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Memories of yesteryear Poland 2010
Seven
nights from Saturday, July 24 or
Saturday, July 31
This
fully escorted holiday is specially designed for couples or friends sharing and
the cost is £690* per person. Accommodation is either twins or doubles although
one or two single rooms are available – no supplement.
*Please see further details at the foot of the last page*
The
holiday includes accommodation breakfast and excursions together with two lunches
and a brunch plus all entrance fees. Flights and airport transfers are not
included – you may book your own or we are happy to make the arrangements for
you.
Join a
small group of people ( around ten persons or so)for a very special trip to
Poland, staying in the charming town of
Wolsztyn near Poznan visiting a part of
Poland not often frequented by tourists.
Wolsztyn is home to scheduled steam
operations in Poland and featured on the TV programme New Europe presented by
Michael Palin. Wolsztyn boasts several historic buildings, a beautiful church
exquisitely decorated in the baroque style and is surrounded by lakes. There are
many shops, restaurants and bars in this busy town.
A
holiday with a difference – included in your holiday cost is a round trip on the
footplate of a scheduled service steam locomotive – not a tourist line – but a
normal passenger carrying service. Sixty miles each way and stopping at 15
stations but you will not be on the footplate observing you can be either
driving or firing under the close instruction of the Polish crews. You may do as
little or as much as you wish.
One
all day excursion will be to the lovely 12th century town of Zielona
Gora which was until recently the only centre of wine production in Poland.
Zielona Gora was also a centre for woolen cloth production since the 16th
century till more recent times.
There will be a guided tour of a small vineyard by the charming young owner/grower
followed by a brunch of delicious locally produced food and wine, provided by
the vineyard with an opportunity to purchase their wine, preserves, wine
vinegar and other local specialities.
Zielona Gora also offers many historical attractions and has a unique
atmosphere. A visit to the wine museum is included with a chance of a walk
around the Palm House with it's amazing views of Zielona Gora from the top
floor. Shopping opportunities abound as do cafe's and bars.
Another excursion will take
you to Zagan and the World War II POW camp
Stalag Luft III – made famous in the film, the
Great Escape. The site now has a museum and a re-constructed POW building.
The campsite
and surroundings were chosen especially because of its location in deep woodland
and its sandy soil, which in theory prevented the digging of tunnels.
The camp was
located well away from the borders of neutral countries like Switzerland (390
miles) or the Baltic Sea (170 miles), which meant that even after a successful
escape over the eight foot high fence and barbed wire, the prisoner had the
daunting prospect of travelling long distances through Germany.
The role of
the prisoners was to make as many attempts to escape as possible and this they
did, resulting in their now infamous escape with its terrible consequences.
Prior to the war the area
from Wolsztyn to Zagan was Germany but the borders were moved after the war and
the area became Poland.
On our way back to Wolsztyn
we will stop for a late lunch at an amazing chalet-like rural hotel.
Our
third excursion takes us to the remains of an extensive system of bunkers and
tunnels known as the Ostwall fortifications, built on Adolf Hitlers orders
between 1933 and 1938 as an eastern wall to protect Germany from invasion.
Hitler himself visited the fortifications in 1935.
The tunnels connecting the 100 fortification units are 50 to 130 feet deep and
big enough to allow a double track railway system to operate underground. The
whole system was serviced by electricity, water, ventilation and sewage removal.
Although built at great cost and to an impressive standard the bunkers proved
of little use in 1945 as the Russian advance was such that the Germans were
unable to fully man the operation and were quickly overrun by the Red Army.
After the war part of the fortifications were blown up by the Russian Army.
Visitors
can now see some of the underground system for themselves by taking a guided
tour from the Kalawa visitor centre or by following the plentiful above ground
remains. More than 30,000 bats of twelve different species now make their home
in the tunnels, and part of the underground system has been designated as the
Nietoperek nature reserve.
Following our visit to the bunkers we make our way to Lagow for lunch, hopefully
in the 15th century castle.
Lagow also has a number of historic buildings such as the well preserved 15th
century castle with a 100 feet high tower, now converted into a hotel, 15th
century defensive walls and gates and a conical tower from the 14th
century. Lagow is the venue to the Lubusz film festival, jazz and blues music
festival and a motorcycle event every summer.
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Your holiday cost includes:-
Seven nights accommodation in Wolsztyn in either cosy guest house type rooms
(not all rooms are en-suite) or at the railway depot with all en-suite rooms
plus help yourself continental breakfast each day -
Three excursions including transport, guide, entrance fees and either lunch or
brunch as indicated on the itinerary -
A
steam locomotive driving/firing turn on the Wolsztyn to Poznan line -
You
will be personally looked after by our local representative -
Flights and airport transfers are not included in your holiday cost but can be
arranged for you. Please ask for details. There is also a small charge of 100
zloty (about £22) to be paid locally to cover unlimited tea/coffee/soft drinks during your
stay together with drivers gratuities.
Please ask Nigel (telephone 01842 860436) for a booking form -
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