Southeast Poland, part of the former independent kingdom of Galicia and later a province of the Austrian Empire, was a rural backwater until recently. Dramatic castles and Uniate wooden churches punctuate the landscape. Remote national parks in the 1,000-mile Carpathian range of mountains offer excellent walking, through beech woods and limestone gorges and along ridges with extensive views.
Historic Krakow, Poland’s cultural capital and seat of the monarchy for centuries, contains mediaeval churches; excellent galleries and museums; lively street markets and cafes and summer festival events. The many highlights of Krakow include the Royal Castle Wawel, containing its 14th century cathedral, and the mediaeval market square, one of the largest in Europe, featuring the 14th century Cloth Market and the Church of St. Mary which withstood the Mongol Horde.
HIGHLIGHTS of our Poland walking tour include:
Guests’ comments on this trip:
‘I was very impressed by the thoroughly researched logistics of the trip and the variety of cultural sights that were thoughtfully interspersed with the scenic hiking.’
‘We thoroughly enjoyed our trip, including some quite strenuous but very rewarding walking to the Ukrainian and Slovakian borders - the countryside was breathtaking, with myriads of wildflowers. We were very lucky to have Mark as our guide and friend - he was terrific!’
After meeting at Krakow airport in the afternoon, a short road transfer takes us to our first small hotel, located in countryside on the edge of the Ojców National Park. We stretch our legs on an introductory walk (7 km, 2 hours) through the surrounding beech forest and fields, many of which are still farmed in the mediaeval strip system. Before dinner, we may sample an ice-cold bison grass vodka on the hotel terrace.
Today, we explore the picturesque Ojców valley and the limestone gorge of the river Pradnik. We walk (11.5 km, 3.5 hrs) the ‘Eagles’ Nest’ trail, which links a series of castles built in the 14th century by Kazimierz the Great to defend the western border of the Polish Kingdom, following paths through the beech and hornbeam forests and along delightful riverside meadows. We visit and enjoy lunch in the fine Renaissance castle of Pieskowa Skala, with its double loggia decorated in the sgraffito technique, and collections ranging from Gothic statuary to Biedermeier furniture. Our private tour explores the centuries of Polish history encapsulated in this historic site.
Travelling east by road, we pause to visit Łancut with its pink and cream Renaissance castle, containing extraordinary Chinese and Turkish apartments and a private Rococo theatre, with formal 18th century gardens and a carriage coach collection, a testament to the splendour of aristocratic Polish households prior to WWII. In the afternoon, we visit the Synagogue which dates from 1760 and is one of the very few Polish synagogues to have survived the Nazi era intact. A scenic drive through the countryside brings us to our next hotel for 2 nights, a 16th century castle situated in a small romantic park adorned with statuary, swans and a small private aviary.
Our walk (8 km, 3 hrs) follows a section of a 25-mile-long rampart with sixty strategically placed forts built by the Austro-Hungarians in the late 19th century. We see one of the immense ruined fortifications buried deep in the forest, then continue our walk to the historic town of Przemysl. Founded in the 10th century, Przemysl enjoyed a golden age in the 16th century. We explore the cobbled market square lined with 16th and 17th century arcaded houses and the Renaissance Carmelite church with a surprising wooden pulpit in the shape of a boat.
In the morning, we drive to nearby Sanok to visit the superb Icon Museum, the largest collection in the world after Moscow’s Tretyakov Gallery, with icons dating from as early as the mid-1300s. Continuing our journey south, we pause to walk in the atmospheric mediaeval Jewish cemetery at Lesko, en route to our destination, the remote and unspoilt Bieszczady National Park in the far south-east corner of Poland. Our delightful family-run hotel is purpose-built in the style of a traditional nobleman’s wooden summerhouse. We enjoy a late afternoon walk on the gentle hillside slopes in the vicinity of the hotel.
The Bieszczady mountains belong to the Eastern Carpathians and are little visited by foreign tourists. The mountain range is composed of limestone rounded peaks (800 – 1300 m/2400 – 4300 ft high), cloaked with undisturbed forest, grassland and flower-filled upland meadows. We walk (5 km, 1.5 hrs) on good trails, looking for late summer wildflowers such as willow gentian and Jupiter’s distaff. In an abandoned village, cleared of its Boyk population during ‘Operation Vistula’ in 1947, we learn about the complex history of this mountain border area. In the afternoon, there is an option to climb the Polonina Carynska (1,250 m/4,100 ft, 7 km, 2.5 hrs).
