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Historic Cities & Railways of Poland by Air

Rolling expanses of lowland plains and carefully crafted medieval towns and cities create a beautiful contrast between natural beauty and handmade history for any heritage rail enthusiast to enjoy. We take some time to explore Warsaw, the capital and largest city of Poland. From the vast lakes of Paluki to the rustic bridges of Wroclaw – our journey ends in the historic city of Krakow, visiting the life-changing Auschwitz-Birkenau along the way. So, join us as we explore historic Poland in all its extraordinary beauty.

Tour Includes

Return scheduled flights from London to Warsaw, returning from Krakow, with one piece of checked luggage
First class rail travel between Warsaw-Poznan & Wroclaw-Krakow
8 nights hotel with continental breakfast
8 evening meals
1 lunch
Services of an experienced Tour Manager
Coach transfers for excursions

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Today we fly to Warsaw where we transfer by coach to our hotel and enjoy a welcome dinner.

Includes Dinner

We enjoy breakfast at the hotel this morning. In the company of a local guide, we visit the capital city of Poland, Warsaw. During this tour, we will visit the most important spots in the city, and we’ll have an opportunity to become acquainted with the sometimes-tragic past of Warsaw and the history of Poland. We will start our tour by visiting the Old Town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the New Town. We will continue our journey to Krasinski Palace, the Supreme Court building and the Warsaw Uprising Monument. Afterwards, we will go to the Lazienki Royal Park where we will see the famous monument dedicated to Frederic Chopin. We will then have an opportunity to relax in the beautiful rose garden and among the dazzling natural elements of the park. You will truly forget that you are in a major European capital city.

Who among us didn't want to work on the railroads when we were young? You can make this dream come true at Stacja Museum! Unique uniforms, railroad models, vintage phones, tickets from more than a century ago, and many more treasures are on show in the museum. But the most impressive are the trains and locomotives – some of which are the only examples in the world. The Station Museum is housed in the historic building of the former Warsaw Main Railway Station – the most important station in the capital until 1967. The complex survived World War II almost unharmed and to this day it impresses with its original track layout, the only existing memento in the capital of the Warsaw-Vienna Railway, which once connected the Russian Empire with Europe.

Includes Breakfast

Includes Dinner

Stacja Museum Warsaw

This morning, we transfer by coach to Warszawa Centralna train station where we travel by train to Poznan. On arrival we transfer by coach to our hotel and meet our local guide for a sightseeing tour of Poznan.

We visit the Gothic cathedral on the Ostrow Tumski island, the baptism site of Poland in 966. Passing the Chrobry Bridge, we enter the splendid Old Town famous for the renaissance Town Hall dominating over the Market Square. Stroll along charming streets to discover the impressive Franciscan Church with a miniature model of medieval Poznan. We walk to the Freedom Square surrounded by 19th century historical buildings: National Museum, Raczynski Library, Bazar Hotel and Arcadia. This evening we have dinner and stay overnight in Poznan.

Includes Breakfast

Includes Dinner

Poznan

After breakfast at the hotel, we transfer by coach from Poznan to Znin and then continue our trip to Wencja by narrow-gauge railway. It has been a characteristic element of the Paluki landscape for over a century. Today it is used by tourists, but in the 19th and 20th centuries it was the main means of transport in the region. The railway transported agricultural produce, mail and various goods, and it was also a means of passenger transport, with the inhabitants of Paluki using it to travel to work, school and shopping.

We visit the Narrow-Gauge Railway Museum in Wenecja (Polish Venice), an open-air museum collecting and exhibiting steam locomotives, passenger and freight cars, trolleys, tools and signalling equipment. The Museum has collected numerous steam locomotive and one of the oldest is the Orenstein & Koppel in Berlin in 1900. The Tx-1116 locomotive made by Henschel & Son (Kassel, 1918) and the Tx4-564 locomotive made by Hanomag (Hannover, 1923) are also very interesting. A real rarity is the Belgian locomotive No.2179, made by Les Ateliers Metallurgiques Nivelles with the unique wheel arrangement 4-6-2 ("Pacific"), and the only one which has steam brakes.

From here we continue to Biskupin, the best-known archaeological reserve in Central Europe. When first discovered, it was thought to be early evidence of a West Slavic settlement, but archaeologists later confirmed it belonged to the Biskupin group of the Lusatian culture from the 8th century BC. We visit the oldest settlement in Poland. The undoubted advantage of Biskupin is showing "living history". You can see not only reconstructions of houses from thousands of years ago, but also learn about the habits of the people who used to live and work there.

