Primeval Forest and Land of 1000 Lakes (15/0137)

Services

• 2 nights in Warsaw
• 2 nights in Białowieża
• 2 nights in Masuria
• half board with…
• 6 x buffet breakfast
• 6 x three-course dinner at the hotel
• city sightseeing tour of Warsaw
• visit to Holy Mount of Grabarka
• guided walking tour through the reserve of Białowieski National Park
• visit to European Bison Breeding Reserve incl. entrance fee
• sightseeing tour of Masurian Lakes District with…
• entrance fee to Wolf’s Lair
• visit to Święta Lipka Jesuit complex incl. organ concert
• city sightseeing tour of Olsztyn
• 21^st person free of charge in single room
• 42^nd person free of charge in double/twin room
• 24/7 telephone hotline
• free photo downloads for your promotion

Programme

Day 1: Arrival

Arrival in Warsaw, the capital and biggest city of Poland. Overnight in Warsaw.

Day 2: Warsaw and Holy Mountain

City sightseeing tour including the most important tourist attractions. Totally destroyed during the 2^nd World War, the Old Town and the Royal Castle were reconstructed and placed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Along the Royal Route, you will find many old churches and palaces, including the church with the urn with Frederic Chopin’s heart. The tallest building in Warsaw, the Palace of Culture and Science, a gift from the former Soviet Union, is also worth a visit. In the afternoon drive to Białowieża, heart of Białowieski National Park. On the way visit to Holy Mount of Grabarka, the most important Orthodox sanctuary in Poland. Overnight in Białowieża.

Day 3: Białowieski National Park

After breakfast a sightseeing tour of Białowieża, located in the middle of Białowieża Forest - in the past a favourite hunting place for Lithuanian princes, Polish kings and Russian tsars. You visit the Orthodox Church and Parish, which is famous for its iconostas made of Chinese porcelain, a unique monument of this kind in Poland. The highlight of the day is guided walking tour through the strictly protected reserve which was entered on UNESCO’s list of World Biosphere Reserves and of Cultural Heritage. You will admire the Europe’s oldest primeval forest, where the trees have been growing without human interference. In the afternoon visit to the European Bison Breeding Reserve, where you will see an European bison, in the close to natural conditions. On request barbecue dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Białowieża.

Day 4: The Kingdom of Beaver and Elk

After breakfast drive to the Masurian Lakes District through the Backwater of Biebrza, a wildlife refuge and a part of Biebrza National Park, which encompasses Europe’s most extensive natural bog area. The fauna is diverse and dominated by water and mud birds with some extremely rare species. The park is also Poland’s largest habitat of the elk and beaver. Overnight in Masuria.

Day 5: Wolf’s Lair and Pisz Forest

Today you will admire the highlights of northern and southern part of Masurian Lakes District including the Wolf’s Lair -  Hitler’s headquarters at Gierłoż, which is one of the most sinister places in the region. The Jesuit monastic complex of Święta Lipka is considered the most beautiful baroque construction in Poland. Worth a visit is Poland’s summer capital Mikołajki in the middle of large lakes in a beautiful landscape with its yacht harbour. In the afternoon, drive through the Pisz Forest to reach the Krutynia River, where you can enjoy a boat cruise admiring a unique aquatic fauna and flora.  Overnight in Masuria.

Day 6: Olsztyn

Drive to Warsaw, en route city sightseeing tour of Olsztyn, the biggest city and capital of the Warmia and Masuria region. Olsztyn is famous for its nice Old Town and the gothic castle of the Warmian Bishops, that once served as a home for Nicolaus Copernicus. On request we arrange a farewell dinner in one of the local restaurants with folk entertainment in Warsaw. Overnight.

Day 7: Departure

Breakfast and departure.