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Bohemia - 8 Days Circuit

 

Day 1 - Sunday - Prague

Prague,  Capital of Czech Republic which Historical Center (Old City, Mala Strana and Castle)  is included in the World Heritage list of UNESCO since 1992-

The wording :  "Praga caput regni" (Prague - head, capital of Kingdom) can be read on the city of Prague's banner.   Justified, as since its creation, the city always played a very important role in the history of the nation, of the country,  and of Europe.

 

 

• In the morning - arrival at Prague airport
• Welcome by our guide
• Transfer into city center
• lunch in a typical restaurant in the city center
• Visit of Old City District :

On the right bank, the Old City  district has developed into a circumvolution of the Moldau River in the Xth century and was designated first city of Prague by King Premysl Otakar II from the first dynasty which ruled Bohemia - the Premyslides Dynasty.  The quarter kept its medieval style and all his past charm.  
 

Astronomical Clock : Created in 1410 and modified in the XVIth century, the astronomical clock is made of two dials and represents the curiosity of the Square.  Above, the astronomical dial represents the Hearth in its middle,  with planets revolving around.  The other dial, showing the months and signs of the zodiac, was realized in the nineteenth century. Over two dials, a mechanism features characters and symbolic objects that come alive with each new hour. The apostles appear, and then disappear. 

• After visit, transfer to hotel
• Dinner and overnight

 

Day 2 - Monday - Prague

• Breakfast in hotel
• Transfer to Prague Castle - visit of its monuments. 

Prague Castle (Hradcany):  Prague Castle is located on the left bank, dominates the city and is regarded as a city since the ninth century. It covers 45 hectares and consists of three yards, the cathedral, a basilica, several streets and lanes and various monuments and museums.
During the visit, you go through all three yards and visit monuments:  St Guy Cathedral  founded by King Charles IV - The Royal Palace,   this building was the residence of princes and kings of Bohemia and today it serves as the residence of the President of the Czech Republic. The main remarkable room is called Vladislav long and 62 meters.

The Golden Lane - this picturesque lane is known- according to legend, as the place of alchemists, invited to Prague by Emperor Rudolph II. Legend tells that in all this lane were only alchemists laboratories  and golden manufactures.    This legend gaves it the name of Golden Lane.  

•  Lunch in a restaurant nearby Castle
•  Afternoon go down by foot in the baroque district of Mala Strana,  visit the district and St Nicolas Church

Mala Strana (Small Side of Prague):  The most pleasant and romantic district of Prague,  decorated with baroque palaces. This is the district of embassies, gardens, restaurants, terraces overlooking the river Moldau / Vltava. Premysl Otakar II of the dynasty of the Premyslids / Czech first dynasty, which had ruled Bohemia / founded this part of the city in 1257, then Rudolf II of Habsbourg - who made Prague its new capitale city- invited Italian architects who had built-for merchants and nobility-the palace at the foot of the castle.

Then, you go across the Charles Bridge with its unique atmosphere. 
The bridge has 520 m length and 9.5 m wide and is built from dark sandstone block.
It was King Charles IV and at the same time Emperor of St. Empire, who  asked the architect Petr Parler to build in 1357 this bridge to replace the bridge Judith torn by the floods. The bridge is decorated with 30 groups of statues and each side is a tower - Mostecka Staromestska

• Transfer to hotel
• Dinner in hotel and overnight  

 

Day 3 - Tuesday  - Prague– Kutna Hora -  Zdar n/Sázavou - Litomyšl

• Lunch in hotel

After breakfast, moving to  Kutna Hora which Historic Center / incl. The Cathedral of St. Barbara is inscribed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO from 1995.

Kutna Hora is an old mining town, founded in the 13th century and once known mainly for silver exctraction.  The city retains till today the appearance of a medieval town.
The Cathedral of Saint Barbara is one of the masterpieces of late and famous Gothic architecture in Bohemia.  It was built around 1380 by Peter Parler, the architect of the time of King Charles IV.


