Jewish Heritage Tour in Slovakia and Poland

Itinerary

This tour is designed for everyone interested in rich Jewish history in Slovakia and Poland with valuable monuments like synagogues, cemeteries, and museums.
In 8 days, one can see the most significant places of Jewish Heritage in Slovakia (Bratislava, Malacky, Stupava, Nitra, Trnava, Sered, Nove Zamky, Komarno, Zvolen, and Presov) and Poland (Krakow city and Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum).

This unique tour can be extended or modified.

1. Day 1 Arrival in Bratislava, Slovakia.

   - Arrival in Bratislava
   - Accommodation in a 4* hotel
   - Free time

2. Day 2 Sightseeing of Bratislava Jewish heritage sites, visit the synagogues in Stupava and Malacky.

   - Breakfast
   - Bratislava Jewish heritage sites visit
   - Malacky synagogue
   - Stupava synagogue
   - Return to Bratislava
   
   Museum of Jewish culture is the only reminder of the historic Jewish neighborhood razed in the 1960s when the SNP Bridge was constructed. The most valuable pieces from the museum collection are two Chevra Kadisha jugs from Senica town, dated 1734 and 1776.
   
   Chatam Sofer Memorial commemorates Rabbi Moshe Schreiber, who became Chief Rabbi of Bratislava in 1806. He was strictly Orthodox head of a yeshiva in Bratislava, considered a prominent center of traditional Jewish learning in Europe.
   This famous cemetery dates back to the 17th century, but only 22 graves surrounding Chatam Sofer’s tomb have been preserved.
   
   Bratislava Synagogue is the only remaining synagogue in the city. It was constructed in 1923-1926 and still serves as an active Jewish house of worship.
   
   Malacky Synagogue is one of the most beautiful in Slovakia, Moorish-style architecture from 1900. It belongs today to the municipality and serves as an art school.
   
   Stupava Synagogue is one of the oldest in Slovakia, from 1803, representing a unique example of the nine-bay type. After a previous restoration, it will house a central archive and book deposit for the Slovak Jewish community.

3. Day 3 Visit the synagogue in Trnava and Sered (museum and cemetery).

   - Breakfast
   - Trnava synagogue
   - Holocaust Museum in Sered
   - Cemetery in Sered
   - Return to Bratislava
   
   Trnava Synagogue originates from 1897 for the Status Quo Jewish community. Today the building is used as the Center of Contemporary Art of Jan Koniarek Gallery in Trnava. It also houses a Judaica exhibition in the women’s gallery.
   
   Jewish cemetery in Sered is well preserved, established in the first half of the 19th century. It has several sections, including a group of Baroque tombstones moved here from an older cemetery. Inside the chapel is a small Holocaust exhibition.

4. Day 4 Visit Menhaz in Komarno, synagogues in Nove Zamky and Nitra.

   - Breakfast
   - Menhaz in Komarno
   - Nove Zamky synagogue
   - Nitra synagogue
   - Return to Bratislava
   
   Menhaz from 1896 is the center of Jewish religious and cultural life in Komarno. It is a single-story, L-shaped neo-Gothic compound with a synagogue. The synagogue has a charming Gothic interior with its original furniture and highly decorative cast-iron tie bars.
   
   Orthodox synagogue in Nove Zamky survived WWII and still serves as a Jewish house of worship. There is a small exhibition of local Jewish history in a seminar room opposite the synagogue.
   
   Nitra synagogue, 1908 - 1911, of the Neolog Jewish community in a mixture of Moorish, Byzantine, and Art Nouveau elements. The building serves as a cultural center now.

5. Day 5 Visit the Jewish cemetry and Park of Generous Souls in Zvolen town, Memorial monument in Kremnicka and Haviva Reick memorial monument in Banska Bystrica. Transfer to Levoca.

   - Breakfast
   - Transfer to Zvolen
   - Jewish cemetery and Park of Generous Souls
   - Transfer to Banska Bystrica
   - Haviva Reick Memorial Monument
   - Kremnicka Memorial Monument
   - Transfer to Levoca
   - Accommodation in a stylish hotel
   
   The Park of Generous Souls in the central Slovak town of Zvolen embodies an oasis of peace honoring all Slovak citizens who helped save Jews during the Holocaust.
   
   Haviva Reick Memorial Monument is in the garden of SNP Museum in Banska Bystrica. The monument commemorates Slovak and Israeli national heroine Haviva Reick (born as Marta Reick), who fought against the Nazis during Slovak National Uprising. She was executed in Kremnicka in 1944.
   
   Kremnicka Memorial Monument commemorates victims of massacres in Kremnicka village committed by the Hlinka Guard, Slovak paramilitary divisions collaborating with the Nazis. The victims were trucked to the murder site at Kremnicka and shot. The majority of 747 victims were Jewish.

6. Day 6 Visit the synagogue in Spisske Podhradie town, Spis castle (UNESCO), Orthodox Jewish complex in Presov city. Transfer to Krakow, Poland.

   - Breakfast
   - Spisske Podhradie synagogue
   - Spis Castle (UNESCO)
   - Jewish monuments in Presov
   - Afternoon transfer to Krakow
   - Accommodation in 4* hotel
   
   Synagogue in Spisske Podhradie is a simple building constructed around 1875. It is a typical example of 19th-century provincial synagogue architecture.
   The interior decorations have been relatively well preserved.
   
   Spis Castle is the largest medieval castle in Central Europe located on a travertine rock hill. The castle hill was populated as early as the 5th century BC; it is one the most precious archaeological and historical gems of Central Europe and is under UNESCO protection.
   
   Presov Orthodox Jewish compound centers on its magnificent synagogue. Its size and grandeur recall the prosperity of the community it once served.
   The building is from 1897-1898. Its interior is in impressive Moorish style with richly colorful decoration restored in the 1990s. The synagogue is still active as a house of worship and houses a Jewish museum with a collection of Judaica. The surrounding buildings include the Hassidic Beit Midrash (study house), the school, the rabbinate, and the community offices.

7. Day 7 Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau visit, Jewish Heritage Route tour in Krakow.

   - Breakfast
   - Krakow Jewish Heritage Tour with a private guide
   - Auschwitz museum regular group tour
   - Return to Krakow
   
   Krakow Jewish Heritage Tour through Kazimierz District. At the present day, Kazimierz is one of the most popular districts of the city. Thanks to its rich tradition and the atmosphere enabling us to feel the spirit of its former inhabitants. Entrance to Remuh Synagogue, one of the few left in Krakow.
   
   Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum is known worldwide as the site of a notorious Nazi concentration camp. The Museum grounds cover 191 hectares. The areal of the museum includes several hundred camp buildings, including the ruins of the gas chambers and crematoria, over a dozen kilometers of the camp fence, camp roads, and the railroad spur ("ramp") at Birkenau. Since 1979, the site of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp has been a part of the UNESCO world heritage.

8. Day 8 Farewell.

   - Breakfast
   - End of the tour

Overview