|
Duration: 10 Days / 9 Nights
This great cycling tour takes you from Hungary through Slovakia to Poland.
The ancient Amber Trail led from the beaches of the Baltic Sea south to the Adriatic. Through history the exquisite brown fossil resin has been traded along this route.
The Amber Trail is alive today . People still buy and sell amber; you might find a piece you like at one of the shops or markets on your journey. You will also meet some of the people who live along the ancient route, and learn about their lives, their cultural heritage and their effort to preserve it.
Highlights:
6 World Heritage Sites (protected by UNESCO)
genteel city of Budapest
old town of Banska _tiavnica
traditional village of Vlkolinec
pilgrimage site of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska
Wieliczka salt mine
Royal city of Cracow
the magnificent Danube Bend
massive Gothic castles
Cracow amber market
thermal cave spa
Detailed Itinerary
Day One
Budapest - Szentendre
The change of scenery from big city to the small town of Szentendre (12 miles from Budapest) is a pleasant start for the best of the hiking routes between Budapest and Cracow. The town of Szentendre is easy to reach by van on highway 11, by subway train (HЙV), by coach (VOLБN), and by boat on the Danube (MAHART). Szentendre with its unique atmosphere has two dozen museums, seven churches, 13 galleries, and countless coffee shops and little pubs. The nearby Open Air Museum offers visitors a look at traditional Hungarian village architecture.
Overnight in Szentendre
Day Two
Szentendre - Visegrad (hiking 16 km / 10 miles)
Morning transfer by van to Visegrad. The foot trail features wonderful views of the Danube Bend and hills around Visegrad, where in a relatively small area you can admire one of the best-preserved Romanesque towers in Central Europe, the Solomon Tower, or the dominant feature of the countryside, the Renaissance-style King Matthias Palace. On Sibrik Hill you can see the remains of a Roman military camp, and take in the beauty of the whole area from the watch tower on Nagy-villam Hill. Late afternoon transfer by van to Esztergom, traditional seat of the Hungarian bishops, with its enormous basilica.
Overnight in Esztergom.
Day Three
Esztergom - Kamenica nad Hronom - Banska Stiavnica (hiking 15 km / 9 miles)
After Esztergom we transfer to the trailhead in the village of Kamenica nad Hronom, where the Kovacovske Hills nature trail starts. The route leads through a National Nature Reserve offering panoramic views of the majestic Danube River from the Slovak side. This part of the trail is one of the easier hikes in both difficulty and length. In the late afternoon transfer to Banska Stiavnica, with a stop in the village of Brhlovce, with its unique houses chopped into the rock, and a fascinating museum on this unusual feature.
Overnight in Banskб Stiavnica
Day Four
Prencov - Banska Stiavnica - Sklene Teplice (hiking 18 km / 11 miles)
First a tour of Banska Stiavnica, protected by UNESCO for its history, atmosphere, and location, then transport by van to the village of Prencov where the route starts that takes you to Sitno, the highest peak in the Stiavnica Highlands, with observation tower at the top. The nearby castle is named after the mountain. The path leads on through one-time mining country, with an interesting system of lakes and collection canals, to Banska Stiavnica. The second and equally fantastic alternative is the foot trail from Banska Stiavnica to the village of Sklene Teplice, with a thermal cave spa and the chance to regenerate your strength for the next part of the Amber Trail. After the spa you will be transferred back to Banska Stiavnica.
Overnight in Banska Stiavnica.
Day Five
Banska Stiavnica - Ruzomberok - Vlkolinec (hiking 16 km / 10 miles)
Transfer by auto to the town of Ruzomberok, the ideal starting point for the ranges of the Low Tatras, High Fatra, and Chocsky Hills.
The hiking route leaves Ruzomberok toward the High Fatra by way of Sidorovo peak, from which there is a most exquisite view of the village of Vlkolinec, one of the main points of interest on the Amber Trail, a historical reserve containing the most undisturbed and complete collection of traditional architecture in Slovakia, put under UNESCO heritage protection for its uniqueness. You can take a shortcut in the form of a lift that takes you from the top of Malino peak back to Ruzomberok.
Overnight in Ruzomberok.
