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Show Promoter,
Bob Zurko zips around
the large Grayslake
Antique Market in
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Antique Tours to Europe
article archive
England, Poland, Italy, France, Germany...
2006 -- Tours to be announced.
Zurko Promotions -
Invites YOU the Collector or
Dealer to Join Us for Exciting - Antique Treasure Hunting Expeditions.
Visit World Famous Antique Markets and much More!!
We take you where the antique treasures and sights are!!
Transportation, hotels, sight seeing, antique shows,
markets, and more are conveniently arranged for you in one package.
Great opportunity for Antique
Dealers!!
Antique tours to Europe...
Zurko's International Antique Tours Offer
An Exciting Experience
The following article was taken from Auction Action Antique News.
April 2002 Vol. 7 No. 35 Issue
www.auctionactionnews.com
Zurko's International Antique Market Tour Group
Discovers Antique
Treasures in Northern Italy
For over ten years, veteran antique treasure hunters have been touring Europe
with Zurko's International Tours. This years event took the tour group across
Northern Italy, from Milan to Venice. An exciting bus tour across the Italian
Countryside, gave the group a chance to explore all the small nooks and crannies
filled with antique treasures as well as wonderful museums including the
magnificent "Guggenheim."
Zurko's International Antique Market Tours Veteran Antique Treasure hunters for
over 10 years in Europe; recently concluded a fascinating tour February 25th
through March 4th across Northern Italy. From Milan to Venice, Antique Treasures
abound, as the group explored all the nooks and crannies of shops, shows &
markets full of antique treasures!
In Milan, the group hunted the narrow streets of the "Naviglio Grand" Antique
District. From "Viale Gorizia" at the bridge (shown with partial group) to "Via
Valenzia", almost 2 kilometers of Antique Shops along the oldest canal in Milan.
Als a large Antique Market takes place here the last Sunday of the month with
over 500 dealers. A side trip to view Da Vinci's "Last Supper" made the trip in
Milan an absolute joy.
A beautiful bus tour across the Italian Countryside (always stopping at
Antique Shops) brought the group to Parma, where we checked into our four star
hotel; had a fabulous Italian Feast at a local restaurant and prepared for the
BIG Antique Show to come. After a buffet breakfast fit foe a king, the group
departed for the fabulous "Primavera-Mercanteinfiera" Antiques Fair, with over
2,500 QUALITY Antiques Exhibits!
There was something for everyone; from massive bronzes, ancient carved stone,
classical Italian art, Roman statues, quality furniture and home furnishings to
juke boxes, full booths for 50's Coke advertising items and 10,ooo's for 1,000's
of collectibles! The group spent two full days here for the treasure hunt of a
lifetime!
After two exhausting, but wonderful days worth of treasure hunting, the group
headed out for a weekend of the enchanting city of Venice. On the way, we
stopped at an open-air Antique Market for more bargains, or "antiqchatas".
Once in Venice, our luggage was transported by "Vaparetto"(water bus) to our
fabulous hotel on the "Grand Canal". The group explored the architectural
wonders rising from the Grand Canal, and many of the fabulous cathedrals and
churches. Some of the group visited the magnificent "Peggy Guggenheim" Museum,
while others took rides on the famous "gondolas". Little Antique Shops filled
with wonderful treasures were sprinkled throughout.
All in all, Zurko's Antique Tour was well planned and every detail was taken
care of , to the delight of the group. Maxine Evans, "tour guide
extraordinaire", helped in the planning and is helping with a tour this summer
to Belgium and France. Zurko has other great tours planned to POLAND, SPAIN,
ITALY, HOLLAND and FRANCE.
Poland Article
The following is
a press release from Connie Dornfield,
Beaver Dam Daily Citizen Trip to Poland
"You are
going WHERE?"
That was the first question asked by family and friends after being informed
that I was going to Poland.
To the next "Why?", the response was that this was another of Bob Zurko's
international Flea Market/Antique Tours. And, although the flea markets were
not as plentiful for the collectors as those in the London area, when treasures
were discovered they were very affordable. The price tag in zloties was four
times less the cost in American dollars. For instance, the Shirley Temple doll
made in Poland purchased for my doll collection in Krakow for 400 zloty actually
cost only $100. And the antique German toy sewing machine with pictures of Red
Riding Hood and the wolf at 200 zloty was $50 - an unbelievable bargain!
