Culture and Customs in 20 days

Day 1: Arrive Frankfurt, Orientation Tour

Say hello to “Franconovud”!

The city’s name comes from Emperor Charlemagne, who built there a royal council in 794. At its heart, Frankfurt is a vibrant, traditional and charming city, featuring welcoming apple wine taverns, village-like areas, boutiques and street art, large parks and half-timbered buildings huddled between medieval streets. Boasting modernity, steel and concrete skyscrapers, Frankfurt is unlike any other city in Germany.

After checking in, you will have an orientation tour around the city’s dynamic financial centre and medieval Römerberg. See the Römer, which has served as Frankfurt’s city hall since the 15th century and admire the medieval architecture that has been lovingly restored after World War II. Rest of time on leisure. Acommodation in Frankfurt.

Day 2: Frankfurt – Berlin

After our arrival in Berlin you’ll have time to explore this UNESCO City of Design your way or consider joining an Optional Experience with good food, wine, beer and music followed by a Berlin-by-night tour of the illuminated capital. Rest of time at leisure. Acommodation in Berlin.

Day 3: Berlin City tour

Berlin is a happening city, diverse and colourful – and never dull!

In this morning you will discover the main landmarks in Berlin, as the Reichstag Building, German State Opera House, Tiergarten, Unter den Linden Boulevard and Brandenburg Gate, the iconic 18th-century military monument that has come to symbolise peace and unity. Rest of time at leisure or join an optional experience to uncover the secrets of the city’s World War II and Cold War past. You could choose to venture beyond the city for a dinner of German specialties in the countryside. Acommodation in Berlin.

Day 4: Berlin – Poznań – Warsaw

Our day starts with a first stop in Poznań, the effervescent historical capital of Poland and birthplace of the Polish nation. View its colourful market square and town hall where a curious battle between two iron goats to mark noon has taken centre stage above its clock for over five centuries. Then head to Poland’s modern metropolis of Warsaw which has risen with all the invigorating spirit of a phoenix after a recent tragic past. Rest of time at leisure. Acommodation in Warsaw.

Day 5: Warsaw sightseeing tour

Your sightseeing tour across this 21st-century capital will reveal how the resilient Poles rebuilt their city which was on its knees after the war. You’ll view St. John’s Cathedral and the Royal Palace in the Old Town, then see the site of the Warsaw Ghetto which confined over 400,000 near-starving Jews during World War II. There’s time later today for an optional visit to the 17th-century Baroque Wilanów Palace, once the summer home of King Jan Sobieski III, or embark on an exploration of one of Europe’s coolest neighbourhoods, including a visit to Poland’s first Vodka Museum.

The combination of tradition and modernity is also evident in the city’s architecture. An example of this is Hala Koszyki, a historic commercial building from the beginning of the 20th century, carefully restored, which now houses numerous bars and restaurants and is now one of Warsaw’s favourite culinary destinations. Acommodation in Warsaw.

Day 6: Warsaw – Czestochowa – Auschwitz – Kraków

On our journey to Kraków, short stop in Poland’s pilgrimage city, Czestochowa. You’ll view the Paulite Monastery at Jasna Góra, with its shrine to the Virgin Mary and home to the famous Black Madonna of Czestochowa. Then stop at the former concentration camp at Auschwitz for a poignant reminder of the horrors perpetrated during the Holocaust. Arrive in Kraków later, Poland’s cultural and intellectual heart. It is in its Rynek Główny market square that much of the magic happens. Every hour, on the hour, you’ll hear the sound of the medieval St. Mary’s Trumpet Call, cut short to honour the death of the trumpeter who saved Kraków from a Tatar invasion centuries ago. Acommodation in Kraków.

Day 7: Kraków City tour

The former residence of the Polish kings, Kraków is one of the few places where the priceless works of art, gathered for centuries, were not destroyed during the two world wars. Krakow city tour with local guide including, among others, Wawel Hill with Wawel Castle, pride and symbol of Polish resistance, royal residence since the 11th century, rebuilt at the beginning of the 16th century in the style of the Renaissance and the Royal Cathedral.

