EASTERN EUROPE AND MEDJUGORIE TOUR by bus

Arrival in Vienna, transfer to the hotel, short bus sightseeing on the way.
Vienna, one of the most famous cities in the world. It began as a Celtic and Roman settlement, grew into an important European city in the Medieval and Baroque eras and became the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. As a city of arts, it played a particularly important role in the development of European music. Names like Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss, Hayden are strongly connected to Vienna.
Traditional welcome ceremony in the hotel restaurant.
Afternoon: Holy Mass in the Votive Church (a Neo-Gothic church in the centre)
Optional: Strauss and Mozart concert in the evening
Accommodation: 4* hotel in Vienna centre

 

During Vienna sightseeing tour  we will see the most important sight in the centre:
St Stephen’s Cathedral - Stephansdom - a world-famous church monument and focal point of Austrian heritage built in 1147 and the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna.  The historical centre is rich in architecture with the Baroque townhouses and beautiful gardens. We will admire the monumental Parliament building, the City Hall, the State Opera House, Holy Trinity Column, St. Peters church, the Hofburg Palace – for many centuries the centre of power in the Habsburg Empire, both the home of the Emperor and the seat of the imperial administration. While strolling along the narrow lanes of the city we will enjoy the atmosphere of medieval Vienna.  
Traditional Vienna cuisine will be served in the wine cellar just in the very heart of Vienna.
Accommodation: 4* hotel in Vienna centre


 

Schönbrunn – history starts at the end of the 17th century when Emperor Leopold I commissioned the Baroque architect Bernhard Fischer von Erlach to build a palatial hunting lodge. Several decades later, under the rule of Maria Theresa, Schönbrunn Palace become the centre of court life. From that time onwards it was the prime court of the Habsburg family. Although Austria is now a republic, Schönbrunn has remained a place for political encounters on the highest level.
In the afternoon transfer to Bratislava
Holy Mass in the exquisite Blue church, built in the Art Nouveau style.
Accommodation: 4* hotel in Bratislava centre

 

Holy Mass will be celebrated in one of the oldest Slovak churches – the Gothic St. Martin’s Cathedral.
Morning sightseeing tour of the old centre of Bratislava and the castle area – including the Presidential Palace, Castle area, Jewish street, the Opera house, the Main Square, the Primatial Palace, St Michael’s Tower, Academia Istropolitana will give us the insight into free afternoon to explore and admire the city for yourself.
Dinner will be served in the restaurant in the TV tower Kamzik in the Lesser Carpathians above Bratislava – to enjoy delicious cuisine and beautiful views to the city.
Accommodation: 4* hotel in Bratislava centre

On the way to the north of Slovakia we will visit an interesting Lutheran church in Hronsek, which is made entirely of wood. It is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. 
Holy Mass will be celebrated in an early Gothic church in northern Slovakia in Liptovsky Jan including an organ concert (an antique organ is almost 300 years old and one of the oldest in Slovakia).  While driving in the valley between the High and the Low Tatras we can enjoy magnificent views on both sides of the valley. We will also make a short stop in the High Tatras to take an easy stroll.  
Accommodation: 3* hotel in Levoca centre (Member of Historic Hotels of Slovakia)

 

Levoca is one of the best preserved medieval towns in Slovakia. The massive fortification walls still protect its historical centre. Here we can admire many Renaissance and Baroque houses, the Renaissance Town Hall. However, the most precious is the Gothic church with a wooden alter carved by Master Paul, which is the tallest in the world!
Levoca is an important point of the tour also due to a pilgrimage church on the hill above the town, which was promoted to a Basilica Minor by the pope John Paul II. This is one of the most important pilgrimage places in Slovakia.
We will celebrate the Holy Mass in the morning and then continue our tour of the Spis region: a visit to Spis Castle, where we will have lunch in the courtyard, and Spisska Kapitula, known locally as the “Slovak Vatikan”. 
The rich program of the day will be followed by a traditional Slovak dinner in a shepherd's cottage with a folklore shepherds musical program. For sure, the symbol of “shepherd” suites to the pilgrimage tour well.
Accommodation: 3* hotel in Levoca centre

 

