Custom Private Tour
Renaissance Towns and Jewish Heritage of South & Southeast Bohemia
Sample Itinerary: This is a private tour which can be modified. Select yor own dates. This can be combined with other eastern & central Europe modules or used as a pre or post tour to our Romania & Bulgaria and/or Poland Group tours. You can visit Prague on your own or request private tour. This tour starts with departure from Prague.
Day 1 Leave Prague at 9am. 2hr drive to Tabor, enroute we stop for a visit of Konopiste Castle. Upon arrival in Tabor, we`ll have lunch & spend an hour walking the cobbled streets of this medieval town Tabor was the spiritual center of the hussite uprising in the 15th century. Afterwards, we'll drive approx 30 minutes to Cervena Lhota, a beautiful small castle unknown by tourists, where we partake in a guided tour. Afternoon and evening at leisure. We`ll overnight near Cervena Lhota Castle at Pension Wratislav, a small gothic castle from14 century rebuilt in baroque style in 1759 and completely renovated in 1995, quiet setting in woods, breakfast and dinner included.
Day 2 Morning visit Jindrichuv Hradec, the place where the renaissance fairytale of Southern Bohemia & Moravia begins. In the 16th century, Jindrichuv Hradec was the second largest town of the Czech Kingdom (after Prague). A one hour drive brings us to Trebon, another renaissance town surrounded by ponds from all sides. The ponds were built in the 16th cent. and have supplied the country with fresh fish ever since. The town has remarkable architecture, castle & park. After lunch, we`ll turn east & drive for about an hour along a winding road among the ponds & rolling hills to the small town of Slavonice, a true jewel of renaissance architecture. Located approximately half way between Prague & Vienna, Slavonice once was an important stage coach stop. Until the fall of communism in 1989, the Iron Curtain (border between Czechoslovakia & Austria) was only 1 mile away and consequently the town was spared insensitive renovation that many other historical sites suffered.
Evening at leisure. Overnight at hotel Besidka, a beautiful 16 century renaissance house renovated by a renown Czech architect. The Besidka has its own excellent restaurant.
Day 3 Morning enjoy Slavonice. After the Velvet Revolution in1990, Slavonice was discovered by the Czech artists for its unique ambiance with several galleries and pottery shops. We'll enjoy a short guided tour of the medieval catacombs and see outside of the synagogue (no entry) and several cemeteries in the vicinity. Slavonice is definitely the highlight of this tour!
After lunch, 30 mindrive to Telc, a town on the UNESCO World Natural & Cultural Heritage List. We`ll spend time wandering about admiring the architecture & natural beauty of the place. Optional one hour guided tour of the castle. Another 30 mindrive to Trebic. This town has one of the best preserved Jewish Quarters in Europe: 123 residential houses, 2 synagogues & the cemetery and is also on the UNESCO World Natural & Cultural Heritage List. Onward drive to Mikulov, (1 hr). Mikulov is the regional center of South Moravia, located on the route from Prague to Vienna.The picturesque town founded in 14th cent. originally gothic, rebuilt as renaissance in 16.cent, has a well preserved medieval core & Jewish quarter including a sensitively restored synagogue. Mikulov is dominated by a huge castle used by the Nazis during WW2 as an archive. In the last days of the war, they set it on fire but it it was completely restored in the19 50's. The southern slopes of the hills are covered by vineyards, so lots of wine cellars in the area. It is the only wine producing region of the Czech Rep. Departure at 5pm, in Prague at 8pm.
Your Escort: Petr Z’dek earned a degree in history, traveled and lived in many parts of the world including extended stays in the United States and Canada. He returned to his native Czech Republic in 2001 and became a dedicated guide with special interest in the European Jewish Heritage.
(888) 367-6147 - Intl (415) 381-5861
P.O. Box 446 Mill Valley, CA 94941all text & photos © 1997-06, Barbara Sansone
