A cultural journey across Central-Eastern Europe. The programme includes the following places: POLAND: Warsaw, Czestochowa, Krakow, Wieliczka – the Salt Mine, Auschwitz-Birkena, Lagiewniki, Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Wadowice – the hometown of John Paul II; CZECH REPUBLIC: Prague, Svata Hora, AUSTRIA: Vienna, Melk, Krems, Mariazell, ITALY: Venice, Padua or Florence, Rome, San Giovanni Rotondo, Assisi.
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Day 1 Arrival in Warsaw (Poland)
x Arrival in Warsaw at x, flight number y. Meeting with the tour leader from Ernesto Travel and transfer by coach to the hotel in Warsaw. Arrival and check-in at the hotel 20:00 Dinner at the hotel or at a restaurant in the city centre. Overnight stay in Warsaw. -
Day 2 Warsaw – the capital city of Poland
8:00 Breakfast at the hotel. 9:00 Guided tour of Warsaw: Lazienkowski Park with the Frederic Chopin monument, the Warsaw Ghetto, Umschlagplatz (thousands of the Jews were deported from there to the concentration camps), the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Palace of Culture and Science, Krakowskie Przedmiescie Street, the Old Town (listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO), St. John’s Cathedral. The Old Town was completely destroyed during World War II and reconstructed thanks to the commitment of the Polish nation. 13:00 Lunch at a restaurant in the city centre. 14:30 Sightseeing inside the Royal Castle. 16:30 Leisure time in the city. 20:00 Dinner with a music concert at one of the local restaurants (optional). -
Day 3 Warsaw – Czestochowa – Krakow
8:00 Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out from the hotel. 9:00 Departure for Czestochowa. 13:00 Arrival in Czestochowa. Lunch at a rustic restaurant. 15:00 Guided tour of the most important pilgrimage place in Poland - the Monastery in Czestochowa: Jasna Gora, with the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary – the Black Madonna. 18:00 Departure for Krakow. 20:30 Arrival in Krakow. Check-in at the hotel. Dinner at the hotel. Ovenight stay in Krakow. -
Day 4 Krakow – the heart of Poland, Kazimierz – Jewish district and Wieliczka – the Salt Mine
8:00 Breakfast at the hotel. 9:00 Guided tour of Krakow. Wawel Hill with the castle (optional sightseeing inside) and its beautiful courtyard and Cathedral (sightseeing inside). Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture of the Old Town (Stare Miasto), the biggest market square in Europe (Rynek Glowny), the Town Hall, Collegium Maius – an ancient building belonging to the Jagiellonian University, the Cloth Hall (Sukiennice), Saint Mary’s Church (Kosciol Mariacki – sightseeing inside) with the famous altar by Veit Stoss. A walk to the antique walls of the Old Town through Florianska Gate and to the Barbican. The Czartoryski Museum with the famous Leonardo Da Vinci painting “Lady with an Ermine”. During the sightseeing: multimedia presentation about the story of amber called "Polish Gold". In 1978, Krakow was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. 13:30 Lunch at a restaurant in in the city centre. 15:00 Visiting the former Jewish district – Kazimierz. This part of Krakow was the centre of the Jewish community's religious and social life until the deportations during the Nazi occupation (sightseeing in 1 or 2 synagogues). A short stop in front of Schindler's Factory on the way to the Salt Mine in Wieliczka. 17:00 Transfer to Wieliczka (10 km from Krakow). 17:30 Guided tour in the Wieliczka Salt Mine – one of the oldest salt mines in the world. Many famous people have visited this place, such as Mikolaj Kopernik, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Dmitrij Mendeleev, Boleslaw Prus, Ignacy Paderewski, Karol Wojtyla, etc. In 1978, the Wieliczka Salt Mine was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. 20:00 Dinner at a traditional Polish restaurant in Wieliczka combined with a traditional folk music concert. Return to the hotel and the night is spent in Krakow. -
Day 5 Krakow – Wadowice – Oswiecim-Brzezinka (Auschwitz-Birkenau) – Prague
6:30 Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out from the hotel. 7:30 Departure for Wadowice. 8:30 Visiting the Pope's home, where Karol Wojtyla was born on the 18th of May, 1920, as well as the church where he was baptised on the 20th of June, 1920. 10:00 Departure for Auschwitz-Birkenau. 11:00 Guided tour of the area of the former concentration camp in Auschwitz-Birkenau. The camp was built by Nazis during the Nazi occupation of Poland and more than a million people of different origin, mostly Jews, were murdered there. Today this place is a World Heritage Site of UNESCO. 14:00 Lunch at a restaurant in Oswiecim. 15:00 Departure for Prague. 22:00 Arrival in Prague. Check-in at the hotel. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight stay in Prague. -
Day 6 Visiting Prague divided into 2 parts
8:00 Breakfast at the hotel. 9:00 The first part of the tour around Prague. The religious side of Prague: the church of the House of Nazareth – Prague's Loreto, a visit at the castle (without entering) and of St. Vitus' Cathedral (sightseeing inside) along with the funeral chapel of St. Venceslao, the patron of Czech Republic. The cathedral is also the eternal resting place of St. John Nepomucen. Visiting St. George's Basilica, the Golden Lane (sightseeing), Starahovski's convent, the Church of Our Lady of Victory with the famous statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague. 13:30 Lunch at a restaurant. 15:00 Second part of the tour: Bohemian Prague: walking along Paris street to Jozefov, the former Jewish Quarter. Charles' Bridge, walking along the Royal Route: Celetna Street, Na Prikope Street. The Market Square with the Municipial House. 18:00 Leisure time in the city centre. 19:00 Dinner at a restaurant. 20:30 The Black Light Theatre spectacle (optional). 22:00 Return to the hotel. The last night in Prague. -
