CASTLES, CHATEAUS AND WINES OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC - walking tour

The tour will take us to beautiful and still little known corners of central Europe. You will have a great opportunity to see fascinating places like impressive large meadows with many unusual wildflowers in UNESCO biospheric reserve of White Carpathian mountains and meet local people in charming Moravian villages where folk music and customs are still alive and places where tourists are real strangers. Beautiful places of architectural and archaeological importances as town of Cesky Krumlov, Telc or Dolni Vestonice.

Visit of vine cellars of local producers in Moravia and tasting some of delicios local wines add our tour new dimension.

General information:

Accommodation:

We stay in smaller first class 3-4star hotels. Hotels offer full range of services and are beautifully located. We choosen smaller hotels in historical buildings.

Meals:

Half-board or full-board. We will have always breakfasts in the hotel. Picnic lunches are prepared by our guides where we can not stop in suitable local restaurant. Typical picnic includes fresh fruits and vegetables, coffee and tea, bottle of red and white wines (local wines of the best quality), etc.

Local transport:

Transfers by comfortable coach or minivan (depends on size of group). The driving is never too long and leads mostly through beautiful and ever changing landscape. Where appropriate, we follow side roads with little traffic and unspoiled countryside.

Walks:

Daily walks vary from 3 - 6 hours with more options for some days. Options will be discussed with our guides a day before.

Itinerary - individuals :

Similar itinerary may be arrange in reverse. Economical variant on request.

Day 1: Meeting our guide in Vienna and transfer to southern Moravia to arrive in the small medieval town of Mikulov. You may explore the town and castle built on a limestone rock or

take an easy walk to Palava Hills (limestone hills along Czech-Austrian

border, an UNESCO Biosphere Reserve with unique flora and fauna). A part of local castle in restored in museum of wine. Nearly each village offer good duality of local wine producers.

Later we can walk through the magnificent park in the town of Lednice, with its fountains, extensive views, castle ruins, and a lake with 15 islands.

Welcome dinner with wine tasting. Accommodation in the hotel restored from a monastery.

Meals: D

Day 2: In the morning visit the White Carpathian mountains and take an easy

walk through its beautiful orchid meadows. Later travel to the village of

Petrov and visit an interesting group of baroque wine cellars from the 18th and 19th

century called PETROV, where you may taste local wines. This area is also

known for its folklore traditions - the area between the White Carpathians

and Chriby Hills is called SLOVACKO and it is here where the most

sdistinctive cultural traditions in the Czech Republic still live. The area bellow Chriby Hills is also known by very good quality of wines. Stop in open air museum in Straznice.

Wine tasting in private wine cellar.

Accommodation in hotel in town of Uherske Hradiste.

Meals:B, D

Day 3: In the morning we can walk from Buchlovice village to Buchlov Castle. It is one of the oldest castles in Moravia. Its history is connected with the first Christian queen of Marcomans Fridegilda, and the best-known lord of the Moravia land - Svatopluk. Beech forest around the castle is a part of Chriby Hills . Later, continue to Buchlovice, visiting Buchlovice Chateau (an 18th century Italian chateau, still containing most of its original Roccoco furniture left behind by the family when they fled to Austria in 1945) and surrounding park. Chateaus wine cellar will give us another oportunity for wine tasting.

Visit the little town of Velehrad with beautiful cathedral(from 9th century) is one of the most important pilgrimage sites of the Czech Republic. If time allows, we may also stop in town of Slavkov (Austerlitz) the site of the battle in December 1805, in which Napoleon defeated the allied armies of the Austrians and Russians.

Overnight in hotel in historical centre of Brno.

Meals:B, D

Day 4: On our way we visit well-known karst area of Moravsky Kras with many caves.

Byci skala cave is European important archaeological site from Early Age. Boat trip on

river Punkva and Macocha Abyss (138m deep). On the way back we stop in the village of Krtiny

and see the local church. It is one of the best sample of architect Giovanni Santini´s work.

Afternoon for individual sightseeing walks including Gregor Mendel Museum, Leos Janacek Museum,

Spilberk Castle, Vila Tugenhat(signed in UNESCO cultural list), etc.

Dinner in a traditional restaurant or visit of a theatre performance in national theatre.

Overnight in hotel the historical centre of Brno.

Meals:B, D

Day 5: After breakfast, leave Brno and move to the south. Stop in Vranov nad Dyji and visit a

Baroque Castle built up on the rock above Dyje river, lying in an unspoiled border area of the former

Iron Curtain. Walk through a beautiful valley of the twisting Dyje River in the Podyji National Park. Later, visit the handsome Renaissance town of Slavonice and finish the day in another UNESCO town of Telc. Accommodation in hotel town of Telc.

Meals:B, D

Day 6: Drive to town of Trebon. The countryside around Trebon is a conservation area,

with a large network of fishponds dating from the 15th century, and interconnecting

canals. You may also visit one of the oldest Czech breweries, founded in

1379, and stroll in the forest, filled with ancient trees, on the banks of

the Old River.

Later transfer to Cesky Krumlov, the best-preserved medieval

town in the Czech Republic, for a night stay. Visit the Krumlov chateau,

the second largest (after Prague Castle) residence in Bohemia.

Accommodation in hotel in historical centre of Cesky Krumlov

Meals:B, D

Day 7: Sighseeing tour of the town including castle tour. Cesky Krumlov castle is second largest residence after Prague castle.

Transfer to Prague in afternoon. Possibly stop and visit Hluboka castle or UNESCO village of Holasovice. Arrival to Prague in late afternoon. Sightseeing tour of historical Prague in the evening or next day.

Accommodation: hotel near historical centre of Prague

Meals:B, D