Railways and World War II History in Poland 28

Vistula, sailing past the hilltop Wawel Castle and other prominent landmarks. Light snacks and complimentary drinks are included on the boat. (B L)

Tuesday 18th July Kazimierz Jewish Quarter in Krakow and visit to Oskar Schindler’s Factory in the former Krakow Ghetto Today you see the vibrant Jewish Quarter Kazimierz, with the opportunity to explore inside several of the beautifully preserved synagogues and Jewish cemeteries. You can also visit the locally based municipal museum. Lunch is served at a traditional Jewish restaurant, before taking the tram across the river to to Krakow-Zablocie, the site of the former Jewish ghetto. Where the main district square has been turned into an evocative memorial with oversized, vacant chairs, commemorating the heroes of the Ghetto. Nearby is the site of Oskar Schindler’s enamel factory, where several hundred Jews were successfully employed and saved from death at the concentration camps. The story of Oskar Schindler was made famous by Steven Spielberg’s 1992 feature film ‘Schindler’s List’. Today, the factory has been turned into a museum, providing an immersive experience about the history of Oskar Schindler’s activities and life in Krakow during the Nazi occupation. After the museum visit, you have more free time in the city. (B L)

Wednesday 19th July Trip to Oświęcim and optional visit of Auschwitz concentration camp The town of Oświęcim is west of Krakow, you will travel by local train from Krakow to visit the restored town synagogue, which serves as remembrance site and Holocaust museum. After a light lunch in the historic town centre of Oświęcim, there is an optional visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in the afternoon, which narrates first-hand the horrors of the Holocaust. You return to Krakow by train either in the afternoon or early evening, depending on the optional camp visit. (B L)

Thursday 20th July Polish Aviation Museum in Krakow and leisure in the city The Polish Aviation Museum has one of the finest collections of 1930s and 40s aircraft in Europe, with countless iconic planes of Polish, German, French, British and American origin. In addition to historic bi-planes, the architecturally impressive museum showcases 22 extremely rare war planes built before 1941. After the museum visit, there will be more free time to individually enjoy Friday 21st July Visit to the Gliwice Radio Tower in Upper Silesia; Arrival to Wroclaw You travel westbound from Krakow to Silesia on a direct PKP train to Gliwice. Located in the Silesian coal-mining region, Gliwice was German until 1945. Gliwice is the location of one of the most impressively engineered towers in Europe, the 118 m (387 ft) tall wooden Radio Tower built by German Reichspost in 1935. On 31 August 1939, the Nazi SS staged a fake ‘Polish’ attack on the Gliwice/Gleiwitz radio station, which was later used as justification for Hitler’s long-planned invasion of Poland. The transmitter tower was never destroyed and remains the tallest wooden structure in Europe, locally known as the “Eiffel Tower of Silesia”. After your visit, you travel by Intercity train to Wroclaw. On arrival, you check into your centrally located hotel and enjoy a group dinner. (B D)

Saturday 22nd July Discovery of Wroclaw by heritage tramway and River Odra Dinner Cruise Wroclaw is one of the finest cities in Central Europe traditionally known as “The Venice of Poland” thanks to the urban landscape along the River Odra and numerous canals and pedestrianised islands. You sightsee the attractive centre of Wroclaw on a privately chartered heritage tram dating from the 1920s, before an afternoon at leisure. In the evening you rejoin your fellow travellers for a dinner cruise on the River Odra, which will take you past the impressive cathedral and several of the iconic bridges. (B D)

Sunday 23rd July A visit to the ‘Great Escape’ Stalag Luft prisoner camp in Zagan You take a direct train westbound from Wroclaw to Zagan, on arrival there’s a short transfer to the Stalag Luft 3 prisoner camp site. Which has a well preserved museum with wooden prisoner barracks, guard towers and the famed “Harry” tunnel. The site was made famous by the 1963 Hollywood production “The Great Escape” starring Steve McQueen. You return to Wroclaw in the afternoon by train from Legnica. A farewell dinner is served at the hotel. (B D)

