Day 1: Warsaw
Arrival in the capital of Poland, in the
central-eastern part of the country. In the late 13th century Warsaw was a small fishermen town. In 1569,
Sigismund III moved the royal court and the Polish capital from Krakow to
Warsaw. Also known as the “Paris of the North”, Warsaw was considered one of
the most beautiful cities in the world until the World War II. The city was
bombed in 1939 and the 85% of its buildings was destroyed. The historical Old
Town of Warsaw was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Hotel accommodation, dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Warsaw
Breakfast and full day guided tour of Warsaw,
starting from the Old Town (Stare Miasto), reminding of the “old
Warsaw”. Seriously damaged
by the war, the district was accurately rebuilt in the 1950s and 1960s, basing
on the famous landscapes painted by Canaletto. The cornerstone of
the Old Tow is represented by the Rynek Starego Miasta, around
which develops a network of evocative alleys, including Piwna street (ulica
Piwna), along which overlook many Neoclassical and Baroque buildings.
The Royal Route is a long road that starts from the castle and extends
up to the Lazienki Park, one of the biggest parks in Europe, with the
remarkable Palace on the Water, royal residence of the last Polish king.
The Route ends with the Wilanów Palace, the royal palace that king Jan III Sobieski
ordered to build for his wife. The Vistula River runs through the city of
Warsaw and on one of its shores is placed the Praga district, which is
really beloved by artists and is becoming one of the most popular underground
culture reference points, with its trendy clubs and the street art expositions.
Dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Warsaw – Poznan
(Km. 315)
Breakfast and departure for Poznan, large
historic and industrial metropolis in western Poland. After lunch in
restaurant, meeting with the guide for a city guided tour. Centermost in the
city is the Old Town (Stare Miasto), with the Old Market
square (Stary Rynek) and the imposing Town Hall, a Renaissance
masterpiece and landmark of the city.
Curiosity:
in the eastern side of the Town Hall there is a clock with 2 openings that
every day at twelve reveals two metal goats butting each other with their horns
12 times. The legend has it that on occasion of the clock’s inauguration 2
animals sorted for slaughter hit each other in the middle of the square,
entertaining the visitors. It was thus established to insert this mechanism in
the clock in order to remember what happened on that day.
Visit of the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul, in
Gothic style, the most ancient church in Poland. Hotel accommodation, dinner
and overnight.
Day 4: Poznan - Torun -
Gdańsk (Km 330)
Breakfast and departure for the hometown of Nicolaus
Copernicus, Torun. The medieval town was inserted in the UNESCO list as
a World Heritage Site and is one of the Seven Wonders of Poland. Meeting with
the guide and city guided tour. The Copernicus House is probably the
birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus. The bronze Copernicus Monument stands in the Old Town’s
Marketplace and it presents the astronomer in an academic robe. In his left
hand he is holding an astrolabe, while the right hand is pointing at the sky.
It symbolizes the link between the astronomer and his studies and his later
discover (Copernican Revolution). The plinth holds a Latin inscription which
reads: “Nicolaus Copernicus, from Toruń, moved the Earth and stopped the Sky
and the Sun”. With the passing of time, the statue became the symbol of the
city.
Lunch at restaurant, early in the afternoon departure
for Gdańsk. Dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Gdańsk
Breakfast and guided tour of Gdańsk, the
largest thousand-year old port seaside town in Poland. Its architecture is the
result of the heritage left from the many cultures established in the city over
the centuries, featuring some of the greatest examples of both Gothic-Baltic
architecture, such as the St. Mary’s Church, and Dutch Mannerism, such
as the Golden Gate, since many artists and architects leaving in the
city belonged to these trends. The majority of the city attractions can be
found in the city centre and in the old town, and above all along the Royal
Route. Lunch in restaurant. A precious
resin: even today Gdańskis the world’s capital of amber,
a gem used in jewelry making that takes its origins from tree’s fossil resin.
Amber is collected along the Baltic’s shores.
Dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Return trip
After breakfast time at leisure for some shopping and
afterwards return trip.
