| Day 1 | Monday, May 21, 2007 |
Enjoy your overnight flight to Berlin!
Overnight flight to Berlin
| Day 2 | Tuesday, May 22, 2007 |
Arrival in Berlin
Arrive in historic Berlin, once again the German capital. For many years the city was defined by the wall that separated its residents. In the last decade, since the monumental events that ended Communist rule in the East, Berlin has once again emerged as a treasure of arts and architecture with a vibrant heart.
Overnight in Berlin
| Day 3 | Wednesday, May 23, 2007 |
Walking Tour of Berlin (time permitting )
Get your bearings in Berlin as your Tour Director puts you in tune with a few of the city’s most noteworthy attractions.
Free Time in Berlin
Explore areas of Berlin you may have missed. Shop the Ku’damm, which is the Fifth Avenue of Berlin, filled with quality stores, but also outlets with traditional souvenirs. Although renowned for the wealth of its museums, Berlin is also a superb place to relax and watch the world go by at one of its many eclectic bars or cafés.
Overnight in Berlin
| Day 4 | Thursday, May 24, 2007 |
The Jewish Holocaust Memorial
Visit this sprawling memorial near the Brandenburg gate. The 2,700 feet of stone is the infamous meeting place where the SS and the Nazi’s planned the extermination of European Jewry. Nearly all of the photographs are official, Nazi photographs making it one of the most unique exhibitions of its kind worldwide.
Enjoy a train ride from Berlin to Warsaw
Enjoy the beautiful countryside as you travel from Berlin to Warsaw by train.
Arrive in Warsaw
Almost completely destroyed by the German army in 1944, Warsaw, capital of Poland, has been re built, The Holy Cross Church and the 15th-century St. Carmelite Church are two of the most notable attractions in a city that stands as a symbol of a tragic historical moment, but also as one of survival and rebirth.
Overnight in Warsaw
| Day 5 | Friday, May 25, 2007 |
Guided Sightseeing of Warsaw
Destroyed by the Nazis in WWII, Warsaw has since been painstakingly restored to its former splendor. At Lazienki Park, a local guide shows you the Chopin monument and the palace of Stanislaw Poniatowski, Poland’s last king. Browse through the Historical Museum of Warsaw, and watch a film chronicling Warsaw’s experiences during WWII. You’ll also view the site of the infamous Warsaw ghetto, in which the Jews of the city were tragically imprisoned by the Nazis.
Visit the Jewish Historical Institute
The Jewish Historical Institute is the only institution in Poland focused entirely on the study of the history and culture of Polish Jews. It is the largest depository of Jewish-related archival documents, books, journals, and museum objects.
Warsaw Jewish Cemetery
The historic Warsaw Jewish Cemetery has been in continuous use since late in the 18th century and contains an estimated 250,000 individual graves, as well as mass graves of thousands of residents of the Warsaw Ghetto. While most of the gravestones have survived, the cemetery burial records were destroyed by Nazi forces during the WW II occupation of Warsaw.
Overnight in Warsaw
| Day 6 | Saturday, May 26, 2007 |
Transfer to Krakow
This city, since the end of the Cold War, has emerged into an upbeat cultural center while remaining home to Poland’s oldest and most prestigious university.
EF Walking Tour of Krakow
Enjoy the unspoiled splendor of Poland’s former capital as you walk the narrow streets of Krakow’s Old Town on our EF walking tour. Hitler’s armies were driven out of Krakow; thus, the city has retained its original charm.
Overnight in Krakow
| Day 7 | Sunday, May 27, 2007 |
Enjoy a sightseeing of Krakow
Set out on a guided tour of Krakow, the only major city in Poland to escape devastation during WWII. Visit Wawel Hill, perched high above the Vistula River, and Wawel Cathedral, where Polish Kings were crowned and Pope John Paul II once served as archbishop. Stroll through Glowny Square, passing beautiful Sukiennice Cloth Hall and the Jagiellonian University.
Visit to Auschwitz and Birkenau
Today you will visit the infamous Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz, where an estimated 1.5 million people—mostly Jews—were murdered, and thousands more experienced incomparable suffering. A chilling reminder of man’s inhumanity to man, the camp has since been turned into a memorial museum. You will begin your tour at the museum at Auschwitz, which holds displays detailing the Nazi atrocities. As you walk through the former barracks, you will see enormous rooms holding shoes, hair, glasses and other personal items confiscated at the camp. Still remaining at the camp is a gas chamber that you can walk through. You will note the blue stains left on the walls, stained by the Zyklon B gas used. As you enter the camp, you will walk under the infamous entrance way, with the words “Arbeit macht frei” (Work brings Freedom) placed there by Major Rudolf Hoss, commandant of the camp.
Overnight in Krakow
| Day 8 | Monday, May 28, 2007 |
Transfer to Prague via Wadowice
Drive through ravines and pass medieval castles on limestone cliffs as you journey from Poland into the Czech Republic. Stop in the village of Wadowice, birthplace of Pope John Paul II. Then continue on to Prague.
Overnight in Prague
| Day 9 | Tuesday, May 29, 2007 |
Free Time in Prague
Enjoy free time to discover the wonders of Prague. Because of the compactness of the city, you may wander from the city’s castle district, across a medieval bridge, and drink a leisurely coffee on Wenceslas Square in under half an hour. Consider a visit to the birthplace of Franz Kafka, the National Gallery, or the Jewish Museum. Wander through the elegant Wallenstein Gardens or browse for locally made crystal and glassware.
Overnight in Prague
| Day 10 | Wednesday, May 30, 2007 |
Transfer to Vienna
Travel to Vienna, the city which cultivated the talents of Mozart, Schubert, Beethoven, Haydn and Strauss.
Orientation tour of Vienna
Your Tour Director accompanies you on a stroll through Vienna’s pedestrian zone. Pass the city’s world-famous Opera House and the 450-foot-high Gothic St. Stephan’s Cathedral, a venerable symbol of the city. You’ll also see the Sacher Hotel—the esteemed chocolate Sachertorte was invented here.
Overnight in Vienna
| Day 11 | Thursday, May 31, 2007 |
Guided Sightseeing of Vienna
The residence of the imperial court for six centuries, Vienna is marked with the seal of the Habsburgs, a family who once ruled over half of Europe. In-depth sightseeing takes you down the Ring, a series of wide boulevards commissioned by Emperor Franz Josef in 1857. Ride past the Parliament, the flower-adorned Rathaus (Town Hall), and the Hofburg, where the powerful Habsburg dynasty ruled until 1918.
Excursion to Mauthausen Memorial
Today you will visit the Mauthausen memorial in northern Austria. The Nazi regime built a concentration camp in this location shortly after Austria’s annexation by the German Reich in 1938. Over half of the prisoners interred at Mauthausen died before the camp was liberated on May 5, 1945. Mauthausen is now a memorial site, with the dual purpose of honoring the memory of those who died here, and keeping the memory of the Nazi atrocities alive, that they may never again be repeated.
Overnight in Vienna
| Day 12 | Friday June 1, 2007 |
Free time in Vienna
Enjoy today to explore Vienna on your own. You might enjoy an excursion to the Hofburg Palace to admire its stately courtyards and ornate gardens, or visit the famous State Opera House. Otherwise, you might choose to visit the city’s fine museums and churches, or spend your time in one of Vienna’s many cafés sampling the local delicacies.
Overnight in Vienna
| Day 13 | Saturday June 2, 2007 |
Transfer to the airport for your return flight home.
