European Heritage Tours

Discover the countless contributions that Jews have made throughout history to the culture of Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, on one of our luxury European Heritage Tours. You will explore the rich heritage and sustaining Jewish legacy of Central Europe in comfort, dining at top restaurants and lodging at high-quality hotels. On our European Heritage Tours, you will travel by a private air-conditioned car/van/bus, with a private driver, and be led by certified English-speaking guides who are both knowledgeable and dynamic. Routes Travel has carefully designed the following trips so that you will not only visit, but truly experience the Jewish soul of Central Europe.

1.

Contact information

Name of family/ Group

Email

Principal Contact Person

Office/ Home Tel

Cell

2.

Beginning of tour

Date of arrival

Estimated time of arrival

Air Carrier

Flight no.

3.

End of tour

Date of departure

Estimated time of departure

Departure Air Carrier

Departure Flight no.

4.

No. of participants in group

5.

Age range of participants

6.

What is the preferable rooming arrangement?
(Please select by clicking the appropriate checkbox)

Two adult participants per room

Three adult participants per room

Family rooming plan (usually involves 1-2 rooms of 3-4 beds being shared by parents and children)

7.

Are most of the group members
individuals who have been to Israel
before, or mostly first-timers?

8.

Is there a main theme and/or objective for
the tour?

9.

Is there a specific price target or
budget within which the tour should
be planned?

10.

What is the requested level of accommodation?
(Please select by clicking the appropriate checkbox)

Five Star Deluxe

moderate Five Star

four Star or Kibbuts Hotel Lodging

Three Star or Kibbuts Country Lodging

11.

For families with children, please indicate how many hotel rooms you would like.
Please note: family rooms in Israel are usually slightly larger than the regular double
room and normally include one pull-out sofa-bed in addition to the regular double or twin
bed.

1 Family Room

(Depending on hotel, can accommodate up to 2 adults and 2 children)

2 Rooms

Please advise number of adults/children in each room:

3 Rooms

Please advise number of adults/children in each room:

Other

Please advise number of adults/children in each room:

12.

For groups of 7 or less, what are the preferred arrangement for guide and
transportation? (For larger groups, minibus or full size bus can be provided)
(Please select by clicking the appropriate checkbox)

private car with guide as driver

Self driven rental car with the guide as a passenger

13.

What are the preferred arrangement with regards to meals (lunch and dinner)?
Please note: Israeli Buffet Breakfast is normally included with accommodation in Israel.
(Please select by clicking the appropriate checkbox)

Please do not make any arrangements with regards to meals. We will book and pay for all our lunches and dinners ourselves

please include a number of recommended restaurants or culinary experiences

Please include all meals in our program

14.

Which of the following types of sites and activities should be of interest?
(Please select by clicking the appropriate checkbox)

Art	Folklore/Minorities (Please select Muslim/Christian/Druze/Bahai)
Archaeology	Historical Sites
Nature and Outdoors	Jewish Heritage Sites
Museums	Sites of Religious Importance

15.

Are there any specific additional
sites or experienceswhice are of
any interest? Are there sites
which should not be included?

16.

With respect to how physically challenging the program can be, which of the following is
most applicable?
(Please select by clicking the appropriate checkbox)

Tour should be almost entirely by car, with short walks between the car and sites

Tour can include reasonable mix between car transportation and walking tours within cities and sites

In addition to the above, tour can include some short (about 1-1/2 hour) hikes at Nature Reserves

Tour can include some moderately challenging physical activities, such as: (Please select by clicking the appropriate checkbox)
Moderate Walks	Hikes
Rock Climbing/Rappeling/Zip Line	Camel Rides
Swimming	Cycling
Rafting/canoeing/Water Sports	Other (Please specify)

17.

Please characterize the preferred pace of schedule:
(Please select by clicking the appropriate checkbox)

Leisurely - with some carefully chosen sites, but with plenty of free time each day to rest, shop, and walk around on your own

Relatively full but not exhausting with sufficient time for rest, beach, and relaxation

Full and varied - minimal free time, but perhaps with one free day, or two free half-days

Packed from morning to night in order to cover as much as possible

18.

Is there anything else we
should know?

