A Central European Odyssey 2006-Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic

Tentative departures: Aug 9 to Aug 24, 2006

Est. cost: $3195 (excluding airfare)

(including all hotels, land travel, guides and many meals)

TENTATIVE ITINERARY:

The cultural diversity of Central Europe awaits us on this adventure. Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic will show us historic cities, charming villages, and richly diverse customs and landscapes. Probably because of the division of Europe during the Cold War, Americans have often failed to distinguish between the richly different cultures of Central Europe. But this adventure will introduce us to 3 different nations, each with its own unique history and its own traditions.

This is not a typical agency-style mass tour! The group will be kept very small and the schedule is flexible, so that you can pursue your special interests.-Prof. Doryl Jensen and his European friends and colleagues will be your hosts and will help you to find your own adventures.

Aug 9-Depart USA to Warsaw

Aug 10-Aug 13-Warsaw: 3 nights

(all B, + 2 special meals)

Warsaw has both a glorious and tragic history. It has been the capital city of the Polish nation since the 16^th century and was beautified with grand palaces and gardens. However, it also suffered repeated devastation by foreign armies and lost its capital status when Poland was partitioned by the great powers of Europe in 1795. Despite more than a century without a country, the spirit of the Polish people survived.

It seems a miracle that historic Warsaw exists at all. The ancient core of Warsaw-including even the old Royal Palace-was systematically destroyed by the German troops as the end of World War II nearedÖwhile the Russian troops waited across the Vistula River (Wis≥a) instead of trying to stop the slaughter and destruction. Despite that tragedy, the Poles’ pride in their history determined their decision to carefully rebuild the Old Town brick by brick, using old paintings and other documents to insure authenticity. Wandering the streets, it truly seems that these winding streets have stood undisturbed for centuries. Here we will enjoy hearty traditional food, visit the historic
palaces, and amble through the narrow streets. We will remember the great minds and talents who came from this place-people as diverse as the ultimate Romantic composer Frédéric Chopin, the scientist Marie Curie (born Maria Sk≥odowska), the novelists Henryk Sienkiewicz and Adam Mickiewicz, and the pianist turned prime minister Ignacy Paderewski.

The grand summer palaces and gardens of two of Poland’s most famous kings are worth our exploration. Wilanów, a grand Baroque estate, was built for Jan Sobieski, who was responsible for much of the defense of Europe against the Ottoman Turks, including leading the troops that broke the Turkish siege of Vienna in 1683. The
neoclassical Lazienki Palace and its beautiful park were built about a century later by King Stanis≥aw August, who was also responsible for many of the glories of the Royal Palace in the center of the city.

Aug 13-Aug 14-Czstochowa: 1 night (L, B)

We will stop at Kazimierz Dolny, a charming and ancient town named for one of Poland’s greatest kings, which is a center for local artisans and artists.

Then we will press on to spend a night at the spiritual heart of Poland at Czstochowa. Here, the hilltop monastery of Jasna Góra is one of the world’s greatest places of pilgrimage. For at least six centuries, the faithful have been drawn to pray to the patroness of PolandÖthe icon of the Black Madonna. You may want to explore the opulence of the shrine and also join the pilgrims in their devotions in the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin, where the icon is periodically uncovered to the accompaniment of a theatrical fanfare.

Aug 14-Aug 17 – Kraków: 3 nights (all B + 2 special meals)

There are few more lovely urban areas than the historic heart of Kraków, which was the ancient capital of Poland before the ascent of Warsaw. The legends tell that it was founded on Wawel Hill after the defeat of Krak, a terrible dragon that lived beneath it. In the 14^th century, under King Kazimierz the Great, it became one of the great European centers of Renaissance learning; its university, founded in 1364, was the second oldest (after Prague) in Central Europe, and one of its most famous students was Nicolaus Copernicus (Miko≥aj Kopernik), who revolutionized the world’s view of the universe.

More recently, the world has known Kraków because of its long association with Karol Wojty≥a (Pope John Paul II). During his tenure here as the bishop of Kraków, he became known for leading the resistance to communist rule in Poland.

The Old City is compact and filled with the feel of ages past. In the middle of town is the Rynek G≥ówny, which was the largest and most impressive market square in medieval Europe. In the 16^th century, the city fathers beautified it with a lovely and distinctive Renaissance-style covered market at its centerÖthere you can still amble past craftsmen’s stalls or relax in the cafés around the square. On one side, the tower of the Mariacki Church looms above the city center. Its high altar is a masterpiece of carved and poly-chromed wood by the Nuremberg
Renaissance master Veit Stoss (Wit Stwosz, in Polish). From that tower a lone trumpeter still play a haunting melody to commemorate a predecessor whoÖaccording to legendÖwas killed just as he trumpeted the warning of
an attack on the city by Tartar invaders some 600 years ago.

