Gardens and palaces (15/0111)

Services

• 2 nights in Warsaw
• 3 nights in Wrocław
• 2 nights in Cracow
• half board with…
• 7 x buffet breakfast
• 7 x three-course dinner at the hotel
• guided Old Town walk in Warsaw
• city sightseeing tour of Warsaw with…
• visit to the Botanic Garden incl. entrance fee
• visit to Royal Łazienki Park
• visit to the private garden
• visit to the Wilanów Garden incl. entrance fee
• city sightseeing tour of Wrocław including…
• entrance fee to the Cathedral
• visit to Szczytnicki Park and Japanese Garden
• whole day excursion to the Valley of Palaces and Gardens in the Karkonosze Range
• visit to Wojsławice Arboretum including entrance fee
• city sightseeing tour of Cracow with…
• visit to St Mary’s Church incl. entrance fee
• visit to the Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum incl. entrance fee
• visit to the private garden
• 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, a green city with more than 50 parks and gardens. After check-in a guided orientation walk through the Old Town including the Market Square with burgher houses, Royal Castle, Barbican and the Gothic St John's Cathedral. Overnight in Warsaw.

Day 2: Gardens of Warsaw 

After breakfast you will enjoy a city sightseeing tour of „green” Warsaw including the Warsaw University Botanic Garden, not only the oldest but also one of the smallest botanic gardens in Poland. On the area of 5 ha over 5000 species and varieties of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants are grown. You can admire the Climber's Garden, Arboretum, Rose Garden, Ornamental plants, Polish Lowland Flora, Subtropical & Tropical Greenhouses and Palm house.  Royal Łazienki Park is the biggest park in Warsaw setting aside 80 hectares of land in the middle of the city. The garden was established in the 17th century by Tylman van Gameren, in the baroque style. Now this romantic, landscaped park includes the Palace on the Water, together with various other palaces, pavillons, an amphitheater and two orangeries. In the afternoon visit to a private garden in the „Garden City” Sadyba, one of Warsaw’s residential districts. On request we arrange a dinner at the restaurant located in the New Orangery of the Warsaw Royal Bath Gardens. Overnight in Warsaw.

Day 3: Wilanów Palace & Garden

In the morning visit to Wilanów Palace & Garden. The palace was built at the end of 17th century and was a summer residence of kings Jan III Sobieski and August II. The Park, closely surrounding the Palace, covers 43 hectares and presents various styles of the art of gardening from the 17th to the 19th centuries: a two-level Baroque garden, a neo-Renaissance rose garden, an English landscape park and an English-Chinese landscape park. Thanks to its natural lake and stream and its artificial pond, the park has an unique microclimate. Drive to Wrocław and overnight.

Day 4: Wrocław

The city sightseeing tour includes the Old Town Square set up in 13^th century and the Gothic town hall. A walk along the Old Town promenades, formed upon the demolition of the city fortification in the beginning of the 19th Century. This established a green belt along the city moat and the Odra river in the form of alleys with three or four rows of trees. The oldest part of the city is the Ostrów Tumski Island. It shelters a complex of sacral buildings with the Gothic Cathedral of St John the Baptist (13^th/16^th cc.). The Centenary Hall from 1913 was the world's first modernist structure made of ferro-concrete and built by the German architect Max Berg. Visit to Szczytnicki Park, one of the most beautiful parks in Wrocław, covering approximately 100 ha and of high quality and botanical value. The Japanese Garden was restored between 1995 and 1998 with the cooperation of Japanese landscape architects according to Japanese garden art principles. Overnight in Wrocław.

Day 5: Valley of Palaces and Gardens

During today’s excursion you discover the unique and the most beautiful landscapes, palaces and gardens of Jelenia Góra Valley in the Karkonosze Range, which applies for UNESCO World Heritage List. On the small area of 100 km2 there are gothic castles, renaissance manor houses, baroque palaces and residences from 19th century, mostly surrounded by historic park complexes and gardens. It is often compared to the Loire Valley, known as a „Garden of France”. Visiting the palaces and park complexes in Jelenia Góra, Łomnica, Wojanów and Staniszów. Overnight in Wrocław.

Day 6: Arboretum

On the way to Cracow, a visit to the Wojsławice Arboretum, which is the branch of Wrocław Botanic Garden. It occupies the area of 70 ha and includes 1500 different species of trees and 470 different species of Rhododendrons, that are blooming beautifully in May and June. Arrival in Cracow in the afternoon and overnight.

Day 7: Cracow

During the city sightseeing tour of Cracow  you will see the historic buildings in the Old Town, registered on the UNESCO List of World Cultural Heritage. Very famous is Europe’s largest medieval Market Square with the Cloth Halls as well as St Mary’s Church with its Gothic pentaptych altarpiece carved in limewood. On reuqest visit to the Royal Castle and Cathedral on Wawel Hill. In the afternoon visit to the Botanical Garden of Jagiellonian University (founded 1783) and the Botanical Museum. Afterwards visit to one of the private gardens in Cracow’s surroundings. Overnight in Cracow.

Day 8: Departure

Breakfast and departure.