Overview
On this tour you will explore the rich Jewish heritage of Pre War-Poland and the dark period of the Holocaust. Begin your journey in Warsaw, where you will see the ruins of the Warsaw Ghetto and learn about the incredible Ghetto uprising. Then travel to Lodz for a walking tour of the Litzmannstadt Ghetto and view the new memorial that was erected for the Jewish victims of Lodz. You will witness first-hand the remains of the Treblinka, Majdanek, Auschwitz, Birkenau, and Plaszow Concentration/Death Camps, sites of unforgettable suffering. In the midst of these emotional experiences, you will visit famous sites of Jewish culture and history in Poland. Explore the Jewish quarter of Krakow, the famous yeshiva of Lublin, and the Lezajsk and Lancut in the Galicia Region. Your trip will finish in Warsaw, where you will depart Poland but take with you the meaningful experience of your heritage mission.

Itinerary

Day 1: Warsaw
Before the Holocaust, Warsaw had one of the largest Jewish communities in the world. Throughout the city there are many traces of the Jewish culture and history of Warsaw before the Nazis invaded in 1944. You will visit the ruins of the Warsaw Ghetto and learn about the incredible Ghetto uprising. You will experience the Bunker on 18 Mila Street, where Mordechai Anielewicz, the commander of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, committed suicide); the Umschlagplatz Wall, where 300,000 Jews were deported by cattle cars to Treblinka; the remains of the Warsaw Ghetto Walls; Nozyk Synagogue: Warsaw's only surviving synagogue from before WWII; the Jewish cemeteries of Warsaw: the Brodno Jewish Cemetery and the Okopower St. Jewish Cemetery; the Memorial of the Heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto; and the former orphanage of Janusz Korczak, a gentile who died together with his Jewish orphan children in Treblinka. After the long day of touring, dine at an upscale Polish restaurant and relax at your hotel.

Overnight: Warsaw

Day 2: Lodz
The second largest city in Poland, one third of Lodz's population was Jewish before WWII. You will drive to Lodz and begin the tour by visiting Bracka Street, where the biggest Jewish cemetery in Europe lies. The extensively restored cemetery is filled with monuments, paths and a mass-grave in an open field. After the cemetery, you will witness the Radegast railroad station, where Jews were sent by cattle car to Chelmno and Auschwitz. You will visit the newly erected Radegast station memorial and museum.   Then walk through the Litzmannstadt Ghetto, which was the second largest Jewish Ghetto in Poland (after the Warsaw Ghetto). Much of the Jewish houses and buildings still stand in the Lintzmannstadt Ghetto and you will stop at the only synagogue remaining in Lodz. Drive back to Warsaw in time for dinner.

Overnight: Warsaw

Day 3: Majdanek and Treblinka
In the morning, we will travel to the remote wooded area of Treblinka, where 750,000 Jews perished in the gas chambers. You will see the eerie remains of Treblinka: train tracks, a mass grave and a memorial in the middle of dense forests. Afterwards, drive to Lublin and visit what remains of the famous Yeshiva of Lublin. Then walk through the old Jewish cemetery of Lublin, which is the oldest Jewish cemetery in Poland, dating back to the early 16^th century.   Then you will go to the Majdanek Concentration Camp, where over 350,000 people were killed, including 100,000 Jews. Today, a museum documents Majdanek's history and a monument of human ash commemorate Majdanek's victims.

Overnight: Lublin

Day 4: Auschwitz, Birkenau
After breakfast, we will drive to the Holocaust Memorial of Auschwitz and spend a somber day at the Auschwitz Museum, the Birkenau extermination camp and Auschwitz III. After this intense experience, we will travel to Krakow for dinner.

Overnight: Krakow

Day 5: Krakow
We will spend the morning touring Kazimierz, the Jewish Quarter of Krakow which was the historical center of Jewish culture and society. Start in the old town square, which was the center of Jewish life in Kazimierz. Then visit the Alt Synagogue (today the Museum of Jewish History and Culture), the Remuh Synagogue and Old Cemetery, Isaac Synagogue, Galicia Jewish Museum, and Oscar Schindler's Route.   Finish in Market Square, the largest medieval square in Europe, where you will dine on a hearty lunch. After lunch, travel across the Vistula River and see the concentration camp of Plaszow and Oscar Schindler's factory next to the camp. During WWII, Schindler saved almost 1,100 of the Jews of Plaszow by putting them to work in his factory. Return to Krakow for dinner.

