Poland: the Pope John Paul II' itinerary

John Paul II, born Karol Jozef Wojtyla (05.18.1920 – 02.04.2005) had led the Roman Catholic Church for nearly 27 years. He was elected as Pope on October 16, 1978 as the first non-Italian pope since 1523. He held this position until his death. His pontificate, the third longest in history, was marked by many trips abroad, 104 in total. During those trips he had visited every continent where the faithful lived, so that many people knew him as the Pilgrim Pope. He was the pope who opened his pontificate to the faithful; he had visited such places where the foot of any of his predecessors had not set. He believed his pilgrimages constituted a bridge between nations and religions, allowing to clear differences created by history. The country more visited by John Paul II was his native Poland: for 8 times it had met him. During this trip you we will remind you of details of his life and will show you his favorite places in Poland – the country where his story began.

Day 1. Warsaw

Arrival in Warsaw; Welcome Dinner.

Day 2. Warsaw

City tour of Warsaw: transfer to Lazienki Park (Royal Baths), memorial Frédéric Chopin, the Palace on the Water and the Theatre on the Island. Path along the route: The Grand Theatre and the National Opera, the Palace of the Jablonowscy, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Saski Garden and Pilsudskiego Square – a place of mass during the first pilgrimage of John Paul II to Poland, where the Pope said "Let your Spirit descend and change the face of the land, this land!", the words which were fulfilled by the demolition of communism in Poland.
Transfer to downtown with its skyscrapers and ancient Jewish part, Umschlagplatz, the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes – the places commemorating the Jews of Warsaw, where the pope had prayed. Passing the City Hall we’ll proceed to the Old Town (UNESCO), walk through medieval cobblestone streets from the Royal Palace and the Cathedral, passing the Market Square, the Barbican and the walls to the New City: the Palace of the Krasinscy, the Palace of Justice and the Monument of Warsaw Uprising.
Dinner.

Day 3. Lichen Stary – Chestochowa

Transfer to Lichen Stary. Visit to the Shrine of Mary of Lichen with Golgotha, Way of the Cross, the monument of John Paul II and the basilica blessed by Pope – the biggest in Poland, the seventh biggest in Europe and the eleventh in the world.
Transfer to Czestochowa, the destination of pilgrimages of John Paul II and also the most important Shrine of the Virgin Mary in Poland, which attracts millions of tourists. Visit to the monastery of Jasna Gora with the famous altar of the Black Virgin, the monument of the parents of the Pope and the inscription on the door commemorating the Pope.
Travel by Jura Krakowsko-Czestochowska, famous for the ruins of medieval castles located in the high fells. Dinner.

Day 4. Auschwitz-Birkenau – Wadowice – Kalwaria Zebrzydowska – Krakow

Transfer to Auschwitz-Birkenau, the visit of the concentration camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau (UNESCO).
Transfer to Wadowice, the birthplace of Pope John Paul II, with visiting to the basilica and the Museum of John Paul II.
Transfer to Kalwaria Zebrzydowska (UNESCO), the destination of pilgrimages of young Karol Wojtyla with his father, the famous Shrine of the Virgin Mary surrounded by a set of picturesque chapels, inserted in the beautiful landscape of Beskidy.
Transfer to Krakow, dinner.

Day 5. Krakow

Krakow is the most famous city in Poland linked to the life and history of John Paul II, the former student of Polish philology and theology, the actor, the young priest, professor at the university, the bishop, Metropolitan of Krakow and finally the Pope. Walk through the route of John Paul II: visit to the Royal Wawel Castle with the cathedral (UNESCO); walk through the Old Town: the Cloth Hall, the church of the Virgin Mary, Barbican.
In afternoon, the visit to the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Lagiewniki blessed by Pope John Paul II. Walk through the Jewish quarter Kazimierz.
Dinner at a Jewish restaurant. Free time to walk along and enjoy the night life of the city.

Day 6. Tatra National Park – Zakopane – Pieniny

Transfer to the Tatra National Park (Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO); mountain train trip through the Chocholow Valley, the route preferred by John Paul II in the Tatra.
Transfer to Zakopane, the city at the foot of the highest part of the Carpathian mountain range, walk through Krupowki, the main street of the city.
Dinner with traditional regional dishes, traditional music group.
Departure to Pieniny.

Day 7. Niedzica – Pieniny National Park – Warsaw

Visit to the Gothic castle of Niedzicaon the cost of Czorsztyn Lake. Descend on rafts by the Dunajec River to Szczawnica, one of the first trips which Karol Wojtyla had made on kayak, admiring the landscapes of rocky cliffs in the Pieniny National Park.
Return to Warsaw. Dinner.

Day 8. Warsaw

Warsaw: Free time to rest, enjoy the city and shopping at Arkadia, one of the largest shopping centers in Europe.
Transfer to the airport.

The price includes:
- Transfer airport – hotel – airport
- Transportation throughout the tour
- 7 nights in double rooms: 6 nights in 3* hotel (3 nights in Warsaw, 1 night in Jura Krakowsko-Czestochowska, 2 nights in Krakow) and 1 night in a historic hotel in Pieniny
- 7 x half board (breakfast and dinner): started with dinner on day of arrival, finished with the breakfast on the day of departure
- Guide
- Entries