The streets and alleyways all around are filled with historic structures, wonderful museums (the Czartoryski
Palace Museum houses an astonishing collection of Old Masters, including Leonardo da Vinci‘s Lady with an Ermine), and fascinating churches (one of my favorite stops is always at the Franciscan church, were I can admire the stunning stained glass by one of Poland’s art-nouveau masters around 1900: Stanis≥aw Wyspiaski).

Above a bend in the Vistula River (the Wis≥a) at the south end of the Old City, is the legendary place where the city was founded, Wawel Hill. There is even a cave near the river where the horrible dragon was said to have lived. As you ascend, you will see a statue of one of the great military heroes of Poland, Tadeusz Koúciuszko, who also became one of the great heroes of the American Revolution after he helped lead the American troops for 5 years in their battles against the British. The fortifications, the views over the city, the old castle and archeological excavations are all worth exploring. But the glory of Wawel is the Cathedral: like England’s Westminster Abbey,
Wawel Cathedral contains the tombs of most of the country’s monarchs. We will learn about some of them, such as
King Ladislaw Jagiello and is beloved Queen Jadwiga and King Kazimierz the Great.

Aug 17-Aug 19 – Levoa: 2 nights (all B + 1 special meal)

From Kraków, we will ascend toward the magnificent alpine peaks of the High Tatras. The tiny village of
Chocho≥ów has kept its traditional log architecture, and the lovely town of Zakopane is a center for skiing in the winter and for hiking in the summer.

Then we will cross the Tatras into the lovely mountains and valleys of Slovakia. From the town of Levoa, we will spend a day exploring the villages, castle ruins and mountains. If the weather is good, we may take a gondola to the high peak of Lomnický ätít or a float trip on the Dunajec River.

Aug 19-Aug 21 – Tel: 2 nights (all B + 1 special meal)

Much of Southern Bohemia seems still locked in a time-warp. Some towns and villages seem barely changed since the Middle Ages and Renaissance. We will settle into one such town, Tel. Here the arcaded facades of its intact
15^th-century core surround one of the prettiest small-town plazas in Central Europe. From here, we can also visit other towns, including Cesky Krumlov, located in the heart of the Bohemian Forest in a bend of the storied Vltava River (the Moldau), below one of the largest fortress castles in Central Europe.

Aug 21-Aug 24 – Prague: 3 nights (all B + 1 special meal)

Here will relish the rich Czech cultural heritage and exciting contemporary life in Prague. In fact, the city is so interesting, that you may want to extend your stay.

Few large urban centers can match the beauty of the cityscapes along the Vltava River in the heart of Prague. And few have preserved the architectural variety found hereÖfrom Romanesque chapels and crypts to the Gothic towers of St. Vitus CathedralÖor from lavish Baroque palaces of old noble families to odd cubist structures of the early 20^th century.

This city has not only been the focal point of Czech culture, but also a vital center of European history. For centuries it was one of the great cities of the Austrian empire, and a number of emperors made this their capital most notably the scholarly and quirky Emperor Rudolf II, who drew the greatest artists, scientists and philosophers of his day to his brilliant court. Jan Hus preached in Prague at Bethlehem Chapel and led Europe’s first great Protestant movement a century before Martin Luther. At Prague Castle in 1618, the spirited Czech nobles threw the emperor’s ambassadors from a window, an act of hands-on diplomacy that brought vicious retribution from Vienna and ignited the Thirty-Years’ War, which devastated most of Europe.

And music! Prague has always been a city of music. Although Mozart often felt ill-used by the archbishop in
Salzburg and unappreciated by the public in Vienna, he experienced some of his greatest triumphs in Prague. We will visit Bertramka villa, where he worked and lived.

We will not forget Prague’s recent role in reshaping Europe! Although the Prague Spring in 1968 was crushed by Russian tanks and Czechoslovakia became one of the most repressive and orthodox of the Communist regimes in Europe, the desire for change was not extinguished. In one of the most unlikely scenarios of modern Europe, a little-known playwright-Václav Havel-and a group of actors, writers and artists met in a Prague theater and the “Velvet Revolution” they inspired brought down the government without violence, a key factor in changing the face of all Central and Eastern Europe.

Of course, we will visit the grand sites of the city, but we will also take walking tours through the Old Town and across the Charles Bridge to the Lesser Town and Castle District to find unexpected pleasures in the city byways.

Aug 24 -Return Prague to USA

Or you may choose to say an extra day or two in Prague. We will help you arrange for the extension.