MARIAN SHRINES IN EASTERN EUROPE

Flight to Vienna

Accommodation:  4* Hotel in Vienna

We will start our first morning in Vienna with Holy Mass in the Votive church. This Neo-Gothic church was built to thank God for saving Emperor Franz Joseph’s life during an assassination attempt on the Emperor by a Hungarian nationalist.

After Mass we will continue with sightseeing in Vienna. The city of Strauss and Mozart and admirable architecture, rich history and culture, the capital of

Austria and a once mighty Empire, which was the largest in Europe for centuries.

A highlight is the spectacular St. Stephen’s Cathedral, which hosts the miraculous image of Our Lady of Mariapocs. We will see the Karlskirche, one of the finest churches of the high baroque period, the monumental Parliament building, the City Hall, the State Opera House, the Holy Trinity Column, the Hofburg or the Winter Palace. You can also admire the Schonbrunn Royal Palace and Belvedere Palace with its beautiful garden and splendid panoramic views over Vienna. If you find time for a little coffee break, indulge yourself with the famous Sacher cake.

Accommodation: 4* Hotel in central Vienna 

This day we will transfer from Vienna to a small city beautifully located in the valley of the Salza, in the north Styrian Alps. Mariazell is the most important pilgrimage site in Austria and also a popular resort town. The Central European Catholic Day took place there in May 2004.

In the afternoon we will walk to Mount Calvary - a hill a few kilometres from the city. On the very peak, which is reached by a broad and winding path, there is a tall cross with a colossal image of the Saviour crucified, with the two thieves on either side.  This crucifixion scene is clearly visible to approaching pilgrims from a large distance. Once you are on the summit, you can enjoy the panoramic views over the surrounding hills, the Basilica and the city.

Accommodation: 3*/4* Hotel in Mariazell

In the morning we will celebrate Holy Mass at the Basilica - in the Lady Chapel also known as the Chapel of Miracles, which houses the small holy statue of Mary carved from linden wood. It is called "Magna Mater Austriae"- the Great mother of Austria. In 1907, the pilgrimage church was promoted to a Basilica Minor.

During the day we will also visit the 300-year-old gingerbread bakery and the distillery. we will out about the challenges of making herbal bitters that balance 33 different natural ingredients.

This is a great place to pick up cute little souvenirs for your friends and family.

Accommodation: 3*/4* Hotel in Mariazell

Today we will travel to Slovak capital – Bratislava.

In the afternoon we will celebrate Holy Mass in the Blue Church, located close to the city centre. This attractive Art Nouveau building is decorated in heavenly blue from its pews to the roof.

Afterwards a Bratislava sightseeing tour (bus + walking) will enable us to admire the Castle, the old town with the St. Michael’s Gate, the St. Martin Cathedral, The Academia Istropolitana, the Primatial Palace, the Old Town Hall, the Opera House, and the hilltop war memorial at Slavin.

Dinner will be served in the restaurant of the rotating TV tower in the Lesser Carpatians Mountains above Bratislava.

Accommodation: 4* hotel in the centre of Bratislava

We will leave Bratislava for Marianka, a village in western Slovakia, close to the capital. It is the oldest pilgrimage site in Slovakia, with a Gothic Church dedicated to the Virgin Mary's Birth.

From this place we will proceed to the small town in northern Slovakia, Levoča.

 It was entered in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2009. 

Accommodation: 3* hotel in Levoča (member of the Historical hotels of Slovakia association)

This day we will start with visiting the gothic church of St. James. It includes the tallest wooden altar in the world, carved during the middle ages by Master Paul of Levoca, whose works are treasured to this day in many churches in Slovakia. Then we will walk on the hill above the city called Marianska hora. The Basilica Minor on the hill Marianska hora is one of the most important pilgrimage places in Slovakia. The Basilica of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary was granted basilica status by Pope John Paul II in 1984.

Holy Mass will be served here.

Accommodation:  3* hotel in Levoča (member of the Historical hotels of Slovakia association)

Today we will travel from Slovakia to Poland and the first stop will be Wielicka  salt mine.   UNESCO entered it in the World Cultural Heritage list in 1978.  It is a unique world attraction.

Underground we can find the breath-taking St Kinga’s Chapel, a church where everything is carved from rock salt. Nearly all the decorations - crystal chandeliers, altars, sculptures were made by miners who worked and worshiped here.

Holy Mass will be celebrated in one of the chapels at the mine.

Lunch will be served in the mine tavern.

Then we will proceed to Krakow.

