King Sigismund III Waza chose this place
as the royal residence and replaced Warsaw
for Cracow as the capital of Poland. Today,
Warsaw is a center of political and economical
life in Poland, housing all the national
institutions and concentrating business life.
After the visit, a stroll through the Old Town
area. Welcome dinner to be served at the
“Bazyliszek” restaurant in the Square Market.
A private Chopin recital in one of the Warsaw
historic palaces with a glass of champagne
during the intermission.
DAY 2 [B, D]
WARSAW - THE ROYAL CITY
Guided city tour of Warsaw including a visit
to the Wilanów Palace - former residence of
King Jan III Sobieski, the famous victor of
the battle of Vienna in 1683. Continue to the
Łazienki Royal Park and Palace complex,
once a summer residence of the last Polish
King Stanislas Augustus Poniatowski. See the
short documentary movie “Warsaw Remains”,
presenting the history of Poland’s capital, to
be shown at the Warsaw Historic Museum.
Afternoon excursion to Żelazowa Wola, the
birthplace of Frederic Chopin, with a visit to
the old traditional Polish manor house of the
Chopin family, now a museum devoted to the
great composer and his family. Dinner with
folklore ensemble entertainment.
DAY 3 [B, L] CZESTOCHOWA
RELIGIOUS CENTER OF POLAND
Drive to Częstochowa - the major centre of
Catholic religion in Poland and a destination
for pilgrims from all over the world for the
last 600 years. Visit the Jasna Góra Monastery
with its wonderful shrine of Our Lady of
Częstochowa - The Queen of Poland. Visit the
Armoury and the most interesting Treasury
Room, where many precious gifts, given to
the monastery through the ages, can be seen.
Lunch at a local restaurant. Continue for
Oświęcim. A guided visit of the former Nazi
concentration camp of Auschwitz - Birkenau.
Evening arrival in Cracow.
DAY 4 [B, D] CRACOW
THE HISTORIC AND CULTURAL
CAPITAL OF POLAND
Cracow, a former Polish capital, played a
major role in the country’s life from 11th
till the 16th century when it lost its position
to Warsaw. Cracow was also nominated
as one of the European Cultural Capitals
in the year 2000. The city visit includes:
the Royal Wawel Castle and the Wawel
Cathedral, St. Mary’s Church, the Cloth
Hall, the Jagiellonian University Museum
- Collegium Maius, to see the rare 16th
century astronomical instruments, as well
as the oldest existing globe. Visit Kazimierz
- the former Jewish quarter of Cracow, a
cultural and spiritual centre of Cracow
Jews before WW II. Dinner with Jewish
folklore entertainment to be presented at
the “Ariel” Jewish restaurant.
DAY 5 [B, L] ZAKOPANE
THE CAPITAL OF THE POLISH TATRA
MOUNTAINS
Full day tour to Zakopane - the winter
capital of Poland and the principal
centre of winter sports, one of the places
competing for the Winter Olympic Games
of 2006. Guided tour of one of the most
beautiful places in the country, this being
due to its picturesque location and fine
spa architecture which blends in with the
natural landscape and involves distinctive
elements of the local building style. Lunch
with a traditional Highlander folklore
show at one of the Highlander buildings.
Overnight stay at a Cracow hotel.
DAY 6 [B, L] WIELICZKA
THE UNESCO WORLD CULTURAL
HERITAGE SITE
Morning visit of the Wieliczka Salt Mine,
the oldest in Europe - one of the UNESCO
World’s Cultural Heritage sites in Poland.
Guided tour includes the mine’s beautiful
chambers, caves and chapels with statues
sculptured from salt by many generations
of Polish miners. Departure for Warsaw. En
route, a lunch picnic with a campfire and
a short horse-drawn carriage ride through
the forest to be offered at the horse farm of
Bogusławice. Overnight stay in Warsaw.
DAY 7 [B] WARSAW
Last minute
formalities.
shopping
and
departure
MAZURKAS TRAVEL 17
oland - The Land of Unesco Treasures
Despite the destruction brought by World War II, Poland boasts many world-class historic structures including
12 sites that are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.Our program will take you through some of this exceptional
places and will also give you an opportunity to take advantage of Poland’s strong ties to the European tradition
of contemporary culture and art.
DAY 1 WARSAW [D]
HISTORIC CENTER OF WARSAW - on the
UNESCO HERITAGE LIST since 1980
During the Warsaw Uprising in August
1944, more than 85% of Warsaw’s historic
centre was destroyed by Nazi troops. After
the war, a five-year reconstruction campaign
by its citizens resulted in today’s meticulous
restoration of the Old Town, with its churches,
palaces and market-place. It is an outstanding
example of a near-total reconstruction of a
span of history covering the 13th to the 20th
century. Orientation walk through the narrow
cobble-stone streets of the Old Town with its
historical churches and romantic tenementhouses. You will feel the breath of history
while your walk though the historic part of
Warsaw and enjoy your welcome dinner at one
of the local restaurants beautifully located in
the Old Town Market Square.
DAY 2
WARSAW [B, D]
A half day tour of Warsaw, a fascinating blend
of old and new energy. See the Old Town
beautifully rebuilt after the WW II with the
impressive Royal Castle, the seat of kings
of Poland; Jewish sites and drive along the
historical Royal Route. Evening drive to one
of Warsaw’s palaces for a fantastic journey
through Frederic Chopin’s compositions.
Enjoy a private piano concert with glass of
wine during the interval. You will listen to the
world-famous Chopin’s works played by one
of the leading pianists in Poland.
18 MAZURKAS TRAVEL
DAY 3 WARSAW - TORUŃ MALBORK - GDAŃSK [B, L]
TORUŃ - on the UNESCO HERITAGE LIST
since 1997. The town owes its origins to the
Teutonic Order, which built a castle there in the
mid-13th century as a base for the conquest and
evangelization of Prussia. It soon developed
a commercial role as part of the Hanseatic
League. Walk through the historic part of
Torun. It’s Old Town has been included in the
UNESCO list thank to the most impressive
13th century Town Hall, superb churches and
streets uncovering Torun’s past glory.
Continue your drive to MALBORK – on the
UNESCO HERITAGE LIST since 1997. This
13th-century fortified monastery belonging to
the Teutonic Order was substantially enlarged
and embellished after 1309, when the seat of
the Grand Master moved here from Venice.
A particularly fine example of a medieval
brick castle, it later fell into decay, but was
meticulously restored in the 19th and early 20th
centuries. Many of the conservation techniques
now accepted as standard were evolved here.
DAY 4 GDAnSK-GDYNIA-SOPOT [B, D]
The Tricity, an urban complex extending along
the Bay of Gdansk is one of Poland’s largest
tourist attractions. Gdansk, a Hanseatic town
more than 1000 years old and a birthplace of
the Solidarity Trade Union. Walk along the Old
Town with the famous Artus Court – a building
used for Hanseatic League meetings and one of
the most beautiful courts in all the Hanseatic
cities. Gdynia, a young port city, a center of
shipbuilding, electroengineering and martime
industries. The yacht harbour at the south side
of the South Pier is a mecca for sailors. Walk
along the South Pier with historical shipsmuseums and Oceanographic Museum. Sopot,
the smallest town of the Tri-City agglomeration
is a seaside resort and spa of the Gulf of Gdansk.
Once described as the Riviera of the North.
The tour shows the outstanding beauty of this
town smothered in greenery and full of elegant
villas, pensions and hotels built in 19th and at
the beginning of 20th century. A famous Sopot
pier should not to be missed, as it is the longest
wooden pier in Europe.
DAY 5 GDAnSK - WROCŁAW [B, L]
Morning departure for Wroclaw. A city situated
in the middle of the Silesian Lowland, where
the Odra River branches out to form 12 islands
and a city with one of the most beautiful and
largest Market Squares in Poland and its Town
hall that is recognized as a gem of GothicRenaissance urban architecture.
DAY 6 WROCLAW - SWIDNICA
- WROCLAW [B, D]
Centennial Hall (Hala Ludowa) – on
the UNESCO HERITAGE LIST since 2006
Half day tour of Wroclaw – start at the Market
Square with the beautiful buildings and the
Town Hall, that are recognised as gem of
Gothic-Renaissance urban architecture. See
the magnificent Aula Leopoldinum, one of the
most magnificent chambers of the Wroclaw
University. Rich Baroque decors from the 1st
genocide took place in the former concentration
and extermination camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau,
the largest in the Third Reich. According to
historical investigations, 1.5 million people,
among them a great number of Jews, were
systematically starved, tortured and murdered in
this camp, the symbol of humanity’s cruelty to its
fellow human beings in the 20th century. Arrival
in Krakow for overnight.
DAY 8 KRAKOW [B, D]
krakow’s Historic Centre – on the
UNESCO HERITAGE LIST since 1978
half of the 18th century makes Aula Leopoldinum
one of the most spectacular Baroque interiors in
Poland. The Centennial Hall (Jahrhunderthalle
in German and Hala Ludowa in Polish), a
landmark in the history of reinforced concrete
architecture, was erected in 1911-1913 by Max
Berg. The Centennial Hall, a multi-purpose
recreational building, is a centrally-planned
structure situated on the Exhibition Grounds.
The Centennial Hall is a pioneering work of
modern engineering and architecture.
Drive to Swidnica. See the Church of
Peace in Swidnica – on the UNESCO
HERITAGE LIST since 2001 - the largest
timber-framed religious building in Europe,
was built in the former Silesia in the mid-17th
century, amid the religious strife that followed
the Peace of Westphalia. Constrained by the
physical and political conditions, the Church of
Peace bears testimony to the quest for religious
freedom and it is a rare expression of Lutheran
ideology in an idiom generally associated with
the Catholic Church
DAY 7 WROCLAW - OSWIECIM
- KALWARIA ZEBRZYDOWSKA
- KRAKOW [B, L]
Morning departure for Krakow. En route stop
in
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska: the
Mannierist Architectural and Park
Landscape Complex and a Pilgrimage
Park – on the UNESCO HERITAGE LIST
since 1999 Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is a
breathtaking cultural landscape of great spiritual
significance. Its natural setting – in which a
series of symbolic places of worship relating to
the Passion of Jesus Christ and the life of the
Virgin Mary was laid out at the beginning of the
17th century – has remained virtually unchanged.
Lunch en route at a local restaurant. Continue
with drive to Oswiecim to see AuschwitzBirkenau German Nazi Concentration
and Extermination Camp (1940-1945)
– on the UNESCO HERITAGE LIST since
1979. The fortified walls, barbed wire, platforms,
barracks, gallows, gas chambers and cremation
ovens show the conditions within which the Nazi
The historic centre of Krakow, the former
capital of Poland, is situated at the foot of
the Royal Wawel Castle. The 13th-century
merchants’ town has Europe’s largest market
square and numerous historical houses, palaces
and churches with their magnificent interiors.
Further evidence of the town’s fascinating
history is provided by the remnants of the 14thcentury fortifications and the medieval site of
Kazimierz with its ancient synagogues in the
southern part of town, Jagiellonian University
and the Gothic cathedral where the kings of
Poland were buried. A morning visit to the
Wawel Castle – the royal residence and the seat
of Polish kings and tour of Krakow’s Old Town
with the Main Market Square with magnificent
houses and palaces.
Afternoon drive to WIELICZKA SALT MINE
– on the UNESCO HERITAGE LIST since
1978. This deposit of rock salt in Wieliczka-
Bochnia has been mined since the 13th century.
Spread over nine levels, it has 300 km of
galleries with works of art, altars, and statues
sculpted in the salt, making a fascinating
pilgrimage into the past of a major industrial
undertaking. Dinner at a local inn in Wieliczka
and drive back to Krakow for overnight.
DAY 9 KRAKOW - LIPNICA MUROWANA
– LANCUT - RZESZOW [B, L]
Morning tour of KAZIMIERZ DISTRICT
– on the UNESCO HERITAGE LIST
since 1978. Further evidence of the
town’s fascinating history is provided by the
remnants of the 14th-century fortifications
and the medieval site of Kazimierz with
its ancient synagogues in the southern part
of town, Jagiellonian University and the
Gothic cathedral where the kings of Poland
were buried. Drive to see one of the wooden
churches of southern Little Poland region.
LIPNICA murowana – on the UNESCO
HERITAGE LIST since 2003. The wooden
churches of southern Little Poland represent
outstanding examples of the different aspects of
medieval church-building traditions in Roman
Catholic culture. Built using the horizontal log
technique, common in eastern and northern
Europe since the Middle Ages, these churches
were sponsored by noble families and became
status symbols. Continue to Lancut. Lunch at a
local restaurant. Visit the magnificent interiors
of Lancut Palace - which is likely to be the
best known aristocratic residence anywhere in
Poland. It is one of the largest and holds one of
the most extensive and diverse collections of
art. Drive for overnight in Rzeszow.
DAY 10
RZESZOW - LEZAJSK - ZAMOSC [B, D]
Morning drive to Lezajsk to see the beautiful
organs of the Lezajsk Cathedral and continue
your drive to Lancut.
Continue to ZAMOSC – on the UNESCO
HERITAGE LIST since 1992. Zamosc was
founded in the 16th century by the chancellor
Jan Zamoysky on the trade route linking
western and northern Europe with the Black
Sea. Zamosc is a perfect example of a late16th-century Renaissance town. It has retained
its original layout and fortifications and a large
number of buildings that combine Italian and
central European architectural traditions. Tour
of the Zamosc city called the Pearl of the
Renaissance or Padua of the North. Dinner at
one of the local restaurants.
DAY 11 ZAMOSC- GRABARKA
-BIALOWIEZA [B, L]
Departure for Bialowieza. En route stop in
Grabarka – a pilgrimage site for the more than
one million members of the orthodox Church
in Poland, the largest center of this religious
group in our country. The top of the Hill of
Penitents is surrounded by several thousand
wooden penitential crosses brought here by
pilgrims. Nearby is a small Orthodox church
and the only Orthodox convent in Poland.
Continue your drive to Bialowieza with
lunch en route. Upon arrival in Bialowieza
accommodation at your hotel.
DAY 12 BIALOWIEZA [B, L]
Bialowieza Forest - on the UNESCO
HERITAGE LIST since 1979. Situated on
the watershed of the Baltic Sea and the Black
Sea, this immense forest range, consisting of
evergreens and broad-leaved trees, is home to
some remarkable animal life, including rare
mammals such as the wolf, the lynx and the
otter, as well as some 300 European Bisons, a
species which has been reintroduced into the
park. Full day tour to Bialowieza National Park
to observe the bisons. Bialowieza Forest is one
of the unique primeval forests in Europe and for
the past centuries was a favorite hunting ground,
now mainly ground for nature scientists. Enjoy
your picnic lunch by the lake. Drive to Hajnowka
for short tour of the Orthodox Church and a choir
concert. Back to your hotel in Białowieża.
DAY 13 BIALOWIEZA - TYKOCIN
- WARSAW [B, D]
Morning drive to Warsaw. En route stop
in Tykocin to see one of the best preserved
synagogues in Poland, which holds the Jewish
Museum and the Talmudic House, now a regional
museum. See the 18the century Baroque Holy
Trinity Church and the Market Square lined with
old wooden houses, some of which are more than
200 years old. Lunch at a wooden inn “Dworek
nad Lakami”. Upon arrival time on your own
to explore the city and do shopping. Farewell
dinner at one of the local restaurants
DAY 14
WARSAW (B)
Transfer to the airport for your flight back
home.
MAZURKAS TRAVEL 19
iglights of Poland
Day 1 [D] WARSAW
Start your visit in Poland with tour of Warsaw
Old Town area with its central point - the
Square Market, beautifully rebuilt after WW
II, which used to concentrate the city life, the
Barbican and the Royal Palace - the seat of the
Polish monarchs with impressive collection
of Canaletto paintings. The tour also includes
the Royal Route with its numerous palaces,
churches and the Baroque Wilanów Palace former residence of the King Jan III Sobieski,
the famous conqueror of the Turks in the battle
of Vienna in 1683. Today, the palace houses a
great collection of historic Polish
portrait paintings and European
silver. Enjoy your afternoon
tour to Żelazowa Wola, the
birthplace of Frederic Chopin,
where you will see a traditional
Old Polish manor house, now a
museum devoted to our great composer.
Enjoy your welcome dinner at “Bazyliszek”
restaurant, one of the most famous places
in Warsaw beautifully located in the Market
Square. While in Warsaw you cannot omit
a Chopin piano recital that will be held in
the historical interiors of one of Warsaw’s
palaces.
Day 2 [B, L]
WARSAW - MALBORK - GDAŃSK
From Warsaw we are heading
north towards Gdańsk, a
famous seaside city and the
birthplace of the Solidarity
Trade Union, which
started the great changes
in Eastern Europe. En
route, a guided visit to
the Malbork Castle - the
seat of the Teutonic Knights
- an outstanding relic of medieval
20 MAZURKAS TRAVEL
stronghold
architecture.
Lunch to be provided at
the “Zamkowa” restaurant
located in the castle
buildings. On arrival in
Gdańsk, a stroll along the
Old Town of Gdańsk with its famous historic
gates, the Neptune’s Fountain in front of the
Artus Court and finally the old wooden Gdańsk
crane.
Day 3 [B, D]
GDAŃSK - GDYNIA - SOPOT
A full-day guided city sightseeing of the Tri
- City. A visit to St. Mary’s Basilica, the
Shipyard Workers Solidarity Monument the place where the political changes which
resulted in the collapse of communism in
Central Europe started and Westerplatte
- the place where the first shots of WW
II were fired. Enjoy the woodenpipe organ concert in the Oliwa
Cathedral. Visit Gdynia, with
its sea port and historic ships
adopted for museums as well
as the Gdynia aquarium,
presenting
different
samples of sea life. Today,
Gdynia plays an important
role as the Baltic gateway
to Poland. In the afternoon,
drive to Sopot for a stroll
along the picturesque sea
pier, the longest one in
Europe. Sopot is one of the
most famous and most
popular Polish sea-side
resorts, attracting many
Polish and foreign
tourists
every
summer. Dinner
to be served at
the
exclusive
Sopot restaurant
of “Villa Hestia”.
Day 4 [B, L]
GDAŃSK - TORUŃ - GNIEZNO - POZNAŃ
Departure towards Poznań. En route a guided
tour of the Toruń Old Town area - one of the
most magnificent historic sites in Poland and
the birthplace of Copernicus, the great Polish
astronomer. The Old Town area has been
included in the UNESCO list thanks to the
most impressive 13th century Town Hall, the
superb churches and the streets uncovering
Toruń’s past glory. Lunch to be served at one
of the Toruń historic restaurants. Continue
for Gniezno, the first Polish capital to see the
Cathedral where the first Polish rulers were
crowned. See the Gniezno Cathedral with the
most precious possession– the 12th century
bronze doors with 18 scenes from the life of
St. Adalbert.
Day 5 [B, D]
POZNAŃ - KÓRNIK - ROGALIN
A guided city sightseeing including the Old
Town area of Poznań with its Town Hall - one
of the most beautiful Renaissance building
in Poland, the Market Square, the Museum
of Musical Instruments and the Ostrów
Tumski Cathedral - the headquarters of the
first missionary bishop in Poland. Afternoon
excursion to Kórnik to see the magnificent
English-style Neo - Gothic castle with its
great collection of art and to Rogalin to visit
the Rococo - Neoclassical palace of the
Raczyński Family and its painting gallery
housing such outstanding Polish painters
as Matejko, Chełmoński. We will also take
you to Swarzedz to see the fine collection of
beehives, which range from simple hollow
trunks to even faithful copies of Poznan’s
town hall and the cathedral.
Day 6 [B, L]
POZNAŃ – WROCŁAW
Morning drive to Wroclaw. Afternoon tour of
the city. You will see the impressive Market
Square – one of the biggest in Europe with
the Gothic Town Hall and its characteristic 66
meter-high tower, ceramic gable, lovely portal
and sculptures, which stands among the most
magnificent Town Hall in Central Europe. In
the University Square, on the site of an old
castle you can see the Baroque University
buildings with a tower crowned by a globe,
with the marvelous interior decorations of the
Aula Leopoldina. After the tour we will take
you to a boat trip on Odra River where you will
have a change to admire the views of Wrocław
and listen to music played by a musician who
will assist you on the boat.
Day 7 [B, L]
WROCŁAW - CZĘSTOCHOWA
- CRACOW
Morning visit to Panorama Racławicka, a
unique three-dimensional painting of Poland’s
victory over Russia at Racławice in 1794.
