Vienna - Zakopane - Krakow - Prague - Dresden
1st day / Arrival Vienna
Arrive in Vienna, meet your tour manager, transfer to your hotel and check
in.
Welcome to Vienna - the capital of Austria!
Vienna - now included in UNESCO's list of world heritage sites because of its
unique appearance. The historic centre of Vienna is rich in architectural
ensembles, including Baroque castles and gardens and the late 19th century
Ringstraße lined with grand buildings, monuments and parks. Many of the great
classical composers including Strauss, Mozart, Schubert, Haydn, and Beethoven lived
and worked here for at least part of their lives and since the 16th century, Vienna
has been universally acknowledged to be the musical capital of Europe.
A welcome dinner at a typical Viennese wine tavern (Heuriger).
2nd day / Vienna
Breakfast.
Start your day with a tour of Vienna with the emphasis on the great
composers.
You will see the historical center, St. Stephan's Cathedral, the Karlskirche, the
State Opera, the Hofburg and the gardens of Schönbrunn.
After the city tour, a walk through Vienna's Mozart house with audio guides.
Mozarthaus Vienna
Domgasse 5 is the only one of Mozart's apartments that still exists today. The life
and works of this musical genius are presented here on four exhibition levels. In
addition to Mozart's apartment, which has been adapted by Wien Museum, visitors can
find out about the time in which Mozart lived and about his most important works.
The exhibition focuses on his years in Vienna, which marked a high point in his
creativity. The tour starts on the 3rd floor of the building with details of
Mozart's time in Vienna: where he lived and performed, who his friends and
supporters were, his relationship to the Freemasons, his passion for games and much
more. The presentation on the 2nd floor deals with Mozart's operatic works, and the
apartment on the 1st floor, the real heart of the building, focuses on the two and
a half years that Mozart lived there.
Dinner at a local restaurant followed by
Evening concert in Vienna or the surrounding area
3rd day / Vienna - Zakopane
Breakfast and check-out.
Continue your tour to Poland, stopping for a guided tour of Bratislava in Slovakia.
Welcome to Bratislava
Bratislava, the capital of the Slovakian republic lies in the heart of Central
Europe. The city, at the foot of the small Carpathian Mountains, occupies both
shores of the second largest European river, the Danube. Bratislava is in a border
triangle where three states meet. It borders on Hungary in the south and on Austria
in the west.
Continue on to your hotel in Zakopane in Poland and check-in.
Welcome to Zakopane.
Zakopane (population 30.000) lies just 5 km from the Slovakian border, in a
valley
in the high Tatra Mountains. Pope John Paul II was born nearby and there is a
religious fervour here that has translated into record high church attendance. As
Poland's leading holiday resort Zakopane has numerous restaurants, café, bars
etc…
There will be an orientation tour with your tour manager.
Dinner at a local restaurant.
4th day / Zakopane - Krakow
Breakfast and check-out.
Continue your journey to Krakow.
Welcome to Krakow
Krakow is the third largest city in Poland and one of the oldest. Dating back to
the 7th century, this historic city is situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser
Poland region. It was the capital of Poland from 1038 to 1596, and is now the
capital of the Lesser Poland district.
The historic center of Krakow lies at the foot of Wawel Hill, where the Royal
Castle, a former residence of Polish monarchs, is located. Krakow's oldest
neighbourhoods include the Old Town, the Wawal Hill and Kazimierz. The city's
historic center was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1978.
Get your first impression of the town before you check-in at your hotel.
Dinner at a local restaurant.
5th day / Krakow
Breakfast.
Take a guided walking tour with visits to the Old Town and the former Jewish
quarter.
The afternoon is free.
Evening concert in Krakow or the surrounding area
Dinner at a local restaurant.
6th day / Krakow
Breakfast.
A full day excursion to Auschwitz and the salt mine in Wieliczka.
Visit the concentration camp and museum at Auschwitz with a guided tour through the
complex.
Continue to Wieliczka for a guided tour of the historic salt mine.
The salt mine in Wieliczka is probably the only mining site in the world that has
functioned continuously since the Middle Ages. Lying on nine levels, its original
excavations (longitudinal, traverses, chambers, lakes, as well as minor and major
shafts) stretch for a total of about 300 kilometres: reaching a depth of 327
metres, they illustrate all the stages of mining technology development over
time.
Reaching back to medieval times, the history of Wieliczka can be seen as a
reflection of mining technology progress, development of work organisation and
management, the origin of industry legislation, as well as a lesson in patriotism
and the love of freedom.
Travel back to Krakow for dinner at a local restaurant.
