YOUR O.A.T. ADVENTURE TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE®

Jewels of Bohemia: Czech Republic, Slovakia & Hungary 2021

Small Groups: 8-16 travelers—guaranteed! (average of 13)

Overseas Adventure Travel ® The Leader in Personalized Small Group Adventures on the Road Less Traveled 1 Dear Traveler,

At last, the world is opening up again for curious travel lovers like you and me. And the O.A.T. Jewels of Bohemia: Czech Republic, Slovakia & Hungary itinerary you’ve expressed interest in will be a wonderful way to resume the discoveries that bring us so much joy. You might soon be enjoying standout moments like these:

In my mind, there is nothing more quaint and picturesque than the rural villages that dot the countryside of the Czech Republic. To immerse myself in their traditions and everyday life, I explore rural communities like Slavonice, a small village nestled on the border with Austria. You’ll see what I mean when you experience A Day in the Life of a small, family-run farm here, where you’ll have the opportunity to meet the owners, lend a hand with the daily farm chores, and share a Home-Hosted Lunch with your hosts around the warmth of a bonfire.

I believe the most moving stories you’ll hear are from the locals who live and work in the regions you travel to around the world, and that is what I found to be true in Prague when I spoke with Zdenek Vacek, a local teacher and lifelong Prague resident, about the Velvet Revolution. I was saddened to hear the reality of their turbulent past under the Czech Communist regime. You’ll hear his harrowing story as well when you sit down with him in a local café to discuss his life as a child under communism. He’ll also talk of his participation in the 1989 Velvet Revolution, where hundreds of thousands of Czechs peacefully demonstrated for the end of the Communist Party. He’ll talk candidly of his experience and offer his perspective on how modern-day politicians have drastically drifted from this revolutionary spirit.

The way we see it, you’ve come a long way to experience the true culture—not some fairytale version of it. So we keep our groups small, with only 8-16 travelers (average 13) to ensure that your encounters with local people are as intimate and authentic as possible. It’s also why your O.A.T. Trip Experience Leader will be a resident “insider” who can show you the culture as only a local can.

To ensure that your adventure is truly unique, put your own personal stamp on it. You can arrive early and stay later, add a pre- or post-trip extension, spend time in a Stopover city, or combine two or more trips. Plus, your itinerary offers ample free time so you can pursue your own interests.

So until the day comes when you are off to enjoy your Jewels of Bohemia: Czech Republic, Slovakia & Hungary adventure, I hope you will relish the fun and anticipation that this O.A.T. Adventure Travel Planning Guide® will inspire. Should you have further questions, feel free to call our Regional Adventure Counselors at 1-800-955-1925.

Love and peace,

Harriet R. Lewis Vice Chairman, Overseas Adventure Travel

P.S. For more inspiration, you can watch videos and slideshows from travelers like you at www.oattravel. com/traveler-moments. You can also share some of your own favorite moments by uploading your travel videos and slideshows directly onto the trip-specific pages of our website.

USA Today “Best Tours” 10Best Readers’ Presented by Choice Awards Solo Traveler

2 CONTENTS

A Letter from Harriet Lewis ...... 2 The O.A.T. Difference...... 4 The Grand Circle Foundation...... 6 The Leader in Solo Travel ...... 7

JEWELS OF BOHEMIA: CZECH ABOUT YOUR DESTINATIONS: REPUBLIC, SLOVAKIA & HUNGARY CULTURE, ETIQUETTE & MORE Your Adventure at a Glance: Culture & Points to Know ...... 61 Where You’re Going, What it Costs, Shopping: What to Buy, Customs, and What’s Included ...... 8 Shipping & More ...... 69 Your Detailed Day-To-Day Itinerary ...... 9 Optional Tours ...... 26 DEMOGRAPHICS & HISTORY Pre-Trip Extension ...... 27 Czech Republic ...... 71 Post-Trip Extension ...... 33 Facts, Figures & National Holidays ...... 71 Dates & Prices ...... 38 Historical Overview of the Czech Republic . 71 Slovakia ...... 72 ESSENTIAL TRAVEL INFORMATION Facts, Figures & National Holidays ...... 72 Travel Documents & Entry Requirements. . . 39 Historical Overview of Slovakia ...... 73 No Visas Required ...... 39 Hungary ...... 74 Requirements for the Czech Republic ..... 40 Facts, Figures & National Holidays ...... 74 Rigors, Vaccines & General Health ...... 42 Historical Overview of Hungary ...... 75 Vaccines Required ...... 43 Germany...... 76 Money Matters: Local Currency & Facts, Figures & National Holidays ...... 76 Tipping Guidelines...... 45 Historical Overview of Germany ...... 77 Tipping Guidelines...... 47 Austria ...... 78 Air, Optional Tours & Staying in Touch ..... 49 Facts, Figures & National Holidays ...... 78 Optional Tours ...... 49 Austria: A Brief History ...... 79 Communicating with Home from Abroad . . 50 Packing: What to Bring & Luggage Limits . . . 52 RESOURCES Suggested Packing Lists ...... 53 Suggested Reading ...... 81 Electricity Abroad ...... 56 Suggested Film & Video ...... 85 Climate & Average Temperatures ...... 58

O.A.T. Health & Safety Measures...... 89 Notes...... 90 Map ...... 95

3 EXPERIENCE THE O.A.T. DIFFERENCE in Central Europe

This adventure not only showcases iconic sights, but takes you beyond them to experience the culture through unique activities, engagement with the natural world, and authentic encounters with local people. Since our founding in 1978, O.A.T. has become America’s leader in personalized small group journeys on the road less traveled. SMALL GROUPS: 8-16 TRAVELERS LOCAL MODES OF TRANSPORTATION (AVERAGE OF 13)—GUARANTEED To see the world like the locals, you should The world feels more intimate and engaging travel like one. Our small group size allows when your experience of it is also personal us to take the roads and waterways that are and genuine. That’s why our groups never less traveled, and we often follow them using exceed 16 travelers. This gives you access to the same unique modes of transportation people and places larger groups simply can’t that the locals use—be it a canoe, a camel or a reach. More authentic interactions. Deeper vintage cab. bonds with your travel mates. Personal service from your Trip Experience Leader. Smoother UNIQUE LODGINGS transitions. And a far more satisfying Our lodgings reflect the local character, experience than any traditional tour offers. from smaller family-run hotels and historic manors to comfy inns. Occasionally, larger THE BEST TRIP EXPERIENCE LEADERS hotels closer to city centers are used. Wherever Your English-speaking, O.A.T. Trip Experience you stay, you’re assured fine comfort and Leader is a resident of the region you are hospitality. visiting, so you will get a true insider’s perspective that brings each place alive—the OUR WORLDWIDE OFFICES stories, food, customs, hidden treasures With 36 regional offices around the world, and more. we are perfectly poised to leverage our local relationships to deliver an excellent experience AUTHENTIC CULTURAL CONNECTIONS and value. During this trip, you’ll be supported Engage with local people through visits to by our team in Prague. farms, factories, markets, and artisans’ studios; school visits; Home-Hosted meals; and more.

Raft along the Vltava River in Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic Connect with local people in the Czech Republic

4 THE PILLARS OF DISCOVERY En riching. Inspiring. Unforgettable. These features form the foundation of your Jewels of Bohemia adventure.

GRAND CIRCLE FOUNDATION (GCF) A DAY IN THE LIFE VISIT Do you ever wonder, “What would it be like GCF was established in 1992 to help change to live here?” when you visit new lands? Let’s people’s lives in the world where we live, find out during your O.A.T. A Day in the Life, an work, and travel. To date, we have pledged or exclusive, immersive experience that places donated $200 million worldwide. you in the heart of a community where you’ll meet various people where they live, work, By investing in the places we explore— and play; visit the neighborhood school; lend a including local schools, cooperatives, or arts hand with daily chores; and break bread with centers—we hope to give locals the skills and our hosts. confidence they need to become leaders of their generation and preserve their heritage This adventure includes A Day in the Life for many years to come. We’re proud to play experience in a rural Czech farming village a part in preserving precious locales like the where you’ll meet with the owners and get a Bryggen waterfront district of Bergen, a living firsthand insight into the inner workings of example of the glory days of the Hanseatic a traditional Czech farm. You may even get League, and supporting villages like Harmi in hands-on experience by helping with some of Estonia, whose once-struggling school is now the farm’s daily chores before sharing a meal a a center of community life. lunch featuring regional specialties. CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS Every culture has its joys and achievements, HOME-HOSTED EXPERIENCES and we celebrate them all. But every place Stories shared. Differences solved. Taste buds also has its challenges, and to gloss over them engaged. Good will extended. It’s amazing the would not do justice to those whose stories things that can happen across a kitchen table, need to be told—nor to you, as a traveler who so we’ll break into groups of 4-5 to join a local deserves more than a sugar-coated version of family in their home for a snack or a meal. things. So our Trip Experience Leaders will This is a rare opportunity to witness family lead frank discussions on controversial issues, life, learn local customs, and taste some and introduce you to people whose stories will home-cooked fare. expand your understanding. On this adventure, we’ll learn more about the For example, we’ll meet with a lifelong rich culture of the Czech Republic when we Prague resident who grew up under the boot share a meal with a local family in their home of the Czechoslovakia’s communist regime in Cesky Krumlov. This is a great opportunity from birth. He’ll delve into his own harrowing to ask questions, and get a better sense of accounts from childhood, and then how he local culture, family dynamics, and culinary joined hundreds of thousands in Wenceslas traditions. Square during the Velvet Revolution—the nonviolent movement which finally led to the downfall of the Communist government.

5 GRAND CIRCLE FOUNDATION Changing people’s lives, one village, one school, one person at a time

GIVING BACK TO THE WORLD WE TRAVEL Dear Traveler, Since our inception in 1992, the Grand Circle In 1992 we established Grand Circle Foundation has pledged or donated more than Foundation, an entity of the Lewis Family $200 million to projects around the world. Foundation, as a means to give back to the world that had already given us so JOIN OUR GENEROUS TRAVELERS much. We’ve pledged or donated more We consider each and every one of our travelers than $200 million worldwide to support to be partners in our worldwide giving. the education of young people and the Some travelers, however, are so inspired by preservation of international treasures the schools and villages they visit, they are and UNESCO World Heritage Sites. compelled to give more. In fact, our travelers have donated more than $1 million in 2019 Of course, none of this would be possible alone. And because we have no administrative without your help. A portion of the costs, 100% of donations are used to help proceeds of every adventure is donated to change people’s lives. Grand Circle Foundation—so just as your life will be enriched by the discoveries BETTER OUR OWN COMMUNITIES— you’ll make on your journey, you’ll also ALL AROUND THE WORLD help to enrich the lives of the people In addition to the destinations where we travel, you’ll meet along the way. we strive to better the communities where Thank you for traveling with us, and for we work—from our headquarters in Boston helping to change people’s lives. to our 36 offices around the world. In Boston, more than 99% of our associates participate Love and peace, in community service each year. Worldwide, nearly all of our offices organize annual

community service events of their own. . Harriet R. Lewis Chair, Grand Circle Foundation How you can help To learn more about ongoing Foundation projects, you can sign up for our weekly e-newsletter, the Inside Scoop, at www.oattravel.com/community/the-inside-scoop. When you do, you’ll not only receive updates on Grand Circle Foundation, but the latest news and discoveries on all things Grand Circle and Overseas Adventure Travel.

www.grandcirclefoundation.org

6 THE LEADER IN SOLO TRAVEL in Central Europe—and Around the World

ON THIS ADVENTURE … FREE Single Supplements: We don’t charge The leader in solo-friendly a single supplement on this adventure travel for Americans— and optional trip extensions—a savings by the numbers of $900-$1,395 per person compared to other travel companies. But single spaces fill quickly, so early reservations More than 50,000 solo travelers are advised. joined us in 2018 and 2019—on their own or with a friend or relative One of our most popular trips for solo travelers. More than 550 solo travelers joined us on this adventure in the past 20,000 single spaces with a two years—either independently or sharing FREE or low-cost Single Supplement a room with a mother, daughter, sister, in 2021—a 25% increase from 2019 or friend.

High ratings: More than 92% of these solo More than of solo women travelers rated their adventure excellent. 90% travelers rated their adventure On average, half of your group will also excellent be traveling independently, so it’s easy to forge special bonds as you experience unforgettable moments together. 38 exclusive women’s departures featured on 23 of our most popular You’ll be in good hands, thanks to your adventures—8 of which are single- dedicated local Trip Experience Leader only departures (a resident of Central Europe), and the expertise of our regional office team in Prague.

Increased Single Space: In 2021, we have 155% more single spaces than in 2019, with up to 8 single spaces per departure. See available FREE single space at www.oattravel.com/bca2021.

Solo doesn’t mean “alone.” Three out of eight O.A.T. travelers join our small groups as solos, so you will be in good company.

7 Lower prices than last year—a value of $800 per couple

J e w e l s o f B o h e m i a : Czech Republic, Slovakia & Hungary Small Group Adventure Czech Republic̆”ũÖėŽā̇!āŭĴƘbũŽĿķŋƑ̇œķÖƑŋłĢóā̳Ά̳SlovakiăũÖŶĢŭķÖƑÖ̳Ά̳Hungary: Budapest

Countries: 3 Ά!ĢŶĢāŭ̆5

Small groups: 8-16 travelers—guaranteed! It’s Included (average of 13) • International airfare, airport transfers, • Explore in a small group of 8-16 $ government taxes, fees, and airline fuel travelers (average group size of 13) 15 days from surcharges unless you choose to make 3195 Services of a local O.A.T. Trip your own air arrangements • Includes international airfare Experience Leader $213 All land transportation Travel from only a day • • Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and • Accommodations for 13 nights luggage porters $ 14 days from 2395 • 30 meals—13 breakfasts, 9 lunches, • 5% Frequent Traveler Credit Without international airfare and 8 dinners (including 2 Home- toward your next adventure—an Hosted meals) average of $262 FREE Single Supplement • 21 small group activities

Maximize Your Discoveries & Value To get a richer view of the Included Features on this adventure, Optional extension s : watch our Trip Itinerary video at www.oattravel.com/bca2021 Berlin, Wittenberg, Dresden & the Elbe River Valley 5 nights pre-trip from $1695 Travel from only $339 per night Vienna: Palaces, Music, Architecture & Sachertorte 5 nights post-trip from $1595 Travel from only $319 per night

The Neo-Romanesque Fisherman’s Bastion, Budapest, Hungary

Jewels of Bohemia: Czech Republic, Slovakia & Hungary

8 Jewels of Bohemia: Czech Republic, Slovakia & Hungary

YOUR DETAILED ITINERARY

BEGIN YOUR ADVENTURE WITH AN OPTIONAL PRE-TRIP EXTENSION 5 nights in Berlin, Wittenberg, Dresden & the Elbe River Valley

Day 1 Depart U.S. Day 5 Berlin • Wittenberg • Meissen • Dresden Day 2 Arrive Berlin, Germany Day 6 Dresden and Elbe River Valley tour Day 3 Explore Berlin Day 7 Dresden • Overland to Prague via Day 4 Berlin • Optional Potsdam tour Sudetenland and Terezin • Home-Hosted Lunch • Begin main trip

Day 1 Fly to Prague, Czech Republic You’ll get to know your Trip Experience Leader and small group, including those arriving from Depart the U.S. today on your overnight flight to the Berlin, Wittenberg, Dresden & the Elbe River Prague, Czech Republic. Valley trip extension, at 6pm during a short orientation walk around the neighborhood. Day 2 Arrive Prague, Czech Republic Dinner: On your own after your orientation • Destination: Prague, Czech Republic walk. Perhaps you’ll enjoy dinner at one of • Accommodations: Le Palais Art Hotel the many restaurants nearby or at the hotel’s or similar on-site bistro. Afternoon: Depending on what time you Evening: The reminder of the day is free for you arrive in Prague, an O.A.T. representative will to explore the area or settle into your room. meet you at the airport and assist you to your centrally-located hotel, about a 45-minute Freedom To Explore: During your three days drive. Hotel amenities may include a bar, bistro, in Prague, you have the freedom to explore and fitness center depending on where you stay. this historic city on your own during your free Typical rooms come with air-conditioning, time. Below are some recommended options for satellite TV, safe, minibar, wireless Internet independent explorations: access, and private bath with hair dryer. • Visit the Naplavka farmer’s market: Located on the banks of the Charles beneath the Vysehrad fortress, this Saturday market is a

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

9 popular place for locals to spend their day off. bar,” the first watering hole in the Czech Come browse the produce stalls for a tasty Republic into which women could enter treat, sample Czech beer and wine, and enjoy unaccompanied by a man. local people-watching—all while soaking in • How to get there: About a 30- to 35-min- views of the Prague Castle in the distance. ute walk or a 10-minute taxi ride, about $8 If you’re not in Prague on a Saturday, don’t USD. fret: the city boasts three additional farmer’s • Hours: 10am-6pm, daily; tours must be markets available on other days of the week; reserved in advance. check with your Trip Experience Leader for • Cost: About $12 USD. opening days. • How to get there: About a 30-minute walk Day 3 Explore Prague or 10-minute taxi ride, about $8 USD. • Destination: Prague Hours: 8am-2pm, Saturdays. • • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Cost: Free. • • Accommodations: Le Palais Art Hotel • Stop to smell the roses at the Botanical or similar Garden of the City of Prague: A wonderful Breakfast: Served at the hotel beginning at oasis tucked just outside the city center, 7am, featuring Czech and American dishes. Prague’s largest botanical garden offers a place for locals and visitors alike to relax in Morning: Our Trip Experience Leader will nature. The garden boasts more than thirty lead a Welcome Briefing this morning around hectares of manicured lawns, flower beds, 8am, when we will introduce ourselves and and a greenhouse devoted to tropical flora. review our itinerary in more detail (including There is also a cafe on the premises and a any changes that may need to occur). Our Trip vineyard where you can enjoy a wine tasting. Experience Leader will also discuss logistics, • How to get there: About a 10-minute taxi safety and emergency procedures, answer ride, about $8 USD. questions we may have, as well as introduce • Hours: 9am-7pm, daily. any optional tours available. Cost: About $4 USD. • We’ll then begin our Czech Republic travel • Step back in time at the Prague Municipal experiences with a guided walking tour of House: Take a tour of Prague’s most prom- Prague with a local guide, departing the hotel inent Art Deco building, built between 1906 early at 9am to avoid the crowds at key sites. and 1912, to transport yourself to another Nestled in a bend of the Vltava River, Prague’s era. Visitors can see the Municipal House’s spires have endured to create one of Europe’s ceremonial halls, parlors, bars, and concert most recognizable skylines. While other halls—including the so-called “American European capitals were leveled during World War II, Prague survived virtually intact. We’ll witness a few of its enduring landmarks during our tour, but we’ll also head down less-visited side streets—and tuck into a family-owned café for a brief coffee break—to get a better sense of the pace of life in Prague for everyday residents.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

10 Lunch: At a local restaurant featuring Czech Morning: We’ll board our bus around 8:30am cuisine after concluding our tour around 1pm. and drive roughly 30 minutes to our first destination of the day: Strahov Monastery. Afternoon: Around 2:30pm, you’re free to Founded in 1140, this sprawling complex sits make your own discoveries. Perhaps you’ll visit high atop Petrin Hill on the opposite side Josefov (Prague’s Jewish Quarter). The Prague from Prague Castle. Offering visitors the same Ghetto and vibrant Jewish community have sweeping views of the city below as Prague contributed to Prague’s character since the Castle does—but without the crowds—the tenth century. Around 6:30pm, we’ll reconvene monastery also boasts an impressive church, at the hotel and walk about 5 minutes to a local a library containing a number of rare medieval restaurant. manuscripts, maps, and globes, and one of the Dinner: Around 6:30pm at a local restaurant best collections of Gothic, Baroque, and Rococo to enjoy a Welcome Dinner featuring paintings in central Europe. locally-inspired dishes. You’ll get to know Then around 10:30am, we’ll walk to a local café your fellow travelers and we’ll toast to the to meet with Zdenek Vacek, a local professor adventures ahead. and lifelong Prague resident who will speak Evening: You have the freedom to spend the with us about a Controversial Topic: The end rest of your evening as you wish. Perhaps you’ll of Communism in 1989, and how modern-day take an evening stroll in town or enjoy a Czech Czechs are divided about their attitude toward Pilsner at a local bar. the post-Communist government and current administration.

