Music Cruises

Music Festivals in Europe

CHOPIN FESTIVAL WARSAW 

1Aug - 2 Sep 2010

Chopin Festival Warsaw  Package includes: 

• 3 nights Deluxe or First class accommodation in Warsaw with daily breakfast 
• Morning or afternoon city tour of Warsaw (4.5hours - with English and Spanish speaking guide) - see tour descriptions 
  and optional tours below
• 2 good category tickets to the Chopin Festival in Warsaw
•  All land taxes and service charges

* Surcharge at Deluxe hotels for nights after the 31st of August: Euro 34 per person per night based on double / Euro 55 per night single 

* Surcharge at First Class Hotels for nights after the 31st of August: Euro 12 per person per night based on double / Euro 22 per night single 

Hotels used for Deluxe category: Intercontinental , Radisson SAS, Westin, Sheraton, Mariott

Hotels used for First class category; Hotel Jan III Sobieski

For the 2010 Chopin Festival Program click here

Optional extension to Krakow includes: 

• 3nights Deluxe or First class accommodation in Krakow with daily breakfast

• City tour of Krakow or tour on the traces of Jewish culture (min 2 passengers) - see tour descriptions and optional tours below

• One way first class rail ticket Warsaw - Krakow

• All land taxes and service charges

* Surcharge for stay after 29Aug / Deluxe category: Euro 15 per person in double / Euro 30 per person in single
* Surcharge for stay after 29Aug / First Class category; Euro 8 per person in double / Euro 13 in single

Hotels used in Deluxe category: Radisson SAS or Sheraton

Hotels used in First Class category: Andels or Kossak

Concert tickets in Krakow: From Euro 40 per person

*US$ rate varies depending on the exchange rate

TOUR DESCRIPTIONS AND OPTIONAL TOURS IN WARSAW:

Tour 1
MORNING SIGHTSEEING OF WARSAW Duration – 4,5 hrs
Operated – daily, all year round with English and Spanish speaking guide
Visit the most important touristic attractions in Warsaw: Old Town with Royal Castle, Market Square and barbican; New Town with Monument of Warsaw Uprising; Royal Route with magnificent palaces, churches and monuments including Presidential palace, Univercity of Warsaw, Holy Cross church with Chopin’s heart, Copernicus Statue; area of the former Jewish Ghetto with monument of Ghetto Heroes; historical squares like Bank Square, Theater Square with Grand Opera Building, Pilsudski Square with Tomb of unknown soldier and finally beautiful Lazienki Royal Park with picturesque Palace on the Water and Chopin Monument. This tour includes special bonus: live organ music concert at St. John’s Cathedral.
Regular Rate € 35 per person

Tour 2
AFTERNOON PANORAMIC TOUR OF WARSAW  Duration – 3,5 hrs
Operated – daily, from June 15 till October 30 English and Spanish speaking guide
This tour of Warsaw a walk in the Old Town, drive along Royal Route. Then we will visit Praga District on the other side of Vistule River: Russian Orthodox Church, St. Florian’s Cathedral. On our way back we will admire views of central Warsaw from the Vistula side. 
Regular Rate € 35 per person 

Tour 3
FREDERIC CHOPIN CONCERT Duration – 2 hrs
Operated – daily except Sunday from June 15 to September 30.
Frederic Chopin recitals take place in the historical interiors of Warsaw and include: · two-part piano concert performed by the best pianist · glass of champagne during the intermission · transportation and English speaking guide assistance 
Regular Rate € 30 per person

Tour 5
GRAND THEATER OF OPERA & BALLET Duration – 3 hrs
Operated – according to the Opera program
This tour offers you an unforgettable evening in Grand Theatre of Opera & Ballet or at Warsaw Champer Opera. Best tickets and transportation included. National Opera House - Opera was brought to Poland only twenty years after it first appeared in Florence by Royal Prince
Ladislaus IV Vasa. In 1628 he invited to Warsaw the first Italian opera troupe and as soon as he ascended the Polish throne in 1632, had a theatre hall built in his castle, where regular opera performances were produced by an Italian company directed by Marco Scacchi. For over 160 years the
Teatr Wielki - National Opera, has been Poland’s grandest opera and ballet institution. Its building was erected in 1825- 1833 to designs by the Italian architect Antonio Corazzi of Livorno. Warsaw Chamber Opera - was founded in 1961 by Stefan Sutkowski, who has served as its Managing and Artistic Director ever since. The Warsaw Chamber Opera is pursuing a diverse activity. Its repertoire spans a wide variety of musical styles and genres: from medieval mystery plays to the operas of the Baroque and Classical periods, 18th century pantomimes, the operas by Rossini
and Donizetti, as well as works by contemporary composers, several of which were commissioned by the company.
Rate € 50 per person

