Poland / Kaszuby

Poland

This customized tour is tailored to explore the region and roots of the Ottawa Valley’s Kaszuby / Polish Heritage. Special host, David Shulist has spent years researching and tracing the Kaszuby history and is very excited to share his knowledge and stories with you. Join David and an English speaking guide and peek into the past of the Ottawa Valley’s Polish/Kaszub people’s history.

13 Days
May 31 - June 12, 2009

Your Tour Includes

Exclusive tour custom-designed by Jamieson Travel

Round-trip flight to/from Toronto airport

Round-trip transportation to/from Toronto airport (Pembroke to Ottawa)

All ground transportation in Poland

Hotel accommodation for 11 nights

11 breakfasts, 1 lunch and 9 dinners

All entrance fees listed in itinerary

Cable car ride

Folk lore show

Wieliczka Salt Mine Tour

Auschwitz tour

All taxes & surcharges

Escorted by english-speaking Polish guide and David Shulist

Tour Pricing
Double (2 per room) - $4195 per person
SIngle (1 per room) - $4795 per person
Triple (3 per room) - $4119 per person
(All prices are in Canadian $)

Insurance
(please refer to general information)

Age Deluxe Cancellation & Full Medical

0-60
61-65
66-70
71-75
75+

$260
$325
$395
$525
Please call for a quote

Booking Details
To reserve this tour, please forward a deposit of $250 (per person) plus insurance if purchasing. Please book before March 9, 2009. Balance is due by April 1, 2009.

Please Note: A minimum of 20 people must be registered by Apri. 30, 2009 for this custom tour to operate.

Itinerary

DAY 1
Depart Canada
Today, we’re off to Poland. Transportation to the Toronto airport is included where we board our overnight flight to Warsaw, then connect to Krakow!

DAY 2
Krakow
Welcome to Krakow! Today we will get our first taste of all that Poland has to offer. Spend the your day relaxing and settling in or stretch your legs with some sightseeing. This evening we will have a delicious group dinner.

DAY 3
Krakow - Zakopane
After our tasty breakfast we will head out on the town to take in the sights of Krakow. Today we will head off to Zakopane with a visit to the Wieliczka Salt Mine, a world heritage site, along the way. Zakopane, Poland’s highest town, lies at the foot of the spectacular Tatra Mountains, the only alpine mountain range in this part of Europe.

DAY 4
Zakopane
This morning we will get a spectacular birds eye view of the Zakopane area with thrilling cable car ride up Gubalowka Mountain. The rest of your day is free. Take your choice between leisure and relaxation or shopping for some local handicrafts. Don’t leave Zakopane without a taste of their famous mountain cheese. This evening we will be treated with a scrumptious dinner, folklore entertainment and a cozy bon-fire.

DAY 5
Zakopane - Czestochowa
After breakfast we will depart for Czestochowa. Enroute we will stop at Auschwitz where we will view the site of the horrific Nazi Death Camp. This afternoon we will visit the Monastery of Jasna Gora, home of the famous Virgin Mary Shrine and the Black Madonna painting. This evening we will be served a delicious dinner and have free time to explore the town.

DAY 6
Czestochowa - Torun
This morning we will have an early departure for Torun. Picturesquely located on the banks of the Vistula River, Torun is one of the most beautiful cities in Poland and the birthplace of Nicolaus Copernicus. This afternoon will be spent sightseeing and exploring the gothic buildings and architecture of Torun’s Old Town. Torun is the only city in Poland that was not bombed during WW II.

DAY 7
Torun - Bytow /Dzieminy
Saying good-bye to Torun, we’re off to Bytow. Along the way we will tour the southern Kaszuby region. Be prepared to see names that look familiar to you in the Ottawa Valley! We stop in the beautiful town of Chojnice for lunch and then on to Lesno where we visit the wooden Church, the ancient burial grounds of Stone Circle, a Kaszub farm, and a visit to Wiele where the ancestors of many Valley people once lived. In Brusy we visit the famous Kaszubian artist Josef Chelmowski.

DAY 8
Bytow - Gdansk / Sopot
After breakfast, we’re off to Lipusz for a Sunday Mass with Fr. Szulist, the very place where most of the Ottawa Valley Polish/Kaszub ancestors attended. Today we will be entertained with sightseeing in the tricity of Gdansk/Gdynia/Sopot, including Old Town Gdansk, the Artmus Court and the famous Neptune Fountain. We will drive past the shipyards in Gdynia where the solidarity movement was born. We check in to the Mercure Hevelius Hotel for the next three nights. Enjoy the panoramic views of the old City Centre and historic docks from the hotel.

DAY 9
Gdansk
After breakfast we travel to the northern part of Kaszuby until we reach the Baltic sea. Today we all go to Hel!!! Along the way we visit the fishing villages of Puck, Wladyslawowo, Jastarnia and then to Hel and back by ferry. You are free this evening to enjoy Gdansk and have dinner on your own.

DAY 10
Gdansk / Sopot
Today is a day at leisure. Enjoy a walk on the famous pier or shop for amber and silver. In the evening, we will be entertained by a Kashubian Dance Group. Song and dance of the Kaszubian people in full costume is in store!

DAY 11
Gdansk / Sopot - Kartuzy
Today we travel to Kartuzy, the heart and capital of the Kaszuby Region. A quick stop at the Necel Pottery works in Chmielno, then off to Sianowo, the home of the Blessed Mother of Sianowo - Queen of Kaszub - Matki Boskiej Sianowskiej - Krolowej. Then off to Zukowo the birthplace of Kashubian Embroidery. You will visit the museum where five pieces of Canadian Embroidery are on display crafted by our own students of the Ottawa Valley. We check into the Korman Hotel and dinner is on your own this evening.

DAY 12
Kartuzy
Today we visit the museum in Kartuzy and then off to the Open Air Museum and Ethnographic Park in Wdzydze Kiszewskie. Everything you want to know and see about Kaszubian Culture can be found here. A perfect ending to a perfect trip. Tonight we have a special farewell dinner to celebrate our wonderful tour!

DAY 13
Poland - Canada
Today we will fly out of the Gdansk airport back home to Canada landing in Toronto. Transportation back to the Valley provided.