Poland – Inspired by Movies

This unique program is inspired by internationally acclaimed films that portray the turbulent history of 20th-century Poland, its Jewish communities, and the extraordinary individuals who shaped it.

Many award-winning directors have chosen Poland and the heroes of Polish and Polish-Jewish history as the backdrop for their stories, including Schindler’s List (Steven Spielberg), The Pianist (Roman Polanski), A Man Who Became Pope (Giacomo Battiato), and In Darkness (Agnieszka Holland). Adding to this legacy is Andrzej Wajda’s highly anticipated film about Lech Wałęsa, offering another powerful narrative of courage, resilience, and the struggle for human dignity. This tour invites you to follow in the footsteps of these films’ characters, exploring the real places where these unforgettable stories unfolded and discovering the nation where “so many angles were found.”

DAY 1 – LVIV
Arrive in Lviv, a captivating city with a rich multicultural past and a history marked by numerous name and border changes. Today, Lviv is considered one of the most enchanting destinations in Eastern Europe and is home to Ukraine’s only UNESCO-listed “Ensemble of the Historic Centre.” The city is renowned for its remarkable architectural heritage—majestic churches, elegant squares, atmospheric streets, and museums showcasing masterpieces from various historical eras. A Lviv Jewish Heritage Tour begins by exploring this vibrant cultural center, where centuries of Polish, Jewish, Armenian, and Ukrainian influences blend harmoniously.

DAY 2 – LVIV
This day highlights the story behind Agnieszka Holland’s acclaimed film “In Darkness,” inspired by Leopold Socha, the Lviv sewer worker who saved a group of Jews by hiding them beneath the city during the German occupation. What started as a paid arrangement evolved into an unexpected and profound act of humanity. Your guided Lviv city tour will explore the heart of Western Ukraine—a historical crossroads between East and West, and between Orthodox and Catholic traditions.

Begin at the iconic Lviv Opera House, Europe’s first major building constructed on a reinforced concrete foundation, then stroll down Svoboda Avenue, built above the former Poltva River. View the Maria Zankovetska Drama Theatre, once the largest theatre in Europe and today one of Ukraine’s oldest cultural institutions.

Continue through the atmospheric Old Town—once a thriving center of regional trade—where you’ll visit some of Lviv’s oldest and most beautiful churches, including the Baroque Jesuit Cathedral, the Virgin Mary’s Assumption Church, and the historic Armenian Cathedral, home to 16th–17th-century tombstones. For panoramic photos, you may also visit the High Castle, offering sweeping views over the city and its surrounding districts.

DAY 3 – LVIV → KRAKOW
Fly to Krakow, the first European city inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, renowned for its remarkably preserved medieval Old Town. After settling in, enjoy an orientation tour through Krakow’s historic center, which has remained virtually unchanged since the city’s original charter. Highlights include St. Mary’s Church, home to the world-famous wooden altarpiece carved by Wit Stwosz, the iconic Cloth Hall (Sukiennice) filled with artisan stalls, and beautifully restored burgher houses that line the Main Market Square. This introduction sets the foundation for your upcoming Krakow Jewish Heritage Tour, which uncovers both the beauty and the wartime history of this extraordinary city.

DAY 4 – KRAKOW: SCHINDLER’S LIST & THE JEWISH GHETTO
This day focuses on the historical sites connected to Oskar Schindler and Steven Spielberg’s acclaimed film Schindler’s List. Begin in Podgórze, the district that served as the actual Jewish Ghetto during the Nazi occupation. At Zgoda Square—where Jews were assembled for deportation—rows of empty metal chairs form a poignant memorial to Krakow’s lost community.

Visit the acclaimed Schindler’s Factory Museum, located in the administrative building of the original “Emalia” enamel factory. Here, immersive exhibits illustrate both the brutality of the Holocaust and the extraordinary acts of courage undertaken by those who risked their lives to save others. Oskar Schindler, initially motivated by profit, ultimately rescued more than 1,000 mostly Polish-Jewish men and women by employing them in his factories—an act immortalized in the film’s final scene, where survivors honor him by placing stones on his grave, following Jewish tradition.