We then transfer by coach to Gniezno, Poland’s first capital. With an impressive cathedral overlooking the charming Old Town avenues, it holds an important place in the royal and religious history of the country. We transfer by coach back to Poznan for dinner and an overnight stay.

Includes Breakfast

Includes Lunch

Includes Dinner

Znin

After breakfast at the hotel, we transfer by coach to Rogalin where we see the splendid landscape gardens with the biggest oak trees in Europe. Nearby you can admire the rococo, the neoclassical palace of the Raczynski family dating back to the 18th century. We also visit the Roundhouse in Wolsztyn, a still operational locomotive depot from which, each day, steam locomotives are sent out on scheduled services on the routes to Poznan and Leszno. The roundhouse was built in 1907 and continued to grow till the 1970’s. Currently there are about 30 items of rolling stock, unique locomotives and historic carriages. One of the most valuable is the 'Beautiful Helena' locomotive, No.Pm36, dating from 1937 with a top speed of 130km/h. From here we continue by coach to Wroclaw for dinner and overnight stay.

Includes Breakfast

Includes Dinner

Rogalin Palace

We enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the hotel before we meet our guide for a coach sightseeing tour of Wroclaw, the city of 100 bridges. Its rich history and medieval character attract millions of tourists every year. The sightseeing starts by the main entrance of the 13th century Cathedral of St. John the Baptist located on Ostrow Tumski island, the oldest part of Wroclaw. Walking along Odra riverbank, we ascend the 'Polish Hill', offering a splendid view over the city. Nearby there is the Panorama of the Battle of Raclawice Museum, presenting one of the biggest 360-degree panoramic battle scenes in the world, nowadays one of the nation’s symbols. The next pearl on our route is Aula Leopoldina – representative baroque hall at the Wroclaw University. Stroll around medieval cobblestone streets leads to the Market Square, one of the largest in Europe, surrounded by old tenement houses with the gothic Town Hall in the centre. From here, we transfer by coach to Wroclaw Glowny train station where we travel by train to Kraków. On arrival, we transfer by coach to the hotel and check in for dinner and overnight stay.

Includes Breakfast

Includes Dinner

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

Kraków is the cultural capital of Poland with the Old Town listed as UNESCO Heritage Site! We meet our local guide for a sightseeing tour where you will see Barbican and defensive walls with Florian's Gate, the Main Market Square with Sukiennice Cloth Hall, St Mary's Church and Town Hall Tower. We then pass the Jagiellonian University, the Archbishop Palace (where John Paul II used to live), as well as St Andrew's Church and St Peter and Paul's Church to reach the Wawel Hill. Here, we include a culinary workshop of 'obwarzanek', the traditional bagel of Kraków, in the Live Obwarzanek Museum. These inconspicuous parboiled dough rings have been part of city’s history for over 600 years. It’s been known since medieval times – kings ate it, knights ate it, even Wawel’s dragon ate it! Learn more and discover what makes them unique during a 1hr long obwarzanki making workshop. We stay overnight in Kraków this evening and enjoy dinner at the hotel.

Includes Breakfast

Includes Dinner

Krakow

Today, we include a visit by coach to Auschwitz-Birkenau. It was established by the Nazis in 1940, in the suburbs of the city of Oswiecim (Auschwitz in German) which, like other parts of Poland, was occupied by the Germans during the Second World War. Here, you can walk through the buildings of the camp - many of which have been left unchanged since their discovery in 1945. This will be a life-changing trip to see what is left of the most startling of all the Nazi Concentration Camps. Although it’s located just 70km southwest of Kraków, it will feel like a completely different time and place. It’s a very moving experience where you will learn about the history and significance of this site. We return to Kraków and enjoy our final meal together in a local restaurant with folklore music.

Includes Breakfast

Includes Dinner

Auschwitz-Birkenau

Today we are transferred by coach to Kraków airport for our return flight back to the UK.

Includes Breakfast

Accommodation

You will stay for two nights at the 4-star Mercure Grand in Warsaw, two nights at the 4-star DaSilva Premium in Poznan, one night at the 4-star HP Park Plaza in Wroclaw and three nights at the 4-star Golden Tulip City Centre in Krakow. Exact hotels will be confirmed in your final Travel Documents.