Krakow – Wroclaw – Warsaw

Gathering at El. Venizelos airport and flight to Warsaw. Arrival in the capital of Poland. Boarding the coach and departure for the impressive first capital of Poland, Krakow. Arrival at our hotel. Check-in to the rooms. Departure for the oldest but also the most beautiful city in Poland, Krakow. It is a city-jewel, hiding treasures of Gothic and Renaissance architecture and tons of art. Transfer to our hotel. For a particularly lively evening, Kazimierz, the Jewish quarter with a plethora of shops playing all kinds of music, is ideal, while in the old town many bars thrive, playing mainly jazz music. Overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel. Despite the fact that more than eighty years have passed since the liberation of the inmates of the concentration camp by the Russians, this name still provokes horror even today. «Auschwitz» is the German name of the Polish town Oswiecim, about 60 kilometers northwest of Krakow, where the Nazis converted the old military facilities into the most terrible concentration camp. What shocks the visitor, after passing the threshold with the cynical inscription «Arbeit macht Frei» (work liberates), is the methodical approach, the intensive study of the procedures and the construction of such infrastructure, in order to ensure maximum effectiveness in this work. Today's visit requires a strong stomach, especially when we will be faced with exhibits of personal items, small shoes and children's clothes, many of which were of nursery age when they were murdered. The extremely well-organized museum is particularly instructive and serves as a serious warning about the dangers of totalitarianism and fanaticism of every kind. Return to Krakow. This is one of the oldest cities in Poland, one of the largest cultural, artistic and tourist centers in Europe, and is fortunately untouched by the destruction of World War II. On the guided tour that follows, we will visit the Jewish neighborhood, Kazimierz, with its seven synagogues, we will see the impressive Royal Castle on Wawel Hill, the Cathedral with the Royal Tombs and the Bell, the Jagiellonian University and the largest medieval square in Europe with the Mariacki Church. Dedicated to Panagia, it is the temple where the now-sainted Pope John Paul II served as a priest for a long time before becoming the bishop of the city and later a cardinal. From the bell tower of the imposing church, every hour, a specially assigned trumpeter plays a melody that spreads throughout the square. The Renaissance-style building of Sukiennice, in the center of the square, the center of the textile trade for centuries, will catch our attention. Afternoon free to wander around the narrow streets of the city, and enjoy a drink or a meal at the dozens of bars and restaurants that flood the central square. Overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel and then a visit to the famous salt mines of Wieliczka, just 15 km from the center of Krakow, which have a 700-year history and more than 300 kilometers of underground tunnels. One of the tunnels has even been transformed into a chapel in honor of Blessed Kinga, the patron Saint of miners. The "salt-sculpted" church has been carved entirely by the salt miners themselves, who also made the chandeliers from salt crystals. We continue our journey to the western part of the country, to the Silesia region and its capital Wroclaw. Transfer and check-in at the hotel. Afternoon free in the beautiful, colorful city to walk around. Overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel. Starting our guided tour of the beautiful city of Wroclaw, we will begin at Piasek Island on the Odra River and continue to the large central market square Rynek with the guild buildings and the old Town Hall, one of the most beautiful in Poland. Next, we will photograph the famous Hala Silesia, a work by the famous architect Max Berg, and conclude with the Church of Saint Elisabeth, whose Gothic tower reaches 92m. Free time and departure for the capital of Poland, Warsaw. Transfer and check-in at our hotel. Overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel. Our acquaintance with the city begins with Lazienki Park. Designed in the 17th century, the largest green lung of the city, has a total area of 760 stremmata and contains blooming gardens, monuments dedicated to gods and artists (stands out the monument of Chopin, around which musical events are organized), fountains, lakes, amphitheaters, paths and bridges. We continue with the old town of Warsaw which is surrounded by fortifications and is on the list of world cultural heritage. We will see the Market Square, the Royal Palace, the Castle Square Plac Zamkowy, one of the few points that survived the Nazi onslaught, the monumental Palace of Culture and Science, a gift from Stalin to Warsaw, as well as the Grand Theatre, which houses the Opera and Ballet. Our next stop is the Jewish Ghetto, with the monument of the Martyrs of Nazi brutality and the new ultra-modern Museum of Jewish History. Crossing a series of major avenues and passing through the post-Stalin modern center of the city, we arrive at Castle Square. This is a delightful route known as the "mile", which will bring us in front of the most important monuments and the most beautiful buildings of Warsaw. Stand out the Church of Saint Anne and the Holy Cross, the Temple of the Carmelites, the Presidential Palace, the Kazimierz Palace, the historic and luxurious Bristol hotel, the National Library, the impressive building of the University and the Castle of Warsaw, while a little further on we will approach the house of the Nobel laureate, Maria Kozlowska Curie. In the free afternoon that follows, we suggest a walk in the pedestrianized parts of the old town, a visit to the ultra-modern shopping center Centrum, or for a coffee in the atmospheric cafes of the city.

Today is a free day and a great opportunity to explore the noble Polish capital in depth, starting from the New Town, which is equally picturesque and equally old as the Old Town. Built in the 15th century as an independent state, this district features lush quiet squares, restaurants with swings instead of tables, and the white Saint Kazimierz church with its impressive turquoise dome. Like its "neighbor", the New Town was razed by the Germans and rebuilt in the 1950s. Transfer to Warsaw airport for our return to Athens.

Departures: 24 October ’24

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