Departure for Częstochowa for a guided visit
of the Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa.
Founded in 1382, it houses a famous icon of
the Black Madonna the most important shrine
in Poland. The tour also includes the monastery
Treasury, Armoury and the defensive walls.
Lunch to be served at a local restaurant near
the Monastery. Drive to Cracow for overnight
stay.
Day 8 [B, D] CRACOW
A full-day city tour of Cracow. The city was
recognised as the treasury of Polish culture
and a token of the state’s power. The city visit
includes the Cracow Old Town with the Royal
Wawel Castle and the Wawel CathedralBishop Wojtyla’s [John Paul II] titular church,
the St. Mary’s Church, the Cloth Halls.
Visit the Jagiellonian University Museum
- Collegium Maius with the oldest globe and
interesting collection of rare 16th century
astronomic instruments probably used by
Copernicus. While in Cracow you should not
omit visit to Czartoryski Museum to see the
famous “Lady with the Ermine” by Leonardo
da Vinci and Rembrandt’s “Landscape with
Good Samaritan”. Afternoon tour of Kazimierz
- the former Jewish quarter of Cracow with
several synagogues worth seeing, especially
the Old Synagogue which houses a Museum
of Judaica that shows life, religious and culture
of Cracow Jews. Dinner with Jewish folklore
entertainment at the “Ariel” restaurant.
Day 9 [B, L]
CRACOW - ZAKOPANE - CRACOW
Full day tour to Zakopane - the winter capital
of Poland and one of the most picturesque
places in our country. But first you will take
a raft trip down the Dunajec River through
the most beautiful river gorges in Europe,
Pieniny Gorge. This trip is believed to be one
of the greatest attractions of Poland. After
arrival in Zakopane guided tour of the fine spa
architecture which blends in with the natural
landscape and involves distinctive elements of
the local building style. We will also
organize an interesting meeting
with local artist who will present
the famous glass-paintings, so
characteristic for this region. Lunch
with a traditional Highlander folklore
show at one of the local buildings
and opportunity to taste typical
Highlanders’ specialities. Overnight
stay at a Cracow hotel.
of measuring time to half a minute, and a range
of sundials from the Far East. Continue to
Szydłowiec for lunch and to visit the Museum
of Polish Folk Instruments, the only one of its
kind in the country an enjoyable collection of
music folk instruments ranging from fiddles,
accordions, hurdy-gurdys and bagpipes, to
more exotic creation such as animal-shaped
whistles and percussion instruments. Arrival
and overnight in Warsaw.
Day 11 [B] WARSAW
Time for last minute shopping and transfer to
the Warsaw airport for your departure flight
back home.
Day 10 [B, L]
CRACOW - WIELICZKA - JEDRZEJÓW
- SZYDŁOWIEC - WARSAW
Morning visit to the Wieliczka Salt Mine,
the oldest one in Europe and an impressive
underground world of salt lakes, chambers,
galleries and a unique Salt Works Museum
created by many generations of Polish miners.
A part of the mine is open to the public as
a museum and gives a fascinating journey
through the labyrinth of tunnels and
levels. Continue for Warsaw. En
route a stop in Jędrzejów to visit
the Sundial Museum housing the
third-largest collection of this
kind in the world. Among them
there is a set of 16th and 17th
century pocket sundials made of
ivory, two intricate specimens capable
MAZURKAS TRAVEL 21
he Eastern Part of Poland
DAY 1 [D] WARSAW
After arrival formalities, departure for the city
sightseeing, including the Warsaw Old Town
area with its central point - the Market Square
which used to concentrate the city life, the
Barbican and the Royal Palace - the seat of
the Polish monarchs. The tour also includes
the Royal Route with its numerous palaces,
churches and the Baroque Wilanów Palace
- former residence of King Jan III Sobieski,
the famous conqueror of Turks at the battle of
Vienna of 1683. Today, the Wilanów Palace
houses a great collection of historic Polish
portrait painting and European silver. Dinner
to be served at one of the Old Town restaurants
and a two-part Chopin piano concert at one of
the Warsaw palaces with a glass of champagne
during the intermission.
DAY 2 [B, D] WARSAW - NOWOGRÓD
- ŁOMŻA - WANIEWO - BIAŁYSTOK
Departure to Białystok. En route, a stop
in Nowogród to visit an open air museum
presenting the history and life of the area of
Kurpie. See the original houses and other
installations presenting the country life in
the past. See the world-famous paper cut-out
works from the area. Continue for Łomża.
Upon arrival, visit the Late Gothic Cathedral
with fine vaulting, Renaissance tombstones
and a Gothic crucifix. The visit also includes
the Neoclassical Town Hall and a Baroque
Capuchin Church. Continue for the Village of
Waniewo located in the Biebrzański National
Park, to take a fishing boat powered by local
22 MAZURKAS TRAVEL
rowers. Continue for Białystok. Upon arrival,
check in at your hotel. In the evening, a stroll
within the historic center of the city - the
Rynek, and dinner to be served at one of the
local restaurants.
 DAY 3 [B, D] BIAŁYSTOK - TYKOCIN
- SUPRAŚL - BIAŁYSTOK
A morning tour of Białystok includes the
large Baroque Town Hall - the central point
of the city, which today houses the local Art
Museum with a good selection of the 19th and
20th century Polish painters. The tour also
includes one of the most striking buildings
in the city centre - the Branicki Palace, with
its interesting classical grandeur. The tour
calls at the old ghetto area where reputedly
one of the finest synagogues in Poland used
to stand before WW II. Next stop in Tykocin,
that has one of the best restored synagogues in
Poland - a reminder that this was once home
to an important Jewish community. A visit to
the Baroque synagogue building which now
houses an excellent Jewish Museum as well as
the old Talmud House with a well-maintained
Local History Museum. Continue for Supraśl
to visit the 17th century Bishop’s Palace and
a large early 16th century Russian Orthodox
church. Overnight and dinner in Białystok.
DAY 4 [B, D] BIAŁYSTOK BIAŁOWIEŻA - GRABARKA - LUBLIN
Departure south for Białowieża - one of the
UNESCO sites in Poland, one of the oldest
national parks in Europe, and one of the largest
regions of original forest in Central Europe,
also the last natural forest with fragments of
primordial wood. The Białowieża National
Park is also home to an impressive variety
of animals, including the uncontested king
of the region - the European Bison. Continue
for Grabarka to visit the unique Orthodox
pilgrimage place famous for its numerous
wooden crosses, the oldest dating back to the
early 18th century. Thousands of characteristic
Orthodox crucifixes clustered together in
all shapes and sizes are an extraordinarily
powerful sight. In the evening, arrival in Lublin
for check in and dinner at the Unia Hotel.
DAY 5 [B, D] LUBLIN - MAJDANEK
- KOZŁÓWKA - LUBLIN
A morning city tour of Lublin
includes a visit to the Old Town
area with its Cathedral, a
large 16th century basilica
with an entrance framed by
ornate Classical - looking
pillars, the Old Town
Hall
Neo-Classically
remodelled by Merlini,
an architect who designed
Warsaw’s Łazienki Palace. The tour
also includes the castle complex.
This 1820s Neo - Gothic edifice
was built on the site of Kazimierz
the Great’s 14th century fortress,
and linked by a raised pathway
from the Castle Gate. Today, the
castle houses a museum with an
Kazimierz Dolny
interesting ethnographical section and an art
gallery. Continue for Majdanek to see a former
Nazi concentration camp established on
Himmler’s orders in October 1941. Departure
for Kozłówka to visit a beautiful two - story
Baroque palace complex, once the property
of the Zamoyski family, today housing a rich
collection of original old furniture, crystal
mirrors, sculptures, ceramics and paintings.
You can also see the Museum of Socialist
Realism art. Dinner and overnight at the
hotel.
DAY 6 [B, D] LUBLIN - ZAMOŚĆ ŁAŃCUT - LEŻAJSK - RZESZÓW
Departure for Zamość - called a Pearl of
the Renaissance, a city which got into
the UNESCO list in 1992. It is the
only Renaissance town in Poland
that has more than 100
architectural monuments
of significant historical
and artistic value.
Continue to Łańcut
for a guided visit
to the Lubomirski and
Czartoryski Family castle
with its unique Chinese and
Turkish apartments and great
collection of art and paintings.
The tour also includes a visit to an
interesting museum of horse-drawn
carriages. Continue for Leżajsk to
visit the Bernardine Church and
Monastery. The place is famous
for its Baroque organ, certainly
one of the best in Poland. In the
evening, arrival for overnight at the
Budimex Hotel in Rzeszów.
DAY 7 [B, D]
RZESZÓW - SANDOMIERZ KAZIMIERZ - WARSAW
A tour of Rzeszów includes panoramic
visits to the Old Town area and its New
Synagogue, a large 17th century brick building,
and the Town Hall with its Renaissance facade.
See the Lubomirski Palace, an early 18th
century elegant-looking building. Continue
for Sandomierz. On arrival, visit the 14th
century Gothic building of the Town Hall,
the numerous well-preserved burgers’ houses,
and its famous wine and grain cellars. Drive to
Kazimierz - a pearl of the Polish Renaissance.
The city tour will show us the numerous
burgher houses in the Market Square, the
local parish church with wooden organ
constructed in 1620, and impressive
ruins of a medieval castle with a
solid tower which provides a
magnificent panorama of the
town. On arrival in Warsaw,
dinner and overnight at
the hotel.
Zamość
DAY 8 [B] WARSAW
Transfer to the Warsaw
airport.
MAZURKAS TRAVEL 23
olk Art Tour
Day 1 WARSAW [D]
Your fist day will start with a visit to historical sites
of Warsaw: the Ghetto Memorial, the Monument
of the Warsaw Uprising, the Tomb of the Unknown
Soldier and the Royal Route. Welcome dinner at
one of the at a local restaurants located in the Old
Town area. Following private Frederic Chopin
music piano recital to be held in one of beautiful
palace interiors of Warsaw. No-one else in the
history of Polish music has so creatively used folk
melodies polonez, mazurek, oberek, kujawiak for
concert pieces and no-one else has achieved such
international recognition.
Day 2
WARSAW - ŁOWICZ- SROMÓW
- ŻELAZOWA WOLA - WARSAW [B, L]
Full day exciting tour along charming
villages and farms of Mazovia
countryside. Visit to Łowicz,
a small town known for
cultivating the folk
traditions in music, dress,
embroidery and paper cut –
outs. Enjoy a rich collection
of Łowicz costumes with
a typical colourful striped
pattern, paper cut outs and
roadside shrines in the Regional
Museum. In Sromów see a
private Crafts Museum,
founded by a skilled
artisan and passionate
crafts
collector.
The
highlight
will be a grand
performance
of a Łowicz
peasant
wedding
in
the
24 MAZURKAS TRAVEL
ethnographical park in nearby village of Maurzyce.
Specialties of regional cuisine will be served, such
as: white borsch, cabbage stuffed with meat and
rice or typical polish kielbasa. Return to Warsaw
via Żelazowa Wola, the birthplace of great Polish
composer Frederic Chopin.
Day 3
WARSAW - OLSZTYNEK
- GDAŃSK [B, L]
Transfer to Gdańsk via Olsztynek, with the
Museum devoted to 18th and 19th century
folk architecture from Warmia, Mazuria, and
surprisingly Lithuania as well. Of particular
interest is the group of old windmills, very rare in
this region and the inn with a covered walkway.
Lunch at a local inn in the skansen, taste delicious
regional dishes. Continue to Gdańsk - the old
Hanseatic city. From the 15th to 18th century
Gdańsk represented Poland’s gateway to the
world. A stroll around Gdańsk also provides vivid
testimony to Poland’s more recent history, from
the heroism of the defenders of Westerplatte in
September 1939 to the Monument to the Murdered
Shipyard Workers which stands at the gates of the
Gdańsk Shipyard, birthplace of „ Solidarity”.
Day 4
GDAŃSK - SOPOT - GDAŃSK [B, D]
Touring of Gdańsk. See the lovely Main
Town Hall with a life – size gilded figure of
King Sigismund Augustus on top, admire the
Artus Court – where for several centuries the
wealthiest local merchants held their meetings,
banquets and general revelries, the Neptun
Fountain - dominated by the sea god, trident
in hand, St Mary’s Church – believed to be the
largest brick church in the world. In the afternoon
visit the factory where jewellery made of amber
is produced. In the evening drive to Sopot – one
of Poland’s most fashionable seaside resorts.
Stroll along the pier, reputedly the longest on
the Baltic, which streches for 512 metres deep
into the sea. Dinner at a local restaurant with
sea shants entertainment.
Day 5
GDAŃSK - KARTUZY - CHMIELNO
- WDZYDZE KISZEWSKIE - POZNAŃ [B, L]
Transfer to Poznań via Kartuzy. The Kashubian
Regional Museum will introduce you to some of
the intricacies of Kashubian domestic, cultural
and religious traditions. Highlight of the curator’s
guided tour is his performance of a Kashubian
folk song complete with dramatic accompaniment.
Another attraction is a display of snuff-boxes.
We continue to the village of Chmielno, known
for its more than a hundred-year-old potter’s
workshop of the Necel family and the Museum of
Kashubian Pottery. Stop in Wdzydze Kiszewskie
with the oldest in Poland ethnographical open-air
museum, picturesquely located within the Wdzydze
Landscape Park The skansen includes buildings
collected from the central and southern Kashubia
region. Try traditional dishes of regional cuisine:
potatoe pancakes, or golce, ruchanki. Arrival in
Poznań.
Day 6 POZNAŃ - SWARZĘDZ  
- CZERNIEJEWO - POZNAŃ [B, D]
Excursion to Swarzedz. See the fine collection
of beehives, which range from simple hollow
trunks to even faithful copies of Poznan’s town
hall and the cathedral. Following a walking tour
of the Poznań Old Town Square, including: the
Town Hall with fine arcades and the splendid,
monumental Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul at
the Ostrów Tumski. The cathedral is lined with
15 chapels, built from 13th till 19th century. Then
we visit the Musical Instruments Museum which
houses amazing collection of instruments, from
whistles to concert pianos, dating between 15-20th
century. Balance of the day free. In the evening
drive to the Czerniejewo Palace for a picnic dinner
by the fire including a horse carriage ride and
folklore entertainment.
Day 7
POZNAŃ - OPOLE - OLESNO - CRACOW [B, L]
Morning departure for Cracow. En route visit the
Museum of Opole Countryside, an open air museum
which comprises a lot of country cottages and farm
buildings, the 17th church, a smithy, an oil-press.
Enjoy presentations of baking bread and making
dumplings in the skansen buildings. Continue to
Cracow via Olesno with a fine wooden shingled
St Anne’s Church. The simple Gothic church is
extended by a wooden structure of a hexagonal
domed nave ringed by a gallery supported by six
decorative pillars and five protruding chapels.
This kind of architectural form is quite unusual in
Poland. Arrival in Cracow.
drive to Zakopane, which together with its vicinity
is something of a mountain folklore reserve,
picturesquely situated at the base of the Tatra
Mountains in the valley between Gubałówka and
Giewont. In the evening we invite you to an open
air picnic with Highlanders’ folklore entertainment.
Taste regional specialties: highlanders’ tea and
shepherd cheese. Presentation of regional dresses,
dances and unique musical instruments. Learn a
highlanders’ song, try dancing.
Day 8 CRACOW [B, D]
Day 10
ZAKOPANE - CHOCHOLOW- DEBNO ZAKOPANE [B, L]
Tour of Cracow will introduce you to the wealth
of historical monuments and cultural treasure.
See St. Mary’s Church with the famous wooden
altar, the Town Hall Tower, the Cloth Hall and the
burgher’s houses. We continue to the Historical
Museum of Cracow with Cracovian Szopki
exhibition. Very different from those elsewhere in
the world, are elaborate architectural compositions,
usually in a church like form, made in astonishing
detail from cardboard, wood, tin foil sometimes
even mechanised. Visit to Ethnographic Museum
that has a nice collection focused on Polish folk
traditions. It features the interiors of traditional
peasant houses faithfully reconstructed, an
impressive collection of costumes from all over
the Poland, paintings, woodcarvings, fabrics and
pottery. This is place where you have a good look
into fascination world of Polish folklore which
maybe sometimes is unusual for foreigners. Rest of
the day free. For dinner you will taste: mushrooms
soup served in bread, roast pork stuffed with plums
or famous co-called “Pope’s cream cakes”.
Day 9
CRACOW - SROMOWCE NIŻNE
- ZAKOPANE [B, L, D]
Drive to Sromowce Niżne to enjoy raft expedition.
Shooting the rapids off the Dunajec River gorge in
the Pieniny Mts, requires no special qualifications,
yet there are few such attractions in all of Europe.
Highlander’s rafts take passengers on an
unforgettable journey on a swift-flowing mountain
river though a sheer rock canyon. Continue the
The touring today we start with seeing the wooden
chapel in Jaszczurówka, widely regarded as one
of the finest creations of Stanislaw Witkiewicz
who developed the distinctive “Zakopane” style,
based on traditional wooden building forms.
Continue to the village of Chochołów, an open
air ethnographical park with with many pearls of
typical, wooden architecture. We will pay visit to
a workshop of a local sculptor in wood and then
to a private gallery of an artist who produces
beautiful paintings on glass, mainly religious
theme, this unique technics has been cultivated in
this region for ages. Lunch at a forester’s cottage.
Back in Zakopane to see Wladyslaw Hasior
Gallery, displaying amazing, quirky, nevertheless
enjoyable collection of this contemporary artist,
closely associated with Zakopane.
Atma Villa, once home of the composer, now
a Museum. Enjoy Szymanowski piano recital.
During the intermission, glass of sparkling wine
will be served.
Day 12
ZAKOPANE - LIPNICA MUROWANA
- ZALIPIE - WARSZAWA [B, L, D]
Morning transfer to Warsaw. En route visit Lipnica
Murowana, known for its annual competition of
Easter palms. We continue to Zalipie - the famous
painted village, unparalleled in Poland, perhaps
even in Europe for its traditions of covering every
possible detail of the household with colorful
paintings. The day ends with farewell dinner.
Day 13
WARSZAWA [B]
Transfer to the airport for departure.
Day 11 ZAKOPANE - KONIAKÓW
- ISTEBNA - ZAKOPANE [B, L]
Excursion to Koniakow and meeting the
highland women from this Żywiec
region, who are peerless at making
delicate lacework. In nearby village
of Istebna, see a collection of
shepherd’s instruments. In the
evening get acquainted with
music of another Polish national
composer inspired by folklore
- Karol Szymanowski.
We invite you to the
MAZURKAS TRAVEL 25
racow the Cultural Capital of Europe 2000
DAY 1 [D] CRACOW
Group’s arrival to Cracow. Meeting your guide
at the Balice Airport and transfer to your hotel.
Check-in and time to relax. Short orientation
walk through the Market Square. Welcome
dinner at a local restaurant with welcome
reception.
DAY 2 [B,D] CRACOW
A morning departure for a half-day tour of
Cracow, the fascinating city and “Cultural
Capital of Europe 2000”.
CRACOW OF THE KINGS
A visit the Wawel Hill with its Castle - the
residence of Polish kings and the Cathedral
- the coronation church. Admire the tapestry
collection of Sigismund Augustus - 138
tapestries of various size and character. A
visit to the Cathedral, the place of the cult of
St. Stanisław and of St. Jadwiga, the Queen of
Poland. It is also a true national Pantheon of
Polish kings. Drive to the Old Town with the
Main Market Square with magnificent houses
and palaces. In the middle of the square is the
Cloth Hall, built before 1349 but altered in the
16th century. Inside there are many shopping
stalls where you can buy amber, wooden
26 MAZURKAS TRAVEL
works and souvenirs typical for this
region. Also at the square stands the
magnificent Gothic Church of Our
Lady with the famous wooden altar
created by Wit Stwosz. Visit the
Polish Art Gallery at Sukiennice –
with best Polish paintings. Dinner
at the famous Wierzynek restaurant
- in 1364, a town councillor called
Nicolaus Wierzynek threw a feast
for king Casimir the Great’s guests
who arrived for the wedding
of the king’s granddaughter
Elizabeth. Among the
invited guests were many
European kings. Since
that time, Wierzynek has
been spoken of as a royal
restaurant, known not only
in Poland. The restaurant
rooms, with magnificent
decor, are situated on four
floors. The menu contains
old Polish dishes prepared
according to the royal cuisine
recipes.
