Itinerary (text)
A 12-day Trip to Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary
October 06~17, 2016
Day 1 --- On Way to East Europe
01-01 Taoyuan Airport (Taiwan) --- Beginning of Trip
01-02 Dubai Airport (United Arab Emirates) --- A 4-hour long transfer at midnight
01-03 Warsaw Airport (Poland) --- End of A Long & Tired Flight
Day 2 --- Warsaw, Poland (I)
02-01 Zelazowa Wola: Chopin's birthplace (I) --- Lunch at Kompot Restaurant nearby
02-02 Zelazowa Wola: Chopin's birthplace (II) --- Chopin's house & park
02-03 1st night at Warsaw --- Intercontinental Hotel at Warsaw
02-04 Dinner at a classically-decorated restaurant
02-05 Night view of Warsaw
Day 3 --- Warsaw, Poland (II)
03-01 Wilanow Palace (I) --- Beauty of Building Exterior
03-02 Wilanow Palace (II) --- Graceful backyard garden
03-03 Wilanow Palace (III) --- Interior exhibitions
03-04 Warsaw Old Town (I) --- Along the way before entrance
03-05 Warsaw Old Town (II) --- Old Town gate & walls
03-06 Warsaw Old Town (III) --- Old Town Square & Warsaw Mermaid Statue
03-07 Warsaw Old Town (IV) --- Royal Castle & Castle Square
03-08 Lunch and dinner
Day 4 --- Krakow, Poland (I)
04-01 On way to Krakow (old Poland capital not destroyed in WW II)
04-02 First views of Krakow (I) --- Krakow Station & Gallery
04-03 Barbican and walls of Krakow old town
04-04 On way to enjoying lunch
04-05 Wieliczka Salt Mine (a UNESCO site) (I) --- Mine environment
04-06 Wieliczka Salt Mine (a UNESCO site) (II) --- Art of Salt Sculpture
04-07 Hotel and on-way observations
Day 5 --- Krakow, Poland (II)
05-01 Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi concentration camp (I) --- Auschwitz part: exterior
05-02 Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi concentration camp (II) --- Auschwitz part: interior
05-03 Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi concentration camp (III) --- Birkenau part: environment
05-04 Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi concentration camp (IV) --- Birkenau part: others
05-05 Lunch at a restaurant nearby
05-06 Wawel Castle (I) --- exterior environment
05-07 Wawel Castle (II) --- interior environment
05-08 On way to and in proxy of the old town
05-09 Main Market Square --- looking around (a UNESCO site rated in 2013 by Lonely Planet travel guides as the most beautiful in the world)
05-10 Main Market Square --- observed scenes and activities in the square
05-11 Night scenes
05-12 Shopping and Dinner
Day 6 ---
(A) Zakopane, Poland (1st half)
06-01 On way to Zakopane (I) --- Polish-style houses
06-02 On way to Zakopane (II) --- Views and shopping at a rest area
06-03 Lunch at Zakopane, Poland
06-04 Taking the cable car & strolling before and after
06-05 Strolling the mountain area in a snowy & foggy condition
(B) Tatra Mts. National Park in Slovakia (2nd half)
06-06 Entering Slovakia with temperature 1oC
06-07 Arriving at Grand Hotel Kempinski at High Tatras
06-08 Grand Hotel Kempinski (I) --- hotel environment
06-09 Grand Hotel Kempinski (II) --- dinner and breakfast
06-10 Grand Hotel Kempinski (III) --- snowing backyard and lake side
Day 7 --- Tatra mountains + 2-B City + Bratislava, Slovakia
07-01 Lake Geneva beside Grand Hotel Kempinski (I) --- wonderland-like scenes against Tatra mountains
07-02 Strolling around Lake Geneva in the morning
07-03 On way to Bratislava --- lunch at 2-B City (Banska Bystrica)
07-04 Strolling in Banska Bystrica (I) --- Main Square
07-05 Strolling in Banska Bystrica (II) --- Streets and lanes
07-06 Arriving at Bratislava (Capital of Slovakia) --- hotel staying, dinner, and shopping in the 1st night