Overnight: Krakow

Day 6: The Galicia Region

After breakfast, we will depart Krakow for the Galicia Region. You will first visit the Lezajsk Cemetery, to see the ohel of Elimelech. In Lezajsk, you will also visit the yeshiva, former Synagogue, and the seat of the court of Rebbe Lizensker. Afterwards, arrive in Lancut, a city which had a thriving Jewish population before the Holocaust. In Lancut, you will visit the famous Synagogue, which was fully restored in the 1980s. Return to Krakow for a farewell dinner and then depart for the airport and leave Poland.

Heart of Budapest Tour (5 Days)
Discover the rich Jewish history of Budapest, the capital city of Hungary, during this exciting six day city tour. Budapest is one of the most important Jewish destinations in the world, boasting the world's second largest Synagogue, a fantastic Jewish museum, the Budapest Holocaust Centre, and much more. The Jewish Quarter of Budapest, founded in the 18^th century, is still thriving with the largest active Jewish community in Europe. Experience the Jewish heart and soul of Budapest on this exciting five day tour!

Budapest Tour Itinerary

	Day 1: Welcome to Hungary! Upon your arrival to the Budapest Ferihegy International Airport, you will be greeted by your guide and driver to begin your adventure in the city called "the Pearl of the Danube." Enjoy a driving tour of the city and a panormic overview of Budapest from the Fisherman's Bastion. Check in to the hotel and freshen up before attending a traditional Hungarian dinner, complete with folkdancing.
	Day 2: Begin the day with a walking tour of the former Jewish ghetto of Budapest. You will first visit the Dohány Synagogue and the Jewish Museum. Finished in 1859 and built in the Neo-Moorish style, the Dohány Synagogue is the second largest synagogue in the world. In the Jewish Museum you will see the Tree of Life Memorial, the Temple of Heroes and the Jewish Garden. You will visit the Holocaust Memorial Center and the Jewish Cemetery, to see Baumhom's grave. Stop for lunch at a Kosher restaurant and then enjoy desert at a Jewish pastry shop. After lunch, tour the Kazinczy Street Orthodox Synagogue and the Rumbach Street Synagogue, designed by the famous Austrian architect Otto Wagner. You will then visit Hungary's oldest mikva (ritual bath) and the memorial of Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who saved thousands of Hungarian Jews during the Holocaust. Return to the hotel to freshen up before enjoying dinner at one of Budapest's upscale restaurants.
	Day 3: Your day begins with a tour of the most impressive and historical sights of the city. First, you will walk through the Castle District, where the Jews settled in Buda in the 13^th century. Visit the medieval synagogue, dating back to the 14^th century and learn about Jewish life in the 15^th, 16^th, and 17^th centuries under the Turkish occupation and during the Christian invasion. Continue walking through the Castle District and view the many interesting buildings, streets and squares in the vicinity, including the statute of King Saint Stephen, the former Royal Palace, Sándor Palace, and Matthias Church. Drive to Gellért Hill and enjoy one of the most scenic views of Budapest from the Citadel. Stop for lunch and confectionaries at the 150 year old Gerbeaud Coffeehouse, considered the finest in Budapest. After enjoying the delicacies at Gerbeaud, you will cross the Elisabeth Bridge and travel to the famous Central Market Hall. Pass by the Budapest Zoo and Europe's largest thermal spa before arriving at Heroes' Square. Admire the statues of the famous Hungarian kinds and dukes as you walk through the Square. You will then drive on the Andrássy Avenue to downtown Budapest, passing by the Opera House and St. Stephen's Basilica. Stop at the neo-Gothic style Parliament to tour the impressive building and learn about centuries of Hungarian history. After returning to your hotel to freshen up, you will dine at one of the fantastic restaurants in the city center.
	Day 4: In the morning, you will drive to the Buda castle, the residence of Hungarian kings, for a walking tour of the area. We will then take a leisurely boat ride on the Danube River to Margaret Island, the Island named for Margit, the daughter of King Béla IV. You can rent bicycles, walk or jog around the acres of peaceful, plush parkland that the Island boasts. You may want to take advantage of the state-of-the-art thermal spa at the Thermal Hotel Margitsziget and the special medical services using thermal spring water that the hotel offers. After you have enjoyed a relaxing afternoon on the Island, you will return by boat to your hotel. Dine in the stylish city center and bask in the bright lights and excitement of the Hungarian capital.
	Day 5: Today you will travel half an hour to the picturesque, charming town of Szentendre, located where the Danube River meets the Pilis Hills. Szentendre is famous for its atmospheric cobblestone streets, museums, and galleries and artists on every corner. Arrive in the center of the city, Foter Square, and walk along the winding, narrow streets of the village. Spend time at some of the bustling souvenir shops and art galleries, before enjoying a hearty Hungarian lunch at the Rab Ráby restaurant. After lunch, you will tour the Jewish Memorial House and then visit the unique Marzipan Museum, which features exhibits made solely out of marzipan! Spend the rest of the afternoon at the Caprice Jewelry Museum & Factory and/or at Margit Kovács Ceramic Museum. In the spring and summer, you can choose to return to Budapest by boat, on the Danube River. Otherwise, drive back to Budapest and freshen up at your hotel, before enjoying a farewell Banquet Dinner at one of the capital's finest restaurants. Depart to the Budapest Ferihegy International Airport.