DAY 3 [B,L] CRACOW
CRACOW OPEN CITY
A visit to Collegium Maius – in the year 2000
Cracow celebrated the 600th anniversary of
its Academy. One of its showrooms houses
astronomical instruments used by Copernicus
and also the world’s first globe that carries a
fragment of the American east coast. Lunch
at a local restaurant in the Market Square.
Afternoon at leisure and time to explore this
fascinating city on your own.
DAY 4 [B,D] CRACOW
JEWISH LIFE IN CRACOW
A morning departure for Kazimierz - that part
of Cracow which was till the WW II inhabited
by the Jews, and could serve as a model of
Jewish life in the diaspora. Drive into the
labyrinth of streets and alleyways - where
else in the Diaspora were streets named after
figures from the Old Testament - Jacob, Isaac,
Joseph. Visit the famous Remuh Synagogue,
named after the great Cracovian rabbi and
scholar Moses Isserles, and the museum of the
Jewish life in Cracow at the Old Synagogue.
Afternoon visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau, a
former Nazi concentration camp, the largest
factory of death in the history of humanity
and a silent witness of human tragedy. In the
evening, a dinner with music show at Ariel
- a Jewish restaurant where you can taste
Jewish dishes and listen to Jewish-Ukrainian
songs and sketches. This is also the
place where Steven Spielberg spent
most of his time while shooting
“Schindler’s List”.
DAY 5 [B,L] CRACOW
FOLLOWING THE STEPS OF
JOHN PAUL II
It has been more than 20 years
since Karol Wojtyła was elected
the head of the Roman Catholic
Church. The 20th Anniversary
of the Pope was celebrated with
great solemnity in Cracow.
The feelings that the Pope
arouses in Cracow are
very special. It was here
that John Paul II studied
at
the
Jagiellonian
University, worked as an
unskilled worker during
the Second World War,
was an actor, a vicar, a
bishop and a cardinal. In
the late 70s the election of a
Pole as Pope had a profound
influence on his compatriots.
The years that followed
brought changes that could
never have been anticipated:
the Solidarity revolution,
martial law, the fall of the
Soviet Union, the return
of democracy and
the market economy.
There is a common
belief that Poland
owes the changes, to a great extent, to John
Paul II. That is the reason why we suggest
that one day in Cracow be spent following the
steps of John Paul II. We can start with a halfday sightseeing of the places connected with
the Pope from Cracow, such as the Bishop’s
Palace where Karol Wojtyła used to live, St.
Florian’s Church where he was a vicar, or the
beautiful Franciscan Church - his favourite
praying place. In the Franciscan Church, there
is a monumental stained-glass window made
by Stanislaw Wyspiański – a very famous
Polish artist who also lived in Cracow in times
of Art Nouveau. Lunch at Pod Bażantami, a
typical Polish local inn, where you can taste
typical Polish dishes. Continue to Częstochowa
- with its Pauline Monastery located on a hill
called Jasna Góra. One of the most important
places of religious worship in the Christian
world, with tradition of pilgrimage that goes
back to the 14th century. In the monastery’s
church there is a marvellous picture of Black
Madonna - the most famous and adored picture
of this kind in the whole country.
DAY 6 [B,D] CRACOW
THE CITY OF OLD AND MODERN ART
A morning visit to the Czartoryski Museum,
the oldest historical museum and art museum
in Poland, founded by Izabela Czartoryska in
1801, the wife of Price Adam Czartoryski.
During WW II a part of the collection was
confiscated by the Nazis and many valuable
objects have not been recovered to this day.
However, Leonardo da Vinci’s “Lady with an
Ermine” and Rembrandt’s “Landscape with the
Good Samaritan” returned to the museum after
the war, and they are the most precious works
of art in the Czartoryski Museum. Break for
coffee and cake at Jama Michalika, a place that
lives on in many stories about the history and
biographies of its most famous patrons – the
artists. The artists have decorated the walls
of the coffee shop with paintings, drawings,
caricatures as well as the stained-glass
windows. An afternoon visit to professional
modern art galleries: the Starmach gallery
that promotes the achievements of the Cracow
group, the Zderzak gallery - dominated by
new-expression artists of the young generation.
Dinner at a local restaurant.
DAY 7 [B,D] CRACOW
CRACOW`S SALT PATRIMONY
A morning at leisure and lunch on your own.
Afternoon visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine, the
oldest salt mine in Europe. You will admire the
underground world of salt lakes, galleries and
chambers all carved in salt by many generations
of Polish miners. Visit the Wieliczka Castle
Museum with a unique exhibiton of salt-cellars
from all over the world. Afterwards, a dinner at
the beautiful chamber of the Wieliczka Castle
will be served.
MAZURKAS TRAVEL 27
nique Museums And Collections in Poland
WARSAW AND SURROUNDINGS
Poster Museum
The only institution of its kind in Poland
and probably one of the few in the world.
Currently the museum displays one of the
biggest collection of Polish and foreign
posters, about 54 thousand items. Since 1994
the International Poster Biennial is held in the
Poster Museum – the most prestigious and the
oldest competition of posters in the world.
Polish Army Museum
Are you interested in the heavy armour, tanks
and fighter planes used by Polish Army during
WWII? There is an intimidating collection of
heavy combat equipment, from 16th century
cannons through the modern tanks and planes,
as well as a wide array of guns, swords and
armour from over the centuries.
Contemporary Art Centre
Located in the Ujazdowski castle, a former
summer residence of King Zygmunt III Waza,
presents various exhibitions of modern art
represented by Polish and international artists.
If you are looking for a good contemporary
art you should not omit this place, where you
can also have lunch or dinner in an artistic
restaurant.
Zachęta Modern Art Gallery
One of the most controversial galleries in
Warsaw and at the same time
the leading venue for
temporary exhibitions.
Here you can see
works of art, that no
other museum or
gallery would take
the risk to exhibit.
In the year 2000
Zachęta Gallery
celebrated its 100th
anniversary.
28 MAZURKAS TRAVEL
Museum of the Jewish Historical
Institute
Here you can see the details life in the wartime
ghetto, a fascinating and moving documents
and images of passive victims. It shows also
the history of Polish Jewry dating back to the
17th century including an interesting collection
of over 30 thousand photos.
Museum of Earth
It has over 150 thousand of specimens with the
most impressive collection of Baltic Amber –
the biggest in the world. This exhibition shows
the beauty of the most Polish stone in all its
forms and colours.
Folk Museum in Łowicz
Especially interesting for its extensive and
carefully presented collection of regional folk
artefacts, including furniture, pottery, tools and
folk costumes whose basic styles are the same
as those still worn on the festive days. There is
also a nice collection of folk art, so typical for
this region – colourful and impressive paper
cut-outs.
Private Folk Museum in Sromów
Created by a local artist who made a small folk
museum of his own. You can see there wooden
figures, all sculptured by the artist, which present
celebrations of traditional Polish events and
holidays from local Łowicz wedding to procession
of Corpus Christ Day. Interesting for its simplicity
and enthusiasm of the local artist who decided to
make his own private museum of folk art.
Railway Museum in Sochaczew
The biggest and most interesting display
of many narrow-gauge steam locomotives,
rolling stock, maps of the 750 mm network,
all displayed in the old station buildings. You
can also observe a history of narrow-gauge
railway that began before 1853, when the first
tracks were constructed. In the beginning, the
small freight cars were drown by horses, while
the steam engines started to operate in 1872.
CRACOW AND
SURROUNDINGS
Ethnographic Museum
Has a nice collection focused on
Polish folk traditions. It features
the interiors of traditional peasant
houses faithfully reconstructed, an impressive
collection of costumes from all over Poland,
paintings, woodcarvings, fabrics and pottery.
This is the place where you will have a good
introduction to the fascinating and often
unusual, for foreigners, world of Polish
folklore.
Stanisław Wyspiański Museum
You cannot omit this place while your stay
in Cracow. This is the right place to see
the breathtaking stained-glass designs by
Stanislaw Wyspianski, one of the most beloved
artists and the key figure of the Young Poland
movement. His most unusual proposal was the
“Acropolis”, a project to reconstruct the Wawel
as a political, religious and cultural centre. It is
an amazing mix of epochs and styles, a Greek
amphitheater and a Roman circus included.
“Cricoteka” Kantor Museum
Devoted to one of the most interesting and
creative personalities of Polish culture,
Tadeusz Kantor. The main goal of this museum
is to consolidate the artistic attainment and
popularisation of Kantor’s idea of theatrical
and find arts creation. You will find here
Kantor’s photos and documents connected
with his artistic work and activity of his
theatre, drawings and sculptures.
Historic Museum
We want to attract your attention to the
exhibition of Cracow cribs. Each year in
winter in Cracow we have a crib competition.
The custom became popular in the 19th century
among the inhabitants of the city’s suburbs,
particularly among the bricklayers, who
worked out the distinctive look of the Cracow
cribs. Today the passion for the construction
these small masterpieces unites
Cracovians of different ages
and professions. Although, the
building matter has changed,
the crib’s conventional design
remains the same. A typical
Cracow crib, pasted over with
colourful foil and silver paper, is
meant to imitate the style of ancient palaces
and churches. In the Historic Museum you can
see the most beautiful examples of cribs.
The Modern Art Museum
If you want to see the development of
modern Polish art this is the right place. It
features permanent exhibitions of a wide
selection of paintings and sculpture starting
from 1890’s and beyond, mainly the Young
Poland movement is well presented with
such famous Polish artists as Wyspianski and
Mehoffer. But this is also a place where a
diverse range of roving exhibitions are held,
such as “Jews of Poland” and a list of major
cultural events.
Starmach Gallery
It is the largest private gallery in Poland, located in
the beautiful building of the former Jewish prayer
house. They specialize in promoting artists from
the Cracow Group, a group which is one of the
most important wonder of native avant-garde,
classicists of geometrical abstraction. You can
see works of outstanding artists of the young
generation. This gallery has also organized several
exhibitions in London, Paris, Vienna, New York
and Rome.
Museum of Polish Folk
Instruments in Szydłowiec
You should see the only one of its kind in
the country amazing collection of music folk
instruments ranging from fiddles, accordions,
hurdy-gurdys and bagpipes, to more exotic
creation such as animal-shaped whistles and
percussion instruments.
Sundial Museum in Jędrzejów
Housing the third-largest collection in the
world, among them there is a set of 16th and
17th century pocket sundials made of ivory, two
intricate specimens capable of measuring time
to within half a minute, and a range of sundials
from the Far East. The oldest instrument in the
collection is dated back to 1524. There are also
old clocks and watches, gnomonics library,
furniture and household appliances.
Zalipie
A village known as a center of folk painting
and the decoration of houses with colourful
floral designs. The local artists use to decorate
cottages, wells, stoves, tools, barns and
furniture. You will be charmed by the houses
painted by local artists in colourful designs,
each of them different and presenting artist’s
own creativity and talent. Definitely worth
seeing.
Museum of the Vistula
Ethnographic Park at Wygiełzów
A nice open-air museum where you can see
21 objects of wooden architecture. On the
picturesque area near Vistula River there are
lovely cottages, small vegetable gardens,
objects connected with craft production, a
church with belfry and examples of architecture
characteristic for this region of Poland. This
place jointly constitutes a valuable cultural and
landscape group, worth seeing and keeping in
memory.
JOZEF MEHOFFER HOUSE
Jozef Mehoffer [1869-1946] - pupil of Jan
Matejko and coeval of Stanislaw Wyspianski,
was one of the most outstanding artists of
Mloda Polska. He painted portraits, landscapes,
religious and historical motifs and created
monumental compositions. His stainedglasses and polichroms are one of the most
magnificent achievement of Polish decoration
art. His house was a meeting place of artistic
elite and also one of the most wealthy private
museums in Poland. Now, you can see his house
that is a museum devoted to this great artist.
Objects presented in the museum are partly a
deposit from the Mehoffer family and partly are
owned by the National Museum in Cracow.
Exposition is located in 6 rooms on the first
floor and 10 rooms on the second floor. You can
see there beautiful paintings, stained-glasses and
graphics, as well as furniture from the epoch.
The museum has also a nice garden. Beside, the
visit to the museum to see its interiors, we can
also arrange a 1/2 hour piano concert, that is part
of the Mehoffer’s house tradition.
JAN MATEJKO HOUSE
In the museum you can see a gallery
of paintings and graphics by Jan Matejko,
as well as examples of the art trade from
Matejko’s collection. Two rooms show
the furnitures from the Matejko epoch,
including the outstanding pseudorenaissance
furnitures adorned with marble. You can also
see the collection of armour, costumes from the
Matejko’s collection including liturgical, folk
and middle-class dresses. An intesting
room is the Painting Room where
is a collection of objects that
belonged to Jan Matejko and
was used by the artist while
creating the paintings.
MUSEUM OF
THE CRACOW
ARCHDIOCESE
Presents collections of
sacred art borrowed from
the treasuries of various
churches in Cracow
and the region. But the
most interesting are the
exhibitions in the rooms
where Karol Wojtyla
lived in 1951-1958,
complete with furniture
and belongings and
precious gifts given to
John Paul II.
MAZURKAS TRAVEL 29
n the Circle of Great Music & Architecture
DAY 1 [D] WARSAW
Upon arrival in Warsaw we start with the Polish
capital sightseeing. Our tour will take us through the
Old Town and the beautifully restored Market Square.
You also see the Barbican, the Chopin Monument and
visit the Wilanów Palace as well as the nearby Poster
Museum presenting an exhibition of the history of
the Polish poster. It is the only institution of its kind
in Poland and probably one of the few in the world.
The exhibits are changed regularly, presenting also
the posters of world famous artists. Evening transfer
to one of the restaurants beautifully located in the
Old Town area.
DAY 2 [B, D] WARSAW
We continue our tour of Warsaw and start the day
with a visit to the Ujazdów Palace built in 1620s. See
the Center of the Contemporary Art presenting new
avant-garde trends in today’s Polish art. Afternoon
guided visit to the Royal Castle, the residence of
first Polish Parliament. Most of its 300 rooms can
be visited. All are furnished and decorated as it
was ages ago, presenting the Canaletto Room with
23 paintings of Bernardo Bellotto, the magnificent
Knight’s Hall with six large paintings by Marcello
Bacciarelli and the largest and most impressive of all
the chambers - the Ballroom. Time free for leisure.
In the evening a folklore dinner with traditional
Polish dances and music.
DAY 3 [B, D] WARSAW-ŻELAZOWA WOLATUŁOWICE-ŁÓDŹ
Escapade through Mazovia region. Excursion to
Zelazowa Wola, the birthplace of Frederic Chopin.
The tranquillity and charm of the old traditional
manor house of the Chopin’s family, now a museum,
as well as the park around adorned by over a 100
speciments of plants donated by different countries,
make for a pleasant stop. Continue to the beautiful
Polish Classicist manor house of Tulowice, the
first private object in Poland ever given the most
prestige award in the field of historical monuments
protecting - the Europa Nostra medal. Andrzej
Novak-Zemplinski, bought the manor in 1980, after
30 MAZURKAS TRAVEL
three years of negotiation with the state authorities.
The nobleman’s manor is a typically Polish landed
proprietor’s residence, unknown in any other country.
Here, national and patriotic traditions were carefully
cultivated during difficult time for the nation. The
rebuilding of Tulowice Manor took nineteen years.
In 1998 it received a prize from the Polish Minister
of Culture and Art for the best preserved historical
object. Andrzej Novak Zemplinski, is also one of the
finest horse painters in the world. His paintings may
be found in the art collections of many famous horse
breeders, artists, politicians and business people
in England, Germany, France or multi millioners
such as Armand Hammer in USA. Arrival in Łódź.
Accommodation at your hotel.
DAY 4 [B, D] ŁÓDŹ
Tour of the city famous for the Polish-GermanJewish tradition, a short visit to the Museum of
Art. The museum houses a great collection of
20th century Polish and international paintings,
graphics, sculpture and drawings. There are works
by Picasso, Chagall and Max Ernst. You should
also not omit the Historical Museum located in the
Palace of the Poznański family with the beautiful
dining hall. There is also the exhibition devoted to
Artur Rubinstein, a great pianist of Jewish origin.
Dinner will be served at a local restaurant.
DAY 5 [B, D] ŁÓDŹ–OŻAROW–WROCŁAW
Departure for the capital of the Silesia region
- Wrocław. En route stop in Ożarow to visit the
Museum of Manor Interiors where you will see
interesting exhibition of manor furniture from the
18th and 19th century. All the rooms are designed
as it was two centuries ago, and you have a feeling
like you just came to visit the owner, who left for
few minutes to the surrounding park. It has a unique
atmosphere and is an unforgettable visit. You can
have tea and cake in the beautiful dining room. Upon
afternoon arrival in Wrocław we start an afternoon
city tour including the Old Town famous for its
Gothic Town Hall and Gothic Cathedral. Visit to
the Wrocław University to see the magnificent
Aula Leopoldinum from 18th century. Visit the
“Racławicka Panorama” presenting an enormous
painting of the Racławice Battle. Overnight and
dinner at one of the Old Town restaurants.
DAY 6 [B, D] WROCŁAW
A morning visit to the National Museum presenting
a rich collection of the post World War II art. The
collection exhibits all works of the post war main
Polish artists. Visit to the Historical Museum with
its magnificent Knights’ Hall with the original
decorations from the end of the 15th century and the
originally chapel at the Princess’ Room. Afterwards,
visit to the Avangards Art Gallery which houses the
temporary exhibitions of modern art. Afternoon
drive to Książ, a largest castle in lower Silesia. The
oldest parts of this castle are dated from 13th and
14th centuries. It was in the hands of the Hochbergs
and a Saxon magnate families, visited by Nicholas,
the Tsar of Russia as well as Winston Churchill.
Dinner at the castle’s restaurant and drive back to
Wrocław for overnight.
DAY 7 [B, D]
WROCŁAW - PSZCZYNA - CRACOW
Departure to Cracow. En route stop in Pszczyna
to admire one of the most precious monuments,
the Pszczyna Castle. Once a fortified castle, later
converted into a fine residence with three wings.
Although over the centuries it has lost its defensive
character, the mansion has been referred to as a
castle throughout its existance. The castle preserved
its previous form until 1734 and afterwards, rebuilt
in a Baroque style by the owners von Pless family.
After the World War II the castle has been turned
into a museum of residential interiors, depicting
their history and development from the Renaissance
to the late 19th century. This was made possible
thanks to the surviving furniture, paintings, etc. The
collection was augmented by pieces brought from
other Silesian castles ruined during the war. The
understanding and appreciation of the art of that
period, the preservation of a major part of the
historical furnishings [furnitue, paintings,
sculptures, china, hunting trophies]. Arrival
in Cracow and accommodation at your
hotel. Dinner at the historical
Wierzynek restaurant located in
the Old Town.
DAY 8 [B, D] CRACOW
A morning city tour including
the Wawel Royal Castle and its
fine Flemish tapestry. Admire
a great Wit Stwosz altar at
the St. Mary’s church and
the Old Market Square. Visit
to the Czartoryski Museum
established by Princess Czartoryska
as the first historical museum in Poland. Now you
can see there the ancient art, Oriental armour and
the European paintings. There are also two famous
paintings that cannot be omitted: “Lady with an
Ermine“ by Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt’s
“Landscape with Good Samaritan“. Afterwards, visit
to Collegium Maius with its historic interiors and
rare 16th century astronomic instruments probably
used by Copernicus. You should also see the oldest
existing globe with the American continent marked
on it. Afternoon drive to Wieliczka Salt Mine.
Admire the unique underground world of salt with
its beautiful salt lakes, galleries and chapels created
by many generations of Polish miners. Dinner in one
of the chambers with Miners’ Band entertainment
will remain unforgettable. Drive back to Cracow for
overnight.
DAY 9 [B, D] CRACOW
A morning tour of Cracow’s galleries including visit
to the Gallery of 20th century Polish Painting. It
presents an interesting collection of Polish paintings
dated from 1890 till present days. Afterwards,
visit to Wyspiański Museum. You can see the
interesting works of this artist, poet and playwright.
There is a model made according to his design, an
amazing mix of epochs and styles, a Greek
amphitheater and a Roman circus, some of his
stained-glass designs. Break for cake and coffee
at the famous artists’ Jama Michalika coffee shop.
The artists have decorated the walls with paintings,
drawings, caricatures as well as its stained-glass
windows. Afternoon time for shopping in the Old
Town. Dinner at the Ariel restaurant located in the
former Jewish district Kazimierz. During your meal
you will have a chance to listen to Jewish-Ukrainian
entertainment. Back to your hotel for overnight.
