The Shrines of Poland

Day 1: ARRIVAL TO POLAND
Welcome to Poland! Upon arrival, we are greeted by our English speaking tour manager who will be with the group during our entire stay in Poland. Transfer to the city centre. Accommodation in a hotel, free time / rest. Dinner and overnight in Warsaw.
 
Day 2: WARSAW – NIEPOLAKANOW  
After breakfast we go to Niepokalanow, known as the Fortress of Our Lady, to see the Franciscan Monastery founded in 1927 by St. Maximilian Kolbe, who very soon turned this place into one of the largest Catholic monasteries in Europe. Here we visit Basilica, the Museum of St. M. Kolbe. Then, we attend Holy Mass. Return to Warszawa. After lunch break we start the sightseeing of Warsaw. We take a walk around the Old Town to see all its highlights: the Royal Route, Royal Castle and the most famous monument – the Sigismund’s Column, St. John’s Cathedral and the picturesque Main Square with the monument of Mermaid – symbol of Warszawa. We drive around the city centre admiring all the landmarks of the capital, among them the well known Palace of Technology and Science. We also visit the beautiful Lazienki Park with the famous statue of Fryderyk Chopin and the 18th century Palace on the Water, the suburban residence of the last king of Poland. Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight in Warsaw.
 
Day 3: WROCLAW
After breakfast we set off for Wroclaw, the capital of Silesia region, beautifully located on the Odra River. After arrival we enjoy the sightseeing of Wroclaw. During our walking tour we admire Ostrów Tumski Island with the Gothic cathedral and the Episcopal Palace, Old Town area with numerous medieval churches and baroque tenement houses, the Main Square with the impressive 14th c. Town Hall. We also stop at the University, famous for its splendid baroque Aula Leopoldina. Dinner, overnight stay.
 
Day 4: KARPACZ
After breakfast we go to Karpacz. Karpacz has a curious architectural gem – The Wang Church, the only Nordic Romanesque building in Poland. Pronounced 'Vang', this remarkable wooden structure in Upper Karpacz was one of about 400 such chapels built in the early 12th century on the bank of Lake Vang in southern Norway; only 28 of these 'stave churches' survive there today. Not only is it the oldest church in the Sudetes, it’s also the highest situated (886 m). The church is made of hard Norwegian pine and has been constructed without a single nail. We come back to the centre of Karpacz to enjoyafternoon at leisure. Dinner and overnight.
 
Day 5: WAMBIERZYCE – BARDO SLASKIE
After breakfast we head to Wambierzyce, where the Shrine of the Holy Virgin is. This place is very often called Jerusalem of Silesia region. Here we visit the magnificent baroque Basilica and the unique Calvary with 74 chapels. We enjoy the Holy Mass. We also see the famous Nativity Scene with 800 figures made here in the 19th century. Afterwards we go to Bardo Sląskie to see the miraculous figure of St. Mary kept in the local Basilica. After the visit we depart for Kraków. Dinner and overnight in Krakow.
 
Day 6: KRAKOW – LAGIEWNIKI  
After breakfast we walk around the Old Town of Krakow discovering all the highlights of the former capital of the Polish Kingdom: Wawel Hill with its magnificent Royal Castle and the Cathedral;the Main Market Square (the biggest medieval square in Europe), splendid St. Mary’s Basilica, the Royal Way with its numerous churches and old tenement houses. After lunch break we visit Lagiewniki, the world-famous Shrine of the Divine Mercy, the burial place of St. Sister Faustina Kowalska, the Apostle of God’s Mercy, who died here in 1938. We take a brief tour and attend Holy Mass. Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight in Krakow.
 
Day 7: CZESTOCHOWA – AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU
After breakfast we will drive to Czestochowa - Jasna Gora to the most important pilgrimage centre in Poland. Visiting the Shrine of Our Lady. We will visit the Miraculous Chapel with the image of the Virgin Mary and see the 14th century monastery complex. After lunch break we set off for Auschwitz-Birkenau. This former Nazi German concentration camp leaves a strong impression on visitors, because it lets one at least partially visualise the scope of the Holocaust. Dinner and overnight in Krakow.
 
Day 8: KALWARIA ZEBRZYDOWSKA – WADOWICE  
After breakfast we go to Wadowice – the birthplace of John Paul II. Here we see his Family House and the Basilica where he was baptized. We enjoy some free time – either for personal devotions or for tasting famous Pope’s cake! We also stop in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, the second biggest pilgrimage centre of the Marian devotion in Poland. Considered one of the most unique monuments of culture and religiousness, it was built in the 17th-18th c. as the symbolic imitation of Jerusalem. Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight in Krakow.
 
Day 9: DEPARTURE FROM POLAND
After breakfast, check out from the hotel, transfer to the airport in Krakow, farewell to the guide, end of the pilgrimage. Departure to the ....