In the morning we will transfer to Poland. Salt mine Wieliczka belongs to the highlights of our tour. There are many salt mines in the world but this one is really special. It is not only a unique world-renowned attraction but also a holy place for miners in the past. As they dug into the salt, they carved statues and even whole chapels into the rock salt. We will take the Pilgrimage tour, including Holy Mass celebrated in one of the chapels in the mine. Lunch will also be served in the tavern of the mine. 
Departure to hotel.
Accommodation: 4* hotel in Krakow, Lagievniky

 

Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Lagiewniki where Our Lord appeared to Sr Faustina Kowalska (she was a Polish Sister of Mercy). We will spend the whole day at this sacred place and will celebrate Holy Mass in one of the chapels. Accommodation: 3* hotel in Krakow, Lagievniky

A tour of the Wawel Castle and Wawel Cathedral in Krakow, a city that played a central role in the life of John Paul II. Karol Wojtyla was ordained in the crypt of the Cathedral, celebrated his first Mass here and later became its archbishop. The cathedral is more than 900 years old, it is the Polish national sanctuary and traditionally served as the coronation site of the Polish kings. 
The tour will continue to the centre of Krakow.

Accommodation: 3* hotel in Krakow, Lagievniky
 

This day we will transfer to Wadowice – the birth place of Karol Wojtyla. Here he has spent the first years of his life. We will visit the Family Home Museum and taste his favourite cake “kremowka papieska”.
After many splendid and beautiful places we will make a tour of a monument to one of the darkest chapters in Europe’s history – the Nazi concentration camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau. But even here we can find examples of holiness: the martyrdom of St. Maximilin Kolbe who was canonized by Pope John Paul II and declared a martyr of charity can give us inspiration for our lives. After this experience, we will proceed to the town of Czestochova.
Accommodation: 3* hotel in Czestochowa


 

Jasna Gora – the Pauline monastery. This is the third most frequently visited Catholic pilgrimage site in the world.  We will celebrate Holy Mass in the chapel where the miraculous icon is housed. The icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa has been connected to Poland for more than 600 years. Pious legends say it was painted on a cedar table top from the house of the Holy Family by St Luke the Evangelist; it then travelled from Jerusalem via Constantinople and finally reached Czestochowa in the late 14th century. Lunch will be served in the monastery refectory.
In the afternoon, we will continue the journey to North Moravia’s most beautiful town - Olomouc. Olomouc was the Moravian capital for centuries. It became the seat of the metropolitan archbishop of Moravia in 1777. Legend says it was founded by Julius Caesar. Nowadays, it is a youthful, laid-back university town with outstanding historical architecture, the most notable example of which is the beautiful, UNESCO-listed Holy Trinity Column.
Accommodation: 3* hotel, Olomouc


 

After breakfast we will set off to one of the oldest Czech cities -  Kutna Hora, the medieval silver mining centre. It is also famous for beautiful churches such as the most important St Barbara’s Cathedral. Another stop that we cannot omit is the small but famous village of Sedlec, which has a spooky but fascinating ossuary. Holy Mass will be celebrated in the parish church of Sedlec.  Afterwards we will proceed to Prague.
Accommodation: 4* hotel in Prague

We will start our sightseeing of “The city of a hundred towers”- Prague in the Castle area: whose most precious sights include famous Golden Street and the fascinating Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral. One of the major pilgrimage destinations in Prague is Loreto – a Baroque sacral complex.
In the evening we will taste the typical Czech dinner in a monastery brewery (Czech beer is very famous and it is an important part of the Czech culture. It was closely connected to the monasteries in past).
Accommodation: 4* hotel in Prague centre, breakfast, dinner –Monastery brewery

The golden city of Prague is one of the jewels of Central Europe and is famous for its Gothic and Baroque architecture, historical sites but also the holy places: the Church of Our Lady Victorious housing the statue of Infant Jesus of Prague. While walking across the oldest of Prague’s bridges, the Charles Bridge (14th century) you can buy local souvenirs or just watch the Vltava River flow by. We will continue to the Old Town square with famous 14th century Tyn Cathedral and the Prague Astronomical Clock. Our stroll will take us further to large Wenceslas square.
At the Church of Our Lady Victorious we will celebrate the Holy Mass today.