Day 4 Explore Prague • Controversial Mr. Vacek was born in Prague and grew up Topic: The ideals of the Velvet Revolution beneath the boot of the Communist regime. versus today’s conservative Czech politics When he was six years old, his father was taken with Zdenek Vacek from his home and detained by Communist police, who had come to nationalize his • Destination: Prague business. During the Prague Spring of 1968, • Included Meals: Breakfast he dodged bullets fired by Soviet soldiers who • Accommodations: Le Palais Art Hotel had come to crack down on liberal reforms. or similar Then in 1989, Mr. Vacek joined hundreds of Exclusive O.A.T. Activity: Today’s discoveries thousands in Wenceslas Square—including his will feature a Controversial Topic: We’ll meet own students—during the Velvet Revolution, with a local professor to talk about the the the nonviolent movement which finally led to Velvet Revolution, learning about his firsthand the downfall of Czechoslovakia’s Communist experience of life under Communism and government. The café where we have met Mr. how modern-day Czechs are divided about Vacek is situated in the same location where their attitude toward the post-Communist this famed revolution took place. government and current administration. Read While the end of Czech Communism was more about this conversation below. a cause for celebration for him and his Breakfast: Served at the hotel beginning at compatriots, the years since have been 7am, featuring Czech and American dishes. anything but harmonious. Although liberals and intellectuals in Prague and other urban

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

11 centers looked forward to a new age of Prague with angry chants of “resign, resign,” democracy and enlightenment, many Czechs going so far as to pelt him with eggs and who live outside of the cities in rural areas feel other objects. Many believe that the pair of that the post-Communist reforms have left leaders threatens to undo the progress made them behind and believe they lack meaningful toward democracy and human rights in the representation in the national government. The 30 years since the revolution, ushering in a country’s decision to join the European Union dark age of oligarchy—or worse, a return to in 2004 has been especially contentious, with Communist rule. some believing that their economic interests We’ll learn more about this controversy, and national identity have been threatened. availing ourselves of the unique perspective We’ll hear more about this side of the issue on offered by Mr. Vacek—an opportunity Day 6 from the point of view of a local from exclusively available through O.A.T.’s local Cesky Krumlov. connections in the region. We’ll listen to his Today, the modern Czech Republic is a stories of life before the Velvet Revolution, divided nation, and its scandal-plagued and how he feels betrayed by President Zeman president, Miloš Zeman, sits at the center of who once joined him in his fight for liberty and the controversy. Zeman participated in the democracy. Our conversation with Mr. Vacek Velvet Revolution and was elected to office will last around an hour, with 30 minutes to in 2013—the first Czech president to be ask questions and gauge your own opinion. Our directly elected by the people instead of the Trip Experience Leader will be ready to help parliament. Zeman, however, quickly courted facilitate the conversation. As you continue controversy with many liberals—Mr. Vacek your journey through Czech Republic, be sure to among them—accusing him of abandoning the pay attention to local people and ask questions democratic principles that drove the revolution, as you travel between city and country, judging and instead adopting a populist agenda aimed for yourself how opinions are split. at courting disaffected rural citizens, and We conclude our conversation at around favoring strong relationships with foreign 11:30am, then walk to visit Mala Strana, which authoritarian governments such as Russia and translates to “the lesser side.” Our Trip China. Zeman was then narrowly re-elected in Experience Leader will introduce us to this area 2018 against a liberal candidate, Jiří Drahoš, a as we explore its streets. Mala Strana is linked to chemist and former head of the Czech academy Prague’s Old Town (Stare Mesto) by the Charles of sciences, by a thin but decisive margin of Bridge. Originally an eighth-century market 51.5% to 48.5%. His re-election marked a town, today Mala Strana is a neighborhood victory for anti-immigrant, far-right forces of cobbled streets, boutiques, and Baroque in Czech Republic, and tilted its politics in an churches and palaces. As you explore with your anti-western direction. Trip Experience Leader, you’ll witness the Zeman and his current prime minister—Andrej iconic John Lennon wall and stroll along the Babiš, a former Communist Party member, tree-lined lanes of Kampa Park. and modern-day billionaire that owns the Lunch: On your own starting around 1:00pm. state-run print media—are frequent targets Perhaps you’ll choose to dine at the Kampa Park of mass protest. Notably, in 2014, on the Restaurant, which overlooks the Charles Bridge. 25th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, a crowd of thousands greeted Zeman in

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

12 Afternoon: Free time continues into the Afternoon: We’ll depart Pisek around 3pm and afternoon. drive roughly 1.5 hours to Cesky Krumlov. Upon arrival around 4:30pm, we’ll check in to our Dinner: On your own. Perhaps you’ll hotel. Depending on which hotel you stay in, it try vepřo-knedlo-zelo, a local specialty may feature massage facilities or a restaurant. made of bread dumplings, roast pork, and Typical rooms offer satellite TV, minibar, safe, stewed cabbage. wireless Internet, and private bath with hair Evening: You have the freedom to spend the dryer. In order to preserve the integrity of rest of your evening as you wish, making the original building, air conditioning is not any final discoveries during your last night possible in the rooms. in Prague. Later this afternoon, join your Trip Experience Leader on an orientation walk to get acquainted Day 5 Travel to Cesky Krumlov • Visit with the vicinity around your hotel. The Vojna Memorial walk will conclude around 6:30pm at a local • Destination: Cesky Krumlov restaurant.

• Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Dinner: At a local restaurant around 6:30pm, • Accommodations: Hotel Ebersbach or similar including locally-inspired Czech dishes. Activity Note: Today’s transfer to Cesky Evening: You have the freedom to spend the Krumlov will be about 4 hours long, broken up rest of your evening as you wish. by intermittent stops. Freedom To Explore: During your three days Breakfast: Served at the hotel beginning at in Cesky Krumlov, you have the freedom 7am, featuring Czech and American dishes. to explore this red-roofed town on your Morning: We board our bus around 9:30am own during your free time. Below are some and begin our overland journey to Cesky recommended options for independent Krumlov, stopping around 10:15am to visit explorations: the Vojna Memorial. Located in the middle of • Try your hand at traditional Czech crafts at a forest, Vojna was originally built by German the Cesky Krumlov Monastery: Czech mon- prisoners of war after World War II as a labor asteries have a long and rich tradition in the camp to work in the nearby uranium mines. trades, dating back to medieval times when With the Communist takeover in 1948, Vojna they were considered a center of knowledge transitioned into a notorious forced labor and craftsmanship. A visit to the monastery’s camp for political prisoners. Today, the Vojna workshops today showcases master crafts- Memorial is a powerful reminder of the many men—tailors, blacksmiths, potters, glass Czech victims of the Communist regime. bead makers, bookbinder, shoemaker, and Around 11:30am, we’ll drive about 1.5 hours and dyer—still at work using the same techniques stop in Pisek, a picturesque Bohemian town that were invented hundreds of years ago. founded in the 13th century on the banks of the After watching demonstrations, you can even Otava River. try using their traditional tools yourself. • How to get there: About a 2-minute walk. Lunch: At a local restaurant in Pisek around • Hours: 10am-6pm, daily. 1pm, featuring Central European cuisine. • Cost: Free.

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13 • Take a step back in time at the Museum enjoy this unique opportunity to experience a Fotoatelier Seidel: Follow in the footsteps of slice of everyday life in Cesky Krumlov. Read on some of the first photographers in the region below to learn more about this experience. as their photos take you on a journey through Activity Note: Early spring and fall departures time. Discover images that date back to the may not offer the rafting excursion, and late 19th to early 20th centuries, and see adverse weather conditions may preclude displays of antique cameras used to capture rafting at any time of year. the photos showcased here. This is a unique experience as the Museum Fotoatelier Seidel Breakfast: Served at the hotel beginning at is only one of a few museums of its kind 7am, featuring Czech and American dishes. in Europe. Morning: Around 9:45am, we’ll witness the • How to get there: A 10- to 15-minute walk. Cesky Krumlov of today when we join a local • Hours: 9am-5pm, daily in October-April, guide on a walking tour. Nestled inside a and 9am-6pm, daily in May-September. narrow loop of the Vltava River, this romantic • Cost: About $4 USD. town with its hilltop castle was once a wealthy • Stroll through the lovely Castle Gardens: trading center and a favorite of European Spanning over 25 acres, this serene garden is nobility. Today, its confection of red-gabled a great location to relax and escape the hustle roofs, elegant bridges, and storybook castle and bustle of the city while taking in pictur- lures lovers of history, culture, and architecture esque views of the city from afar. Designed alike. Established in 1250 by the Lords of in the baroque style in the 17th century, Krumlov, the 14th through 16th centuries the manicured appearance of the garden brought a period of great splendor to Cesky compliments the stately stature of the Cesky Krumlov, which became a stop along one of Krumlov Castle. Experience the tranquility of the main trading routes to Italy. We’ll walk water trickling down the garden’s fountains, the winding, cobbled streets to admire the behold whimsical floral designs, and soak up splendidly preserved historic buildings of the the beauty of nature here. medieval town, a UNESCO World Heritage • How to get there: A 10- to 15-minute walk. Site, and ascend to the top of the hill to stroll • Hours: 8am-5pm, daily in October-April, through the courtyards and gardens of Cesky and 8am-7pm, daily in May-September. Krumlov Castle, a Renaissance jewel that • Cost: Free. encompasses more than 40 buildings, a castle brewery—and live bears who roam the castle’s Day 6 Explore Cesky Krumlov • Rafting on moat. We’ll also visit the recently opened Castle Vltava River • Home-Hosted Dinner Museum, which features precious artifacts previously hidden in castle depositories. After • Destination: Cesky Krumlov our visit, around 12:15pm, we’ll walk down • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner from the castle back to town. • Accommodations: Hotel Ebersbach or similar Lunch: On your own around noon. Perhaps Exclusive O.A.T. Activity: Today’s discoveries you’ll trysvíčková, a meat dish with sirloin will feature a Home-Hosted Dinner with a local steak, vegetables, and a thick cream sauce. Czech family. Expect simple, hearty fare as you

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14 Afternoon: We’ll have some free time to Day 7 Explore Vyssi Brod Monastery • make our own discoveries before we walk A conversation about restitution and to a peaceful rafting excursion through the property rights in Studetenlands • historical heart of Cesky Krumlov around Treetop hike at Lipno Lake 3pm, discovering this city from a different perspective. We’ll paddle about three miles • Destination: Cesky Krumlov on the gentle waters of the undulating Vltava • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch River, with six travelers and an instructor • Accommodations: Hotel Ebersbach or similar in each raft. This 1.5-hour-long trip is easy Breakfast: Served at the hotel beginning at enough for the novice but passes through 7am, featuring Czech and American dishes. parts of the city that will charm the more experienced rafters as well. Following our Morning: We’ll gather in a meeting room in rafting adventure, you’ll have some free time to our hotel around 8am to meet Oli, a local from relax before dinner. Cesky Krumlov, and engage in a conversation about the controversy surrounding the Dinner: Around 6pm, we’ll drive approximately Sudetenland region in western Czech Republic. 30 minutes to tonight’s special dinner location—in the the home of a local Czech Following World War II, thousands of ethnic family to enjoy a Home-Hosted Dinner. Germans were expelled from this region. The expulsion was a direct result of the In an even smaller group of no more than 5 German occupation of Czech Republic (then people, you’ll enjoy a taste of Czech culture and known as Czechoslovakia), beginning in 1938 engage in lively conversation over a dinner of and remaining throughout the war. Czech freshly-prepared, home-cooked dishes. Some resistance groups demanded the deportation of traditional favorites you may enjoy would ethnic Germans from their country and sought be rajska, a traditional creamy tomato sauce the Allied Nations’ support. In the months served over bread dumplings and boiled beef, or following the end of World War II, Czech knedlo vepro zelo—roasted pork with dumplings president Edvard Beneš gave his support of this and sauerkraut. idea as well, calling it the “final solution of the This experience offers us a rare opportunity to German question.&rdquo connect with local culture on a more intimate However, the end of the war also brought about level: In our hosts’ homes, we’ll see the family widespread chaos—central governments were go about their evening routine and witness unstable and it was difficult to carry out the what life is like in this small town in South deportations with any formal process. Many Bohemia. As you get to know your hosts, take expulsions were carried out by local authorities, the time to ask questions and get a better sense mostly consisting of armed volunteers. Several of not just local Czech culture, but also family thousand Sudeten Germans died during the dynamics and culinary traditions. expulsion—some violently, others succumbing Evening: We’ll arrive back at the hotel around to hunger and illness. 8:30pm tonight. You have the freedom to spend In the deportation order’s original plan, only the rest of your evening as you wish. a few hundred thousand Sudeten Germans were to be affected, individuals that had been disloyal to Czechoslovakia and had acted as Hitler’s “fifth column” during the occupation.

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15 Yet as the Nazi atrocities in occupied Then around 9am, we’ll board our bus and Czechoslovakia escalated, Czech resistance drive 45 minutes outside Cesky Krumlov and groups—as well as a majority of the Czech your Trip Experience Leader will guide a tour of population—called for the deportation of even Vyssi Brod Monastery, a Cistercian monastery more Germans, regardless of whether there with roots that stretch back to the middle of the had been an investigation or even an inference 13th century. Considered the spiritual center of of guilt. In the end, around 1.6 million Sudeten South Bohemia, the monastery also features Germans were deported to West Germany a richly decorated library that dates back to while another estimated 800,000 were sent to the Baroque period. At the onset of World Soviet-controlled East Germany. War II, the religious order lost control of the monastery—first to the Nazis, and then to the Oli’s family experienced this expulsion Soviets. Following the Velvet Revolution, the firsthand: Her grandfather’s fiancée, pregnant monastery was returned to the monks, who with their child, was deported from Cesky have begun restoring it to its former glory. Our Krumlov because she was Sudeten German. Her tour concludes around 11:30am and we’ll then family’s home was then given to a Czech family. drive about 30 minutes to the small town of She gave birth in West Germany—then known Rozmberk nad Vltavou. as the American zone—but in the interim, Czech Republic had fallen under Communist Lunch: At a local restaurant in Rozmberk rule. It was therefore many years before Oli’s nad Vltavou around 12pm featuring typical family was able to be reunited. This is a tragic Czech cuisine. tale, but sadly one of many, and we will learn Afternoon: Following lunch, we’ll drive from her how this experience remains a bitter roughly 40 minutes to Lipno Lake, a body of subject in areas of Czech Republic that used to water created by damming the Vltava River. be Sudetenland, like Cesky Krumlov. Here, we’ll enjoy a “treetop hike” along a long Since the collapse of Communism, however, wooden walkway for views of the surrounding Sudeten German representatives in Bavaria Sumava countryside, the massive lake, and the have been pressing the Czech Republic for the distant Alps. After our hike around 3:45pm, return of properties that families had been we’ll depart for Cesky Krumlov, arriving stripped of during the expulsion. Other Sudeten around 4:45pm. Germans merely seek reconciliation with the Dinner: On your own. The town hosts a variety country their families once called home. Over of restaurant options including medieval 75 years later, the scars of this period time have taverns, a barbecue cellar, and even an Italian yet to heal, with Czechs falling on either side of pizzeria. the issue. During our 1-hour conversation with Oli, we’ll listen to her story and have plenty of Evening: You have the freedom to spend the time to ask our own questions. Opportunities rest of your evening as you wish. Perhaps you’ll to meet with locals and learn about the issues take one last stroll through town or rest up for affecting them can occasionally be emotional tomorrow’s transfer to Slavonice. and challenging—but we believe they are the best way to really get to know the heart of a destination.

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16 Day 8 Budvar Brewery in Ceske motorcoach and depart Trebon around 2:30pm, Budejovice • Explore Trebon • Slavonice continuing on to Slavonice. We’ll arrive around 3:45pm and have time to settle in at our • Destination: Slavonice centrally-located hotel, which may feature • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner a pool, sauna, and restaurant, and typical • Accommodations: Hotel Dom u Ruze rooms include satellite TV, wireless Internet or similar access, minibar, and private bath. Around Activity Note: Today’s transfer to Slavonice will 4:45pm, we’ll reconvene in our hotel lobby be about 3 hours long, with stops along the way. and walk approximately 5 minutes to our next discovery: an hour-long, hands-on visit to a Breakfast: Served at the hotel beginning at local ceramics workshop from 5pm to 6pm. Our 7am, featuring Czech and American dishes. creations will be fired, then delivered to our hotel tomorrow. Morning: We depart Cesky Krumlov by bus around 8:15am for an overland journey to Afterwards, we’ll walk back to our hotel to Slavonice. En route, we’ll stop around 9:15am meet our private motorcoach which will take in southern Bohemia’s regional capital, Ceske us to to our dinner destination; around a Budejovice, to visit the famous Budweiser 5-minute drive. Budvar Brewery for a tour led by a brewery worker. While the history of brewing in Ceske Dinner: Around 6:30pm, we’ll enjoy dinner Budejovice dates back to the 13th century, together a local restaurant, including Budweiser Budvar was founded here in 1895 local dishes. (the U.S. brewer chose the name Budweiser Evening: You have the freedom to spend the in 1876 because it was synonymous for rest of your evening as you wish. Perhaps superior beer). you’ll enjoy a nightcap in town or at the hotel’s After our brewery tour around 10:30am, we’ll restaurant. drive about an hour then stop in Trebon, an Freedom To Explore: During your two days in ancient walled town set among rolling hills and Slavonice, you have the freedom to explore this ancient fish ponds. Established in the middle of charming village on your own during your free the twelfth century, Trebon has been a popular time. Below are some recommended options for center of Czech fish farming since the Middle independent explorations: Ages and remains a picturesque spa town. There is also a brewery here that has been producing • Step inside the carving studio of Jiří Netík: Bohemia Regent lager since 1379. We’ll stroll Known for his incredibly distinct and detailed through the park surrounding Trebon’s sculptures, Jiří Netík is revered in the local Renaissance-era chateau, and visit the town community and beyond. Notable icons like center to admire the series of pastel-colored the crown prince of Liechtenstein and former burghers’ houses and ancient fortifications. Pope Benedict XVI own original pieces de- signed by Netík. Explore his carving studio to Lunch: At a local restaurant in Trebon around see where he gains inspiration and creates his noon featuring regional fare. sculptures. You may also learn about how the Afternoon: After lunch, we’ll have around 30 creative spirit runs in his family as his wife minutes of free time to explore independently. Then we’ll walk about 15 minutes to our private

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17 and son are also artists. It is recommended Day 9 Slavonice • A Day in the Life of a that you call the studio to plan the date and Czech farming village time of your visit. • Destination: Slavonice How to get there: A 5- to 10-minute walk. • • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner • Hours: Daily in July-August. • Accommodations: Hotel Dom u Ruze • Cost: About $2 USD. or similar • Explore the Slavonice Community House: Exclusive O.A.T. Activity: Today’s discoveries While the community house you’ll explore will feature A Day in the Life of a rural Czech today features a visitor center, café, and farming village. We’ll meet with the farm exhibition hall, this building has a compli- owner, help out with some of the chores, and cated history that you’ll dive into during your learn about everyday farming life during lunch visit. Established in 1932, the community with our hosts. Depending on your departure, house was built solely for Germans, meaning today’s A Day in the Life experience will take the local Jewish and Czech populations were place either at a horse farm in Placovice banned from entering the building. When (described below) or a goat farm in Penikov. the Germans were pushed out after World Read more about this experience below. War II, plans were put in place to reconstruct the community center as a cinema, but the Breakfast: Served at the hotel beginning at renovation was never completed. Eventually 7am, featuring Czech and American dishes. in 2013, the building was redesigned to be the community house you see today, which is Morning: We’ll be joined during breakfast by open to everyone. community leader Roman Steffl, who will set the stage for today’s activities—experiencing How to get there: A 5- to 10-minute walk. • our NEW A Day in the Life of a rural Czech Hours: Tuesday-Sunday. • village. Roman was born and raised in Cost: Free. • Slavonice, and his love for his small town led • Ascend the Church of Our Lady’s Assumption him to become a leader of cultural life and to Tower: Walk up 176 steps to the top of this work to preserve local traditions. Roman is also tower to take in panoramic views of the a professional musician and founder of a local village below. See the area from a different Slavonice band. Currently, he is a technical perspective here as you take in overhead director at the Slavonice Cultural House, an views of the red-roofed buildings neatly lined organization which plans concerts, workshops, in rows, verdant fields beyond the village, and and cultural projects for the community; he people going about their daily lives. also runs charity projects for children from • How to get there: A 5- to 10-minute walk. disadvantaged families. In his spare time, • Hours: Daily. Roman gives guitar lessons at the local musical • Cost: About $2 USD. school and organizes free concerts with one of the two bands he plays with. As we get to know Roman, we’ll also begin to appreciate how important community is in his small town.

We’ll say goodbye for now to Roman as we’ll see him later on today, then depart our hotel around 8:45am and continue on with our day’s

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18 discoveries: Taking advantage of our small Lunch: Around 1pm, we’ll sit down around group size, we’ll spend some time getting to a crackling bonfire and enjoy a hearty lunch know a farm owner (or a family member) and featuring traditional cuisine. During this time, learn what everyday life is really like on a rural you’ll have the opportunity to learn more about farm in the Czech Republic. Depending on your daily life on the farm. We’ll also have a chance departure, you will either visit a horse farm or to speak more with Olga’s mother, Ludmila, a goat farm. For those who visit the horse farm, listening to her stories and learning what we’ll journey about about 20 minutes outside farm life is like for her. A former tour guide, Slavonice to the small village of Placovice. Ludmila met her husband, Olga’s father, while There are only eight buildings in the whole studying at university. For most of her life she town, laid out in the shape of a horseshoe. The lived in the city of Prague, a metropolis when region also once belonged to Sudeten Germans compared with little Placovice. And while she who were forced to leave Czechoslovakia in sometimes feels very much like a city mouse 1946 (which we learn about on Day 6). in the country, Ludmila packed up and moved her life to this rural village to help her daughter We’ll be greeted there by farm owner Olga realize her dream of owning and operating the Guevarová and her husband Pavel around horse farm. 9:15am. Olga has loved horses since she was a little girl of six, when her neighbor’s Afternoon: At 1:30pm, we’ll depart the farm to grandfather—and paternal figure to young return to Slavonice. Upon arrival around 2pm, Olga—first helped her up onto one of his we’ll meet up again with community leader ponies. The daughter of a Czech mother and Roman. Roman will welcome us into his home, Nicaraguan father, Olga experienced bullying giving us the chance to see the differences at a young age due to her dark coloring and between life in the countryside and in town. was often called a “gypsy.” Her love of horses During the hour of so we spend with Roman, helped her deal with the bullying—when she feel free to ask him any questions you have was old enough, Olga spent all her spare time about the tight-knit Slavonice community. helping her neighbor with his horses and We’ll return back to our hotel around 3:15pm, learned to ride them. After eight years of work, and then you’ll have some time to relax or she was able to buy her own horse and rent a continue exploring the town’s medieval streets stable. Today, Olga breeds and trains all the on your own. If you’d like, around 6pm you horses on her farm to prepare them for horse may choose to visit a nearby 700-year-old wine shows and to sell or lease them. cellar for a tasting featuring local vintages. After getting to know our hosts, we’ll head Dinner: We’ll gather together around 6:30pm outside to take part in some of the farm’s for a festive dinner at our hotel’s restaurant daily chores—perhaps learning how to complete with traditional Moravian music. brush and feed the horses. Then we’ll enjoy a horse-training demonstration at around Evening: You have the freedom to spend the 11am. Olga practices what is known as rest of your evening as you wish. “horse whispering”—a variety of natural horsemanship that takes an empathetic approach to training. Afterwards, we’ll head back to the main house around 11:30am to help prep the midday meal together.

