– Krakow – Wroclaw – Dresden – Prague – Vienna

Day 1^st
Your arrival to the Krakow airport where our driver meet you and transfer to your centrally located hotel. Time to check in. If time allows first orientation walk along the Old Town streets and welcome dinner. Night at hotel.

Day 2^nd

Breakfast  and your morning, half day tour of Krakow Old Town and the Wawel  Hill with its Castle and Cathedral. Our local guide will show you all the most important places to see in Krakow Old Town. Time to relax at your hotel and late afternoon and evening dedicated to visit at the Krakow Christmas Market. Dinner at selected, serving best local dishes restaurant in the heart of Krakow.Night at hotel in Krakow.

Day 3^rd
Breakfast and check out from your rooms. Departure to Wroclaw with our driver and comfortable van. Your ride will take around 3 hours, along the A4 highway, crossing Silesia region. Upon your arrival to Wroclaw check in at hotel. Short time to relax and your afternoon 3 h private tour of the Wroclaw Old Town with our local guide followed by an early dinner at one of the best Wroclaw restaurants. Late afternoon and evening dedicated to your visit at the Wroclaw Christmas Market. Night at hotel in Wroclaw center.

Day 4^th
Breakfast, check out from your rooms and your departure to Dresden (Germany), where you come within 3 h ride  with our driver by our van. Check in at centrally located hotel. Some time to relax and your visit at the first of many local Christmas Markets located in Dresden. Dinner at restaurant  and night at hotel.

Day 5^th
Breakfast followed by a half-day tour of the city with our local guide.  Your will see famous St. Mary Church, Zwinger Palace, the Old Town market and Semperoper. Later on some time to relax of your private visit to Museum or Gallery in the Zwinger Palace. Later this afternoon and evening dedicated for a visit to another Christmas Markets in Dresden according to our local guide suggestions. Dinner at local restaurant and night at hotel.

Day 6^th
Breakfast and departure to Prague with our driver and van. Your ride will take  around 2 hours only. Upon arrival you will meet our local guide in Prague and start your tour of the Hradcany castle and Cathedral. Later on a walk along the Mala Strana quarter and the famous Charle’s Bridge to the Old Town area where your today’s tour will end. Check in at hotel, some time to relax. Late afternoon and evening dedicated to visit at the Prague Christmas Market. Dinner and a night at your hotel.

Day 7^th
Breakfast and your morning short tour with our local guide dedicated to the Old Town district in Prague. Check out from your rooms and departure to Wien with our driver. Your ride will take around 4 hours. Upon arrival check in at hotel in Wien center, some time to relax. Later this day an early dinner and a time dedicated for a visit at the first Christmas Market in Wien center. Night at hotel.

Day 8^th
Breakfast and your morning half day tour of Wien with our local guide. Your tour includes the St. Stephen cathedral,  Graben, Hofburg palace and the Old Town attractions. You will have a time to taste famous Wien café and Sacher torte. Some time to relax at your hotel and late afternoon and evening dedicated to visit at another Christmas markets in Wien followed by a farewell dinner at selected, regional restaurant in Wien center. Night at hotel.

Day 9^th
Breakfast and check out from your hotel, transfer to the Wien airport for your return flight.
(Optionally you may come back to Krakow with our driver to take a flight out from Krakow airport, anyway it may requires and extra night at Krakow hotel)

Your tour date: November/December  2023 (your exact visit date to set with us)

Your tour price: USD 2990 pp
(sample 4 person private tour group)

Services included:
– transfers by a comfortable van with our professional guide-driver,
– accommodation (8 nights) at 3* and 4* hotels in double bed  room,
– breakfasts (8) and dinners (8),
– service of English speaking guide-driver,
– services of English speaking local guides for local tours,
– entry tickets according to the tour program,
– VAT and local taxes.

Services not included:
– your air-tickets,
– lunches,
– travel insurance (USD5/person/day) and cancellation insurance (USD55/day/person).
– tips for our guide-driver and local guides.