Day 8 ---
(A) Bratislava, Slovakia (1st half)
08-01 Bratislava Castle & surrounds (I) --- castle structures (1st "must-visit" site of five in Bratislava)
08-02 Bratislava Castle & surrounds (II) --- Bridge of Slovak National Uprising & Danube River
08-03 Bratislava Castle & surrounds (III) --- lanes and alleys on way to old town area
08-04 St. Martins Church (2nd "must-visit" site in Bratislava)
08-05 Church of Order of St. Clare (1302) (also called the Clarissine Church (Slovak: Kostol klarisiek))
08-06 Bratislava Town Hall and surrounds (3rd "must-visit" site in Bratislava)
08-07 The Old Town Hall (4th "must-visit" site in Bratislava)
08-08 Strolling around the Main Square in the Old Town (I)
08-09 Strolling around the Main Square in the Old Town (II)
08-10 The story of St. Elizabeth of Hungary --- Miracle of the Roses (her statues are everywhere)
08-11 The Little Blue Church (St. Elizabeth Church)
08-12 Lunch, book-buying, and moving to Hungary
(B) Budapest (I) (2nd half)
08-13 Sightseeing boating over Danube River in Budapest (I)
08-14 Sightseeing boating over Danube River in Budapest (II)
08-14a Sightseeing boating over Danube River in Budapest (III)
08-15 Staying in the Intercontinental Hotel again
08-16 Dinner
08-17 Night strolling along Danube River & Chain Bridge (I)
08-18 Night strolling along Danube River & Chain Bridge (II)
Day 09 --- Budapest (II)
09-00 Breakfast & hotel vicinity strolling
09-01 Buda Castle Hill (I) --- Entrance & Fishermen's Bastion
09-02 Buda Castle Hill (II) --- Statue of Saint Stephen, King of Hungary
09-03 Buda Castle Hill (III) --- Overlooking Danube River from Fishermen's Bastion
09-04 Buda Castle Hill (IV) --- Matthias Church (I): solemn exterior
09-05 Buda Castle Hill (V) --- Matthias Church (II): magnificent interior for worship (A)
09-06 Buda Castle Hill (VI) --- Matthias Church (III): magnificent interior for worship (B)
09-07 Buda Castle Hill (VII) --- Presidential Residence
09-08 Buda Castle Hill (VIII) --- Royal Palace (A): the frontal yard
09-09 Buda Castle Hill (IX) --- Royal Palace (B): the backyard & courtyard
09-10 Buda Castle Hill (X) --- Overlooking Danube River from castle area
09-11 Buda Castle Hill (XI) --- Interesting objects of the Castle area
09-12 Lunch
09-13 Heroes' Square (A) --- central area: Millennium Monument
09-14 Heroes' Square (B) --- magnificent surrounding buildings
09-15 Hungarian National Assembly (I) --- architecture (like a castle or a church)
09-16 Hungarian National Assembly (II) --- surrounding scenes & activities: Museum of Ethnography (Neprajzi Muzeum)
09-17 Shopping in the Central Market Hall & the vicinity
09-18 Dinner and folk dance & music performance
Day 10 --- Budapest (III)
10-01 Royal Palace of Godollo (I) --- entrance and back court
10-02 Royal Palace of Godollo (II) --- garden in the back
10-03 Horse show and carriage riding (I) --- Horse show (A)
10-04 Horse show and carriage riding (II) --- Horse show (B)
10-05 Horse show and carriage riding (III) --- carriage riding
10-06 Horse show and carriage riding (IV) --- environment
10-07 Horse show and carriage riding (V) --- a big lunch
10-08 Shopping and dinner in the evening
Day 11 --- Szentendre, Hungary
11-01 Morning strolling to St. Stephen's Basilica
11-02 Szentendre near Budapest (I) --- picturesque scenes
11-03 Szentendre near Budapest (II) --- quick shopping due to short-time stay
11-04 Szentendre near Budapest (III) --- happy strolling in the main street
Day 12 --- Back to Taiwan
12-01 Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport
12-02 Transfer at Dubai Airport again on way back