WORLD WAR II TOUR
WORLD WAR II TOUR
MILITARY TOUR IN POLAND
Day 1
Gdansk
- transfer from the airport or ferry terminal to Gdansk centre
- meals
- check in at the hotel
Hotel in the Main City in Gdansk
Day 2
Gdansk
- cruise to Westerplatte
- guided tour in Westerplatte
- return to Gdansk
- lunch
- walking tour tracking the traces of bombardments in the Main City
- Main City Hall (the exhibition about the damages of war)
- Granary Island – ruins of World War II
- dinner
Lunch – Polish cuisine
Dinner
cuisine of the former Eastern provinces
THE LIBERATION OF GDANSK
The Liberation of Gdansk took place on 30 March 945. The loss balance of World War II was excessively harsh for this proud city. About 90 % of the historic centre was destroyed. The already severely damaged city was plundered and the act of destruction was systematically continued by the Soviet Red Army after the defeat of German troops. After the war Gdansk has changed completely its nationality structure. The German inhabitants in large part were relocated to West Germany and replaced by people from the former Eastern provinces of Poland which were annexed by the USSR. Here they started their life anew in a new home in Gdansk and Pomerania.
THE SIEGE OF WESTERPLATTE
The siege of Westerplatte – the first battle of World War II. It lasted from 1 to 7 September 1939. The attack began without warning when SMS Schleswig-Holstein – the Kriegsmarine battleship – opened fire on the Polish garrison. The battleship arrived for a ‘courtesy visit’ to the Free City of Danzig to pay tribute to German World War I sailors from ‘Magdeburg’ cruiser that sank in Baltic Sea in August 1914. Secret plans provided a completely different scenario for the visit.
Cruise to Westerplatte
Day 3
Stutthof – Gdansk
- transfer to Sztutowo
- Stutthof Museum
- return to Gdansk
- lunch
- Polish Post Museum in Gdansk
- dinner
Lunch – Gdansk cuisine
Dinner
Kashubian feast folk music live
GERMAN CONCENTRATION CAMP STUTTHOF (KL)
German concentration camp Stutthof (KL) was the first and longest functioning camp on-latter day territory of Poland. Estimated number of prisoners was about 110-127 thousand, incl. 49 thousand of women and children. Although Stutthof was the main camp for prisoners of Gdansk and Pomerania, prisoners from all over Europe had been transported there, too. The imprisoned people came from 26 nationalities. 65 thousand people died because of slavery work, starvation, diseases or inhuman conditions in camp.
DEFENCE OF POLISH POST IN FREE CITY OF DANZIG
Defence of Polish Post in Free City of Danzig – the attack at Polish Post started 1 September 1939 at 4:45, at the same time with the beginning of cannonade at Westerplatte by Schleswig-Holstein battleship. Defence of Polish Post lasted till evening. Campaigners of Polish Post were sentenced to death by Germans and executed by firing squad. The post employees not involved in the defence, were in large part arrested and placed to concentrations camps. The youngest victim of the attack at Polish Post was 10 years old foster child taken care by the housekeeper.
Day 4
Gdynia – Sopot
- transfer to Gdynia
- Polish Navy Museum in Gdynia
- lunch
- ORP Blyskawica Museum
- transfer to Babie Doły
- torpedo launch
- transfer to Sopot
- dinner
- return to Gdansk
Lunch with a beautiful view of Gdansk Bay
Dinner in Sopot
GDYNIA TORPEDO LAUNCH
Object where Luftwaffe torpedoes were tested. Torpedo launch was built in Gdansk Bay in 1941. After World War II most of the equipment was seized by Soviet army and transported to USRR. Currently, it is home for many spices of water fowl and object of expeditions for dives and lovers of water sports.
Day 5
Hel
- cruise to Hel
- walking tour in Hel, Wiejska Street, harbour
or
- Laskowski Weapon Emplacement
- lunch
- ride trip to Muzeum Obrony Wybrzeża (Defence Of The Coast Museum)
- return by ship or train
- dinner in Gdansk
Lunch in Hel – fish of the morning catch
Dinner – beer feast
Cruise to Hel
Bike trip to the Defence Of The Coast Museum
Hel which had been the main station of Polish Navy was attacked by German army in first day of World War II – 1 September 1939. Later on Hel Peninsula was intensively fortified by Germans between 1944 -1945. In the period of the Cold War, because of the strategic location, Hel once again became the most important base for Polish Navy. In those times the access to the town was limited for the civilians.
HEL
Hel – formerly a small Kashubian fishing village, today a famous resort.