Budget tour option – The Greatest Christmas Markets of Central Europe by train !

We checked the data from recent years regarding the souvenirs and gifts most frequently purchased by foreign tourists in Poland. Here is a list of them below with additional information. We hope it will be useful during your next trip to Poland.

1. Amber – Baltic amber ornaments were made already in the Palaeolithic. Over time, amber has become a showcase of Poland, although 90% of deposits are located in Russia. Despite this fact, Poland is associated with amber the most. Elegant silver or gold jewelry with amber is a beautiful, typically Polish gift for a foreigner, especially for a woman. It is an expensive gift, but it is a unique souvenir. The largest number of amber shops in Poland is located on the Baltic Sea in Gdańsk.

2. Ceramics from Bolesławiec – Ceramics from Bolesławiec is definitely one of the most beautiful Polish gifts. The Ceramics Plant in Bolesławiec is one of the world leaders in the production of ceramics using a unique stamping technique. It has been produced since the 19th century and is recognizable not only in Poland but also in the world. It is available in many stores around the world, to order, but if you would like to visit several stores and choose it “live”, you must visit Bolesławiec yourself.

3. Mead – this traditional Polish drink was known already in the Middle Ages. It was considered exclusive and very expensive. There are several types to choose from: półtorak, dwójniak, trójniak and czwórniak, depending on the ratio of honey to water. In addition to Mead, the Polish vodka Żubrówka is also famous for its good reputation – necessarily with one blade of grass in the bottle. For those who, as we say in Poland, have a “hard head”, we recommend the famous “Śliwowica Łącka”, in which the alcohol concentration reaches … 70 percent!

4. Sweets from Poland – that is, for sure, “Śliwka nałęczowska” or “Ptasie mleczko” are among the most popular ones, but people who have visited Toruń will surely remember the famous Toruń Gingerbreads, the tradition of which goes back 700 years ago, and also bits that cannot be found anywhere else.

5. Tablecloths and scarves embroidered by hand from Koniaków – lace-making tradition from Koniaków goes back to the beginning of the 20th century. The uniqueness of Koniaków Koronki is that they do not use stencils. Thanks to this, each project is unique and has a unique charm, and its form and the multitude of elements depends only on the imagination of the lace-maker. This method of crocheting is not used anywhere else in the world. To see them live in the Museum and buy the most beautiful and original products, we invite you to the Silesian Beskids, to Koniaków.

If you have our beloved tourists also other suggestions that we could add to this list, write to our e-mail address:
office@greetingsfrompoland.com

Our Dear “Polish Family” members,

Recently, we receive more and more inquiries from our former and new tourists about the possibility of obtaining Polish citizenship and then a Polish passport. Below, we present the most important information regarding the requirements for obtaining Polish citizenship. If you are interested in additional information, please contact us or Polish embassies and consulates in your country.

Confirmation of possession or loss of Polish citizenship

You apply for confirmation of possession or loss of Polish citizenship when:

You have a valid Polish passport or valid Polish ID card;

You have a valid foreign passport and you do not have a valid Polish passport or a valid Polish ID card, or one of your parents has a valid or invalid Polish passport or a valid or invalid Polish ID card;

You have a valid foreign passport, in turn one of your parents, grandparents or great-grandparents has a Polish passport or Polish ID card and left Poland shortly after World War II, during the war or in the interwar period;

You have a valid foreign passport with a visa to enter Poland for the purpose of repatriation;

 You must obtain confirmation of Polish citizenship by a third party (living or deceased) in connection with other proceedings, eg divorce, inheritance, compensation for leaving real estate outside the present borders of the Republic of Poland;

There was a full adoption of the child by a person or persons having Polish citizenship, which took place before the child turned 16;

You were born in Poland and your parents are unknown, do not have any citizenship or their citizenship is undefined.

Note !: A different catalog of documents applies to each of the above circumstances.

2. Conditions that I must meet:

   There is no register of Polish citizens.

   Before you start filling out the application for confirmation of Polish citizenship, carefully read the instruction on its last page and strictly follow the instructions provided there.

