Religuous Education Tours

The drama of religion through the centuries can be brought to life with visits to a range of destinations that offer unique insights into religious history and religious events throughout history.

Krakow

Krakow is one of the very few cities in Poland to have preserved its historic shape.  Having escaped destruction during World War II the city has uniquely retained its charming medieval shape.  The central Market Square, the largest in Europe, is where several of the city’s architectural and cultural landmarks can be found.  Standing in the middle of the square is the 16th century Cloth Hall, which now houses a market selling local artefacts and souvenirs.

However, during World War II Krakow became the capital of Nazi occupied Poland.  The German occupation began in 1939 and in March 1941, a ghetto was built, where 15,000 Jews were crammed into an area that previously housed just 3,000.  From May 1942, the Nazis implemented systematic deportations from the ghetto to the surrounding concentration camps.

Today, Krakow is an important destination for school history and religious education trips.  A visit to Krakow and the Auschwitz Concentration Camp will give your students a deeper insight and understanding of the history and suffering of the 2nd World War.

Suggested visits:

• Auschwitz Concentration Camp – one of the most memorable lessons of modern European history.  The tour includes a film showing the camps liberation, the Death Wall, national memorials, the train line and ramp and the remains of hundreds of barracks, all of which form a moving testimony to the number of lost lives as a result of Nazi atrocities across occupied Europe
• Kazimierz Ghetto Tour – visit the Jewish Quarter and learn more about Jewish culture.  The tour includes Szeroka Street where “Shindlers List” was filmed, the Old Synagogue and the Remu’h Synagogue
• Schindlers Factory Museum- a museum devoted to the wartime experiences in Krakow under the five year occupation.  Oskar Schindler, his factory and the fate of its Jewish workforce feature prominently in the museum
• The Galicia Jewish Museum – this museum commemorates the victims of the Holocaust and celebrates the Jewish culture of Jewish Galicia, presenting Jewish history from a new perspective
• Jewish meal with entertainment – sample a traditional Jewish meal along with live Jewish music
• Wieliczka Salt Mine – mined since the 13th century, the mine reaches a depth of 327 metres and is over 300 km long.  The mine features dozens of statues and an entire chapel that has been carved out of salt
• Krakow City Tour – walking sightseeing tour including the Old Town, the Royal Way, the Market Square, the Cloth Hall, St Mary’s Church and Wawel Hill
• Wawel Royal Castle – home to three dynasties of Polish monarchs.  Its stately halls and exquisite chambers are filled with priceless art, period furniture and rare ancient objects

Prague

Prague is considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world.  The historic centre of Prague is included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.  Its exquisitely preserved historical centre is also known as the “Golden City” and the “City of a Hundred Spires”.

The city built along the meanders of the Vltava River and on the surrounding seven hills has always been and continues to be a thriving living city with an unusual number of theatres, galleries, museums and exhibitions.

Suggested Prague visits:

• The Jewish Quarter – known as Josefov, is located between the Old Town Square and the Vltava River.  Its history dates back to the 13th century when the Jewish community were ordered to vacate their homes and settle in one area
• Jewish Museum – the Jewish Museum incorporates all the main historical sites in the Jewish Quarter except for the Old-New Synagogue
• Old-New Synagogue – Europe’s oldest active synagogue and one of the earliest gothic buildings.  According to legend, angels brought stones from King Solomon’s Temple to build the synagogue and those same angels still protect the synagogue
• Prague Jewish Quarter Walking Tour – this tour traces the history of the largest Jewish ghetto in Europe.  Learn about the every day life of the Jewish people in Prague through the ages
• 35,000 Jews lost their lives in the camp ghetto.  A visit to Terezin includes visits to the Memorial of National Martyrdom, the Small Fortress and the Museum of Ghetto
• Terezin Concentration Camp – the Terezin Concentration Camp lies 60 km north of Prague.  The camp was a place of suffering for over 150,000 prisoners during the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia and more than
• Old Town Square – at the heart of the historical centre you will find the gothic spires of the Tyn Church that tower over the square and the Astronomical Clock
• Charles Bridge – a stone gothic bridge that connects the Old Town and Mala Shana.  Its construction was commissioned by Czech king and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV in 1357
• Prague Castle – founded in 880.  Records indicate that Prague Castle is the largest castle area in the world
• Lesser Town – the Lesser Town clusters around the foothills of Prague Castle.  Full of ancient burgher houses, quaint side streets, baroque churches and small shops, the Lesser Town is a lovely area to explore
• Prague River Cruise – the perfect vantage point from which to admire the beauty of Prague
• Prague City Tour – incorporate the Old Town, Charles Bridge, Prague Castle and Lesser Town in one four hour guided tour of the city
• Black Light Theatre – a theatrical performance with the use of black curtains and “black lighting”, paired with fluorescent costumes to create intricate visual illusions and remarkable spectacles

Rome

Rome is truly a treasure trove of artistic, architectural and religious marvels.  The entire city is an open air museum with churches, fountains, palazzo, archaeological sites and monuments.  The presence of the Vatican City, the heart of Roman Catholicism, adds to the enormous cultural appeal of Rome.

Suggested Rome visit:

• St Peter’s Basilica – a major basilica in the Vatican City drawing pilgrims from all over the world
• Vatican Museums – the Vatican Museums contain one of the world’s greatest art collections.  Housed in the richly decorated galleries and apartments of the Vatican Palace, the museums boast the largest collection of classical sculpture in the world, plus extensive artworks from the Etruscan, Egyptian, Early Christian and Renaissance and of course the Sistine Chapel
• Sistine Chapel – thanks to the extraordinary talents of Michelangelo the Sistine Chapel has become one of the most famous galleries in the world
• Catacombs of San Callisto – one of the largest and most famous of the Roman catacombs, first excavated in the 2nd Century
• Colosseum – the greatest amphitheatre of the antiquity and proof of the grandeur of the Roman world
• Roman Forum – the centre of political, commercial and judicial life in Ancient Rome
• Arch of Constantine – erected to commemorate Constantines victory over Maxenlius at the battle of Milvian Bridge in 312 AD
• Pantheon – a magnificent ancient temple that was later converted into the Church of Santa Maria ad Martyres
• Capitoline Hill and Museum – Rome’s most sacred hill, where the city’s first and most holiest temples stood.  There are two museums, the Palazzo dei Conservatori and the Palazza Nuovo
• Trevi Fountain – the most beautiful fountain in Rome
• Spanish Steps – one of the most famous images of the world
• Borghese Gallery – famous for having one of the worlds most extensive art collections, featuring major works by Raphael, Rubens, Titian, Caravaggio, Bernini and Canova
• Time Elevator – a multi-media journey through the history of Rome, including the legend of Romolus and Remu, the betrayal of Julius Caeser in the hands of Brutus and Nero and Michaelangelo during the realisation of the Sistine Chapel

Rome Guided Tours – guided tours can be arranged to suit your requirement.  Popular tours include Ancient Rome, the Vatican and Sistine Chapel and the Rome Art tours of the historic art of the churches of Rome and the Borghese Gallery.

All the hotels we use in Rome are very conveniently located in the Termini Railway Station area of the city.

While you are in Rome, why not add another dimension to your school trip and make a full day excursion for the archaeological site of Pompeii and the Vesuvius National Park.

For more information on any of our Religious Education trips please don’t hesitate to contact us.
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