The Post Congress Tours will be organised by Local Tour Organisers. For dates, prices and conditions, please see the Post Congress Tour Registration Form (on-line, Word97, PdF).
Participants intending to join one of these tours are kindly asked to return the  Post Congress Tour Registration Form (on-line, Word97, PdF) to IARF Congress Office in Budapest at their earliest convenience, but not later than 15 June 2002. This form will be forwarded to the Local Tour Organisers.

• In case of credit card payment the IARF Congress Office in Budapest will transfer the card information to the Local Tour Organisers if it is on the IARF Congress Registration Form otherwise,
• bank transfers have to go directly to the bank account of the Local Tour Organisers indicated on the Post Congress Tour Registration Form.

Czech Republic*
 

Take a 6-day tour of the country in the heart of Europe, the Czech Republic.  On the way to Prague you will make a stop to view the works of the pre-eminent Czech Art Nouveau painter, Alfons Mucha. Prague, one of the profound cultural and historical centres of Europe, will offer you a Sunday Unitarian service, a visit to Prague Castle (seat of former Czech kings), the Old Town, Lesser Town and Prague Jewish Ghetto, a folk performance and a chamber music concert.  Highlights of this trip also include a visit to he Glass Factory at Nizbor, a step back to the days of the Renaissance at the Hluboka Castle, Cesky Krumlov  (a UNESCO urban conservation area), exploring the ancient town of Jihlava and sightseeing at the historic centre of Telc with its unique square and originally Gothic castle (designated a UNESCO World Heritage site).

Poland* The longest tour on offer is a 7-day adventure in Poland with the possibility to see sites of major cultural and historic significance in Cracow and Warsaw.  The tour starts with visiting prime spots in Cracow such as St. Mary’s Church, the Czartoryski Museum (featuring works by Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt), and the Wawel Castle (home of former Polish kings).  Some Jewish history will be featured on this tour with a stop at the Jewish district of Kazimierz and a special journey to Auschwitz-Birkenau, a former Nazi concentration camp.  A visit to Rakow, founded as the Unitarian capital of Europe, is also included.  Finally, the last 3 days of the tour is spent in Warsaw and includes sightseeing in the Old Town and visits to places such as St. John’s Cathedral, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the Belvedere Palace.

Transylvania (2 Tours)* This 5-day tour to Transylvania, a.k.a. northern Romania, will primarily focus on sites of significance to the Unitarian community and the struggle for religious freedom and freedom of conscience in this vast region. The tour commences with a visit to the medieval town of Kolozsvar a.k.a. Cluj where the first Unitarian Church was established in 1568 and to the mythical place where the first declaration on religious freedom and freedom of conscience was proclaimed: Torda. From here, two main groups will head in two directions, one visiting the ancient walled Saxon towns which guarded Europe's border with the Ottoman Empire; the second group will explore city and village life with the Unitarians in the Maros and Harghita regions near the Carpathian mountains. Highlights of tour #1 include a pilgrimage to the ruined citadel of Deva where the first Unitarian Bishop, Francis David, died in prison for refusing to renounce his freedom of conscience, and highlights of tour #2 include a swim at a mineral water lake and shopping at pottery markets.

* These tours, organised by IARF member groups, may be of special but not exclusive interest to Unitarians.

Well Travel, based in Budapest, has organised a series of different tours which will allow Congress participants to take advantage of exploring Hungary in more detail when the Congress concludes.  (Note that one afternoon during the Congress itself is reserved for sightseeing in Budapest.)  Additional, post-Congress options are listed below:
 

Turkey Why not take a trip to Istanbul, the capital of the Turkish Sultans?  This 4 day excursion includes a guided tour to the magnificent Sultan Ahmet Mosque, the Byzantine Cathedral  ‘Hagia Sophia,’ and the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art.  You also get a boat trip on the Bosphorus, a visit to the spice market, and dinner at a Turkish nightclub. It is a packed tour giving the different perspective of Europe's neighbouring culture and power.

Austria A 4 day round trip to Vienna, the Imperial Capital of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, can be arranged for you by Well Travel.  Take a train or a coach to the city by the feet of the Alps and enjoy a Strauss Concert on arrival.  A substantial city sightseeing tour and a visit to Schönbrunn Castle will fill the next two days, giving you a greater understanding of European culture through one of its traditional centres.

Hungary - If you only have a little extra time to spare, take a 1 hour visit to the Parliament building in Budapest.  Visit this neo-gothic building, and home of the holy Hungarian crown, in all its splendour.   - For those interested in Jewish history, you can take a 3 hour tour of Jewish Budapest.  This expedition will visit the world’s second largest synagogue, the Jewish Museum and the Jewish Garden.   - Why not top off the Congress experience with a Hungarian Folklore Show and dinner on the Danube?  Well Travel offers the show, boat trip, and dinner as one package.

• One or 3 days trips to Lake Balaton can be arranged.  Approximately 120 kms from Budapest, this is one of the most scenic spots in Hungary with options for swimming, horse back riding, ferry crossings, or just relaxing!
• Take a 10-hour excursion along the Danube Bend.  This all-day extravaganza will feature visits to Visegrad, the former royal residences of the Renaissance, as well as to Esztergom, the centre of the Catholic Church.  A stop at an artist’s village and a return to Budapest by boat are included.
• A half-day visit to the picturesque village of Szentendre, the Serbian Orthodox centre of Hungary, is on offer.  This tour features a visit to the artist’s village and the Museum of Ceramics.  Return to Budapest by boat.
• Well Travel has arranged a special 3-day “Religious Survey” tour for Congress participants.  Highlights of this journey include a stop at the ancient abbey on the Tihany Peninsula as well as visits to the largest Buddhist stupa in Central Eastern Europe, an Ottoman Turkish Mosque, and the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Esztergom.  Additional secular pleasures on this trip include bathing at Lake Balaton, shopping, and wine tasting.