St. Patrick's Day Parade - be part of it. Really.

It is well known that Dublin is the place to be on St. Patrick's day. The 4 Day St. Patrick's Festival sets out to reflect the talents and achievements of Irish people on many national and world stages, and it acts as an exciting showcase for the manifold skills of the people of Ireland, of every age and social background.

As the one national holiday that is celebrated in more countries around the world than any other, St. Patrick’s Day is the day when everyone wants to be Irish. Whether Irish born or Irish in spirit, be part of this fabulous day----really be part of it.

For the first time ever, in celebration of the Gathering, Ireland 2013, St. Patrick’s Festival are inviting up to 8,000 people around the world to march in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin on 17 March 2013 - The People’s Parade is a once in a lifetime opportunity and applications are now open!

As a participant in The People’s Parade you will march in procession through the streets of Dublin, passing many historic landmarks along the way including the GPO, Trinity College, Dublin Castle and City Hall.  You will soak up the vibrant atmosphere; feel the energy, wave to the audience along the 2.5 km route and best of all once you have finished you can marvel at the spectacular performance section of the parade that follows.

Build lifelong memories, display your Irish pride, celebrate all that is good about Ireland and being Irish (even if you are just an honorary Irish person for one day!) and savour your unique journey through the heart of Dublin City- the journey of a lifetime!

This year - be part of St. Patrick's Day. Travel to Ireland and march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade. Let Celtic Tours World Vacations help you plan the vacation of a lifetime!

Celtic Tours World Vacations is pleased to announce vacation packages for individuals and groups wishing to take part in the festivities. Give us a call to start planning today! 1-800-833-4373

History and all that jazz --- Warsaw

Warsaw – a city rebuilt. First-time visitors ought not to be fooled by the bleak postwar architecture, Poland’s capital is much livelier and cosmopolitan than often given credit for. The story of Warsaw is one of an enduring spirit, a spirit that allowed it’s people to rebuild and overcome. Find reflections of Warsaw’s enduring spirit in its buildings, palaces, monuments and celebrations.

Poland’s capital city was the first the Hitler bombed and the last he destroyed. Flattened in WWII, the city has been racing to replace what was lost and has been experiencing a cultural revival. Many old communist buildings gave way to modern skyscrapers. The dilapidated Old Town was restored brick by brick according to old prints, photographs and paintings. Warsaw is known for having some of the best museums, such as The Warsaw Rising Museum, a Chopin Museum and a Jewish History museum. Visitors will also find impressive palaces, lovely churches and monasteries, interesting monuments, a vibrant nightlife and a bustle of activity with theater, book, jazz and classical music festivals.

Travelers to Warsaw will find something special in this rebuilt city, a drive and vibe that is truly infectious. Visit Poland with Celtic Tours World Vacations.

Prague, Vienna & Budapest - European Escorted Tour

Prague, Vienna & Budapest

10 Days from Prague and Vienna to Budapest– with guaranteed departures!

Included Features

• First class hotels, rooms with private facilities
• Service charges and hotel taxes
• Breakfast daily
• Dinner with folklore in Prague
• Dinner with entertainment in Grinzing suburb of Vienna
• Farewell dinner with entertainment in typical csarda restaurant in Budapest
• Opera performance in Prague
• Strauss & Mozart Concert in Vienna
• Inter-city travel by modern motor coach
• Arrival and departure transfers
• Professional Tour Director throughout
• Luggage handling
• Headsets will be provided for included sightseeing tours, so you can easily hear your guide's commentary

Hotels

• Prague, Majestic Plaza
• Vienna, Savoyen or or Renaissance
• Budapest, Intercontinental

Travel to Europe with Celtic Tours World Vacations

Poland to Austria - European Escorted Tour

Poland to Austria

10 Days from Warsaw to Vienna via Krakow and Prague

Included Features

• First class hotels, rooms with private facilities
• Service charges and hotel taxes
• Breakfast daily and 3 dinners
• Touring by modern motor coach
• Airport and local transfers
• Professional Tour Director
• Luggage handling
• Headsets will be provided for included sightseeing tours, so you can easily hear your guide's commentary

