Spring break in Cracow and Zakopane

spring break in poland... Why not? 

Day 1
Arrival in Cracow, transfer to a hostel for accommodation. Dinner and overnight stay at a hostel.

Day 2
Breakfast, guided tour of Cracow: the Main Market Square, St. Mary’s Basilica and historical trade pavilions of the Cloth Hall, the Royal Route, Collegium Maius, Wawel Hill with its Renaissance Royal Castle and Cathedral. Afternoon time to relax or next part of Cracow tour: "Kazimierz district and Schindler factory". Dinner and an overnight stay at a hostel.

Day 3
Breakfast, transfer to Wieliczka - a visit to the famous Royal Salt Mine with numerous underground chambers, chapels and salt sculptures Transfer to Tatra mountains region. Dinner and an overnight stay at a hostel in Zakopane.

Day 4
Breakfast,  sightseeing tour of the town including funicular ride up Gubalowka mountain, from where you can admire a full panorama of the Tatra mountains, visit on famous ski-jump complex. Dinner in a regional restaurant with live folk music, overnight stay at a hostel.

Day 5
Breakfast, hike to Morskie Oko – a beautiful lake surrounded by the highest peaks of the Polish Tatra mountains or hike along Kościeliska Valley, famous with many Jurassic caves. Dinner, overnight stay at a hostel.

Day 6
Breakfast, departure to Cracow and departure*.

Date: all year round - on request info@excitingpoland.com

Price: 199 Euro / person
(sample price for group of 28 + 2 teachers)

Price include: all transfers by luxury bus according to the tour program, 5 overnights at hostel in multibedded rooms,
5 dinners and 5 breakfasts, service of tour leader, services of guide in Krakow and Zakopane, 2 free of charge places for teachers, entrance tickets.

*possible extension with visit in Auschwitz - Birkenau Nazi Camp 

Cracow- an ancient magic city.
Cracow offers a wide spectrum of museums, art galleries full of exhibitions, theatres, historic cellars, clubs, cafes & restaurants with live music, is an exciting destination for the travelers on the world map!
The city’s cultural heritage is mirrored in its intellectual achievements – the Jagiellonian University is the oldest in Poland. The student population of the city numbers almost 100,000 and this large student population fires a lively nightlife scene that burns brightly in the atmospheric cellar bars away from the tourists above. Cracow has sharply contrasting seasons with cold, snowy winters and fresh springs and autumns. Visitors should beware of the locals’ use of the word fresh – an optimistic reference to blatantly cold weather. The labyrinthine cellars of the Old Town are an ideal place to escape the winter chill. However, come summer, the quintessential Cracow experience is relaxing in a pavement café on the main square enjoying one of the long and balmy nights.

Cracow (Krakow) is now well established as a major tourist destination. At the height of summer, Poland’s fourth largest city throngs with tour groups, all manner of tourist tack and countless pavement cafés that seem to occupy every cobble of the main square. Out of season, late at night or even in the first slivers of morning light, it is clear why so many people flock to visit. This magical city, situated in the southeast of the country, between the Jura uplands and the Tatra Mountains, on the banks of the Wisla (Vistula) River, has one of the best-preserved medieval city centres in Europe. Dozens of churches cover almost every architectural period and are surrounded by monasteries and abbeys – walking through the Old Town streets is like drifting back through the musty pages of a historical novel.

Cracow – a tourist horn of plenty
Cracow, Poland's former royal capital, is one of the most attractive spots on the tourist map of Europe. This is a place where legends, history and modernity intertwine. The city, which lies on the banks of the Vistula River, is famous for its priceless historical monuments of culture and art.

our first choice! the capital of Polish Tatras.
From here, you can reach virtually every single mountain nook in Tatras. Starting your day with a thrilling climb, continuing emotions in a great theatre, ending in one of Zakopane's numerous bars and pubs, your stay here will certainly be remembered. Tourists will find many attractions in Zakopane, starting with walks through the picturesque mountain valleys, wild terrain bicycle rides and horse rides and line railway rides to Kasprowy Wierch, Gubałówka and Butorowy Wierch. In winter the enthusiasts of white madness come to Zakopane to ski down the professionally prepared routes. On the lighted, evened-out with ratracks slopes of Nosal, Gubałówka and Polana Szymoszkowa you can see people skiing till late evening, sometimes even night hours. Krupówki, the cult walking place of Zakopane, is crowded all day and evening long. You can rest from the bustle of everyday life and regain your vigour here.

general info:
spa: lowland spa
climate: lowland climate, moderately stimulating
height: 250 m above sea level
postal code: 32-020 Wieliczka
telephone area code: +48-12

Main treatment areas:
respiratory system diseases, particularly bronchial asthma, and rheumatic disorders.

Natural therapeutic features:
therapeutic microclimate in a salt excavation site with salt particles in the air, in the salt mine at a depth of 200 m.

Location:
Wieliczka lies on the border between Sandomierska Valley and Wielickie Upland, 15 km from Cracow. The town centre is in a hollow surrounded by hills. The development of the spa, famous for its historical salt mine, began in 1964, when the world's first underground anti-allergy sanatorium was established in the mine's chambers.

Treatment facilities:
spa hospitals with 153 beds.

Attractions and cultural events:
It is worth visiting the historical Salt Mine, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After 700 years of exploitation, the mine forms an extensive subterranean town. Sights include wonderful salt lakes, unique chapels with salt sculptures, and mining machinery and equipment. Banquets, concerts and seminars are held in the mine's underground rooms. In the town above ground, interesting sights include historical military stables with characteristic arcades similar to Cracow's Cloth Hall, and the architecture of Wieliczka's town centre.

Tourism and sports:
indoor swimming pool, 3 tennis courts, numerous hiking and biking routes in the area. It is not far to Ojcowski National Park, which has a lot of unusual rock formations and old trees.
Wieliczka is famous for one of the world's oldest salt mines, which is open to sightseers. The valley of the Pradnik River, part of the Ojcowski National Park, is a unique nature reserve with a fairy-tale landscape carved from limestone. The ruined Gothic castle in Ojców and the beautifully preserved Renaissance castle in Pieskowa Skała are two more reasons to visit the park. Just 35 km south of Cracow is the Beskidy mountain range and 100 km away in the Tatra Mountains lies Zakopane the winter capital of Poland.

A fine array of hiking trails run to the mountain tops, to crystal clear mountain lakes, wondrous waterfalls, valleys and caves. Mountain-bikers can choose from several well marked bike trails. The trail connecting the town of Zakopane with the mountain lake Morskie Oko is 66 kilometres long both ways.

Zakopane itself is the most significant winter sports resort in Poland. In the past, numerous international sports events took place here, for example, the world championships in ski-jumps, world championships in biathlon or world cup in slalom. Ski trails of various difficulty levels await skiers.