DAYS 1/2: The night passes quickly as you cross the Atlantic, eastward bound.
   Welcome to the beautiful city of Cracow — ancient residence of the Polish kings. Unpack your bags, explore your surroundings, and settle into your centrally-located hotel.

DAY 3: CRACOW SIGHTSEEING. See the sites of a city unmarred by the destruction of the retreating Nazis, including the fairy-tale towers, spires and fortifications on Wawel Hill.
   Optional afternoon trip to the former concentration camp of Auschwitz.

DAY 4: ZAKOPANE, TATRA MOUNTAINS. In store for you today are some of the grandest views in Poland, if not the whole of Europe! Today's destination, the popular resort of Zakopane, lies at the base of the inspirational Tatra Mountains. Marvel at the breathtaking panoramas as you ride the cable car to the top of Kasprowy Wierch.
   A traditional folklore performance is included this evening.

DAY 5: SLOVAKIA. There's a full day's drive today through the little-known mountainous terrain of Slovakia. The Carpathian Range arcs across central Europe, providing sports enthusiasts dozens of protected natural preserves. Lunch is included today.
   Arrive this evening in the chic Hungarian capital of Budapest, on the banks of the River Danube.

DAY 6: BUDAPEST, DANUBE CRUISE. Virtually everything Hungarian starts, finishes or is taking place in Budapest. This morning a professional guide introduces you to the "Paris of the East." See the splendid Parliament buildings, the Royal Palace, and the neo-Gothic Matthias Church. Take in the view of Pest from Fisherman's Bastion.
   After lunch, a cruise along the Danube Bend will bring you to the charming artists' colony of Szentendre. You'll have time for an art gallery visit before dinner and an optional Czarda gypsy performance afterwards.

DAY 7: LAKE BALATON. Lake Balaton — Hungary's vacation paradise — lies only a short journey south of Budapest.
   Before the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, Lake Balaton provided one of the few places where citizens of the East and West could relax together on neutral turf.
   You can do so today, here on the sands of the 'Hungarian Sea'.

DAY 8: VIENNA. On to Austria — country number four. Vienna, the glittering city of the Hapsburg Emperors, is your destination. It's here that the gentle rhythm of the waltz, the clatter of horse-drawn carriages, and the fin-de-siècle pomp of the Ringstrasse linger on, both in legend and reality.
   Treat yourself to a slice of Sachertorte in the most sophisticated surroundings the world can offer.

DAY 9: VIENNA. You'll discover the city in more detail today in the company of a local guide. Visit Schönbrunn Palace, the summer home of the Hapsburgs. See the Opera House, the Houses of Parliament, the Schloss Belvedere and the famous Prater Amusement Park.
   Enjoy the delights of a traditional Heuriger dinner tonight, deep in the Vienna Woods.

DAY 10: MELK, CESKY KRUMLOV. Visit the stunning Baroque monastery of Melk, perched high on a bluff overlooking the River Danube.
   Continue along the Danube Valley before heading north into the Czech Republic and the fairy-tale medieval town of Cesky Krumlov — Bohemia's undiscovered jewel.

DAY 11: KARLSTEJN, PRAGUE. Images of chivalry and feudal splendor surround you this morning as you tour the great castle of Karlstejn — ancient repository of the Bohemian crown jewels.
   On to Prague, capital of the Czech Republic and Eastern Europe's prettiest city.

DAY 12: PRAGUE. This morning greet the sights of Prague, which adorn both sides of the Vltava River, in the company of a professional guide. See Hradcany Castle, St. Vitus' Cathedral and the Astronomical Clock on Old Town Square.
   The afternoon is free to explore the famous Jewish Ghetto or to climb to the top of the Petrin Hill for spectacular views over the city.

DAY 13: DRESDEN, BERLIN. Soon after crossing the border into Germany, stop for a visit in the old Saxon stronghold of Dresden. Take a walking tour with your courier around the grandiose monuments of the historic center, risen anew from the ashes of WW II. See the Opera House, the Zwinger Palace and the great Baroque churches on the banks of the River Elbe.
   Continue to Germany's new capital city, Berlin.

DAY 14: BERLIN. Berlin has once again joined the ranks of Europe's greatest cities. A local guide shows you the monuments, old and new. See the Brandenburg Gate and the noble edifices lining Unter den Linden, the Kurfürstendamm, the Checkpoint Charlie Museum and the grandeur of rebuilt Potsdamer Platz — recently an empty, lonesome wasteland between east and west.
   Free time this afternoon.

DAY 15: You see your suitcase, among others, being loaded onto the coach for the short trip to the airport. Your passports courier is checking things off on a clipboard, referencing his watch every so often. He says you'll be back in the States before the sun sets.