Poland, country rich in both natural and historical heritage gives the opportunity to experience at the same time the bustling & cosmopolitan cities and countryside, lakes and mountains, sport and leisure. Most of the major cities boast lovely old centers and a range of splendid buildings, some of them World Heritage sites. The Polish cities offer great historic sightseeing, numerous monuments, art collections, at the same time being modern, lively places with many of culture festivals.
Day 1
Warsaw
The exploration of Warsaw begins with the Royal Route, which is the most elegant part of the city due to its palaces, churches, tenement houses and sumptuous government buildings. A walk along the Route is a veritable journey through centuries and introduces the tourist to the history of this wonderful city. Warsaw’s Old Town, which was destroyed at the end of the Second World War, has been reconstructed splendidly and these achievements in reconstruction have been honoured with an entry in the UNESCO Lists of World Heritage Sites. The Royal Castle, with its stately chambers, invites its visitors to see a splendid collection of works by Rembrandt and Canaletto. The Sigismund’s Column, the oldest monument in Warsaw, commemorates the Polish king who made Warsaw the capital of Poland. Sightseeing continues along the route of Warsaw palaces. The Łazienki Park [the Royal Baths Park] is an extensive park with picturesque alleys, canals and small ponds, decorated with numerous outstanding sculptures. While visiting this unique place, aside from the Palace on the Water, you may also admire the Myślewicki Palace, the Old Guardhouse, the Old Orangery, the New Orangery and the magnificent Amphitheatre. At the southern end of Warsaw, surrounded by the greenery of the historic park of Wilanów, there is a seventeenth century residence of King John III Sobieski, which today is one of the greatest tourist attractions of the city. Within the park, you can see gardens of different styles such as a two-level Baroque garden, a Neo-Renaissance rose garden and an English-style garden. Since 2004, the Warsaw Uprising Museum, which was opened on the 60th anniversary of the uprising of Warsaw residents against the Nazi occupying forces, has become a very important point on the tourist map of the city. It commemorates 63 days of the uprising, as well as brings the visitor closer to the conditions in which the population of the city was forced to live under the occupation and to the fate of Poland during the Second World War.
Day 2
Żelazowa Wola
The birthplace of Frederic Chopin whose genius rendered Poland famous in the world of international music. The picturesque Manor House, surrounded with a beautiful park (at present, an arboretum), which once belonged to Chopin’s parents, has been converted into a museum and now attracts music lovers from all over the world.
Day 3
Toruń
A city famous for two reasons – as the birthplace of Nicolaus Copernicus, the famous astronomer, and as a place where delicious gingerbread has been produced for centuries. As Toruń offers a rich architectural and cultural diversity, it was entered in the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites in 1997. The most valuable and greatest tourist attractions of Toruń are located in the area included in the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites. This area consists of three historic, medieval districts, formerly creating separate units: the Old Town, the New Town and the Castle of the Teutonic Order. When walking among many historic bourgeois houses, it is obligatory to visit the house where Nicolaus Copernicus was born; you also cannot miss Gothic churches, with their impressive interiors and decorations, the Cathedral, the Church of St. John the Evangelist and the Church of St. Jacob.
Day 4
Grudziądz
A picturesque town situated on the bank of the Vistula River. The Granaries are the main attraction of this town. In the 15th century, there were fourteen of them. They were located in the proximity of the port, and their thick and steep outer walls served as a measure of defence, as well. Over the centuries, most of them have been destroyed, and only six of them have survived till the present day. In the town, you can also visit the Market Square, the Town Hall, as well as the Monument of Nicolaus Copernicus.
Kwidzyń
Known for its large, well-preserved castle and cathedral complex of the 14th century, which combines in one fortress both a defence cathedral and a castle of the Teutonic Knights.
Its distinctive element is a massive tower connected to the main castle with a characteristic arcade corridor.
Another castle of the tour programme is the Castle in Gniew, the most powerful Gothic fortress of knights and monks, located on the left bank of the Vistula River; the seat of kings, queens and governors.
Day 5
Ostróda
A cruise along the Elbląg Canal, which is a unique example of engineering of the 19th century. This system of waterways and locks was built in the years 1844-1881 so as to create a waterway connection between East Prussia and the Baltic Sea. The Elbląg Canal is a unique monument of hydro technology – due to the Canal’s five slipways and motor lifts driven by water, ships steering along it cover some parts of the distance „floating” on the grass when they are drawn on special carriages.
