Czech - Culture
"Classic Eastern Europe"
Warsaw, Krakow, prague & Vienna
12 days

ITINERARY

DAY 1 FRI  USA/ WARSAW (D- in flight)

Enjoy complimentary cocktails, dinner, and movies during your overnight flight.

DAY 2 SAT  WARSAW (D)

Welcome to Eastern Europe! After clearing customs and immigrations, you will be met by your guide and transferred to your hotel.

Your guide will assist you with the check-in, give you a briefing on the hotel and neighborhood and advise you of the meeting time for tonight’s dinner.

Balance of the day at leisure.

Welcome drink and orientation: WARSAW – Tonight dinner at Gesler Restaurant – one of the oldest and best restaurants located in the beautiful Old Town.

After dinner opera at Theater Wielki.

DAY 3 SUN  WARSAW (B, L)

Zelazowa Wola (full day – 8 hours)

Zelazowa Wola – picturesque village 50km from Warsaw where Fryderyk Chopin was born. Visit the house in which he was born , now a museum as well as the surrounding park. Highlight of the trip – Life Piano Concert – the music of Fryderyk Chopin. This is the last concert of the piano summer series.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

DAY 4 MON  WARSAW (B, L)

Warsaw City Tour (full day- 8 hours)

Morning visit Old Town and then Lazienki park.

Lunch at local restaurant.

Afternoon tour includes the Noszyk Synagogue, the only surviving synagogue in Warsaw, founded in 1900. Visit the Warsaw Ghetto, the Jewish Resistance Bunker at Mila 18, and Stawski Street buildings where the SS had their headquarters. Also visit the Old Cemetery, established in 1806 and the largest Jewish cemetery in Poland, also visit the new Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego. And visit with local Jewish community.

DAY 5 TUE  KRAKOW (B, D)

Auschiwitz Nazi Concentration Camp (full day)

Depart for Krakow, stopping in Czestochowa, famous for the"Black Madonna" in the Jasna Gora Monastery. Continue to Auschwitz, former Nazi Concentration camp and one of the most somber memorials of our past. Visit Block 27, dedicated to the martyred Jewish brethren. Proceed to Krakow.

Dinner at a local restaurant is included in Krakow Old Town.

DAY 6 WED  KRAKOW (B, L)

Krakow City Tour (half day-4 hours)

Visit Wawel Castle, and the Renaissance Cloth Hall. See the old Jewish district, Kazimierz, the Old Synagogue, a massive fortress-like building erected in the 15th and 16th centuries. Visit the Remuh Synagogue, still in service as the center of Jewish religious life in Krakow. Also visit the Old Cemetery, the Ghetto set up by Nazis in 1941, the Plaszow concentration camp and Oscar Schindler's former factory before continuing to the Wieliczka Salt Mine.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

DAY 7 THU  PRAGUE (B, D)

Travel by bus to Prague.

Balance of the day at leisure. Optional tours.

Dinner a local restaurant.

DAY 8 FRI  PRAGUE (B, L)

Lunch at a local restaurant.

Shabbat Services at the Jubille Synagouge.

DAY 9 SAT  PRAGUE (B, L)

Terezin (full day)

Visit Terezin, former Nazi concentration camp situated in the fortress of Terezin, founded in 1780. The German Nazi Governor Heydrich made this fortress into one of the most dreaded Nazi prisons. Visit the Fortress, the Jewish Cemetery, Museum and Memorial Monument.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

DAY 10 SUN  VIENNA (B)

Travel by bus to Vienna.

Jewish Heritage Walking Tour (half day-4 hours)

Visit the Judenplatz, and Stadttemple, the only existing synagogue which withstood Nazi destruction, and the Jewish Museum at Palais Eskeles. Discussion of the Jewish community in Vienna in the 20th century, including Austria’s annexation and the events of World War II.

DAY 11 MON  VIENNA (B, D)

Vienna City Tour (full day-6 hours)

Today enjoy a full day sightseeing tour of Vienna by bus and by foot. The tour begins with a visit to the Staterooms of the sumptuous Schonbrunn Palace, which Maria Theresa and Kaiser Franz Josef both used as a summer palace with over 1400 rooms! It has magnificent gardens and furnishings. Continue to the heart of Vienna via the Prater park with its symbol of 19th century Vienna, the giant Ferris Wheel to the famous "Hundertwasser Haus' designed by the flamboyant 20th century architect. Next see the monumental buildings of the Ring Strasse: The gothic town hall, classical Parliament building and the State Opera House which we will visit this afternoon and see how the opera is part of the Viennese culture. We continue to the Crypt of the Habsburg dynasty to see the resting places of the former ruling family of an "Empire on which the sun never set". The bus portion of the tour finishes at about 11AM and we break for lunch. Lunch can be taken independently at an authentic self service called Rosenberger, and the food is especially good. There are other options around. The tour then continues on foot until about 3.30pm when the group can travel independently back to the hotel (2 stops on the subway). There will be free time to visit St. Stephens Cathedral or stroll the Karntnerstrasse shopping street before independent return to the hotel. Entrances included to Schonbrunn, Opera & the Crypt. Note that Opera house is at times closed for rehearsals.

FarewellDinner at a local restaurant

Kursalon (2 hours)

Depart for Johann Strauss Concert.

This evening’s group activity is a musical presentation at a very unique venue, the Kursalon, a famous Vienna landmark where Strauss played some of his most notable concerts. A group of accomplished musicians will entertain, playing works by Johann Strauss and other celebrated composers.

DAY 12 TUE  VIENNA/ USA (B)

Transfer to the airport for your departure flight

Included Features

• Roundtrip airfare USA/Europe/USA
• All accommodations, meals as per itinerary
• Daily buffet breakfast at the hotels
• All tours and transfer as specified including entry fees, on a private basis
• All airport transfers and local transportation for tours
• All hotel taxes and service charges
• Local English speaking guides/services throughout

Not Included

• Cost of passport
• Items of a personal nature
• Drinks at meals
• Optional city tours or evening excursions
• Tips to guides/drivers
• Airport Taxes