Day 6
Rabka – Leba – Slowinski National Park – Ustka
transfer to Rabka
transit by electric vehicles to Rocket Launcher Museum
walking tour to the dunes
return by electric vehicles
lunch
transfer to Ustka
bunkers in Ustka (Fortress Ustka, Blücher Weapon Emplacement)
dinner
return to Gdansk
Lunch in Leba
Dinner in Ustka
BLÜCHER WEAPON EMPLACEMENT
‘Blücher’ – German bunkers complex from 1930s, part of unaccomplished investment – trade and naval port which was launching to take over water transport between Reich and the enclave in East Prussia avoiding transit via ‘the Polish Corridor’. These days mysterious Blücher Weapon Emplacement functions as multimedia museum.
Day 7
Bydgoszcz
- transit to Bydgoszcz
- Exploseum DAG Fabrik Bromberg
- transit to Bydgoszcz Old Town
- lunch
- walking tour in Old Town
- ‘Bydgoszcz Venice’
- transit to hotel near Grudziadz
- dinner
- spa treatments
Hotel in a marvellous palace
Lunch – regional delicacy in Bydgoszcz Old Town
Dinner – noble revel in the palace
DAG FABRIK BROMBERG
DAG Bromberg Company was built for the needs of III Reich military campaigns. The factory fulfilled 1/5 requisition of German army fighting on Eastern Front in TNT, smokeless powder and nitro-glycerine. There were employed about 40 thousand slave workers. Many of them died because of penal work. In the complex of 7 factory buildings connected by system underground tunnels and passages we can find i.a. exhibition dedicated to Alfred Nobel.
Day 8
Grudziadz – Gdansk
- transfer to Grudziadz
- Fortress Grudziadz, Citadel
- transfer to Old Town
- lunch
- walking tour in Old Town:
– Cavalry Training Centre
– city walls, Water Gate, riverside promenade
- transfer to Gdansk
- dinner
- accommodation in the hotel
Hotel in Gdansk
Lunch in Grudziadz Old Town
Dinner in Gdansk
Polish cuisine in modern style
GRUDZIADZ FORTRESS
Though, facing the advance of the Red Army, Hitler once again turned the city into a fortress. Severe fights aiming at maintaining the control of the city (Germans) and sizing Grudziadz (Russians) lasted from January to the beginning of March 1945. German army which during the siege occupied the Citadel capitulated eventually on 6 March 1945.
Day 9
Paslek – Reszel – Mamerki – Ryn
- transfer to Paslek
- short walking tour – Teutonic castle, City Hall
- coffee break
- transfer to Reszel
- lunch
- walking tour in Reszel
- transfer to Mamerki
- Mamerki bunkers
- transfer to Ryn
- accommodation in the hotel
- dinner
- spa treatments
Accommodation in the castle
Coffee break in Paslek
Lunch in Reszel Castle
Dinner in Ryn Castle
MAMERKI
Mamerki – small village in Masuria. It is famous because of the complex of undamaged, German bunkers from World War II. The biggest bunker called ‘The Giant’ has 7 meter thick walls and ceilings. This type of bunker was usually built for Adolf Hitler.
Day 10
Ryn – Gierloz – Elblag – Gdansk
- sightseeing of the castle or spare time
- lunch
- transfer to Gierloz
- Wolf’s Lair
- transfer to Elblag
- dinner
- return to Gdansk
- accommodation in the hotel
Hotel in Gdansk
Lunch in the castle
Dinner in Elblag
WOLF’S LAIR
Wolf’s Lair near Ketrzyn – General Headquarters of Adolf Hitler between 1941 and 1944, built before the invasion of USSR.
The assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler took a place in Wolf’s Lair on 20 July 1944. A bomb was placed by Claus von Stauffenberg. The explosion during the meeting caused only small injuries which were not harmful for Hitler’s life. As the meeting participants witnessed Hitler was saved by huge oaken table which counteracted the impact of the bomb.
Day 11
Gdansk
- meals
- transfer to the airport or ferry terminal
from 880 € per person*
*for 50-person group. The price includes accommodation in double rooms, meals, guided tours, guide assistance, bus transfers, cruises, bike trip, transit by electric vehicles and admissions. The price does not include spa treatments and transport to and from Gdansk.
The programme is addressed to groups from 10 to 50 people
The above offer is intended as information and does not constitute a commercial offer within the meaning of article 66 § 1 of the Polish Civil Code and other relevant legal provisions.
Legend
- hotel
- ferry or ship cruise
- horse riding
- knowledge
- shopping
- bus transfer
- canoeing rally
- monuments
- art
- attractions for kids
- meals
- amusement park
- workshops or team building
- car rental
- plane
- bike trips
- swimming pool
- active
- relax
- fishing
- walking tour
- diving
- nature
- spa
- nature study
- RIB
- narrow-gauge railway
- surfing
- adventure park
- bungee jumping
- go-karts
- golf
- off-roading
- zip-line
- shotting range or paintball
- quads