On the trail of the dragon legend - a journey through southern Poland

1st highlight: Castle "Fürstenstein"
First, we start at 9.00 am from Dresden to Wałbrzych. In this small town we will visit one of the largest castles in Poland - Fürstenstein Castle. Since it was built in the 13th century, the appearance and ownership of the castle has changed constantly. We learn more about the different ruling families over time and what the Nazis in World War II had to do with Fürstenstein. We then visit the corridors of the 50 m deep underground system, which also belong to the castle.
Driving time: ca. 3h (255 km)

2nd highlight: palm house
In the early 20th century, Prince Hans Heinrich Hochberg commissioned the construction of a large garden as a gift for his wife. Nowadays you can still visit the Palmarnia (palm house). It immerses its visitors in a world of around 250 different plant species and also lets you discover turtles, lemurs and peacocks.

Overnight at the hotel in Wałbrzych

1st highlight: lunch in a restaurant in the old town

2nd highlight: Kraków city tour
Kraków is the second largest city in the country and was the capital of the Kingdom of Poland until 1596. Despite the catastrophe of World War II, the city's centuries-old historical heritage remained almost intact and amazes with a wide variety of architectural treasures. During the city tour you will see the largest medieval market place in Europe from the 13th century. This combines many of Kraków's most important and beautiful sights: the Renaissance Cloth Hall from the 14th century, the free-standing Town Hall Tower, the city's smallest church and the Gothic Church of St. Mary, from which a trumpet call is played every hour. After checking out the oldest Polish university, we climb up to Wawel Hill. There we find the former center of power of Poland, the cathedral and the castle ensemble, but also the remains of the Wawel dragon.

Overnight at the hotel in Kraków
Driving time: ca. 4,5 h (335 km)

1st highlight: Visit to Oskar Schindler's factory
Today is primarily about the history of the Jews in Kraków. We start with a guided tour through the former administration building of Oskar Schindler's enamel factory, who saved around 1200 Jews from death. The exhibition covers the years 1939-1945 under German occupation and explains the circumstances of life for Jews in the factory and in the ghetto of Kraków.

2nd highlight: Kazimierz
Kazimierz is the city's Jewish Quarter, dating back to the 14th century. It is an important part of Krakow's Jewish history. On our tour we explore the traces of Jewish traditions and customs, such as Hebrew inscriptions on house facades and the oldest synagogue in Kraków. With a bit of luck we might even see devout pilgrims praying in the city's most important place of prayer, the Remuh Synagogue, or laying a stone at the grave of Rabbi Moses Isserles in the cemetery.

3rd highlight: Mound Kosciuszko
Our last stop in Kraków is Mound Kosciuszko, from where you can see a great panoramic landscape. When the weather is good, even the Tatra Mountains are visible, even though they are 100 km away. Built as a symbolic burial place for Tadeusz Kościuszko, a Polish freedom fighter, the mound is surrounded by the Kraków Fortress and the Museum of National Heroes.

Overnight at the hotel in Kraków

1st highlight: Wieliczka Salt Mine (UNESCO World Heritage)
About 40 min from Kraków is the Salt Mine in Wieliczka, where we descend 800 steps to a depth of 135 m. During the tour we see endless corridors and various scenes with statues carved out of salt stone, which tell the story of its creation. The peculiarity of the mine is the large, beautiful salt chapel with its ornaments and decoration made of salt stone.

2nd highlight: free time
The rest of the day is free to do as you please. Your guide can provide you with tips for sights or restaurants.

Overnight at the hotel in Kraków

Drive to Zakopane

1st highlight: Oscypek Museum
Oscypek is the traditional, regional hard cheese made from sheep's milk, which is only allowed to bear the name "Oscypek" if the farmers in the Tatra region of Zakopane have made it. In the museum we get an insight into the production of the cheese and are even allowed to make it ourselves.

2nd highlight: free time
You can spend the afternoon as you wish. Our recommendation is the city center with the beautiful Krupowki Street and lots of cute little cafés, restaurants and local shops.

