Central / Eastern Europe Agricultural Tour

Transcription

1 Central / Eastern Europe Agricultural Tour Berlin Prague Cesky Krumlov Bratislava Terchova Krakow High Tatras Zvolen Lillafured Hajduszoboszlo Kerekegyhaza Kapsovar 26 Days / 25 Nights 08 June July 2019

2 Day 1 SAT 08 th June DEPART Check in for your departure flight to Berlin at least 3hrs prior to its departure. Day 2 SUN 09 th June BERLIN (--D) Arrive Frankfurt and connect with a flight to Berlin. On arrival meet your English speaking guide and coach driver. Transfer to the Hotel. The rest of the day will be at leisure before meeting for dinner in the evening. Overnight : Berlin Day 3 MON 10 th June BERLIN (B-D) A short city tour to explore the sights of Berlin. Essentially a 19th and 20th-century city, Berlin s great monuments are in what was the eastern sector. Here is the famous boulevard of Unter den Linden and the Museum Island. Beyond the former line of the Wall and the Reichstag building is the fashionable shopping street of Berlin, the Kurfürstendamm, dominated by the ruined tower of the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche. Enjoy the famous sights of the Brandenburger Tor, the Reichstag (home of the German parliament), Cathedral and Checkpoint Charlie. Lunch and afternoon at leisure. Dinner in hotel. Overnight : Berlin Day 4 TUE 11 th June BERLIN (B--) After breakfast we depart for farm visits near Berlin. Lunch and dinner are at leisure. Briefing late this afternoon n agriculture and trade issues in Central/Eastern Europe. Overnight : Berlin Day 5 WED 12 th June BERLIN - PRAGUE (B-D) This morning we depart for Prague, the capital of Czech Republic and one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Lunch at leisure. Check in to hotel before a guided city tour. We pass Prague Castle and continue across Charles Bridge to the old town square. Prague s most spectacular square covers an area of more than 1.5 ha, framed by the twin spires of the Tyn Church, the Gothic tower of the old town hall and the Kilian Dientzenhofer s Baroque Church of Saint Nicholas. Dinner this evening in a restaurant in the city centre. Overnight : Prague Day 6 THU 13 th June PRAGUE (B-D) This morning we have a presentation about Czech Agriculture. Enjoy an afternoon at leisure exploring the wonderful sights of Prague, shopping or just relaxing. Late afternoon meet with our guide and visit the Jewish area. Continue to the port and board a boat for a cruise on the River Vltava with dinner on board. Return to hotel. Overnight : Prague

3 Day 7 FRI 14 th June PRAGUE CESKY KRUMLOV (BL-) Depart for Český Krumlov, stopping for farm visits on the way. Visit an arable farm, Želiv, where we see corn, wheat and barley fields and have a discussion about crop production in Czech Republic. After lunch and a farm visit with a focus on animal production, we continue to Český Krumlov arriving late afternoon. Check in to hotel and enjoy dinner at leisure. Overnight : Cesky Krumlov Day 8 SAT 15 st June CESKE BUDEJOVICE (BL-) This morning a city tour of Český Krumlov, (known as Little Prague ). Continue to České Budejovice and visit the Budvar Brewery. Tour the factory including beer tasting and lunch. Return to Český Krumlov. Dinner at leisure. Overnight : Cesky Krumlov Day 9 SUN 16 th June CESKY KRUMLOV - BRATISLAVA (BL-) After breakfast depart for Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, stopping for lunch en route. Afternoon arrival in Bratislava, which is situated on the River Danube at the point where the last ridge of the Carpathian Mountains ends in cliffs above the great river. On the hill stands Bratislava Castle with its four corner towers, home to part of the Slovak National Museum. The view from the ramparts takes in most of the city and its modern high-rise suburbs and seems to extend almost to Vienna, only about 65 kilometres away. City tour including the Bratislava Castle Hill and gardens. Check in to hotel in downtown Bratislava. Dinner at leisure. Overnight : Bratislava Day 10 MON 17 th June BRATISLAVA KYSUCE area / TERCHOVA (BLD) After breakfast check out of the hotel and transfer to a farm. Visit an agricultural cooperative with concentration on crop production and machinery. Lunch in a local restaurant followed by a presentation in the restaurant about Slovak agriculture by a representative of the Slovak Grain Growers Association. After lunch visit a beef and sheep farm with the representative of the Slovak Grain Growers Association. Later this afternoon transfer to Terchova. Check into hotel. Dinner in hotel. Overnight : Terchova / Kysuce Day 11 TUE 18 th June TERCHOVA - KRAKOW (BL-) After breakfast depart for Krakow in Poland. On arrival enjoy a guided tour of Krakow, which has a wonderfully preserved old centre of cobbled streets, narrow passageways, Gothic spires and baroque cupolas. Visit Schindlers Factory where Oskar Schindler, his factory, and the fate of its Jewish workforce feature prominently in the museum devoted to the wartime experiences in Krakow under the five-year Nazi occupation during World War II. Check in to hotel. Evening and dinner at leisure. Overnight : Krakow

