Eastern Europe

Vienna Budapest Krakow
Zakopane Prague
and the pilgrimage city of Czestochowa


13 Days

Tuesday - YSA departure: Today we the USA on our trans-Atlantic jet to Europe. Meals are served aloft.

Wednesday - Vienna: Following our arrival in Vienna, we'll be greeted by our professional tour manager and directed to our waiting motor coach. The afternoon is free for your own explorations, before a welcome dinner tonight. (D)

Thursday - Vienna: This morning we'll be joined by our Viennese guide and begin our tour of this elegant city. See the famous Opera House, the Parliament, the ornate City Hall, and visit the magnificent Schonbrunn Palace, summer palace of the Habsburgs, set in elegantly-designed gardens. Here the sumptuously decorated rooms include the "Hall of Mirrors," where a six-year-old Mozart played for the Empress Maria Theresa. The remainder of the afternoon is free to shop and explore on your own. (CB)

Friday - Vienna / Esztergom /Budapest: After we cross the Hungarian border this morning, we'll visit the city of Gyor - founded by the Romans and perhaps the most delightful and complete baroque town in Europe. Continue East through the region of Transdanubia, dotted with orchards and vineyards, to the pilgrimage town of Esztergom. The city, which stands on the site of an ancient Roman fortress, is the See of the Cardinal-Primate of Hungary. The magnificent cathedral is the largest church structure in the country. Arrive in Budapest in the late afternoon. Overnight Budapest. (CB, D)

Saturday - Budapest: Buda is the ancient city, first the site of Celtic settlements 2000 years ago, and today sprawling among the Buda Hills. Pest is the modern city, balanced on the edge of the Great Hungarian Plain. This morning we see the Old Fort, Fisherman's Bastion, the Former Royal Palace and the great Coronation Church. The remainder of the day is at leisure. This evening, we will enjoy a typical Hungarian dinner while listening to the mystical music of gypsy violins. Again, we overnight in Budapest. (CB, SD)

Sunday - Zakopane: Leaving Hungary we motor through a narrow portion of Slovakia to the Polish border. We cross the Tatra Mountains into the picturesque resort village of Zakopane. The remainder of the afternoon will be at leisure to browse on your own.Overnight Zakopane. (CB, D)

Monday - Zakopane / Krakow: After a leisurely morning in Zakopane, we travel through rolling pastoral foothills to the formidable Barbicon guarding royal Krakow - the seat of power for the Polish kings for five centuries. We overnight in Krakow. (CB, D)

Tuesday - Krakow: This morning we will tour Krakow's Wawel Cathedral and Castle. Later, we visit the Market Square, Cloth Hall, St. Mary's ("Mariacki") Church, and the Jagellonian - one of Europe's oldest universities. The rest of the day is free to independently explore and absorb the atmosphere of this delightful old capital. Overnight Krakow. (CB)

Wednesday - Wielicka Salt Mines & Auschwitz Excursion: Today we take an excursion to the 900 year old Wielicka Salt Mines - whose 17th century carvings are testimony to Polish ingenuity and religious devotion. Later, we will have a sobering visit to the former Nazi concentration camp of Auschwitz - featured in the film, Schindler's List. Overnight in Krakow. Tonight's special dinner will feature traditional Polish foods and music. (CB, SD)

Thursday - Czestochowa Excursion: Early this morning, we drive through the Pradnik Valley - viewing some of the medieval castles perched on limestones cliffs. We arrive in Czestochowa to visit Poland's most-venerated shrine of the Black Madonna at Jasna Gora Monastery. The icon of Mary, dating back almost 2000 years, is enshrined in the beautiful baroque monastery chapel. We join in prayer with the thousands of pilgrims who come here daily. Return to Krakow in the late afternoon. Overnight Krakow. (CB, D)

Friday - Prague: After breakfast, we say good-bye to Poland and motor into the Czech Republic. We pass towns rich in Gothic, Renaissance and baroque styles, and villages splashed with warmly painted timber homes. In the late afternoon, we arrive in the "Golden City", Prague, for our next two overnights. (CB, D)

Saturday - Prague: Today's sightseeing features a walking tour of the "Old Town", the medieval Hradcany Castle (former residence of Bohemian Kings), and Wenceslaus Square. The afternoon will be a leisure. Tonight's dinner will have Czech/Slavic flavors in food and music. (CB, SD)

Sunday - Prague / USA: This morning we'll begin our return journey home. Arrive in the USA in the late afternoon. (CB)

 

CB - Continental Breakfast
B - Breakfast
L - Lunch
D - Dinner
SD - Special Dinner













 

 
 

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