Day 7 Praga – Svata Hora – Vienna
7:00 Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out from the hotel in Prague. 8:00 Departure for Svata Hora. 9:30 Visiting Svata Hora: the Holy Hill. A sanctuary from 1260 is located there. Now it is under the Jesuits' protection. Continuation of the trip to Vienna. 11:00 Departure for Vienna via Brno. 14:00 Lunch at a restaurant in Brno. 18:00 Arrival in Vienna, check-in at the hotel. 20:00 Dinner at the hotel or in the city. Overnight stay in Vienna. -
Day 8 Visiting Vienna
8:00 Breakfast at the hotel. 9:00 Vienna sightseeing by coach: “Ringstrasse” with its fantastic monuments and buildings, such as the Opera, museums, the Parliament, the Town Hall, the National Theatre and the Imperial Palace of Hofburg. After that, walking to: Schonbrunn Palace (sightseeing inside), the Belvedere Gardens, the Estate Palace of Prince Eugene of Savoy. Lunch not included (free time for lunch). 15:00 St. Stephen's Cathedral, imperial monuments and the main avenues, such as Kärntnerstrasse. Sightseeing inside Sissy's Museum. 18:00 Leisure time in Vienna. 20:00 Dinner at the hotel or at a restaurant in Vienna. Overnight stay in Vienna. -
Day 9 Vienna – Austrian sanctuaries: Melk, Krems, Mariazell – Vienna
7:00 Breakfast at the hotel. 8:00 Departure for Krems. Sightseeing in the Danube Valley (Ybbs and Krems belong to some of the most picturesque landscapes in Europe). 10:00 Visiting Melk: the Benedictine Abbey of Melk – the biggest Benedictine convent in Europe – a masterpiece of Baroque Austrian architecture. 13:00 Melk – Krems: romantic boat cruise on The Danube. Lunch on the boat available but not included in The Ernesto Travel services. 15:30 Departure for Mariazell. 17:00 Sightseeing in Mariazell: the sovereign Magnus brought the statute of the Virgin Mary to this town, and founded the Mariazell Sanctuary. Louis I, the king of Hungary, won a battle against Turkey in 1377, and attributed the success to the Virgin Mary. Mariazell is also famous for cakes and herbal liqueur. 19:00 Departure for Vienna. 20:00 Dinner at the hotel. The last night in Vienna. -
Day 10 Vienna – Venice
7:00 Breakfast. Check-out from the hotel in Vienna. 8:00 Departure for Venice. 16:00 Sightseeing in Venice. 21:00 Check-in at the hotel in Stra or Mestre. Dinner at the hotel. -
Day 11 Venice – Rome
7:00 Breakfast. Check-out from the hotel. 8:00 Departure for Rome. During the trip, sightseeing in Padua or Florence, depending on the group's interests. Independent sightseeing (no guide). 20:00 Arrival in Rome. Check-in at the hotel. Dinner at the hotel or pilgrim centre. -
Day 12 Rome and Vatican City (if it is Wednesday)
7:00 Breakfast at the hotel. 7:30 Transfer to Vatican City for the weekly Papal Audience. 12:30 Meeting with the guide and walking to the Vatican Museums. 13:00 Sightseeing with the guide: the Vatican Museums, St. Peter's Basilica and the Popes' tombs (including John Paul II's tomb). 19:00 Free time for shopping. Return to the hotel and dinner on your own. -
Day 13 Rome – 2nd part of the visit
7:00 Breakfast at the hotel. 8:00 Transfer to the centre. 9:00 Sightseeing in Rome: the Saint Mary Major Basilica, the Basilica of St. John, the Holy Steps, Circus Maximus, the Colosseum (without entering), the Roman Forum (optional sightseeing inside), the Capitoline Hill, Piazza Venezia, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, Piazza di Spagna, as well as other important churches on the way, such as the Church of the Holiest Name of Jesus. 14:00 On the way to the Catacombs, a short stop in front of the Basilica of Saint Paul. 16:00 Transfer and sightseeing in the Catacombs of Saint Callixtus, which belong to the greatest and most important catacombs in Rome. They date back to the middle of the second century, and are part of a cemetery complex – a large area of nearly 90 acres of land, half of which is occupied by catacombs. The galleries, sometimes located on four levels, are 12 miles long. Dozens of martyrs, 16 popes and many Christians were buried here. 19:00 Return to the city centre after visiting the catacombs. Leisure time. Dinner not included. Return to the hotel. -
Day 14 Rome – San Giovanni Rotondo – Rome
7:00 Breakfast at the hotel. 7:30 Visiting San Giovanni Rotondo where Padre Pio used to live. San Giovanni Rotondo is the most famous pilgrimage centre in Italy. Visiting the Church and tomb of Saint Padre Pio along with the crucifix where he used to pray, got the spiritual gift of the stigmata in 1918. Free time for lunch (lunch not included). 20:00 Return to Rome and dinner at the hotel. -
Day 15 Rome – Assisi – Rome
8:00 Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to and sightseeing in Assisi. Free time for lunch (lunch is not included). Return to Rome. Leisure time. 20:00 Farewell dinner. The last night in Rome. -
Day 16 Departure
x Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out from the hotel. y Trasfer to the airport and departure from Italy. The programme can be done in 12 days by omitting some of the destinations.