4 Day 12 WED 19 th June KRAKOW (BL-) Today is a day of agricultural visits. This morning visit the local Regional Agricultural Chamber for a presentation about Polish agriculture. Visit an agrishop and pig farm followed by lunch then visit an agritourism facility. We then visit Wieliczka Salt Mine for a guided tour before returning to Krakow. Dinner at leisure. Overnight : Krakow Day 13 THU 20 th June KRAKOW (B-D) This morning we travel to Oswiecim where we visit the Auschwitz concentration camp. Set up in 1940, it became the main centre for the Nazis attempt at the mass extermination of Jews. Guided tour of the main camp and Birkenau. Return to Krakow for afternoon at leisure. Dinner tonight in the Old Town in Krakow. Overnight : Krakow Day 14 FRI 21 st June KRAKOW HIGH TATRAS (BLD) After breakfast check out of the hotel and depart to Pieniny National Park. Lunch in a traditional style restaurant. Stop in Červený Kláštor to enjoy a leisurely trip on a wooden raft down the Dunajec River, amongst the natural scenery of the Pieniny National Park. The Dunajec River is the border river between Slovakia and Poland and the 9-kilometre route leads from Červený Kláštor down to the village of Lesnica. Continue to the High Tatras along the river Vàh, which is the longest in Slovakia. Late afternoon arrive at Starý Smokovec in the High Tatras and check in to historical castle hotel. Dinner in the hotel. Overnight : High Tatras Day 15 SAT 22 nd June HIGH TATRAS (B-D) This morning we travel on the funicular railway to Hrebienok and take an easy walk to Cold Creek Waterfalls. This afternoon free time on your own. Dinner in a Slovak style wooden restaurant in the area. Overnight : High Tatras Day 16 SUN 23 rd June HIGH TATRAS - ZVOLEN (BL-) Transfer to South Slovakia via Pribylina where we visit the Open Air Liptov Village Museum and see the history of countryside living in Slovakia. Then we travel to a sheep and beef farm. After lunch continue to Zvolen. On arrival later in the afternoon visit a unique family farm with renovated cow barns. The farm is a station for cows in transit while being exported via Slovakia to Russia. We have a presentation of the farm and discussion with the owner. It is not guaranteed the cows will be there during our visit. Check in to hotel in downtown Zvolen centre. Dinner at leisure. Overnight : Zvolen

