One word can sum up the History Tour to Budapest and Krakow: adventure.

From the outset, the tour was ambitious. We were taking one of the largest groups we had taken for several years – some 43 pupils and five staff! The first three days of the tour were spent in Budapest, the capital city of Hungary. Here, pupils were lucky enough to have a tour round historic sites associated with the Third Reich and Cold War. It was particularly interesting to visit a former Cold War nuclear bunker “The Hospital in the Rock” alongside seeing the various sites linked to the 1956 uprising.

To reach Krakow we travelled via overnight train. This journey was a lot of fun despite the sub-zero temperatures in some of the compartments due to the heating being broken! Our time in Krakow also focused on the Nazi era and the Cold War. Of the many sites we visited, the UNESCO World Heritage Salt Mines were outstanding. Furthermore, an extended visit to Auschwitz Concentration camp was both eye opening and incredibly moving as we all learnt about the horrors of the Third Reich.

The tour was a great success. Our thanks must go to the pupils for being so enthusiastic and making the most of the trip, alongside the staff for organising and running it. An album of photos can be viewed below alongside a Twitter moment from the trip.

George Beverly - Chaplain & History Teacher

Budapest & Krakow 2018