After you’ll have time to explore the UNESCO-listed Old Town on your own. An optional Trafalgar highlight later could see you visit the UNESCO-listed Wieliczka Salt Mines, often referred to as the Underground Salt Cathedral of Poland. This evening consider joining an optional farmhouse dinner and Polka party where you’ll gallop around the dance floor after a meal of Polish specialties. Acommodation in Kraków.

Day 8: Kraków – Budapest

An exotic mix of Magyar, German, Slav, Jewish, Gypsy and Turkish settlers that have made Budapest into the cultural capital it is today. After our arrival, you may try Budapest’s Roman Baths. Budapest has been called the “city of thermal baths”. There are over 118 thermal springs, with a water temperature between 21 and 78 degrees Celsius. The most popular public baths are Szechenyi Thermal Baths, Gellert Thermal Baths, Rudas Baths or Dandar. Acommodation in Budapest.

Day 9: Budapest – Free time

Begin your exploration of this ‘Paris of the East’ on the water with an optional scenic cruise on a private boat along the Danube. Against an enchanting illuminated backdrop you’ll enjoy a dinner of Hungarian specialties while you sail underneath the famous Chain Bridge and past Budapest’s majestic Parliament buildings. Rest of time at leisure. Acommodation in Budapest.

Day 10: Budapest – Cluj Napoca

Early in the morning, we depart towards Cluj Napoca. Upon arrival, you will have some free time for lunch. Later on, visit the birth house of Matthias Corvinus, Hungary’s most renowned 15th-century king, and learn fascinating stories about his life, as well as the importance of wine in the region. Continue the tour to the large Union Square to admire the classic Gothic style of the 14th-century St. Michael’s Church, and the large equestrian statue of Corvinus that rests in front of it.

Continue walking until you arrive at the “Street of the Intellectuals,” famous for its many educational institutions, including the Babes-Bolyai University. As you walk, learn from your knowledgeable guide about the fate of the witches living in Cluj in the Middle Ages, and the formation of the Guilds. Walk past the remains of the city’s defensive walls and arrive at a newer part of the old city, named the Avram Iancu Square. Admire the Orthodox Cathedral that rests here, built in the 1930s, as well as the National Theater, built in 1906 by a team of Viennese architects.  Acommodation in Cluj Napoca.

Day 11: Cluj Napoca – Turda Salt Mines – Sinaia

Right after breakfast, we drive towards Sinaia with a stop in Turda, at the salt mines.

In this area, the salt deposits were formed 13 million years ago, and the result of two thousand years of work will amaze you. The hundred meter galleries open into a huge room carved in salt with a 90 meter height, and in the middle of it you can enjoy a boat ride on the salt lake. If you are in search of spectacular images to capture, this is the place to be. A glass elevator provides an astonishing overview of the mine. All year long the temperature is constant, between 10 to 12 degrees Celsius, and the salty air has proven therapeutic properties, especially for people with respiratory problems.

Named after St. Catherine Monastery on Mount Sinai, Sinaia became the unofficial capital of the Kingdom of Romania towards the end of the 19th century. Once the famous Orient Express use to regularly call here and it still does once a year on its way from Paris to Constantinople. In the evening, you may try one of the Serbian specialties at Taverna Sarbului. Dinner on your own.  Acommodation in Sinaia.

Day 12: Sinaia & Peles Castle – Bran Castle – Brasov

Right after breakfast, take an orientation tour of  Sinaia including a view of the Casino building inspired by the one in Monte Carlo and a stop to Sinaia Orthodox Monastery. Visit one of the most important tourist attractions of the country: Peles Castle, the former royal residence of King Charles I of Romania and known as one of the most beautiful summer royal residences in Europe. Later, journey north to the village of Bran. The attraction is the well known Bran Castle also known as Dracula Castle. The castle was built in 1377 to safeguard the trading route between Transylvania and Wallachia, enlarged and restored a few times since then. The connections between this place and Vlad the Impaler Dracula is still under debate, but the castle is definitely worth a visit. Enjoy cheese sampling in the village of Bran – know for its high quality cheeses. Drive to the nearby Brasov, formerly the leading town of the mighty Transylvanian Saxons, in time to see the Gothic Black Church with its precious collection of Anatolian prayer rugs. Brasov has one of the best preserved medieval quarter and fortifications. Continue to the old Romanian Quarter, Catherine’s Gate old towers and the narrowest street in South – Central Europe. The rest of the day is at leisure in the lovely predestrian area of Old Brasov with its many outdoor cafes. Dinner on your own.  Acommodation in Brasov.