Tour 9A
CRACOW – THE FORMER CAPITAL OF POLAND Duration – full day
Operated – daily, all year round
Intercity train, with only 2h 40min journey, makes Cracow available for a one day trip from Warsaw. Cracow – the Cultural Capital of Europe of the year 2000 – rich in history, outstanding works of art and architecture. The city is the location of the Jagiellonian University [founded in 1364], the Royal
Castle and the largest and most beautiful town square in Europe. Cracow is a city complex unlike most others in Europe.
Price: Euro 160 per person based on 2 passengers traveling together / Euro 235 based one passenger alone - Request prices for 3 or more traveling together  

TOUR 9B
CRACOW AND AUSCHWITZ Duration – full day Operated – daily, all year round
This tour includes all programming of tour 9A plus an afternoon visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau – the largest of the Nazi concentration camps during
World War II, where 1,5 million people, mostly Jews, perished. It has been the largest “death” factory in the history of humanity and a silent
witness of human tragedy.
Price: Euro 200 per person based on 2 passengers traveling together / Euro 345 based one passenger alone - Request prices for 3 or more traveling together  

TOUR 9C CRACOW AND WIELICZKA Duration – full day Operated – daily, all year round
This tour included all programming of tour 9A plus an afternoon visit to Wieliczka Salt Mine – the oldest salt mine in Europe, an impressive underground world of salt lakes, chambers, galleries and a unique Salt Works Museum, created by many generations of Polish miners. The underground tourist route, goes through galleries and chambers, with 17th and 19th centuries chapels and unique natural crystal caves.
Price: Euro 220 per person based on 2 passengers traveling together / Euro 365  based one passenger alone - Request prices for 3 or more traveling together  

TOUR 10A
GDANSK, GDYNIA, SOPOT   Duration – full day  Operated – daily, all year round
The 3,5 hour express train ride, takes you to the complex of three main cities of the Gdansk Bay. Gdansk is a tourist center with the historic complex
of the Main and Old Towns. We recommend sightseeing of town houses, gates, churches, the Town Hall, the Artus Court and the Fountain of
Neptune infront of it. Enjoy an organ music concert in the famous Oliwa Cathedral and a nice walk along the picturesque Sopot pier. The best place to buy amber souvenirs.
Price: Euro 200 per person based on 2 passengers traveling together / Euro 345 based one passenger alone - Request prices for 3 or more traveling together

TOUR 10B GDANSK & MALBORK Duration – full day Operated – daily, all year round
This tour includes morning visit to Gdansk and afternoon visit to Malbork – the famous largest fortress of the Teutonic Knights Order, the
magnificent castle location on the bank of the Nogat river. A splendid example of the classic medieval fortress with multiple defensive walls. Labyrinth of rooms and chambers with exquisite architectural details and decorations.
Price: Euro 210 per person based on 2 passengers traveling together / Euro 355 based one passenger alone - Request prices for 3 or more traveling together

TOUR DESCRIPTIONS AND OPTIONAL TOURS IN KRAKOW:

Tour 1 SIGHTSEEING OF CRACOW Duration 3,5 hrs Operated daily, all year round (except Jan. 1, Dec. 25)
EURO 35 per person
Our sightseeing tours tour takes you to the main sites of Cracow. The tour begins with a short walk along the streets of the former Jewish district of Kazimierz. The cardinal point is Wawel Castle, which was home to many Polish kings and was the centre of royalty power up till the 17th century. The nearby Cathedral played the important role as a coronation place of successive Polish monarchs and a crypt is also the final resting place for many of them too. Walk up the Grodzka street to the heart of Cracow – the Main Market Square with the large Gothic Cloth Hall – a perfect place for
shopping . Our last point of the city sightseeing is St. Mary’s Church with its famous medieval altar by Wit Stwosz.

Tour 2 AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU Duration 5,5 hrs Operated daily morning
EURO 40 per person
Most well known world’s cemetery and place of genocide, where Nazi killed about 1.500.000 people, mainly Jews as well as Poles, Gypsies and members of other nationalities.. The tour begins with a 15-minute documentary film about the liberation of the camp, then museum-guide shows you exhibitions in some of the surviving prison blocks, the gas chamber and the crematorium. After a short break we continue to Birkenau, where we go up tot he watchtower above the entrance gate to see the view of the biggest Nazi extermination camp.