Accommodation: 4* hotel in Krakow

Krakow, the old city closely linked with a life of Karol Wojtyla.  He spent four decades here from his student years until his departure to Rome, where he became Pope John Paul II. He loved this city and knew each stone and building.

We will start this day with a sightseeing tour. Karol Wojtyla was ordained in the crypt of the Wawel Cathedral and celebrated his first Mass here. We will also see the Wawel Castle,  Kanoniczna street with the Archdiocese Museum, Jagiellonian University, the Main Market Square, the Gothic St. Mary’s Church,  St.Florien Church. All those places are connected with name of K. Wojtyla.

Accommodation: 3* Hotel in Lagiewniki

Staying in Krakow, we will make a very inspiring visit to another holy place in the suburbs of Krakow, the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Lagiwniki. The message of the Divine Mercy was passed on to a Polish nun, St Faustina Kowalska. The image of Merciful Jesus is displayed in the Sanctuary as well as the tomb of St Faustina.

The working convent with the basilica, hotel and restaurant has an outstanding hilltop location.

We will also celebrate Holy Mass in one of the chapels of this pilgrimage place.

Accommodation: 3*Hotel in Lagiewninki

In the morning we will transfer to the third most frequently visited Catholic pilgrimage site in the world, the Pauline monastery in Jasna Gora, Czestochova.

We will celebrate Holy Mass in the Basilica of the Holy Cross and Nativity of Mary, which houses the holy icon – the Black Madonna. You can also visit the Treasury Room and admire the many precious gifts that the monastery has received in the past.

Accommodation: 3*  Hotel in Czestochova

Today’s plan is transfer from Poland to Moravia, visiting a pilgrimage place – Křtiny, Brno sightseeing.

The village of Křtiny is an important pilgrimage place in the beautiful countryside of the Moravian Karst region northeast of Brno. The Baroque Church of the Holy Name of Mary was built according to a design by the great Baroque architect Giovanni Santini, in 1712-50.

We will discover the beauty of this charming church that houses the Gothic statue of the Virgin Mary of Křtiny. It also includes a big ossuary and a carillon.

After this experience we will continue our journey to Brno.

Accommodation: 4* Hotel in Brno

Brno is the second largest city in the Czech Republic and is situated in the centre of the South Moravian Region. It is a city with a rich history with monuments that rank amongst the greatest cultural treasures of the Czech Republic, mostly located in its historical centre.

Villa Tugendhat, the most famous building in the functionalist style of modern architecture, is the only one designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Today’s sightseeing of the city will include its traditional symbols - Špilberk Castle on the Špilberg Hill, and the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul on the Petrov Hill. In the city centre you will see the Old Town Hall, the Church of Holy Cross, Abbey of St Thomas, the Church of St Thomas, the Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin...Brno Ossuary is the second largest ossuary in Europe after the Catacombs of Paris.  You can also enjoy free time relaxing in the city’s beautiful parks and gardens.

Accommodation: 4* Hotel in Brno

In the morning we will leave Brno and move on to Žďár nad Sázavou.

The town prides itself on two great works by the Baroque architect Giovanni Santini: the Cistercians monastery and the Church of St John of Nepomuk.

The pilgrimage Church of St John Nepomuk, built in the early 1720s, is located close to town on a hill called Green Mountain (Zelená Hora). It was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994. It is a peculiar Santini church in the shape of a five-pointed star. The church is dedicated to St John Nepomuk. It is surrounded by a cemetery and cloisters.

The monastery, founded in the 13^th century, was burned down by the Hussites in the 15^th century and Santini started to work here in 1702. But he never completed the work. His Church of the Virgin contains an altar by Rehor Theny. The former monastery stables are now a museum devoted to Santini.

From this meeting of religion and architectural beauty, we will proceed to the capital of Czech Republic - Prague.

Accommodation: 4* Hotel in Prague

This morning in Prague - the splendid city of domed rooftops and countless spires – we will begin with celebrating Holy Mass in the Church of Our Lady Victorious. This important pilgrimage site houses the statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague.

After morning prayers, we will admire the castle area consisting of the 1 100-year-old castle, the Gothic St Vitus Cathedral and the Prague Loreto (a Marian Pilgrimage site). We will cross the medieval Charles Bridge (14^th century) and proceed to the Old Town Square containing the Church of Our Lady Before Tyn, the Town Hall, and the Astronomical Clock.

The golden city of Prague is a city of serene Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque and Art Nouveau architecture, where backstreet pubs bustle with people enjoying the best beer in the world.

Accommodation: 4* hotel in the centre of Prague