DAY 10 [B, L]
CRACOW - ŁAŃCUT - SIENIAWA
Departure for Sieniawa. En route stop to Łańcut,
the magnificent, aristocratic residence, with one
of the most extensive and diverse collections of art.
The palace has retained its full grandeur. You can
admire historic interiors in the Baroque, Rococo,
Neoclassical, eclectic and Art Nouveau styles, richly
decorated with wall paintings and carving, graceful
floors and precious period furniture, sculptures,
china etc. The stable opposite holds over a thousand
icons dating from the 15th century on, with some real
gems among them. South of the castle there are over
50 old carriages on display. Lancut is famous also for
the local distillery, which was founded by Duchess
Lubomirska. The Distillery Museum, the
only in Poland, has an original document
attesting to the distillery’s existence in
1784. The museum exhibits include
old machines and equipment for the
production of spirits, bottles, glasses for
tasting and labels. At present it is one of
the leading Polish producers of alcoholic
beverages, mainly anise flavored and
sweetened vodkas. Accommodation in
Sieniawa Palace, which remembers the times
of the Sieniawski and Czartoryski magnates.
The palace was built in the first half of the
18th century and later rebuilt in late-Baroque
style. It was visited by Alexander I, the Tsar of
Russia, and by General Tadeusz Kosciuszko,
Polish and American national hero.
DAY 11 [B, L, D]
SIENIAWA - KOZŁÓWKA - WARSAW
Transfer to Warsaw via Kozlówka to visit a
beautiful two-storey Baroque palace complex of the
Zamoyski Family. You will see a rich collection of
original old furniture, crystal mirrors, ceramics and
the permanent exhibition of Socialist Realistic art.
dubbed “Stalin’s breath”, featuring paintings and
sculptures of such past heroes as Lenin, Stalin,
Dzierzynski. Arrival in Warsaw. Check in and time
to refresh. We invite you to two-part Chopin music
piano recital, held in a beautiful historic interior
of the Palace on the Water, picturesquely located
in the Łazienki Garden. A glass of sparkling wine
will be served during a short intermission. After the
recital a farewell dinner at Belvedere Restaurant,
with tables among lush, exotic plants, discreet water
ripples in the background, birds singing, perfect food
and wonderful view over the most beautiful park in
Warsaw – the Royal Łazienki Garden.
DAY 12 [B] WARSAW
Morning at leisure and then transfer to the Warsaw
airport for your flight back home.
MAZURKAS TRAVEL 31
n the Footsteps of Frederic Chopin
DAY 1 [D] WARSAW
Group’s arrival in Warsaw. Meeting with
your guide at the airport and transfer to your
hotel. Check-in and time to relax after your
flight. Welcome dinner at a local restaurant.
A concert organized in the ball room of the
Palace on the Water, will present the worldfamous mazurkas and polonaises, played by
the top pianist. A glass of wine will be served
during the interval.
DAY 2 [B, D] WARSAW
A tour in the footsteps of Frederic Chopin.
A half-day tour of Warsaw starting with
a stop by the Holy Cross Church where
the heart of Chopin, brought from Paris, is
placed. A visit to the Chopin Drawing Room
where Chopin performed his etudes, some
polonaises, and mazurkas for the first time.
There is a commemorative plaque in the
front of the building. A visit to the Chopin
museum located in the Ostrogski Castle – the
Frederic Chopin Society. The exhibition in
the museum is divided into two parts: the
display on the ground floor is titled “Chopin
in Poland“ and shows Chopin’s life in Poland
till 1830. Room on the first floor houses an
exhibition called “Chopin abroad“. It tells
about Chopin’s travels to Vienna, Paris and
32 MAZURKAS TRAVEL
other European cities. Stop by the Protestant
Church of the Holy Trinity where Chopin
used to sing in a choir. See the Church of the
Nuns of the Visitation, where in October 1825
Chopin played as the organist. Continue with
a stop at the Royal Łazienki Park to see the
famous Chopin Monument and the Belvedere,
a Classicist palace where Chopin used to give
concerts as a young boy, invited by the Grand
Duke Konstanty. Stop at the Powązki cemetery
where you will see the grave of Chopin’s
parents. Continue your tour with the Castle
Square, where you can see the column of the
King Sigismund, the Market Square and the
Monument of the Warsaw Uprising, and drive
to see the Ghetto Memorial. Dinner at a local
restaurant and transfer to the National Opera
House to attend an evening performance.
Afterwards, transfer back to your hotel.
DAY 3 [B, L] WARSAW
A morning departure for a tour of Warsaw’s
surroundings. Drive to Nieborów to visit
the beautiful interiors of the Radziwiłł
family residence with the famous antique
sculpture of Niobe. Afterwards, drive to
Żelazowa Wola, the birthplace of Frederic
Chopin. See the former manor house, now a
museum devoted to our great composer and
his family. The Youth of Chopin – a concert
dedicated to Chopin’s compositions from the
period of his youth. Listen to Chopin concert
presenting the sonatas, waltzes and variations
well-known and played in many countries in
Europe and other parts of the world. See the
Brochów village famous for its Gothic parish
church which witnessed many important
events from the Chopin family life. Continue
to Sanniki – here Chopin came in the summer
of 1828 to visit a classmate of his. Here is
the Frederic Chopin Memorial Center with
exhibition devoted to Chopin. Drive back to
Warsaw.
DAY 4 [B] WARSAW
After breakfast a transfer to the airport for your
flight back home.
WARSAW
Ludwig Van Beethoven Easter Festival,
March-April
Established by Elzbieta Penderecka, wife of world
known Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki. The first
Festival was held in 1997, and it immediately became
a major event. The two following Festivals entered not
only into the cultural agenda of the city of Cracow but
also into the list primary European music events.
19th Mozart Festival in Warsaw,
June–July
The festival gives an opportunity to admire all the scenic
works by Mozart – the 24 operas, concerts and oratoria,
performed in original languages [German, Italian, Latin].
The remarkable interiors of historic places and churches
contribute to the magnificence of the performances.
The International Music Festival
“Chopin And His Europe” , August
The main goal of the Festival “Chopin and his Europe”
is to promote Polish culture in Europe through Chopin’s
music. Beside his compositions you can listen to other
composers who have had an influence to Chopin’s work
and was his inspiration. The festival is a part of the special
government program called “Chopin’s Heritage 2010”.
Warsaw Summer Jazz Days - August 2009
This event is Poland’s love affair with Jazz in full swing.
As every year, the festival includes many concerts
during which Polish musicians will perform alongside
guests from all over the world, with such great names
as: Natalie Cole, Ornetta Coleman or Wynton Marsalis.
Jewish Festival “Singer’s Warsaw”
September
“Singer Warsaw Festival of Jewish Culture” is a well
known annual artistic event assembling the most
outstanding Polish and foreign theatre, film and music
artists, as well as Jewish and Polish authors. The Festival
began in 2004 and today it takes a prominent place in
Warsaw’s cultural life. The Festival lasts four days and
each of these days has its own character and climate.
CRACOW
Festival Opera Viva, June–July
The first public performances began to be organized
around 1780, when the first attempts were made to
establish the regular opera stage, accessible to the
general public. Although there is no direct link between
these attempts and the present Opera. Currently, the
Cracow Opera and Operetta is considered one of the
best in Poland.
Jewish Culture Festival – Krakow, June–July
The main goal of the festival is to restore and preserve
the knowledge and the memory of the world of Jewish
culture and to bring to light the associations between
polish and Jewish culture. Each edition of the Festival
eminent, Jewish scholars and artists, coming to Krakow
to further and authentic dialogue within the common
Polish and Jewish heritage, for mutual recognition and
informed tolerance of all the differences.
Music In Old Cracow Festival – Krakow, August
One of the oldest music festivals in Cracow. The festival is
always held at the same time and it has already become a
tradition for its symphonic and chamber concerts, recitals
held not only in concert halls, churches but also in other
numerous historical interiors, and even in the courtyards and
City squares. Crowds of music lovers are attracted to the
great works of classics (Bach, Mozart, Beethoven to mention
a few) which are always in the program of the event.
WROCLAW
International Festival Wratislavia Cantans,
September
It has been a great, annual musical event for over 35 years.
Wratislavia Cantans is a festival without borders. During
the festival you can listen to oratorio-cantata concerts,
usic in Poland
Did you think of Poland as a place of international and local festivals, colorful folklore, opera traditions and impressive music events? Poland, a homeland of
Frederic Chopin whose music, famous world wide, is interpreted in many ways and marvelously performed by Arthur Rubinstein, Kristian Zimmerman or by
controversial Ivo Pogorevic; Krzysztof Penderecki – a difficult and elitist talent of Polish contemporary music, without a question the most famous of the new
generation of Polish composers. Penderecki’s genius is a reflection of an unparalleled period of productivity in Polish culture of which he is an independent part with
such famous works as:“Stabat Mater”,“Threnordy to the Victims of Hiroshima”,“When Jacob Awoke”or“Black Mask”. But Poland is also a country opened to other
world-famous music compositions that can be admired in the Warsaw Chamber Opera House, Philharmonic Hall or National Opera.
DAY 1 WARSAW [D]
Arrival in Warsaw. Walk along the Warsaw’s
Old Town which history goes back to the late
13th century. The Old Town was completely
reconstructed after WW II destructions and
entered on the UNESCO list of the World
Heritage. Pass through the beautiful Market
Square surrounded by town houses where you
can find the best restaurants, souvenir shops,
museums and galleries of art. Welcome dinner
at one of the local restaurant beautifully located
in the Old Town with big windows overlooking
the Market Square with the small statue of
Mermaid in the middle. Evening transfer to
the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall for the concert
performed by National Philharmonic Orchestra
and Choir. Transfer to your hotel.
DAY 2 WARSAW [B, D]
Half day tour of Warsaw starting with the
Castle Square where you can see the first nonecclesiastic statue in Warsaw King Sigismund’s
Column and the originally Gothic castle dated
to the 15th century expanded throughout the
centuries which was the seat of kings of Poland.
It was where the Third Of May Constitution
was promulgated in 1791, the one in the world
after American. Continue your sightseeing IN
THE FOOTSTEPS OF FREDERIC CHOPIN:
Holy Cross Church, Chopin Drawing Room,
Ostrogski Castle – the seat of Frederic Chopin
Society, Protestant Church of the Holy Trinity,
Church of Nuns of the Visitation, Lazienki
Royal Park [detailed description of this tour see
on page no 28]. Evening at the National Opera
or at the Chamber Opera.
DAY 3
WARSAW - OŻAROW - WROCLAW [B, D]
Morning departure for Wroclaw. En route
stop in Ozarow to visit the Museum of
Manor Interiors where you will see interesting
exhibition of manor furniture from the 18th and
19th century. All the rooms are designed as it
was two centuries ago, and you have a feeling
like you just came to visit the owner, who left
for few minutes to the surrounding park. It has a
unique atmosphere and will be an unforgettable
visit. You can have there tea and cake in the
beautiful dining room. Continue your drive to
Wroclaw for overnight and dinner.
DAY 4 WROCLAW [B, L]
Morning tour of the city including visit to the
Museum of Musical Instruments, with rich
collection of instruments, from whistles to
concert pianos, dating between 15th-20th century.
See the beautiful Aula Leopoldinum at the
Baroque University building, walk through the
Market Square with the Gothic Town Hall and
its characteristic 66-meter-hight tower, cermics
gable, lovely portal and sculptures. In the
afternoon we will take you for a boat trip on Odra
river to see the panorama of the city and listen to
a musicians that will accompany you during your
trip. Wroclaw is also a city where the International
Festival Wratislavia Cantans takes place with an
interesting program of music events: oratorios,
cantatas, chamber and symphonic concerts,
exhibitions, orthodox church and synagogical
music, films and lecutres. All these events are
held in the most beautiful, historical venues
of Wroclaw. In the evening enjoy you opera
performance at the Wroclaw Opera House.
DAY 5
WROCLAW - ANTONIN- CRACOW [B, L]
Morning departure for Cracow. En route stop in
Antonin to visit the former summer residence of
the Polish magnate Antoni Radziwill. Today, the
palace houses a hotel, but also a place of Chopin
piano recitals. We will organize for your a short
piano concert with glass of champagne and
short tour of the Chopin’s room were you will
see some memorabilia of our great composer.
Continue your drive to Cracow. Accommodation
at your hotel and dinner at a local restaurant.
DAY 6
CRACOW [B, D]
Half day tour of Cracow , the ancient capital
of Poland, a royal city on the Vistula lying at
the foot of Wawel. Tour of Wawel Castle and
Cathedral, the Old Town with the Main Market
Square with magnificent houses and palaces. In
the middle of the square is the Cloth Hall built
before 1349, but altered in the 16th century.
Visit the magnificent Church of Our Lady built
in Gothic style with richly decorated interiors
and world famous wooden Main Altar - the
MAZURKAS TRAVEL 33
symphonic concerts, chamber music concerts, enjoy opera
and ballet performances, vocal and instrumental recitals,
attend concert-exhibitions, concerts of sacred music of
different religions, art exhibitions of all epochs and cultures.
Festival take place in the most beautiful historical venues in
Wroclaw and over 10 cities in the Lower Silesia.
BYDGOSZCZ
Bydgoszcz Opera Festival, May
Opera Festival in Bydgoszcz was initiated in 1994. From
that moment the Bydgoszcz opera stage has been the
venue of annual meetings of music theatres that come
here with their best performances. A wide program
framework of the festival enables presentation of
opera, operetta, ballet and musical performance.
Slowacki Theater – an impressive opera house
built in 1893 which reflects the high cultural ambitions
of Cracow at the end of the 19th century. The building
was modelled on Paris’ Grand Opera House, and was
designed by Jan Zawiejski, who incorporated Polish
architectural motifs, expecially the attic. The figures
decorating the facade are the allegories to Poetry,
Drama, Comedy, Song, Dance, Joy and Sadeness.
Enjoy your opera performance. Each summer you
can join the Cracow Festival Opera and Operetta that
present the world-famous opera and operetta works,
such as: Traviata, Black Mask, Madame Butterfly, Lucia
of Lammermoor , Tosca, Nabucco or Mackbeth.
LODZ
Festival Of Dialogue Of Four Cultures,
August-September
Lodz, a city located in the centre of Poland, built in the
course of just a few years in the 19th century by members
of various nations, hosts artists representing Jewish, Polish,
Russian, and Germanic cultures. This Festival reflects the
multicultural past of the city which was destroyed during
World War II, and every year it stages dozens of artistic
events from various disciplines in the arts.
Warsaw Philharmonic Hall - one of the oldest
Gothic masterpiece of Wit Stwosz. Cracow is
also known as the city of several music events
taking place each year in the historical parts of
the city. You can choose from such events as:
Bethoveen Eastern Festival, Festival – Music
in Old Cracow, Jewish Culture Festival and
the Summer Cracow Festival of Opera and
Operetta.Afternoon at leisure and time to
explore this fascinating city on your own.
Dinner at a local restaurant. Evening transfer to
the Slowacki Theater for the opera performance.
DAY 7 CRACOW [B, D]
While in Cracow you cannot omit the visit
the Czartoryski Museum, established as the
first historic museum in Poland. Now, you
can see there ancient art, Oriental armours and
European paintings. But above all there are
two famous paintings that must not be missed:
The Lady with the Ermine by Leonardo da
Vinci and Rembrandt’s Landscape with the
Good Samaritan. Afternoon drive to see the
underground world of salt. Visit the oldest
salt mine in Europe, dating back to the 16th
century. During your tour you will admire the
salt lakes, beautiful salt chambers, monuments
and galleries including the most magnificent
St. Kinga Chapel, all carved in salt by many
generations of Polish miners. All that can be
seen on 3 levels that are opened to the visitors.
You can also visit the Salt Works Museum. The
Wieliczka Salt Mine is on the list of the World
Cultural and Natural Heritage. Dinner at a local
restaurant beautifully located in the Wieliczka
Castle. During your dinner a folk ensemble will
present typical songs and dances of the region.
Transfer back to Cracow for overnight.
DAY 8
CRACOW - TYNIEC - ZAKOPANE [B, D]
Morning departure for Zakopane. En route
short stop in Tyniec for organ concert in the
Benedictin’s Abbey, famous for its organs and
Baroque-Rococo interiors. Each summer you
34 MAZURKAS TRAVEL
can attend the Organ concerts here. After arrival
in Zakopane visit to the Atma Villa, once
home of Karol Szymanowski now a museum,
to listen to the piano recital. Glass of sparkling
wine to be served. Karol Szymanowski was the
last great romanticist of European music. His
best known composition, the ballet „Harnasie”,
was influenced by the folk music from the
Tatra Mountains, which he transformed into
an original achievement in the contemporary
musical idiom. Afternoon tour of Zakopane
and dinner at the typical Highlanders’ inn with
folklore show. Overnight in Zakopane.
DAY 9
ZAKOPANE - LOWICZ- WARSAW [B, D]
Departure for Warsaw. On your way to your
hotel stop in Lowicz, for a home hosted dinner.
It will give you an opportunity to gather with
the local family. Experience the atmosphere of
traditional old Polish house where patriotism
and love for music come together. The house
is decorated with pictures presenting Polish
history. A cat is sleeping next to a fireplace,
women are sitting by the spinning weel and
listening to Moniuszko’s songs. Among them
there is the most beautiful one - “Prząśniczka”.
Dinner will be served at the Łowicz Castle
ruins, and will let you taste traditional dishes
of Polish national cuisine, served in stylish oldPolish table service. Presentations of making
cut-outs from colored paper. The owners of
this place – young married couple are unusual
as much as their property. Their extraordinary
hobby combined with skills and passion
resulted in establishing an amazing collection
of regional landscape painings and jewellery
that was made of materials dug out from the
ruins. Farewell cannon shot. After arrival in
Warsaw accommodation at your hotel.
DAY 10 WARSAW [B]
Transfer to the airport for your flight back
home.
music institutions in Europe. Founded in 1899 performs
the best of Polish and foreign classical music throughout
the year. In the year 2001 Warsaw Philharmonic
celebrates its 100 Anniversary and offer a vide variety
of concerts.
National Opera House - Opera was brought
to Poland only twenty years after it first appeared in
Florence by Royal Prince Ladislaus IV Vasa. In 1628
he invited to Warsaw the first Italian opera troupe and
as soon as he ascended the Polish throne in 1632, had
a theatre hall built in his castle, where regular opera
performances were produced by an Italian company
directed by Marco Scacchi. For over 160 years the Teatr
Wielki (Grand Theatre), called today the Teatr Wielki
- National Opera, has been Poland’s grandest opera and
ballet institution. Its building was erected in 1825-1833
to designs by the Italian architect Antonio Corazzi of
Livorno for the companies of national opera, ballet and
drama active at the time in Warsaw. In the programme
you can see such works as: Carmen, Faust, King Roger,
La Traviata, Madame Butterfly, Nabucco, Otello, Swan
Lake and many others.
Warsaw Chamber Opera - was founded in
1961 by Stefan Sutkowski, who has served as its
Managing and Artistic Director ever since. The
Warsaw Chamber Opera is pursuing a diverse
activity. Its repertoire spans a wide variety of
musical styles and genres: from medieval mystery
plays to the operas of the Baroque and Classical
periods, 18th century pantomimes, the operas
by Rossini and Donizetti, as well as works by
contemporary composers, several of which were
commissioned by the company. Chamber Opera
holds the annual Mozart Festival, Baroque Opera
Festival and Monteverdi Festival.
Wroclaw Opera House - In 2001, the Wroclaw
Opera was celebrating the 160th anniversary of the
inauguration of its theatre building designed by the
well-known German architect Carl Ferdinand Langhans
for the Municipal Theatre. Since 1997 at end the of
the season huge shows in the Wrocław People’s Hall
are organised, with the largest settings for operas in
Poland, stars of Polish and international opera stage,
almost 500 performers and animals on stage. In 1997
it was the Aida, in 1998 Carmen, in 1999 Nabucco, in
2000 ‘Troubadour’ by G. Verdi. The Wrocław Opera uses
other unconventional forms and places for its shows,
like Tosca on the open air, with acts scattered from
the St. Maria Magdalene Cathedral and Leopoldinum
to Partisans’ Hill, cameral shows in Leopoldinum
and the National Museum and concerts in the most
beautiful places in Wroclaw, like the Market Place or
the Partisan’s hill.
ewish Roots in Poland
DAY 1 [D] WARSAW
The tour of the Jewish sights in Warsaw includes:
the Okopowa Jewish Cemetery with over
150.000 tombstones, sites connected with the
Ghetto Uprising in 1943 - the Warsaw Ghetto
Memorial, the Jundenrat Building, Anielewicz’s
Bunker and Umschlagplatz. Visit to the Nożyk
Synagogue and the Yiddish Theater. A meeting
with representatives of the Jewish congregation.