   The application for confirmation of Polish citizenship by a minor child is signed and submitted by one of the parents or both of the child’s parents or their legal guardian.

   If your representative is a spouse, ascendent, descendant or siblings, you do not have to pay stamp duty for the power of attorney.

   A power of attorney submitted in connection with the confirmation of Polish citizenship does not require a notarized confirmation of your signature.

   Documents drawn up in a foreign language are submitted together with a translation into Polish made or confirmed by a Polish sworn translator or at a Polish consular post. The list of sworn translators is available on the website of the Ministry of Justice.

   In the absence of your or your parents’ Polish documents, you can apply to the city office competent for the place of last residence, the appropriate Registry Office or the archive or the Institute of National Remembrance, which stores emigration documents issued by the authorities of the Polish People’s Republic until 1989 to obtain them. If you have difficulties finding the right institution, contact the General Directorate of State Archives – Central Archives Information Center (ul. Rakowiecka 2D, 02-517 Warsaw) or use the online databases at www.archiwa.gov.pl.

   In accordance with the provisions of the law, the obligation to provide data and information that will allow to establish the factual and legal status rests with you. At the same time, you are obliged to submit documents that will confirm this data and information.

   Documents collected in the case files will not be returned.

   For more information you may contact us by email: office@greetingsfrompoland.com

– grand tour of Central, Southern and Eastern Poland –

Day 1^st
Your arrival to Warsaw and your transfer to a hotel, where our guide-driver  is waiting to invite you. A welcoming dinner in a local restaurant with a local Polish dishes. The first overnight stay at a hotel during your Poland tour.

Day 2^nd
Breakfast, guided tour of Warsaw: the Old Town with the Royal Castle and Barbican, the Royal Route, Krakowskie Przedmiescie, Lazienki with its  gardens and the Palace on the Water. Dinner in a restaurant, an overnight stay at a hotel.

Day 3^rd
Breakfast, transfer to Czestochowa. Visit to Jasna Góra – Czestochowa monastery, the most important placefor Polish Catholicism. The tour includes the Paulinians’ Hill, the Treasury and the Chapel, with the famous icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Dinner and an overnight stay at a hotel.

Day 4^th
Breakfast, transfer to Oswiecim. Visit to the Auschwitz  – Birkenau State Museum in Oswiecim, the biggest German Nazi concentration camp from the World War II. An afternoon excursion to Ojców National Park with picturesque Jurassic landscape and caves, possible visit to a cave or to Pieskowa Skala Renaissance castle. Arrival to Krakow, dinner and an overnight stay at a hotel.

Day 5^th
Breakfast, guided tour of Krakow: the Old Town Market with St. Mary’s Basilica and historical trade pavilions of the Cloth Hall, the Royal Route, Collegium Maius, Wawel Hill with its Royal Castle and cathedral. An afternoon guided walk round the old Jewish Quarter – Kazimierz with synagogues and Jewish relics. Dinner and an overnight stay at a hotel.

Day 6^th

Breakfast. Transfer to Wieliczka – a visit to the famous Royal Salt Mine with it’s underground chambers, chapels, lakes and salt sculptures. An afternoon transfer to Zakopane. Sightseeing tour of the city with a funicular ride up Gubalówka mountain, where you will admire a full panorama of the Tatra mountains. Dinner and an overnight stay at a hotel.

Day 7^th
Breakfast. Excursion to Sromowce Nizne for a safe rafting cruise through Pieniny Mountains on Dunajec Gorge (or a two hour break in Kroscienko  –  the “capital” of this mountain region). An afternoon drive back to Zakopane through picturesque mountains, with possible stops in Debno to visit famous 15th century wooden church with rich polychrome, or in Niedzica to admire its picturesque castle with Gothic and Renaissance parts located between two lakes.  Dinner in a regional restaurant with live folk music,  an overnight stay at a hotel in Zakopane.