Monday 24th July Return to London You have a return flight from Wroclaw to London in the late afternoon, giving you time to still enjoy the city and its attractions before the flight. (B)

Tour Summary

Tour price £1495 Single supplement £285 Ground only £1395 (Warsaw – Wroclaw)

Price includes:

• 9 nights accommodation with breakfast at centrally located, quality hotels • Flights from London to Warsaw and

Wroclaw to London • 5 lunches and 3 dinners • First Class rail travel on PKP Intercity services with seat reservations, Standard

Class travel on local trains, when First Class is not available • All privately chartered river cruises and vintage tramway rides as detailed in the itinerary • Complementary public transport rover tickets in Warsaw, Krakow and Wroclaw • Museum and site admissions to all the attractions and memorials as detailed in the itinerary • The services of a tour manager

All prices shown are per person based on two persons sharing. Meals included each day are shown as: B = Breakfast - L = Lunch - D = Dinner

July 2023

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Highlights of Switzerland in Summer

Wednesday 9th August to Wednesday 16th August 2023

Experience the splendour of the snow topped Swiss Alps on this spectacular summer holiday. Trips on Switzerland’s most iconic mountain railways are conveniently included, giving you a chance to sample ‘the best of the best’. • Initially based in the Swiss Riviera town of Vevey on Lake Geneva and then in the historic cities of Brig and Chur, you’ll stay in top-quality hotels featuring typical Swiss hospitality. • Discover Switzerland’s spectacular mountain railways from west to east, including the Rochers-de-Naye, Golden Pass,

Glacier Express, Gornergrat, Oberalp Pass, Rhaetian Railway, as well as the UNESCO designated Albula and Bernina lines. • Travel aboard opulent ‘Belle Epoque’ Pullman Cars over the Golden Pass, plus enjoy private accommodation in the 1930s

Art Deco Pullman coaches of the Rhaetian Railway for trips to Arosa and Tirano. • Sample the amazing BLS ‘Blue Arrow’ on a private charter run in the Bernese Oberland. Journey back in time aboard this wonderfully dynamic streamliner dating from 1938, allowing you to sit next to the driver. • See impressively engineered railways up close and get the best high-altitude views of the Matterhorn from the Gornergrat summit station. • Go ’peak-hopping’ on rack railways, funiculars and aerial cableways, whilst exploring local towns and castles with complimentary public transport rover tickets.

Wednesday 9th August London to Vevey Travel on Eurostar and TGV via Paris to Geneva, then by SBB service train to Vevey, on the northern shore of Lake Geneva. Here you check in to the 4-star Hotel Astra, conveniently located opposite the station. A welcome dinner will be served at the hotel tonight. (D)

Thursday 10th August Swiss Riviera and Mont Pelerin Funicular; Rochers de Naye Rack Railway You start your day by exploring Vevey and Lake Geneva’s famed ‘Swiss Riviera’. You catch a funicular to the terraced vineyards high above the lake, reaching a formidable observation point at the summit of Mont Pelerin. Later on, you can use your complimentary, public transport rover ticket to take the trolleybus route to Montreux and see the medieval Chillon Castle. Early afternoon you board a rack railcar for the steep journey from Montreux to the summit of Rochers de Naye, 2042 metres above sea level. From the top there are panoramic views of the French and Swiss Alps. You return to Montreux, for a further look around town or ride on another local funicular before returning back to Vevey. Dinner will be served at your hotel this evening. (B D) Friday 11th August Golden Pass in Pullman coaches; Blue Arrow railcar in the Bernese Oberland Today you travel in style from Montreux via Gstaad to Zweisimmen over the Golden Pass in elegant ‘Belle Epoque’ Pullman coaches on the Golden Pass Classic train. The line climbs to the highest point, near Saanenmöser, at 1279 metres. In Zweisimmen you board the vintage 1938 BLS ‘Blue Arrow’ with luxurious passenger accommodation and open cab vestibules, allowing you to sit or stand beside the driver. The route winds through the Simmental Valley to Spiez and along Lake Thun to Bern. You’ll have free time to visit the medieval city of Bern, before travelling back to Lake Geneva via the