POLAND FROM THE TATRA MOUNTAINS TO THE BALTIC SEA – IN THE STEPS OF ST JOHN PAUL II

POLAND FROM THE TATRA MOUNTAINS TO THE BALTIC SEA –

IN THE STEPS OF ST JOHN PAUL II - 13 DAYS

CRACOV · WIELICZKA/AUSCHWITZ* · ZAKOPANE · CZĘSTOCHOWA · WARSAW · MALBORK · GDAŃSK · GDYNIA · SOPOT · TORUŃ · BYDGOSZCZ · WROCŁAW

DAY 1

Arrival in Cracov. A stroll along the city and free time. We drive to the hotel for dinner and accomodation.

DAY 2

Breakfast. We drive to see the Sanctuary of Gods Mercy in Łagiewnik. We head to the Wavel Hill, where we visit the St Waclaw and St Stanislaw Gothic cathedral. We continue with a visit to the undergrounds i.e. necropolis of the Polish kings and national heroes. We then head to the Royal Castle and its royal chambers. On our way back we walk to the Main Square, where we’ll see i.e. The Cloth Hall, the statue of Adam Mickiewicz, the city hall tower and the basilica of Holy Mary with the famous Veit Stoss altar. Dinner and overnight.

DAY 3

Breakfast. We start our day with a visit to Wieliczka* There we’ll see the Salt MIne and the Museum of Saltworks, along the pilgrimage path. There will be an opportunity to see amazing underground lakes, wooden constructions and unique salt statues. Our last stop is at the wonderful chapel of Kinga of Poland. Drive to Zakopane for dinner and accomodation.

DAY 4

Breakfast. A stroll along the Tatras, where we’ll see the Krupówki street, St John the Evangelist church, the cemetery on Pęksowy Brzyzk and the chapel in Jaszczurówka. We head to the National Sanctuary of Mother Mary of Fatima in Krzeptówki. With a line cable train we drive up to Gubałówka. From its top one can see the wonderful panorama of Zakopane, Tatras, Pienin, Gorców and Beskidów Żywiecki. Drive down. Dinner and overnight.

DAY 5

Breakfast. We drive to Częstochowa, where we’ll visit the most important sanctuary in Poland – the father Paulins monastery in Jasna Góra. The tradition of pilgrimages to Jasna Góra reaches the beginnings of the monastery in 1382. Dinner and accomodation in Warsaw.

DAY 6

Breakfast. We start our day with a visit to the Castle square. We drive to the baroque-classicistic Royal Castle i.e. the Large Apartament, Royal Room and the Senate Room. Our next stop is the Ujazdowskie Alleys. Visitting the antique palaces, multiple ambacy headquarters, Bevedere, Ministery Council edifice, Ujazdowski park. Heading over to the palace - garden part in the Royal Baths. We stop for a while to admire the wonderful architecture antiques i.e. the palace and theatre on the Island, the Myślewicki palace, the Frédéric Chopin statue and other interesting places. Dinner and overnight.

DAY 7

Breakfast. We drive to Villanov, where we visit the Sanctuary of Gods’  Providence, in whichs’ undergrounds tombs of i.e. father John Twardowski, Ryszard Kaczorowski and relics of father George Popiełuszka, St John Paul II, St Andrew Boboli and St Maximilian Kolby can be found. After this we continue to the summer residence of John II Sobieski in Villanov, along with the castle gardens. Heading over to the St Stanislaw Kostka church in Zolibrze. Praying next to the grave of father George Popiełuszko and taking a look at the museum named after him. Dinner and accomodation.

DAY 8

Breakfast. We head to Malbork and sightseeing at the Teuronic Knights castle. We then continue to the castle rooms i.e. the Palace of the High Masters, the capitulary hall, the Gdanisko tower, the refectory and the convent chamber. We’ll also see the castle ward, the chapel, the foss, the courtyards, the main tower and the figures of the masters of the monastery. We finally drive to Gdańsk for dinner and overnight.

DAY 9

Breakfast. We head to the Old Town to see the well preserved tenement houses of the rich Gdańsk citizens, along the most important antiques: the Artus court, the City Hall of the Main City, as well as the Neptune Fountain. We head down to the Long Seacoast to Motława. Stopping next to the old middle ages harbour crane, whose modern drive mechanism still functions today. A stroll to the Holy Mother Mary basilica, with a precious XVI cent. altar. We then continue to the St Bridget church, where the famous Amber Altar of the Nation can be found. It is also supposed to be the biggest amber construction in the world. Heading over to the Gdańsk Shipyard – the birthplace of Solidarity. Our last stop is at the statue of the fallen Shipyarders. Dinner and overnight.

DAY 10

Breakfast. We drive to Gdynia and walk around the city – Kościuszki Square. Next to the waterfront we’ll  see ”Lightning” the Polish Ship destroyer and sailing ship going by the name of ”The Pomeranian Gift”. After this we continue to Sopot - a waterfront resort and at the same time the city of healing. Walking along the main street - ”Monte Cassino” pedestrian area. Our last stop is at the longest jetty in Europe of a wooden construction from which a beautiful view of the Balitic Sea is spreading. Dinner and overnight.

DAY 11

Breakfast. We head to Toruń. We drive up to the Old and New Town with its XIII cent. urban arrangment.  Our next stop is he gothic city hall with the clock tower, the Artus’ Court, the tenement house under the star, the statue of Nicolaus Copernicus, the cathedra of st Johns, the Gothic Churches of Holy Mother Mary and St Jacob, the house of Copernicus and the Curved Tower. There will be an opportunity to buy the Toruń gingerbread. We drive to Bydgoszcz and visit the Old Town, where we’ll also see the antique garners and the main square. We stop for a while at the Sanctuary  of Mother Mary of the Beautiful Love. Our last stop is the Mill Island -  the bydgostian Venice and then to the area around Opera Nova. Dinner and accomodation.

DAY 12

Breakfast and drive to Wrocław. We head to the Town Hall and the antique tenement houses at the market. After this we continue to Ostrów Tumski and visit the archicathedral of st John the Baptist from the XIII – XIV cent., which is considered to be the first fully gothic temple in Poland. Our next stop is at the statue of st. John Nepomucen and we’ll walk along the Tumski Bridge, also known as the ”Bridge of Lovers”. Dinner and overnight.

DAY 13

Breakfast. We drive to the airport in Cracov. Flight back and the end of the pilgrimage.

* Instead of Wieliczka we can propose a trip to Oświęcim: visitting the Auschwitz Museum. We’ll see : the entry gate with the ”Arbeit macht frei” sign, the Death Block, The Wall of Loss, the gas chamber and crematorium, the ramp, the quarantine baracks, living baracks of the female camp. We take a look at the national displays and multiple historical displays i.e. photographs, photocopies of documents, prison clothing, wooden cots and other equipment, which was situated in the prison rooms, personal things which were taken from Poles, deported Jews and prisoners of other nationalities.