The programme includes the following places: GERMANY: Frankfurt, Rothenburg, Dinkelsbühl, Nördlingen, Munich, Altotting – hometown of Pope Benedict XVI, AUSTRIA: Salzburg, Melk, Krems, Mariazell, Vienna, CZECH REPUBLIC: Svata Hora, Prague, SLOVAKIA: Komarno, HUNGARY: Esztergom, Budapest, POLAND: Zakopane, Krakow, Wieliczka – the Salt Mine, Pieniny – sailing on rafts on the Dunajec River, Debno Podhalanskie, Wadowice – hometown of John Paul II, Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Auschwitz-Birkenau, Czestochowa, Warsaw, Torun, Malbork, Gdansk, GERMANY: Berlin.
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Day 1 Arrival in Frankfurt (Germany)
x Arrival in Frankfurt at x, flight number y. Meeting with the tour leader from Ernesto Travel and transfer by coach to the hotel in Frankfurt. Arrival and check-in at the hotel. Sightseeing in the city. 20:00 Dinner at the hotel or at a restaurant in the centre (depending on the arrival time). -
Day 2 Frankfurt – Rothenburg – Dinkelsbühl – Nördlingen – Munich
7:30 Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out from the hotel in Frankfurt. 8:30 Departure for Munich through the famous Romantic Road. 11:00 Sightseeing in Rothenburg, a town with medieval fortification walls, towers and gates. Free time for lunch (lunch is not included). 14:00 Continuation of sightseeing in medieval places such as: Dinkelsbühl and Nördlingen on the way to Munich. 14:45 Dinkelsbühl. 17:00 Nördlingen. 20:00 Arrival in Munich, check-in and dinner at the hotel. Overnight stay in Munich. -
Day 3 Munich
7:30 Breakfast at the hotel. 8:00 Transfer to the centre of Munich and sightseeing. 9:00 Sightseeing at the Parliament, the Royal Castle, the Marienplatz with the Town Hall and its famous Clock Tower. Free time for lunch (lunch is not included). 15:00 Leisure time. 20:00 Dinner at the hotel. The last night in Munich. -
Day 4 Munich – Altotting – Salzburg
7:30 Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out from the hotel in Munich. 8:30 Departure for Salzburg. On the way to Salzburg, a visit to Altotting, Benedict XVI's hometown. 15:00 Arrival in Salzburg and sightseeing in the city, including Mozart's house, the Mirabell Gardens, and the Hohensalzburg Castle. 18:00 Free time in Salzburg. 20:00 Check-in at the hotel. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight stay in Salzburg. -
Day 5 Vienna – Austrian sanctuaries: Melk, Krems, Mariazell – Vienna
7:00 Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out from the hotel in Salzburg. 8:00 Departure for Vienna. 11:00 Visiting Melk: the Benedictine Abbey of Melk – the biggest Benedictine convent in Europe – a masterpiece of Austrian Baroque architecture. Departure for Krems. Visiting the Danube Valley. (Ybbs and Krems belong to some of the most picturesque landscapes in all of Europe). 13:00 Melk – Krems: a romantic boat cruise on the Danube. Lunch on the boat available, but not included in the Ernesto Travel services. 15:00 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 cake and herbal liqueur. 19:30 Departure for Vienna. 20:00 Dinner at the hotel. Overnight stay in Vienna. -
Day 6 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: Schönbrunn Palace (sightseeing inside), the Belvedere Gardens, the Estate Palace of Prince Eugene of Savoy. Lunch not included (free time for lunch). 15:00 St. Stephan'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 the city centre. The last night in Vienna. 20:00 -
Day 7 Vienna – Svata Hora – Prague
8:00 Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out from the hotel. 9:00 Departure for Svata Hora. On the way to Prague, 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 Prague. 18:00 Arrival in Prague. Short sightseeing in the city (depending on the arrival time). 20:00 Check-in and dinner at the hotel in Prague. -
Day 8 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 Municipal House. 18:00 Leisure time. 19:00 Dinner at a restaurant in the city centre. 20:30 A Black Light Theatre spectacle (optional). 22:00 The last night in Prague. -
Day 9 Prague – Komarno (Slovakia) – Esztergom (Hungary) – Budapest
7:00 Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out from the hotel in Prague. 8:00 Departure for Hungary through Komarno in Slovakia. Lunch in Komarno. 14:00 Departure for Esztergom through the beautiful villages of Slovakia and Hungary. 16:00 Visiting Esztergom: the first seat of the Catholic Church in Hungary, dedicated to Saint Andrew. Departure for the monumental and beautiful capital city of Hungary – Budapest. 20:00 Dinner at the hotel or at a restaurant in Budapest. Overnight stay in Budapest. -
Day 10 Budapest
8:00 Breakfast at the hotel. 9:00 Sightseeing in Budapest – the city divided into 2 separate parts by the Danube River. In Buda we will see the Old City, in Pest – the cultural and imperial part. We will visit the Fisherman's Bastion with a splendid view over Budapest, and St. Matthias' Church by the Holy Trinity Square – the centre of Buda and the crowning place of Hungarian kings and queens, St. Stephen's Basilica in Pest, shopping at the Main Market (traditional arts and crafts, souvenirs), the Franciscan Square, lunch not included (free time for lunch). 20:00 Dinner at a restaurant on a boat. After dinner, a boat cruise on Danube River. Return to the hotel. Overnight stay in Budapest. -
