POLAND – DENMARK – NORWAY. MAGICAL NORTH – PILGRIMAGE TO POLAND AND SCANDINAVIA

POLAND – DENMARK – NORWAY. MAGICAL NORTH – PILGRIMAGE TO POLAND AND SCANDINAVIA 13 DAYS

WARSAW · MALBORK · GDAŃSK · GDYNIA · KARLSKRON · COPENHAGEN · HELSINGOR · HELSINBORG · OSLO · LATEFOSSEN  · ODDA · FOLGEFONNNA · STEINDALFOSSEN · BERGEN · AURLANDFJORD

DAY 1

Arrival in Warsaw. We walk along the city and free  time. Transfer to the hotel for dinner and accomodation.

DAY 2

Breakfast. We start our day with a visit to the Castle square and taking a lokat the column of king Zigmund III Waza – the Copper-Roof Palace. We head to the baroque – classicistic Royal Palace, i.e. the Large Apartment, the Royal Apartment and the Senatorial Hall. Visitting the St John the Baptist archicathedral basilica. In the crypt of the Basillica, one can find the tombs of the deserved poles. Our next stop is the Wola district. After this we continue to the Museum of the Warsaw Rebellion, which is a tribute to those who fought and died for the free Poland. With the help of multimedia, the beginning and the next phazes of the Rebellion had been shown, along with the exit of the Rebellioners from Warsaw and their later fate can be seen. Dinner and accomodation.

DAY 3

Breakfast. We drive to Malbork and visit the Teutonic Knights castle, where we’ll see the rooms i.e. the castle of the Great Masters, the capitual hall, the Gdanisko tower, the refectory and the convent chamber. We stop for a while at the ward, the chaple, foss, courtyard, main tower and the statues of the great monastery masters. Dinner and overnight in Gdańsk.  

DAY 4

Breakfast. We stroll through at the old town, along the Royal Road. We’ll see the well preserved tenement houses of the rich citizens of Gdańsk and along the most important antiques the Artus’ manor, the City Hall of the Main City, as well as the Neptune Fountain. After this we continue to the old middle ages crane harbour, whose mechanism works up to today. Heading over to the basilica of Holy Mother Mary with a precious, XVI century altar. Visitting the XII cent. castle of st Catherine. In the tower of the church, where a 50-belled carillon – the biggest of the three bell groups in Gdańsk. In the church of st Bridget, we’ll see the famous Altar of the Motherland. Apparently its supposed to be the biggest amber contruction in the world. Dinner and an overnight stay.

DAY 5

Breakfast. We drive near the area, where Gate nr 2 of the Gdańsk Shipyard. We stop next to the statue of the Fallen Shipyarders.  We then continue to the European Centre of Solidarity, where an exhibition can be found, dedicated to the history of Solidarity and the opposition movements, which lead to the democratical transformations in the Middle-Eastern Europe. In the accordingly equiped halls we’ll see historical exhibits, spacial and electronical projections, multiple photographs, archival film materials, documents, maps. Wehead to Gdynia. A stroll along the city to the Kościuszki Square. Next to the waterfront we’ll  see the ”Lightning” a Polish Ship destroyer and sailing ship going by the name of ”The Pomeranian Gift”. Transfer to the harbour. Enlistment of cabins to Karlskon. Dinner and accomodation.

DAY 6

Breakfast on the ferry and arrival in Sweden. A stroll along Karlskon – a city enlisted in the UNESCO world heritage list. We stop for a while at the square with the churches of st Frederic and the Holy Trinity, the city hall, the old water tower, along with the statue of the founder of the city Carl XI. Our next stop is the shipyard district Björkholmen with an old development from the XVIII and XIX century. We drive to Denmark throught the Sund strait, through the impressive 16 km tunel. Transfer for dinner and accomodation.

DAY 7

Breakfast. We start our day with a visit to Copenhagen, where we’ll see St Ansgar catholic cathedral next to Bredgade. After this we continue to i.e. the Little Mermaid statue, the cytadel,  fountain of  goddess Gefion – illustrating the nordic legend about how Sealand was created, along with the royal palace Amalienborg. While strolling we’ll also see Christianborg – the palace which was built at the place where the first Copenhagen frotress was made. We head to the city of Helsingor and a ferry trip to the sweedish city of Helsingborg. There we’ll see a medieval development of the city centre. Our last stop is the Kronborg castle, known as one of the places where Shakespeares’ ”Hamlet” takes place. Dinner and accomodation.

DAY 8

Breakfast. We start our day with a visit to Oslo. We drive up to Bygdøy – also called the museum penninsula. We stop for a while at the museum of the polar ship Fram and Kon-Tiki museum, which has exhibits of the incredible journeys of Thor Heyerdahl. We then continue to the St Olaf Roman-Catholic cathedral. Among the precious antiques are the relics of king Olaf, the saint patron of Norway. A walk through the representational street Karl Johans Gate – next to which we’ll see the Royal Palace, the University, the National Theatre and the Parliment. We end this day with a visit to the city hall, where the Nobel Peace Prize is given and finally the Akershus tower, where the history of the city had begun. Dinner and overnight.

DAY 9

Breakfast. We drive to Odda, where we’ll stop next to the beautiful Latefossen waterfall, which has the height of 165 m. The waterfall is composed of  two seperate streams which effuse from the Lotevatnet lake. The streams meet and connect in the middle of the waterfall, right over the road which runs over it. We stop in Odda- a panorama of the south branch of the Hardanger fiord. We head to the eleven kilometre tunel, under the third biggest glacier in Norway – Folgefonna. We head to the 50-metre Steinsdalsfossen waterfall. It’s extraordinary, since the  path for the tourists leads behind the curtain of falling water. The waterfall was created in 1966, after changing the rivers course. Dinner and overnight in the area near Bergen.

DAY 10

Breakfast. We drive to Bergen and walk through the city known as the gate of the fiords, written down into the World UNESCO Heritage list. Currently it’s one of the biggest harbors in the country. After this we continue to the old Bryggen harbor – a hanseatic waterfront with a wooden development with two floored houses, which have narrow facades, facing the water. That is characteristic for old Norway. We stop for a while at the Bergen fortress, as well as the Romanian church of the Holy Mother Mary. A cruise along the Sognefiord – Aurlandfiord branch to Flam. The cruise gives a wonderful experience. Dinner and accomodation.

DAY 11

Breakfast or lunchboxes. Transfer to the airport and flight back.