In the afternoon, a visit to the Orphanage for
Jewish children in Warsaw managed by Janusz
Korczak [Henryk Goldszmit]. You can see a
special exhibition and children’s works dedicated
to Janusz Korczak. Dinner at the local restaurant.
DAY 2 [B, L, D] WARSAW- TYKOCIN
- TREBLINKA - WARSAW
A drive to Tykocin, near Białystok, to see an
early-Baroque masonry synagogue, built in
1642 and beautifully restored between 1974
and 1978, a typical example of Jewish religious
architecture. Presently houses a museum. Lunch
at a local restaurant in Tykocin. Afternoon visit to
Treblinka, a site of a former Nazi concentration
camp where 800.000 Jews lost their lives, now a
monument - mausoleum and a symbolic cemetery.
Dinner at a local restaurant of “Ejlat”.
DAY 3 [B, L, D] WARSAWKAZIMIERZ DOLNY-LUBLINWARSAW
A morning drive to Kazimierz, an ancient and
very picturesque Renaissance town, set above the
Vistula River, known for its Jewish background.
A visit to the 18th century synagogue and Jewish
cemetery from 1851. Lunch at a local restaurant
in Kazimierz Dolny. Continue to Lublin, one of
the former centers of Hasidism. A visit to the
Talmudic Academy of Lublin - Yeshiva and the
Old Synagogue. A visit to Majdanek - a former
concentration camp established in October 1941
where 200.000 Jews were murdered. Drive back
to Warsaw. Dinner at a local restaurant.
DAY 4 [B, D] WARSAW - ŁÓDŹ
-WARSAW
A full-day excursion to Łódź where about
240.000 Jews used to live before the war.
From among them came great factory owners
(Poznański, Sielberstejn), merchants, bankers,
writers etc. Your visit includes: Poznański’s
beautiful residence with exhibitions of mementos
of A.Rubinstein, a great pianist of Jewish origin,
and J. Kosiński, famous Polish writer who
spent most of his life in the United States, the
exhibition of “The Ghetto in Łódź”. A visit to the
19th century Jewish cemetery - the biggest one in
Europe, a walk in the Old Town where the Ghetto
was situated, passing schools, hospitals, factories
and Jewish palaces. Dinner at a local restaurant
DAY 5 [B, D] WARSAW - OŚWIĘCIM
- CRACOW
Drive to Oświęcim - the largest Nazi Death Camp,
known as Auschwitz - Birkenau, where 4 million
people, mostly Jews, perished. The organisation
and building of the camp was started in 1940. At
present, the National Museum of Oświęcim is
situated on the site of the former camp. Arrival
in Cracow and accommodation at the hotel.
Dinner in the local restaurant.
in the second half of the 15th century witnessed
the foundation of Poland’s oldest Judaic shrine,
the Old Synagogue. Now, it houses a museum
devoted to the history of the Cracow Jews. See
the 16th century Remuh Synagogue with the
adjoining Renaissance cemetery, one of the best
preserved cemeteries in Europe. Dinner at a local
restaurant of “Ariel” - located in the Kazimierz
district, with Jewish music concerts performed
every night.
DAY 7 [B, L] CRACOW - TARNÓW
- ŁAŃCUT - CRACOW
A morning drive to Tarnów to see the remnants
of the 17th century synagogue and the Jewish
cemetery. Afterwards, drive to Łańcut to see
the old synagogue, originally built in 1761 and
restored after the war, now houses a regional
museum and an exhibition of Judaics. Lunch
at a local restaurant in Łańcut. Drive back to
Cracow for an overnight stay.
DAY 8 [B] CRACOW
Breakfast at a hotel and departure transfer to the
airport for your flight back home.
DAY 6 [B, D] CRACOW
A visit to Kazimierz - a former Jewish district
with its own Market Square, today Plac
Wolnica and Town Hall, now housing the
Ethnographic Museum. The period of rapid
growth of the Hebrew population in Kazimierz
MAZURKAS TRAVEL 35
ysterious Nights
in Castles & Palaces
DAY 1 [L] WARSAW
After arrival sightseeing tour of Warsaw
including: the Royal Route with aristocratic
residences and famous statues, Old Town
with Castle Square, king Sigismund’s
Column, St.John’s Cathedral, the Old Town
Market Square. A visit to the interiors of the
Baroque residence of King John III Sobieski
in Wilanów. Lunch at a local restaurant and
in the evening a Chopin Concert in one of the
historical interiors of Warsaw including: short
tours of the places associated with Frederic
Chopin, visit to the Chopin Museum, two part
piano concert performed by the outstanding
pianists, a glass of champagne during the
intermission.
DAY 2 [B, L]
WARSAW - KADYNY
A morning departure for Pułtusk, visit to
the 14th century castle, built to serve as a
bishop’s castle. Now the seat of the Polonia
House - a centre for the Polish expatriate
community. The town of Pułtusk boasts the
longest Market Square in Europe, a Gothic
collegiate church and the Baroque Jesuit
church dating from the 18th century. Lunch
en route and drive to Waplewo Palace, which
dates from the 17th to 19th centuries and
is surrounded by a thirty-acre park. In the
late afternoon arrival in the Kadyny Palace
Hotel complex made up of several historic
buildings, once the residence of Wilhelm II,
Emperor of Germany. Overnight at the Palace.
DAY 3 [B, L] MALBORK - RYDZYNA
After breakfast, departure for Malbork and visit
to the huge Gothic castle dating from the 13th
to 15th centuries, where the Teutonic Knights
36 MAZURKAS TRAVEL
once ruled. Afterwards, drive to Kwidzyń: an
example of two castles and a fortified town
with an archaeological and ethnographic
museum. Drive to Pelpin - Poland’s most
beautiful post Cistercian monastery complex.
Next stop at Czerniejewo where there is
a neo-Classical palatial complex. Horse
carriages drive and picnic dinner. Finally,
arrival in Rydzyna Castle for overnight.
DAY 4 [B, D] CRACOW
A morning departure for Cracow. En route, stop
at Promnice Hunting Castle, an English neoGothic residence built in 1861, located among
picturesque forests on Lake Paprocanskie.
After arrival in Cracow, check-in at a 1st class
hotel and dinner at a local restaurant.
DAY 5 [B, L] CRACOW
A half-day sightseeing tour of Cracow,
including the 14th century Gothic castle on
Wawel Hill remodelled by Zygmunt Stary
according to the new Renaissance taste in the
16th century. Lunch at a local restaurant and
drive to a magnificent Gothic-Renaissance
castle in Pieskowa Skała located in the heart of
the most beautiful part of Poland - the Ojcowski
National Park. On the way back a short stop
in Ogrodzieniec with the ruins of the castle.
Back to Cracow and overnight at the hotel.
DAY 6 [B, L]
ŁAŃCUT - KRASICZYN
- SIENIAWA
In the morning, departure and drive via Łańcut
Castle which is a historic monument of the
highest international standing. The castle
belonged to the Potocki family from the
beginning of the 19th century up to 1944. It
was turned into a museum following World
War II. Afterwards, drive to Krasiczyn Castle one of the most beautiful monuments of Polish
Renaissance. Accommodation in Sieniawa. It
served as a seat of Czartoryski ducal family. It
was visited by General Tadeusz Kościuszko,
Polish and American national hero.
DAY 7 [B, L]
SIENIAWA - CEDZYNA
A morning departure for Cedzyna Hotel. En
route visit to Baranów Sandomierski Castle.
Originally erected between 1591 and 1606,
and subsequently reconstructed around the end
of the 17th century by Tylman van Gameren.
Lunch en route; visit to the ruins of Chęciny
Palace. After arrival, accommodation at a 1st
class hotel and overnight.
DAY 8 [B, L]
CEDZYNA - WARSAW
After breakfast departure for Warsaw. En
route visit to the former Radziwiłł Palace in
Szydłowiec. Lunch en route. After arrival in
Warsaw, visit to the Royal Castle, a national
historic monument to Polish history, official
royal residence since 1596. Then visit to the
Royal Łazienki Park and Palace on the Water,
residence of the last Polish King Stanislaw
August Poniatowski.
DAY 9 [B] WARSAW
Breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant and
departure.
long the Vistula (Wisla) River
Program that will take you along one of the main rivers of Poland
including unforgettable visits to charming cities and towns
The longest river in Poland, the Vistula (Wisla) winds its way from the Beskidy mountains of southern
Poland, through Krakow and Warsaw and up the Bay of Gdansk to the Baltic Sea. In past times, the Vistula
used to be connected to the Dnieper River, and through it to the Black Sea, where it was part of the Amber
Road, an ancient river trade route from the Black Sea to the Baltic. Today, it’s part of the landscape of Poland’s
most important cities, and it used to be a point of recreation for Poles young and old. Take an unforgettable
trip along the Vistula River and the beautiful highlights of Poland.
Day 1 KRAKOW [D]
Arrival in Krakow, a cultural capital of
Poland, picturesquely located on the Vistula
River. Orientation walk along the Old Town,
UNESCO site. Memorable welcome dinner
on board of the ship with perfect views of
medieval glory of Krakow.
KRAKOW-WISLA-PSZCZYNA
-WYGIELZOW-KRAKOW [B, L, D]
Today we will depart south, towards the
Beskidy Mountains, to the small town of Wisla,
where nearby, the Vistula has its source. In
Wisla, a center of folk traditions of the Beskid
highlanders, we will visit the neoclassical
Evangelical church and the Beskid Museum
showing the regional culture of Silesian
highlanders.Travelling still along the Vistula,
we will reach Pszczyna which boasts the
Pszczyna Castle, a gem of Upper Silesia. The
castle, now a museum, has retained its rich,
historic decor and was granted a honorary
diploma for meticulous reconstruction. We will
continue to the village of Wygielzow with the
open air Vistula Ethnographic Park featuring
valuable, traditional architecture of the Krakow
region. You will feel the true spirit of rural
Poland there.
Day 3 KRAKOW [B, D]
Guided tour of Krakow, the first European
city included in the UNESCO list of the most
precious places of the world. Krakow is the
city of humanism, whose sites capture the
essence of Polish history and where the world’s
greatest sculptor of the Gothic, Veit Stoss lived
and worked for nearly 20 years.
Our tour will take us to the Wawel Royal
Castle with priceless Flemish tapestries that
present the Renaissance north-European art at
its height and to the Wawel Cathedral, where
Poland’s kings were once crowned. Wawel
Hill beautifully located by the Vistula, gives
perfect opportunity for a romantic walk along
the river and admiring the splendour of old ages
or lunch at a restaurant located on the Viking
ship. Late afternoon excursion to Tyniec
Abbey picturesquely situated on a limestone
hill on the bank of the Vistula. Enjoy a private
organ concert and dinner served by the monks
at the Tyniec Abbey. During our culinary
celebration we will taste delicious, natural
food prepared by the use of traditional methods
by Benedictine monks. Example menu from
the Benedictine Heavenly Food restaurant:
Sister Salomea’s fillet of duck in chanterelle
sauce, the provincial’s salmon with almonds or
St. Scholastica’s vegetable salad. There is also
an opportunity to purchase the products made
by the Benedictines, all of them with ecological
ingredients and no additives, just to mention:
“Angelic” or “Meditation” jam; herbal teas,
juices, pickled mushrooms, honey etc.
Day 4
KRAKOW-NIEPOLOMICE-BARANOW
SANDOMIERSKI [B, L, D]
A delight to visit today will be Sandomierz
with over thousand-year-old history, called
“little Rome” because of its location on the
seven hills by the Vistula. The impressive
wealth of finely preserved historic monuments
have earned Sandomierz a reputation as one of
the most beautiful towns in Poland.
Continue to Kazimierz Dolny, charming
Renaissance town with historical architecture,
picturesquely set on the bank of the Vistula
River. Thanks to its pleasantly bohemian
flavor, Kazimierz is commonly called Mekka
of artists. Its heart is formed by the Rynek with
an old wooden well right in the middle. The
square is lined with fine merchants’ houses, old
churches, granaries.
Day 5 KAZIMIERZ DOLNYJANOWIEC-KOZLOWKA
-KAZIMIERZ DOLNY [B, L]
After breakfast take a boat trip on Vistula River
to reach Janowiec castle, originally erected at
the beginning of the 16th century.
Excursion to Kozlowka to visit a late-Baroque
residence, which belonged to the Zamoyski
family. The palace interiors have their authentic
decorations and furniture dated from 19th and
20th c. You can admire ceramic stoves, crystal
mirrors, a vast collection of paintings, and
get an idea of the lifestyle, artistic taste and
mindset of a Polish aristocrat at the turn of the
twentieth century. Of particular value is also
unusual, Europe’s only Gallery of the Art of
Socialist Realism. Drive back to Kazimierz
Dolny for overnight.
Day 6 KAZIMIERZ DOLNY-GORA
KALWARIA-WARSAW [B, L]
Departure for Gora Kalwaria, situated on a
high escarpment over the Vistula valley. See
the Jewish synagogues and cemetery and
have a walk through the market square with
neoclassical town hall and market halls from
the early 19th century.
MAZURKAS TRAVEL 37
Day 10
TORUN-SWIECIE-KWIDZYN
-PELPLIN-GDANSK [B, L]
ON THE TRAIL OF GOTHIC CASTLES
The afternoon includes a fascinating journey
through Frederic Chopin’s compositions. Enjoy
a private piano concert with glass of sparkling
wine during the interval and listen to the worldfamous Chopin’s mazurkas and polonaises.
Professional musicians will guarantee masterly
interpretations of the composer’s music and
truly memorable performance.
Day 8 WARSAW-ZELAZOWA WOLALOWICZ-WARSAW [B, L]
Continue your drive to Warsaw, the capital
of Poland, but also one of the most important
cities situated along the Vistula River. Even the
legend about the very beginning of Warsaw is
connected with the river.
Legend speaks of Warsaw’s past. One of
them tells a mermaid – half woman half fish
- swimming in the waves of the blue Vistula
River in front of Mazovian fisherman
and foretelling of the founding of an
indestructible city. Another account speaks
of the founders of the city, Wars and Sawa,
lovers whose names were combined to give
Warsaw its name.
Day 7 WARSAW [B, D]
A half day sightseeing tour of Warsaw
including the city highlights. A walk around
the streets of Old Town. Painstakingly restored
following originals designs the meticulous
reconstruction of the historic center was only
completed as late as 1954. Today the area’s
inclusion on UNESCO’s World Heritage List
speaks volumes for the effort involved. The
burgher houses that line the Old Town Square
are particularly striking, with many boasting
intricate details on the facades. The historic
center is also home to numerous churches,
including the St John’s Cathedral. The
important city’s landmark is the Royal Castle,
formerly a residence of Polish kings and the
seat of parliament. Afterwards, drive along the
historical Royal Route.
End the tour by the Vistula River where we
invite you on a river trip. Take a journey on
board of the river tram. Admire Warsaw’s
seven bridges and enjoy your lunch served on
board the ship.
38 MAZURKAS TRAVEL
A trip to the little village of Zelazowa Wola,
worldwide known because Frederic Chopin
was born here in a manor that houses today
Chopin’s biographic museum with the
composer’s and his family portraits and other
memorabilia. A special treat in Lowicz, we
invite you for a home-hosted lunch served by
the young couple of artists, who will welcome
you in their charming wooden cottage at the
base of Lowicz castle ruins. Meet the family
and enjoy traditional Polish hospitality.
Evening walk along the Vistula River. Have
a free time in one of the pubs situated on the
promenade along the river.
Day 9 WARSAW-CZERWINSKWLOCLAWEK-PLOCK-TORUN [B, L]
Morning departure along the Vistula River for
Torun with stops in the following riverside
towns:
Czerwinsk nad Wisla (Czerwinsk town by
Vistula River), famous for the stone basilica,
one of the oldest examples of Romanesque
architecture in Poland.
Next visit will be Wloclawek. The first
settlements in the Wloclawek region at the
estuary of Zglowieczka to the Vistula River
were founded almost 5 thousand years ago.
The Wloclawski Reservoir provides vast
opportunities for sailing and other forms of
recreation. Continue to Plock, a town perched
on a cliff high over the Vistula river. Plock seen
from the other side of the river, still evokes its
illustrious past, its skyline being marked with a
half a dozen old church towers. It is one of the
oldest settlements in Poland.
Finally arrival in Torun, one of the most
magnificent historic cities in Poland, a
wealthy Hanseatic port and the birthplace of
Copernicus. We will stroll the lovely Gothic
Old Town, UNESCO World Heritage Site,
along one of the charming, narrow streets
uncovering Torun’s past glory
On our further drive along the Vistula river we
will reach Swiecie, with the ruins of Gothic
Teutonic Knight’s castle and beautiful Baroque
former Bernardine church and monastery.
Meeting in Old Meal with representatives of
The Friends of Lower Vistula Society founded
in 1997.
In Kwidzyn admire the castle and the spectacular
tall sanitary tower. Continue to Gniew, situated
at the mouth of the Wierzyca River that flows
to the Vistula. See the Gniew Castle built by
the Teutonic Knights, their first property on
the left bank of the Vistula River. En-route to
Gdansk visit monumental, imposing Basilica
in Pelplin, built in the 13th-16th c. and rebuilt
in the Gothic style. Overnight in Gdansk.
Day 11
GDANSK-OLIWA-GDANSK [B, L]
Sightseeing of Gdansk, a remarkable city owing
to the millennial history, architectural heritage
and historical significance. The history of
Gdansk is full of events which have influenced
the history of Poland and Europe.
We will enjoy a walk through the Old Town
which delights with Hanseatic architecture
and take an unforgettable trip across the Bay
of Gdansk facing the Baltic Sea, beside the
delta of the Vistula, on one of the Gdansk
Shipping Company boats. From the deck you
will admire the most picturesque spots of the
area: Westerplatte, Sopot, Gdynia and the Hel
Peninsula. Gdansk, Sopot and Gdynia, so called
Tricity, offer an enticing blend of history and
brash newness. Each city has its own specific
personality.
Our panorama tour will take us to picturesque
Oliwa district to visit the Cathedral with the
world-famous organs. It is said that the sounds
of the Oliwa organs are so fantastic that they
made their constructor faint - once he heard
them for the first time. Enjoy a private organ
concert.
Day 12
GDANSK-MALBORK-SZTUM
-GDANSK [B, L]
Leave for Malbork caste, formerly the seat
of the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order,
which represents one of the largest, defensive,
medieval systems in Europe and was put on the
UNESCO list. The Museum’s highlight is the
exhibition of amber, one of the world’s most
interesting collections of the type.
Lunch at a local restaurant located in one of the
castle’s wings. Continue to another medieval
riverside town, Sztum, to see the former
Teutonic castle which also was the residence
of the Grand Master of the Order. Overnight
in Gdansk.
Day 13 GDANSK [B]
Transfer to the airport for your flight back
home.
olish Christmas
Christmas in Poland may be a
wonderful experience. Wesolych
Swiat! Bozego Narodzenia! That is
the way to say “Merry Christmas” in
Polish. Among Poles, wherever they
are, the most beloved and beautiful
of all traditional festivities is that of
Christmas Eve. It is then the Wigilia,
or Christmas Eve Dinner is served. It
is a solemnly celebrated occasion and
arouses deep feelings of kinship among
family members. Christmas Eve is the
most special and delightful evening
of the year. For days in advance, Poles
prepare the traditional foods
and everyone anxiously
awaits the moment when
the first star, known as
the Gwiazdka, appears
in the eastern sky. For
that is when the feast
to commemorate
the birth of the
Christ Child
begins.
DAY 1 WARSAW
Arrival in Warsaw. Panoramic orientation
tour. Music of Frederic Chopin, one of the
most well-known Poles around the world,
will introduce us to Poland’s landscape and
tradition. In the repertoire famous mazurkas and
polonaises. A glass of sparkling wine during a
short intermission. Welcome dinner.
DAY 2 WARSAW
Today during our visit of the Ethnographical
Museum in Warsaw we will learn about legends
and believes rooted in our Christmas tradition.
