Jewish Heritage Tour to Poland

Firstly, our tour to Poland will commence with a sightseeing walk along the Royal Route in the old part of Warsaw, known as “Stare Miasto” (Old Town), which was restored after its almost total destruction during WWII. Next, we will stroll along the central street where one can see the statues of General Charles de Gaulle and Nicolaus Copernicus. Moreover, the guide will show you some old churches and nobility palaces. After that, we will visit Warsaw University and the Presidential Palace, which are vivid examples of Polish pride.We will then see the Statue of King Sigismund the Third and the Royal Palace. Following this, we will visit the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist and the oldest part of the Old Town – the Market Square, with a statue of “Sirenka,” the symbol of Warsaw. After a short walk, we will find ourselves on the panoramic platform with a beautiful view of the Vistula River and the New City.

We will pass through Warsaw Barbican to the New town, will see the house of Maria Sklodowska-Curie, a Polish physicist, the only woman to win two Nobel Prize. Stop at the impressive memorial of Warsaw Uprising 1944.Afterwords, the bus will pick us up and will drive to see the Palace of Culture and Science (Palac Kultury i Nauki) located in the new center of Warsaw. Will stop to see Jewish heritage sights – Warsaw Nozhik Synagogue and the Ghetto Wall remnant. Lastly, our sightseeing will continue to Lazienki Park with Belvedere Palace and romantic Chopin Statue.

We will visit the New Jewish Cemetery, which serves as an open book of Polish Jewish history. Following this, we will explore the ghetto area and M. Anilewicz street. Next, we will visit Umschlagplatz, the former train station from which the terrible deportations were executed. We will then walk along Ghetto Heroes road, marked by stones with the names of Jewish Resistance leaders. Additionally, we will visit the bunker of the Jewish insurgents on former Mila 18 street. We will also see Nathan Rapoport’s memorial of Ghetto heroes and the newly opened Museum of the History of Polish Jews.We will also see the Statue of King Sigismund the Third and the Royal Palace. Next, we will visit the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist and the oldest part of the Old Town – the Market Square, with a statue of “Sirenka,” the symbol of Warsaw. After a short walk, we will find ourselves on the panoramic platform with a beautiful view of the Vistula River and the New City.

On our tour to Poland, we will depart from Warsaw to one of the most beautiful National parks of Mazovia, which is famous for its numerous connected lakes. Imagine that here you can sail from lake to lake for a whole week. After a two-hour morning drive, we will get on the boat to make part of the route. Subsequently, the bus will pick us up on the other side of the lakes’ chain. Finally, the evening will be spent in a cozy resort of Mikolajki.

We will start our morning drive to the northwest, heading towards the former Prussian territories. Our first stop will be the Grunwald field, the site of one of the most important medieval battles in Eastern Europe. Following this, we will visit Malbork Castle, the largest in Eastern Europe, which served as the headquarters of the Teutonic Order.After an impressive tour of the castle, we will continue our journey to Gdansk, the main port of Poland and the cradle of the National Movement “Solidarnosc.” In Gdansk, you will feel the strong German influence both in the architecture and the local people, as it was part of Prussia for centuries.

First thing in the morning, we will take a walk through the Old City, which serves as the business card of Gdansk. Pictures of Neptun’s fountain, a symbol of the city, can be found in almost every pamphlet. As we stroll, we will see numerous gates that still stand, reminding us of the city’s glorious past.Next, we will visit the Gothic and Baroque churches, which are a testament to the country’s rich religious heritage and a reminder that we are in the land of Pope John Paul II.Following this, we will head to the Westerplatte monument, which marks the beginning of WWII. Lastly, we will visit the memorial in honor of the children deported during the Holocaust, a poignant reminder of the past.

The port and the legendary shipyards evoke memories of the 1980s, showcasing the indomitable spirit of the Polish people as they fought to break free from communist chains. A towering monument stands proudly, honoring the 45 brave souls who sacrificed their lives for independence.Next, we will venture off the beaten path to visit the street where the renowned scientist Daniel Fahrenheit was born.We will conclude our day with a scenic drive through Sopot and Gdynia, two charming parts of the Tripolis, nestled along the beautiful Baltic Sea.

From Gdansk, we will head southward back to the center of the country. Our journey will take us to Torun, the birthplace of the great Polish astronomer, Nicolaus Copernicus. Here, we will visit the museum house of his family. Naturally, we will also seek out the authentic Torun’s Gingerbread, as Poles fondly call Torun the capital of these delightful small candies. We will then take a walk through the Old City, reaching the former market square, and finally, we will enter St. Mary’s Cathedral.