Day 11 Budapest – Zakopane – Krakow
7:00 Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out from the hotel in Budapest. 8:00 Departure for Krakow via Zakopane. 14:00 Sightseeing in Zakopane: Jaszczurowka, Peksowy Brzyzek, Villa Atma, Krzeptowki – the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima, Krupowki street. Free time. Cable car tour to the top of Gubalowka Hill or Kasprowy Wierch Mountain (optionally; if there is good weather). 17:00 Dinner at an old-fashioned restaurant in Zakopane combined with a traditional Goral music concert. Departure for Krakow. 21:00 Arrival in Krakow and check-in at the hotel. Overnight stay in Krakow. -
Day 12 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 Krakow. 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 13 Krakow – Pieniny and Dunajec – Debno Podhalanskie – Wadowice – Kalwaria Zebrzydowska – Krakow
7:30 Breakfast at the hotel. 8:00 Departure by coach for Sromowce Wyzne. 10:00 Sailing on traditional wooden rafts down the Dunajec River in the Pieniny National Park (depending on the weather). 13:00 Lunch at a restaurant in Szczawnica (or Wadowice or Zakopane, if there is no rafting). 14:00 Transfer to Debno Podhalanskie. Visiting the wooden Gothic church: one of the wooden churches in the South of Poland, which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. 15:00 Transfer to Wadowice, where Pope John Paul II was born in 1920. 17:00 Visiting the Pope's home and the church where he was baptised. Transfer to Kalwaria Zebrzydowska. 18:30 Visiting the Bernardine Monastery complex in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, one of the most famous sanctuaries in Poland. The whole Mannerist complex (including the sanctuary and a park) is also listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. 19:30 Departure for Krakow. 20:00 Dinner with typical Polish food at the hotel or at a restaurant with a Jewish music (Klezmer) concert in Krakow. The last night in Krakow. -
Day 14 Krakow – Oswiecim (Auschwitz-Birkenau) – Czestochowa – Warsaw
7:30 Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out from the hotel in Krakow. 8:30 Departure for the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum. 10:00 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. Today this place is a World Heritage Site of UNESCO. 13:00 Lunch at a restaurant. 14:00 Departure for Czestochowa. 16:00 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. 17:30 Departure for Warsaw. 21:30 Arrival in the capital city of Poland and check-in at the hotel. Dinner at the hotel. -
Day 15 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 centre. 20:00 Dinner combined with a music concert at a local restaurant (optional).The last night in Warsaw. -
Day 16 Warsaw – Malbork – Torun – Gdansk
7:00 Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out from the hotel in Warsaw. 8:00 Departure for Torun. 12:00 Arrival in Torun. Guided tour of Torun, a medieval town listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Visiting the house of Copernicus, the most famous Polish astronomer. Sightseeing at a cathedral built in the years 1250-1500, as well as the fortified walls with the Leaning Tower. Sightseeing ends at the Market Square in front of the Town Hall. 14:00 Lunch at a restaurant in Torun. 15:00 Transfer to Malbork. 16:30 Visiting the Malbork Castle Museum. The Teutonic Order started to build it in the year 1380. This monument is on UNESCO's List of Human Heritage. Transfer to Gdansk. 21:00 Arrival in Gdansk. Check-in at the hotel and dinner at the hotel. Overnight stay in Gdansk. -
Day 17 Gdansk and Solidarnosc
8:00 Breakfast at the hotel. 9:00 A guided tour of Gdansk, which belonged to the richest cities in the XVII century. The programme includes: Oliwa Cathedral (sightseeing inside) with its famous pipe organ. Organ music concert, the Main Town Hall, the Fish Market, the Old Harbour, Saint Mary's Church (sightseeing inside), the Long Market with Neptune's Fountain, Artus Court. 13:00 Lunch at a restaurant in the centre of Gdansk. 14:30 “Solidarnosc”: visiting the Solidarnosc Museum in the Gdansk Shipyard and the Monument of the Fallen Gdansk Shipyard Workers from the year 1970. Transfer to Sopot and a walk along its pier: the capital of the Polish sea. (If there is free time left, transfer to Westerplatte, where World War II began on the 1st of September, 1939.) 18:00 Leisure time in the city centre. 20:00 Dinner at a restaurant. 22:00 The last night in Gdansk. -
Day 18 Gdansk – Poznan – Berlin
8:00 Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out from the hotel. 8:30 Transfer to Poznan. 13:30 Short sightseeing in Poznan. Free time for lunch (lunch is not included). Departure for Berlin. 20:00 Arrival, check-in and dinner at the hotel in Berlin. -
Day 19 Berlin
8:00 Breakfast at the hotel. 9:00 Sightseeing in the city with its famous Kurfürstendamm and Unter den Linden avenues, as well as the Brandenburg Gate, the symbol of unification of Germany. Visiting the Pergamon Museum and Charlottenburg Palace. Free time for lunch (lunch is not included). 17:00 Leisure time. 20:00 Farewell dinner at one of Berlin's restaurants. -
Day 20 Departure from Berlin and from Germany
x Breakfast. Check-out from the hotel in Berlin. y Transfer to the airport. Departure from Berlin and from Germany.