On a full day walk (16.5 km, 6 hrs), we climb steadily (450 m/1350 ft over 2 hours) to reach the peak of Wielka Rawka (1,304 m/4300 ft), with commanding views east into Ukraine and south into Slovakia. Bears and wolves still occur here, though they are very shy, and birds of prey include lesser spotted and golden eagles, goshawks and honey buzzards. A superb ridge walk on open moorland and a gradual descent brings us back to our peaceful mountain village in the river valley and our walk gives us an appetite for hearty homemade Polish food: cheese-filled pierogi; wild mushroom soup; barszcz (beetroot soup with sour cream); and grilled mountain trout.
Returning west, we pause for a brief visit to the 13th century convent of the Poor Clares and lunch overlooking the mediaeval market square in Stary Sacz. In the afternoon, we visit the remarkably carved wooden church at Debno and then follow a scenic ridge walk (8 km, 2 hrs) to a fortified 14th century castle, built above the Dunajec river. We spend the night in a 4-star modern hotel.
We board large wooden ‘Huckleberry Finn’ rafts for a gentle 2.5-hour float down the Dunajec river, guided by a boatman in picturesque traditional costume: embroidered woollen trousers and waistcoats and a feather-topped hat. The spectacular route below the limestone cliffs follows the Polish-Slovak border. A 2-hour road transfer brings us to Krakow’s Kazimierz quarter, for over five centuries the principal centre of Jewish scholarship in Poland. An orientation walk takes us through the splendidly sited Wawel Castle with its magnificent Cathedral, the coronation and burial place of Poland’s monarchs for centuries. Our 5-star hotel is an elegantly converted 18th century mansion in Krakow’s historic centre.
A free day to explore Krakow, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The possibilities include Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Lady with an Ermine’ currently displayed in the Western Wing of Wawel Castle; the grand high altar of St. Mary’s Church, an acknowledged Gothic masterpiece; and excellent shopping in the arcades of the mediaeval Cloth Hall, especially amber and silver jewellery. Our excellent farewell dinner is accompanied, as on every evening of the holiday, by wines imported from France, Argentina and Hungary and reflects the sophistication of ‘new’ Polish cuisine.
Our journey concludes today with a morning transfer to the airport.
Please note that the double for single room supplement is imposed by the hotels and not by Kudu Travel. If you are willing to share but no other suitable guest books on the trip, we regret that the supplement will be payable. We endeavour to obtain double rooms for single occupancy, whenever possible.
VALUE FOR MONEY - SO MUCH IS INCLUDED
On Kudu trips, you will only need money for postcards, presents to take home, the odd G & T or an irresistible ice cream. Festival and opera tickets, museum and gallery entrances, National Park fees, all meals (with a very few exceptions specified in individual itineraries), wine with lunch and dinner, access to specialist books carried by the guides, gratuities for porters and hotel and restaurant staff, boat rides, train trips, internal flights, wine tastings, 4WDs with drivers, the services of skilled local guides and trackers etc are ALL INCLUDED in the cost of your holiday.
We are confident that, like previous very satisfied guests, you will discover that our tours give you excellent value for money.
2 nights in a small hotel, located in countryside on the edge of the Ojców National Park
2 nights in Dubiecko, in a 16C castle
3 nights in Wetlina, in a family-run hotel recently purpose-built in the style of a traditional nobleman’s wooden summerhouse
1 night in Czorsztyn, in a modern 4-star hotel
2 nights in Krakow, in a 5-star hotel in an elegantly converted 18C mansion
Visitors from the UK, EU, USA, Australia, Canada and New Zealand currently require a valid passport, but not a visa, for entry to Poland. If you are a national of any other country, please check visa regulations with your nearest Embassy of Poland.
Normally there are no specific and compulsory health requirements for entry to Poland. You may wish to check the advice given to travellers by the Department of Health and the FCO.
Insurance
It is essential, and a condition of booking, that you protect yourself with a suitable travel insurance policy as soon as you book a trip. We can arrange comprehensive cover for UK residents. Follow this link for a quote for a policy available to UK residents.
If you are already insured or a non-UK resident, please inform us of your policy at the time of booking.
Size of party
This trip will run with a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 14 guests.
