NEW TRIP!
June 17-25, 2008
Plan your arrival
in Prague for
June 16, 2008
Plan your departure from Krakow for June 26, 2008
Printable Version of
itinerary
Experience the best of three “gem” cities in Europe. Explore castles, walk
cobblestone streets, see masterpieces of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque
art, and dine at exquisite restaurants. Feel the pulse of vibrant and
beautiful Prague, Budapest, and Krakow, new gems in the European Union.
Journey through the verdant fields of Bohemia, along the Danube, and across
the Tatra mountains, stopping at the Czech town of Cesky Krumlov and a
Slovak castle. Daily walks encourage you to slow down and absorb the
centuries of stories woven into the landscape.
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Day 1
Overnight in Prague
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Today we set out on foot to discover the pedestrian-only core of
Prague, a city Thomas Mann called “one of the most magical
cities on earth.” Step into the past as we walk through the Mala
Strana pausing at the church of St Nicholas, a wonderful
confection of Baroque architecture. Continue across the Charles
Bridge into the Old Town, following the historic “King’s Road”.
Travel back in time over 600 years while viewing an Astronomical
Clock, Gothic churches (Tyn and St James), and a portion of the
original walls that surrounded Prague in the Middle Ages.
Complete the walk at two 20th century masterpieces of Art
Nouveau architecture, the Hotel Pariz and the Municipal House.
Enjoy the rest of the afternoon at your leisure, with the option
to visit one of several museums. Return to the hotel and enjoy a
welcome dinner.
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Hint
Consider arriving in Prague a day earlier if you wish visit
Prague’s National Gallery of Modern Art at the Trade Fair
Palace. If you enjoy early 20th century art, this museum is
worth the trip. The museum boasts an amazing collection of Kupka,
Rodin, Picasso, Braque, Gauguin, van Gogh, Rousseau, Chagall,
Klimt, Schiele, Munch and Kokoschka. The curator spent many
decades in Paris in the early 20th century buying art directly
from the artists. Arriving a day or two earlier will also allow
you to sample the many concerts presented in Prague.)
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Day 2
Overnight in Prague
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Today, continue on the King’s Road from the Mala Strana up to the castle. Walk up hill with views over
Prague to the beautiful palaces at the Hradcany Square. Inside
the castle walls you'll discover the St. Vitus Cathedral, a
dominating feature of the Prague skyline. Explore the castle
area including the St. George Convent (a medieval building) and
meander through the castle gardens to the Renaissance pavilion of
Queen Ann (known as the "Belvedere") and its exquisite, sgrafitto-decorated
ballroom. Stroll past the Hradcany Square to
the Baroque-style Loreto whose church tower houses twenty-seven bells
that play a hymn hailing the Virgin Mary every hour. The
square in front of Loreto is surrounded by other Baroque buildings.
Descend from the castle hill to return to our hotel.
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Day 3
Overnight in Cesky Krumlov
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
This morning travel to Cesky Krumlov, a southern Czech town
named a World Heritage Site. Spend several hours exploring the
well-preserved old town caressed in a sinuous bend of the Vltava
River. Tour the castle and its marvelously preserved
gem of a Baroque theatre before settling into your hotel in the
center of the historic town. Dinner and overnight in Cesky
Krumlov. |
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Day 4
Overnight in Budapest
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Travel from the Czech Republic across the Danube River to Austria and
then head east toward Hungary. Your destination today is
Budapest, one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. It has
been called the “Paris of Central Europe,” and it is a treasury
of Baroque, neo-classical, and Art Nouveau architecture. The
city was created through the merger of three towns—Buda, Obuda,
and Pest—in 1873. The Danube River splits Budapest in two with
hilly Buda and Obuda on the river’s west bank and flat Pest on
the river’s east bank. Arrive, settle in to your hotel on Castle
Hill for two nights, and dine in an elegant restaurant. |
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5 View of
the Parliament Building in Budapest from Castle Hill. |
Day 5
Overnight in Budapest
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Today explore Buda’s Castle Hill which was named a World
Heritage Site in 1987. On foot, visit the 13th century Matthias
Church where Emperor Franz Josef’s coronation was held and the
Fisherman’s Bastion commemorating the one thousandth anniversary of the
arrival of the Magyar tribes. Continue walking to the Buda
Palace built by Empress Maria Theresa in the 19th century on
site of a 15th century Renaissance palace. Meander the
cobblestone lanes and seek out the embroidery market, or tour
the Budapest History Museum, a wonderful encapsulation of two
thousand years of history.
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5 View of
Eger from the castle compound. |
Day 6
Overnight in Lillafured
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
This morning leave Budapest and travel by vehicle east to Eger,
a beautiful city filled with Baroque treasures set at the
foothills of the Bükk Mountains. Eger is a principal
wine-producing region in Hungary known for its "Bull's Blood"
wine (Egri Bikaver). Enjoy a walk to the hilltop castle,
following a cobblestone lane that penetrates the castle walls
and provides access to the castle compound. The ramparts of the
fortress offer the best views over Eger. Descend on foot to the
main square dominated by the twin-spired Minorite Church (1773),
a rose-colored Baroque confection with a splendid interior.
