CENTRAL EUROPE - A Hiking Tour
Budapest, Slovakia Kracow
GREAT JOURNEY THROUGH COLORFUL CENTRAL EUROPE HISTORY
 Cultural walking tour - Budapest-Slovakia- Kracow
We've handcrafted this itinerary to bring you the best of Central Europe with special emphasis on culture and history - and of course all of the magnificent scenery in teh areas. Our easy to moderate walks will take us through three beautifull countries of the former socialist block. Fifteen years after communism in Eastern Europe, many things have changed but there are many beautifull and fascinating points of interest and great natural beauty. Budapest and Kracow definitely rank at the top of historical pearls in all of Europe. Slovakia is a small country which offers a great variety of natural and cultural attractions and a visit to the historical city of Kracow speaks for itself.
Day 1 Budapest, Hungary
On arrival at Budapest airport, our group flight is met by the Trip Leader for the transfer to our hotel in the centre. If clients will arrive separatelly, group leader may meet them in hotel.
Buda with its old houses, palace and medieval cathedral, Obuda with few old houses, Pest built mostly in 19th century in art nouveau style, parliament in neogothic style, synagogue in oriental style and the tomb of Gul Baba built by Turks. Mixture of the architectural styles, but it must be added that also couple of hot springs with baths and caves – all this you can find in the middle of Budapest. Sightseeing tour of city centre and welcome dinner in traditional restaurant. Accommodation in 4star hotel.
 Day 2 Slovakia , Banska Stiavnica
Transfer to the middle of Slovakia, visit of Banska Bystrica, commercial center of the region with nice old town square and center of the resistance in the Second World war. Night in Banska Stiavnica. Banska Stiavnica - The historical mining town that later on became the center of technical sciences. Visit of the medieval center of the town, after lunch we will get out of the town to its picturesque surrounding filled by lakes and old mines.
Overnight in 3star hotel in historical centre of Banska Stiavnica.
(4 hours hiking, 5 miles, elevation gain - 300m)
Day 3 Slovakia, Chocske Hills and Vlkolinec
Morning transfer to village of Vlkolinec. Shorter walk(2hours) in the area day, in the middle of our walk we will visit Vlkolinec, the village listed in the UNESCO World Heritage, as the settlement with the traditional architecture and way of life.
Later we may also visit the picturesque limestone gorge of Prosiek and Kvacany, besides the natural beauties you can find there old river mills. Approximately 3 hours walk, with easy technical equipment such as metal ladders to pass through the gorge.
Accommodation in a traditional wooden family run hotel.
(4 hours hiking, 8 miles, elevation gain - 300m)
 DAY 4 Slovakia, Western Tatras - Rohace
Transfer to western Tatras, less known and visited part of Tatras ridge. The valley of Rohace offers to the tourists a walk that passes around its cascade and its lakes, and all this is surrounded by the rock faces of the main ridge of West Tatras and typical flora and fauna of the Tatras. Possibly visit of open air museum of Slovak village in Zuberec with 17th century wooden church. 4hours walk along beautifull mountain lakes.
Accommodation: Return back to hotel of previous day.
(5 hours hiking, 7 miles, elevation gain - 650m)
Day 5 Levoca, Slovakia
Transfer to eastern Slovakia, enjoying the rural scenery and stopping of the spectacular ruins of the Spissky Hrad Castle, a 13th century vision in white atop a green hill. We continue driving through picturesque countryside to the medieval jewel of Levoca, capital of one of the most prosperous regions of the Slovak Republic for four centuries. Walk down to town of Spisske Podhradie.
Overnight in 3star hotel(historical building) in town of Levoca(UNESCO heritage ).
(3 hours hiking, 3miles, elevation gain - 200m)
 Day 6 Slovakia, Slovensky Raj or High Tatras - optional day(day off)
Our hike today takes place in the unique setting of the Slovensky Raj (“the Slovak Paradise”), a 40-square-mile karst plateau covered with pine forests and cut by deep, snaking canyons. It was set aside as a national park in 1988. We follow a trail up the canyon then cross through a woodland to reach the sloping meadows of Klastorisko. There are ruins of 13th century monastery. After lunch, we descend following a trail along the deep gorge of the Hornad River. Overnight in 3star hotel on main square of UNESCO town of Levoca... (4 hours hiking, 5miles, elevation gain - 250m)
Day 7 High Tatras We get our first taste of the High Tatras, the highest mountains of central Europe with the highest peak of Slovakia(Gerlach peak - 2655m) and Poland(Rysy peak 2499m). Longer day we hike over a pass to Zelene Pleso, a hikers’ refuge in a lovely alpine setting. After lunch at the refuge, we descend by a different route, then head to Tatranska Lomnica, a resort town dating to the turn of the century and set below the granite massif of the High Tatras... Easier option may be suggested.
Overnight in 3star pension in village of Zdiar .
(6 hours hiking, 6 miles, elevation gain - 600m)
 Day 8 Slovakia-Poland / Pieniny
A day trip to Pieniny National Park, a mountainous park with a rich ecosystem on the Slovak-Polish border. Here we can take a walk along the Dunajec River or possibly take a rafting trip through its scenic gorge. We can also tour Cerveny Klastor, a former Gothic church and monastery of Carthusian monks built in 1319. It was rebuilt in the baroque style of the 18th century and is now a national cultural monument.
Transfer to the same hotel for overnight.
(3 hours hiking, 4 miles, elevation gain – 100m)
DAY 9 – Zakopane
Short transfer in the morning. „Chamonix des Tatras“, the French guy would say. Center of the Polish Tatras, full of tourists and life day and night. We will firstly take the cable car to Kasprovy wierch and make a shorter walk before we will enjoy the spirit of this town. 4 hours of hike.
An evening transfer to Kracow and accommodation in 4star hotel.
(3 hours hiking, 4 miles, elevation gain - 300m)
 Day 10 Krakow, Poland
Full day in Kracow , a remarkable city virtually unscathed by the wars of the 20th century. kracow was a royal town for couple of centuries so on the first place we will visit the royal castle – Wawel that dominates upon the Vistula river, its cathedral with the tomb of St. Stanislaus, the patron saint of Poland. Then we will visit the Old town and its main square. The church of the Virgin with the main wooden altar created and decorated by Weit Stoss, one of the few known masters of the middle ages; the old market hall where the athmosphere of the old market days is still present. Optional visit of the museums and galleries, we recommend the Czartoryski gallery, a small gallery where you can find Lady with Hermine, one of the famous works of Leonardo Da Vinci.
We spend the afternoon individual exploring of medieval Krakow and enjoy our farewell dinner tonight...
Overnight in 4star hotel in historical centre of city. Farewell dinner.
 Day 11 Kracow , Depart
Transfer to the airport for departure on homeward flights..
Extra days can be added.
DETAILS:
Dates: June 8-18, 2011
Price: $3395 U.S.
Single room supplement: $445 U.S.
Price excludes: air-fare, insurance, drinks, personal expenses
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