Day 8^th
Breakfast. Departure to the city of Sandomierz – an example of Renaissance architecture in Poland. Your visit includes a walk through the streets of the Old Town, and a visit to the castle and St. Jacob’s Church with Dominican Monastery. Transfer to Lublin. Dinner and an overnight stay at a hotel.

Day 9^th
Breakfast. Transfer to Kozlówka where you can visit  the famous Polish “Museum of Socialism” with the gallery of the art of socialist realism.  Transfer to Kazimierz Dolny –  a beautifully located old town on the Vistula river banks, known also as a place especially cherished by artists. A guided tour of the town. An afternoon departure to Warsaw. Dinner and an overnight stay at a hotel.

Day 10^th
Breakfast.  Farewell meeting with our guide-driver and  your private transfers to the Warsaw airport for your return flight. Your tour of Poland ends…

Tour date: any date, between March and October  2024 on your request

Tour price: 
USD 3420 pp / person (2-3 person private tour)
USD 2690 pp / person (4-6 person private tour) 
(larger group’s price on request, more persons = lower price)

Price includes:
– transfers by a comfortable car, van with our professional guide-driver,
– accommodation (9 nights) at 3* and 4* hotels in double bed  room,
– breakfasts (9) and dinners (9),
– service of English / Polish speaking guide-driver,
– services of English speaking local guides,
– entrance tickets according to the tour program,
– VAT and local taxes.

Not included:
– single person room occupancy cost,
– tips for our tour guide and local guides, tips at restaurants during your dinners.

Need more info ? Look also at our company site and opinions at Tripadvisor !

Looking for low cost tours, by train check our offer at – https://greetingsfrompoland.com/scheduled-tours-to-poland/ 

This time, we would like to introduce our readers to the seven most beautiful natural wonders and tourist attractions in Poland. Of course, you can find a very large number of such rankings in guides, travel descriptions and on the Internet. We looked at over 10 different lists and selected five of the most repeated ones. Here they are:

1. Morskie Oko in the Tatras
Morskie Oko is one of the most popular places in the Tatra Mountains and a must-see on the tourist map of Zakopane.The charming location at the foot of the Mięguszowieckie Szczyty in the Rybiego Potoku Valley has been making an indelible impression on visitors for decades. The trail leading to Morskie Oko is quite easy, so no one has any major problems with reaching your destination. This beautiful mountain lake certainly deserves to be called the Polish miracle of nature.

2. Moving dunes near Łeba on the Baltic Sea
Moving dunes, located in the Słowiński National Park near Łeba, is a must-see place during your holiday by the sea. The dune strips were created by the sand being thrown ashore by the sea waves. He continued his journey thanks to the winds blowing towards the land. These processes are of course still going on – but they are hardly noticeable. According to estimates, the dunes move up to three meters during the year.

3. Cave “Raj”
Raj Cave near Chęciny in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains is one of the most beautiful in Poland. Tourists are delighted with the richness of dripstone forms, which are properly illuminated, which makes an even greater impression. In addition, the cave has a place for museum exhibitions. The exhibitions show the bones of prehistoric animals and recreate the camp of a Neanderthal family.

4. The gorge of the Dunaje
A foamy river depth, bends reaching even 180 degrees, and on both sides steep rock walls rising 300 m above the water level – the Dunajec gorge in the Pieniny Mountains is one of the most picturesque mountain gorges in Europe. And it is necessary to admire it from the very bottom, that is, from the deck of a wooden raft deftly crossing the treacherous meanders and bends. During the 15 km long and just over 2-hour cruise from the top of Trzy Korony to the marina in Szczawnica, it will be difficult to suppress the shouts of admiration at the sight of the changing landscapes and the overwhelming power of nature. By the way, you can listen to interesting anecdotes told by raftsmen.

5. Ojców National Park
Ravines, caves and original inselbergs and rock formations with which interesting legends are associated, and the beautiful Pieskowa Skała Castle and the ruins of a medieval fortress in Ojców – these are just some of the attractions that await visitors to the Ojców National Park. The park is located in the southern part of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, only 16 km north of Kraków, so it is a great destination for trips for its inhabitants – numerous natural attractions and easy tourist routes attract many, families with children and seniors. Ojców National Park is the smallest national park in Poland, its symbol is a bat.