Day 13: Brasov – Timisoara

Start your afternoon with a walking city tour starting at The Orthodox Cathedral in Victory Square and ending it in Union Square and take a longer tour through Timișoara’s historic neighborhoods: Elisabetin, Fabric and Iosefin. While you’re in Union Square, take a walk to the Theresia Bastion (one of the old gates of Timișoara fortress). Acommodation in Timisoara.

 Day 14: Timisoara – Budapest’s story

Budapest’s story begins with sights which include Fisherman’s Bastion, Heroes’ Square and the Church of St. Matthias. Take a trip up Gellért Hill, named after Bishop Gellért who played a key role in converting the Hungarian nation to Christianity. Then there’s time to explore the 1000-year history of elegant Budapest on your own or perhaps join an optional tour, including a goulash cooking demonstration, to the medieval town of Szentendre, set on the banks of the Danube. Acommodation in Budapest.

Day 15: Budapest – Győr – Vienna

Cross the hilly landscapes of Transdanubia to Györ, which sits at the crossroads of Central Europe, midway between Budapest and Vienna. Then continue across the Austrian border arriving in Vienna later today. In a city where music literally surrounds you, famous composers like Mozart and Strauss rose to musical fame. Today, this ‘City of Music’ can carry more than a tune as you’ll come to discover when you join an optional dinner in a favourite Viennese restaurant including musical entertainment. Acommodation in Vienna.

Day 16: Vienna City tour

Together with your guide you will discover why the streets of Vienna are paved with culture, a visit to Schönbrunn Palace, the former summer residence of the Habsburgs, whose lasting legacy can be seen across their dynastic capital. View the Parliament, the Vienna Opera House, the Hofburg and City Hall before enjoying some time on your own. You have the chance to embrace the city’s Kafee culture with a heavenly slice of Sachertorte to tame your chocaholic tendencies. This evening, the melodies of a musical Vienna are the order of the day if you join an optional dinner followed by a concert of Strauss and Mozart masterpieces. Acommodation in Vienna.

Day 17: Vienna – Brno – Prague

In Czech Republic you’ll visit the medieval town of Brno through a panoramic city tour: Freedom Square with narrow streets between numerous religious houses, Old and New City Hall, Sf. Cathedral. Peter and Paul, with a magnificent view of the city of Brno, the Royal Castle Spilberk. The tour then continues to Prague. In the evening, optional, traditional dinner with live folklore show and unlimited drinks at the U Marchanu restaurant – the most famous in Prague for the quality of the show. Acommodation in Prague.

Day 18: Prague City tour

Morning sightseeing tour features Prague Castle, the Cathedral of St. Vitus and the Old Town Square. We will descend in Mala Strana (the Small City) and on the Carol bridge, one of the oldest and well-known bridges in Europe, we will then arrive in the labyrinth of streets in Stare Mesto (Old City) to end the tour in the Old Town Square at the famous Clock Astronomical. Walk along the 14th-century Charles Bridge lined with Baroque statues of saints or take a relaxing lunch cruise on the Vltava (optional) that will reveal the legends, myths, culture and hidden secrets of this enchanting city. Acommodation in Prague.

Day 19: Prague – Rothenburg – Frankfurt

Take a step back in time during your stop in Rothenburg ob der Tauber along Bavaria’s Romantic Road this morning. Your orientation tour will reveal an exquisite medieval centre encircled by a fortified town wall that was built in the 13th century. Continue towards the heart of Frankfurt, a dynamic financial trade city with the most imposing skyline in all of Germany. You’ll head into the heart of the bustling city to catch Kleinmarkthalle, an amazing market hall welcoming 63 vendors in 156 stalls that offer all kinds of fresh food, regional specialties and imported foods. Before hopping over to the Main Tower for a breathtaking view, don’t forget to sample some Ebbelwoi, Frankfurt’s famous cider. It will blow your taste buds away! Acommodation in Frankfurt

 Day 20: Departure from Frankfurt – End of journey and experience with Eastern European Experience.