Czech and Slovak Grand Tour

Slovakia and are two sovereign neighboring states that formed Czechoslovakia in the past. Both countries have common history and very warm relationships among people. Within 12 days you will visit 2 capitals - Bratislava and Prague and many interesting places. Banska Stiavnica, one of the most beautiful and interesting towns in Slovakia. Levoca, a true cultural and historic jewel among the Slovak towns. The High Tatras Mountains, the smallest alpine-like mountains in the world. Prague, once a political, cultural and economic centre of Europe and particularly Central Europe during its 1,100-year existence, and much more. In addition to visiting these places you will taste local cuisine, meet local people and explore various cultures.

Day 1 – Prague -

Arrival in Brno, the Czech Republic. (2 hrs driving from Prague International airport)

Accommodation in first class hotel

Balance of the day at your leisure.

Overnight in Brno

Day 2 – Sightseeing in Brno, visit the cave and Macocha gorge in .

- Breakfast - Brno sightseeing - Moravian Karst visit (Punkva cave and Macocha Gorge) - Return to Brno

Brno is the second largest city of the Czech Republic and the cultural and administrative centre of ​ the . Brno has a beautiful historic centre with historic sites from the 11th century and large number of Baroque and Renaissance buildings. The dominant feature of Brno is a stone promontory called Petrov and Gothic Cathedral of St Peter and Paul which is built on it. Another dominant feature of Brno is the Spilberk Castle. It was established around the mid 13th century. Today, Spilberk castle houses The Brno City Museum.

Moravian Karst is one of the most important karst area of Central Europe. In the area of Moravian ​ Karst, there are more than 1100 caverns and gorges. Only 4 caves from overall number are open to the public. There are Punkva Caves with their underground river - during the cruise you can see there the bottom of the famous Macocha Gorge.

Overnight in Brno

Day 3 - Valtice and Lednice UNESCO area with wine tasting - Breakfast - Valtice and Lednice gardens, castles and vineyards - wine tasting - Mikulov town - Return to Brno

Lednice - Valtice complex with area of 200 km is part of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list. Lednice and Valtice are towns near the border of Austria. In Lednice, the complex is better preserved and ​ ​ extensive: English Tudor Neo-Gothic building, the park with ponds and canals and the minaret - the tallest of this type of structure in a non-Islamist country. Valtice chateau has two special attractions: ​ ​ a brand-new herb garden showcasing hundreds of different herbs and the National Wine Center.

Overnight in Brno

Day 4 - Sightseeing in Kromeriz and Olomouc towns. ​ - Breakfast - Kromeriz town visit - Olomouc town visit - Return to Brno

Kromeriz is a Moravian town in Zlin region. Main landmark of the town is the Baroque Bishop's ​ Palace, where some scenes from Amadeus and Immortal Beloved were filmed. The Palace and the Flower Garden in Kromeriz were added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1998.

Charming and beautiful Olomouc lies beside the Morava River in Central Moravia. The centre is the ​ ​ largest historic preservation zone outside Prague, and its cobblestoned streets are lined with majestic cathedrals and grand palaces.

Overnight in Brno

Day 5 - UNESCO sites: towns of Trebic and Telc. Transfer to Cesky Krumlov ​ ​ - Breakfast - Trebic town sightseeing - Telc town sightseeing - Transfer to Cesky Krumlov - Accommodation in central located hotel in Cesky Krumlov

Trebic is situated in the Vysocina region and it is the 2nd largest town of the region. In 2003, St. ​ Procopius basilica and the Jewish Quarter with Jewish cemetery were incorporated into the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. These monuments are proof, that Jewish and Christian communities could live side by side, which was one of the reasons for entry into the prestigious list.

It would be hard to imagine a more fairytale-like little town than Telc. A square which looks like it ​ ​ has come straight from the stories by Hans Christian Andersen, a romantic chateau and crystal-clear fishponds surrounding the town. Telc is the most perfect example of the Italian Renaissance north of the Alps and a town with one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. It is rightly part of UNESCO world heritage. Overnight in Cesky Krumlov

Day 6 - Cesky Krumlov sightseeing.

- Breakfast - Cesky Krumlov full-day sightseeing

Cesky Krumlov - a town of historical heritage - have 300 protected buildings in the historical centre designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the second largest castle complex in the Czech Republic, and the oldest Baroque theatre in the world.

