Eastern Europe & the Passion Play

DAY 1 – Depart USA

We depart to Warsaw, Poland.

DAY 2 – Warsaw, Poland

Upon arrival in Warsaw, we meet our tour director and transfer into the city for a short orientation tour and a visit to the Royal Castle. We have time until dinner to relax from our long trip. This evening we experience a welcome dinner in the Old Town. (D)

DAY 3 – Warsaw

A full day of sightseeing awaits us, including the very best of Warsaw: the enchanting Old Town, painstakingly rebuilt from the ground up after WW II, the historic Jewish Ghetto, the busy downtown, and the elegant Royal Route with the Palace on the Water in the Lazienki Gardens. This afternoon we are invited to a complimentary snack in the famous Blikle Café. Other stops include the observation deck of the huge socialist Palace of Culture, and one of the newest historical museums in Poland, the Museum of the Warsaw Uprising. We also have some free time in the Old Town. Dinner this evening is at our hotel. (B,D)

DAY 4 – Krakow

This morning we’ll head south to Cz?stochowa to the culturally important Paulite Monastery and the painting of the Black Madonna. After lunch on your own, we continue to Krakow, where you discover why the city has been included by UNESCO as one of the great historic cities of the world. After a scrumptious dinner, we are treated to a horse-drawn carriage ride through the town. (B,D)

DAY 5 – Krakow

This morning we visit the legendary Wawel Castle with the Royal Apartments, the Cathedral, and the Belfry. Today we also see the world’s largest wooden altar (carved by Wit Stwosz in 1477-1489) open its wings in the Church of the Virgin Mary. We won’t want to miss this magical moment. This afternoon, we venture out to the Wieliczka Salt Mines with their medieval galleries and halls carved out of rock and salt deposits. After a stop at a Vodka distillery, we return to Krakow for dinner on our own. (B)

DAY 6 – Wroclaw

We start early today for Wroclaw arriving in time for lunch at a local restaurant. Then a local guide joins us for a walking tour of the city. We explore the markets and the Old Town and its gnomes. But Wroclaw’s soul is Ostrów Tumski. This “Cathedral Island” is within easy walking distance northeast of the market square. It will be one of the highlights of our tour. (B,D)

DAY 7 – Dresden, Germany               

After breakfast, we depart for a short ride into Germany and the Baroque beauty of Dresden. We take a walking tour of the Old Town, including the Frauenkirche, Zwinger Palace, and the Porcelain Collection for which this town is so famous. There is free time this afternoon to add a visit to more of the town’s resplendent churches, museums, or shops. (B,D)

DAY 8 – Bayreuth/ Oberammergau

Our first stop this morning is Bayreuth, to visit the Hermitage Gardens surrounding the Altes Schloss palace, also a museum, and the Temple of the Sun, honoring the god Apollo. We stop in town for a long lunch and the opportunity for you to visit the Franz Liszt or Wagner museums, if you like. We continue later this afternoon to Oberammergau. (B,D)

DAY 9 – Oberammergau

We enjoy a relaxed morning in Oberammergau, admiring the bright frescoes that adorn many of the homes and businesses, perhaps shopping for a souvenir woodcarving for which the village is famous. We might choose to take the regional bus to nearby Ettal for a visit to the impressive Benedictine abbey. During WW II, the Protestant theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and the Jesuit Priest, Rupert Mayer, both active in the resistance against the Nazi regime and later martyred, were given refuge here. This afternoon we attend Part One of the Passion Play, the legacy of a vow made by the Oberammergauers in 1633 to enact the Passion story. Due to the ravages of the Thirty Years War, the plague had taken its toll in lives. But many of the people were spared, and the following year, 1634, the first Passion Play was performed on a stage set up in the cemetery. After dinner we attend Part Two. (B,L,D)

DAY 10 – Munich

After breakfast we drive through the Bavarian countryside to Linderhof Castle, one of the castles of King Ludwig II. Linderhof was the favorite of King Ludwig’s three castles, tucked into an intimate setting in the woods. There are four pounds of gold leaf in every room and a beautiful collection of vases. We take time to take a guided tour of the castle. This afternoon, we take a brief tour of Munich including the Olympic grounds, the Glockenspiel, the grounds of Nymphenburg Castle, and the pedestrian zone. Our farewell dinner will be a great chance to reminisce about all we’ve seen on this tour. (B,D)

DAY 11 – Return

We transfer to the airport for our return flight. (B)