6. Białowieża Primeval Forest
The Białowieża Forest is an example of a primeval forest, the fragments of which look roughly the same as … during the times of Mieszko I, i.e. the first Polish ruler, father of the first Polish king, 1000 years ago. It is here that the largest population of free bison in the world lives, and the National Park itself is the last natural forest ecosystem in Europe. The Białowieża Forest is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

7. The Land of the Great Masurian Lakes
In the worldwide vote for the 7 New Wonders of Nature in 2011, Masurian lakes reached the finals, ending the competition among the14 proposals (out of over 400 submitted) that received the most votes. Thus, they beat all the other candidates from Europe and such magical places as the Galapagos Islands, the Maldives or the Grand Canyon. It is therefore something to be proud of. Masuria can charm everyone who comes there – regardless of whether they prefer sailing, canoeing, cycling, birdwatching, picking mushrooms or simply laziness by the water. Although there are about 2,600 lakes here (and in total they cover almost 30% of the region’s area), tourists are especially attracted by the largest ones, i.e. Mamry, Niegocin, and Śniardwy. They are all connected by canals into one impressive waterway, over 120 km long. And on the way there will certainly be something to see – from the former Hitler’s headquarters in Gierłoż to … the only road sign in Poland “Attention dog sleds”.

December, like no other month of the year, abounds in old, traditional customs that have been cultivated for generations, though of course some of them not only in our country. In the first days of December, on December 4 to be exact, it is St. Barbara, who is the patron saint of miners. On this day, early in the morning, ceremonial parades of mining orchestras take place in cities where mines are located in Poland (e.g. in Upper Silesia). Considering the fact that this day is also sometimes on weekends, residents of these cities must expect an early wake up (even at 6:00 am), which will be organized for them by an orchestra dressed in mining clothes, including hats with red feathers. Another element of celebrating St. Barbara among the miners is the so-called “Beer Tavern”, which is usually evening meetings of all miners working in one mine, regardless of their position.
An important element of such an event are the performances of the invited artistic groups, e.g. cabaret groups, and tasting the specialties of Silesian cuisine, i.e. roulades, Silesian noodles and red cabbage. Of course, the whole thing must be thoroughly helped with beer – preferably with the beer from the nearby Tychy brewery.

Just two days after December 4, another important date falls on the December calendar – St. Nicholas. This is already a concrete preview of the upcoming Christmas, which of course the children are waiting for the most. On that day, the youngest are visited by Saint Nicholas at home, as well as in kindergartens and schools. In Poland, depending on the region, it sometimes happens that this saint brings gifts only on Christmas Day, or on December 6, he brings only small, small gifts, e.g. sweets and fruit. It even happens that naughty children are brought small pieces of coal or potato peel … But I don’t remember ever getting anything like that 🙂

 However, as I wrote above, St. Santa sometimes likes to be late and doesn’t come around until Christmas Day. Then, however, depending on the region of Poland, he or she may meet a different character giving gifts to good children. For example, in Upper Silesia it is the Baby, that is, the little, newly born Lord Jesus, in other regions (in western and northern Poland) gifts are brought by Gwiazdor – (Star Lord), and in Southern Poland it is an Angel. On the other hand, in the east of Poland gifts can be brought by Grandfather Frost, otherwise more popular in Russia as “Died Moroz” – Old Man Frost. It does not matter who is bringing it, but it is important to find something under the Christmas tree, of course, which we wish you warmly 🙂

Holidays are also a time of feasting together and tasting traditional dishes. The most famous are those served during the Christmas Eve supper on December 24. Here, too, we can notice differences between regions of Poland, but it is

important that there are exactly 12 of these dishes. The tastiest of them are: Christmas Eve borscht with dumplings, mushroom soup, dumplings with cabbage and mushrooms, cabbage with peas or mushrooms, fried or jelly carp,  Greek-style fish, herring in cream or oil, noodles with poppy seeds, poppy seed cake, old Polish gingerbread, dried compote, kutia. Traditionally, meat dishes should not appear (except for fish), but in recent years this tradition has changed and in some families meat appears on Christmas Eve, which I consider an exaggeration, since the next two holidays (December 25 and 26 are holidays in Poland) we spend mainly on … eating mainly meat dishes.