Overnight in Cesky Krumlov

Day 7 - Sightseeing in Hluboka chateau. Transfer to Prague

- Breakfast - Meeting with guide in hotel lobby - Chateau of Hluboka - Transfer to Prague - Accommodation in Prague

Chateau of Hluboka was originally founded as a guarding castle in the mid-13th century by the Kings ​ of Bohemia. Aristocratic House of Schwarzenberg bought Hluboka in the 17th century and family members lived there until the end of 1939. The chateau was rebuilt in early 18th century in the Baroque style. Later, in the 19th century, it was rebuilt into Neo-Gothic chateau according to appearance of the royal castle of Windsor.

Overnight in Prague

Day 8 Prague sightseeing

- Breakfast - 3.5 hours regular Grand city tour of Prague with pick up at the hotel - Afternoon free time the Prague Castle, an ancient symbol of the Czech lands, is the most significant Czech monument and one of the most important cultural institutions in the Czech Republic. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the Prague Castle is the largest coherent castle complex in the world, with an area of almost 70,000 square meters. A UNESCO World Heritage site, it consists of a large-scale composition of palaces and ecclesiastical buildings of various architectural styles, from Roman-style buildings from the 10th century through Gothic modifications in the 14th century.

St. Vitus Cathedral is the largest and the most important temple in Prague. Apart from religious services the coronations of Czech kings and queens also took place in here. The cathedral is a place of interment of remains of provincial patron saints, sovereigns, noblemen and archbishops.

The Charles Bridge is a famous historic bridge that crosses the Vltava river. Its construction started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV and finished in the beginning of the 15th century. the Charles Bridge was the most important connection between Prague Castle and the city's Old Town and adjacent areas. At night Charles Bridge is a quiet place, but during the day it changes into a very busy venue with painters, owners of kiosks, and vendors alongside numerous tourists crossing the bridge.

Overnight in Prague

Day 9 - Transfer to Prague railway station. Train to Poprad, Slovakia

- Breakfast - Transfer to Prague railway station - Train to Poprad - Transfer to hotel in Kezmarok - Accommodation in first class hotel in the city centre

Overnight in Kezmarok

Day 10 - UNESCO sites: Levoca town, Spis castle, Spisska Kapitula.

- Breakfast - Wooden church in Kezmarok (UNESCO) - Levoca town sightseeing - Spis Castle and Spisska Kapitula (Slovak Vatican) visit (both UNESCO) - Return to Kezmarok

One of the best preserved Slovak wooden sacral buildings is the articled Evangelical church in Kezmarok. The church was built in 1717 next to an older sacral stone building from 1593, which today serves as a sacristy. This unique wooden building made of yew and red spruce wood was built without using a single metal component and its ground plan is in the form of a Greek cross. Baroque interior of the church and the organ is also made of wood.

Historic town of Levoca, situated in the east of the Spis region, is a true cultural and historic jewel among the Slovak towns as it compounds a great number of architectural monuments linked with the glorious past of the town. The dominant part of Levoca is large rectangular square with the Roman-Catholic St James church from the 14th century, one of the most important sacral buildings in Slovakia. Late Gothic wooden main altar of St James with the height of 18.6 m is the tallest of its kind in the world. It was made of lime wood in 1507 - 1517 in the workshop of Master Paul of Levoca.

Spis Castle is the largest medieval castle in Central Europe located on a travertine rock hill. The castle hill was populated as early as 5th century BC; it is one the greatest archaeological and historical gems of Central Europe and is under UNESCO protection.

Spisska Kapitula is sometimes also referred to as the "Slovak Vatican". Church life not only in Spisska Kapitula (Spis Chapter) was organised from here by the bishops, provosts, and canonists. The most important building of Spisska Kapitula is Late-Romanesque St Martin cathedral from the 13th century. Overnight in Kezmarok

Day 11 - High Tatras with optional program: Walking around glacial lakes, cable car to Lomnicky peak, Belianska cave visit, short hike.

- Breakfast - Tatra National Park visit - Activities to choose from - Return to Kezmarok

The High Tatras are the highest mountain range of Slovakia and the most significant tourist center ​ for summer and winter holidays. There is about 35 valleys, 110 mountain lakes, but the most amazing are the Tatra peaks. There is more than 500 peaks in the High Tatras, out of which 10 peaks are above 2600 meters high. The silence of the valleys, mountain lakes, silky sheen of the waterfalls and simultaneously monumental touches with the heights of the peaks - all of that is the magical world of Tatra National Park.

Options: 1. Walking aroud Popradske pleso lake and Strbske pleso lake. The landscape in the territory has been formed by glaciers that created glacier valleys with mountain lakes. 2. Trip to Lommnicky peak by cable car. It is among the most attractive adventures for tourists in the High Tatras. It reaches differential height of 1,700 m and carries tourists to a height of 2,634 m above sea level in only a few minutes. 3. Belianska cave - the only one accessible to the public in the High Tatras. It is among the first european caves where electricity was installed. 4. Short hiking in the mountains.