Overnight in Zakopane
Driving time: 2.5 h (110 km)

Highlight: Hike to Lake Morskie Oko - all day
Morskie Oko ("Eye of the Sea") is the largest lake in the High Tatras and lies directly at the foot of the highest mountain in Poland - Rysy - on the top of which the Polish-Slovak border runs. The path leads past mountain waterfalls and places with beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and the lush green of the forests. You have the option to decide on site whether you want to walk the 8 km uphill in about 2.5 h or whether you want to take the horse-drawn carriage as a means of transport. The same options exist for the way back.
Duration: 5 - 6h

Overnight at the hotel in Zakopane

Highlight: free time
You can plan the next two days as you wish. We recommend you taking walks or hikes in the Tatra mountains. Challenging hikes up to the highest mountain in Poland - Rysy (2499 m) or a hike on Kasprowy Wirech or Wielki Giewont are well suited for day trips.

Overnight at the hotel in Zakopane

Drive to Wroclaw

Highlight: City tour of Wroclaw
Wroclaw is one of the largest, most beautiful and oldest cities in Poland, which offers all the prerequisites for a trendy destination: perfectly preserved medieval buildings and modern city districts. The city has an ancient tradition and was first mentioned around the year 900, whereby the region of Silesia - in which Wroclaw is located - was already mentioned by Tacitus in 98 AD. Our walk begins on the medieval market square (Pol.: Rynek). Many events take place here throughout the year. We visit the historic town hall, the adjoining churches and the restored town houses, which tell of a living story. During our excursion we take a look at another specialty of Wroclaw - the around 230 bronze dwarfs scattered around the city. These little residents were erected in the 1980s under the motto "Humor is the best weapon against oppression" and served as a symbol of protest against the communist state.

Overnight in Wroclaw
Driving time: ca. 5 h (370 km)

1st highlight: visit to the "Panorama of Racławice"
We start the 2nd day with a visit to the "Panorama of Racławice". This unique Polish work of art includes a panorama picture with a total area of 1,710 m². It depicts the victory of the Polish over the Russian army on April 4, 1794 in Racławice. The picture was a tourist highlight of the city of Lviv (today western Ukraine) for a long time. It was dismantled under strict secrecy and shipped to Wroclaw in 1946. For political reasons, it could only be shown to the public again from 1985 and is now one of the city's most famous sights.

2nd highlight: Centennial Hall (UNESCO World Heritage)
The "pearl of modernity", as it is also known, was built for the centenary exhibition in 1913 and turns out to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The impressive building from the early 20th century houses a museum about the history and construction of this historic complex. Also the surroundings of the Centennial Hall are worth a visit.The Japanese garden and the pergola are predestined for a relaxing stroll and the multimedia fountain creates a water and music show every hour. Also worth seeing are the four-domed pavilion, the Nepomuk wooden church in the adjacent Scheitniger Park and the houses of the WUWA (housing and workroom settlement).

3rd highlight: Free time and farewell dinner
You can organize the afternoon as you wish. We recommend you to go to the market hall and taste your way through the small food stalls or to discover the small, hidden art gallery on the house walls in the Nadodrze district.
We meet again in the evening to end the last day with a local farewell dinner in a restaurant.

Overnight at the hotel in Wroclaw

Breakfast and drive to Dresden
After breakfast we drive back to Dresden today.

See you on your next trip!
Driving time: approx. 3.5 h

10 x overnight stays in 4* hotels
10 x breakfasts
1 x lunch
1 x dinner
All transfers in air-conditioned and comfortable vehicle
All excursions described
Entrance tickets
All day English-speaking tour guide

Meals & drinks not listed
Overnight stays in Dresden (if you need a hotel in Dresden before or after the trip, please feel free to contact us)
Self-organized visits and excursions
Insurances
Tips

Notice for people with restricted mobility: This product is generally not suitable for people with restricted mobility. Please inquire when making your booking whether it still meets your individual needs.

There are about 800 steps in the Wieliczka Salt Mine.