Day-by-Day Itinerary in June

Our final schedule could change due to weather, transportation difficulties or other reasons beyond our control. If you are registered for the workshop, we will notify you when we have reached the minimum number of participants so you can make your flight arrangements. Join us for this two countries photo tour! ​FOR THE FALL TRIP DAY-BY-DAY, CLICK HERE.Poland & CZ Day-to-Day Sep

​Slavic Neighbors:
The Shared Borderlands and Histories of the Czech Republic & Poland

Jun 12-22, 2025
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Day 1: Thursday, Jun 12, 2025              Meet you in Prague, Czech Republic

• Arrive at the airport and be picked up outside the baggage claim area.
• You will be taken to your hotel in the heart of the city.
• Evening introductions and first dinner with your fellow travelers.
• Check in for two nights in Prague

Day 2: Friday, Jun 13, 2025           Waking through Prague's Highlights

• In the historic area, we will walk the Charles Bridge, visit the Prague Castle and St Vitas Cathedral. A local Czech guide will join us to make the most of our time in this beautiful European capitol.  
• The tumbled headstones of the  Old Jewish Cemetery next to the Jewish Museum will provide a photographic opportunity. Later in the afternoon, there will be some free time to rest or to further explore the city.
• Accommodation in Prague

Day 3: Saturday, Jun 14, 2025         The Crystal Valley and Ksiaz Castle (4 hr drive)

• Leaving the city, we drive into the mountains toward a Glass Factory  in Harrachov which produces handmade Czech crystal and glass. During a factory tour, the workers will be blowing glass and creating the famous etched crystal.
• Our first border crossing takes into Poland where will visit the impressive Ksiaz Castle and its lush gardens. In WWII, the Nazis confiscated the castle and built huge underground tunnels.
• Accommodation near Swidnica

Day 4: Sunday, Jun 15, 2025   Polish Pottery and Gross-Rosen Work Camp  (3 1/4 hr drive)

• The day begins with a drive to Bolesławiec, the Polish Pottery Destination! We will tour the factory where it is produced and see the artists as they paint the traditional patterns by hand. It's a good time to get a little shopping
• After such a joyful stop, we switch to the first solemn memorial by visiting the historical Nazi work camp known as Gross-Rossen. Their informative guide will introduce us to the turbulent events of WWII and the atrocities that took place in this region.
• The end of the afternoon will find us in Wroclaw. A local guide will show us some of the sights and introduce us to the city's history. It was severely destroyed during one of the final battles of WWII and the Nazis surrendered the city only 2 days before the end of the war. Now it's a driving and vibrant community.
• Accommodation in Wroclaw

Day 5: Monday, Jun 16, 2025   Discovering Slavic Roots and back into Czechia  (3 hr 30 min drive)

• ​After a little more exploring in Wroclaw, we hit the road to see an open-air museum near Katowice, the Upper Silesia Ethnographic Park where we will walk among a collection of traditional houses and farm structures from the region.
• Crossing the border into the Czech Republic, we end the day near Ostrava.
• Check in for two nights in Ostrava, CZ

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Day 6: Tuesday, Jun 17, 2025            Ostrava  (1 hr drive)

• A past industrial and mining center, Ostrava has preserved two large abandoned sites to showcase its history. The Vitkovice Ironworks is a huge complex with giant metal structures, a bolt tower and a blast furnace. From the first firing of the furnaces in 1836 until its closure in 1998, the ironworks stand as a cultural monument to the area's mining history.
• Our second location is the Michal Mine which is a former coal mine and now a museum preserving the equipment, dressing rooms, engine room and more. Now a National Monument, we will have a guided tour of this unique site.
•    Accommodation in Ostrava, CZ

Day 7: Wednesday, Jun 18, 2025           Remembering Auschwitz  (2 1/2 hr drive)

• The Auschwitz concentration camp commemorates the victims of the Holocaust and their lives under the brutal control of Nazi Germany. Our guided tour will show where the victims stayed, a gas chamber and the tracks where they were brought by train from many parts of Europe. Auschwitz's somber lessons clearly underscore its message to never forget what happened in WWII.
• We arrive in Krakow and after checking in, meet a local guide to be oriented to this beautiful city.
• Check in for four nights in Krakow

Day 8: Thursday, Jun 19, 2025      Corpus Christi  Procession  (1 1/2 hrs drive)

• Corpus Christi is an important religious event for many Catholics in Poland. We will drive to a nearby community to experience the procession of religious believers wearing traditional dress.  
• Returning to Krakow, we will visit Schindler's factory, made famous by Steven Spielberg's movie "Schindler's List." During WWII, Oskar Schindler was an industrialist who saved many Jews from being killed. The site is now a museum that focuses events during the Nazi occupation of Krakow.
• Accommodation in Krakow

Day 9: Friday, Jun 20, 2025      Wieliczka Salt Mine  (1 hr drive)

• An extraordinary, entertaining tour of an ancient salt mine which dates from the 13th century. Known for its dioramas carved in salt and its elaborate chapel of salt, the mine mixes quirky scenes with accurate info about its vital contribution to Poland's economy for many centuries.
• ​In the afternoon we wander the neighborhoods of Krakow, visiting churches, the Wavel Castle, the Jewish Quarter and the buildings along the Vistula River
• Accommodation in Krakow

Day 10: Saturday, Jun 21, 2025        Summer Solstice Celebration   (Krakow)

• More free time in the city until we meet for a pierogi cooking class with a local chef who teaches how to make this staple of Polish cooking.
• It is a Polish summer solstice tradition to make flower wreaths and release them in the river. We will have time with a youth group and experience the making and wearing of the wreaths and photograph their release in the water. The city will be alive with music and celebration during the annual Wianki or Wreath Festival.
  
• Our farewell dinner with be Saturday evening in a traditional restaurant in Krakow.
• Accommodation in Krakow

Day 11: Sunday, Jun 22, 2025            Time to go Home (30 min drive)

• You will be transferred from your hotel to the airport in Krakow. Time for your flight home, taking with you the memories of these two fascinating countries.

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Slavic Neighbors: Poland and Czechia, June 2025 Deposit Only-SUMMER

$1,200.00

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DEPOSIT - Photo Tour of Poland and the Czech Republic. Across the ancient kingdoms of Moravia and Silesia, this tour blends history with the cultural traditions of two vital democratic European countries. Enjoy magical Prague and the countryside, honor the history on view at Auschwitz, explore the castles and summer festivals of Poland and more. All types of cameras are welcome! A lightweight, modern approach to our image making with photo critiques and classes emphasizing iPhones and iPads. Total cost is $5100. 

Making Fotos, Friends and Memories....

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