Tour 3 WIELICZKA SALT MINE Duration 3 hrs Operated daily
EURO 40 per person
Wieliczka is famous for one of the oldest salt mines in Europe, which ahs been in operation for at least 700 years. The oldest part of the mine is opened to the public as a museum. Our route in the mine leads you through galleries, chambers and chapels on three levels. All altarpieces, figures and monuments there are carved is salt. The highlight is the richly ornamented Chapel of St. Kinga. The Wieliczka Salt Mine was places in 1978 on the UNESCO World Cultural heritage list.

Tour 4 THE TRACES OF JEWISH CULTURE Duration 3 hrs Operated on request, min. 2 pax
EURO 35 per person
Kazimierz – historical center of Cracow’s Jewish religious and social life, was incorporated into Cfracow in the 18th century. The tour of this district takes you to the most important monuments in this area. First you see the sites, which Steven Spielberg used for his location shots of the Oscar winning “Schindler’s List”. Then you visit the Old Synagogue, now the Judaic Department of the Historical Museum of the City Cracow, the Remuh Synagogue and Remuh Cemetery – the most precious monuments of the Jewish culture in Cracow.

Tour 5 JEWISH STYLE DINNER Duration 2 hrs Operated on request – min. 2 pax
EURO 25 per person
We offer you a Jewish style dinner with traditional music, which goes on in Ariel – very important place of the old Jewish district, Kazimierz. The gallery Ariel was transformed into an artistic cafe with many paintings, drawings and ceramics. Steven Spielberg was fascinated by special atmosphere of this place when he was living in Cracow and working on his famous film “Schindler’s List”. Nowadays Ariel contains a gallery, cafe and a restaurant where you can also listen to a concert of Jewish music: klezmer musci – traditional Jewish folk melodies, songs in Yiddish for the performance by the music theater based on Jewish, Polish and Ukrainian culture.

Tour 6 ZAKOPANE TATRA MOUNTAINS Duration full day Operated on request, min. 2 pax
EURO 75 per person
Our tour of Zakopane starts at the top of Mt. Gubałówka, which we climb with a funicular, to see the most beautiful view of the Tatra Mountains. After a short walk on the top of the mountain we go down back to visit the oldest part of Zakopane. The houses and churches form the typical local wooden architecture in so-called Zakopane style, were created by Witkacy, the remarkable Polish artist. Apart from the interesting architecture, magnificent colorful folk costumes and jewellery have also survived. To see it and to feel a local atmosphere we take a walk along Kurpówki, the central
mall lined with restaurants, cafes, boutiques and souvenir shops and we make a lunch break there. Our last stop in Zakopane is the visit of Tatra Museum or on the way back to Cracow a visit to Chochołów, a lovely old genuine wooden village.

Tour 7 CZĘSTOCHOWA BLACK MADONNA & PIESKOWA SKALA Duration full day Operated on request, min. 2 pax
EURO 75 per person
Drive to Częstochowa, Poland’s national shrine and the icon which as drawn pilgrims from across the globe for centuries. The monastery of Jasna Gora is home to the miraculous Black Madonna, a Gothic painting of Our Lady. Our visit of the monastery includes the Miraculous Picture Chapel and the Basilica. If you wish you can visit the 600th Anniversary Museum, the Arsenal and the Treasury on your own, other have a break for lunch and buying souvenirs. After visiting Czestochowa our journey back to Cracow takes you along the Eagles Nests’ route. This once important strategic system of watchtowers and castles are today mainly in ruins. However, not all of them have been destroyed completely and you will see some that managed to endure the religious of time. On your way back to Cracow takes you along the Eagles Nests’ Route. Also stop by the Pieskowa Skala Castle – well preserved Renaissance Castle that houses an exhibition of Renaissance art, whith a particularly rich collection of antique furniture.

Tour 8 RAFT DOWN THE DUNAJEC RIVER GORGE & NIDZICA CASTLE Duration full day Operated May - September on request – min. 2 pax
EURO 115 per person
A unique mountain range stretches north-east of the Tatras: the limestone rocks, the microclimate and the wide variety of flora and fauna, are the characteristic features of these mountains. The trip takes two or three hours, depending on the water lever of the river. Shooting down the Dunajec River through the Pieniny Gorge on the highlanders' rafts, is believed to be one of the greatest attractions of Poland. While on a raft navigated by two highlander rafters, you admire one of the most beautiful river gorges in Europe. On the way back to Cracow we have a lunch break in the regional inn.
On the way back to Cracow we have a short stop by the picturesque Nidzica Castle.

Extensions to other European cities are available on request!