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19 Day 10 Slavonice • Explore Trebic and pool, sauna, and steam rooms. We enjoy some Lednice • Travel to Bratislava, Slovakia time to relax before our Trip Experience Leader leads us on a brief orientation walk of our • Destination: Bratislava, Slovakia surroundings at 6:30pm. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner • Accommodations: AC Hotel by Marriott Dinner: Around 7pm, we’ll enjoy dinner Bratislava Old Town or similar together at a local restaurant featuring local specialties. Breakfast: Served at the hotel beginning at 7am, featuring Czech and American dishes. Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your evening as you wish. Perhaps Morning: We leave the Czech Republic around you’ll begin your discoveries in Bratislava this 8:30am by bus and travel to Bratislava, capital evening by enjoying a nightcap at one of the of Slovakia. En route, we’ll stop for a visit to bars or restaurants located within walking Trebic around 10:30am, an ancient Moravian distance of the hotel. city that is home to one of Europe’s best preserved Jewish ghettos—a UNESCO World Freedom To Explore: During your two days Heritage Site. Jewish and Christian cultures in Bratislava, you have the freedom to explore co-existed here from the Middle Ages up to the Slovakia’s capital on your own during your free 20th century, and our hour-long stroll will take time. Below are some recommended options for us to Trebic’s ancient synagogue. independent explorations:

Lunch: At a cozy cafe in Trebic around 11:30am • Discover Slovakian art at the Danubiana Art featuring traditional Czech cuisine. Museum: One of Europe’s newest modern art museums, the Danubiana hosts a permanent Afternoon: Then, around 12:30pm, we continue collection featuring some of Slovakia’s most on to Lednice, arriving about two hours later. renowned modern artists, as well as artists Over the centuries, the region surrounding from abroad, and a rotating selection of Lednice (and its twin town of Valtice) has visiting exhibits. After strolling the museum’s been carefully landscaped with a series of halls to admire the art, consider having a tea woodlands, lakes, streams, gardens, and or coffee on the rooftop terrace, which offers tree-lined chateaux—all of which have been dramatic views of the Danube. Or, take a walk designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. through the museum’s manicured grounds When we arrive, we’ll head to Lednice Castle. and sculpture park. We’ll meet with a local guide around 2:30pm, and they will take us on a tour of the immense • How to get there: An 35-minute taxi ride, structure, which was built in the Neo-Gothic about $30 USD each way. style; then we’ll get to wander among • Hours: 10am-6pm, Tuesday-Sunday. the tropical plants in the Castle’s original • Cost: About $12 USD; free for those over 75. iron-framed greenhouse. • Behold the art housed at the Nedbalka Gallery: Located on an older street in We continue our transfer a little after 4pm, Bratislava, the Nedbalka Gallery fuses history arriving in Bratislava around 5:15pm to check and modernity. Showcasing more than 1,000 in to our hotel. Typical rooms have coffee- pieces of art created by more than 80 local and tea-making facilities, safes, minibars, artists, the gallery is most notable for its flat-screen TVs, wireless Internet, and private modern 19th- and 20th-century art pieces. bath, while amenities may include a restaurant,

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20 In addition to enjoying the works on display Martin’s Cathedral, a Gothic coronation church here, notice the modern architectural style of where several Hungarian Habsburg kings and the gallery’s interior. queens were crowned.

• How to get there: A 10- to 15-minute walk. Lunch: After our walking tour, we’ll head to • Hours: 1pm-7pm, Tuesday-Sunday. a local restaurant around noon to enjoy lunch • Cost: About $5 USD. together, including local dishes. • Take in panoramic views from the UFO Afternoon: During your free afternoon, perhaps restaurant: Board an elevator and ascend to you’ll check out the sweeping views of the the UFO restaurant, which offers stunning city from the ramparts of Bratislava Castle, views of the city below, including the New whose origins stretch back to the days of the Bridge—one of the world’s biggest hanging Roman Empire. Or, you may choose to join our bridges. You may choose to dine in the optional Jewels of Slovakia tour that includes a revered restaurant’s dining room, or simply wine-tasting at a family-owned winery, a light enjoy the sights. If you would like to dine at dinner, and a visit to a traditional blueprinting the UFO restaurant, reservations are encour- workshop—a Slovak folk art that involves aged because a table is not always guaranteed. printing intricate patterns on white fabric. • How to get there: A 30- to 35-minute walk. • Hours: 10am-11pm, daily. Dinner: On your own. Perhaps you’ll savor a • Cost: About $8 USD. hearty bowl of kapustnica—cabbage soup with sauerkraut, potatoes, mushrooms, ham, and Day 11 Explore Bratislava • Optional garlic. If you join the Optional Tour, a light Jewels of Slovakia tour dinner is included and you will return to the hotel around 8pm. • Destination: Bratislava • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Evening: You have the freedom to spend the • Accommodations: AC Hotel by Marriott rest of your evening as you wish. You might Bratislava Old Town or similar choose to take in one last view of the Danube illuminated at night. Breakfast: Served at the hotel beginning at 7am, featuring Slovakian and American dishes. Day 12 Bratislava • Explore Roman ruins at Morning: Just as in the Czech Republic, Carnuntum • Travel to Budapest, Hungary the Velvet Revolution spelled the end of • Destination: Budapest, Hungary Communism for Slovakia, a densely forested country with towering mountains in Central • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Europe’s heartland. Its capital, Bratislava, • Accommodations: Hotel President Budapest is situated along the Danube in Slovakia’s or similar southwestern tip, close to the border with Breakfast: Served at the hotel beginning at Hungary and Austria. Our morning walking 7am, featuring Slovakian and American dishes. tour will begin around 9am with a local guide and focus on Bratislava’s compact Old Town, Morning: After breakfast, we depart Bratislava home to a variety of 14th- and 15th-century around 8:30am by bus and begin our journey structures that include the Old Town Hall, the to Budapest, Hungary. En route, we’ll stop at Neo-classical Archbishop’s Palace, and St. the Roman city of Carnuntum around 9:15am, which began as a Roman army camp along

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21 the Danube River in what is now Austria. At culture has become a large part of Budapest’s its peak, some 50,000 people lived here, and society. For centuries, people have enjoyed after 1,700 years Carnuntum’s ancient glory the medicinal properties and soothing affects is currently being recreated from the site’s of the baths located along the Danube River. extensive ruins. After our roughly 2-hour visit, Aqua therapy is a common healing technique including a tour of the open-air museum, we recommended by doctors, which is another cross into northwestern Hungary, stopping in way these spas are utilized. Slip into the Gyor around 12:30pm, an ancient city situated thermal waters here and relax alongside at the confluence of the Danube, Rába, and locals enjoying the warm natural spas too. Rábca rivers. • How to get there: A 20- to 30-minute ride Lunch: At a local restaurant around 12:30pm in on public transportation. Gyor featuring regional dishes. • Hours: 6am-10pm, daily. • Cost: About $22 USD. Afternoon: We’ll take a stroll to admire the • Learn how to cook like a local at Budapest Baroque and Neo-classical structures in Gyor’s Makery: Browse through a menu of tradition- pedestrian-only historic core then depart for al dishes, like lecsó—a vegetable stew—and the final leg of our journey to Budapest around select one that you’ll prepare during your 2:30pm. We’ll arrive around 4:30pm and check visit. All of the ingredients will be delivered in to our centrally-located hotel that may to you at a station here, along with a tablet feature a restaurant, and typical rooms includes that will feature a step-by-step video of a safe, minibar, satellite TV, and private bath. the recipe. This unique experience not only Our Trip Experience Leader will guide us on a teaches you how to prepare a traditional dish brief walk around the hotel’s vicinity before but also allows you to be in charge of the full some free time to settle in. preparation of the dish. Dinner: We’ll depart our hotel around 6pm • How to get there: A 10- to 15-minute walk. and enjoy a stroll to a local restaurant where • Hours: 12pm-8pm, Tuesday-Sunday. we’ll enjoy dinner together around 6:30pm, • Cost: About $25 USD. including local specialties. • Catch an organ concert at St. Stephen’s Evening: You have the freedom to spend the Basilica: Enter the imposing St. Stephen’s rest of your evening as you wish. Perhaps you’ll Basilica, one of the most important cathedrals indulge in a popular beverage of Budapest, in Hungary, to enjoy an organ concert. Behold fröccs, which is a refreshing mixture of wine and the neoclassical architectural style of the site soda water. while you sit back and relax to the soothing rhythms of the music. Freedom To Explore: During your three days • How to get there: A 10- to 15-minute walk. in Budapest, you have the freedom to explore • Hours: 8pm, daily. the “Queen of the Danube” on your own during • Cost: About $35 USD. your free time. Below are some recommended options for independent explorations:

• Take a dip in the Széchenyi Thermal Bath: “The Queen of the Danube” holds another significant title as the “City of Spas.” Because of the abundance of thermal baths here, spa

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22 Day 13 Explore Budapest • Controversial shops, and bustling courtyards. During our Topic: The negative impact of Roma one-hour guided tour we’ll witness such school segregation with Romani woman sights as the Great Synagogue—the largest in Judit Ignacz • Evening Danube River cruise Europe—its Moorish design further enhanced by Byzantine, Romantic, and Gothic elements. • Destination: Budapest Around 11am, we’ll finish our explorations here • Included Meals: Breakfast and drive 15 minutes to an area of the city more • Accommodations: Hotel President Budapest off the beaten path: District 8. or similar District 8, or Józsefváros, is where the majority Exclusive O.A.T. Activity: Today’s discoveries of Budapest’s Roma population can be found. will feature the Controversial Topic of school While distinctly less glamorous than the more segregation between Roma and Hungarian touristed areas of Budapest (and considered children. We’ll speak to a local Romani a “no-go zone” for local Hungarians) its woman and educational volunteer about the charming side streets, pop-up shops, and little inequalities this segregation creates for Romani cafes offer visitors a respite from the tourist children, her own firsthand experience of being crowds. Here, we will meet Judit Ignacz, a local Romani in Hungary, and the steps programs Romani woman and educational volunteer, like the Uccu Roma Informal Educational who will share with us the Controversial Topic Foundation are taking to bridge the educational of segregation in schools between Roma and gap. Read below to learn more about this Hungarian children and its negative impact on conversation. Romani citizens.

Breakfast: Served at the hotel beginning at The Roma, once more commonly referred to 7am, featuring Hungarian and American dishes. as “gypsies,” are the largest ethnic minority Morning: With a local guide, we depart by in Europe. In Hungary alone, over 750,000 of bus and embark on a morning city tour of the its citizens are of Romani background—and undisputed “Queen of the Danube” today have been subjected to violence and official around 9am. Budapest is divided by the persecution based purely on their race. They river, with Pest (the left bank) to its east, and also suffer from extreme poverty, poor health Buda (the right bank) to its west. A popular care, and inadequate housing. This cycle of destination for international travelers, poverty has been allowed to continue as the Budapest’s iconic landmarks are often bustling education system is not designed to serve with visitors. We’ll stroll down side streets this at-risk community, but instead practices to uncover hidden highlights and witness segregation between Roma and Hungarian unmissable sites like Pest’s city center and children. In fact, 61% of Roma children attend Buda’s Castle Hill—a massive castle complex schools in which all or most of the children and UNESCO World Heritage Site—from a local are also Roma. Many of these schools provide vantage point. a lower quality of education—yet addressing segregation does not appear to be a priority for Then around 9:45am, we will re-board our the government. private motorcoach and head toward the Jewish Quarter, arriving around 10am. Originally a Barely a fifth of Romani students complete ghetto during WWII, Budapest’s Jewish Quarter secondary education and only one percent today is a lively district full of art galleries, continues on to college or a trade school.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

23 And while Hungary was one of the twelve ethnicity. Judit will describe the numerous countries with significant Roma minorities that challenges she and her fellow Roma people participated in the Decade of Roma Inclusion face on a daily basis, such as being followed (2005-2015), this educational segregation has by security while shopping, denied access increased, with 30% to 44% of Roma children to clubs, and experiencing racism on public affected since 2013. Romani people also face transportation. She’ll also share the struggles significantly lower life expectancy and higher of landing a job, renting an apartment, and levels of poverty, which can be attributed to catching up with educational studies after this lower educational standard. A recent study graduating from a segregated Roma school. by the Hungarian Central Statistical Office While this Controversial Topic may be revealed that among Roma between the ages of emotionally challenging, it’s necessary 15 and 64, a staggering 80% had not achieved 8 to understand every aspect of Hungary, or more years of schooling. This included 16% and travelers often find it a rewarding and of Roma people who had not finished primary eye-opening experience. We’ll thank Judit and school and another 63% who did not complete say goodbye around 12:45pm, after which we’ll secondary education, compared to a mere 1% to drive back to our hotel. 9% of non-Roma citizens. Lunch: Our city tour will wrap up around 1pm. These grim statistics—coupled with her At this time, you can enjoy lunch on your own own life experience—compelled Judit to at the Great Market Hall, the oldest and largest become a Uccu Roma Informal Educational indoor market in Budapest where you can enjoy Foundation volunteer. The Uccu Foundation local Hungarian specialties. was established in 2010 initially as an answer to a series of racially motivated hate crimes Afternoon: Enjoy a free afternoon to make your against Roma people in Hungary between 2008 own discoveries. You may wish to head to the and 2009. The current number of young Roma turreted Fisherman’s Bastion for panoramic volunteers like Judit is only around 45, but still views of the city, or spend some time at the growing. These young Roma are driven by an famous Chain Bridge, which was first opened intrinsic motivation to fight against prejudice in 1849 to link the two provincial towns of and stereotypes, which they themselves have Buda and Pest, and now stands as a symbol of often experienced firsthand. The foundation Hungarian liberty. provides an opportunity for primary and secondary school Romani students from all over Dinner: Your free time continues into the Hungary to meet and engage in a meaningful evening for you to enjoy dinner on your conversation with their young Roma peers. own. From old-fashioned taverns to more modernized eateries, Budapest offers an array Judit will first take us on an hour-long walking of restaurant choices. tour of the neighborhood, during which she will engage us in interactive conversation. Evening: Around 8:30pm, we’ll depart our Then we will settle into a local café where we hotel by bus and drive roughly 30 minutes to will have around 30 minutes to ask Judit any tonight’s activity. We’ll gather for an hour-long questions we may have. Throughout, Judit will evening cruise on the Danube River—an share with us her own personal experiences opportunity to witness Budapest’s monuments growing up Roma in Hungary—and the acts of discrimination she has endured due to her

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

24 illuminated, from Pest’s Danube Promenade Heroes’ Square where you can witness a to the Buda Castle District. We’ll return to the memorial to the great leaders in Hungary’s hotel around 10:30pm. history, including the Millennium Monument. Around 5:45pm, we’ll meet at our hotel and Day 14 Explore Budapest reminisce on the highlights of our adventure and then walk to our dinner location together. • Destination: Budapest • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Dinner: Enjoy a Farewell Dinner of • Accommodations: Hotel President Budapest locally-inspired dished around 6:45pm at or similar a local restaurant to celebrate our travel experiences. Breakfast: Served at the hotel beginning at 7am, featuring Hungarian and American dishes. Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your evening as you wish. Perhaps you’ll Morning: We’ll depart our hotel around 9am enjoy a final nightcap in the city, or rest up for and take a short 10-minute subway ride to tomorrow’s return home. Parliament Square, home to one of Europe’s oldest legislative bodies, the imposing riverside Hungarian Parliament Building. In the square, Day 15 Return to U.S. or begin we’ll meet a local expert around 9:15am to learn post-trip extension about the Hungarian Uprising of 1956, a time • Included Meals: Breakfast when students and workers took to the streets Breakfast: Served at the hotel beginning at of Budapest in the first major threat to Soviet 7am, featuring Hungarian and American dishes. control of the region. Following our tour, we’ll walk to a local restaurant for lunch. Morning: Depending on your specific flight arrangements, you’ll transfer about 45 minutes Lunch: Around noon, we’ll enjoy lunch at a to the airport sometime this morning for your local restaurant, featuring regional cuisine. return flight home. Or, begin your post-trip Afternoon: After lunch, you have the remainder extension Vienna: Palaces, Music, Architecture & of the afternoon to make more independent Sachertorte. discoveries in Budapest. Perhaps you’ll visit

END YOUR ADVENTURE WITH AN OPTIONAL POST-TRIP EXTENSION 5 nights in Vienna: Palaces, Music, Architecture & Sachertorte

Day 1 Budapest, Hungary • Day 4 Explore Vienna • Optional Transfer to Vienna Footsteps of the Great Composers tour Day 2 Explore Vienna • Heurigen Day 5 Vienna • Schoenbrunn Palace Wine Dinner Day 6 Vienna • Return to U.S. Day 3 Vienna • Belvedere Palace

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

25 OPTIONAL TOURS

During your trip you will be able to book optional tours directly with your Trip Experience Leader. He or she will ask you to confirm the payment for these tours by filling out a payment form. Optional tours can only be purchased with a credit or debit card. We accept Visa, MasterCard, and Discover credit cards. We also accept Visa and MasterCard debit cards, but it must be a debit card that allows you to sign for purchases.

In order to correctly process these charges, there can be a delay of 2-3 months from the date of your return for the charges to be posted to your account. Therefore we ask that you use a card that will not expire in the 2-3 months following your return.

Please note: Optional tour prices are listed in U.S. dollar estimates determined at the time of publication and are subject to change. Optional tours may vary.

Jewels of Slovakia (Day 11 $80 per person)

Experience a sampling of the best Slovakia has to offer when we visit a local winery. First, you’ll enjoy a wine-tasting before interacting with the family who owns the winery to discuss their daily life and wine production in the area. Then, you’ll participate in a traditional blueprinting workshop. Learn more about blueprinting—a Slovak folk art that involves printing intricate patterns on white fabric—during conversations with the artist and hands-on activities.

Please note: In order for this optional tour to operate, a minimum of seven travelers must participate.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

26 PRE-TRIP Berlin, Wittenberg, Dresden & the Elbe River Valley

INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE

» Bus transportation from Dresden to Prague » 7 small group activities » Accommodations for 3 nights in Berlin at » Services of a local O.A.T. Trip the Maritim Hotel or similar, and 2 nights in Experience Leader Dresden at the Hyperion Hotel or similar » Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and » 11 meals—5 breakfasts, 4 lunches, luggage porters and 2 dinners » All transfers

PRE-TRIP EXTENSION ITINERARY

Explore Berlin, the divided city that has blossomed anew in the era of reunification. Then discover how Dresden, Germany’s artistic hub for centuries before the destruction of World War II, has risen from the ashes, fully restored and gleaming.

Day 1 Depart U.S. Dinner: On your own. Perhaps you’ll try a local specialty eisbein (pork knuckle). In Berlin, Depart the U.S. today on your international the knuckle is boiled in sauerkraut for several flight to Berlin. hours until the meat is tender enough to fall off the bone. Day 2 Arrive Berlin, Germany Evening: You have the freedom to spend the • Destination: Berlin, Germany rest of your evening as you wish. You may • Accommodations: Maritim proArte Hotel choose to use this time to settle in, or begin Berlin or similar your explorations of Berlin. Afternoon: After an overnight flight, an Freedom To Explore: During your three O.A.T. representative will meet us at the full days in Berlin, you have the freedom to airport and assist with your transfer to the experience Germany’s capital city on your centrally-located hotel. Depending on where own during your free time. Below are a few you stay, amenities may include a restaurant, recommended options for independent café, bar, and fitness center. Typical rooms explorations: feature satellite TV, wireless Internet, safe, minibar, and private bath with hair dryer. • Visit Botanischer Garden, named one of the Upon arrival around 5:15pm, we’ll enjoy a most beautiful botanical gardens in the world. Welcome Drink and short briefing from our Trip Let the variety of international flora enchant Experience Leader. you as you stroll through a transplanted trop- ical rainforest. While the gardens are close in

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

27 proximity to Berlin’s main attractions, the in German culture, whether by interacting peaceful environment feels worlds away from with local store owners or grabbing a tradi- the hustle and bustle of the city. After you’ve tional bite. stimulated your senses in the greenhouse • How to get there: 15 minutes from your portion, deepen your discoveries with a visit hotel by public transportation to the Botanical Museum. Here, you’ll witness • Hours: 10am-8pm Monday through the unique biological and archaeological Saturday, closed on Sundays findings as you examine the collections of • Cost: Free three passionate, renowned botanists. • How to get there: Approximately 30 min- Day 3 Explore Berlin utes from hotel by public transportation • Destination: Berlin Hours: 9am-8pm daily • • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Cost: $7 • • Accommodations: Maritim proArte Hotel • The Chamaleon is Germany’s leading Berlin or similar attraction in contemporary theater. This Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel exciting new art form deliberately blurs the beginning at 7am, featuring German and boundaries between acrobatics, dance, music, American dishes. and theater—in order to create something thrilling and cutting-edge. Located in the Morning: Today, we’ll depart our hotel by bus center of Berlin, this company has been around 9am to see Berlin’s highlights on an entertaining audiences since 2004. The included city tour. The second-largest urban group describes themselves as “committed area in Europe, Berlin is an enormous city, to presenting innovative circus productions but most of its iconic sites are relatively close from all over the world in a warm, beautiful together. Divided at the end of World War II, space where hospitality is our top priority.” blockaded by the Soviets during the Cold War, • How to get there: 20-minute walk from riven by a cruel grey wall, and finally delivered your hotel, or one stop away on the com- by the sledgehammers of freedom fighters, muter train. Berlin is once again a united city. We’ll discover • Hours: 12-6pm Mondays, 12-8pm many facets of history on our tour which Tuesdays- Fridays, 12-9:30pm Saturdays, includes a look at the outside of the Olympic 12-6pm Sundays Stadium (made infamous by the 1936 Summer • Cost: $40-$60 depending on the show Olympics) and the exterior of pre-World War II Tempelhof Airport. • Visit Bikini Berlin, a self-described “oasis in the heart of the city, an urban hub and social Lunch: At a local restaurant around 1pm, universe.” The modern complex features featuring local specialties. shopping, restaurants, work spaces, and a movie theater. To enjoy a panoramic view of Afternoon: After lunch around 2:30pm, we Berlin, head up to the green rooftop terrace conclude our discovery walk with a visit to free of charge and enjoy a peaceful manicured the Berlin Wall Documentation Center. Then atmosphere in an otherwise busy city. You around 4pm, use your newfound knowledge of can even see the animals moseying around Berlin to explore the city on your own. Perhaps the zoo next door. This is an ideal excursion you’ll like to explore Schloss Charlottenburg, for those looking to immerse themselves the largest remaining palace in the city.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

28 Dinner: We’ll gather for a Welcome Dinner Afternoon: Continue your free day into the around 6:30pm at a restaurant near our hotel. afternoon—or if you joined the optional tour, return to Berlin around 3pm. Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your evening as you wish. You may Dinner: On your own. Perhaps you’ll try a choose to enjoy a glass of Berliner Weisse regional specialty, königsberger klopse (German at a nearby bar, a popular sour beer that is meatballs) served in a white sauce flavored with often served in a bowl-shaped vessel with lemon and capers. raspberry syrup. Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your evening as you wish. You may Day 4 Berlin • Optional Potsdam tour choose to see a show at the CHAMÄLEON • Destination: Berlin Theatre, known for its innovative circus • Included Meals: Breakfast productions. • Accommodations: Maritim proArte Hotel Berlin or similar Day 5 Berlin • Wittenberg • Activity Note: The Optional Tour is not Meissen • Dresden available on Mondays or any other day that • Destination: Dresden Cecilienhof Palace is closed. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel • Accommodations: Hyperion Hotel Dresden beginning at 7am, featuring German and or similar American dishes. Activity Note: Our total transfer time today is up to 5 hours, with stops along the way. Morning: Explore Berlin on your own today. The city’s lakes and forests provide retreats in Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel an urban setting, while its divided history has beginning at 7am, featuring German and led to a unique collection of architectural styles. American dishes. If you find yourself in the old Soviet sector of the city, keep your eyes open for extant Morning: We check out of our hotel this Ampelmannchen, the “little traffic light man” morning and board a bus around 8am for who adorned East German traffic lights. Dresden. First, we stop in Wittenberg around 9:45am and enjoy a short walking tour with Or, you may wish to join an optional tour our Trip Experience Leader in this city that’s around 8:30am to historic Potsdam, a UNESCO famous for its connection to Protestant leaer World Heritage Site, which features Sanssouci Martin Luther. Around 11am, we continue Park, Cecilienhof Palace, the New Garden, and to Meissen. Glienicke Bridge. Lunch: At a local restaurant in Meissen around Lunch: On your own today. Your Trip 1:15pm, featuring local specialties. Experience Leader is happy to provide local restaurant recommendations. Those travelers Afternoon: After lunch around 2:30pm, our who joined the optional tour will enjoy an Trip Experience Leader guides an informative included lunch at a local restaurant around 1pm. stroll of this European center of porcelain, set on the banks of the Elbe with its castle and soaring Gothic cathedral.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

29 An hour-long drive through scenic forests and • Experience the Museum of Hygiene: This farmlands brings us to Dresden around 4:30pm. permanent exhibit was founded in 1912 by We’ll have some time to relax after we check Karl August Lingner, a Dresden businessman into our centrally-located hotel. Depending and manufacturer of hygiene products. The on which hotel you stay in, it may feature a museum features an extensive collection restaurant, lounge, bar, and fitness center. of approximately 45,000 items related to Typical rooms include a safe, wireless Internet, bodily awareness and healthy behavior. Most coffee- and tea-making facilities, and private of these items originate from the early 20th bath with hairdryer, robe, and slippers. Around century and onwards. Major themes through- 6pm, our Trip Experience Leader will then lead out the exhibit include living, dying, eating, us on a short vicinity walk on the way to dinner. drinking, sex, and beauty.