Our next stop will be in Lodz, a city that reached its zenith during the industrial revolution. It became the seat of the most powerful textile magnates. One of the city’s modern sculptures reveals the meeting of three of these magnates, creating the first professional union. One of the biggest textile factories belonged to Israel Poznanski. Today, his factory is a huge complex of shops, and his former palace is a museum.As we continue our walk through the main street of the city, we will encounter the bronze statue of a piano with Arthur Rubinstein playing. This brilliant pianist was a native of Lodz. Additionally, you will see an impressive statue of Moses holding the Ten Commandments, commemorating the site of the Central Lodz Synagogue. Here, we will spend some time discussing the Lodz Ghetto and its leader, Haim Rumkowski.

On our tour to Poland cotinues driving south to the Royal Capital City of Krakow in the Lesser Poland region. Along the way, we will visit Czestochowa and its world-famous pilgrimage site, Jasna Gora. Here, we will explore the famous icon of the Black Madonna in the Pauline monastery complex.Afterward, we will visit the Auschwitz concentration camp museum. We will listen to a local expert as we walk through the barracks towards the crematorium. Our next stop will be the Birkenau extermination camp, where millions of visitors come to pay their last tribute to more than a million Jews and other people who were killed there.Finally, we will arrive in Krakow in the late afternoon.

On our tour to Poland, we will see Old Krakow from the statue of the Polish King after the famous Grunwald Battle. Next, we will continue through the Barbican and the St. Florian gate to Florianska street, the path used by Polish Kings to cross the city on special events.Shortly, we will approach “Rynek Glowny” – the Central Market square, featuring the beautiful St. Mary Basilica and Sukenicy – trading rows. Following this, we will turn to one of the side narrow streets to see one of the oldest universities in Europe. Among its famous students were M. Copernicus and K. Woityla, who later became the Pope.

The special highlight of today is a visit to the complex of the Residence of the Kings of Poland. This includes an impressive cathedral and the Renaissance Royal Castle at Wawel Hill.In the afternoon, we are going to visit the Kazimierz district, which was mostly settled by Jews and later became a scene for shooting the movie “Schindler’s List.” We will start from Sheroka street and square, and visit the famous ReMA Synagogue. Behind it, hidden by a big wall, is the old Jewish cemetery containing graves from the 15th century.Next, we will continue walking to see the impressive chair memorial on the Ghetto Heroes Square in the Podgorze district.To crown the day, we will explore the history museum in Oskar Schindler’s Emalia factory, where he saved over 1,100 Jews by putting them to work in his factory.

Today we start our tour at one of the most notable highlights of Polish land – the famous Wieliczka salt mines.  We will have a guided tour into the depths of the Salt mine and will explore the world of once the very expensive and essential mineral. Will see the underground chapel, the statues of famous Poles, all made of salt, the underground lake, the souvenir shop and many other things.  Salt is everywhere in this place, even in the air of it.After this uplifting experience drive to Tatra mountains to Zakopane – famous Polish ski resort in winter and a beloved hiking place in summer. We are going to use the cable car to go to the top and enjoy the panoramic view of the mountains.

Continue our voyage eastward. From Zakopane, we drive back towards Krakow and take an east-west road to Tarnow and Rzeszow. Tarnow will impress us with a well preserved old city. The town hall square center is occupied with a renaissance period build town hall. Today it is an Art Museum. Walk down a little street and you will see the remnant of the Synagogue – the red brick built central part – bimah.Will hit the road to Rzeszow. Rzeszów’s prime attraction is 396m-long route linking 25 old cellars beneath the central market square. The cellars date from the 14th to 18th centuries and reach a depth of up to 10m. We will also see the Monument to the Revolutionary Act, commemorating the battles of the WWII. You also will be offered to see the Old and the New Synagogues of the town.Late afternoon arrival to Lublin.

In the morning we will visit the castle of Lublin. It is the former residence of the Polish Kings where the famous Union between Lithuania and Poland was signed in 1569. Will walk to the old city through the Grodska Gate also known as the Jewish Gate. There is an interesting center in the actual gate, called “Grodzka Gate – NN Theatre”. It is a cultural center and a museum of local history. It is also a unique theatre, run by young people. We will continue walking in the Old city, enjoying the views of the narrow streets and old buildings. Will leten to their history, and will see it marked and outlined on the little plaques.We plan to show you the building of the very famous Jewish religious School – The Yeshiva of Lublin. The we will proceed to the remnants of the Jewish cemetery located outside the Old city.

Drive to Warsaw. On the way we will stop in Kazimierz Dolny. It is a locally known resort on the banks of the Vistula River. A very picturesque small town having preserved a unique medieval atmosphere. In one minute walk from the main square you will see a small square called the Small Market. Just next to it there is a baroque period built Synagogue, and a museum today.Will climb the hill to view the panorama of the town and the river valley.Drive to Warsaw for departure or an extensional overnight. We plan to show you the building of the very famous Jewish religious School – The Yeshiva of Lublin. The we will proceed to the remnants of the Jewish cemetery located outside the Old city.