Time free. Polish Wigilia feast (Christmas Eve
dinner). The moment the first star of the night
appears, we will sit at the table for the most
carefully planned meal of the year, Wigilia.
Our Polish custom dictates that bits of hay
are put under the tablecloth as a reminder that
Jesus was born in a manger and one place at
the table is left empty for a stranger. Following
our Polish ritual, we will break oplatek (a thin
white wafer), passing it from one to another,
exchanging greetings and good wishes.
The Christmas supper will consist of twelve
traditional dishes representing twelve
apostles.
According to the tradition, meat is never
served. A sample menu includes:
Barszcz czerwony z uszkami - the company of
small ravioli stuffed with wild mushrooms
Karp w galarecie - aromatic carp in jelly,
decorated with boiled vegetables
Sledz w smietanie - tasty herring in sour
cream or oil
Pierogi z kapusta - dumplings with
sauerkraut
Kutia - poppy seed roll served with grain,
nuts, raisins and honey
The remainder of the evening is given to
Christmas carols.
DAY 3
WARSAW - CZESTOCHOWA - CRACOW
Transfer to Cracow, former Poland’s capital,
a cradle of Polish culture, famous for its
priceless, historical monuments of art and
architecture, being also a tourist horn of
plenty, place where legends, history and
modernity intertwine. En route stop in
Czestochowa to see the Jasna Gora Monastery
with the Black Madonna picture. It is one
of the most important places of religious
worship in the Christian world, with tradition
of pilgrimages that goes back to the 14th
century. The enormous role of Jasna Gora in
the religious and cultural life of the nation,
can be seen from the names commonly used
for this place: Capital of the Kingdom of
Poland, the Confessional of the Nation.
Cracow overnight.
DAY 4 CRACOW
In Poland there are few towns where you
can enjoy unforgettable Christmas market
atmosphere against backdrop of some of the
country’ most impressive historical monuments
or UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is true
of magic Cracow. The Christmas market is
staged in festively–decorated Old Market
Square, in the shadow of St Mary’s Church.
The charming little wooden stalls sell arts
and crafts, gifts of all kinds and a huge range
of delicious Christmas delicacies. Live music
and varied program of events including many
concerts of choral and instrumental music also
help to provide a truly magical atmosphere.
Time free to enjoy Christmas Market. Do
you know that Cracow is the world centre of
the production of glass-balls which are handmade and painted and that Cracow glass-balls
decorate the Christmas tree in the White House
in Washington? In the afternoon visit to the
factory producing traditional Christmas tree
decorations.
MAZURKAS TRAVEL 39
DAY 5 CRACOW
A crib/nativity scene everywhere in the world
is a humble stable. Everywhere but not in
Cracow. Here they glitter with dozens of
colors and often take the shape of a Gothic
cathedral. Why? Because in Cracow they
were invented by bricklayers! When they were
unemployed, they made fabulous palaces for
the Christ Child. At Christmas they would
carry them from house to house and give
puppet shows. They were always expected by
children and the adults never grudged them a
penny or two. In 1937 Mr Jerzy Dobrzynski,
director of the Historical Museum of the City
of Cracow, organized the first competition for
nativity scenes. On December 4th scene makers
brought their works to the Adam Mickiewicz
Monument in the Main Market Square where
they were evaluated by a jury. The winner was
announced and his scene was bought by the
Museum. And it has happened This way ever
since the competition held at the beginning of
December attracts many visitors to Cracow.
The largest Cracow’s crib collections are
displayed in two museums: the Seweryn
Udziela Ethnographic Museum
and the Historical Museum
of the City of Cracow.
We will visit the
museums and
will meet one
of the artists
who was
selected
for the first
prize.
We
will follow for
40 MAZURKAS TRAVEL
the tour around the most famous cribs in
Cracow churches: with the Bernardines and
Kapucyni
DAY 6 CRACOW - KALWARIA
ZEBRZYDOWSKA - CRACOW
Christmas is also a time of reflection and peace.
We will invite you to visit the Archdiocesan
Museum in Cracow devoted to John Paul II.
Its collection is housed in the former home of Pope
John Paul II, whose apartments ( skis and all )
have been fondly recreated as a part of the display.
Number of presents received in his role as Pope
from various world leaders are also exhibited.
Following enjoy excursion to the Bernardine
Monastery in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska,
UNESCO site, the favorite place of trips of
the Pope. We will see here one of the best
Christmas cribs and Nativity Play, Jaselka- in
Seminary of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska. Concert
of singing carols (koledowanie).
DAY 7
CRACOW - ZAKOPANE - CRACOW
People living in southern Poland close to the
Tatra mountains have their own Christmas
traditions. In the center of this region,
city of Zakopane, Christmas time has a
unique atmosphere and is an unforgettable
experience. The town gets beautifully
decorated, usually covered with loads of fresh
fallen snow. Small charming wooden chapels
at the mountains trails look in this scenery like
from a fairy tale. Christmas time, Highlander
Wigilia, is called in this region “Godni Cas“.
After enjoyable festive sleigh ride which
is a centuries-old tradition in Poland, with
decorative harness, jingling bells and old fashioned torches to light up the dark expanse
of the countryside and the pine forest path we
will reach a forester’s cottage lying at the base
of the Chocholowska valley, the longest and
most picturesque in the Tatras. Greeted by
hosts we will come in to enjoy a Highlander
Godni Cas treat with a local family and their
children decorating the Christmas pine tree.
There are many rituals here which are not
encountered in other parts of Poland such as
putting the wafer on the pine twigs, Christmas
carols and delicacies are different, there are
more magic in the Christmas customs and
superstitions. Popular are live theatrical plays
by highlanders wearing masks and costumes,
depicting among others the Holy Family, the
Three Wise Men, Medrcy Wschodu, King
Herod, herody and creatures of the forest,
such as the bison and the wild ox (turon).
The Gwiazdor (star man) carries the gwiazda
kolednicza (caroling star).
DAY 8
CRACOW - ŁOWICZ - WARSAW
Some time free in Cracow. Drive to Lowicz
to meet Polish local family living in a wooden
cottage, at the base of the Lowicz castle ruins.
Festive cannon shot and fireworks at the ruins,
in the company of folk band entertainment.
Musicians wear their regional colorful
costumes. Our hosts will invite us for home
hosted dinner in the wooden cottage with
lovely fireplace and piano music and another
traditional Christmas speciality - roasted
goose in Polish style with apples and Polish
mead, greatly appreciated during cold winter
evenings. The artistic family, will present us
with hand-made gift, a Christmas memento.
DAY 9
WARSAW
Departure transfers.
ilgrimage to Poland
DAY 1 [D] WARSAW
Group’s arrival in Warsaw. Time to rest after
the flight at your hotel. Welcome dinner at one
of the local restaurants with folklore show.
DAY 2 [B, D] WARSAW
Morning half day tour of Warsaw including the
Castle Square, St. John’s Cathedral and walk
through the Market Square. Pass the late-Gothic
structure by John Baptist of Venice. In the
New Town Market you can see the Church and
Monastery of Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament
and the house where Maria Sklodowska-Curies
was born. At the Krasinski Place stop by the
Monument of Warsaw’s Uprising and drive
to see the Ghetto Memorial. Drive to Lowicz
to see the beautiful 15th century collegiate
church. Originally Gothic, it underwent several
remodellings and reflects a mishmash of style
including Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo.
Listen to a short private organ concert and
have tea and cake with the parish. Afterwards,
drive back to Warsaw for Holy Mass at St
Kostka Church and Lecture “The Catholic
church in Poland under communism and in the
t r a n s i t i o n to democracy”. Meeting with
Polish catholic youth,
to
discuss their activity
in the church,
enjoy pantomime
show by the young
people. Dinner at a
local
restaurant
located just few
steps from the St.
Kostka
Church.
Evening
Chopin
concert that will be
held in one of the
historical interiors
of Warsaw. During
your two-part piano
recital a glass of
champagne will be
served.
DAY 3 [B, D] WARSAW
- NIEPOKALANOW - LICHEń - POZNAń
After breakfast departure for Poznan. En
route a stop in Niepokalanow, one of the
youngest Polish Sanctuaries. This is in the
name of a Franciscan Monastery linked with
the figure of St. Maximilian Maria Raymond
Kolbe - a martyr from the death camp in
Auschwitz. Raymond Kolbe a son of a weaver
from Zdunska Wola received a patriotic
and Catholic education. The monastery was
founded in 1927 and in 1980 John Paul II
gave the church the title of a lesser basilica. A
figure of the Mother of God of the Immaculate
Conception was placed in a niche in the front
wall of the basilica. Meet the priest from
the Niepokalanow Sanctuary. Visiting the
museum of St. Maximilian Kolbe. Continue
with next stop in Lichen, probably the second
famous sanctuary, after Czestochowa, devoted
to the cult of the Virgin Mary in Poland. Due
to thousand of pilgrims the new sanctuary of
Our Lady of Lichen was built. The Pope John
Paul II consecrated it on 7th June 1999. Arrival
in Poznan for dinner and overnight.
DAY 4 [B, D]
POZNAń - GNIEZNO - POZNAń
Half day tour of Poznan including the main
point of the city – the Old Town Market
Square with its 13th century Old Town Hall
– modified in 15th century; today the History
Museum of Poznan city. The Market Square
is surrounded with historical buildings partly
reconstructed after the II World War. Admire
Ostrow Tumski – located on the right banks
of the river Warta. The oldest part of Poznan
with its reconstructed and great gothic
cathedral initially built in 10th century. Its
Gold Chapel contains sarcophagi with the
ashes of the first Polish King. Despite the
cathedral at the Ostrow Tumski we will find
as well the 15th century gothic Church
of the Sacred Virgin Mary, the 16th century
Lubranskich Academy building and the
Bishop’s Palace. Afternoon drive to Gniezno
that came to the fore in the year 1000, when
the archbishopric was established here. Now,
the price of Gniezno is its Cathedral, a large
double-towered Gothic structure. The most
precious possession of the church is the pair
of 12th century bronze doors that present 18
scenes from the life of St. Adalbert. Drive
back to Poznan for overnight and dinner at a
local restaurant.
DAY 5 [B, D] POZNAń - TRZEBNICA
- WROCłAW
Departure to Poznan. On the way stop in
Trzebnica to visit the former Cistercian Abbey.
The church is thought to be one of the first
brick buildings of its kind in Poland. Arrival in
Wroclaw. Afternoon tour of the city including
the charming Market Square with the Gothic
Town Hall and its characteristic 66 meterhigh tower, ceramic gable, lovely portal and
sculptures, among the most magnificent
in Central Europe. In the University
Square, on the site of an old castle you
can see the Baroque University buildings
with a tower crowned by a globe, with the
marvelous interior decorations of the aula
Leopoldina. After the tour we will take
you for a boat trip on Odra rivers
when you will have a change
to admire the nice view of
Wrocław city and listen to
music played by a musician
who will assist you on the
boat. Dinner at one of the
restaurants located in the
Old Town.
MAZURKAS TRAVEL 41
DAY 6 [B, D] WROCLAW - ST. ANNA HILL
- OSWIECIM - ZAKOPANE
Morning visit to Panorama Racławicka, a
unique three-dimensional painting of Poland’s
victory over Russia at Racławice in 1794.
Afterwards, departure for Zakopane. On the
way you will stop at St. Anna Mountain to
see the sanctuary which origins dates back
to 1657 when the reformats monks from the
Franciscan order were brought to Chelm
Mountain as it was called then. For centuries
the sanctuary stood there while on the main
altar of the gothic-baroque church of St.
Anna stands the statuette of St. Anna. Visit
to Auschwitz-Birkenau, the former Nazi
concentration camp. Arrival in Zakopane and
accommodation at your hotel and dinner.
DAY 7 [B, D] ZAKOPANE
In the morning take a unique raft down the
Dunajec River through the Pieniny Gorge on
the highlanders’ rafts, is believed to be one of
the greatest attractions of Poland. While on a
raft navigated by two Highlander rafters, you
admire one of the most beautiful river gorges in
Europe. Afternoon tour of Zakopane, a capital
of winter sports, beautifully sited at the foot
of the Tatra Mountains in the valley between
Gubalówka and Giewont. It is the most
popular resort in Poland and one of the most
beautiful places owing to its picturesque
location and fine spa architecture that
blends in with the natural landscape and
involves characteristic elements of the local
buildings. Follow a short part of one of the
Pope John Paul ‘s II walking trails.
Admire picturesque landscapes of
Polish highest mountains – The
Tatras and visit the Hermitage
of St. Brother Albert, founder
of the Albertines Order
(Adam Hilary Chmielowski).
The building dates 1898,
the work was carried
out by Brother Albert
and his first Monks,
according to the design
42 MAZURKAS TRAVEL
of Stanislaw Witkiewicz and also under his
personal supervision. The Pope John Paul II
has a particular respect for Brother Albert also
for his great patriotism and love of art Karol
Wojtyła has visited the hermitage several
times. See the beautiful Jaszczurowka Chapel,
a great achievement of the great Polish artist
Witkiewicz and the sanctuary of the God’s
Mother of Fatima which was built to thank
for saving Pope’s life after a stroke on His
life in 1981. Dinner will be served at a typical
highlanders’ inn with folklore show.
DAY 8 [B, D]
ZAKOPANE - WADOWICE - KALWARIA
ZEBRZYDOWSKA - TYNIEC - CRACOW
Morning departure for Cracow. En route stop
in Wadowice, a birthplace of Pope John Paul
II. Visit the house where the Pope was born
and the church where he was attending as a
child. Continue for Kalwaria Zebrzydowska
that is lying among the colorful hills of the
Wadowice Upland. From far away you may
see the monastery complex of the Bernardines
with the early baroque church of the Angelic
Mother of God. South of the monastery, on
the area of 300 hectares are located the famous
Calvary paths, with churches, chapels and
wayside shrines which location in the terrain
imitates the topography of Jerusalem. Most of
chapels were designed by the Flemish artist Paul
Baudarth and are the only examples (except
of Gdansk) of the Dutch renaissance style
in Poland. The Jerusalem service conducted
in natural scenery has attracted thousands
of pilgrims from the very beginning. Short
stop in Tyniec to see the Benedictine Abbey
perched on a cliff high above the Vistual river.
The Benedictines were brought to Poland
in the second half of the 11th century and
it was their first home. Arrival in Cracow
and accommodation at your hotel.
DAY 9 [B, D] CRACOW
- ŁAGIEWNIKI - WIELICZKA CRACOW
Start the day with visit to the Wawel
Castle – the royal residence
and the seat of Polish kings.
Admire interiors of the
Wawel Cathedral – used
to be the scene of
coronations and the eternal resting place of
kings of Poland. Continue with Old Cracow
including visit the Main Market Square. Visit
the interiors of St. Mary’s Church mostly
famous of its altar created by Wit Stwosz.
Afterwards, visit to the Blessed Sister Faustina
Convent. Sister Faustina was the person
who Jesus appeared to in 1931 bringing
the wonderful message of Mercy for all of
mankind. Asked to do so by the Lord Sister
Faustina painted the picture of His Divine
Mercy with the inscription “Jesus I Trust in
You”. Mass at Sister Faustina Convent in
Krakow. Meeting Sisters from the Faustina
Convent. Time free for shopping. Afternoon
drive to Wieliczka to see the oldest Salt
Mine in Europe. You will see the wonderful
underground world of salt lakes, galleries
and chapels created by many generations of
Polish Miners. We can see up to 20 excavated
chambers on 3 levels, full of beautiful statues
sculpted from salt as well as the Salt Works
Museum. Dinner will be served in one of the
magnificent rooms of the Wieliczka Salt Mine.
DAY 10 [B, D]
CRACOW - CZESTOCHOWA
- STUDZIANNA - WARSAW
Morning departure for Warsaw. En route stop
in Częstochowa for a guided visit of the Jasna
Góra Monastery in Częstochowa founded
in 1382, with famous painting of the Black
Madonna, the most important shrine for Polish
pilgrims. The tour also includes the monastery
Treasury, Armoury and the defensive walls.
Lunch to be served at a local restaurant near
the Monastery. On the way back to Warsaw
stop in Studzianna famous for its monastery
and a church where you can see a copy of the
Jacque Callot’s piece “The Holy Family’s
Meal”. This picture is famous for the miracles
which are said to have happened around it. It
was also a place of pilgrimage and the great
hospitality of the local people who always
prepared meals for the people coming to
Studzianna. The priest will show you the
church and then invite the group for tea/
coffee/cake and fruits in the interiors of the
monastery. Drive to Warsaw for overnight.
DAY 11 [B] WARSAW
Departure transfer to the airport.
n The Footsteps Of Karol Wojtyla Pope John Paul II
DAY 1
WARSAW
Group’s arrival in Warsaw. Welcome dinner.
DAY 2
WARSAW
Celebrate mass at St. Stanislaw Kostka Church.
See a special exhibition devoted to Father Jerzy
Popieluszko, brutally murdered by militant
security police in 1984. Continue with drive
to the Old Town to visit Church of St. Anna
where John Paul II celebrated a mass for young
people of Poland. Walk along the streets of
Old Town. See the Pilsudski Place where Holy
Father celebrated his famous mass during the
first pilgrimage to Poland.
DAY 3 WARSAW - SWINICE
WARCKIE - CZESTOCHOWA
Morning departure for Czestochowa. Drive to
Swinice Warckie to visit St. Casmir parish church
where St. Faustina was baptized. Continue
to Czestochowa, home to Poland’s greatest
pilgrimage shrine, Our Lady of Czestochowa
– the Black Madonna. After arrival check-in at
your hotel and dinner.
DAY 4 CZESTOCHOWA - ZAKOPANE
Morning visit to Jasna Gora Monastery to see
the famous Black Madonna Picture and the
Treasury Room with impressive collection of
precious gifts given to the monastery throughout
the ages. See the impressive Way of Cross
painted by one of the most famous Polish artists
Jerzy Duda-Gracz, a touching presentation of
last moments of Jesus set in the most important
historic moments of Poland. Continue your drive
to Zakopane, a picturesque village set in the
Tatra Mountains so often visited by John Paul II.
See the sanctuary of St. Mary of Fatima built by
highlanders in thanking for saving Holy Father’s
life after the assassination. Also drive to the
beautiful Bachledówka Church where Cardinal
Karol Wojtyła participated in retreat for young
people. Dinner at the typical highlander’s inn.
DAY 5
ZAKOPANE - KALWARIA
ZEBRZYDOWSKA - WADOWICE
- KRAKOW
Departure for Cracow. En route visit to the
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska. From far away
you may see the monastery complex of the
Bernardine Father with the early baroque
church of the Angelic Mother of God. South
of the monastery, on the area of 300 hectares
are located the famous Calvary paths, with
churches, chapels and wayside shrines. As the
Pope John Paul II was born in Wadowice close
to the Kalwaria, he often walked the Calvary
paths and prayed before the marvellous picture
of the Zebrzydowska Mother of God. Mass at
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska Sanctuary.Drive to
Wadowice, the birthplace of Pope John Paul
II to see his house and the Wadowice Basilica.
Continue to Krakow. Your day comes to an end
in the magnificent city of Krakow.
DAY 6
KRAKOW - AUSCHWITZ - KRAKOW
Visit Krakow in the footsteps of Holy Father
John Paul II.
With so many places connected with John
Paul II, such as the Bishop’s Palace where
Karol Wojtyła used to live, St. Florian’s
Church where he was a vicar, or the beautiful
Franciscan Church - his favourite praying
place. Franciszkanska Street with the famous
Pope’s window where John Paul II used to
show up to talk with Cracovians during his
pilgrimages to Poland. Collegium Novum,
the main building of Jagiellonian University,
where after WW II Karol Wojtyla lectured
in theology; Archbishop’s Palace, which
was his home for a number of years. We will
visit Market Square, one of the largest and
best preserved areas in all of Europe. A local
expert provides a leisurely paced walking tour
featuring St. Mary’s Altar, the largest gothic
altar in the world, Wawel Cathedral, the Town
Hall Tower, the Cloth Hall and the burgher’s
houses. Explore the Coronation Chapel and
the Royal Chambers, home to an extraordinary
collection of Arras tapestries is on display. In
the afternoon drive to Auschwitz, the notorious
Nazi concentration camp, the biggest factory of
death in the history of humanity and a silent
witness to human tragedy.
DAY 7
KRAKOW - WARSAW
Today we depart for the capital of the Divine
Mercy, the city of Lagiewniki. It was at
Lagiewniki that the message of the Divine
Mercy was passed on to St. Faustina. This
message from Christ was passed through St.