Dinner: At a local restaurant around 6:30pm, • How to get there: About a 30-minute walk. featuring regional cuisine. • Hours: 10am-6pm, daily. • Cost: About $10 USD. Evening: You have the freedom to spend the • Delve into the auto world at Glaserne rest of your evening as you wish. Perhaps Manufaktur: This car factory and exhibition you’ll begin your explorations of Dresden with space is owned by German car manufacturer a famous sweet treat. Dresdner Eierschecke is a Volkswagen and was designed by architect three-layered sheet cake which includes vanilla Gunter Henn. It opened in 2002, originally pudding, sponge cake, and egg whites. producing the Volkswagen Phaeton. By 2017, Freedom To Explore: During your two days in it was dedicated to producing the electric Dresden, you have the freedom to experience version of the Golf, a very popular car in the city on your own during your free time. Germany. Factory visitors have an opportu- Below are a few recommended options for nity to test drive VW vehicles for 30 minutes, independent explorations: take a virtual tour of Dresden, and experience various exhibits pertaining to VW’s electric • Visit Dresden Royal Palace: For almost and hybrid technologies. Car buffs won’t want 400 years, this royal palace served as the to miss this. residence of the electors and kings of Saxony. • How to get there: About a 30-minute walk. Today, it is a museum complex divided • Hours: 9am-7pm, Monday-Saturday; into five sections: Historic and New Green 10am-6pm, Sunday. Vault; Numismatic Cabinet; Collection of • Cost: About $8 USD. Prints, Drawings and Photographs; Dresden Armory with the Turkish Chamber; and the Day 6 Dresden and Elbe River Valley tour Dresden State Art Collections. The building itself is also well-known for it’s varied • Destination: Dresden architectural styles, including Baroque and • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Neo-renaissance. • Accommodations: Hyperion Hotel Dresden or similar • How to get there: About a 1-minute walk. • Hours: 10am-6pm, Wednesday-Monday. Breakfast: At the hotel starting at 7am, • Cost: About $16 USD. featuring German and American dishes.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

30 Morning: Today, we’re off around 9am to Breakfast: At the hotel starting at 7am, tour the city of Dresden and the Elbe River featuring German and American dishes. Valley by motorcoach. Situated in a broad Morning: We’ll board a bus around 8am for our floodplain, Dresden was founded in the transfer to Prague for our Jewels of Bohemia: twelfth century by Slavs. In the 16th century, Czech Republic, Slovakia & Hungary adventure. the finest painters, architects, and musicians En route to Prague, we’ll pass through the Elbe from across Europe began to flood the city, Valley and the dramatic sandstone landscape of which remained a cultural hub until World Saxon Switzerland. We’ll pause in Sudetenland War II, when Allied aircraft used incendiary around 10:30am and discover the flavor of life bombs to burn Dresden to the ground. The city in this historic region of the Czech Republic. was completely destroyed, and thousands of Here, we’ll visit Skanzen Zubrnice, an open-air civilians were killed. Kurt Vonnegut, himself museum of historic dwellings, where we’ll a survivor of the air raids, chronicled these enjoy a glimpse of agricultural traditions during events in Slaughterhouse-Five. Following the a farm presentation. war, Dresden was rebuilt from the ground up, an eternal reminder of the folly of war and Lunch: Enjoy a Home-Hosted Lunch around strength of the human creative spirit. 11:45am near Skanzen Zubrnice.

Lunch: At a local restaurant around noon, Afternoon: Around 1:30pm, we’ll drive for featuring regional specialties. about 30 minutes and pause for a somber reminder of the Holocaust at Terezin, whose Afternoon: Enjoy the rest of the afternoon fortress was used as a Gestapo prison during and evening to explore Dresden on your own. World War II. Perhaps you’ll venture over to one of the oldest buildings in the city, the Dresden Royal Palace, We’ll leave Terezin around 3:45pm and located within walking distance of our hotel. continue on to Prague, arriving around 5pm to settle into our hotel to begin our main Dinner: On your own—perhaps enjoying the adventure. hearty Saxon cuisine this region is known for.

Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your evening as you wish. You may opt for an evening stroll to make any final discoveries in Dresden before our transfer to Prague tomorrow.

Day 7 Dresden • Overland to Prague via Sudetenland and Terezin • Home-Hosted Lunch • Begin main trip • Destination: Prague, Czech Republic • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Activity Note: Our overland transfer to Prague by bus will take around 9 hours, including stops along the way.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

31 OPTIONAL TOUR

Potsdam (Day 4 $120 per person) Join us on an optional tour of Potsdam, residence of the Prussian kings until 1918—and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We’ll walk through the gardens of Sanssouci Park, visit Cecilienhof Palace, where the Potsdam Conference of August 1945 took place to lay the groundwork for Germany’s postwar fate, and stroll through the landscaped grounds of New Garden (Neuer Garten). Then, we’ll make a brief stop at Glienicke Bridge, which became known as the “Bridge of Spies” during the Cold War, as the superpowers used its midpoint as a place to exchange captured agents. We’ll also enjoy an included lunch at a local restaurant before returning to Berlin. Optional Tour is not available on Mondays or any other day that Cecilienhof Palace is closed.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

32 POST-TRIP Vienna: Palaces, Music, Architecture & Sachertorte

INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE

» Bus transportation from Budapest to Vienna » Services of a local O.A.T. Trip » Accommodations for 5 nights in Vienna at Experience Leader Hotel Rathauspark or similar » Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and » 10 meals—5 breakfasts, 2 lunches, luggage porters and 3 dinners » All transfers » 3 small group activities

POST-TRIP EXTENSION ITINERARY

City of waltzes and Habsburg glory, Vienna still charms with elegant architecture, thriving arts, and lush gardens. Witness the Ringstrasse, sip local vintages in the wine district, and explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Schoenbrunn Palace.

Day 1 Budapest, Hungary • Afternoon: Lunch is followed by an orientation Transfer to Vienna walk led by our Trip Experience Leader around 2:15pm. The balance of the afternoon is free for • Destination: Vienna, Austria you to make your own discoveries in Vienna. • Included Meals: Lunch, Dinner Perhaps you’ll pay a visit to Naschmarkt, one • Accommodations: Hotel Rathauspark of the city’s oldest markets, dating back to the or similar 16th century. Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel Dinner: We’ll reconvene around 6:30pm beginning at 7am, featuring Hungarian and tonight for dinner at a local restaurant, American dishes. featuring regional cuisine. Morning: Today, we’ll board our bus around Evening: You have the freedom to spend the 8:30am and begin our approximately 4-hour rest of your evening as you wish. You may transfer to Vienna. Around 12:30pm, we’ll choose to continue exploring Vienna, or enjoy a check-in at our centrally-located hotel. nightcap at the hotel’s bar. Depending on where you stay, it may feature a restaurant and bar while typical rooms include Freedom To Explore: During your four days in a mini bar, wireless Internet access, cable TV, Vienna you have the freedom to explore this and private bath with hair dryer. vibrant city on your own during your free time. Below are a few recommended options for Lunch: At a local restaurant around 1pm, independent explorations: featuring local specialties.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

33 • Enjoy a unique Viennese coffee experience at exotic fruit, to handmade scarves, to pastry Palmenhaus. Featuring greenery both inside stands here, and on Saturdays, Naschmarkt and out and adjacent to a peaceful butterfly transforms itself into a bustling flea market. garden, this café—which was once a green- Take your time to peruse the plethora of house built for Austrian royals—provides a stalls, perhaps stopping at an antique store or unique dining experience. It’s a favorite spot two or sampling a number of delicacies from of locals, and you’ll get the chance to interact around the world like Turkish kebab. with patrons as you sip a cup of Viennese • How to get there: An approximate coffee surrounded by colorful flora. Revel 10-minute taxi ride from the hotel. in the detailed Art Nouveau architecture, • Hours: 6am-9pm, Monday-Friday; 6am- and relax in the warmth of the glasshouse’s 6pm, Saturday. tropical setting (complete, of course, with • Cost: Free. palm trees). • How to get there: An approximate Day 2 Explore Vienna • Heurigen 10-minute walk from the hotel. Wine Dinner • Hours: 10am-midnight, Monday-Friday; • Destination: Vienna 9am-midnight, Saturday; 9am-11pm, • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Sunday. • Accommodations: Hotel Rathauspark • Cost: Free. or similar • Get a glimpse into Austria’s music culture at Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel Weiner Staatsoper, the opera house built in beginning at 6:30am, featuring Austrian and the 1860s as the first building on Vienna’s American dishes. iconic Ringstrasse (Ring Road). This ornate building houses the Vienna State Opera, who Morning: We’ll depart our hotel by bus around produce over 50 operas a year. You’ll also find 9am this morning for our our Vienna city tour, the Vienna Philharmonic and the Vienna State which features the Ringstrasse, probably the Ballet here. Whether you visit to catch a live greatest achievement of the Emperor Franz performance or to embark on a guided tour, Joseph. This boulevard encircling the Innen you’ll find yourself among intricate marble Stadt was mapped out in the 1860s along the décor, perhaps gazing upon the massive ramparts Joseph II had begun clearing 80 chandelier in the center of the auditorium. years prior. The Neo-classical buildings along • How to get there: An approximate the Ringstrasse bring together all the greatest 25-minute walk or 10-minute tram ride architectural styles in a celebration of all from the hotel. that seemed possible during the Industrial • Hours: Tours offered hourly between 10am Revolution. and 3pm. Lunch: On your own after the city tour around • Cost: Around $8 to $10 USD. 12:30pm. Perhaps you’ll enjoy one of Austria’s • Shop like a local at Naschmarkt, one of the national dishes—wiener schnitzel. This simple oldest markets in all of Vienna dating back Austrian staple is made from a thin, breaded to at least the 18th century. The market is a veal cutlet and then deep-fried in oil or butter. mosaic of treats for the senses, serving as a produce market and traditional open-air market at once. You’ll find everything from

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

34 Afternoon: Enjoy independent discoveries museums featuring Austrian art from the 18th of Vienna this afternoon, perhaps taking in to the 20th centuries, and we’ll explore one of one of the city’s renowned museums. When the renowned galleries as well as the gardens. the weather agrees, the entertainment moves Our tour will last approximately 3 hours. outdoors to the sidewalks. Lunch: At a local restaurant around noon, Around 5:30pm, we’ll drive about 30 minutes featuring a selection of regional cuisine. to the Grinzing wine district, the location Afternoon: The rest of the day is free for you of various authentic Heurigen restaurants. to explore on your own. Make discoveries at The Heurigen tradition began when Emperor your own pace in the city that served as home Joseph II passed a law stating that small and inspiration to some of the world’s greatest local winemakers were allowed to serve their artists, thinkers, and musicians. vintages and food to members of the public so long as they sold only wine of their own Dinner: On your own. Perhaps you’ll enjoy making. Many people then opened the gardens a popular local dish, Austrian goulash. This of their own homes and small estates, and hearty beef stew is seasoned with paprika, visiting one of these establishments became a onions, and tomatoes, and is usually topped traditional outing for the city dwellers. It’s a with dumplings. rich tradition that is maintained today. Evening: You have the freedom to spend the Dinner: We’ll participate in this local tradition rest of your evening as you wish. when we gather for dinner together around 6pm with local vintages at an authentic Day 4 Explore Vienna • Optional Footsteps Heurigen restaurant in the Grinzing wine of the Great Composers tour district. • Destination: Vienna Evening: Following dinner, we’ll arrive back • Included Meals: Breakfast at the hotel around 8:30pm where you have • Accommodations: Hotel Rathauspark the freedom to spend the rest of your evening as you wish. Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel beginning at 6:30am, featuring Austrian and Day 3 Vienna • Belvedere Palace American dishes. • Destination: Vienna Morning: The day is free to relax or explore • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch on your own. Perhaps you’ll enjoy a tour of Wiener Staatsoper, the Vienna State Opera • Accommodations: Hotel Rathauspark house. Or, you may join our optional Footsteps or similar of the Great Composers walking tour around Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel 9am, which features museum visits and sites beginning at 6:30am, featuring Austrian and associated with Mozart and Beethoven. Tour American dishes. highlights include the Mozart House Museum, Morning: We’ll depart our hotel around 8:30am where the composer lived from 1784 to 1787, this morning and take public transportation and a visit to the House of Music, a museum to the magnificent Belvedere Palace around with a floor dedicated to Mozart, Beethoven, 9am, which is actually two palaces set amidst and other great masters of the Viennese music a splendid park. Both palaces are home to tradition.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

35 Lunch: Travelers who joined the optional tour rooms, meticulously maintained gardens, will enjoy lunch at a local restaurant around and an architectural legacy that stretches 12:45pm. Otherwise lunch is on your own. back to the 17th century, the palace is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our visit spans Afternoon: All travelers will enjoy a free from 10am-12pm, and includes a tour of palace afternoon to continue exploring Vienna. After highlights and free time to spend exploring the exploring the Vienna State Opera House this palace’s park. morning, you may have purchased tickets for a performance this afternoon. Lunch: On your own. There are a variety of cafés and restaurants on the grounds of the Dinner: On your own. You may choose to dine Palace you may choose to visit. at the hotel’s on-site restaurant or any of the eateries within walking distance of the hotel. Afternoon: Enjoy time to make final discoveries in Vienna at your own pace, or prepare for your Evening: You have the freedom to spend the morning departure tomorrow. rest of your evening as you wish. Perhaps you’ll opt for an evening stroll through the city to see Dinner: We toast our adventure tonight around it come alive at night. 6pm during a Farewell Dinner together in a local restaurant.

Day 5 Vienna • Schoenbrunn Palace Evening: Following dinner, you have the • Destination: Vienna freedom to spend the rest of your evening • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner as you wish. Perhaps you’ll enjoy one final • Accommodations: Hotel Rathauspark Austrian beer or apfelstrudel (apple strudel). or similar

Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel Day 6 Vienna • Return to U.S. beginning at 6:30am, featuring Austrian and • Included Meals: Breakfast American dishes. Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel Morning: We leave our hotel this morning beginning at 6:30am, featuring Austrian and around 9am and hop aboard the local subway to American dishes. visit the expansive summer estate of Habsburg Morning: After breakfast, we transfer for royalty, Schoenbrunn Palace (whose name 45 minutes to the airport for our morning means “beautiful spring”). Featuring 1,400 flight home.

OPTIONAL TOUR

Footsteps of the Great Composers are said to have crossed in Vienna. Our first (Day 4 $125 per person) stop is the Mozart House Museum, where we’ll This half-day walking tour follows in the learn about the legendary composer’s life, footsteps of two of the world’s greatest family, and friends at his residence from 1784 composers, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and to 1787. Then, we head to the House of Music, a Ludwig van Beethoven—and how their paths museum featuring an entire floor dedicated to

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

36 Mozart, Beethoven, and other great masters of the Viennese music tradition. Lunch is included at a local restaurant.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

37 Jewels of Bohemia: Czech RISK-FREE BOOKING POLICY: RESERVE WITH CONFIDENCE—NOW THROUGH 12/31/21 Republic, Slovakia & Hungary We will waive any change fees if you transfer to another departure date for any reason—up until 24 hours prior to departure. 2021 Dates & Prices See details at www.oattravel.com/riskfree-booking.

MAY 3-9; APRIL; AUGUST; MAY 12-30; DEPART FROM OCT 11-31 SEPTEMBER JUNEJULY O C T O B E R 2 - 8N O V E M B E R

New York $ 3295 $ 3795 $ 4095 $ 3895 $ 3495 $ 3195

Baltimore, Boston $ 3395 $ 3895 $ 4195 $ 3995 $ 3595 $ 3295

Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, Seattle, $ 3495 $ 3995 $ 4295 $ 4095 $ 3695 $ 3395 Washington, DC

Denver, Minneapolis, Orlando, Philadelphia, Portland, San Francisco, $ 3595 $ 4095 $ 4395 $ 4195 $ 3795 $ 3495 Tampa

Dallas, Phoenix, San Diego $ 3695 $4195 $4495 $4295 $3895 $3595

Additional departure cities are available. Upgrade to Business Class may be available for the international portion of your flight. Call for details.

APRIL; OCT 11-31; NOVEMBER MAY; JUNE; SEP 3-30 JULY AUGUST; SEP 1; OCT 2-8 Without international airfare $2395 $2895 $2695 $2595

BCA2021

Prices are per person. Airfare prices include government taxes, fees, and airline fuel surcharges. All prices and availability are effective as of the date of this publication, and are subject to change without notice. Standard Terms & Conditions apply, please visit our website: www.oattravel.com/tc. Every effort has been made to produce this information accurately. We reserve the right to correct errors.

For specific departure dates, current availability, and detailed pricing, visit www.oattravel.com/bca2021 pricing

SAVE UP TO 10% WITH FREE SINGLE SUPPLEMENTS SHARE YOUR LOVE OF TRAVEL OUR GOOD BUY PLAN We offer FREE Single Supplements on all New travelers you refer will instantly save The earlier you reserve your departure of our adventures and pre- and post-trip $100, and you’ll earn increasing rewards— and pay in full, the more you’ll save—up extensions. up to a FREE trip! to 10%—plus, you’ll lock in your price. Each departure has limited solo space For details, visit www.oattravel.com/va For details, visit www.oattravel.com/gbd available—call today to reserve.

Publication Date 12/11/20

Information & Reservations 1-800-955-1925 www.oattravel.com/bca2021

38 TRAVEL DOCUMENTS & ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Your Passport • Must be in good condition

• Must be valid for at least 6 months after your scheduled return to the U.S.

• Must have the required number of blank pages (details below)

• The blank pages must be labeled “Visas” at the top. Pages labeled “Amendments and Endorsements” are not acceptable

Need to Renew Your Passport? Contact the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) at 1-877-487-2778, or visit their website at www.travel.state.gov for information on obtaining a new passport or renewing your existing passport. You may also contact our recommended visa service company, PVS International, at 1-800-556-9990 for help with your passport

Recommended Blank Pages Please confirm that your passport has enough blank pages for this adventure.

• Main trip only: You will require 3 blank passport pages.

• Pre-trip to Berlin & Dresden, Germany: This extension does not require any additional pages.

• Post-trip to Vienna, Austria: This extension does not require any additional pages.

• Both pre- and a post-trip extension: You will need a total of 3 blank pages.

No Visas Required Travelers with a U.S. passport do not need any visas for this adventure, including the optional trip extensions.

Traveling Without a U.S. Passport? If you are not a U.S. citizen, or if your passport is from any country other than the U.S., it is your responsibility to check with your local consulate, embassy, or a visa services company about visa requirements. We recommend the services of PVS International, a national visa service located in Washington D.C.; they can be reached at 1-800-556-9990 or www.pvsinternational.org.

Traveling With a Minor? Some governments may require certain documentation for minors to enter and depart the country or to obtain a visa (if applicable). For further detail on the required documentation, please contact your local embassy or consulate.

39 Emergency Photocopies of Key Documents We recommend you carry color photocopies of key documents including the photo page of your passport plus any applicable visas, air itinerary, credit cards (front and back), and an alternative form of ID. Add emergency phone numbers like your credit card company and the number for your travel protection plan. Store copies separate from the originals.

If you plan to email this information to yourself, please keep in mind that email is not always secure; consider using password protection or encryption. Also email is not always available worldwide. As an alternative, you could load these documents onto a flash drive instead, which can do double-duty as a place to backup photos during your trip.

Overseas Taxes & Fees This tour may have taxes and fees that cannot be included in your airline ticket price because you are required to pay them in person onsite. All taxes are subject to change without notice and can be paid in cash (either U.S. or local currency). If applicable, you will receive a list of these fees with your Final Documents.

Requirements for the Czech Republic You will need to bring additional documentation for the Czech Republic, so please read carefully.

According to the U.S. State Department and Czech Embassy, all foreign tourists must be able to provide proof of medical coverage, if asked. Not all travelers will be asked—in fact, most travelers won’t—and even some local officials are unaware of this rule. But occasionally, travelers are asked at passport control in Prague or by medical personnel. And if that happens to you, we want you to be prepared.