Continue along the Krakow Remembrance Route, which includes Pomorska Street, former Gestapo headquarters, and the Pharmacy Under the Eagle, operated by Tadeusz Pankiewicz—recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations for aiding Jews trapped in the ghetto. These sites provide powerful insight into Krakow’s wartime history and the individuals who displayed extraordinary bravery in the face of terror.

HIGHLIGHT: Special lecture — “Oskar Schindler: The Man and the Hero.”

DAY 5 – KRAKOW → WADOWICE → KRAKOW
Today focuses on the life and legacy of Karol Wojtyła (Pope John Paul II), whose story inspired the acclaimed film A Man Who Became Pope. The themes of his papacy—faith, human dignity, resilience, and moral courage—were deeply shaped by his early life in Poland. Travel to Wadowice, the small industrial town where Karol Wojtyła was born and raised. Visit his childhood home, now a museum dedicated to preserving his history, and the Basilica of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, where he was baptized and worshipped as a child.

As a teenager, Wojtyła lived through the brutality of Nazism and later the hardships of Communist rule—formative experiences that influenced his journey from factory worker to scholar, priest, and ultimately one of the most influential popes in modern history. Actor Piotr Adamczyk, who portrayed him in the film, noted his extraordinary determination and sense of purpose, qualities that shaped his path and continue to inspire millions.

Return to Krakow to visit the Wawel Royal Cathedral, where Wojtyła celebrated his first Mass in the Crypt of St. Leonard for his deceased family members. Outside the cathedral, see the iconic Pope’s Window, from which John Paul II greeted and spoke to crowds during his pilgrimages to Poland.

HIGHLIGHT:
Enjoy a special concert of poetry and music featuring works by Pope John Paul II. His poems—rooted in the trials of war, life under Communism, and his spiritual mission—offer profound insight into his understanding of God, humanity, and moral values. Meet members of the “John Paul II Generation” who share reflections on his writings and enduring influence.

DAY 6 – KRAKOW → OSWIECIM (AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU) → WARSAW
Travel from Krakow to Warsaw via Oświęcim, home to the Auschwitz-Birkenau German Nazi Concentration and Death Camp, the largest extermination center in human history and the most powerful symbol of the Holocaust. A visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau provides an essential and deeply moving understanding of the atrocities committed during World War II.

Pope John Paul II, who had Jewish friends in his youth, became the first pope to visit the camp in 1979. For him, Auschwitz was not an abstract historical tragedy—it was intertwined with his personal experience and his lifelong mission to foster Christian–Jewish reconciliation. He famously stated: “Oświęcim is a place which cannot be just toured. On visiting, we must think with fear about where the limits of hatred are set.”

After this profound experience, continue to Warsaw for overnight accommodations.

DAY 7 – WARSAW: THE STORY OF WLADYSLAW SZPILMAN & WARSAW JEWISH HERITAGE
Today’s program explores the life of Władysław Szpilman, the Polish-Jewish pianist whose memoir inspired Roman Polanski’s acclaimed film “The Pianist.” Szpilman’s brilliant musical career was interrupted by the German invasion in 1939, forcing him and his family into the Warsaw Ghetto. While his family was deported to Treblinka, Szpilman escaped the transport and survived with the help of Polish colleagues and the German officer Wilm Hosenfeld. In a late-life interview, Szpilman emphasized: “I was saved by at least 30 Poles. At least 30 people risked their lives.”

Your Warsaw Jewish Heritage Tour includes key memorial and historical sites:

• Monument to the Ghetto Heroes

• Mila 18 — bunker of the Jewish Fighters Organization

• Umschlagplatz — deportation point for Warsaw’s Jews

• Jewish Historical Institute — archives of Warsaw Ghetto documents

• Warsaw Rising Museum

• Szpilman Memorial Plaque at 223 Niepodległości Avenue, marking his last hiding place

This plaque was unveiled by Szpilman’s family and the daughter of Wilm Hosenfeld, honoring his survival, artistic legacy, and the courage of those who helped him.