Faustina serving as the medium. We will visit
the Sanctuary that houses the image of Merciful
Jesus and the relics of St. Faustina. We will also
visit St. Faustina’s convent chapel, the Shrine
of Divine Mercy and St. Faustina’s Tomb.
DAY 8
KRAKOW - łOWICZ - WARSAW
Departure for Warsaw. En route we invite you to
Lowicz, a lovely town of Mazovia region famous
for its art and craft. You will be welcomed by a
young married couple at their charming wooden
house set by the ruins of the Lowicz castle. They
also participated in organizing John Paul II visit
to Lowicz. Enjoy your home-hosted farewell
dinner and have a unique opportunity to speak
with local people about their day-by-day life
and taste a typical Polish dishes. You will also
have a chance to see the presentation of colorful
paper cut-outs. We might be able also to arrange
a meeting with local priest and have a tour of the
beautiful Lowicz basilica.
DAY9
WARSAW
Departure transfer to the airport.
MAZURKAS TRAVEL 43
ducational Program
Poland Between Tradition And Modernity
DAY 1 WARSAW [D]
DAY 6 TORUN - POZNAN [B,L,D]
Arrival in Warsaw. Transfer to hotel for checkin. Then panoramic city tour, see historical
monuments: Ghetto Memorial, Monument
to the Warsaw Uprising, the Tomb of the
Unknown Soldier, stroll the picturesque the
Royal Lazienki Garden. Welcome dinner.
Sightseeing of Torun, one of the magnificent
historic cities of Poland, the birthplace of
Nicolaus Copernicus. Stroll the lovely Old
Town listed on the UNESCO List. Continue to
Poznan for overnight. For dinner we will visit
one of the agro-tourist farms, nearby Poznan.
DAY 2 WARSAW [B,L,D]
DAY 7 POZNAN [B,L,D]
Lecture: „Between Tradition And Modernity”
– a thorough study of Poland including
political, economic, sociological aspects.
Walk through the Old Town, rebuilt after WW
II, with the Barbican, St. John’s Cathedral and
Market Square. In the evening enjoy Frederic
Chopin music piano recital to be held in
one of beautiful palace interiors of Warsaw.
Lecture: „Modernization Of Polish Agriculture,
New Reforms And Evolution Of Polish Village
Through The Ages”. A half day tour of Poznan.
Visit to the Musical Instruments Museum.
A walking tour of the Old Town Square. See
Town Hall with fine arcades and the splendid,
monumental Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul at
the Ostrow Tumski, lined with 15 chapels built
from 13th till 19th century. Some time free.
DAY 3
WARSAW - MALBORK - GDANSK [B,L,D]
Drive to Malbork to see the best in Poland, classic
fortress. It represents one of the largest, defensive,
medieval systems in Europe and was put on the
UNESCO list of unique monuments in the world.
Lunch in the castle moat. Gdansk overnight.
DAY 4 GDANSK [B,L,D]
Lecture: .„Gdansk, Communicational Junction
– Past, Present, Future”.
See the characteristic features of Hanzeatic
architecture in Gdansk. Artus Court, the Main
Town Hall, the Neptun Fountain - dominated
by the sea god, trident in hand. We continue
to the St Bridget’s Church – a record of the
Solidarity period. Stop by the Monument to the
Shipyard Workers.
DAY 5 GDANSK - KARTUZY - CHMIELNO
- WDZYDZE KISZEWSKIE-TORUN [B,L,D]
Drive to Kaszuby Region. The Kashubian
Regional Museum will introduce you to some
of the intricacies of Kashubian domestic,
cultural and religious traditions. We continue
to the village of Chmielno, known for its more
than a hundred-year-old potter’s workshop of
the Necel family and the Museum of Kashubian
Pottery. Lunch with folk entertainment. Drive
to Torun for overnight.
44 MAZURKAS TRAVEL
DAY 8
POZNAN - KORNIK
- CZESTOCHOWA [B,L,D]
Excursion to see Kornik Castle. You can wander
through its fully furnished and decorated 19th
century interiors, some of which have family
collections on display. Overnight in Czestochowa.
DAY 9
CZESTOCHOWA - ZAKOPANE [B,L,D]
Lecture: „ Church in Poland during the
communism and nowadays” See the Jasna
Gora Monastery with the Black Madonna
picture. The enormous role of Jasna Gora in the
religious and cultural life of the nation. Arrival
in Zakopane picturesquely situated at the base
of the Tatra Mountains in the valley between
Gubałówka and Giewont. Check in and time to
refresh. Picnic dinner with highlanders’ folklore
entertainment. Taste regional specialties:
highlanders’ tea and shepherd cheese.
DAY 10
ZAKOPANE - CRACOW [B,L,D]
Lecture: “Current Zakopane – People,
Initiatives, Development Prospects”. Visit
Wladyslaw Hasior Gallery, displaying amazing,
quirky, nevertheless enjoyable assemblege
by this contemporary avant-garde artist,
closely associated with Zakopane.Excursion
to Sromowce Niżne. Shooting the rapids off
the Dunajec River gorge in the Pieniny Mts.
Highlanders’ rafts take passengers on an
unforgettable journey on a swift-flowing
mountain river. Drive to Cracow for overnight
and dinner.
DAY 11
CRACOW [B,L,D]
Lecture: “Monument And Nature Protection
In Poland”/ Cracow, the city of tradition with
cultures of different nations coexisted. Stroll
the Market Square considered to be one of the
largest town squares in Europe. Our touring
of Cracow continues to the Wawel Hill with
its Castle and Cathedral where Poland’s kings
were once crowned. See the Royal Chambers
with the magnificent 16th century Flemish
tapestries, probably the largest collection of its
kind in Europe. Balance of the day, to explore
as you please.
DAY 12
CRACOW - WIELICZKA - CRACOW
[B,L,D]
Excursion to the Wieliczka Salt Mine, a
world-class tourist attraction. Over 700
years, many generations of Polish miners
created the underground world, exceptional
in its beauty, with the rich interior decoration
of the chapels, the original linings of the
galleries and workings, and the underground
salt lakes. Return to Cracow, time free.
DAY 13
CRACOW - ZELAZOWA WOLA
- LOWICZ-WARSAW [B,L,D]
Drive to Zelazowa Wola, the birthplace of
the great Polish composer Frederic Chopin.
Enjoy the charm of the old traditional manor
house, now a museum. Stop in Lowicz,
known for cultivating folk traditions in
music, dress, embroidery and paper cut
– outs. Dinner will be served at the Lowicz
Castle ruins, and will let you taste traditional
dishes of Polish national cuisine, served in
stylish old-Polish table service. Continue to
Warsaw for farewell dinner and overnight.
DAY 14 WARSAW [B,L,D]
Transfer to the airport for departure.
European Football Championship
Euro 2012 Poland & Ukraine
Poland and Ukraine will be hosting the European
Football Championships in 2012!
The action will be spread over six cities in Poland: Warsaw,
Gdansk, Poznan, Wroclaw, Chorzow and Krakow; and four
cities in Ukraine: Kiev, Lviv, Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk.
Kiev’s Olympic Stadium, which hosted the football at the 1980
Moscow Olympics, is the proposed venue for the final. Great
news then for this part of the world, and a fantastic chance for
Poland and Ukraine to show the world what they’re capable
of, both in terms of organising the event and competing in it!
Therefore, do not wait till last minute, just book your hotel and
other services now. Our company is at your disposal.
DAY
1
olish - Ukraine
Mosaic
WARSAW [D]
Evening arrival at the Warsaw airport.
Meeting with the English speaking tour escort
and transfer to the hotel. Check in and time
for rest. Evening welcome dinner with the
Polish folklore show to be presented at a local
restaurants.
DAY 2 WARSAW [B, L, D]
Full day sightseeing of Warsaw. See the Old
Town, intricately reconstructed after World
War II, and the movie ”Warsaw Remains” at
the Warsaw Historic Museum. Drive along
the Royal Route. Lunch at a local restaurant.
Afternoon visit to the Wilanów Palace. Back
to the hotel and time free. In the evening a
private Chopin piano recital with a glass of
sparkling wine to be organized at a historic
palace of Warsaw. Dinner at one
of the Old Town restaurants.
MAZURKAS TRAVEL 45
magnificent Baroque structures in Lviv. Lunch
to be served at a local restaurant. Afternoon
visit to the open air museum. Shevchenkivskyi
Hai (The museum of folk life and architecture)
which represents the Ukrainian wooden
architecture and different utilities of the village
life. More than 10 thousand of craft-items from
various ethnographical regions of the Western
Ukraine can be found in this museum. Back to
the hotel. In the evening departure for a local
restaurant outside the city center for dinner
including the Ukrainian folklore show.
DAY 7 LVIV - KIEV [B, L, D]
After breakfast departure for Kiev. Full day
drive across the Ukrainian countryside. There
are over 3000 natural lakes and about 22,000
artificial reservoirs in Ukraine as well as many
sources of mineral water and medicinal mud
which are used to treat many diseases. Ukraine
has 5 National Parks, 15 National Preserves
and a lot of smaller areas (deontological
parks, ancient urban and rural parks) protected
by the state. Among the biggest and most
important parks and preserves one could name
Askania-Nova (Khersonska Oblast); Shatsky
National Park (Volynska Oblast), Sofiyivka
(Cherkaska Oblast); Trostianetsk Dendropark
(Chernihivska Oblast). Many places of natural
beauty can be found in the Carpathians, the
Crimea and Polissia. Boxed lunch served in
the bus during the passage. Evening arrival in
Kiev. Dinner and overnight at the hotel
DAY 8
DAY 3 WARSAW - CZĘSTOCHOWA
- CRACOW [B, L, D]
A morning departure for Cracow. Upon arrival
lunch to be served at a local restaurant. En
route a guided visit of Czestochowa, one of the
most important places of religious worship in
the Christian world. Continue your drive to for
Cracow. Afternoon departure for half-day tour
of Cracow with the Old Town Market Square
which contains buildings of historic value
such as St. Mary’s Church with the famous
wooden altar, the Town Hall Tower, the Cloth
Hal. Lunch at a local city restaurant.
DAY 4 CRACOW - ŁAŃCUT
- PRZEMYŚL [B, L, D]
A morning drive to Przemyśl. En route a
guided visit of the Lancut Palace with interiors
from the period between the 17th century and
the early 20th century has heaps of paintings,
sculptures and objects d’art of all sorts. The
museum of coaches arranged in the former
stables and coach house has one of Europe’s
largest collections of carriages. Drive for
overnight to Przemyśl.
46 MAZURKAS TRAVEL
DAY 5 PRZEMYŚL - KRASICZYN
- LVIV [B, L, D]
Before entering Ukraine, a short stop in
Krasiczyn to see the late Renaissance castle,
acclaimed as one of the finest of its kind in the
country. A morning departure for Lviv. Lunch
at a local restaurant. After lunch departure for
Ukraine. Evening arrival in Lviv for dinner
and overnight at the hotel
DAY 6 LVIV [B, L, D]
A morning city tour includes: Roman Catholic
Cathedral, Boyim Chapel, Ploshcha Rynok
(Market Square) references to the square first
appeared in the municipal acts of 1381, when
the fire destroyed the original wood structure.
A new city hall was constructed in the 15th cent.
In 1826 this structure toppled; present structure
was built in 1827-35. Its present appearance
is the result of reconstruction undertaken
following a fire in 1848. Many historical
events have taken place on the Market Square.
In Medieval times an execution pillar stood
opposite the city hall. See the Dominican
Roman Catholic Church, one of the most
KIEV [B, L, D]
A morning sightseeing of Kiev including:
“Vladimir’s Old Town” - the place were Prince
Vladimir the Baptist had founded his Kremlin
and built the first Christian church in Kyivan
Rus State, St. Andrew’s Church (designed
by famous architect Rastrelli who was a
court architect of Russian tsarina Elizabeth) outside visit nearby open-air souvenir market
(10-15 minutes). See the University building,
Opera House, Kreshchatik Street (main Kiev
boulevard). Arch of Friendship Monument to
the founders of the city of Kiev St. Vladymyr’s
Cathedral. Kiev Cave Monastery. Sites to visit:
Kiev Monastery of the Caves (a medieval
ensemble of churches, exhibitions and caves)
including inside visit to a narrow labyrinth
of the Monastery Caves with underground
churches and sacred remains of the monks.
Lunch to be served in the middle of the day.
Late afternoon arrival at the hotel. Evening
short cruise on the tourist boat on the Dnepr
River to admire the evening panorama of the
city followed by the farewell dinner to be
served at a local Ukrainian restaurant.
DAY 9 KIEV [B]
A morning transfer for the Kiev airport for
your flight back home.
oland and the Baltic Countries
DAY 1 WARSAW [D]
Arrival in Warsaw. Meet our tour escort at the
airport and transfer to your hotel. Orientation
walk along the Old Town and welcome dinner
at a local restaurant.
DAY 2
WARSAW [B, D]
Morning tour of Warsaw including
the Old Town and the movie ”Warsaw
Remains” at the Warsaw Historic
Museum and take a drive along the
Royal Route with its beautiful palaces,
aristocratic residences, famous statues
and historic churches. Check in at the
hotel. Dinner to be served at the hotel
restaurant.
 
DAY 2
WARSAW - TYKOCIN VILNIUS [B, L, D]
Departure for Vilnius. En route
lunch to be served at the village of
Tykocin. After lunch a short visit of
the old Jewish synagogue in Tykocin.
Continue for Vilnius. Arrival in
Vilnius. Dinner to be served at the
hotel restaurant.
DAY 3 VILNIUS & TRAKAI [B, D]
After breakfast departure for the
Vilnius city tour that shows us one
Europe’s oldest universities, the
ancient city walls, the St. Peter and Paul
Church, containing more than 2,000
life-size statues, St Anne’s Church and
the Dawn Gate with the miraculous icon of
Virgin Mary, the Orthodox Church of the Holy
Trinity. Lunch to be served at a city restaurant.
Afternoon visit of the Trakai Castle. Only a
short trip west of Vilnius and you explore the
former medieval capital of the Grand Duchy
of Lithuania and the majestic countryside. The
red brick Gothic castle situated on a tiny island
in the middle of the Galve Lake and rising
straight out of the water will leave for you
unforgettable memory. Ever since the 15th
century Trakai has been the home of a small
Karaite community which has succeeded
in preserving its own religion, customs and
culture. Back to Vilnius. Dinner to be served
at a city restaurant.
 
DAY 4 VILNIUS - SAULIAJ
- RUNDALE - RIGA [B, D]
Morning departure for Riga. Early lunch to be
served en route. Guided visit of the Hill of
Crosses in Sauliaj. Continue for Riga. Guided
visit of Rundale Palace. Arrival at the hotel in
Riga and check in. Dinner to be served at the
hotel restaurant.
DAY 5 RIGA - TALLINN [B, D]
Meeting with a local guide and departure for
Riga sightseeing. The historic sights of Riga
are part of today’s sightseeing tour, including
Riga Castle. We walk from the Castle Through
the Vecriga, or Old City, where some streets
are so narrow you can touch the walls of the
houses on both sides and Dome Cathedral.
Along the way we see towering cathedral
spires and shops offering beautiful works of art,
handicrafts and more. We also see Blackhead’s
House and the Freedom Monument before a
stop at the Central Market. Lunch to be served
at a local restaurant. Departure for Tallinn. On
arrival in Tallinn check in at the hotel. Dinner
to be served at the hotel restaurant
MAZURKAS TRAVEL 47
DAY 6 TALLINN [B, D]
After breakfast departure for the sightseeing of
Tallinn. The charming city of Tallinn has many
sides to its rich heritage; one is its position as
a port city of the Hanseatic League. The town
also has a Scandinavian flavour, due to its
location just across the water from Helsinki.
While in this medieval city we see the “Kiekin-de-Kok” tower and Toomkirk as well as
Alexander Nevsky Orthodox
Church. Lunch at a
local
restaurant.
Afternoon visit
of the open
air
museum
in
Tallinn
presenting
the
typical
buildings of
the Estonian
villages.
Back to the hotel and time free. Farewell
dinner to be served at one of the Old Town
restaurants.
DAY 7 TALLINN - HELSINKI [B, D]
Departure from the hotel for the sea port.
Departure for Helsinki on Autoexpress ferry.
On arrival a HD panoramic visit of Helsinki.
The capital city boasts an abundance of cultural
attractions and architectural gems. Many of
the city’s historically interesting sights date
from the beginning of the 19th century, when
the neo-classic administrative centre was built
around the Senate Square and the Cathedral.
The Opera House and the Kiasma Museum
of Contemporary Art are examples of recent
architectural trends, visit the Temppeliaukio
Church, hewn from a hole in the solid rock.
Helsinki owes much of its distinctive flavour
to centuries of influences from the differing
cultures of East and West. It was founded by
Sweden’s King Gustavus Vasa in 1550. Czar
Alexander declared it the capital of the Grand
Duchy of Finland in 1812. Check in at the
hotel and time for rest. Farewell dinner at
a local restaurant.
DAY 8 HELSINKI [B]
Morning airport transfer to the airport for
the flight back home.
48 MAZURKAS TRAVEL
oland & Lithuania
- a sentimental journey
including Vilnius – Cultural Capital of Europe in 2009
Starting with the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 17th century till the present day, Poland &
Lithuania have so much in common: history, traditions, culture and so much to offer for tourists from all over the
world: music, folklore, art, architecture and cuisine. With this program we would like to show you the mosaic of
nationalities, cultures and religions mixed in these two neighboring countries. Come and discover the secrets of
Poland and Lithuania in a sentimental journey.
DAY 1
WARSAW [D]
DAY 2 WARSAW - ZELAZOWA
WOLA - LOWICZ - WARSAW [B, L]
DAY 3 WARSAW - TYKOciN
- BIALOWIEZA [B, L]
Arrival in Warsaw, owing to the historical
significance called invincible city. A
sightseeing tour including the city highlights.
A walk around the streets of Old Town.
Painstakingly restored following originals
designs the meticulous reconstruction of the
historic center was only completed as late as
1954. Today the area’s inclusion on UNESCO’s
World Heritage List speaks volumes for the
effort involved. The burgher houses that line
the Old Town Square are particularly striking,
with many boasting intricate details on the
facades. The historic center is also home to
numerous churches, including the St John’s
Cathedral. The important city’s landmark is
the Royal Castle. Dating back from the 14th c.
the castle had been a residence of Polish kings
and the seat of parliament.
Afterwards, drive along the historical Royal
Route to reach the Royal £azienki Park with
the Monument of Frederic Chopin.
A trip to the little village of Zelazowa Wola,
made famous worldwide because Frederick
Chopin was born here in a manor that houses
today Chopin’s biographic museum with the
composer and his family’s memorabilia on
display. A special treat in Lowicz, we invite
you for a home-hosted lunch served by the
young couple of artists, who will welcome you
in their charming wooden cottage at the base
of Lowicz castle ruins. Meet the family and
enjoy traditional Polish hospitality. During
your visit there we will organize a presentation
of paper cut-outs so typical for this region of
Poland, famous for its folk art. Nice ending of
the day will be a private Chopin concert in one
of the historical interiors of Warsaw. Listen
to the world-famous Chopin’s mazurkas
and polonaises. Professional musicians will
guarantee masterly interpretations of the
composer’s music and truly memorable
performance. A glass of sparkling wine will be
served during the interval.
Departure for Białowieza via Tykocin with
Baroque Holy Trinity Church, the Market
Square lined with old wooden houses, some
of which are more than 200 years old and
Baroque Synagogue one of the most beautiful
works of Jewish sacral architecture in Poland
housing now a museum of Judaica.
Lunch with regional specialties at a wooden inn
“Dworek nad Lakami”. Drive to Bialowieza
for overnight.
DAY 4 WARSAW - TYKOCIN
- BIALOWIEZA [B, L]
Full day exciting tour to Bialowieza National
Park, one of the largest areas of virgin lowland
woodland on the continent, included on the
UNESCO World Heritage List. It is home to
a rich and unique animal kingdom ruled by the
European bison, the largest surviving mammal
on our continent. Enjoy picnic lunch by the
lake. Continue to Hajnowka, a notable centre
MAZURKAS TRAVEL 49
of Orthodox faith. We will visit orthodox
church of the Holly Trinity and listen to a
choir concert. Bialowieza overnight.