Specifically, you must be able to show proof of coverage that meets these requirements:

• Be for a minimum of 30,000 Euros (about $37,000 US dollars at the time of writing).

• Cover possible medical expenses and hospitalization charges while traveling.

• Be valid in Schengen countries like the Czech Republic. Schengen countries are the European Union countries that have signed the Schengen Agreement—for example, Austria, France, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, etc.

• Include evacuation or repatriation coverage—it must cover the cost of getting you back home if you need to return for medical reasons.

The good news is that our Travel Protection Plan DOES meet these requirements. So what type of documentation you should bring depends on if you purchased Travel Protection with us or not.

40 If you purchased our Travel Protection Plan: All you’ll need to bring is a copy of the coverage from our plan provider. You can download and print a copy of your coverage for this purpose. Go online to www.gct.com/tpp or oattravel.com/tpp, and follow the links to the plan provider’s website. This will redirect you to where you can print a copy of your coverage. TIP: In our experience, the page from Part B with the schedule of benefits is usually enough to satisfy local officials.

If you did not purchase Travel Protection with us: You will need to bring some other form of proof of coverage. If your own health insurance meets the requirements above, contact your insurer for a letter stating that you are covered. A certificate of coverage or proof of purchase from a private insurer or another Travel Protection Plan will also suffice, as long as the requirements listed above are met. However, Medicare cards are not acceptable, since Medicare does not cover medical expenses abroad.

41 RIGORS, VACCINES & GENERAL HEALTH

Is This Adventure Right for You? Please review the information below prior to departing on this adventure. We reserve the right for our Trip Experience Leaders to modify participation, or in some circumstances send travelers home, if their condition would adversely affect the health, safety, or enjoyment of themselves or of other travelers.

PACING • 5 locations in 14 days with two 2-night stays and some early mornings

• International flights to Czech Republic depart around midnight

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS • Not appropriate for travelers using wheelchairs, walkers, or other mobility aids

• You must be able to walk 5-6 miles unassisted and participate in 4-6 hours of physical activities each day

• Agility and balance are required for embarking inflatable rafts

• We reserve the right for Trip Experience Leaders to restrict participation, or in some circumstances send travelers home, if their limitations impact the group’s experience

CLIMATE • Daytime temperatures range from 35-70°F

• The Czech Republic and Hungary have relatively temperate climates, while Slovakia may see larger seasonal changes in temperature

• The hottest months are June-August, when mid-day temperatures can reach more than 95°F

• April weather can be unpredictable and can change quickly within a short period of time

TERRAIN & TRANSPORTATION • Travel on some rugged paths, as well as bumpy, cobblestone roads, both by bus and on foot; climb uneven stairways

• Travel by 30-passenger coach, 50-passenger boat, and raft

• Several drives of 3 to 5 hours each

ACCOMMODATIONS & FACILITIES • Hotel rooms are smaller than those in the U.S. and offer basic amenities

42 • All accommodations feature private baths

Steps to Take Before Your Trip Before you leave on this adventure, we recommend the following:

• Check with the CDC for their recommendations for the countries you’ll be visiting. You can contact them online at http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel or by phone at 1-800-232-4636.

• Have a medical checkup with your doctor at least 6 weeks before your trip.

• Pick up any necessary medications, both prescription and over-the-counter.

• Have a dental and/or eye checkup. (Recommended, but less urgent)

Vaccines Required

COVID-19 Overseas Adventure Travel requires that all travelers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and are able provide proof of their vaccination upon arrival at their destination. A full vaccination is defined as having been inoculated at least 14 days prior to departure by an approved vaccine. This requirement is not contingent on the countries the tour visits, but a strict company policy due to the nature of the pandemic.

Medication Suggestions • An antibiotic medication for gastrointestinal illness

Traveling with Medications • Pack medications in your carry-on bag to avoid loss and to have them handy.

• Keep medicines in their original, labeled containers for a quicker security screen at the airport and a better experience if you get stopped by customs while overseas.

• Bring copies of your prescriptions, written using the generic drug name rather than a brand name to be prepared for any unforeseen loss of your medications.

We recommend checking with the State Department for medication restrictions by country: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel- Country-Information-Pages.html. (Pick the country and then follow the links to “Local Laws & Special Circumstances”; if you don’t see any medications specifically mentioned, then you can presume major U.S. brands should be OK).

Staying Healthy on Your Trip Jet Lag Tips

• Start your trip well-rested.

43 • Begin a gradual transition to your new time zone before you leave or switch to your destination time zone when you get on the plane.

• Attempt to sleep and eat according to the new schedule.

• Avoid heavy eating and drinking caffeine or alcoholic beverages right before–and during– your flight.

• Drink plenty of water and/or fruit juice while flying

• Stretch your legs, neck, and back periodically while seated on the plane.

• After arrival, avoid the temptation to nap.

• Don’t push yourself to see a lot on your first day.

• Try to stay awake your first day until after dinner.

Allergies

If you have any serious allergies or dietary restrictions, we advise you to notify us at least 30 days prior to your departure. Please call our Traveler Support team at 1-800-221-0814, and we will communicate them to our regional office. Every effort will be made to accommodate you.

Water • Tap water in the region is safe to drink, but is processed differently than in the U.S. so it can still upset your stomach or feel “heavy”. Therefore, you might want to drink bottled water instead.

• Bottled water is readily available for purchase and is relatively inexpensive. (Bottled water is not included in the price of your tour.)

• Inspect each bottle before you buy it to make sure the cap is sealed properly.

• When in doubt about the water, salads, or ice, just ask the restaurant or your Trip Experience Leader.

• It is OK to brush your teeth with tap water.

Food • We’ve carefully chosen the restaurants for your group meals. Your Trip Experience Leader can suggest restaurants for the meal you take on your own.

• Be very careful with food sold from vendors on the street, and with uncooked foods.

44 MONEY MATTERS: LOCAL CURRENCY & TIPPING GUIDELINES

Top Three Tips • Carry a mix of different types of payments, such as local currency, an ATM card, and a credit card.

• Traveler’s checks are not accepted in the countries on this itinerary.

• You will not be able to pay with U.S. dollars on this trip; you will need local currency instead.

Local Currency For current exchange rates, please refer to an online converter tool like www.xe.com/ currencyconverter, your bank, or the financial section of your newspaper.

Euro Countries The euro is the official currency in many member countries of the European Union. Unless otherwise listed, the countries you will be visiting will use the euro. Euro banknote and coin denominations are as follows:

• Banknotes: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 euros

• Coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents; 1 and 2 euros

Czech Republic Czech legal tender is the Czech crown or koruna (CZK pr Kr.), divided into 100 hellers. Banknote and coin denominations are as follows:

• Banknotes: 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, and 5000 CZK

• Coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 CZK

Note that coinage below the crown (i.e. hellers) as well as the 50 CZK note are no longer in circulation. Prices given in CZK and hellers – i.e. Kr. 36.70 – will be rounded to the nearest crown. Although some establishments will accept euros, the exchange rates are usually not favorable, and any change will be in Czech crowns. If possible, use local currency or credit/debit cards.

Hungary The official currency of Hungary is the forint (ft), made up of 100 fillers. Banknote and coin denominations are as follows:

• Banknotes: 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10,000, and 20,000 forints

• Coins: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200 forints

45 Note: Banknotes of all denominations are printed in the same size and they are sometimes similar in color. It’s very easy, therefore, to mistake one bill for another. Please pay attention to the numerical value of each bill in your hand every time you make a cash transaction.

How to Exchange Money If you want to exchange money before your trip, you can usually do so through your bank or at an exchange office. Your departure airport in the U.S., a travel agent, or an AAA office are also possible outlets. Or you can wait and change money on the trip instead—but it might be helpful to arrive with some local currency in case you run into a bank holiday or an “out of order” ATM.

On your trip, the easiest way is to withdraw funds from a local ATM. The ATM will give you local money and your bank at home will convert that into U.S. dollars.

You can also exchange cash at some hotels, large post offices, and money exchange offices. To exchange cash, you’ll usually need your passport and bills in good condition (not worn, torn, or dirty). New bills (post 2004) are best.

Please note that many banks in Europe will only exchange money for their own customers. One exception is in the Czech Republic, where it is more economical to try a bank first. Never exchange money on the street. All exchange methods involve fees, which may be built into the conversion rate; ask beforehand.

ATMs When using the ATM, keep in mind that it may only accept cards from local banks, and may not allow cash advances on credit cards; you might need to try more than one ATM or more than one card.

Many banks charge a fee of $1-$10 each time you use a foreign ATM. Others may charge you a percentage of the amount you withdraw. We recommend that you check with your bank before you depart.

Lastly, don’t forget to memorize the actual digits of your card’s PIN number (many keypads at foreign ATMs do not include letters on their keys—they only display numbers.)

Czech Republic: ATMs are widely available in large cities and small towns.

Slovakia: ATMs are available throughout large cities and small towns in Slovakia.

Hungary: ATMs are available throughout large cities and small towns in Hungary.

Germany: ATMs are readily available throughout Germany.

Austria: ATMs are widely available throughout Austria.

46 Credit & Debit Cards Even if you don’t plan on using a credit card during your trip, we still suggest that you bring one or two as a backup, especially if you are planning a large purchase (artwork, jewelry). We also suggest that you bring more than one brand of card (i.e. Visa, MasterCard, American Express) if possible, because not every shop will take every card. For example, although the Discover card is accepted in some countries outside the U.S., it is not widely adopted, so other brands will work at a much larger range of stores, restaurants, etc.

Czech Republic: Credit and debits cards are widely accepted in the Czech Republic.

Slovakia: Credit and debit card use is common in Slovakia.

Hungary: Credit and debit cards are widely accepted.

Germany: Credit and debit cards are widely accepted in Germany.

Austria: Credit and debit cards are readily accepted in most places in Austria.

Chip Cards Many countries have adopted a new type of credit card that has an embedded computer chip. These cards are inserted into the reader instead of swiped. The card owner then authorizes the purchase using a PIN instead of signing.

This new technology is only now gaining traction in the U.S., so occasionally there are machines in other countries that can’t read U.S. cards. Or the machine can read the card, but asks for a PIN. This doesn’t happen often, and is nothing to worry about. You can usually resolve the situation by asking the cashier to let you sign. (If you don’t speak the language, just mime signing on your hand.) If you are not able to sign for a purchase, such as at an automated ticket booth, you can use another form of payment, such as a debit card that has a PIN.

Notify Card Providers of Upcoming Travel Many credit card companies and banks have fraud alert departments that will freeze your card if they see suspicious charges—such as charges or withdrawals from another country. To avoid an accidental security block, it is a good idea to notify your credit card company and/or bank you will be using your cards abroad. You can do this by calling their customer service number a week or two before your departure. Some banks or credit card companies will also let you do this online.

You should also double-check what phone number you could call if you have a problem with a card while you are abroad. Don’t assume you can use the 1-800 number printed on the back of your card—most 1 800 numbers don’t work outside of the U.S.!

Tipping Guidelines Of course, whether you tip, and how much, is always at your own discretion. But for those of you who have asked for tipping suggestions, we offer these guidelines.

47 • O.A.T. Trip Experience Leader: It is customary to express a personal “thank you” to your Trip Experience Leader at the end of your trip. As a guideline, many travelers give $8-$12 USD (or equivalent in local currency) per person for each day their Trip Experience Leader is with them. Please note that these tips can only be in cash. If you are taking any of the optional extensions, your Trip Experience Leader during the extension(s) may not be the same as the one on your main trip.

• Housekeeping staff at hotels: $1-2 per room, per night

• Waiters: When dining as a group, your tip is included—there is no need for you to leave an additional tip. When dining on your own, you can simply round up the bill. Or if you want to leave a really nice tip for excellent service 5-10% of the check is enough.

• Taxi drivers: Tipping is not customary, but many locals will round up the fare and let the driver keep the change. In Germany, taxi drivers will not assist you with luggage without mandatory tips.

Please Note: Your tour price includes gratuities on the main trip and optional extensions for local guides, drivers, and luggage porters that may assist you during the scheduled activities on your adventure. All tips are quoted in U.S. dollars; tips can be converted and paid in local currency or in U.S. dollars. Please do not use personal or traveler’s checks for tips.

48 AIR, OPTIONAL TOURS & STAYING IN TOUCH

Land Only Travelers & Personalized Air Quick Definitions

• Land Only: You will be booking your own international flights. Airport transfers are not included.

• Air-Inclusive: You booked international air with us. Airport transfers are included as long as you didn’t customize your trip’s dates (see next bullet).

• Personalized Air: You booked international air with us, and have customized it in some way. If you have customized your trip’s dates to arrive early, stay longer, or stop on your own in a connecting city, airport transfers will NOT be included. You must also arrange your own accommodations for any additional nights. For your convenience, a preliminary list of your included hotels is available on your My Account at www.oattravel.com/myaccount under “My Reservations”.

Airport Transfers Can Be Purchased For eligible flights, airport transfers may be purchased separately as an optional add-on, subject to availability. To be eligible, your flight(s) must meet the following requirements:

• You must fly into or fly home from the same airport as O.A.T. travelers who purchased included airfare.

• Your flight(s) must arrive/depart on the same day that the group arrives or departs.

Airport transfers can be purchased up to 45 days prior to your departure; they are not available for purchase onsite. To learn more, or purchase airport transfers, please call our Traveler Support team at 1-800-221-0814.

If you don’t meet the requirements above, you’ll need to make your own transfer arrangements. We suggest the Rome to Rio website as a handy resource: www.rome2rio.com.

Optional Tours Optional tours are additional add-on tours that allow you to personalize your adventure by tailoring it to your tastes and needs. And if you decide not to join an optional tour? Then you’ll have free time to relax or explore on your own—it’s about options, not obligations.

What You Need to Know • All optional tours are subject to change and availability.

49 • Optional tours that are reserved with your Trip Experience Leader can be paid for using credit/debit cards only. We accept MasterCard, Visa, and Discover credit cards; we can also take MasterCard or Visa debit cards as long as the card allows you to sign for purchases. (You won’t be able to enter a PIN.)

• To ensure that you are charged in U.S. dollars, your payment will be processed by our U.S. headquarters in Boston. This process can take up to three months, so we ask that you only use a card that will still be valid three months after your trip is over. The charge may appear on your credit card statement as being from Boston, MA or may be labeled as “OPT Boston”.

• Your Trip Experience Leader will give you details on the optional tours while you’re on the trip. But if you’d like to look over descriptions of them earlier, you can do so at any time by referring to your Day-to-Day Itinerary (available online by signing into My Account at www.oattravel.com/myaccount).

Communicating with Home from Abroad

Cell Phones If you want to use your cell phone on the trip, check with your phone provider to see if your phone and service will work outside of the U.S. It may turn out to be cheaper to rent an international phone or buy a SIM card onsite. If you want to use a local SIM, just make certain your phone can accept one.

Calling Apps Another option is to use a smartphone app like Skype or FaceTime. These services are usually less expensive than making a traditional call, but you’ll need a Wi-Fi connection and the calls may count towards your phone plan’s data allowance. Many smartphones—and some tablets or laptops—come with one of these apps pre-installed or you can download them for free from the appropriate apps store.

Calling Cards and 1-800 Numbers When calling the U.S. from a foreign country, a prepaid calling card can be useful because it circumvents unexpected charges from the hotel. Calling cards purchased locally are typically the best (less expensive, more likely to work with the local phones, etc.).

One reminder: Do not call U.S. 1-800 numbers outside the continental United States. This can result in costly long distance fees, since 1-800 numbers do not work outside the country.

Internet Most hotels in Eastern Europe will have Internet services available, some for free, some for an hourly charge. WiFi service is fairly common, but may be limited to a public area, like the lobby. If you’d like to use WiFi when and where it is available, you’ll need to bring your own device. Or you could chose to rely on hotel computers instead—many hotels will also offer a limited number of computers in the lobby or business center for guests to use.

50 How to Call Overseas When calling overseas from the U.S., dial 011 for international exchange, then the country code (indicated by a plus sign: +), and then the number. Note that foreign phone numbers may not have the same number of digits as U.S. numbers; even within a country the number of digits can vary depending on the city and if the phone is a land line or cell phone.

Czech Republic: +420 Germany: +49

Slovakia: +421 Austria: +43

Hungary: +36

51 PACKING: WHAT TO BRING & LUGGAGE LIMITS

Luggage Limits

MAIN TRIP LIMITS

Pieces per person One checked bag and one carry-on per person.

Weight restrictions Varies by airline. The current standard is 50 lbs for checked bags and 15 lbs for carry-ons.

Size Restrictions Varies by airline. Measured in linear inches (length+width+depth). Generally, 62 linear inches is the checked bag limit; carry-on limit is 45 linear inches.

Luggage Type Duffel bag or soft-sided suitcase. Please do not bring a hard-sided (clamshell) suitcase.

TRIP EXTENSION(S) LIMITS

Same as the main trip.

REMARKS/SUGGESTIONS

Luggage rules: Luggage rules and limits are set by governmental and airline policy. Enforcement of the rules may include spot checks or may be inconsistent. However one thing is the same across the board: If you are found to have oversized or overweight luggage, you will be subject to additional fees, to be assessed by—and paid to—the airline in question.

Don’t Forget: • These luggage limits may change. If the airline(s) notify us of any changes, we will include an update in your Final Documents booklet.

• It’s a good idea to reconfirm baggage restrictions and fees directly with the airline a week or so prior to departure. For your convenience, we maintain a list of the toll-free numbers for the most common airlines on our website in the FAQ section.

• Baggage fees are not included in your trip price; they are payable directly to the airlines.

52 Your Luggage • Checked Luggage: One duffel bag or soft-sided suitcase. Look for one with heavy nylon fabric, wrap-around handles, built-in wheels, and a heavy duty lockable zipper. Please do not bring a rigid (plastic shell) suitcase.

• Carry-on Bag: You are allowed one carry-on bag per person. We suggest a tote or small backpack that can be used as both a carry-on bag for your flight and to carry your daily necessities—water bottle, camera, etc—during your daily activities.

• Locks: For flights that originate in the U.S., you can either use a TSA-approved lock or leave your luggage unlocked. Outside of the U.S. we strongly recommend locking your luggage as a theft-prevention measure.

Clothing Suggestions: Functional Tips As you will experience a wide range of temperatures and weather conditions, we suggest several layers of clothing. If you like to hand-wash your clothes, look for fabrics that will dry out overnight. You can buy clothing designed especially for travel, with features like wrinkle- resistant fabric or built-in sun protection.

• Footwear: Comfortable, supportive walking shoes are essential. You’ll be on your feet a lot during the trip, and walking over some rough and slippery surfaces. The soles of your shoes should offer good traction.

• Light rain gear is recommended. Regardless of when you travel, rainfall is a possibility. While it may not rain on your trip, we suggest you bring a waterproof shell or coat, preferably with a hood. This might be a better choice than a folding umbrella, which is usually less effective in wind. (Plus it can be tricky to try to hold onto an umbrella and take photos at the same time.)

• Layers are key. We suggest wearing layers, so you can adjust to warmer and cooler conditions as needed.

Style Hints • Dress on our trip is functional and casual. You might want to bring one slightly dressier outfit for dining on your own at nicer restaurants or for the Farewell Dinner, but that is completely up to you.

Suggested Packing Lists We have included suggestions from Trip Experience Leaders and former travelers to help you pack. These lists are only jumping-off points—they offer recommendations based on experience, but not requirements. You may also want to consult the “Climate” chapter of this handbook.

And don’t forget a reusable water bottle—you’ll need it to take advantage of any refills we offer as we are working to eliminate single-use plastic bottles on all of our trips.

53 Recommended Clothing ‰Shirts: A mixture of short and long-sleeved shirts. ‰Trousers and/or jeans. ‰Shoes and socks: Shoes should be comfortable walking/ running shoes or low-cut hiking shoes, with arch support. Bring at least a couple pairs of medium- to heavy-weight socks for long walks.

‰Underwear and sleepwear ‰Light rain jacket/windbreaker with hood ‰Wide-brim sun hat ‰Swimsuit for hotel pools or saunas

Seasonal Clothing Recommendations For summer departures (June- August): ‰Although high temperatures tend to be in the high 70s, temperatures can easily spike into the 80s and 90s. A few shorts and some lightweight tops will help you cope with an unexpected heat wave.

‰Despite the potential for higher temperatures, you’ll also want at least one piece to layer—a light sweater, a vest, or jacket—in case it gets cool at night or in case you are somewhere where the air conditioning is chilly.

For spring and fall departures (April, May, September, October): ‰Light sweater and/or a warm jacket ‰Gloves and a scarf

For winter departures (January- March, November, December): ‰Winter coat, hat, warm gloves, scarf, and long underwear

Essential Items ‰Daily essentials: toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, hairbrush or comb, shaving items, deodorant, etc. Our hotels will provide the basics like soap and shampoo, but if you are sensitive to fragrances or new products, you may wish to bring your preferred brands. Most hotels do not provide a washcloth, so you may wish to pack one.

‰Spare eyeglasses/contact lenses

54 ‰Sunglasses, 100% UV block ‰Sunscreen, SPF 15 or stronger ‰Cold-water hand-wash laundry soap such as Woolite and plastic hang-up clothespins ‰Light folding umbrella ‰Moisturizer and sun-blocking lip balm ‰Packets of pocket-size tissues ‰Moist towelettes and/or anti-bacterial “water-free” hand cleanser ‰Electrical converter & plug adapter: see “A Word about Electricity” for details ‰Camera gear with extra batteries or battery charger

Medicines & First Aid Gear ‰Your own prescription medicines ‰Travel first aid kit: Band-Aids, headache and pain relief, laxatives and anti-diarrhea tablets, something for upset stomach. Maybe a cold remedy, moleskin foot pads, antibiotic cream, or allergy medication.

‰An antibiotic medication for gastrointestinal illness

Optional Gear ‰Travel alarm or travel watch with alarm ‰Folding walking staff, sold in most camping stores (preferably rubber-tipped) ‰Hanging toiletry bag (with hook to hang on doorknob and pockets to organize items) ‰Basic sewing kit ‰Reading materials ‰Travel journal/note pad and pens ‰Phrase book ‰Pocket-size calculator for exchange rates

55 Home-Hosted Visits Many of our adventures feature a visit with a local family, often as part of the A Day in the Life experience. It is customary, though not necessary, to return your hosts’ generosity with a small gift. If you do bring a gift, we recommend that you bring something the whole family can enjoy, or something that represents your region, state, or hometown. Get creative and keep it small—peach jelly from Georgia, maple sugar candy from New England, orange blossom soap from California; something that can be used or used up is best. When choosing a gift, be certain to consider the local culture as well. For example, we do not recommend alcohol in Muslim countries because it is forbidden in Islam, and your hosts may be religious. Not all O.A.T. adventures include a Home-Hosted Visit; please check your final itinerary before you depart.