Sightseeing

• Warsaw
• Krakow
• Prague
• Vienna

Hotels

• Warsaw, Holiday Inn
• Krakow, Hotel Novotel Centrum
• Prague, Diplomat
• Vienna, Renaissance Hotel

Travel to Europe with Celtic Tours World Vacations

Prague and Vienna - Europe Escorted Tour

Included Features

• First class hotels, rooms with private facilities
• Service charges and hotel taxes
• Breakfast daily
• Dinner with folklore in Prague
• Dinner with entertainment in Grinzing suburb of Vienna
• Opera performance in Prague
• Strauss & Mozart Concert in Vienna
• Inter-city travel by modern motor coach
• Arrival and departure transfers
• Professional Tour Director throughout
• Luggage handling
• Headsets will be provided for included sightseeing tours, so you can easily hear your guides commentary

Hotels

• Prague, Majestic Plaza
• Vienna, Savoyen or or Renaissance

Discover two of Europe's most historic cities: Prague and Vienna. Travel to Europe with Celtic Tours World Vacations

What to see in Novgorod, Russia

Considered one of the most important historic cities in Russia, Novgorod is unbeatable in the variety and age of its medieval monuments. There are now some fifty medieval and early modern churches scattered throughout the city and its surrounding areas. Some of these were bombed by the Nazis, but have been subsequently restored. Three can't miss sites in Novgorod are the Kremlin, Yaroslav Court and St. Sophia Cathedral.

Novgorod Kremlin
Novgorod Kremlin (also Detinets) stands on the left bank of the Volkhov River in Veliky Novgorod about two miles north of where it empties out of Lake Ilmen. The compound was originally the site of a pagan burial ground upon which the first bishop of Novgorod, Ioakim Korsunianin built the Cathedral of Holy Wisdom upon his arrival in the area in 989 or so. Thus the compound was and remained largely an ecclesiastical site, although many Novgorodian boyars built their houses in the southern part of the Detinets.

Yaroslav Court
Yaroslav's Court was the princely compound in the city of Novgorod the Great.

St. Sophia Cathedral
The Cathedral of St. Sophia (the Holy Wisdom of God) in the Kremlin (or Detinets) in Veliky Novgorod is the cathedral church of the Archbishop of Novgorod and the mother church of the Novgorodian Eparchy.The 38-metre-high, five-domed, stone cathedral was built by Vladimir of Novgorod between 1045 and 1050 to replace an oaken cathedral built by Bishop Ioakim Korsunianin in the late tenth century (making it the oldest church building in Russia proper and, with the exception of the Arkhyz and Shoana churches, the oldest building of any kind still in use in the country).

Travel to Russia with Celtic Tours World Vacations

Visit a Banya

The banya, or bathhouse, is a cultural tradition in Russia that dates back to the 12th century, but became popular in the 17th century when communal bathing was the only way for many Russians to stay clean. Today it is still believed to have therapeutic benefits. It is also a great place to relax and socialize. And is often looked at as the Russian's take on the golf course - a great place to do business. Visiting a banya is often one of the highlights of vacations in Russia.

Visiting a banya is an invigorating experience with temperatures exceeding 200 degrees F and self-flagellation with wet, dried branches alternating with a good dunk in a bucket of icy water. The banya is not only invigorating, it is said to have many health benefits. Excessive heat stimulates sweating, thus removing unwanted materials from the blood and improving the work of the kidneys. Sweating also releases excess water and salt from the body and opens the skin pores, cleaning it and making it softer and fresher. A host of additional health benefits come from visiting a banya including the release of endorphins due to an increase in cardiovascular activity.

Steps to visiting a banya: 1. Check in.  2. Sweat it out for 10-15 minutes. 3. Engage in some healthy self-flagellation with a bunch of soaked veniki, or birch twigs. 4. Cool Down in the pool, barrel or bucket of icy water provided. 5.  Grab a beer (or a glass of water) in the antechamber before repeating the process.

Other Info: Before checking into a banya make sure you do not have low or high blood pressure, a heart ailment or any other health issue. Pregnant women and asthma sufferers are advised to do the same. A banya hat, a special felt hat, is often used to protect the head from the intense heat. Bring along a towel and flip-flops.

Visiting a banya is often one of the highlights of vacations to Russia. Travel to Russia with Celtic Tours World Vacations.