Other Christmas Eve customs include leaving one free seat at the table (for a person who would suddenly be able to knock on us, then we cannot refuse a meal). Others explain this practice in a different way – it is supposed to be a place for a person who has died in our family recently. In addition, there should be at least a small amount of hay on the table or under it, commemorating the fact of the birth of Jesus in a stable, some people also hide bills under their plates, so that the next year they will not run out of their wallet or family. According to some, keeping in the wallet one shell from a carp, which we ate during the Christmas Eve supper, is the same.

Then the obligatory “Pasterka” – that is, the Mass of the Nativity of Jesus, celebrated in the evening or at midnight on December 24, and caroling at home or in the church on the following days, and it may take a long time because in Poland there are over 500 Christmas carols and pastoral churches lasts even until February 2, that is, until the Presentation of the Lord. Of course, the whole celebration takes place at the Christmas tree, dressed a few days before Christmas by the household. Unfortunately, we can see it much earlier (even at the beginning of November !!!) in many stores and shop windows. This is an exaggeration in my opinion. 

However, it is important that it is ready by the evening of December 24, because only there you can find Christmas gifts, which we wish you with all our hearts, together with better than this current New Year, health and many planned or postponed trips around the world !!!

Two years ago, we started a genealogical search in Polish archives at the request of Thom, a client from Canada. He knew little about his ancestors, he knew the name and surname of his grandfather, the year of his birth and the likely name of the village in eastern Poland where they came from. It might seem that it is not much, but it was quite a lot for our work on the search.

Our first activities were directed to contact with the parish, which probably could be a parish suitable for this family because of its residence. In the e-mail, the priest confirmed that the family with this surname is present in his parish, but he does not have any documents confirming the birth certificate of our client’s grandfather, as they were transferred to the Archives in Rzeszów due to their poor condition. It did not give us much hope, although we knew where to look for these documents.

We sent our letter to the Archives, giving all the details we know, and we were left to… wait. It happens that the answer comes after 2 weeks, but it also happens that we expect 2-3 months for any answer. This time we were lucky and after less than 4 weeks we received information that indeed in the parish books we have information confirming that grandfather Thom was actually born in 1895, in May, and was baptized in the local parish. Now it was enough to pay a fee to the Archive’s account for the search and a copy, which we received after less than a week to our e-mail. But that was just the beginning…

We sent a copy of the document to our client and as we guessed, he asked for a translation of this act (it was written in Russian, as this area of ​​Poland was under Russian rule at the end of the 19th century). With the help of our friend, we read the whole thing and sent it to Thom in two days. Of course, he was very happy and at the same time asked us another question – what can we say about his grandfather’s parents, as their names were given in the grandfather’s baptism. The situation was a bit more difficult, but not hopeless, as the record stated the age of each parent on the day of the child’s birth.

Of course, only the number of years was given, with no exact date, but that was something. Based on our experience, we expected that at least one of the parents was also from the same village and that his baptism should also be recorded in the parish records. We calculated the birth year of each parent and sent our request to the Archives again to check birth certificates for Thom’s great-grandparents. This time we waited longer, perhaps because, as we know, at the beginning of the year, the Archives receive a much larger number of such inquiries. It is related to the Christmas season, when families meet more often and remember their ancestors. Then some of these memories turn into the beginning of genealogical research.

More than 2 months passed when we received a reply from the Archives confirming that they managed to find the birth certificate of great-grandfather Thom, exactly from the same parish and in the year we calculated based on his age at the time of birth of his son (i.e. grandfather Thom). Unfortunately, the baptism certificate of Thom’s great-grandmother was not found, but we decided not to give up.