Electricity Abroad When traveling overseas, the voltage is usually different and the plugs might not be the same shape.

Voltage Electricity in this region is 220-240 volts. In the U.S. it is 110 volts. Most of the things a traveler will want to plug in—battery chargers, MP3 players, tablets or computers—can run off both 110 and 220-240. But you should check the item or the owner’s guide first to confirm this before you plug it in. If you have something that needs 110 volts—like a shaver or a hairdryer—you can bring a transformer to change the current. (But transformers tend to burn out, so it might be better to leave whatever it is at home.)

Plugs The shape of plugs will vary from country to country, and sometimes even within a country depending on when that building was built. To plug something from the U.S. into a local socket you’ll need an adapter that fits between the plug and the socket. Since an E or F socket will take a C plug, you’ll only need one adapter, though it may be easier to purchase an all-in-one, universal adapter/converter combo. Versatile and lightweight, these can usually be found at your local electronics goods or hardware stores. Sometimes you can buy them at large retailers too, like Target or Walmart. If you forget to bring an adapter, you might also find them for sale at the airport when you arrive at your destination.

Different plug shapes are named by letters of the alphabet. Standard U.S. plugs are Type A and Type B. Here is the list of plugs for the countries on this trip:

Czech Republic: C

Slovakia: C

56 Hungary: C

Germany: C and/or F

Austria: C and/or F

Type C Type E Type F

Availability Barring the occasional and unpredictable power outage, electricity is as readily available on this adventure as it is in the U.S.

57 CLIMATE & AVERAGE TEMPERATURES

Czech Republic: In spring, variable weather reigns: some years it’s warm, in others it’s cool. Summer days are typically very warm, though there may still be some brisk days. Temperatures start to fall in early autumn, and winter weather begins settling in by early November. In general, you can expect average spring temperatures in the low 60s, summer in the 70s, and fall in the 50s. However, if you’re traveling in July or August, be prepared for heat waves that can spike the temperatures up past the average and into the 90s.

Slovakia: Because of Slovakia’s landlocked position, seasonal extremes are common without the curbing effects from the Atlantic Ocean. This means that summer can be extremely hot while winter weather can bring bitterly cold temperatures. Weather can fluctuate more during spring and fall, with some days on the cool side but with the occasional warm day. By the end of October, temperatures have started to drop and the evenings are chilly.

Hungary: Hungary is completely landlocked, and its inland position cuts it off from the moderating influence of the Atlantic Ocean. Consequently, seasonal weather is more prone to extremes. Summers can be very hot and winters absolutely frigid. If you’re traveling during the peak of summer, be prepared for some high temperatures, though it could also be comfortable and pleasant. As fall approaches, some days may be on the cool side, but stints of warm weather still occur. By late October, the air is usually brisk and evenings are chilly.

Berlin, Germany: Summer in Berlin, between May and August, is pleasantly warm with lots of sunshine July and August, the hottest months, are also unpredictable – with the possibility of going from sunny to rainy very quickly. Winters can be quite cold and damp although extreme weather is rare. Snow, however, is common and days can be cold, clear, and frosty.

Austria: Austria has a central European climate: variable weather reigns, and rain and drizzle are common occurrences year-round. Spring weather is moderate, with intermittent sun and showers; afternoons in early spring average about 60° F and about 70° later in the season. Summers are typically sunny and warm, though you should be prepared for a few cloudy and wet days. Evenings, too, can get quite chilly. Autumn weather with some drizzle comes early to this region of the world, so by November it can be on the brisk side, with daytime temperatures in the mid to high 40s, and evenings that dip into the 30s.

Climate Averages & Online Forecast The following charts reflect the average climate as opposed to exact weather conditions. This means they serve only as general indicators of what can reasonably be expected. An extreme heat wave or cold snap could fall outside these ranges. As your departure approaches, we encourage you to go online to www.oattravel.com/myaccount for your 10-day forecast.

58 Average Daily High/Low Temperatures (°F), Humidity & Monthly Rainfall

MONTH PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA

Temp. High-Low % Relative Average # of Days Temp. High-Low % Relative Average #of Days Humidity (am-pm) with Rainfall Humidity (am-pm) with Rainfall JAN 34 to 24 91 to 84 15 36 to 26 87 to 79 13 FEB 36 to 25 92 to 76 12 40 to 28 88 to 72 11 MAR 46 to 32 89 to 63 16 51 to 35 85 to 58 15 APR 54 to 36 83 to 51 16 60 to 40 78 to 50 14 MAY 64 to 45 79 to 53 17 69 to 49 77 to 52 14 JUN 69 to 51 80 to 55 17 75 to 55 76 to 53 15 JUL 72 to 54 81 to 54 18 79 to 58 75 to 49 15 AUG 73 to 53 85 to 53 16 79 to 57 80 to 50 12 SEP 65 to 48 90 to 60 15 71 to 51 85 to 56 14 OCT 54 to 39 91 to 68 16 59 to 42 89 to 64 15 NOV 41 to 32 91 to 83 17 45 to 34 88 to 77 16 DEC 36 to 28 90 to 85 14 38 to 30 86 to 80 14

MONTH BUDAPEST, HUNGARY BERLIN, GERMANY

Temp High-Low % Relative Average # of Days Temp. High-Low % Relative Average # of Days Humidity (am-pm) with Rainfall Humidity (am-pm) with Rainfall JAN 36 to 25 86 to 77 7 35 to 26 89 to 83 23 FEB 40 to 27 85 to 68 6 39 to 27 90 to 76 18 MAR 51 to 35 81 to 57 6 47 to 33 88 to 64 20 APR 60 to 41 75 to 51 7 54 to 37 84 to 54 16 MAY 70 to 51 73 to 51 8 65 to 45 78 to 50 15 JUN 75 to 56 72 to 51 8 70 to 53 79 to 55 19 JUL 79 to 59 76 to 48 7 73 to 56 80 to 53 18 AUG 79 to 59 76 to 48 7 73 to 55 84 to 54 17 SEP 71 to 52 82 to 52 5 66 to 50 89 to 59 17 OCT 59 to 43 86 to 60 5 56 to 42 90 to 71 17 NOV 45 to 34 87 to 75 8 45 to 35 89 to 81 22 DEC 38 to 28 86 to 79 8 38 to 30 89 to 86 23

59 MONTH VIENNA, AUSTRIA

Temp. High-Low % Relative Average # of Days Humidity (am-pm) with Rainfall JAN 39 to 31 84 to 75 1 FEB 43 to 33 82 to 68 2 MAR 50 to 38 81 to 62 4 APR 61 to 46 76 to 54 2 MAY 70 to 55 76 to 54 7 JUN 75 to 59 76 to 57 4 JUL 80 to 63 76 to 54 7 AUG 80 to 64 78 to 54 5 SEP 70 to 57 84 to 61 5 OCT 60 to 48 86 to 65 2 NOV 47 to 39 86 to 75 3 DEC 40 to 33 85 to 78 2

60 ABOUT YOUR DESTINATIONS: CULTURE, ETIQUETTE & MORE

O.A.T. Trip Experience Leaders: A World of Difference During your adventure you’ll be accompanied by one of our local, expert Trip Experience Leaders. All are fluent in English and possess the skills, certification, and experience necessary to ensure an enriching adventure. As locals of the regions you’ll explore with them, our Trip Experience Leaders provide the kind of firsthand knowledge and insight that make local history, culture, and wildlife come alive. Coupled with their unbridled enthusiasm, caring personalities, and ability to bring diverse groups of travelers together, our Trip Experience Leaders ensure that your experience with O.A.T. is one you’ll remember for a lifetime.

The Culture of Central Europe The three countries visited on your main itinerary—the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary— all have very rich, and very distinct cultures. But they also have significant overlap, which makes sense when you consider that up until this century, these nations did not even exist in their current sovereign states but were variously part of each other. Much of this had to do with the Hapsburg dynasty who controlled most of Central Europe (and beyond) from late medieval times till the 20th century. On a cultural level, that meant that Germanic culture was held as the ideal. This is often expressed as an appreciation for cooperation, for precision and accuracy, and a certain level of formality.

In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, this comes through in the way people appreciate good manners and well-behaved children. You are expected say “good day” to everyone you meet, and to be polite. If you are not, don’t be surprised if local grandmas cluck their tongues at you. At the same time, Czechs and Slovaks have a dark sense of humor and they love to poke fun at themselves and especially, the government. But one thing they do thank the government for is its traditional support for the arts. During the Soviet era (and still today), the Czechoslovakian as well as the Hungarian governments subsidized many programs for artists as well as theaters and concert halls, so attending plays and musical performances is a regular and affordable pleasure for all members of society.

History has shaped the Hungarian people in slightly different ways. Hungarians have struggled for centuries to find their own identity while under the control of more powerful states, from Austria to Turkey to Germany and the Soviet Union. Especially among the older generation, there is a sense of somber nostalgia called the “Trianon Syndrome” that harkens to a post-World War I Treaty that whittled Hungary down to about 60% of its previous size. The country has yet to fully recover from this loss, and some still look back on the pre-Trianon years as Hungary’s golden age. On the other hand, most Hungarians have a strong sense of pride about their fierce Magyar forebears, their legendary cuisine, and their close family ties. Regarding the latter, they are not insular and will extend true hospitality to all guests.

61 Religion and Religious Observances All three countries were Christianized during Roman times, and the spread of this new religion was largely attributed to the Byzantine monks saints Cyril and Methodius. But in the early medieval era, the region’s nobles cast their lots with the Roman Catholic church, and the Holy Roman Empire. In the 16th century, an early version of Protestantism took hold in Bohemia. The Hapsburgs were threatened by this movement, which rejected the church-state concordat that Hapsburg power rested upon. And so they launched an aggressive counter-Reformation, forcing many people to re-convert.

Though most people were nominally Catholic, the region still had many Protestant strongholds. Today, after nearly half a century of Communist rule, religion is not a major force in any of the three countries. Most people identify as non-believers, and though some religious traditions are bound up in the observance of local holidays and customs, church attendance is low. The Jews were once a large and vibrant community here, particularly in Prague and Budapest. But most were killed or forced to flee during the Holocaust. Today, Hungary has the region’s largest Jewish population at a little over 100,000. But most Hungarian Jews are not religiously affiliated and consider themselves Jews by ethnicity.

Language In the Czech Republic, the majority of the population speaks the official language, Czech, as their first language. Among the other languages spoken by minorities in the Czech Republic are Romani, German, and Polish. Prior to 1989, learning Russian in school was mandatory. Today, especially among young people and in cities, English is the most popular foreign language and about a third of the people speak it (more in cities).

In Slovakia, the people speak Slovak. It is mutually intelligible to Czech speakers, and both languages belong to the West Slavic language group, which uses the Latin (Roman) alphabet (versus the Cyrillic). Overall, just over 12% of the population speaks English, but that number is much higher in tourist areas and in the capital, Bratislava. The next most popular foreign languages are Hungarian and German.

The situation is similar in Hungary, where nearly 100% of the people speak the official Hungarian language. Just over 12% speak English nationwide, but the number is higher in cities and among young people. German is the next most popular foreign language.

Taking Photographs The etiquette of photographing most people in Europe is about the same as it would be on the streets of your hometown. You need permission to take a close-up, but not for a crowd scene. Consent is especially important if you want to take a photo of a child or minor—ask their parent for permission first. To get a great portrait, show interest in your subject and try to have a bit of social interaction to put them at ease. Then use sign language to inquire if a picture is OK.

62 Safety & Security As you travel, exercise the same caution and awareness that you would in a large American city. Don’t be overly nervous or suspicious, but keep your eyes open. If you are venturing out after dark, go with one or two other people.

Carry a one-day supply of cash in your pocket. Carry most of your money, and your passport, in a travel pouch or money belt under your shirt. Replenish your pocket supply when you are in a safe and quiet place, or in our vehicle. Don’t leave valuables unattended in your hotel room. Most hotels will offer use of a hotel safe at the front desk or an electronic in-room safe (for which you can set your own personal number). Please utilize them.

Pickpockets may create a sudden distraction. In any sort of puzzling street situation, try to keep one hand on your wallet or money belt. If an encounter with a local turns out to be long and complicated and involves money or your valuables, be very careful. Con artists sometimes target travelers.

Czech and Slovak Cuisine Like their neighbors, the Czech Republic and Slovakia share a culinary heritage that emphasizes meat, potatoes, dumplings, and fermented vegetables (usually, sauerkraut). These are often served with heavy gravies or sauces, but the high-caloric impact is somewhat mitigated by the fact that most Czechs and Slovaks eat their heaviest meal at lunch, and have a lighter supper of just cold cuts and condiments. You’ll also find that in the major cities, young chefs are experimenting with lighter and healthier versions of the classic dishes they grew up with.

One dish everyone in both countries knows is vepro-knedlo-zelo. It’s shorthand for veprové s knedliky a kyselé zeli, a succulent roast pork and dumplings concoction that is often seasoned with caraway, and served with sauerkraut. You will see it on just about every restaurant menu. Dumplings figure in many other dishes. Houskové knedlíky are bread dumplings made with flour, yeast, egg yolks and milk, sometimes with bread cubes added to the mix. After the dough rises it gets boiled or steamed, then sliced. Bramborové knedlíky are potato dumplings, which are heavier. There are even fruit-filled dumplings (ovocné knedlíky) that are often served with cottage cheese as a main course.

Bryndzové halušky are potato dumplings (similar to Italian gnocchi) that are topped with a creamy, soft, Slovakian sheep’s milk cheese that has its own EU protected designation of origin status. It is then topped with crumbled bacon bits and a garnish like chopped chives, onions or dill. The national dish of Slovakia, it’s also popular in the Czech Republic, especially in Moravia.

Dumplings are the perfect accompaniment to svicková na smetane, beef that is marinated in vinegar and herbs; then roasted with vegetables; then simmered till tender. The broth and vegetables are pureed with sour cream to make a sauce, and it all gets garnished with cranberries.

Kureci kapsa are chicken breasts stuffed with ham and cheese, and grilled. If you are on the go, grab a párek v rohliku, a Czechoslovakian hot dog. The small parek sausage will be completely enclosed within the bun, like pigs in a blanket.

63 Don’t leave without trying palacinky, the regional version of crêpes. This delicate, thin pancake can have a sweet filling (such as jam, fruits, ice cream, sweet cheese or chocolate) or a savory one (perhaps spinach, mushrooms, ham, or salmon with dill sauce). Besides being popular entrees, they are sold as snacks at special palacinky stalls.

For dessert you can try laskonky, two crispy meringues filled with caramel or chocolate buttercream. Koláce are pastry wheels filled with cheese or fruit such as prunes or apricots, similar to a danish. Trdelnik is made by wrapping dough around a metal or wooden stick, then roasting it over an open flame. The tubular treat is then dusted with sugar, and topped with nuts and cinnamon. Veternik is a profiterole made of puff pastry filled with vanilla and caramel cream. The whole pastry is then dipped in a shiny caramel icing for a belt-busting grand finale.

Pubs are an integral part of Czech and Slovak life, and the region brews some of the best beer in the world. In the Czech town of Plzen, brewing dates as far back as the founding of the town, in 1295. Plzen is internationally known for its award-winning Pilsener Urquell, and there are numerous other local beers that perfectly accompany the region’s hearty food.

Hungarian Cuisine It won’t take long for you to figure out that paprika (paprikás) and sour cream (tejföl) figure prominently in many classic Hungarian dishes. But don’t be fooled, Hungarian food is delicious and diverse, and even dishes accented with paprika have distinctive tastes, thanks to the eight different grades of “red gold” that are used here. You’ll find this spice in the two most famous national dishes: chicken paprikash and gulyas (goulash), a saucy beef dish that in Hungary is more like a soup than the stew you may be familiar with.

Similar to gulyas, pörkölt is a hearty stew of beef, pork, lamb, chicken, or liver simmered with onion, paprika and other spices, and served with a side of chewy nokedli (egg noodle dumpling). It’s comfort food at its finest, and Hungarians like to say, “It’s not a real Sunday without pörkölt.” Those home cooks might also be serving töltött káposzta, rolls of pickled cabbage stuffed with seasoned rice and ground pork or beef, in a sauce accented by sour cream. It is a favorite around Easter and Christmas.

Halászlé or fisherman’s soup is cooked in a kettle over an open fire. It is based on Danube river fish like carp, catfish, perch, or pike and seasoned with hot paprika, giving it a bright red color. If you order it a la Baja, it will have thick pasta and mainly carp. Szeged-style will have four types of fish. For a hearty snack, lángos is the way to go. This popular street food is a crispy, chewy, deep-fried flatbread smothered with sour cream and garlic sauce, and topped with grated cheese and sometimes, sausage and bacon.

If you’re a vegetarian, try lecsó. Similar to the French ratatouille, it’s a stew of peppers, tomatoes and onions. Some cooks do put meat in it but typically it is served just with bread and a dollop of sour cream. Try also uborksaláta, a salad of thinly sliced cucumbers dressed with white vinegar, dill, and onions.

64 Palacsinta are Hungary’s answer to crepes. They can have sweet or savory fillings, and they are always served rolled. The famous Budapest restaurant Gundel serves their own version filled with a rum-walnut cream which is then flambéed, and drizzled with chocolate sauce.

This brings us to dessert, an area where Hungary shines. Austrians may claim strudel as their own, but the beloved pastry most likely originated in Turkey and made its way to Hungary first, where it was modified and eventually exported to Vienna. In Hungary it is called rétes, and the dough is flakier. One imperial Hungarian chef said that the dough must be thin enough that “one could read a love letter through it.” Where Austrians prefer their strudel with apples, Hungarians like plum, poppy, sour cherries or sweet turo cheese as a filling.

The most famous Hungarian cake of all is the Dobos Torte, named after the master confectioner who invented it in 1885. It includes six layers of sponge cake covered in chocolate buttercream with a glistening topping of caramel. It is a staple at the many famous coffeehouses of Budapest (and Vienna), and not to be missed. Another favorite is somlói galuska, also based on sponge cake but less intricately composed. The cake is topped with chocolate cream, walnuts, rum and whipped cream, and it is another specialty of the renowned Gundel restaurant

German Cuisine German Cuisine varies greatly from region to region. The southern regions of Bavaria and Swabia share many dishes among them and with their neighbors to the south, Switzerland and Austria. In the West, French influences are more pronounced, while the eastern parts of the country have much in common with Eastern European cuisine and there are marked Scandinavian influences in the northern coastal regions. But the region that is often viewed as having the most classic German cuisine is Saxony.

When dining in Berlin (or in other cities) you’ll have no shortage of international options, along with restaurants serving the regional specialties of Saxon cuisine. Like most regional German cooking, Saxon food is hearty, with an emphasis on sauces and the Klösse or Knödle, that is, the dumpling.

The Saxons didn’t invent sauerbraten, a tangy pot roast that is eaten all over Germany. But they do have a distinctive way of making it: Sächsischer Sauerbraten uses beer instead of wine to marinate the beef before its long, slow braising. Try also Dresdner Wiegebraten, a Dresden meat loaf made with minced pork, veal and beef bound with eggs, breadcrumbs, anchovies, bacon and herbs that gets slathered with butter before roasting. For something a little lighter, there’s Hochzeitssuppe or “wedding soup.” The chicken-based broth has soft pork and asparagus dumplings garnished with fresh parsley.

Like the rest of Germany, Saxony is partial to potatoes. Try them in Sächsische Kartoffelsuppe (Saxon potato soup), a rich, creamy puree of potatoes and broth studded with onions fried in bacon fat, finely chopped greens, and bacon and sausage bits—all seasoned with ginger, nutmeg, salt and pepper. A special version is made with succulent shrimps and shrimp broth. The bounty of the North Sea also enlivens Leipziger Allerlei, a casserole of shrimp or crayfish mixed with

65 cauliflower, carrots, peas, asparagus, and mushrooms, baked with a creamy sauce topped with bread crumbs. For lunch, try Buchweizenpfannkuchen, a buckwheat pancake that may be served with syrup and cranberries, or with salmon and a salad.

Saxons claim to have invented the kaffeeklatsch, the German custom of socializing over coffee and cake. Here it’s called Gaffee un Guchn, and one of the most delicious cakes you must try is the Dresdner Eierschecke, a three-layered cake filled with custard and cream. Another Dresden confection is Dominosteine, a cake of marzipan, gingerbread and apricot marmalade covered in chocolate. Meissner Quarktorte is a light Saxon cheesecake with raisins, almonds and rum.

Berlin is famous for its street food, including the ubiquitous doner kebab. These are savory cones of seasoned meat grilled on a rotisserie and sliced into pita pockets filled with salad. Though Turkish in origin, it’s a Berlin favorite. Try also the iconic currywurst, a bratwurst flavored with curry, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. It was invented in 1946 by Herta Heuwer, a Berlin housewife who decided to spice up her family’s diet by trading some booze for seasonings from some British soldiers.

Currywurst is a classic example of post-war, East German cuisine—a style that arose during a time of severe shortages, when the people of the former German Democratic Republic (East Germany) had to get inventive with very economical ingredients. Another example of this is Jägerschnitzel, a breaded pork and bacon patty with a creamy mushroom sauce.

Today, there is a widespread nostalgia for these homespun East German dishes, which are popping up on the menus of some of Berlin’s hippest restaurants. The trend is called Ostalgie, a combination of the German words for “east” and “nostalgia”. And even though very few people in the former GDR will be crying in their beer, longing for the good old days, they will be washing down their food with steins of good old Erdinger Weissbier, Sternberg, or Augustiner—some of the most popular beers produced here.

Where the Rhine enters Germany in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the cuisine blends the heartiness of Westphalia with the Rhinelanders’ love of sweet and sour tastes. An example is Rheinischer Sauerbraten. The regional version of this ubiquitous, marinated pot roast adds raisins and crumbled lebkuchen (gingersnaps) to give the tangy gravy a touch of sweetness. It might be accompanied by Pickert, a potato pancake with raisins, served with a plum purée.