Prague Tour (3 Days)
Overview
Discover the charm, culture and Jewish history of Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic. Widely considered one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, Prague not only has a magnificent Czech history, but also has a deep Jewish tradition. The city experienced a Jewish Golden Age in the 17^th century, when the Jews in Prague made up the largest Ashkenazi community in the world. With its uniquely preserved Jewish Quarter, this is a must-see destination to discover your heritage and experience the Jewish soul of modern Central Europe.

Itinerary

Day 1: Old Prague

Welcome to the Czech Republic! Upon your arrival at the Prague International Airport, you will be greeted by your personal guide and driver. Begin your morning in the heart of the city, at the Old Town Square, which dates back to the 12^th Century. Walk through charming ancient city streets and arrive at one of the historical entrances to Old Town, the Powder Tower. Next to the Powder Tower is the Municipal House, Prauge's most prominent Art Nouveau building and the site of the proclamation of independence for Czechoslovakia in 1918. Stop for lunch and then move on to the incredible Prague Castle and courtyards, built in the 9^th century. Admire the architecture of the Old Royal Palace, Daliborka Tower, and Saint Vitus Cathedral. Afterwards, walk across the famous Charles Bridge and climb the tower on the Old Town side for a magnificent view of the city and the Vlatava river. Return to the hotel to freshen up before enjoying a hearty Czech dinner at a restaurant in the city center. Optional: Every night there are a couple ballet and/or opera performances in town at three fantastic opera houses. Let us know ahead of time if you would to reserve seats to a performance.

Day 2: Jewish Prague

After breakfast, begin the morning with a walking tour of the famous Jewish Quarter of Prague, called Josefhov. The Quarter began as a Jewish community in the Middle Ages, and despite periods of expulsion, retains its Jewish character to this day. The Jewish Quarter flourished in the Golden Age (16^th to 18^th Centuries) and many prominent Jewish rabbis, historians, philosophers and scientists lived within its perimeter. During the tour, you will visit the historical Maisel, Spanish, Pinkas, Klaus and Old-New Synagogues. The Old-new Synagogue is the oldest functioning synagogue in Central Europe, built in the 13^th century. Tour the Ceremonial Hall and the old Jewish Cemetery, which dates back to the 15^th century and is the burial place of many of Prague's famous Jewry. Stop for lunch in one of the restaurants in the Jewish Quarter. After lunch, continue exploring the charming streets of the Jewish Quarter. (Optional) In the afternoon, travel to Castle Karlstejn, a fairy-tale like castle built in the fourteenth century by the King of Bohemia and Roman Emperor Charles IV as the place for the safe keeping of the crown jewels and state documents of the Roman Empire. On the way back from the Castle is of the best bakeries in the Czech Republic, stop by for a taste of scrumptious cakes and pies! Return to the hotel to freshen up and then enjoy dinner at one of the top restaurants in the city center.

Day 3: Theresienstadt

After breakfast, drive an hour to the Theresienstadt concentration camp. 144,000 Jews were sent to the concentration camp and many of the 80,000 Jews from the Czech Repulic who perished during the Holocaust died in Theresienstadt, where the camp conditions were grueling. You will walk through the barracks, crematorium, cemetery and Ghetto Museum. After this emotional excursion in Theresienstadt, you will return to Prague in the afternoon for a late lunch. You will have free time to visit one of Prague's magnificent museums, roam the city, or spend time in the shopping district. After freshening up at your hotel, enjoy a banquet dinner at one of Prague's best restaurants, famous for its traditional cuisine.

