Jewish History & World War II

  • Germany
  • Poland
  • Czech Republic

Overview

As you travel across three European nations, you’ll learn about their Jewish natives & their life during World War II. You’ll visit old Jewish ghettos, the concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, & Jewish cemeteries where victims of the Holocaust rest. On this 9-day tour you’ll also admire architecture from different centuries, enjoy traditional cuisines, & see world-famous art.

Highlights

  • Auschwitz-Birkenau – Concentration camp where Jewish people were held & exterminated during the Holocaust.
  • Warsaw – Visit an old Jewish ghetto & the Okopowa Street Jewish Cemetery.
  • Prague – Visit the Jewish Quarter, Prague Castle, & the famous Charles Bridge.

Itinerary

Day 1: Berlin

Arrive at the airport in Berlin, & transfer to the hotel.

Day 2: Berlin

Take a half-day guided city tour this morning. You’ll visit Checkpoint Charlie, & learn about its role when Germany was divided as a nation. Enjoy a tour of the Stasi-Museum & the Jewish Museum. Other highlights include a walk through Alexanderplatz square. After lunch, spend the remainder of the day at leisure.

Day 3: Berlin – Warsaw 

Travel across the border today, into Poland. Upon arrival in Warsaw, check in to the hotel. Enjoy dinner & an overnight stay in the city.

Day 4: Warsaw

Discover historic Warsaw today on a guided tour across the city. In the morning, learn about life for the Jewish people of Warsaw during the Holocaust era as you visit the Warsaw Ghetto. Take a stroll through the Old Town Market Place, & visit the museum at the Royal Castle. See the rebuilt St. John’s Archcathedral, whose former framework was destroyed during World War II.  Other highlights of today’s tour include visits to the Jewish Historical Institute, the Warsaw Barbican, & the Okopowa Street Jewish Cemetery. Enjoy dinner & an overnight stay in Warsaw.

Day 5: Warsaw – Krakow 

Travel to Krakow after breakfast. Take a tour of Wawel Castle upon arrival. Afterward, continue to explore this charming city, with visits to the main city square, the Krakow Barbican, & the centuries-old Jagiellonian University. Admire the rich, variety of colors that cover the interior walls of St. Mary’s Basilica, & see the cathedral’s world-renowned altarpiece. This 15th-century altarpiece, “Altarpiece of Veit Stoss,” was taken hostage by the Nazi party decades ago, but now remains in plain view for the cathedral’s many visitors. Other highlights of today’s tour include time to explore & shop inside the Cloth Hall.

Day 6: Krakow

Gain an up close perspective of what life was like for Jews who were forced to live in Nazi concentration camps as you visit Auschwitz-Birkenau today. Afterward, return to the city for lunch. Spend the remainder of the day at leisure.

Day 7: Krakow – Prague

In the morning, travel across another border, into the beautiful Czech Republic. Upon arrival in the capital city, Prague, check in to the hotel. Enjoy an evening walk through Wenceslas Square & Old Town Square, & try a tasty traditional dish for dinner this evening at a local restaurant.

Day 8: Prague

Spend the day learning about the city’s history & admiring its beauty, as the city was not taken down during World War II, as other European cities were. See the monuments that line the edges of the Charles Bridge. Tour Prague Castle, & enjoy the spectacular views from the hill on which it sits. Take a walk through the Jewish Quarter, & visit its museum. Enjoy dinner & another overnight stay in the capital.

Day 9: Prague – USA 

Transfer to the airport, & board return flight home.