5 Day 17 MON 24 th June ZVOLEN - LILLAFURED (BLD) Today we travel to Hungary via Banská Štiavnica, a beautiful old gold and silver mining town. (It used to be the most important centre for gold and silver mining during the age of Maria Theresa.) City tour of Banská Štiavnica followed by lunch in a local restaurant. Continue to Hungary and on to Lillafured. Dinner in the hotel. Overnight : Lillafured Day 18 TUE 25 th June LILLAFURED - HAJDUSZOBOSZLO (BLD) This morning we explore the picturesque Szalajka valley, set in the western part of the Bukk Mountains. Abundant with historical heritage, the countryside is overwhelmingly beautiful. Amongst our visits today will see the Veil waterfall, a Game Reserve, Trout Farm, and an open-air museum which evokes the life of the area. We also visit the Lipicai Horse Stud, home to the world famous Lipizzaner horses that have more than a 400 year long history. Ride the narrow gauge railway. Overnight : Hajdúszoboszlo Day 19 WED 26 th June HORTOBAGY (BLD) The Hortobágy World Heritage region is an alkaline, grassy plain between the Hajdusag and the river Tisza. It is the largest natural grassland in Central-Europe. Covering 80,000 hectares, it is a nature conservation area. Shepherding, horse breeding, fishing and breeding of indigenous animals are typical of this region. We enjoy many sights of the area including the Nine-span Bridge (the longest stone bridge in Europe), Herdsmen s Museum, Animal Park, The Circular House and Shepherds Edifices. Lunch in a typical Hungarian Casarda (roadside inn). The Hortobágy National Park is the finest nature reserve in Hungary with more than 230 protected bird species. Time for late afternoon relaxation in a traditional Hungarian Spa. Overnight : Hajdúszoboszlo Day 20 THU 27 th June HAJDUSZOBOSZLO - KEREKEGYHAZA (B--) This morning we visit a large-scale private sheep farmer with 2,000 Merinos. We continue onto Kerekegyhaza to experience some Hungarian farming culture, wine and cuisine. Overnight : Kerekegyhaza Day 21 FRI 28 th June KEREKEGYHAZA - KAPSOVAR (BLD) This morning we will visit the Game Management Landscape Centre of the Kapsovár University. The University is one of the most advanced agricultural universities in Europe. An historic region in Europe where wild deer have been captured and exported to many countries. Progeny and genetics have been exported to New Zealand from the Kaposvár region. We will visit a New Zealand style deer farming operation. Dinner on the farm and folklore program before checking in to hotel. Overnight : Kapsovar

6 Day 22 SAT 29 th June KAPSOVAR - BUDAPEST (B-D) Today we travel to Tihany, on the shores of Lake Balaton. As Hungary is landlocked, Lake Balaton is often referred to as the Hungarian Sea. Being the largest lake in Central Europe, it is one of Hungary s foremost tourist destinations. Visit the porcelain manufacturer in Herend. We continue onto Budapest, referred to as the Romantic City of the East located on the Blue Danube Overnight : Budapest Day 23 SUN 30 th June DANUBE BEND (BLD) Today we travel to the Danube Bend, just north of Budapest. The Danube is the second longest river in Europe, flowing through 9 different countries. The Danube Bend is where the river is forced through a narrow twisting valley in the Carpathian Basin. A cluster of towns on the bend offers an amazing array of architecture, culture and history. Today we explore the village of Szentendre boasting its well-preserved 18th century Baroque townscape, followed by Visegrád, a small picturesque town with a sparse population. We visit the Citadel high on the hill above the town with a magnificent panoramic view of the entire Danube Bend. Enjoy an entertaining medieval programme followed by lunch in Renaissance Restaurant. Return to Budapest for dinner at Fishermen s Bastion Restaurant with a breathtaking panorama over Budapest. Overnight : Budapest Day 24 MON 01 st July BUDAPEST (BLD) Budapest possesses a rich and fascinating history as well as vibrant heritage. This morning we will have a guided tour of Budapest. Afternoon at leisure. You may wish to visit the Agricultural Museum to learn about Hungarian agricultural history or visit the House of Horror located at 60 Andrassy Avenue. This is an opportunity to learn about the history of Hungary since World War 11. It is really incredible what Hungarians have endured under occupation by the Nazis and then by Russia until 1989 except for 12 days of freedom in the Hungarian Uprising of This evening enjoy dinner in a ship restaurant. Overnight : Budapest Day 25 TUE 02 nd July DEPART BUDAPEST (B--) Today transfer to the Budapest airport for your departure flight via Singapore back to Australia. Day 26 WED 03 rd July ARRIVE AUSTRALIA (---) Arrive Australia