DAY 5 BIALOWIEZA - SUPRASL
- TRAKAI - VILNIUS [B, L]
Morning departure for Vilnius. En route visit
Suprasl, with a grand 17th century Bishop’s
Palace. See the Orthodox Museum with small
but stunning collection of the original frescoes
and icons.
On your further way to Vilnius stop in Trakai,
the old capital of Lithuania. Vytautas Fortress
stands in a delightful setting on five lakes. The
fortress was once the residence of the grand
dukes of Lithuania and now houses a museum
of armour and court life.
DAY 6 VILNIUS
CULTURAL CAPITAL OF EUROPE 2009
[B, D]
Half day tour of Vilnius - the capital city, with
medieval atmosphere that blends many diverse
cultures. Its splendid architectural ensemble
is unique in Europe. This rich architectural
heritage has placed the Old Town of Vilnius
on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Vilnius is
not only the largest town of Lithuania, but it
is the capital of the republic too. The founder
of Vilnius is considered to be the Grand Duke
of Lithuania Gediminas. The name of Vilnius
was mentioned in the written chronicles for the
first time in Gediminas’ letter to the towns of
Western Europe in 1323. See the historical Old
Town of Vilnius with Vilnius Cathedral and
its square, the University campus, Pilies street
with the 16th –18th historical and architectural
monuments, Gothic corner of Vilnius with St
Anne’s and Bernardine churches, the former
50 MAZURKAS TRAVEL
Town Hall square, the Dawn Gate with a
miraculous icon of Virgin Mary, the 17th
century Baroque church of St Peter and Paul.
Afternoon drive to the Sculpture Park
located 20 km from Vilnius in picturesque
surroundings of Vilnius outskirts. Every
year since 1993 artists from Lithuania all
over the world (Japan, USA, Ireland, Greece,
UK, Hungary, etc) have come here to create
this park. The result is a collection of over
50 sculptures including the ones created by
M.Abakonowitz, D.Oppenheim, and Sol
de Witt. The sculptures are permanently
exhibited amidst rolling hills and woodlands
dotted with natural springs.
DAY 7
VILNIUS - KAUNAS - VILNIUS [B, D]
Full day excursion to Kaunas. The tour
includes: the Old Town of Kaunas with St
George’s Church, Kaunas Castle built at the
confluence of the Nemunas and the Neris rivers,
the courtyard of the Theological seminary, the
Town Hall Square surrounded by former 16th
- 18th century merchants’ dwelling houses and
baroque churches - the Jesuit Church and the
Cathedral, the Church of Vytautas dating back
to the 14th century and the Perkunas (Thunder)
House (no visits inside); a walk on the central
street- Freedom avenue - bustling with street
vendors, musicians, full of cafes and souvenir
shops; afternoon visits include Ciurlionis
Picture Gallery and Pazaislis Monastery.
Return to Vilnius for farewell dinner and
overnight.
DAY 7 VILNIUS [B]
Transfer to the airport for your flight back
home.
VILNIUS – THE CULTURAL
CAPITAL OF EUROPE 2009
Year 2009 will be a very special
year not only in Vilnius but also in
Lithuania, as the state has its millenium
anniversary as the name Lithuania was
first mentioned in the monastic annals
Annales Quedlinburgensis (or Annals of
Quedlinburg) in 1009. In 2009, Lithuania
will commemorate the millennium of
the first record of its name in written
sources. The mission of the programme
“Vilnius – European Capital of Culture
2009” is to create a new experience of
European culture, in which culture will
become an integral part of modern life
and every human being will contribute
towards creating culture. Vilnius has
always been a lively city. People from
all over the different nationalites and
cultures who lived here have created a
colourful mosaic. A thousand years of
history, a magical mishmash of cultural
influences, the largest Old Town in
Eeastern Europe – it all comes together
to form a perfect destination for tourists
from all over the world.
he Mosaic of Silesia and Galicia
Featuring 10 Unesco Sites in Poland and Ukraine
Centennial Hall, Swidnica Church of Peace, Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Krakow Old Town & Kazimierz district,
Wieliczka Salt Mine, Auschwitz-Birkenau, Lipnica Murowana, L’viv Old Town, Zamosc, Warsaw Old Town
Day 1 WROCLAW
A MAGICAL CITY [D]
Once describied as “the holy blossom of
Europe, a beatutiful gem among cities” has
always been a bone of contention, changing
hands many times throughout its long history.
A city situated in the middle of the Silesian
Lowland, where the Odra River branches out
to form 12 islands, Wroclaw is the mixture of
many different religions and cultures.
Day 2 WROCLAW [B, D]
Start the city tour with the heart of Wroclaw –
the Market Square with the beautiful buildings
and the Town Hall, that is recognised as gem
of Gothic-Renaissance urban architecture.
See the magnificent Aula Leopoldinum, one
of the most magnificent chambers of the
Wroclaw University. Rich Baroque decors
from the 1st half of the 18th century makes
Aula Leopoldinum one of the most spectacular
Baroque interiors in Poland.
UNESCO site Centennial Hall (Hala
Ludowa) a landmark in the history of
reinforced concrete architecture, was erected
in 1911-1913 by Max Berg. The Centennial
Hall, a multi-purpose recreational building, is
a centrally-planned structure situated on the
Exhibition Grounds. The Centennial Hall is a
pioneering work of modern engineering and
architecture.
In the afternoon a boat trip on Odra River
to see the panorama of the city and listen to
musicians that will accompany you during your
trip. Stop by Ostrow Tumski – the terra sancta
of Wroclaw – an area of monumental churches,
a marvelous Gothic cathedral, the houses of
the canons and the archbishop’s palace. When
the gas lamps are lit at night Ostrow Tumski,
with illuminated architectural landmarks, is a
breathtaking sight.
Day 3 WROCLAW - SWIDNICA
- KSIAZ - WROCLAW [B, L]
Drive to Swidnica – Church of Peace
– UNESCO Site - the largest timber-framed
religious building in Europe, was built in the
former Silesia in the mid-17th century, amid
the religious strife that followed the Peace of
Westphalia. Constrained by the physical and
political conditions, the Church of Peace bears
testimony to the quest for religious freedom and
is a rare expression of Lutheran ideology in an
idiom generally associated with the Catholic
Church. Lunch in Krasków Palace. Continue
your drive to Ksiaz and visit amazing structure
of Ksiaz Castle, perched on top of a huge hill . Its
400 chambers make it the biggest castle in Silesia
and the third largest in the country. The castle is
beautifully surrounded by terrace gardens.
Day 4
WROCLAW - PSZCZYNA - KALWARIA
ZEBRZYDOWSKA - KRAKOW [B, L]
Visit Pszczyna Castle – once a fortified castle,
later converted into a fine residence. Although
over the centuries it has lost its defensive
character, the mansion has been referred to
as a castle throughout its existance. After the
World War II the castle has been turned into a
museum of residential interiors, depicting their
history and development from the Renaissance
to the late 19th century.
Lunch in Swierklaniec Palace – the NeoBaroque residence was built in 1903 especially
for the arrival of Wilhelm II, German emperor,
in Silesia.
En route stop in
Kalwaria
Zebrzydowska: the Mannierist
Architectural and Park Landscape
Complex and a Pilgrimage Park,
which was put in the UNESCO list of the
World Cultural and Natural Heritage - a
breathtaking cultural landscape of great
spiritual significance. Its natural setting – in
which a series of symbolic places of worship
relating to the Passion of Jesus Christ and the
life of the Virgin Mary was laid out at the
beginning of the 17th century – has remained
virtually unchanged. Arrival in Krakow, a city
famous for its priceless history monuments of
culture and art.
MAZURKAS TRAVEL 51
Afterwards, optional tour of AuschwitzBirkenau - former Nazi concentration camp, on
UNESCO list since 1979. The fortified walls,
barbed wire, platforms, barracks, gallows,
gas chambers and cremation ovens show the
conditions within which the Nazi genocide
took place in the former concentration and
extermination camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau,
the largest in the Third Reich.
Late afternoon tour of Kazimierz district listed
on UNESCO list. Further evidence of the
town’s fascinating history is provided by the
remnants of the 14th-century fortifications and
the medieval site of Kazimierz with its ancient
synagogues in the southern part of town,
Jagiellonian University and the Gothic cathedral
where the kings of Poland were buried. Dinner
with klezmer music concert at one of the Jewish
restaurant in Kazimierz district.
Day 7
KRAKOW - WISNICZ - LIPCINICA
MUROWANA - LANCUT
- KRASICZYN [B, L]
Day 5 KRAKOW - THE CULTURAL
CAPITAL OF POLAND [B, D]
Sightseeing tour including UNESCO SITES:
Old Town & Wieliczka Salt Mine
The historic centre of Krakow, the former
capital of Poland, is situated at the foot of
the Royal Wawel Castle. The 13th century
merchants’ town has Europe’s largest market
square and numerous historical houses, palaces
and churches with their magnificent interiors.
Visit to Collegium Maius, a museum of
Jagiellonian University - the oldest university
edifice in Poland. One of the showrooms
housed astonomical instruments used by
Copernicus and also world’s first globe that
features the fragment of the American east
coast.
Afternoon drive to Wieliczka Salt Mine –
the oldest salt mine in Europe with magnificent
salt chambers and also a UNESCO site since
1978. This deposit of rock salt in WieliczkaBochnia has been mined since the 13th century.
Spread over nine levels, it has 300 km of
galleries with works of art, altars, and statues
sculpted in the salt, making a fascinating
pilgrimage into the past of a major industrial
undertaking. Drive back to Krakow for dinner
at famous Wierzynek restaurant.
Day 6 KRAKOW [B, D]
A morning visit to Czartoryski Museum established by Princessa Czartoryska as the
first historical museum in Poland. Now you
can see there the ancient art, Oriental armour
and the European paintings.
Highlight of the museum
• painting by Leonardo da Vinci “Lady with
the Ermine“
• Rembrandt’s “Landscape with Good
Samaritan“
52 MAZURKAS TRAVEL
Morning departure for Krasiczyn. Stop to visit
Wisnicz Castle - picturesquely located at the
top of a hill. Built in the Gothic style in the
15th century, it has been restyled many times
by its subsequent owners.
Afterwards, drive to Lipnica Murowana
to see one of the wooden churches of Southern
Little Poland listed on UNESCO list. The
wooden churches of southern Little Poland
represent outstanding examples of the different
aspects of medieval church-building traditions
in Roman Catholic culture. Built using the
horizontal log technique, common in eastern
and northern Europe since the Middle Ages,
these churches were sponsored by noble
families and became status symbols.
Visit the Lancut Palace with interiors from the
period between the 17th century and the early
20th century that heaps of paintings, sculptures
and objects d’art of all sorts. The museum
of coaches arranged in the former stables
and coach house has one of Europe’s largest
collections of carriages. Drive for overnight to
Krasiczyn Palace.
Day 8
PRZEMYSL - LVIV [B, D]
Morning drive to Ukraine. Arrival in L’viv –
the Ensemble of the Historic Center
on UNESCO list since 1998.
The city of L’viv, founded in the late Middle
Ages, was a flourishing administrative,
religious and commercial centre for several
centuries. The medieval urban topography has
been preserved virtually intact (in particular,
there is evidence of the different ethnic
communities who lived there), along with
many fine Baroque and later buildings.
Day 9 L’VIV - THE CHARMING
CITY OF UKRAINE [B, L]
Sightseeing tour of Old L’viv – a city of sleeping
lions which has changed so many names
throughout it’s long history today remains one
of the most charming and mysterious beauties
of Eastern Europe. There is a great number
of places having historical, architectural and
religious importance (some of them were built
as early as in 13th century), there are more than
30 museums of history, ethnography, arms and
art galleries. See the architectural ensemble,
Renaissance epoch pearl – Market Square;
Uspensky Church – Renaissance architecture
memorial; Roman Cathedral - the oldest
memorial of Gothic style; Armenian Castle
– memorial of 14th century.
Day 10 L’VIV - ZAMOSC
Drive back to Poland. Arrival in Zamosc
– called a “Pearl of Renaissance” or
“Town of Arcades” city which got into the
UNESCO list in 1992 - founded in the 16th
century by the chancellor Jan Zamoysky on
the trade route linking western and northern
Europe with the Black Sea. Modelled on
Italian theories of the ‘ideal city’ and built by
the architect Bernando Morando, a native of
Padua, Zamosc is a perfect example of a late16th-century Renaissance town. It has retained
its original layout and fortifications and a large
number of buildings that combine Italian and
central European architectural traditions.
Day 11
ZAMOSC - KOZLOWKA - KAZIMIERZ
DOLNY - WARSZAWA [B, L]
Tour of Kozlowka Palace - a late-Baroque
residence built in the mid-18th century. Much
of the decoration has been preserved and can
be seen, since the palace has been turned into a
museum. You will see the rooms fitted out with
period furnishings, ceramic stoves and crystal
mirrors. Drive to Kazimierz Dolny - a small
town in eastern Poland, on the right (eastern)
bank of the Vistula River in Puławy County,
Lublin Province. It is a considerable tourist
attraction as one of the most beautifully situated
little towns in Poland. Arrival in Warsaw, a city
with many faces where tradition intermingles
with modernity.
Day 12 WARSAW
THE HEART OF POLAND [B, D]
Sightseeing Warsaw including UNESCO site
– the Old Town.
During the Warsaw Uprising in August 1944,
more than 85% of Warsaw’s historic centre was
destroyed by Nazi troops. After the war, a fiveyear reconstruction campaign by its citizens
resulted in today’s meticulous restoration of
the Old Town, with its churches, palaces and
market-place. It is an outstanding example of
a near-total reconstruction of a span of history
covering the 13th to the 20th century.
Afternoon private Chopin concert at one of
the historical interiors. Enjoy an unforgettable
journey through Chopin’s world-famous
compositions performed by a leading Polish
pianist Ewa Beata Ossowska. A glass of
sparkling wine will be served during the
interval.
Day 13
WARSAW [B]
After breakfast departure transfer to the
airport.
olf
in
Poland
History of golf in Poland starts before WW II
when prince Karol Radziwiłł established the first
golf club located in small village called Powsin
– nowadays a part of Great Warsaw. After the
war this sport as a “burgeois” one was formally
prohibited in Poland, while ruled by communists.
When system started to collapse at the end of 198s
some practical moves were made to set up the First
Warsaw Golf & Country Club, which was financed
mainly by foreign business community and major
embassies. This course is located only 25 km from
the center of Warsaw - next to the Vistula bank and
small village of Rajszew. Rajszew was only the first
step to reestablish this sport in Poland. Now we have
in Poland 27 golf clubs officially registered in Polish
Union of Golf, based in Warsaw. This organization
was created to take care about development of this
sport in Poland. Only 16 of above mentioned golf
clubs have playing courses starting from small ones
( 4 holes only ) up to full range of 18 holes.
RAJSZEW - FIRST WARSAW GOLF CLUB
THE AMBER BALTIC GOLF CLUB
The best golf course in Poland was opened
in 1992 and for three times hosted European
Challenge Tour and other prestigious
tournaments as: President’s Cup, Peugeot
World Challenge Cup, Polish Open and
Warsaw Open. The club is located about 45
minutes drive from the city center.
This complex is located next to the Amber
Baltic hotel in Miedzyzdroje, near Szczecin.
Its location is exceptionally beautiful. The
Club consists of the 18 holes championship
course, 9 holes golf course, driving range,
chipping, putting green and Club House.
TECHNICAL DATA: PAR: 71
LENGTH: 6.035 meters,
TOTAL AREA: 65 hectares
SEASON: April-October,
ARCHITECT: Jan Sonderholm
NEAREST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
– Warsaw Frederic Chopin, 33 km
THE CRACOW VALLEY GOLF
& COUNTRY CLUB
TECHNICAL DATA: PAR: 72,
LENGTH: 5.628 meters,
TOTAL AREA: 66 hectares
SEASON: March-November,
ARCHITECT: Hans Georg Erhardt
NEAREST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
– Szczecin Goleniów, 60 km
Other 18 – holes golf courses are located in:
BINOWO PARK GOLF CLUB
PAR: 72, LENGTH: 6.013 meters
NEAREST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
– Szczecin Goleniów, 40 km
One of the biggest golf complexes in Central
Europe designed to USGA standard. The
complex is beautifuly located about 35
kilometers from Cracow ( 45 minutes drive ).
The Valley consists of the Golf Academy with
6 holes training course, 18 holes championship
course, driving range, 2 chipping, 2 putting
greens and Club House consisting hotel,
restaurant, horse riding farm and conference
center
GOLF PALACE & COUNTRY CLUB, WOLA
BŁĘDOWA
TECHNICAL DATA: PAR: 72
LENGTH: 6.518 meters,
TOTAL AREA: 160 hectares
SEASON: April-November,
ARCHITECT: Ronald Fream
NEAREST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
– Cracow John Paul II, 30 km
PAR: 72, LENGTH: 6.559 meters
NEAREST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
– Gdańsk Rębiechowo, 20 km
BYTKOWO GOLF CLUB
PAR: 72, LENGTH: 6.415 yards
NEAREST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
– Poznań Ławica, 14 km
PAR: 72, LENGTH: 6.018 meters
NEAREST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
– Warsaw, 100 km
POSTOŁOWO GOLF CLUB
SIERRA GOLF CLUB, PĘTKOWICE
PAR: 72, LENGTH: 6.281 meters
NEAREST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
– Gdańsk Rębiechowo, 20 km
MAZURKAS TRAVEL 53
Spa of Dr. Irena Eris Hotel
Krynica Gorska
pa & Wellness
in Poland
Poland has several spas with long traditions.
Deposits of therapeutic mineral waters and
therapeutic mud allow many disorders to
be treated in Poland. But Polish spas are
not only for people with health problems,
but also for those who seek for peace and
have time to take care of their bodies and
minds. You can spend unforgettable time
in very modern spa and wellness centres.
Most of them offer medical care, thermal
waters, physiotherapy, beauty treatment,
luxury accommodation and many other
attractions.
54 MAZURKAS TRAVEL
Located in the Carpatian Mountains. This is a
superb hotel base, a household name healthresort, the latest trends in cosmetic treatment and
cosmetology, and favourable effects of water,
we have been able to create a place where your
mind and body will rest and release stress. What
emphasizes the character of the hotel is the SPA
infrastructure. You can also take advantage of
power showers, hydro-massage, and physical
exercise under instructor’s guidance (callanetics,
aerobics, aqua-aerobics in the swimming pool).
Spa of Dr. Irena Eris Hotel
Wzgorza Dylewskie
The Hotel SPA Dr Irena Eris Wzgórza Dylewskie
in Masurian Lakes region embodies the idea of
sanus per aquam i.e. health through water. Today
SPA is a synonym of luxury and holistic care for
your comfort and mood. Using the latest knowhow from the fields of cosmetics and biological
regeneration the Hotel SPA Dr Irena Eris Wzgórza
Dylewskie offers superior quality services with
treatment and therapy that match the customers’
individual needs and preferences.
Sheraton Hotel Conference
Center & Spa Sopot
Sheraton Sopot Hotel Conference Center &
Spa, a world class resort on Poland’s sunshine
coast with its clean and sandy beaches. Spa area
will be the highlight of the resort, providing a
secluded sanctuary of total relaxation, where
professional treatments and pampering relax,
both the body and mind. Spa will be designed
to cover all of our guests needs and will set new
standard in luxury spa treatments. It will provide
a comprehensive approach to spa experiences,
and ensure that our facilities approach both
body and mind in a holistic fashion.
Malinowy Zdrój Spa Hotel
Solec Zdrój
SPA Hotel & Rehabilitation Clinic is located
in Swietokrzyski region. A whole range of
treatment, beauty parlous and recreation
facilities are available at the hotel. Malinowy
Zdrój has at disposal most modern SPA and
rehabilitative base. We offer a range treatment
to make you feel better, more relaxed and more
beautiful and to make your skin look younger.
Bryza Hotel & Spa Resort
Situated right on the beach in a very famous
health seaside resort of Jurata. That is a special
place, set at the tip of Helski peninsula, which
is visited by the guests from all over the world.
The ayurvedic treatment is undeniable novelist;
it comes from the old Hindu alternative
medicine, which is based on the life philosophy
and knowledge. The specialists from the
Far East make the treatment. The treatment
program of biological regeneration guarantees
you full face and body cure.
MAZURKAS TRAVEL
Al. Wojska Polskiego 27, 01-515 Warszawa, POLAND
Tel.: (+48) 22 536 46 00, Fax: (+48) 22 839 20 90
E-mail: [email protected]
www.mazurkas.com.pl