Another beefy favorite is Pfefferpotthast, a peppery stew. It’s perfect with salted boiled potatoes (Salzkartoffeln), and gherkins or pickled beets. Enjoy Westfälischer Schinken (Westphalian ham), made from pigs raised solely on acorns. The meat is dry cured and smoked over beechwood and juniper. Try some wafer-thin slices on Westphalian pumpernickel, with a smear of malty brown Düsseldorfer mustard. Duck into any Westphalian tavern, and you might nibble on caraway-flavored Nieheimer cheese. It is aged between layers of hops—which makes it go quite well with the local Altbier, Kölsch or Bönnsch beer.

If you’ve worked up an appetite, enjoy the bounty of Westphalia with a Bergische Kaffeetafel. It means “Bergisches Land Coffee Table” and though it includes coffee, the “table” will be set with sausages, ham, cheeses, potato pancakes, egg dishes, jams, breads, pretzels, and pastries.

66 Heading south into the Rhineland-Palatinate, the signature dish is dampfnudeln, a yeasty steamed dumpling with vanilla sauce. If they are topped with powidl (a plum jam) and sprinkled with poppy seeds, they are called germknödeln. No need to wait for dessert to enjoy this delight, which is often a main course. But if you prefer your dumplings savory, dampfnudeln can be enjoyed with mushrooms and béchamel sauce; or with gravy and rolls of beef stuffed with bacon and pickles called Rouladen. You can also satisfy your carbo cravings with Reibekuchen or Kartoffelpuffer, crispy deep-fried potato patties or pancakes, often served with applesauce.

Another Palatinate specialty is Saumagen, which mean’s “sow’s stomach.” Here, the stomach lining of a pig is used as a casing to hold a mix of minced veal; diced potatoes and vegetables; and spices such as marjoram, cardamon, nutmeg, and parsley. The filled Saumagen is simmered, then sliced and fried. Enjoy it with mashed potatoes, sauerkraut, and a dry white wine. Along the Mosel, try the local Döbbekooche, a crusty potato pie covered with sausage pieces or bacon.

The state of Baden-Württemberg is renowned for gourmet cuisine, and is home to more than a quarter of Germany’s Michelin-starred restaurants. The region is famous for its delicate white spargel (asparagus), as well as for hearty dishes like Badische Schaeufele, a smoked pork shoulder simmered in wine with garlic, leeks, juniper berries, and other spices. Or perhaps you’ll try a slow-roasted duck breast prepared as the Benedictine monks did, with dates and figs.

Don’t miss Maultaschen, the Swabian region’s answer to ravioli. Here, pockets of dough are stuffed with spinach, meat or cheese; and eaten as a main course or in a beef broth. Another Swabian specialty that is eaten all over Germany is Spätzle, an irregular shaped egg noodle. But the most famous dish of this state is the Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte or Black Forest Cake. It’s a chocolate layer cake filled and frosted with fresh cream and cherries soaked in Kirschwasser (cherry schnapps), and decorated with chocolate shavings.

In the state of Hesse, you must pay your respects to the town that gave us the hot dog, Frankfurt. But these are not just any old dogs, they are Frankfurter Würstchen, smoked pork sausages in a natural sheepskin casing. There is also a variant made with 100% beef called Frankfurter Rindswurst. If you have it with a curry-flavored ketchup, it is called a Currywurst.

You might need a sense of humor to enjoy this Hessian favorite: Handkase mit Musik. It means “hand cheese with music,” referring to the handmade cheese that is marinated and served with onion, nuts, caraway and typically, a glass of apfelwein, a tart cider. The “music” part comes from the flatulence this pungent pub fare is said to cause. If you want something more refined, Bethmännchen are exquisite cookies made from marzipan, almonds, sugar and rose water.

In Bavaria is the land of sausages, starting with bratwurst. There are many varieties all over Germany, but in Bavaria you must try Nuremberg or Nürnberger bratwurst. These were the first sausage to receive the European Union’s Protected Geographic Indication (PGI) status. To be labeled as Nürnberger bratwurst, these small, coarsely-ground pork sausages must be 2 ¾–3 ½ inches long; contain mace and marjoram; and be made within the metropolitan Nuremberg limits. The most popular way to eat them is Drei im Weggla or “three in a bun.”

67 The good news is that you can enjoy so many of these dishes all over Germany, regardless of their regional origins, but sometimes with different names. Case in point: you don’t have to be in Berlin to get a berliner. These deep-fried, yeasty jelly donuts are popular everywhere, though in some Rhine ports they may be called krapfen.

Austrian Cuisine Austria has quite a bit of culinary overlap with neighboring Germany. But you have only to consider the scope of the Hapsburg Empire to understand the many influences that have also shaped the national cuisine: the empire once ruled over Switzerland, Holland, Alsace, Burgundy, Spain, Bohemia, Moravia, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia and Italy, and happily appropriated many of their ingredients and cooking techniques. This is to say nothing of the Turkish influence that wafted westwards across the Austro-Hungarian empire.

One constant on Austrian menus is the national dish, wiener schnitzel, the classic Viennese veal cutlet which is pounded till thin, breaded, fried and served with wedges of lemon and greens. It can also be made with chicken or pork. Meat lovers will want to try Tafelspitz, a filet of beef (or veal) that is gently simmered with vegetables, and served with applesauce and horseradish. Late spring brings spargel, or asparagus, which are particularly tender and flavorful here. They’ll appear as specials on many menus, often served with a delicate hollandaise or just butter, lemon, and toasted bread crumbs.

Like mac and cheese on steroids, kasspätzln is a Tyrolean casserole of chewy, hand-made egg noodles that are mixed with sauteed onions, covered with bergkaäse, a strong local cheese, and baked till browned. Before serving, it is topped with crispy fried onions and parsley. Another Tyrolean favorite is speckknödeln, a bacon dumpling that is often served as an appetizer or in stews or clear soups. It is just one of the dozens of different dumplings that grace the Austrian table. Frittatensuppe or “pancake soup” is a Styrian specialty that is popular all over Austria. It’s a bowl of clear beef consommé with strips of cooked crepes or pancakes.

Practically every Austrian town has its share of Würstelstande, or sausage booths. These street stalls are the go-tos for snackers on the go, and the sausage of choice will usually be a wiener sausage, which Austrians will only ever call a “Frankfurter.” You can also ask for a bratwurst, a Käsekrainer (which is studded with cheese), or a Debreziner, which is a lightly-smoked, reddish sausage spiced with paprika.

One thing Austria can thank the Turks for is coffee. Legend has it that when Hapsburg troops chased the Turks out in 1683, the retreating invaders left behind bags of coffee beans. Within two years the first Viennese coffee house opened, and the rest is history. In 2011, UNESCO designated Viennese coffee house culture as part of humanity’s intangible cultural heritage, saying that the coffee houses have a “very specific atmosphere” and are places “where time and space are consumed, but only the coffee is found on the bill.”

In fact a few other wonderful things are consumed in these beloved establishments, like heavenly Austrian pastry. Try a slice of Sachertorte, a classic chocolate sponge cake layered with apricot jam, and covered in chocolate ganache. It’s available all over, but for the quintessential Viennese

68 experience, try it where it originated, at the Sacher Hotel, or at the famed Demel bakery. Austria must also thank the Turks for introducing apfelstrudel. Powidltascherl are plum jam turnovers dusted with sugar.

If you’re too full for pastry, at least leave room for a Mozartkugel. These small, round candies are balls of pistachio marzipan and nougat, covered with dark chocolate—the perfect accompaniment to your Einspänner, a double shot of espresso topped with whipped cream.

Shopping: What to Buy, Customs, Shipping & More There may be scheduled visits to local shops during your adventure. There is no requirement to make a purchase during these stops, and any purchase made is a direct transaction with the shop in question, subject to the vendor’s terms of purchase. O.A.T. is not responsible for purchases you make on your trip or for the shipment of your purchases.

Returns If you discover an issue with an item, you should contact the vendor directly and expect that any resolution will take longer than it would in the U.S. We recommend that you keep a copy of all your receipts, invoices, or contracts, along with the shop’s contact information. Keep in mind, local practice may vary from U.S. standards, so don’t assume that you have a certain number of days after the purchase to speak up or that you are guaranteed a refund.

Crafts & Souvenirs

Czech Republic In the Czech Republic many stores sell a wide range of crafts and tourist goods, such as Bohemian glass, porcelain, crystal, peasant pottery, wooden toys, jewelry, and folk carvings. Modern artwork and crafts are sold at private art galleries.

Slovakia Handicraft shops in Slovakia feature pictures painted on glass or wood, puppets in elaborate costumes, and shepherd axes. Travelers who enjoy musical instruments from other countries should keep their an eye out for a fujara, a type of flute that is played upright like an oboe. At 3 feet long, it might not fit in your carry-on, but it is typically Slovakian. Slovakia is also known for its wines and for slivovica, a potent plum brandy.

Hungary Look for exquisite Herend porcelain, cut glass, fine peasant embroidery and needlework, homespun cloth, carpets, charming carved wood objects and, of course, dolls in national dress. Other excellent buys are recordings of classical and folk music.

69 Germany Popular German buys include Nymphenburg porcelain, cutlery, high-quality cameras and binoculars, loden clothing, goose-down comforters, Rosenthal china and glassware, and chocolate. Munich is Germany’s fashion capital—there are plenty of chic boutiques, especially on Theatinerstrasse, Maximilianstrasse, and Schwabing’s Leopoldstrasse.

Value Added Tax: Depending on how much you spend on certain goods, you may be eligible for a partial refund of Germany’s 16% Value Added Tax (VAT). You must obtain a special form for VAT from the store. Ask the shopkeeper or salesperson for details, and be sure to save all receipts for Customs.

Austria Popular buys include glassware, crystal, porcelain, petit point, musical instruments and scores, fur hats, ski wear, and, of course, lederhosen (leather pants), loden-cloth coats, and sachertorte (chocolate cake). But be forewarned: the quality of Austrian wares is exceptionally high, and so are the prices!

Value Added Tax: In Austria, a Value Added Tax is levied on most articles, services, and meals, and ranges from 10% to 30%. Depending on how much you spend on certain goods in specially marked Tax Free Shopping stores, you may be eligible for a partial refund of this tax. Ask the shopkeeper or salesperson for details. Be sure to save all receipts and the special Global Tax Refund forms for Customs, as receipts alone are not enough.

U.S. Customs Regulations & Shipping Charges For all things related to U.S. Customs, the ultimate authority is the U.S. Bureau of Customs & Border Protection. Their website, www.cbp.gov has the answers to the most frequently asked questions. Or you can call them at 1-877-227-5511.

The top three points to know are:

• At time of writing, your personal duty-free allowance is $800 for items brought with you. Items totaling more than $800 are subject to duty fees.

• Items shipped home are always subject to duty when received in the U.S. Even when the shop has offered to include shipping and duties in the price, this typically means shipping to the nearest customs facility and payment of the export duties—not door-to-door shipping or payment of the import duties. All additional duties or shipping charges would be your responsibility. Unless an item is small enough to send by parcel service (like FedEx), chances are you will need to arrange shipping or pick-up once the item is in the U.S. and will need to pay customs duties.

• It is illegal to import products made from endangered animal species. U.S. Customs & Border Protection will seize these items, as well as most furs, coral, tortoise shell, reptile skins, feathers, plants, and items made from animal skins.

70 DEMOGRAPHICS & HISTORY

Czech Republic

Facts, Figures & National Holidays • Area: 30,451 square miles

• Capital: Prague

• Languages: Czech is the official language.

• Ethnicities: Czech 64.3%, Moravian 5%, Slovak 1.4%, other 29.3%

• Location: The Czech Republic is bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Poland, and Germany.

• Geography: Landlocked in Eastern Europe, the Czech Republic comprises the ancient provinces of Bohemia and Moravia, with a mountainous rim on the German border to the west.

• Population: 10,644,842 (estimate)

• Religions: Roman Catholic 10.4%, Protestant 1.1%, other or unspecified 54%, none 34.5%

• Time Zone: The Czech Republic on Central European Time, six hours ahead of U.S. EST. When it is 6am in Washington D.C., it is noon in Prague.

National Holidays: Czech Republic

In addition to the holidays listed below, 07/05 Saints Cyril and Methodius the Czech Republic celebrates a number of 07/06 Jan Hus Day national holidays that follow a lunar calendar, such as Easter. To find out if you will be 09/28 St. Wenceslas Day traveling during these holidays, please visit www.timeanddate.com/holidays. 10/28 Independent Czechoslovak State Day

01/01 New Year’s Day 11/17 Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day 05/01 Labor Day/May Day 12/25 Christmas Day 05/08 Victory in Europe Day 12/26 St. Stephen’s Day

The Czech Republic: A Brief History Though the Czech Republic is less than 50 years old, its culture dates to the 5th century BC, when groups of Celts calling themselves “Boii” settled in Bohemia, which means “home of the Boii.” By the 6th century, the Celts were replaced by Germanic and Slavic tribes. Around 631 AD, Samo, a Frankish merchant living in the area, formed a coalition of Slavic tribes, became their king, and won victories against the Avars and the Franks. His short-lived kingdom was the first Slavic state.

71 A unified Slavic state continued with the formation of Great Moravia, an empire that included the Duchy of Bohemia. The region soon fell under the influence of German dukes, and in 950 became part of the Holy Roman Empire. Fast-forward to the 14th century, the Czech golden age. Under the enlightened reign of Charles IV, who was elected Holy Roman Emperor in 1355, Bohemia was a center of power, culture and prestige.

By the 14th century, Jan Hus, a rector at Charles University in Prague, advocated for church reform and against corruption. He gained a huge Czech following two centuries before the Protestant Reformation. Hus was burned at the stake in 1415, and in 1419 his followers stormed Prague’s Town Hall and tossed Catholic councilors out the window in what is called the “Defenestration of Prague.” Bohemia and Moravia remained Protestant strongholds, but as the Hapsburgs consolidated power, they confiscated Protestant lands. The Hapsburgs dominated for 300 years, leaving an ambiguous legacy. Though they suppressed dissent and imposed Austrian culture, they also provided stability. Under Empress Maria Theresa and her son Joseph, serfdom was abolished, public education was provided, and the region’s Jews gained rights. An industrial middle class emerged. And there was a renewal of Czech language and culture.

World War I brought the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the establishment of the first independent Czechoslovakia—a joint state between ethnic Bohemians, Moravians, and Slovaks. Czechoslovakia thrived until Hitler annexed the country in 1939. Bohemia and Moravia became a protectorate of the Reich, and Slovakia became a puppet state. Prague was spared significant physical damage, but the resistance was destroyed and two-thirds of the nation’s Jews were murdered. In 1945, the Nazis withdrew; Czechoslovakia was reconstituted; and in 1947 2.5 million resident ethnic Germans were expelled to Germany and Austria.

The Soviets took power in 1948, sending thousands of Czechs to prison. Resistance emerged in the 1960s with president Alexander Dubcek, who espoused “socialism with a human face.” It smiled upon the world during the Prague Spring of 1968, when there was an outpouring of democratic sentiment. Dubcek loosened restrictions on the press, speech and travel. But in August, 1968, the Soviets invaded with Warsaw Pact troops, replaced Dubcek with a hardliner, and began reprisals against protest leaders (including activist-playwright, Václav Havel).

As Communism fell across Europe in 1989, the most striking revolt was in Czechoslovakia. When Prague police brutally attacked a peaceful student demonstration, dissidents led by Václav Havel negotiated the government’s resignation on December 3, and Havel was elected president. Forty years of Soviet domination were swept aside in what has been called “the Velvet Revolution.” Soon after independence, differences between the Czechs and Slovaks became irreconcilable. So on January 1, 1993, they agreed to a “Velvet Divorce” and split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999, and the EU in 2004. Today, the Czech Republic is a pluralist multi-party parliamentary democracy. The country has held numerous free elections without incident, and the economy has remained relatively robust.

Slovakia

Facts, Figures & National Holidays • Area: 18,933 square miles

72 • Capital: Bratislava

• Languages: Slovak is the official language; Hungarian is also spoken.

• Ethnicities: Slovak 80.7%, Hungarian 8.5%, Roma 2%, other and unspecified 8.8%

• Location: Slovakia is bordered by Austria, Ukraine, Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic.

• Geography: Situated in central Europe, Slovakia has a strategic position as a “bridge” between the countries of Austria (on its west) and Ukraine (on its east), and Hungary (to the south) and Poland (to the north); it’s also bordered by the Czech Republic (to the northwest). The land has rugged mountains, rich in mineral resources, and vast forests and pastures. The Carpathian Mountains dominate the topography of Slovakia, with lowland areas in the southern region.

• Population: 5,445,027 (estimate)

• Religion: Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 8.2%, Greek Catholic 3.8%, other or unspecified 12.5%, none 13.4%

• Time Zone: Slovakia is on Central Europe Time, six hours ahead of U.S. EST. When it is 6am in Washington D.C., it is noon in Bratislava.

National Holidays: Slovakia

In addition to the holidays listed below, 07/05 St. Cyril & St. Methodius Day Slovakia celebrates a number of national 08/29 National Uprising Day holidays that follow a lunar calendar, such as Easter. To find out if you will be traveling 09/01 Constitution Day during these holidays, please visit www. timeanddate.com/holidays. 11/01 All Saints’ Day

01/01 Republic Day 11/17 Fight for Freedom and Democracy Day

05/01 Labor Day 12/25 Christmas Day

05/08 End of World War II 12/26 St. Stephen’s Day

Slovakia: A Brief History Slovakia only gained true independence as a nation in 1993, after the peaceful dissolution of the Czechoslovak federation that it had variously been part of for most of the 20th century. But sovereignty aside, Slovak culture has been evolving for hundreds, if not thousands of years.

What is now modern-day Slovakia has been inhabited since Paleolithic times. The earliest identifiable people were the Celts, who arrived around 400 BC and colonized lowlands along the Danube and its tributaries. They lived in small huts and established villages around hill forts. Romans set up shop here around 174 AD, but their focus turned elsewhere Huns and Germanic

73 tribes moved in. By 500 AD, Slavic tribes had established themselves in settlements along the Morava, Váh, and Hron rivers. Growing in number, they became the progenitors of the Slovak people. By 830 AD, they united with Bohemia and Moravia to form Great Moravia.

Great Moravia was conquered by Hungarian Magyars in the 10th century, and for nearly 1,000 years, Hungarian domination continued. In fact, Hungary’s first king, Saint Stephen, established eight counties in what is present-day Slovakia, and the region was the frontier of the Kingdom of Hungary throughout the medieval era. When Turks invaded in the 16th century, they captured much of south and central Hungary (and Slovakia). Budapest was taken, but the Hungarian royalty moved to Bratislava. They paid obeisance to the Austrian Hapsburgs, upon whom they depended for defense against the Turks. And so Slovakia became a Hapsburg territory, and between 1526 and 1830, 19 Hapsburg rulers of Hungary were coronated in Bratislava.

The emergence of a Slovak national identity dates to the late 18th century, coincident with the appearance of a written language. The romantic nationalism that swept Europe in the early 19th century also swept Slovakia, and was focused on literature and folklore. But after the failed Hungarian Revolution of 1848, Hungary’s weakness left an opening for a political Slovak national political movement. It was sidelined in 1867 after Hungary and Austria reached a compromise and formed the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Slovakia’s dream of independence did not materialize until 1919, when it joined with Bohemia, Moravia, Czech Silesia and Carpathia Ruthenia to form Czechoslovakia. During the interwar period, this was the only true democracy in Eastern Europe.

When Hitler annexed Czechoslovakia, Slovakia became a client state headed by Josef Tiso, a Catholic priest and Nazi collaborator. Under his rule, nearly all the Jews remaining in Slovakia were deported to death camps in Poland, or killed in Slovakia. In 1944, the Slovak Uprising attempted to overthrow the Tiso government. It was put down by the Nazis, but guerilla operations continued until Slovakia was liberated in 1945 by the Red Army and Czech, Slovak, and Romanian partisans. After the war, a reunited Czechoslovakia became a Soviet satellite.

The nation endured the repression and hardships of the Stalin years. But in the 1960s Czechoslovakia enjoyed a period of liberalization under Slovak-born president Alexander Dubcek. This ended with the “Prague Spring” of 1968, when the Soviets invaded with Warsaw Pact troops. The dissidents moved underground until 1989, when they helped bring about the fall of communism during the Velvet Revolution. In 1993, Slovaks and the Czechs agreed to separate in what is called the “Velvet Divorce.” Thus, Slovakia finally became truly independent.

Slovakia joined both NATO and the European Union in 2004. Today, Slovakia is a modern country with a strong market economy, complemented by a comprehensive social security system that offers universal health care, free education and generous civil liberties.

Hungary

Facts, Figures & National Holidays • Area: 35,911 square miles

• Capital: Budapest

74 • Languages: Hungarian (Magyar) is the official language.

• Ethnicities: Hungarian 85.6%, Roma 3.2%, German 1.9%, other 2.6%, unspecified 14.1%

• Location: Hungary is located in central Europe

• Geography: Hungary is a landlocked country that has borders with seven countries: Austria, Slovenia, and Croatia to the east; Serbia and Romania to the south; Ukraine to the northeast; and Slovakia directly to the north. Most of Hungary is a fertile, rolling plain lying east of the Danube River, and drained by the Danube and Tisza Rivers.

• Population: 9,897,541 (estimate)

• Religion: Roman Catholic 37.2%, Calvinist 11.6%, Lutheran 2.2%, Greek Catholic 1.8%, other 1.9%, none 18.2%, unspecified 27.2%

• Time Zone: Hungary is six hours ahead of U.S. EST. When it is 6am in Washington D.C., it is noon in Budapest.

National Holidays: Hungary

In addition to the holidays listed below, 05/01 Labor Day/May Day Hungary celebrates a number of national 08/20 Hungary National Day holidays that follow a lunar calendar, such as Easter. To find out if you will be traveling 10/23 1956 Revolution Memorial Day during these holidays, please visit www. timeanddate.com/holidays. 11/01 All Saints’ Day

01/01 New Year’s Day 12/25 Christmas Day

03/15 1848 Revolution Memorial Day 12/26 Boxing Day

Hungary: A Brief History Hungary has been populated for half a million years. It was settled by Illyrians, Thracians and Scythians, and the Celts arrived around 400 BC. Romans established a province in western Hungary called Pannonia, but left in the 2nd century AD, when Attila the Hun briefly took over.