For antique dealers on the tour, shopping in Poland was apparently a real
bonanza as they returned from each shopping excursion loaded down with
packages. One dealer from Texas mailed nine boxes home at a cost of about $45
each.
In addition to glassware, fine porcelain, amber, bronzes, and jewelry,
artifacts of World War II were the most sought after - especially Luftwaffe and
SS militaria.
Although visiting Poland had not been a high priority item on my agenda, it
proved to be highly enjoyable and memorable. Referred to as "The Jewel of
Europe" in the LOT Airline magazine "Kaleidoscope", the country is beautiful and
so much like Wisconsin that I had to remind myself on occasion that I was about
5,000 miles from home. Many farms had small white barns and the largest of very
few herds of Holstein cows numbered only nine.
After the 8 hour and 20 minute 767 flight from Chicago to Warsaw, we boarded
a smaller aircraft to fly to Wroclaw, a city of 600,000. Its Old Town, dating
back to the 14th century, was completely flooded by waters of the Oder River in
1997 and resulted in 200 deaths. The 1939 Olympian Village, Wroclaw is
presently one of the tow cities vying to host World Expo 2009. At one stop in
the city we visited a small beer stein factory.
During the three hour bus ride to the south to Joannits Monastery (castle)
in Lagow, we passed one to the world's largest copper mines.
The 14th century castle, our "home" for two nights, had 63 steps from the ground
floor to the restaurant off the courtyard. There were no curtains, no rugs, no
TV or radio. This was the first of six nights of sleeping on a feather bed.
In Boleslawiec, enroute to Poznan, the group toured the Borowski Glass
Factory/Shop where we took turns blowing a glass ball fired in a 1100 degree
Celsius forge.
On the highways, Guide Miro Kanowick, a Warsaw native now living near
Chicago, said that 40 percent of the cars driven in Poland are Fiats, followed
by the Korean Kia and the American Honda. Gas to power the small cars is the
equivalent of $2.75 a gallon. In Poznan, Poland's first capital in the 1100's,
we pulled into McDonalds for a rest stop. The tab for a McRoyal and a small
chocolate shake was 11.7 zloty or $2.93. Happy Meals featured Legos.
At 5:30 p.m. Thursday, still enroute to Warsaw, we drove through Kutno, the
geographical center of Europe.
Warsaw, the country's capitol and home to two million people, was completely
destroyed by the Germans during World War II. In the words of Kanowick, during
the 63-day uprising in 1944 that left 270,000 people dead, the city was bombed
by the Luftwaffe and Panther Division tanks. "Whatever was left standing, they
blew up." The city has risen from the ashes, with the "Old Town" rebuilt
exactly as it was before being destroyed - a venture that took from 1946 to
1980.
The last, and probably the most beautiful stop, was Krakow, a city dating
back to the 14th century and one of the nine cities selected as being a cultural
heritage for humanity. The "Old Square" market, according to Kanowick, is one
of the largest in the world. Every church in the city dates from 950 to 1500
AD, with one of the more famous being St. Mary's Basilica. With fear of the
church being destroyed by bombs; the 11x13 meter altar, created during the years
from 1477 to 1489, was dismantled in 1939 and hidden from the Germans. It was
found in the castle in Nurenburg in 1957 and returned to Krakow. The city of
over one million population boasts the oldest and most interesting architecture
in all of central Europe, including the oldest university established in 1364.
Krakow is the 2000 city of Europe.
As a side trip of 10 kilometers from Krakow, we were bused to the Royal
Salt Mine that was worked for 700 years and is now a 20 chamber museum with
three underground lakes and three depth levels to 327 meters. Concentration of
salt to water is 320 grams per liter, seven times that of Salt Lake in Utah.
Rock salt mining dates back to 1280. During seven centuries of mining, 7.8
million cubic meters of salt were removed. Decreed a historical monument, the
mine's chambers feature breathtaking excavations and three rock-salt chapels
decorated by local miners.
Antiques were found everywhere at extremely affordable prices. The markets
were loaded with great finds and the shops filled with quality merchandise.
Everyone loaded up!! Because of demand, Zurko plans 3 tours to Poland in
addition to his regular Antique Tours. For information on these and other
International Tours contact Zurko International at (715) 526-9769. Please refer
to the contact page also.
For More Information Contact:
Zurko Promotions
211 W. Green Bay St., Shawano, WI 54166
Tel: 715-526-9769
FAX: 715-524-5675
Internet:
zurkopromotions@frontiernet.net
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