• Visit St Barbara Cathedral and old Hotel of Royal Money
• Lunch
• After lunch, move to Zdar nad Sazavou

Visit the pilgrimage church of St John - Nepomucene on Zelená Hora in Zdar nad Sázavou, inscribed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO from 1994.
The pilgrimage church dedicated to St. John of Nepomuk was built in the early 1720. It is one of the masterpieces of the architect Giovanni Santini Blasius and one of the most original examples of the so-called "Gothic baroque." The church is surrounded by a cemetery and a cloister.

    

 

                               
• Afterwards, move to the city of  Litomyšl

The pleasant city Litomyšl is the seat of the Renaissance castle and also the birthplace of the great Czech composer Smetana Bedrich which gave his name to the music festival traditionally held in the city (Litomyšl Smetana)

• Dinner and overnight in Litomyšl


Day 4 - Wednesday -
  Litomyšl – Olomouc

• Breakfast in hotel
• Morning : visit of Castle in Litomyšl, included in the World Heritage list of UNESCO in 1999 

The Renaissance castle dating second half of the 16th century is a unique example of a castle with arcades, from Italian inspiration.
In the second half of the 16th century, the aristocratic family of Pernštejn rebuilt the old fort of medieval origin, located in the small town of Litomyšl, to make it a sumptuous Renaissance edifice. The castle is a fine example of Italian construction with arcades that was cleverly adapted to the Czech environment .
It illustrates the idea of a manorial residence at the time of the Renaissance in central Europe having benefited from later influences of new artistic trends. Despite the changes made within the castle in the late 18th century in particular, it has retained the same appearance since the Renaissance, including decoration in the form of sgraffiti on the facades and frontons. The main buildings and the garden are also well-preserved. 


• Departure to Olomouc.

Olomouc was the capital of Moravia, home to the bishops since 1063 and is the second largest reserve ranked after Prague. No doubt that it deserves the interest of visitors. Olomouc is on the path of rapid communication Brno - Vyškov Ostrava-approximately 300 km from Prague and on Corridor high-speed rail Prague-Ostrava.


• Lunch
• Afternoon – visit of Historical center of Olomouc and specially the Holy Trinity Column  included in the World Heritage list of UNESCO in 2000

This memorial column, erected in the early years of the 18th century, is the most outstanding example of a type of monument specific to central Europe.   Testimony of the religious atmosphere prevailing at that time in Olomous, but it combines the sacred ground of triumphant glorification of church and faith in the realization of the architectural and artistic theme.

• Dinner and overnight in  Olomouc

 

 

 

Day 5 - Thursday  Olomouc – Kromeríž – Brno

• Breakfast in  hotel
• Departure to Kromeriz
• Visit Kromeriz Castle and Gardens,
 included in the World Heritage list of UNESCO in 2000

Kromeríž stands on the site of an earlier ford across the River Morava, at the foot of the Chriby mountain range which dominates the central part of Moravia. The bishops Olomouc have earned the city of Kromeríž in 1110. One of them, Bruno of Schauenburg, built in the 13th century Gothic the castle on the site of the former place-forte slave. The gardens of Kromeríž are among the most beautiful examples of art garden in Europe.

 

 

• Departure to Slavkov,  not included in World Heritage list,  but the place being linked with French History, it is worthwhile to visit -  Slavkov = Austerlitz. We will visit the battlefield of Napoleon and the Peace Monument

• Lunch
• Continuation to Brno, Capital of Moravia

Walk in the historical center of the city and visit (exterior only) 
the Tugendhat Villa, inscribed on the UNESCO list in 2001.

The Tugendhat Villa in Brno-Cerná Pole became the first monument of modern architecture in the Czech Republic and the fourth in the world to receive this prestigious award. The villa is named after the owner of a textile factory in Brno, Fritz Tugendhat, who built for his family this jewel of functionalist architecture of the interwar period (1929-1930). The glass villa, attached to the hill overlooking Brno, was designed by the famous German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1928. According to experts, the Tugendhat Villa is a pioneering achievement in modern architecture.


• Dinner and overnight in Brno


Day 6 - Friday  Brno – Lednice/Valtice – Trebíc – Telc

• Breakfast in hotel

• Depart to South Moravia to visit  Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape, included in the World Heritage UNESCO list in 1996. 