Thom knew that his grandfather was the eldest child of his parents, so it is very likely that he might have been born a year or two after his parents (Thom’s great-grandparents) had married. We calculated that the wedding might have taken place sometime between 1893 and 1894. We again asked the Archives to find such an event in the wedding book of this parish. We hoped it would go faster this time, as the number of entries in wedding books is generally several times lower than in the one with birth and death certificates. Indeed it did and the answer came after 10 days.

The marriage certificate of Thom’s great-grandparents confirmed 1894 as the date of their wedding, and the names of the wedding witnesses were also given.

However, the most interesting information was that the bride, or great-grandmother Thoma, was… Unitarian, i.e. belonged to a Greek-Catholic parish located 15 km from the village where her future husband (Thom’s great-grandfather) lived. In the course of further work, while looking for the birth certificate of Thom’s great-grandmother, it was possible to confirm her birth and baptism in the neighboring Uniate parish.

In the meantime, however, we managed to find a group of genealogists – hobbyists, whose work and experience helped us a lot in continuing our search for Thom. It turned out that they decided to transfer digitized copies of files from this Archive one by one and put them in a simple search engine, on a separate website. It was extremely tedious and time-consuming work. Thanks to this, our work in search of the next Thom ancestors, despite going further into the past, accelerated. We were able to search for some birth, marriage or death certificates ourselves and download them in the form of a file, and even if they were not available, we had the exact details and entry numbers under which the Archive quickly found the files we asked for.
So, after a few months of work, we managed to reach six generations back from grandfather Thom, so we were able to confirm and find Stanisław’s birth certificate, i.e. Thom’s great great great great great great great grandfather …

Our satisfaction and joy for Thom was huge, neither he nor we expected that we would manage to reach so far (to the beginning of the 18th century) into the history of his family. Thom said his next destination would be south-eastern Poland…

I remember my conversation with Mark, our client from the USA a few years ago, regarding his trip to Poland. He then told me that at one meeting with his colleagues at work he mentioned that he was going to Poland on vacation. He then told me that this information caused quite a surprise in this group.
“How is it to Poland? For what ? What are you going to do there? ” – they asked.
I was not surprised by this because I knew that the main reason for his visit to Poland would be to visit places related to the history of his family, as his grandparents were still born in Poland and only later emigrated to the United States. An additional motivation for the trip to Poland was also a report, which he watched a few months ago on TV and related to tourist attractions in Poland, mainly Krakow, the Wieliczka Salt Mine and the Museum in Auschwitz-Birkenau.

I wrote with Mark also after returning from Poland and once asked if he had talked to colleagues at work about his visit to our country. “Yes” – he replied and mentioned in a few sentences the positive sides of these visits, including tasting famous Polish dishes such as bigos, dumplings, pork chop, which, according to him, taste completely different than those often served in Polish restaurants in the USA. He also talked about an amazing adventure – a cruise with raftsmen on the Dunajec River in the Pieniny Mountains, for which, as I remember, I persuaded him, despite his initial doubts.
He recalled a visit to medieval castles in the Krakow-Czestochowa Jura, also known as the “Trail of the Eagles’ Nests”, and a visit to a church in a small village in southern Poland, where his grandparents got married just before their departure to the United States and where they found an entry in the parish records of the then parish priest confirming this ceremony.
After a preliminary search of travel offers to Poland, Mark confirmed what he expected that no group trip would give him the opportunity to visit only those selected places from his list, so he decided to take a private tour, tailored to his expectations.

At the present time, trips, at least for the next 2-3 years, will be based on private trips organized for small family groups, groups of friends, on a specific request. This is an ideal solution, especially since such trips do not have to be more expensive than group trips, where the itinerary is fixed, the same for everyone, whether you are interested in visiting all places and cities on the route. By choosing a private tour for 4-5 people and narrowing it down to, for example, 10 days, you can get the price that you will pay in a large group for a 13-14 day trip. So, in the end, you will not spend more, and the satisfaction with this form of private trip may be greater, because you will see the place, attractions you wanted to see and selected “must see” ones, which our advisor will help you with when preparing the trip program.

