On September 24, 2022, we were amazed by huge crowds every way. We guessed that everyone was enjoying Poland opening COVID jail a little over a month ago in August. Not nary a face mask was in sight. That was not the circumstances for our fourteen-days Tauck's tour. We anticipated twenty-four companions, but only thirteen were included (see Guests). Neil, our Tauck director, reported that that number has been the case in 2022.
through authentic cultural discoveries with a bus tour from Poland to Czechia. Their exclusive excursions included private piano recital in Warsaw celebrating the music of Frederic Chopin, private visit of the Budapest Opera House with operatic songs from Mozart, private dinner cruise on the Danube River in Budapest, private recitals of Mozart and Strauss in Vienna, and the highlight of private tour of the Baroque libraries of Strahov Monastery in Prague.
Neil Cameron (tour director) and Jaro (bus driver) helped us explore from Warsaw to Prague.
Although more than 85% of Warsaw was destroyed or damaged in World War II, the city has been rebuilt into one of Europe’s most vibrant capitals, using prewar paintings and sketches to painstakingly reconstruct many historic buildings, restoring them to their former glory.
We drove for eight hours (by bus and not by train) to Krakow that was reported as probably the prettiest city in Poland, with its important history and beautifully preserved medieval old buildings.
On the second day, we may visit the authentic Memorial Auschwitz and Birkenau. Auschwitz was the largest of the German Nazi concentration camps where over 1.1 million men, women, and children were exterminated.
From Krakow, we boarded our coach for three days in Budapest. We drove for nine hours through the scenic Tatra Mountains with a lunch stop in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia.
Budapest's extensive pedestrian walkways on the backside of our hotel, lined with restaurants and lounges, were popular. It connected the Danube River and popular Chain Bridge (closed down) between the two towns of Pest and Buda.
We were back on our way for three days of Strauss and Rachmaninov in Vienna. We stopped initially at the capital of Slovakia in Bratislava after two hours driving before heading another hour to our ultimate destination.
The last three days are in Prague after we drive four hours from Vienna. As the ‘City of a Thousand Spires’, Prague is one of Europe’s architectural gems. From Gothic and Baroque to Renaissance and Art Nouveau styles, the city has been an important UNESCO World Heritage Siter. The narrow streets open up onto squares which are home to medieval-looking homes and historical buildings.
Although Tauck has a separate tour dedicated to the Jewish experience, a very amount of this tour had a Jewish emphasis.
They include details, maps, and pictures.
- #0: Late afternoon arrival, just relax
- #1: Explore on our own, meet everyone at 6 PM
- #2: Tour Warsaw, dinner and concert at the Palace
- #4: Tour Krakow, 40 miles to Auschwitz