7 Optional Extension to Romania Bucharest Brasov Viscri Sibiu 9 Days / 8 Nights 02 July July 2019 Day 25 TUE 02 nd July BUDAPEST - BUCHAREST (BLD) Upon our morning arrival in Henri Coanda airport in Bucharest, we meet with our tour guide and transfer to a dairy farm close to Bucharest where we will have lunch. The farm started in 1973 when 500 pregnant Holstein cows were brought from Denmark. Today there are about 500 head, producing more than 5,000 litres of milk every day. It is an example of the transition of a former state owned communist farm to a privately owned one. Return to Bucharest and check into our centrally located hotel. This evening we experience local cuisine at a restaurant. Overnight : Bucharest Day 26 WED 03 rd July BUCHAREST - BRASOV (BLD) Following breakfast we travel north to the Transylvania region. We cross the South Plain an opportunity to see the country s potential as a cereal producer. We visit a cereal farm of about 1,000 ha producing wheat, corn barley, rape etc. After the visit and discussions with the administrative members we continue to the Prahova Valley the area of the country most tourists visit and pass into the famous Transylvania home of so many myths and traditions. In Azuga we visit Rhein cellars producing sparkling wine. We will enjoy a tasting and lunch. Afternoon arrival into Brasov, a beautiful medieval city, boasting colourful facades, old ramparts, secret narrow cobbled streets and guard towers. This evening we have dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight : Brasov Day 27 THU 04 th July BRASOV (BLD) Brasov area is known for potato growing and for cow and sheep breeding. This morning we visit a farm carrying 1100 sheep and 100 cows. They produce several types of cheese as well as meat products. We will have a discussion with management and lunch on the farm.we then continue to Bran village to visit the Bran castle. Also known as Dracula s Castle, the 14th century Bran Castle was built to guard the passing point between the two Romanian provinces: Walachia to the south and Transylvania to the north. It was restored in the 20th century to it s former glory by the royal family of Romania. In Dracula s legend it appears as his home. It is now the most visited place in Romania. In the afternoon we return to Brasov and have a city tour followed by dinner tonight in a hunting restaurant which serves game specialties. Overnight : Brasov

8 Day 28 FRI 05 th July BRASOV VISCRI (BLD) This morning visit a family farm close to Brasov. The owners produce eggs, milk,cheese and vegetables. Continue to Crit village to visit a small dairy farm - a project of World Vision Foundation with 50 cows, set up as an example for Romanian farmers of how to change from subsistence agriculture to a commercial enterprise. We stop in Viscri village for lunch. This is a Saxon village included in the UNESCO heritage list and one of the villages in Romania where the Prince of Wales owns a traditional Romanian house. We take a ride in horse pulled carriages around the village the common means of transport for the locals and we visit the fortified church. We meet with the people who look after it and view their homes. Traditional dinner prepared by the locals and meet with members of the agricultural association of the village. Overnight : Viscri Day 29 SAT 06 th July VISCRI - SIBIU (BLD) Depart Viscri and travel towards Sighisoara a medieval citadel included in the UNESCO heritage list, inhabited continuously ever since its settlement in the 13th century by the German colonists. En route we stop in another UNESCO village - Saschiz where we visit a small farm that is part of the international Slow Food Movement. In Sighisoara we tour the citadel and have lunch in the house where Vlad Tepes Vlad the Impaler (the Romanian ruler, also known as Dracula) was born. Continues to Sibiu city, which in 2007 was the European capital of culture. Overnight : Sibiu Day 30 SUN 07 th July SIBIU - BUCHAREST (BLD) This morning we tour of the city, known to exist from the 12th century, rising in the prominence to become an important trading town. Like Brasov, it was inhabited by Saxon merchants who formed themselves into guilds, fortifying the town to protect its wealth. Sibiu is packed full of fascinating sites to explore, from its ramparts and towers to its passageways linking the two parts of the town together. Continue to Bucharest after lunch. Overnight : Bucharest Day 31 MON 08 th July DEPART BUCHAREST (B--) This morning we tour Bucharest and visit the People s House - the second biggest building in the world after the Pentagon. The People s House was designed and nearly completed by the Ceausecu regime from 1984 until the Revolution in Visit a local craft beer brewery before lunch. This afternoon transfer to the airport for your flight to Singapore via Frankfurt departing this evening. Day 32 TUE 09 th July ARRIVE AUSTRALIA (B--) Arrive Australia

