Pilgrimage Tours
Pilgrimage to Poland and Lithuania
The programme of this pilgrimage is very rich culturally and spiritually. During 10 days you will have the opportunity to visit the most important places of Catholic worship in Northern Poland and Lithuania. Poland, one of the most Catholic countries in Europe, has many beautiful churches and shrines on its territory. After visiting Gdansk, the largest Polish city on the Baltic Sea, you will go to the shrine of Our Lady of Gietrzwald. Gietrzwald is often called the "Polish Lourdes" and attracts many Polish and foreign pilgrims. Before leaving for Lithuania, you will stop in the small village known for its baroque sanctuary in Swieta Lipka, also dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The focal point of the pilgrimage is the famous icon of Our Lady in Vilnus at the Gate of Dawn (Ostra Brama). This place of Marian pilgrimage is very important in the history of Polish Catholicism, when Vilnius was a predominantly Polish city. The Gate of Dawn, with its icon of the Virgin Mary built in late Gothic style, is visited by Catholics from all over the world. On the way back to Warsaw you will pass through one of the last primary forests in Europe - Bialowieza National Park.
Trip Highlights:
- Tour of Westerplatte - place of invasion of Poland by Germany on September 1, 1939
- Visit to Gietrzwałd, known as the Polish Lourdes - the place where the Mother of God appeared
- Visit to St. Lipka - place of worship of the Virgin Mary, one of the most beautiful baroque churches in Poland
- Prayer in the Chapel of the Virgin Mary at the Gate of Dawn
- Visit to the Orthodox monastery in Grabarka - the most important Orthodox place of worship in Poland
Itinerary:
1st day Warsaw - Gdańsk
morning Welcome at Warsaw Okęcie airport, departure for Gdańsk.
afternoon En route, stop at the beautiful medieval Gothic city of Toruń. A prosperous Hanseatic port and the birthplace of Copernicus, the city has retained its charm and character with its red walls, old buildings, small cellars and museums with rich collections.
evening Arrival in Gdańsk. Dinner.
2nd day Gdańsk
morning Visit of Gdańsk, a 1000 year old city rich in historical events. On the programme: the town hall, the picturesque Mariacka Street, Artus Court where the merchant elite held their festivities, the Neptune Fountain, St. Mary's Church, a majestic Gothic brick church with an extraordinary 15th century astronomical clock.
afternoon Visit to the Church of St. Bridget, the monument to the workers killed in 1970 and an exhibition on Solidarity at the Gdańsk shipyard.
evening Dinner.
Day 3 Gdańsk - Malbork - Gietrzwałd - Olsztyn
morning "Every man has his Westerplatte" (John Paul II) - tour of Westerplatte - place of invasion of Poland by Germany on September 1, 1939 which marked the beginning of the 2nd World War. Continuation to Malbork: visit of the castle - the largest medieval fortress in Europe and the seat of the Grand Masters of the Teutonic Knights Order
afternoon Arrival in Gietrzwałd, known as the Polish Lourdes - the place where the Mother of God appeared. Prayer at the shrine. Departure to Olsztyn.
Dinner.
4th day Olsztyn - Vilnius
morning The land of thousand lakes and gothic castles. Drive to Vilnius with a stop at St. Lipka - place of worship of the Virgin Mary, one of the most beautiful baroque churches in Poland, stops at Reszel and Ketrzyn, known for their Gothic castles of the Teutonic Order. Visit of the first capital of Lithuania in the Middle Ages in Troki.
evening Arrival in Vilnius. Dinner.
Day 5 Vilnius
morning Vilnius - crossroads of the West and the East. The programme includes the Gate of Dawn, the Holy Spirit Monastery, the Basilian Monastery, the Jewish Quarter, the Bernardins Alley, St. Anna's Church, the University and St. John's Church, the Cathedral with St. Casimir's Chapel, the Church of Saints Peter and Paul.
afternoon Prayer in the Chapel of the Virgin Mary at the Gate of Dawn, free time.
evening Overnight in Vilnius.
6th day Vilnius - Białowieża
morning Continuation of the tour in Vilnius. Martyrs of the 20th century. Visit the KGB museum, the parliament and the TV tower - symbols of the Lithuanians' battle during the Soviet occupation. Lunch in a restaurant on top of the TV tower. Conversation with a prisoner or a representative of the anti-communist opposition.
afternoon Prayer in front of the original painting in the church of Divine Mercy painted after the advice of Sister Faustina Kowalska, who had an apparition. Return to Poland and arrival in Białowieża.
evening Dinner and overnight stay in the Białowieża forest.
7th day Białowieża - Grabarka - Warsaw
morning Walk along the tourist route in the Białowieża primeval forest - kingdom of the last bison in Europe.
afternoon Arrival in Warsaw. En route, stop at the Orthodox monastery in Grabarka - the most important Orthodox place of worship in Poland.
evening Free time. Dinner in Warsaw.
Day 8 Warsaw
morning Visit of the capital of Poland - on the programme: the Old Town with the Royal Castle and St. John's Cathedral, the Ghetto, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Palace of Science and Culture, Łazienki Park.
afternoon Free time
evening Dinner and overnight in Warsaw.
9th day Warsaw
morning Visit to the parish of St. Stanislaus Kostka where the tomb of the priest Jerzy Popiełuszko who was killed by the political police during the communist era is located.
afternoon Departure to the Sanctuary of the Immaculate Mother of God in Niepokalanów, founded by Saint Maximilian-Marie Kolbe. Mass and return to Warsaw.
Dinner and overnight stay in Warsaw.
Day 10
Departure.
Services included:
- 2 night's accommodation in Gdansk in a hotel chosen by you on bed and breakfast basis
- 1 night's accommodation in Olsztyn in a hotel chosen by you on bed and breakfast basis
- 2 night's accommodation in Vilnius in a hotel chosen by you on bed and breakfast basis
- 1 night's accommodation in the Białowieża forest
- 3 night's accommodation in Warsaw in a hotel chosen by you on bed and breakfast basis
- All transfers as per above mentioned itinerary
- Private English speaking guide as per the itinerary
- Entrance fees for all sightseeing
- Meals as per the itinerary
Services not included:
- The journey to and from Poland
- Tour guide
- Public transport
- Insurance
- Personal expenditure, tips, etc.
- All other services not mentioned in the itinerary
Price on request.