Programme A

8 DAYS

Prague really is one of the most beautiful cities in the world enhanced by its geographic position, which is in a valley broken by the river Vltava (Moldau) surrounded by seven hills ranging on both sides of the river.
Prague is without a doubt one of the most deeply marked cities by the Counter - Reformation. The palaces and streets of Prague can compete well with Rome or Genova. The old quarters have a melancholic magic, which is unequalled anywhere in the world : churches, bridges, gilded domes and towers with spired peaks, which create a magical play of forms and colours.
The citizens and their artistic aspirations were reflected in and passed on to the city monuments which wove a city and urban carpet. This form of the city started to grow from the 14th and 15th centuries and matured with the granduers of the period ranging from the 16th and 17th centuries. This carpet is an unbroken historical monument, which has remained intact thanks to the harmonious rapport between the diverse styles, which are dominated by the fantastical, but well directed baroque forms. The most prominent parts lie in four hectares of historical buildings and memorials, which were declared in 1993 as world cultural inheritance for humanity and entered into the UNESCO heritage list.
Prague is also a city for music and theatre. These events take place inside the baroque splendour of cathedrals, theatres and concert halls. Amongst the latter is the Dvořák hall in the Rudolfinum is probably one of the most elegant in the world. In the opera "¸ la Vienna" and even in the Mozart Stavovský theatre the sound of music hardly stops. There are also many artistic clubs and cafés as well as street perfomances to see.

Programme:

Day 1.   Arrival in Prague
Dependent on the times of arrival during the transfer by bus to your hotel you will have a short panoramic preview of the city.
After you have settled into your hotel, we will stroll through the Staré Město and Nové Město (Old Town and New Town). This will start from Václavské náměstí (Wenceslas Square) taking you to Staroměstské náměstí (Old Town Square), while passing palaces, well known coffee houses, theatres, famous churches which include - Panna Marie Sněžná (Our lady Mary in the snow) and sv.(svatý) Havel (St. Havel), then on to the markets: Uhelný trh (Coal Market) and Ovocný trh (Fruit Market) ending our walk on Karlův most (Charles Bridge).
Return to the hotel, dinner and to bed. However, based on the time of the year we could also take a bus trip around the lit monuments and possibly stop at Křižíková fontána (fountain).

Day 2.   A day long tour with a guide - the castle and its environs
Morning    You will be taken to Hradčany (Prague Castle) to see the Strahovský klášter (cloister) with its philosophical and theological hall libraries (which are one of the most beautiful in the world) and Obrazárna klášter (Picture Gallery Cloister), Loreta (with its priceless treasures - e.g. the monstrance "Pražské slunce" (Prague Sun), which is completed with 6,200 diamonds. The Černínský, Toskanský,, Schwarzenberský and other palaces, and the picturesque guarter Nový Svět (New World)
Afternoon    Malá Strana (literally translated as "Lesser Guarter" which is the oldest part of Prague) - the magical town of art with its unforgettable corners and truly impressive palaces. Malostranské náměstí (Small Town Square) with its unusual and exceptional chrám sv. Mikuláše (cathedral of St. Nicholas), the chef d'oeuvre Dietzenhofer.
We then have a special viewing of the beautiful halls Valdštejn, the residence of the Grand Duke and General of the Caesar's armies from the thirty years war, which is to be the senate of the Czech Republic from autumn 1996.It is currently being restored for the first time in 58 years. To complete the day (dependent on the season) we can go to a concert in the chrám sv. Mikuláše (cathedral of St. Nicholas). Dinner at the hotel then to bed.

Day 3.   Hradčany (Prague Castle) - continued
The castle which was the residence of princes, kings, Caesars and finally the official residence of presidents. We will go to its katedrála sv. Víta (cathedral of St. Vitus), the exceptionally beautiful exhibition of Czech art in the cloisters of sv. Jiří (St. George). Then we will visit Zlatá ulička (Golden Lane) the old alchemist street from which we will go down the old castle steps and descend to the island Kampa.
We will complete this part the tour with a walk round Malá Strana (Lesser Guarter): see two small squares Maltézské and Velopřevorské, go to the cathedral of Panna Marie před řetězem (Our lady Mary before the chain). We then continue by touring the grandiose palaces of embassies - in some cases extra inspections (based on special permission) as, for example, with a viewing of the French embassy, which was the splendid palace of count Buqoy.
We leave Malá Strana (Lesser Guarter) and walk across Karlův most (Charles Bridge) along the regal route by way of Karlova ulice showing reminders of the coronation acts. An exclusive viewing of the historical Klementinum halls (by the kind special permission of the director of the National library). This architectonic complex, which was a former Jesuit centre, is the third largest after the Prague Castle and Valdštejnský palace.
In the evening there is a choice between the opera, Laterna Magica, Black theatre and classical concert or to see some folklore , the selection is dependent on the time period of the year. After the performance, dinner can be arranged in a four or five star hotel. The opera begins at 7 p.m., the other performances start at 7.30 p.m. or 8 p.m. and the latest has an 8.30 p.m. start.