Coming back to our client, as he said a little to the delight of some colleagues, he could not get too much sunbathing on the beach by the Baltic Sea because the temperatures did not exceed 25-26 C this summer in Poland. However, he stated that he can go to the Bahamas at any time during the year because the temperatures there are almost the same all year round and he will sunbathe next time 🙂

By the way, it also turned out that at least some of his friends at work know that their ancestors came from Europe, including Germany, Ireland and Italy. Apparently, one of them, the one whose ancestors came from Germany, even began to consider visiting the country of their ancestors the next year. Perhaps with a few more days, he could take his family to Krakow, which Mark praised so much…

Romantic Palace near Torun

Location: Romantic Palace in Turzno near Toruń in Central Poland with the surrounding Park was built in the second half of the 19th century. The object in the eclectic style was entirely designed by the outstanding Italian architect Henryk Marconi. Since ancient times, it has been inhabited by remarkable Polish families. The palace was the mainstay of patriotism and Polish tradition.

Your visit date:  any 7 day stay  – confirmation after your  request by email at office@greetingsfrompoland.com

Stay price: USD 780 / person
(min. 2 person group)

Your stay price includes:
– 6 nights at double bed room at the palace,
– 6 buffet breakfasts at the palace restaurant,
– access to hotel SPA (heated outdoor pool, indoor jacuzzi, outdoor jacuzzi, steam sauna, dry saunas, salt cave and tepidarium),
– access to outdoors attractions and equipment: outdoor playground, “Frycek” playroom, tennis courts (extra charge), beach volleyball court, badminton equipment, Nordic walking sticks, bicycles (extra charge), boules, fishing equipment in the park, observation deck with sun loungers,
– local tax,
– transfers from Warsaw or Gdansk airport on arrival and departure day.

Extra information about your visit and available tours: 

– half-day tour of Warsaw upon your arrival or departure day,
– half-day tour of Torun – the city of Nicolas Copernicus and Torun Gingerbread

More information about this hotel and its advantages are available at the website:  https://www.palac-romantyczny.com/en/history-page-168326

Quadrille hotel palace

Location: Quadrille hotel is an excellent base for discovering the beauties of Pomerania. Located close to the centers of Gdynia and Sopot, and just a half an hour drive away from the Old Town in Gdansk, it makes it easy to visit the three cities. A short distance from the Tri-city ring road and highway guarantees fast and convenient travelling to the most distant parts of the region.

Your visit date:  any min. 3 day stay – confirmation after your  request by email at office@greetingsfrompoland.com

Stay price:  USD 690 / person – hotel for adults only (16+)
(min. 2 person group )

Your stay price includes:
 – 2 nights in a Double Deluxe room in the Palace,
– a sweet insert and a bottle of white / red or Prosecco wine in the room,
– 2 rich breakfasts,
– 1 treatment per person to choose from the list,
– unlimited access to the water area (swimming pool, jacuzzi, dry sauna, steam room, cooling zone with showers and ice, relaxation area by the pool with sunny meadow, cardio room)
– relaxing drink in the Pub 10/6,
– tasting dinner in White Rabbit for two people  + Cisowianka water 0.7l
– waiter service
– parking,
– Wi-Fi,
– local tax,
– transfers from Gdansk  airport on arrival and departure day.

Extra information about this hotel advantages available for you:
– swimming pool & sauna,
– gym,
– fitness center,
– bicycle rental (additional charge),
– golf course (within 3 km, with additional charge).

Possible extra one day tours for you on request:
– half- day tour of Gdansk Old Town,
– one day tour to Malbork castle,
– one day tour to Hel Peninsula along the Baltic seaside and its sandy beaches.

More information about this hotel – palace you may find at the website here: https://quadrille.pl/en/