Overnight in Kezmarok

Day 12 - UNESCO: monument reserve of folk architecture in Vlkolinec village, wooden church in Hronsek village. Transfer to Banska Stiavnica

- Breakfast - wooden church in Hronsek (UNESCO) - Monuments Reserve of Folk Architecture in Vlkolinec (UNESCO) - Transfer to Kezmarokbr/> - Accommodation in Kezmarok

Vlkolinec - a monument reserve of folk architecture is extraordinary and remarkable oasis of folk architecture. It was included in the List of the World Cultural and Nature Heritage of UNESCO in 1993. The community was first referred to in 1376. Its unique compound of original folk buildings remained untouched by modern construction. Based in comparative study of ICOMOS (International Council for Monuments and Settlements) it was classified as the best-reserved settlement of this time within the Carpathian Architecture. Originally it was the settlement of loggers, shepherds and farmers.

The wooden articled church in Hronsek from 1726 is set in the wonderful environment of big lime trees. There are 1,100 chairs in this church. Its organ was fitted in 1764. Fine wooden belfry from 1726 stands nearby. The church has a central floor plan in the form of uneven Cross (longer arm is 23 m, the shorter 18 m). Height is 8 meters. The construction is completely of solid oak and red spruce. Inside the church roof recalls the inverted ship shape. There are elements of Scandinavian architecture, distinctive colonnade on the galeries. The altar of the church has six interchangeable images, originating from 1771. In early November 2000, the English Crown Prince Charles visited the church.

Overnight in Kezmarok

Day 13 - Banska Stiavnica sightseeing. Transfer to Bratislava. Bratislava sightseeing

- Breakfast - Banska Stiavnica (UNESCO) sightseeing - Transfer to Bratislava - Bratislava Old town sightseeing (up to 2 hours) and Devin castle - Accommodation in Bratislava

Banska Stiavnica is former mining town and lies amid the forests of the Stiavnicke mountains. Banska Stiavnica is one of the most beautiful anf historically one of the most interesting towns in Slovakia. The town is inscribed on the List of the World Cultural Heritage of UNESCO. Banska Stavnica progressively became the biggest mining centre in the Habsburg Monarchy in the 18th century. In 1735, the oldest mining school in the Kingdom of Hungary was founded here, few years later it became the first university of its kind in the world. Banska Stiavnica monument town reserve comprises as many as 360 structures. Together they present a unique set of high cultural and historical value, which is set into the wonderful environment of the Stiavnicke mountains.

Devin castle ruins tower over the confluence of the rivers Danube and Morava.The fortress, used as a watchtower by the Slavonic count Rastislav Dovina, was mentioned in the manuscripts as early as the 9th century AD. After the fall of the Great Moravian Empire of the ancient Slavs, the Devin fortress became an important strategic fortification of the Hungarian Kingdom. As early as in the 13th century, a smaller building with a tower (foundation of a later castle) was situated at the top of rocky hill. In 1809, advancing Napoleon troops destroyed the fortress. Since 1965 an archaeological research has been carried out in the castle area. The castle ruins have been partially reconstructed under auspices of the Municipal Museum in Bratislava.

Old town tour includes many monuments. Top visited sites are St Martin's Cathedral, the Primates' Palace with historical Zrkadlova sien (The Hall of Mirrors) and the famous Bratislava tapestries, Michalska gate offering panoramic view of the Old town.

Overnight in Bratislava

Day 14 - Farewell.

- Breakfast - End of the tour

Included ● Trip transport by private car/van ● 2nd class train tickets: Prague - Poprad (1st class tickets available on request for an extra fee) ● Accommodation with breakfast in stylish hotels: - 4 nights in Brno - 2 nights in Cesky Krumlov - 2 nights in Prague - 3 nights in Kezmarok - 1 night in Banska Stiavnica - 1 night in Bratislava ● Services of an English-speaking tour guide throughout the tour ● Walking tours of Bratislava, Banska Stiavnica, Levoca, Prague, Cesky Krumlov, Telc, Trebic, Brno, Olomouc and Kromeriz ● Excursions to Hronsek, Vlkolinec, Spis Castle, St James church, Spisska Kapitula, chateau of Hluboka, Cesky Krumlov Castle, Moravian Karst, Kromeriz Gardens including all entrance fees ● Wine tasting in the National Wine Salon of the Czech Republic