Day 4.   Jewish cemetery, then out of Prague to Karlštejn
We will take a short visit to Židovské Město (the former Jewish Quarter) with its renowned old Jewish cemetery.
This is followed by a trip to Karlštejn, which is an imposing castle of the holy Roman emperor and Czech King Karel IV (Charles IV) - "the father of the realm" an enlightened and very well cultivated ruler, as well as being a staunch supporter of the arts. We will make a complete inspection, which includes an extraordinary visit to Kaple sv. Kříže (the Chapel of the Holy Cross) in which were hidden the coronation regalia and the Caesar's treasure. This chapel at present is being restored and the inspection will be exceptionally permitted if "vis maior" does not prevent it.
On return to Prague there will be a visit to the Břevnovský klášter (cloisters) and villa Amerika. The evening can be used for a performance of your choice.

Day 5.   Southern Bohemia
The trip to Southern Bohemia will start in the early hours of the morning -latest departure at 7 a.m.to Český Krumlov, which is listed by UNESCO since 1993 as a place of world cultural heritage. It is one of the most beautiful Czech towns, which literally stands over both shores of the river Vltava. It is at the foot of the giant castle of the Vítkovice family - a reminder of both the glories and disturbances of the past. It was the home prison of the illegitimate son of Rudolf II, Juan d°Austria. Then we see the Cistercian Abbey and memorial to the genial Master of the Vyšebrodský altar.
Dinner and overnight stay is in České Budějovice. Before or after dinner (depending on the time of the year) we will have a brief tour of the town.

Day 6.   Southern Bohemia - continued
Our first stop is at Hluboká castle, which was the residences of the Schwarzenbergs, which is sometimes called the "Windsor of Southern Bohemia". A coach trip will take us through the picturesque towns Jindřichův Hradec and Třeboň, which will include a few brief sightseeing tours. On arrival in Telč, which is another UNESCO listed town from 1993, we will see its renaissance square, which is regarded as one of the most beautiful examples of such a square and inspect the castle. We then continue on to Třebíče (with a possible inspection of its romano-gothic basilisc) and arrive later in the evening in Brno, the first city of Moravia, where we have dinner and stay overnight in the hotel.

Day 7.   Moravia
After a short tour of Brno we continue to Kroměříž known as the "Athens of Moravia" with its summer residence of princes "Olomouc archbishops" on the shores of river Morava. We will visit the important gallery of the magnificent archbishop's castle, which contains beautiful examples of the Venetian School of Art. Its most important piece is a Titian - Apollo and Marsya, a highly represenatative painting from the pinnacle period of his career.
We then proceed to Olomouc, a candidate city for UNESCO heritage listing, in which is the archbishop's residence as well as being a city of many beautiful historical monuments. We will inspect the sv. Václav katedrála (St. Wenceslas cathedral), the famous Dolní and Horní radniční náměstí (the Lower and Upper town hall square) with its beautiful fountains and the largest "morový sloup" (black death column - memorial to the plague) in the Czech Republic. We then stop at chrám sv. Mořice (the cathedral of St. Moritz), which contains the largest organ in central Europe. We visit the old Roman castle of the last of the Přemyslov dynasty, where the young Václav III (Wenceslas III) was murdered. In the late evening we return to Prague for dinner and overnight stay in our hotel.

Day 8.   Last day
Dependent on your flight schedules we can take a morning visit to the exhibition Praha 20. století (Prague in the twentieth century) showing art nouveau, cubism, rondo-cubism, functionalism and constructivism and at the Loosova villa social realism. At the veletržní palác you can also see a great exhibition of modern European and Czech art. Transfers to the airport.

N.B. Commentary on this cultural programme

The programme is beautiful but demanding. In Prague it is necessary to take into account that there will be a considerable amount of walking. The catering is half board with satisfying dinners and buffet breakfasts. Not more than one hour can be set aside for lunch, in some instances this may have to be reduced to three quarters of an hour during inspections and transfers. In restaurants with service this type of tour would not be achieved because, it would be impractical to cover it in eight days.
The ideal months for this programme are April, May, the first half of June, September and the first half of October, During July and August the climatic conditions could be too hot. On some days the programme starts as early as 7 to 7.30 a.m.
During your stay in Prague it is possible to offer outings to the opera, Laterna Magica, folklore events etc.
This programme was conceived and implemented with great success in collaboration with Professor Gian A. Golin for the F.A.I. group during 1995.

Number of participants: minimum 21, maximum 33.
Price:
This is dependent on the selection of your hotel and the time of year (see our price list). In the price list we include as the cheapest version 3 star hotels up to 4 star deluxe, the latter was selected by the F.A.I. group.
Your assistance will be in the hands of a highly qualified and renowned guide. The guide will be provided with all the appropriate licences and will give you a well informed commentary during the whole tour.
The bus transport is fully air conditioned.