• Visit Lednice Castle 
The romantic Lednice Castle is located in the middle of nowhere on the river Dyje.  Previously, a Gothic fort was erecting there. This fort was given in 1222 to Liechtenstein Family.  And it was this family - in the 16th century - built on the site a Renaissance castle Viennese.  Architect JB Fischer Erlach modified it in baroque style in the late 17th century. The current appearance of the castle dates back to the years 1846 to 1858 and represents a Gothic Revival style Tudor construction.

• Lunch

• Afternoon - visit Valtice Castle
Valtice Castle lies on the former site of fort castle of the bishop of Passau, dating from the late 12th century. In 1395, Liechtenstein family also acquired this field. The reconstruction was completed in 1730 and its result is visible today: the castle in baroque style.

The romantic aspect of Lednice - Valtice dates back to the 19th century. Several romantic constructions can be found in the English park : Apollo Temple, Empire Temple of the three Graces, Castle Frontier on the old border Austria-Moravia, Lednice Minaret, the symbol of Islam. The tower is the oldest still kept in the Czech Republic and the tallest building of its kind in a non-Muslim country.


• Departure to Trebíc  : Jewish Quarter and St Procopius' Basilica are included in World Heritage List of  l'UNESCO since 2003

Trebíc is a city rich in exceptional religious monuments , but it is the  romanesque and Gothic Basilica of St Procopius of 13th century,  which is the most famous. The original Jewish cemetery, extending to the Benedictine monastery since the early Middle Ages, was destroyed during the assault of the city in 1468. In the 17th century, it was transferred on the north slope of hill Hrádek.  Nearly 3000 carved stone, the oldest dating from 1625, are located in this park which mysterious atmosphere is unforgettable

   

 

 


• Evening - arrival in   Telc  which castle and historic center are  included in the World Heritage UNESCO list from 1992

• Dinner and overnight in Telc

Small town of Telc, known as "the Venice of Moravia," is a remarkable jewel in South Moravia. The houses in Telc, which stands on a hilltop, were originally built of wood. After a fire in the late 14th century, the town was rebuilt in stone, surrounded by walls and further strengthened by a network of artificial ponds. The town's Gothic castle was reconstructed in High Gothic style in the late 15th century.


Day 6 - SaturdayTelc – Ceský Krumlov -  Ceské Budejovice


• Breakfast in hotel
• Morning visit of Castle and Historic centre of  Telc

• Departing to Ceský Krumlov
• Lunch

• Afternoon visit of Ceský Krumlov and its castle.   Historic Center of Ceský Krumlov is included in the World Heritage UNESCO list from 1992

Ceský Krumlov is a unique architectural gem. The amazing city of Ceský Krumlov is nestled in the deep valley of one of the meanders of the Vltava river in southern Bohemia. The city and the castle date back to the essence of the 16th century: it is the second largest castral complex in the country after Prague Castle.   Headquarters of the powerful lords of Rožmberk, the whole includes several buildings, a famous Carnival Room, a unique baroque theater recently opened to the public, a garden with a rococo fountain , the summer garden Bellarie with a swivel auditorium, where theater performances are played. The basilica St-Guy, Gothic masterpiece of southern Bohemia, dominates the city-

• Evening departure to Ceské Budejovice, the largest city of South Bohemia
• dinner and overnight in Ceské Budejovice

Day 7 - SundayCeské Budejovice – Holašovice – Prague

• Breakfast in hotel  

• Departure to Holašovice village, included in the World Heritage UNESCO list from 1998.

Holašovice is one of the finest  and  best preserved examples of the architecture of southern Bohemia in the second half of the 19th century. The village square is lined with beautiful farms, a total of 22 buildings in rural frontons richly decorated Baroque, with the garden behind the house. The lake which stretches in the middle of the village square was used for fish farming, like most of those in the region known until today for raising fish. The village is considered the jewel of baroque rural

• Lunch
• Departure to Praha –Ruzyne Airport
• End of tour.

 

 

 

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