Day 1 (Sat)

Arrival in Krakow and first night in three-star hotel in the old town centre. Enjoy a stroll through Krakow or just relax in one of the many bars around the main square.

Day 2 (Sun) Krakow to Zakopane15-20 miles

We begin with a cycle tour of Krakow. The city's historic architecture came through the Second World War unscathed and the city has preserved its rich culture to the present day. At about midday a minibus takes us to Podhale. Our destination is the village of Zab, the highest in Poland (the journey takes about 2 hours). The first ride will be to Gubalowka, where we can enjoy the stunning panorama of the High Tatras (if the weather is good!). We then ride down the mountain, past farm carts laden with hay, to Zakopane. The folk culture of the people who live in the Tatras, the Gorale, has been preserved in their music, their songs and their local costume. During our stay we have a chance to sample "oscypek", the delicious smoked ewe's-milk cheese made in the Goral houses here.

Day 3 (Mon)  Zakopane to Lopuszna  37 miles

We begin by taking the cable car back to the top of Gubalowka, then ride down through the long village of Dzianisz as far as Chocholow, a village which is now an "open-air museum" of vernacular timber architecture. After lunch, a short climb to enter the valley of Cichy Potok ("the quiet stream") which we follow downhill along a quiet path to the town of Nowy Targ, the main centre for the Gorale. The route then runs for part of the way along a riverside path to the historic villages of Waksmund and Lopuszna.

Day 4 (Tue)  Lopuszna - Niedzica  19 miles

After a visit to the old wooden manor house in Lopuszna, we turn south and follow the course of the Bialka, a third mountain river flowing into the Dunajec. Here we see its impressive gorge near Nowa Biala. On the way we can also have a look in the church at Debno, one of the oldest wooden churches in Poland (built around 1500) with an impressive painted interior. Following the bank of the reservoir, we reach the castle at Niedzica and spend the night in a nearby hotel.

Day 5 (Wed) Niedzica - Szczawnica  22-25 miles

In the morning we visit the castle and ride to the Spisz village of Kacwin, whose unusual architecture is reminiscent of some Hungarian villages. At about midday we cross the border into Slovakia. First we ride to the village of Cerveny Klastor (Red Monastery), above which rise the three peaks of Trzy Korony (Three Crowns), the highest point in the Pieniny range. After a visit to the local museum we cycle along the "Pieniny Way" (for walkers and cyclists only), a narrow ledge carved out of the cliff running the whole length of the Dunajec Gorge. The limestone cliffs and luxuriant greenery along the way are breathtaking. Also very beautiful is the gorge of the Lesnicky Potok, a stream which flows into the Dunajec from the Slovakian side, passing through the sleepy village of Lesnica. Here there is an opportunity to do a little shopping, and then it's back into Poland and to the little spa town of Szczawnica.

Day 6 (Thu)  Szczawnica - Rytro  37 miles

This takes us through what is known as the "green Dunajec Gorge", where the river passes between two ranges of mountains. Although there are no stone cliff walls here, the slopes with their beech woods are still impressive. An attraction of a different kind is the stretch of river at Wietrznice which has been artificially prepared for whitewater canoeing. After lunch we ride through Lacko, famous for its Slivovitz, and then finally to Rytro, an old feudal village at the foot of castle ruins. The night is spent in a small hotel on the shady banks of the Poprad, a tributary of the Dunajec.

Day 7 (Fri)  Rytro - Krakow 10-15 miles

After breakfast we ride through the Poprad Valley to Stary Sacz. The morning is spent exploring this historic little town, one of the most beautiful in Southern Poland, and discovering the maze of narrow streets by bike. Then we go by coach to Nowy Sacz, with its neo-gothic town hall in the beautiful market square and streets lined with well-restored art nouveau houses. From Nowy Sacz we return to Krakow (bus journey about 1.5 - 2  hours). We will spend the rest of the day in the quiet Kazimierz district, once the Jewish quarter. An evening of Klezmer music brings our tour to a close.

Day 8 (Sat) Departure from Krakow.

Extra nights can be arranged either in Krakow or in the mountains.