	Day 1: Warsaw Before the Holocaust, Warsaw had one of the largest Jewish communities in the world. Throughout the city there are many traces of the Jewish culture and history of Warsaw before the Nazis invaded in 1944. You will visit the ruins of the Warsaw Ghetto and learn about the incredible Ghetto uprising. You will experience the Bunker on 18 Mila Street, where Mordechai Anielewicz, the commander of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, committed suicide); the Umschlagplatz Wall, where 300,000 Jews were deported by cattle cars to Treblinka; the remains of the Warsaw Ghetto Walls; Nozyk Synagogue: Warsaw's only surviving synagogue from before WWII; the Jewish cemeteries of Warsaw: the Brodno Jewish Cemetery and the Okopower St. Jewish Cemetery; the Memorial of the Heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto; and the former orphanage of Janusz Korczak, a gentile who died together with his Jewish orphan children in Treblinka. After the long day of touring, dine at an upscale Polish restaurant and relax at your hotel. Overnight: Warsaw
	Day 2: Lodz The second largest city in Poland, one third of Lodz's population was Jewish before WWII. You will drive to Lodz and begin the tour by visiting Bracka Street, where the biggest Jewish cemetery in Europe lies. The extensively restored cemetery is filled with monuments, paths and a mass-grave in an open field. After the cemetery, you will witness the Radegast railroad station, where Jews were sent by cattle car to Chelmno and Auschwitz. You will visit the newly erected Radegast station memorial and museum. Then walk through the Litzmannstadt Ghetto, which was the second largest Jewish Ghetto in Poland (after the Warsaw Ghetto). Much of the Jewish houses and buildings still stand in the Lintzmannstadt Ghetto and you will stop at the only synagogue remaining in Lodz. Drive back to Warsaw in time for dinner. Overnight: Warsaw
	Day 3: Majdanek and Treblinka In the morning, we will travel to the remote wooded area of Treblinka, where 750,000 Jews perished in the gas chambers. You will see the eerie remains of Treblinka: train tracks, a mass grave and a memorial in the middle of dense forests. Afterwards, drive to Lublin and visit what remains of the famous Yeshiva of Lublin. Then walk through the old Jewish cemetery of Lublin, which is the oldest Jewish cemetery in Poland, dating back to the early 16^th century. Then you will go to the Majdanek Concentration Camp, where over 350,000 people were killed, including 100,000 Jews. Today, a museum documents Majdanek's history and a monument of human ash commemorate Majdanek's victims. Overnight: Lublin
	Day 4: Auschwitz, Birkenau After breakfast, we will drive to the Holocaust Memorial of Auschwitz and spend a somber day at the Auschwitz Museum, the Birkenau extermination camp and Auschwitz III. After this intense experience, we will travel to Krakow for dinner. Overnight: Krakow
	Day 5: Krakow We will spend the morning touring Kazimierz, the Jewish Quarter of Krakow which was the historical center of Jewish culture and society. Start in the old town square, which was the center of Jewish life in Kazimierz. Then visit the Alt Synagogue (today the Museum of Jewish History and Culture), the Remuh Synagogue and Old Cemetery, Isaac Synagogue, Galicia Jewish Museum, and Oscar Schindler's Route. Finish in Market Square, the largest medieval square in Europe, where you will dine on a hearty lunch. After lunch, travel across the Vistula River and see the concentration camp of Plaszow and Oscar Schindler's factory next to the camp. During WWII, Schindler saved almost 1,100 of the Jews of Plaszow by putting them to work in his factory. Return to Krakow for dinner. Overnight: Krakow
	Day 6: The Galicia Region After breakfast, we will depart Krakow for the Galicia Region. You will first visit the Lezajsk Cemetery, to see the ohel of Elimelech. In Lezajsk, you will also visit the yeshiva, former Synagogue, and the seat of the court of Rebbe Lizensker. Afterwards, arrive in Lancut, a city which had a thriving Jewish population before the Holocaust. In Lancut, you will visit the famous Synagogue, which was fully restored in the 1980s. Return to Krakow for a farewell dinner and then depart for the airport and leave Poland.