9 COST: $15,655 per person twin share* Subject to a minimum of 15 passengers travelling *Tour cost is subject to air/tax increases plus currency fluctuations. Non-refundable deposit required: $1, per person Interim payment required: $5,000 per person by 20 January 2019 Balance required no later than: 15 March 2019 Single Supplement: $2,296 Optional Extension to Romania COST: $3,591 per person twin share* Additional Non-refundable deposit required: $1, per person Balance required no later than: 15 March 2019 Single Supplement: $474 Subject to a minimum of 15 passengers travelling *Tour cost is subject to air/tax increases plus currency fluctuations.

10 Main Tour cost includes: Economy International airfares and pre-payable taxes Melbourne/Sydney to Berlin and return from Budapest Deluxe air-conditioned vehicle throughout with experienced driver. Twin share 3-4 star accommodation throughout with en suite facilities. All meals as per itinerary and one complimentary drink per meal (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner). All entry fees as indicated in the itinerary. All farm visits and technical visits listed in the itinerary. An experienced and knowledgeable national tour guide, with local guides in each city. Tips or gratuities Main Tour cost does NOT include: Travel Insurance this is COMPULSORY to have in place prior to travel. Items of a personal nature (eg laundry/phone/souvenirs) and any optional extras listed in the itinerary. Beverages and any meals not listed in the itinerary. Cost of passport or any medication required. Romania Extension cost includes: Airfare from Budapest to Bucharest Deluxe air-conditioned vehicle throughout with experienced driver. Twin share 3-4 star accommodation throughout with en suite facilities. All meals as per itinerary and one complimentary drink per meal (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner). All entry fees as indicated in the itinerary. All farm visits and technical visits listed in the itinerary. An experienced and knowledgeable national tour guide, with local guides in each city. Tips or gratuities Romania Extension cost does NOT include: Travel Insurance this is COMPULSORY to have in place prior to travel. Items of a personal nature (eg laundry/phone/souvenirs) and any optional extras listed in the itinerary. Beverages and any meals not listed in the itinerary. Cost of passport or any medication required. IMPORTANT NOTES: The tour cost is subject to change due to currency fluctuations, visa fee increases, airfare, fuel surcharges and / or tax increases. As this is a group package, all passengers must travel on the same outbound flight to Dublin. Post touring options are available and will incur an amendment fee of $75.00 per person plus extra touring and insurance costs. PASSPORTS AND VISAS All travellers will require a full valid passport, and it is your responsibility to ensure that you have valid visas for all countries visited on your holiday, and/or sufficient blank pages for any visas and for entry/departure stamps. Your passport must be valid for at least six months after the end of your holiday. If you have more than one passport, we recommend that you use one passport only for the entire journey. This will save problems and potential delays at border crossings. Requirements differ depending on your nationality - check with the appropriate embassies for details. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are in possession of the correct visas for your holiday and onward travel. Swagman Tours cannot accept responsibility for anyone who is refused entry to a country because they lack the correct documentation. Please check the actual requirements with the necessary embassy or your Travel Agent. Please also do not assume that any inaccuracies within your documentation will be detected or can be rectified - you must ensure, that your "paper-work" is in order. There will be times during the trip, when your passport will be collected e.g. by your tour leader, hotel reception staff, or police. HOLDERS OF FOREIGN PASSPORTS: Travellers holding non Australian passports must have the relevant re-entry permit to return to Australia and must check with their National Consulate of any visa requirements to your holiday destination country(s). NOTE: Passport and visa requirements are liable to change at short notice. Travellers are advised to check their entry requirements with their embassy or consulate. FARM & TECHNICAL VISITS: A fully furnished list of confirmed visits both to farming properties and technical stops will be given with your ticket wallets approximately 2-3 weeks prior to your departure. * Changes and alterations may take place from details listed in the itinerary *.