Day Six
Ruzomberok - Salatin - Liptovsky Mikulas (hiking 20 km / 13 miles)
This day is set aside for a hike to the Low Tatras, the most difficult segment of our trip, which starts in the village of Ludrova (3 miles from the center of Ruzomberok) and goes to the top of Salatin Hill, a national nature park of extraordinary botanic and zoological value. The relatively easy beginning of the route turns into a steep climb to the top, where there is a really fine view of the whole area around Liptov. The entire circuit, ending back in Ludrova, is one of the prettiest foot trails in the Low Tatras. Late afternoon transfer from Ruzomberok to Liptovsky Mikulas.
Overnight in Liptovsky Mikulas.
Day Seven
Prosiecka and Kvacanska Valley (hiking 17 km / 13 miles)
Liptovsky Mikulas is famous as the place where Juraj Janosik, the "Slovak Robin Hood", was hung on a hook to die in 1713. The program starts with transportation to the village of Prosiek in the Chocsky Hills, the starting point for excursions into one of Slovakia's most beautiful valleys. Taken together with the Kvacanska Valley it is one of the most interesting circuits, featuring a remarkably wild natural environment with caves, waterfalls, and a unique, restored wooden mill in the hamlet of Oblazy. In places the only way to go up is by ladder. After finishing the walking route you are taken by van back to Liptovsky Mikulas, with a stop in the village of Zuberec, with a unique open-air museum of folk structures typical of the Orava region.
Overnight in Liptovsky Mikulas.
Day Eight
Demanovska Valley (hiking 14 km / 9 miles)
By van in the morning to the very heart of the Low Tatras: Demanovska Valley offers a variety of possibilities, depending on the weather and the physical resources of the hikers. One of them is to visit the Demanovske limestone caves, go up on the lift almost to the top of Chopok Mountain, and continue to the highest peak of the Low Tatras, Dumbier Mountain (2043m), or else take the Demanovske Valley instructional trail.
Evening transfer by van back to Liptovsky Mikulas. Overnight in Liptovsky Mikulas
Day Nine
Orava - Kalwaria Zebrzydowska - Cracow (hiking 7 km / 4 miles)
Morning transport by van to the village of Oravsky Podzamok, at the foot of majestic Gothic Oravskэ Castle, one of the highlights of the trip, featured in the classic 1922 vampire film Nosferatu. After that we cross over by van into Poland, where we tour the village of Lanckorona, where an interesting project to save the local folk architecture is underway. The second highlight of the program is a visit to Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, and the Stations of the Cross consisting of 32 chapels and chaplets, ending in the monumental Bernadine monastery.
Late afternoon transfer to Cracow. Overnight in Cracow
Day Ten
Cracow and Wieliczka
In the morning you will visit the salt mine in Wieliczka, which has been in constant operation since the Middle Ages. It includes vast chambers ornately waved out of rock salt. Back in Cracow, you'll need more than one day, of course: Wawel Castle, the Old Market Square, the Kazimierz Jewish quarter, or the town walls and Royal Way could easily take a day each. But then to really soak up the atmosphere of this living city you must get into cafйs or pubs, theaters or clubs, and that takes more than a day, too...
Departure Dates
Guided Tour: 26/06/2005 - Contact Us For More Dates
Self Guided: Contact Us
Guided Tour Prices: (Minimal size of group 4)
_ 1390 Euro Per Person (Based on Twin/Double Room)
_ 350 Euro Single Room Supplement
Guided price includes:
professional bilingual guide
support van
accommodation in selected hotels and pensions
buffet breakfast and dinner included
luggage transfer
private guided tours at chateaux, castles, museums and other select attractions
special events, including wine tasting and picnics
Unguided Tour Prices: (Minimal size of group 4)
_ 1090 Euro Per Person (Based on Twin/Double Room)
_ 350 Euro Single Room Supplement
Self Guided price includes:
accommodation in selected hotels and pensions
buffet breakfast
luggage transfer
information package (route instructions, maps, suggestions)
transportation by car according to program
welcome briefing upon arrival
stand-by support
GPS navigation system
Order This Tour
|
Order This Tour
|
Slovakia Tours 