Day 6
Gdańsk
A city that has witnessed many historic events.It was here that the Second World War began on 1 September 1939, and it was also the cradle of the Solidarity, the social movement that brought communism to an end. Długa Street and the Long Market, located between the Golden Gate and the Green Gate, create the so-called Royal Route, and they are the most beautiful and most stately streets in Gdańsk. The best recognisable attraction of the Long Market is a fountain with a figure of Neptune. St. Mary’s Basilica, a Gothic symbol of the city’s wealth, is the largest brick church in Europe and the largest church in Poland. The Town Hall of the late Gothic topped with a life-size gilded statue of King Sigismund Augustus is a distinctive landmark. It is an absolute must to take a walk down the Mariacka Street, with its reconstructed terraced houses and the opportunity to purchase famous amber products. Another symbol of the city is the Gothic Cathedral in Oliwa where you can admire and listen to the pipe organ of the 18 th century, made of tin and wood.
Day 7
The Castle in Malbork
It is a monumental Gothic building that still amazes and enraptures with the severity of its shapes, the coolness of the castle halls, the mysteriousness of its passages, as well as the depths of its moats and the thickness of its defensive walls. This is the largest Gothic castle complex in the world, with the area of approximately 21 hectares and the total capacity of buildings exceeding a quarter million cubic meters. It is considered to be the largest brick construction built by human. It consists of the Upper, Middle and Lower Castles, the Cathedral and the Palace of the Grand Master, as well as gates, towers and ramparts.
Bydgoszcz
Tour of the Old Town with the Cathedral, the Neo-Gothic Market Hall and the tallest building of the city, which is the Neo-Gothic Church of St. Andrew Bobola with a 75 metre high tower.
Day 8
Biskupin
The fortified settlement of Lusatian peoples of the 8 th and the 9 th centuries BC, which, at present, is one of the most famous archaeological reserves in Central Europe. Here, you can shoot with a bow and arrow, bake a scone-bread on your own or purchase wonderful jewellery made of amber.
Gniezno
The first capital of Poland (until the 11th century). The Cathedral of Gniezno, with its relics of St. Adalbert, has witnessed many historic events, including the coronation of the king in 1025. Moreover, it has become a destination of many pilgrimages. Here, there are also the famous Gniezno Doors being a work of the Romanesque art of the 12th century.
Day 9
Poznań
Tour of the Old Town, the Renaissance Town Hall with a unique clock with figures of fighting goats, as well as the Church of St. Mary Magdalene being the greatest masterpiece of the Baroque art. The most important monuments of Poznań include the Cathedral, which is the oldest Church in Poznań and the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Ostrów Tumski. Dinner at a restaurant.
Day 10
Wrocław
The capital city of the Lower Silesia. This is one of the most beautiful cities of Poland. At present, the Market Square, which dates back to the 13th century, along with the adjacent Salt Square, are surrounded with houses of high architectural and historical value, most of which were rebuilt after the general destruction which took place in 1945. The most valuable monument of the Market Square is the Town Hall, the facade of which is probably the most spectacular of all the medieval town halls in the country. Churches of Wrocław are also worth visiting: the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus with its extremely rich Baroque decorations, St. Elizabeth’s Church with numerous monuments of sacred art and, above all, the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Ostrów Tumski, the former island. From the high tower of the Cathedral, you can enjoy the panorama of the city. The next place to visit is the Racławice Panorama – a giant, panoramic image (114 m x 15 m) depicting glorious events in the Polish history.
Day 11
Wieliczka Salt Mine
Exploring unique chambers containing the preserved remains of salt mining, a collection of mining machinery and equipment, chapels with unique statues and low reliefs made of salt, as well as salt lakes.
Day 12
Kraków
Tour of Kraków – the Wawel Hill with the Royal Castle and the Cathedral. A tour of the Royal Chambers in the Castle, which used to be the seat of Polish kings who are buried in the Cathedral crypt together with Polish national heroes. A visit to the Cathedral to see the famous Sigismund Bell. Exploring the Main Square, which was the largest medieval town square in Europe. Visiting St. Mary’s Church to view the Gothic wooden altar made by Veit Stoss. In the centre of the Main Square, there is the Town Hall Tower and the Cloth Hall where there are shops selling souvenirs made of amber and leather. The Barbican, the old ramparts with the Florian’s Gate, which have become an important part of the Royal Route leading to the Wawel Hill. A tour of Kazimierz, the former Jewish District – Szeroka Street, the Old Synagogue (from the outside), the Remuh Synagogue and the cemetery.
