Christmas
in Poland may be a wonderful experience. Among Poles,
wherever they are, the most beloved and beautiful of
all traditional festivities is that of Christmas Eve.
It is then the Wigilia, or Christmas Eve Dinner is served.
It is a solemnly celebrated occasion and arouses deep
feelings of kinship among family members. Christmas
Eve is the most special and delightful evening of the
year. For days in advance, Poles prepare the traditional
foods and everyone anxiously awaits the moment when
the first star appears in the eastern sky. For that
is when the feast to commemorate the birth of the Christ
Child begins.
DAY 1: WARSAW (26 December)
Arrival in Warsaw. Panoramic tour of the city. In
the afternoon a concert of Chopin music with a glass
of sprarling wine. Welcome dinner.
DAY 2: WARSAW (27 December)
In the morning a visit to the Etnographical Museum
in Warsaw, during which you will learn about legends
and believes rooted in Polish Christmas tradition.
Time free. In the late afternoon Christmas feast in
a traditional polish restaurant.
DAY 3: WARSAW-CRACOW (28 December)
Transfer to Cracow. En route stop in Częstochowa to
see the Jasna Góra Sanctuary. Dinner and overnight
in a hotel.
DAY 4: CRACOW (29 December)
Half day sightseeing of Cracow's major historical
monuments. Lunch in a restaurant. In the afternoon
visit of the Wieliczka Salt Mine. Dinner in a traditional
Polish restaurant accompanied by a folklore performance.
DAY 5: CRACOW-ZAKOPANE (30 December)
Full day excursion to Zakopane, the Poland's winter
capital, situated in a charming valley at the foot
of the Polish Tatras. It is the largest ski and mountain-climbing
resort in Poland, famous not only for its pictoresque
landscapes but also for its art, costumes, mountaineers'
music and wooden rural architecture.
DAY 6: CRACOW-ZAKOPANE (31 December)
In the morning visit of the Christmas Market staged
in festively-decorated Old Market Square and the Christmas
creches exposition. Lunch in a restaurant. Free time.
In the evening the begining of the New Year's Eve
Party in a hotel**** (optionally: New Year's Eve Party
in the Market Square in Cracow's Old Town).
DAY 7: CRACOW (1st January)
In the morning free time for shopping and individual
sightseeing. Lunch in a restaurant. In the afternoon
a stroll along charming streets of the Jewish district
- Kazmierz. A farewell dinner in a restaurant accompanied
by a folklore performance.
DAY 7: CRACOW (2nd January)
After breakfast transfer to the airport and return
flight.
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