Continue to the 19th century Eger Basilica, the second largest
church in Hungary, and the Lyceum, an 18th century temple to
science that houses an important library and a rare camera obscura. Complete your walk along streets lined with beautiful
Baroque buildings and ornamented with some of the finest Baroque
wrought iron found anywhere. Continue by vehicle across the Bükk
Mountains to Lillafüred where you'll stay in a "castle hotel”
nestled in lush forests adjacent to a rushing mountain stream.
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5 Spissky
Hrad rises beyond the walled compound of Spisska Kapitula. |
Day 7
Overnight in Levoca
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Travel north by vehicle across the border into Slovakia where
the Carpathian mountains begin to rise in earnest. Stop for a
walk at
Spissky Hrad ("Spis Castle") one of the largest fortresses in
central Europe and a World Heritage Site. On foot, explore the
hill-top ruins of the castle, climb to the top of the 13th
century tower, and walk the ramparts ring the castle compound.
Visit nearby Spisska Kapitula, a seat of the Roman
Catholic Church since the mid-13th century. This walled village
includes the Romanesque St. Martin’s cathedral, built in the
mid-13th century and adorned with Romanesque frescos and Gothic
altarpieces that rival any you will see on the trip. Enjoy dinner and settle
into your hotel in the center of Levoca tonight.
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5 The
Sukiennice ("Cloth Hall") dominates the Rynek Glowny in Krakow.
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Day 8
Overnight in Krakow
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Depart Levoca and head north, admiring the jagged peaks of the Tatra
Mountains, the highest portion of the nine hundred mile long
Carpathian Range. Cross the border into Poland and arrive in
Krakow. Explore Krakow’s historic center on foot by walking the Royal
Way from the Florian Gate to Wawel Castle. Krakow's historic
center is a World Heritage Site and features the Rynek Glowny, one of the
largest medieval squares in Europe. The Florian Gate is all that
remains of the seven gates that once penetrated Krakow's
defensive walls. The gate is topped by the Furrier's Tower, one
of three defensive towers still remaining today; the city's
walls once bristled with forty-seven defensive towers. Pass
through the Florian Gate and note the Czartowski Museum housing
Leonardo daVinci’s Lady with an Ermine. Continue to the
Rynek Glowny, the city's central square dominated by 14th
century Cloth Hall
(Sukiennice) and the 13th century St. Mary’s Church. From the taller of the church’s
two towers the melancholy notes of the hejnał sound every hour
on the hour, a tribute to a 13th century legend. The Royal Route
continues south toward the castle and cathedral on Wawel Hill,
historic seat of Polish monarchs and today the very symbol of
Polish nationhood. Picturesque Kanonicza Street whose
Renaissance mansions are being restored offers a pleasant
approach to the base of Wawel Hill. It was on Wawel Hill that
the legendary ruler Krak founded the city after dispatching a
dragon that was said to live in a cave under the hill. You can
choose to visit the
cathedral and the castle, or continue
with a promenade along the banks of the Vistula (Wisła) River
offering lovely views back toward Wawel Hill. Tonight, enjoy
dinner and music in Krakow’s Kazimierz neighborhood.
Day 9
Overnight in Krakow
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Today pay a visit to
the Wieliczka Salt Mine just outside Krakow. The mine was in
operation for nine hundred years and in its day was one of the
largest such operations in the world. (Before refrigeration, salt was a major
commodity that generated great wealth.) A French visitor in the
18th century remarked that Wieliczka mine was no less
magnificent than the Egyptian pyramids. The Wieliczka Salt Mine
was designated a World Heritage Site in 1978. A tour of the mine
will take you along a small segment of the 300 kilometers of
galleries adorned with works of art, altars, and statues all
carved by miners from the rock salt. Following the visit to
Wieliczka a stop at nearby Nowa Huta will allow you to better comprehend the
effects of nearly five decades of
communist rule in Poland. The industrial complex at Nowa Huta
was built by the communists to counter the liberal academic
tradition of Krakow, home to one of Europe’s oldest universities
(founded in 1364). Return to Krakow and
continue your walks along its cobbled lanes and through its leafy
parks; consider touring its many superb churches and museums or
savoring the shops and cafes. Enjoy a farewell dinner tonight at
a fine restaurant in the historic core of Krakow.
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Other
Details about this Trip
Dates: June 17-25, 2008
Trip Leaders: Amy Osaki and local guides
Price: $3,595
Single room for entire trip: $680
Lodging: 10 nights in hotels and inns. Note: Your hotel in Prague on the evening of
June 16 is included in the trip price.
Meals: 10 breakfasts, 10 lunches, 10 dinners included
Trip Begins at hotel in Prague, Czech Republic
Trip Ends at hotel in Krakow, Poland |
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