Szpilman later served as the director of Polish Radio’s music department for 18 years. He was the last musician heard on Polish Radio before the 1939 invasion—and the first to perform again in 1945.

HIGHLIGHT:
Enjoy a Chopin concert featuring masterpieces such as “Ballade in G Minor, Op. 23,” the very piece Szpilman played for Hosenfeld in hiding—an unforgettable moment portrayed in The Pianist. This performance brings together music, memory, and resilience, echoing Szpilman’s remarkable life.

DAY 8 – WARSAW → TORUN → GDANSK
Depart Warsaw for Torun, a beautifully preserved medieval city founded by the Teutonic Order and birthplace of Nicolaus Copernicus, the revolutionary astronomer who transformed our understanding of the universe. Torun captivates visitors with its Gothic architecture, narrow cobbled streets, charming market stalls, and impressive monuments. The Old City Town Hall, a symbol of Torun’s historic wealth as part of the Hanseatic trade network, stands at the heart of the UNESCO-listed Medieval Town of Torun. Explore the atmospheric Old Town, filled with centuries-old alleyways and architectural treasures, before continuing to Gdansk for overnight accommodations.

DAY 9 – GDANSK: LECH WAŁĘSA & THE SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT
Today focuses on the modern history of Gdansk and the life of Lech Wałęsa, former President of Poland, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and founder of the Solidarity movement. Wałęsa’s remarkable journey—from an electrician at the Gdansk Shipyard to one of the most influential figures of the 20th century—became the subject of Andrzej Wajda’s acclaimed film Walesa. The Oscar-winning director described the project as one of his greatest artistic challenges, reflecting Wałęsa’s profound impact on Poland and the world.

Visit key sites of the Solidarity revolution, including the Gdansk Lenin Shipyard, where the first independent trade union in the Eastern Bloc emerged in the late 1970s, igniting a wave of political transformation across Central and Eastern Europe. Stop at the powerful Monument to the Shipyard Workers, dedicated to those killed during the 1970 anti-Communist protests. Inscribed on the monument are lines by Nobel Prize–winning poet Czesław Miłosz, honoring the courage and sacrifice of ordinary workers who shaped Poland’s path to freedom.

Wałęsa’s legacy, combined with the Solidarity movement and the moral authority of figures like Miłosz, marked a turning point in Poland’s history—one that helped bring hope to millions living under Communist rule.

Lech Wałęsa, appointed the first chairman of the Solidarity movement, quickly became a central figure in Poland’s struggle for freedom. His leadership in organizing opposition activities led to repeated detentions and constant surveillance by the Communist security services. During the period of martial law, Wałęsa was interned in Arłamów, yet his influence continued to inspire resistance across the country. In 1983, at a time when morale was low, Poland regained hope when Wałęsa received the Nobel Peace Prize, recognizing his unwavering commitment to human rights and nonviolent change.

The combined efforts of Solidarity, supported by Pope John Paul II, sparked a national transformation. After months of negotiations with the Communist authorities, the historic Round Table Agreement was signed, paving the way for political freedoms and civil rights. In 1990, during Poland’s first democratic elections in over four decades, Lech Wałęsa was elected president, marking the official end of Communist rule.

In Gdansk, the exhibition “Roads to Freedom” offers a compelling tribute to the Solidarity movement and its role in reshaping modern Europe. A special highlight of this program includes an exclusive lecture by President Lech Wałęsa—widely considered one of the most influential figures of the 20th century—who will speak about Poland’s peaceful transition to democracy.

DAY 10 – GDANSK
Transfer to the airport for your departure flight.

This is a customized private itinerary tailored for each traveler. Contact us to design your tour. Minimum of 3 nights accommodations, sightseeing, and transfers required.