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 Day
1. Kraków
Arrival in Kraków. A stroll through the old town and welcome
dinner with music & dance performance by the Kraków
folklore ensemble.
Day 2. Kraków
Sightseeing tour of the Old Town including visit to
the St Mary's church, the medieval cloth halls at the
heart of the main square and the Wawel Hill with Castle
and Royal Cathedral. Lunch. Next visit the ethnographical
museum presenting the rich collection of Polish folk art,
traditional Polish costumes, folk paintings and craft. The
rest of the day at leisure. Dinner at hotel.
Day 3. Kraków - Wieliczka - Niepołomice - Kraków (40 km)
An excursion to the nearby salt mine in Wieliczka
with the underground world of chambers, corridors, chapels
and statues carved in salt by generations of miners - a unique
tourist attraction in the world. Next drive to nearby town
Niepolomice and lunch in the Renaissance castle, a
former summer residence of Polish kings. Then visit the Chamber
of Niepołomice Region and watch baking of bread and cakes
in an old, traditional oven. Coffee break and tasting the
cakes. Continue to Niepołomice forest for the relaxing
horse-drawn carriage ride ended with camp fire. Dinner
at hotel in Kraków.
Day 4. Kraków - Sromowce - Zakopane (150 km)
Departure for Zakopane. Stop at Debno and visit the XVth
century church, admire the unique interior with the brilliant
polychromy and wooden carving . Continue to Sromowce Nizne
for the 10 km long raft trip on Dunajec river. First
lunch and then....the smoothly going wooden rafts led by highlanders,
give you a chance to admire the scenic surroundings of Pienieny
Mountains with limestone rocks and forests. Arrival in Zakopane
in the late afternoon. Check in at hotel and sightseeing
tour of the town, including its typical wooden architecture.
Dinner at hotel.
Day 5. Zakopane
After breakfast, visit the Tatra museum and then visit
the Arts High School. The students will present the
different techniques of folk handicraft, such as painting
on glass or sculpturing in wood. Lunch at regional restaurant
with regional dishes. Free time. In the evening picnic
by camp fire with an entertainment of highlanders' folklore
ensemble. Dance, music and tasting traditional highlanders'
specialities.
Day 6. Zakopane - Chochołow - Besenova (180 km)
Deaprture for Slovakia. En route visit the charming,
small village Chocholow, a natural open-air ethnographical
museum with a unique wooden architecture. Crossing the border
with Slovakia. Drive through the picturesque mountain landscape
to the "Orava Village Skansen" a spacious open-air
ethnographical museum hidden deep in the forest. Lunch and
visit the Skansen. You can see a village with cottages, church,
cemetery and fire-tour. Some of the buildings are genuine,
some have been reconstructed. Arrival in Besenova, a famous
SPA resort with large thermal bath facilities in the region
of Liptowska Mara (the Liptow Sea). Check in at hotel and
dinner with the slovak specialities.
Day 7. Besenova - Spania Dolina - Vlkolinec - Besenova
(140 km)
On this day we visit two charming and famous villages. First
Spania Dolina, in the past famous for copper mining,
now this quiet small settlement (120 inhabitants) is known
for traditional bobbin lace-works. Walk through the
village and presentation of the lace making. Then short
drive and visit Vlkolinec, a picturesque village located
on the mountain with splendid panorama on the valley. The
village is inhabited by 20 (!) people - two kids included.
Among the buildings you can find real architectural jewels,
such as the wooden bell tower, or a historic small church.
The nearby stream is still the only source of drinking water
for inhabitants. The village is placed on the UNESCO Cultural
Heritage List. Lunch with Slovak folklore entertainment.
Back in Besenova and time for leisure and hot water healing
treatments. Dinner at hotel.
Day 8. Besenova - Oravski Podzamok - Kraków (190 km)
Departure for Krakow. Stop at Oravski Podzamok and
see a mysterious castle situated on a high cliff, which featured
once for the Herzog's film "Nosferatu Vampire". Guided
visit of the castle. Lunch en route. Return to Kraków
in the afternoon. Time for shopping. Farewell dinner.
Day 9.
Transfer to the airport for the return flight.
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