Accommodation: 4* hotel in Prague centre

 

Transfer to Budapest, on the way visit of Pannonhalma - an active Benedictine monastery (also a World Heritage Site) founded in 996. The monks of Pannonhalma converted the Hungarians to Christians. They also founded the first school in the country and in 1055 wrote the first document in Hungarian.  The monastery has also made a name for itself by producing outstanding wines. We will get to taste some of them during our lunch in the abbey restaurant.  
Transfer to Budapest.
Accommodation: 3* hotel in Budapest centre

 

After an early breakfast we will start our Budapest tour. It is certainly the most attractive and spectacular capital on the Danube. It spreads along both banks of the Danube, which are linked by many bridges. The Danube at night with dozens of boats and the illuminated bridges offers a fascinating view. We will make a tour to both sides, Buda and Pest. In Buda we will visit the Castle District and the Citadel on the hills above the Danube and then cross one of the bridges to Pest to admire the Basilica, the Synagogue & the Opera House.
We will celebrate Holy Mass amongst the splendours of St Stephen's Cathedral

In the evening we will enjoy a boat trip on the Danube with a traditional dinner and authentic gipsy music – it is an experience you can only have in Budapest!
Accommodation: 3* hotel in Budapest centre
 

We will celebrate Holly Mass in a village church in a contrary with the splendid town churches. Transfer to the wide open plains of the Hungarian Puszta (a World Heritage Site), to experience a horse show, folklore and traditions and a typical puszta dinner.
Accommodation:  4* hotel in Kecskemet area

 

Transfer to Sarajevo.
For over four hundred years, mosques, synagogues, Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches have been built and have stood side by side here. Citizens of different nationalities and religious backgrounds have lived and worked together to forge a multicultural city, which absorbs different heritage of the East and the West. That is why the city today is often referred to as the European Jerusalem.
One of the darkest moments in the city’s history is connected with the beginning of World War I – with the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, an Archduke of Austria-Este, and his wife.  
The assassinations lit a fuse under an explosive situation that had been stoked by an arms race, nationalism, imperialism, militarism, and a tangled alliance system. War broke out a month after Franz Ferdinand's death, with Austria-Hungary's declaration of war against Serbia.

Accommodation: 4* hotel in Sarajevo

 

Transfer to Medjugorje – the holy story started more than 30 years ago: In 1981 Our Lady appeared and spoke to 6 village children ‘I have come to tell the world that God exists…. that peace is necessary for the salvation of the world’. Since then messages come to three of these children on a daily basis and another three children have apparitions once a year. Miracles and conversions are the real stories of this place. The small village in Bosnia has become a true pilgrimage goal for millions of people. They come to receive the graces. 
Program in Medjugorje: The Apparition hill, Podbrdo, meeting with the visionaries (depending on their availability and presence in the village.), visit of the community Cenakolo (people once addicted to drugs), Majčino selo – mother´s village.

Evening Prayer Programme and Confession    
Optional: the Stations of the Cross, Krizevac - the Mountain of the Cross dominates the landscape. You can climb the grace filled path, which rises to a breath-taking summit crowned by a commanding 30-foot cement cross built in 1933.
Accommodation:  4* hotel in Medjugorje
 

Morning departure to Split – one of the pearls of Croatia – fascinating city with rich history coming back to the Roman times. We will explore the historical nucleus of Split with Diocletian’s Palace, the cathedral of St. Domnius, the four gates, the neo-Renaissance square, many museums and galleries. Holly Mass will be celebrated in one of the old churches in the centre.

Accommodation: 4* hotel in Split centre
 

A free day in Split will be very much appreciated after the previous hectic days. There is enough to admire and explore on your own. It is one of the most beautiful cities on the Adriatic coast. Everybody will welcome the relaxed walking and strolling along the old lanes and on the seafront. 
Accommodation: 4* hotel in Split centre

Morning transfer to Zadar, the capital city of Dalmatia. For centuries and today, it has been the centre of the region. This city is rich in world-renowned monumental heritage visible at every step. One of its top touristic attractions nowadays is the Zadar Sea Organ (or "Morske orgulje" in Croatian) is one-of-a-kind installation that produces eerie music, powered by the sea waves alone.

Transfer to Plitvice.
Accommodation: 3* Hotel in Plitvice
 

Fascinating natural park of Plitvice lakes (World Heritage Site). We will take a tour through the astounding beauty spots of this national park.
Accommodation:  3* hotel in Plitvice lakes area
 

Transfer to Vienna and then flight home, sweet home.