Taube Jewish Heritage Tours in Galicia
Jewish Tour to
Krakow - Nowy Sacz - Sanok - Lesko - Przemysl - Lvov - Zhovkva - Jaroslaw - Rzeszow - Lezajsk - Lancut

The intriguing history of Jewish Galicia which, in different historical periods straddled various countries and empires, offers insights into many of our families' traditions and our collective history. Our itinerary, beginning in the Royal City of Krakow, will take us through a region rich in heritage. We will travel by coach from Krakow, having enjoyed a spirited introduction during the Jewish Culture Festival, through southern Poland and into western Ukraine en route to Lvov. We will explore the area's vibrant history through visits to Jewish heritage sites, meetings with individuals working to preserve Jewish memory and sessions with community leaders and activists involved in promoting contemporary Jewish life.

Taube Jewish Heritage Tours, coordinated by the Warsaw-based Taube Center for the Renewal of Jewish Life in Poland and its professional staff of Jewish heritage educators, offer tailor-made workshops, study seminars and tours for individuals, families and organizations upon request year 'round. Each tour experience is infused with unique insights and perspectives into Jewish Poland.

Taube Jewish Heritage Tours offer consultations as well as supplemental excursions, tour extensions and visits to family ancestral towns prior to or following the tours.

Taube Jewish Heritage Tours provide publications and other informational resources on historical and contemporary Jewish themes to complement and enhance your visit.

Day 1 Wednesday, July 4 Arrival in Krakow
You will be welcomed upon arrival at Balice International Airport by a Taube Center Heritage Educator and your Tour Coordinator, who will escort you to your hotel. After check-in and a light meal, you will begin your journey through Galicia with an orientation session with community leaders, historians and cultural activists. A walking tour of Old Krakow will be followed by a welcome dinner and a Jewish Culture Festival concert in the Tempel Synagogue. Rubenstein Hotel.

Day 2 Thursday, July 5 Krakow
Breakfast in the hotel. A walk through scenic Krakow to Kazimierz, Krakow's legendary Jewish district. Following a morning meeting with a Festival organizer, you will tour Kazimierz. After lunch on Szeroka Square, enjoy the privilege of a private tour of the Galicia Jewish Museum and sessions with the Museum staff about life in Jewish Galicia. In the late afternoon, you are invited to partake in the Festival's workshops, lectures and films. Dinner on your own, followed by a rousing Jewish Festival concert. Rubenstein Hotel.

Day 3 Friday, July 6 Krakow
Breakfast in the hotel. A morning tour of Podgorze, including a visit to Plaszow, a former German labor camp, and a guided tour of the Schindler Factory Museum, the site where the righteous gentile, Oskar Schindler, saved thousands of Jewish lives. A box lunch will be provided. Free afternoon in Krakow. You are welcome to join one of many available Shabbat services, followed by the community-wide Shabbat dinner organized by the Krakow JCC. Rubenstein Hotel.

Day 4 Saturday, July 7 Krakow
Breakfast in the hotel. You are invited to choose among various options: explore Krakow on your own, attend one of the city's Shabbat morning services, or participate in one of the Festival's many sessions and programs. You may also choose from one of the following optional tours: Wawel Castle, Auschwitz-Birkenau, or the Wieliczka Salt Mine. In the late afternoon, you will enjoy a special panel presentation and discussion at the JCC with leaders and members of Poland's proud, growing Jewish community. Dinner followed by the Final Concert on Szeroka Square. Rubenstein Hotel.

Day 5 Sunday, July 8 Krakow - Nowy Sacz – Sanok – Lesko – Przemysl
Early breakfast in the hotel. Depart by coach for an in-depth tour of southern Galicia with visits in Nowy Sacz, Sanok, Lesko and Przemysl, which are included on the Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage's Chassidic Route. Each of these sites provides an opportunity to discover the area's rich Jewish history. The day will include meetings with those involved with the mitzvah of Jewish heritage preservation. A box lunch will be served en route. Dinner at the hotel. Hotel Gloria.

Day 6 Monday, July 9 Przemysl – Drohobych– Stryj – Bolechow – Lvov
Early breakfast in the hotel. Depart by coach for Lvov (Lviv, Ukraine), crossing the Polish-Ukrainian border at Medyka. Visit Drohobych, the birthplace of author and painter Bruno Schulz, and a city rich in Jewish heritage sites. En route to Lvov, a major center of Ukrainian Jewish history, stop in the former shtetls of Stryj and Bolechow to explore the remnants of other pre-war Jewish communities in Ukraine. Check into the hotel. A welcome and orientation session will precede dinner. Leo-polis Hotel.

Day 7 Tuesday, July 10 Lvov
Breakfast in the hotel. Morning and afternoon tours of Lvov, a city of many identities, also known as Lemberg, Lviv, Lwow and Lembrik (reflecting its multicultural history). See the historic Old Town Square, the Opera House, remnants of the Golden Rose Synagogue, and the former Jewish hospital. These tours will include special, in-depth meetings with members of the Jewish community as well as cultural activists. A free evening will follow dinner. Leopolis Hotel.

Day 8 Wednesday, July 11 Lvov – Zhovkva – Jaroslaw – Rzeszow
Early breakfast in the hotel. Depart by coach to Zhovkva, a Renaissance-era city, touring the main square and the former castle. Visit the Sobieski Synagogue, a treasure which has been recognized by the World Monuments Fund. A box lunch will be provided. The tour will return to Poland, crossing the border at Medyka, with a brief stop in Jaroslaw en route to Rzeszow. Hotel Ambassador.

Day 9 Thursday, July 12 Rzeszow – Lezajsk– Lancut – Krakow
Breakfast in the hotel. You will visit the famous tomb of Rebbe Elimelech of Lezajsk (a site of pilgrimages and blessings for Jews from around the world) and the beautifully restored synagogue in Lancut. Then, travel to Krakow with a brief stop for lunch. Check into the hotel in Krakow in the mid-afternoon. Closing session will take place at the Galicia Museum, followed by a festive Farewell Dinner. Overnight in the Radisson Blu.

Day 10 Friday, July 13 Krakow – Home flights
or post-tour extension
Breakfast in the hotel and transfers to the airport for departure or optional post-tour extensions.