The progenitors of modern Hungarians were the Magyars. In 895, seven Magyar tribes under the leadership of Árpád formed an alliance. (These chiefs are depicted in the iconic statues of Budapest’s Heroes’ Square.) They were fierce and superior horsemen who conquered lands as far west as Spain. But the Magyars realized that their survival depended on forming ties with more powerful entities—namely, Byzantium or the Holy Roman Empire. They chose Rome.

Magyar rule was solidified in 973, when Géza, the great-grandson of Árpád, had himself and his grandson Vajk baptized—gaining the favor of Rome. Vajk took the Christian name Stephen (István) and in 1000 he became the first King of Hungary. His kingdom lasted 500 years and its endurance gave Hungary a strong taste for sover”ignty. But by 1526, nearly all of Hungary was occupied by Ottoman Turkey. The remaining western and northern parts gained the protection

75 of Austria. But when the Hapsburgs drove the Turks out in 1686, they also made the rest of “liberated” Hungary an Austrian province. Over time there were setbacks (and revolts) under the Hapsburgs, but also an economic and cultural flowering that continued into the 20th century.

In 1848, Hungary revolted against Hapsburg rule and failed. But in 1867, Austria and Hungary formed a federated dual monarchy with two parliaments, two capitals (Vienna and Budapest) and a hyphenated name: Austria-Hungary. Hungary was industrialized, and its economy soared. When Austrian Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated in 1914, Hungary entered World War I as a German ally. Losses were enormous, the empire dissolved, and unrest broke out. Large minorities within Hungary’s borders clamored for independence, and got it, thanks to the Treaty of Trianon. It gave lands to the new nations of Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and Romania, reducing Hungary to 40% of its traditional size—a loss many Hungarians still mourn.

To recoup its former lands, the increasingly right-leaning Hungarian government of Miklós Horthy turned to fascist Italy and Germany. Hungary did recover some lands, but it was also drawn into World War II as an Axis ally. After the Hungarian army was virtually decimated, Horthy tried to negotiate a separate peace with the Allies. But Hitler invaded, installed the pro- Nazi Arrow Cross party, and resumed the murder of thousands of Jews, partisans, Romani, and intellectuals. In December 1944, the Red Army had encircled Budapest and a two-month siege began. By the time the Nazis surrendered in April 1945, much of Budapest had been destroyed.

The Soviets occupied Hungary after the war and made it a satellite state. In October 1953, 50,000 Budapest students began an anti-Soviet demonstration calling for Hungary’s liberal-minded Imre Nagy to be Prime Minister. The secret police fired on them and overnight, Hungary was in revolt. Nagy formed a government and offered amnesty to those involved in the violence. But when he announced that Hungary would leave the Warsaw Pact and pursue neutrality, the Soviets stormed in with tanks. The world watched in horror as nearly 20,000 Hungarians died.

Communism fell in 1989 and on October 23—33 years after the 1956 Uprising—Hungary became the Republic of Hungary. The new Hungary joined NATO in 1999; and the EU in 2004. The current Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, a onetime anti-Communist, now serves his fourth term. He has moved far right and been criticized for increasing authoritarianism.

Germany

Facts, Figures & National Holidays • Area: 137,846 square miles

• Capital: Berlin

• Languages: German is the official language; Turkish is also spoken in Berlin.

• Location: Germany is bordered by Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland, the North Sea, and the Baltic Sea.

76 • Geography: Located in central Europe, Germany is bordered on the west by the Benelux countries and France, and on the east by Poland and the Czech Republic. Switzerland and Austria are to the south. Germany’s northern coastline is met by the North Sea and the Baltic.

• Population: 80,854,408 (estimate)

• Religions: Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, other 28.3%

• Time Zone: Germany is on Central European Time, six hours ahead of U.S. EST. When it is 6am in Washington D.C., it is noon in Berlin. Daylight Saving Time begins the last Sunday in March and ends the last Sunday in October.

National Holidays: Germany

In addition to the holidays listed below, 05/01 May Day Germany celebrates a number of national 10/03 Day of German Unity holidays that follow a lunar calendar, such as Easter. There are also some holidays that 11/01 All Saints’ Day are not national holidays, but are widely observed. To find out if you will be traveling 12/24 Christmas Eve during these holidays, please visit www. 12/25 Christmas Day timeanddate.com/holidays. 12/26 Boxing Day 01/01 New Year’s Day

Germany: A Brief History For many contemporary travelers, the history of Germany has been overshadowed by its role in the two World Wars of the past century. But that belies the two millennia of history and culture that is the legacy of Europe’s Germanic people, and which awaits your discovery.

During the Bronze and Iron Ages, Germanic tribes from southern Scandinavia and Northern Germany expanded, mixing and clashing with Celtic, Baltic, Slavic, Gaul, and Indo-European people. Settling east of the Rhine and north of the Danube, in a region the Romans dubbed “Germania,” they never unified. But they repulsed nearly all efforts of Rome to colonize them. The Romans were only ever able to subdue Germania’s southern and western flanks.

With the 5th century fall of the Western Roman Empire, Germanic Franks rose as the largest tribal confederacy of the middle Rhine. They spread to Gaul, absorbing all of France; and as far west as Poland. There was no unified German nation but by 800 AD, there was a Holy Roman Empire with the Frankish king Charlemagne as Emperor. For 1,000 years, the Holy Roman Empire mostly controlled Europe, and German prince-electors mostly controlled the Empire.

The Holy Roman Empire became a collection of duchies, principalities, Free Imperial Cities, and ecclesiastical states that spread across the larger kingdoms of Germany, Italy, Bohemia, and Burgundy. In 1440, the Austrian Hapsburg dynasty took control of the Holy Roman Empire (and held it until 1806). But all the imperial states became embroiled in the Thirty Years War

77 (1618–1648), which was sparked by a revolt of Bohemian Protestants, but grew into a deadly struggle between Bourbon and Hapsburg powers. Most of Central Europe was devastated by the conflict.

The prospect of a unified German nation began to coalesce during the Seven Weeks War in 1866, when the Prussian army under Otto von Bismarck defeated Austria. Prussia’s superior firepower convinced other German states that Austria was no longer a force. Bismarck then formed a North German Confederation without Austria—the forerunner to the unified German Empire of Kaiser Wilhelm I. Bismarck fostered alliances and instituted universal health care, pension plans, and other social welfare programs. But after Wilhelm I died in 1888, his grandson Wilhelm II rejected liberal reforms in favor of imperialism, which led to Germany’s involvement in World War I. Its defeat ended of the German Empire with the 1919 Treaty of Versailles.

The punitive provisions of the Versailles agreement opened the door for the Nazis. In 1933, a government was formed with Hitler as Chancellor. By 1934, Hitler took over as Fuhrer and established a totalitarian regime. German Jews were targeted by vicious propaganda and stripped of their rights. By 1939, half of Germany’s 500,000 Jews had fled. The Final Solution was implemented in 1941, and the ensuing Holocaust killed 6 million Jews and 11 million others. Meanwhile, Germany began annexing territories and the world was drawn into war.

The Allies defeated the Axis powers in 1945, leaving a partitioned Germany with a decimated political, social, and economic infrastructure. Yet despite its ruin and enormous burden of shame, the Federal German Republic (West Germany) became a parliamentary democracy, a NATO member, a founding member of the European Union, and one of the world’s richest countries. When the Iron Curtain fell in 1989, the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) demanded reform. German reunification took place in 1990. Since then economic integration of East Germany has been difficult, but progressing. Angela Merkel, the Chancellor since 2005, has helped Germany retain its position as a leader of the EU, and indeed, of the free world.

Austria

Facts, Figures & National Holidays • Area: 32,382 square miles

• Capital: Vienna

• Languages: German is the official language. English is also spoken, particularly in all tourist areas and major cities.

• Location: Austria is bordered by Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein.

• Geography: Landlocked in Central Europe, Austria features the mountainous Alps in the south and west, but also is home to flat plains and gentle slopes in the north and east.

• Population: 8,665,550 (estimate)

78 • Religion: Roman Catholic 73.8%, Protestant 4.9%, Muslim 4.2%, Orthodox 2.2%, other 0.8%, none 12%, unspecified 2%

• Time Zone: Austria is on Central European Time, six hours ahead of U.S. EST. When it is 6am in Washington D.C., it is noon in Vienna.

National Holidays: Austria

In addition to the holidays listed below, 05/01 Labor Day/May Day Austria celebrates a number of national 08/15 Assumption of Mary holidays that follow a lunar calendar, such as Easter. To find out if you will be traveling 10/26 National Day during these holidays, please visit www. timeanddate.com/holidays. 11/01 All Saints’ Day

01/01 New Year’s Day 12/08 Feast of the Immaculate Conception

01/06 Epiphany 12/25 Christmas Day

12/26 St. Stephen’s Day

Austria: A Brief History Austria has been populated since Neanderthal times, but its most significant early culture was the Hallstatt, which arose around 400 BC when Celtic people settled along the shores of the Hallstatter See. The Celts formed a confederation called Noricum, established a prosperous salt trade, and forged iron implements. When Romans arrived in 15 BC, they made the area a province. In exchange for their excellent Noric steel (which the Romans used for swords), the Celts received protection—and they needed it, as Germanic Teutons and other tribes invaded.

When Charlemagne arrived in the 8th century and created a zone in the Danube Valley called the East March. In 976, the Babenburg dynasty became the margraves of this “eastern realm” or Österreich, German for “Austria.” The Babenburgs extended the territory and made Vienna their capital. When they died, Rudolf I took over in 1278, ushering in the dynastic powerhouse that dominated Europe for 500 years. Consolidating power through strategic marriages, they built a network from Spain to the Netherlands to Germany. The Hapsburgs were all prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire, and from 1452 they elected their kinsmen as its Emperors. But holding power was not easy. In 1618 Europe erupted into a Thirty Years War that caused nearly eight million deaths. It was largely a contest between Bourbon and Austro-Spanish Hapsburgs. Things further destabilized when the Turks advanced to Vienna. They remained a threat until 1699.

Austria bloomed during the Enlightenment reigns of Maria Theresa and her son, Joseph II. They instituted reforms, and were patrons of the arts (with Mozart as their court composer). Decades later, a result of the Napoleonic wars was that the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved in 1806. But the Hapsburgs survived, creating a German Alliance of hundreds of small states. In 1867, Austria and Hungary united as a dual monarchy—and reveled in the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s cultural flowering. Vienna, newly magnificent after a flurry of building, was its epicenter. The Empire

79 prospered until Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in 1914, sparking World War I. The 1919 defeat of the Central Powers (Austria-Hungary, Germany, Turkey, and Bulgaria) ended the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which split into several nations per the Treaty of Versailles.

Austria became a republic, but suffered inflation, unemployment, and the loss of a national identity. Political tensions erupted into violent street fights, and in 1934, a Conservative government took legislative powers from the parliament, making Austria a fascist country. Though the Treaty of Versailles had expressly forbidden the reunification of Germany and Austria, Hitler (himself an Austrian) had other ideas about this Anschluss. When the Nazis goose-stepped into Austria in 1938, they were welcomed by cheering crowds. Austria’s military, economy, and political infrastructure were integrated into Germany’s war efforts; the execution of Jews and resistors stepped up; and many Austrians participated in the Nazi’s crimes.

Austria was liberated by Allied and Soviet troops in 1945, a second republic was established, and Austria remained under occupation. In 1955, Russia demanded that Austria declare its neutrality as a condition for ending Soviet occupation. This status enabled Austria to be a bridge between East and West during the Cold War. But the nation never came to terms with its war history. That started in 1986, when former U.N. Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim ran for president. He won and served until 1992, and investigations into his wartime activities were inconclusive.

Austria joined the EU in 1995, adopted the euro in 1999, and is one of Europe’s most prosperous nations. It is considered a liberal democracy, and consistently ranks high for its quality of life.

80 RESOURCES

Suggested Reading

General The Habsburgs: The History of a Dynasty by Benjamin Curtis (2013, History) Discover how this Austrian family gained power—and held it—for more than 500 years, shaping all the nations featured on this adventure.

The Bridge of Sighs: A Novel by Olen Steinhauer (2003, Mystery) Set in an unnamed Eastern European country under Soviet control, this mystery follows a young member of the state’s police force on his first big case. The only trouble is that no one trusts him and his co-workers think he’s a spy. This is the first of a series that also includes The Confession and 36 Yalta Boulevard.

Czech Republic The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera (1984, Fiction) Passion, politics, and philosophy; loyalty and lies; these are just some of the themes explored in this novel, which follows a young woman in love with a philandering surgeon in Prague of the 1960s.

Me, Myself & Prague: An Unreliable Guide to Bohemia by Rachael Weiss (2008. Travel Narrative) When the author uproots herself and moves from Australia to Prague she hopes to reinvent herself in a specific way—as a worldly and chic novelist—but ends up discovering more about who she was all along.

The Garden Party and Other Plays by Václav Havel (1994, Plays) Written by the famed playwright who went on to become the first president of post-communist Czechoslovakia. These absurdist plays blend politics with typical wry Czech humor to capture the mood of a country on the brink of great change.

Love and Garbage by Ivan Klíma (1986, Fiction) When Klíma wrote this book in 1986, it was banned by the Communist regime. Three years later, after the fall of the Iron Curtain, it became a sensation. It follows the ups and downs of a dissident artist forced to be a garbage man in Communist Prague. He collects far more than trash.

Prague Winter: A Personal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937–1948 by Madeleine Albright (2012, Biography) Former Secretary of State Albright describes her early life in Czechoslovakia during the Nazi occupation and World War II. Albright spent much of her childhood in exile in London, and was too young to understand the forces at work in her birth country. For that, she relies here on historical research but also the letters, journals, and articles of her remarkable family and their friends. A stellar example of how the personal becomes the political.

81 Slovakia A False Dawn: My Life as a Gypsy Woman in Slovakia by Elena Lacková (2000, Biography) In the late 1970s, Lacková began telling her life story to Milena Hübschmannová, a leading Romani scholar. It is a startling and moving glimpse at a long-despised culture, and the strength of its families. We follow Lacková from her World War II struggles, to her exhilaration as a youthful playwright, to her emancipation (and gradual disillusionment) as a female socialist state official. Filled with details about daily life, superstitions, gender roles, and more.

In the Name of the Father by Vladimir Balla (2017, Fiction) A combination of the author’s award- winning novella and three additional short stories, this satirical work explores the mind of a man who is looking in all the wrong places to place blame for his serial adultery, failed marriage, dysfunctional family relationships, and his wife’s mental illness. With his dark humor, Balla has been called “the Slovak Kafka.”

A Country Lost, Then Found: Discovering My Father’s Slovakia by Rick Zednik (2012, Memoir) In this touching memoir Zednik first describes what it was like for his father to break all ties with Slovakia (due to the 1968 Soviet invasion); the second half reveals what it was like for the author himself to visit Bratislava after the end of the Cold War, and rediscover his extended family.

A History of Slovakia: The Struggle for Survival by Stanislav J. Kirschbaum (2005, History) A ground-breaking work this is the first comprehensive study to describe the resilience of the Slovaks—from the 7th-century Avar invasions to the break with the Czech Republic in 1993.

The Luck of the Weissensteiners by Christoph Fischer ( 2012, Fiction) When Greta, who is both Slovak and Jewish, falls for Wilhelm, who is German, everything seems to go well. But then World War II breaks out, and trouble ensues.

Hungary Budapest: A Critical Guide by András Török (2016, Guidebook) Frequently updated and widely loved, this is more than your average travel guide, but a witty insider’s look at the quirks and pleasures of Hungary’s most dazzling city. Even if you never went here, this book would be fun to read.

Fatelessness by Imre Kertész (1975, Literature) This semi-autobiographical novel follows the experiences of a young Hungarian Jewish boy imprisoned at Auschwitz. Kertész drew on his own experiences there, and went on to be the only Hungarian to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2002.

The Bridge at Andau by James Michener (1957, Nonfiction) For a brief time in 1956, the bridge at Andau became an escape route for Hungarians fleeing the Soviet suppression of the famous popular revolt that wracked Budapest and riveted the world. Historian Michener was living at the Austrian-Hungarian border at the time, and captures here the dramatic nature of the true-life events surrounding the revolt and the plight of the refugees.

82 Budapest Noir by Vilmos Kondor (2012, Mystery) The death of a call girl in a seedy neighborhood a few days after the death of Hungary’s Prime Minister doesn’t seem to by of interest to anyone, except a dogged reporter. A classic noir-style mystery that unravels in 1930s Budapest.

Germany In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Erik Larson (2011, History) Acclaimed historian and author Larson follows the experiences of the American ambassador to Germany in 1933 as he and his family slowly come to realize the menace and danger that is Hitler’s Third Reich.

Dresden: A City Reborn Edited by Alan Russell, Anthony Clayton, and Alan Keith Russell (2013, History) On 13 February 1945, Dresden, one of the most beautiful and historic cities of Europe, was destroyed by British and American air raids. This book traces the city’s history from its medieval birth in 1206 through its world war II destruction and up through the 21st century.

The Woman from Hamburg: and Other True Stories by Hana Krall (2006, Non-Fiction) A journalist from Warsaw born in 1937, Krall reveals the lives and strange trajectories of her compatriots in these stories, profiles and interviews of survivors of WWII.

Tschick by Wolfgang Harrndorf (2014, Fiction) Two unpopular teenagers—one German and one Russian—”borrow” a car and go on a joyride across Germany. Although the protagonists are young, the story seems to delight adults too—it was recommended by the ambassador of Germany has one of the best modern stories from his country.

Before the Deluge: A Portrait of Berlin in the 1920s by Otto Friedrich (1995, History) A noted historian describes the raucous social, cultural and political scene in this most vibrant city, when Christopher Isherwood, Marlene Dietrich, Albert Einstein, Greta Garbo, Berthold Brecht Walter Gropius, Vassily Kandinsky and so many others made their home here.

March Violets by Philip Kerr (1990, Mystery) The first of a series that also includes titles such as The Pale Criminal and A German Requiem. Set in 1930s Berlin, these dark mysteries follow Bernard Gunther, a former police officer now turned private detective who specializes in finding missing people and people who don’t want to be found. The language is very much like a classic noir film from the 30s or 40s.

Berlin by Giles MacDonogh (1998, History) A study of the history, sociology, architecture, food, crime, and theater of one of Europe’s most intriguing cities—on the eve of its return as the capital of the Unified Germany.

Peeling the Onion by Günter Grass (2007, Memoir) The Nobel Prize-winning author describes his experiences growing up in Danzig (now Gdansk) and as a soldier in the Nazi Waffen SS. It is a real-life story of the themes he explored with magical realism in his masterpiece, The Tin Drum.

Martin Luther: A Life by Martin E. Marty (2004, Biography) A brief but engrossing biography of the fiery Protestant reformer who transformed western thinking, sending shock waves across Europe’s political as well as religious landscape.

83 The Silent Angel by Heinrich Boll (1992, Fiction) A German WWII deserter returns to his home town of Cologne after it has been carpet bombed, and encounters a city filled with shell-shocked people trying to survive both physically and spiritually. Nobel Prize winner Boll, a Cologne native, drew from his own postwar experiences to create this moving portrait.

Narcissus and Goldmund by Hermann Hesse (1930, Fiction) This classic tale reveals medieval Germany through the experiences of two men, one who chooses the monastic life, and the other traveling the world.

Culture Shock! Germany by Richard Lord (2008, Culture/Travel). Learn all you need to know to understand the modern German way of life.

Austria A Nervous Splendor—Vienna 1888-1889 by Frederic Morton (1980, History) When the Archduke Rudolph I shoots his teenaged mistress and then himself at the royal retreat in Mayerling, the scandal sends shock waves throughout Austria. Here, the author traces how that event impacted Vienna’s greatest minds, among them Sigmund Freud, Gustav Mahler, Theodor Herzl, Gustav Klimt, and the playwright Arthur Schnitzler. Their stories are interwoven with that of the doomed Prince, who is buried just as Frau Klara Hitler gives birth to a son named Adolf.

When Nietzsche Wept: A Novel of Obsession by Irvin D. Yalom (2013, Fiction) Set in 19th-century Vienna, this novel is built upon a clever conceit: the psychoanalytic sessions between the impoverished and suicidal philosopher, Frederic Nietzsche; and distinguished physician Josef Breuer, who is undergoing his own existential crisis. The twist is that Nietzsche, too proud to seek help, does not know that he is Breuer’s “patient.” As the two meet in Vienna’s salons and coffeehouses, we encounter the personalities of the day, including Sigmund Freud, and gain a sense of the healing power of connection.

The Austrians: A Thousand-Year Odyssey by Gordon Brook-Shepard (1996, History) A noted historian, draws upon his long-standing associations with Austrian leaders and his special access to the private Hapsburg family archives to trace the identity of Austria as it developed over a millennium.

The Age of Insight by Eric Kandel (2012, Art) This book takes us to Vienna in 1900, where leaders in science, medicine, and art began a revolution that changed forever how we think about the human mind—our conscious and unconscious thoughts and emotions—and how mind and brain relate to art. Kandel traces the ideas and advances of Vienna, in rich and rewarding detail, and their enduring influence today.

The Habsburgs: The History of a Dynasty by Benjamin Curtis (2013, History) Discover how this Austrian family gained power—and held it—for more than 500 years, shaping all the nations featured on this adventure.

The Painted Kiss by Elizabeth Hickey (2005, Historical Fiction) The author, an art historian, imagines the relationship between the artist Gustav Klimt, and his younger model-mistress, the couturier Emilie Flöge. She was the inspiration for his famous work, The Kiss, and it was her name that he uttered as his dying words.

84 The Radetzky March by Joseph Roth (1932, Historical Fiction) Three generations of the von Trotta family see their fortunes rise and fall in the declining days of the Austro-Hungrian Empire. The irony of the book is that each time the Emperor Franz-Joseph bestows some favor upon someone, there are significant personal and political consequences.

The World of Yesterday by Stefan Zweig (1964, Biography) Written as both a recollection of the past and a warning for future generations, The World of Yesterday recalls the golden age of literary Vienna—its seeming permanence, its promise, and its devastating fall.

Suggested Film & Video

Middle Europe The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014, Comedy/Mystery) This film was shot primarily in Saxony (Germany) and it takes place in the fictional Republic of Zubrowka, but it beautifully conjures a rich Mitteleuropa nostalgia and has an uproarious story-within-a-story format—plus a killer cast. Ralph Fiennes is the debonair concierge of a grand hotel who deftly contends with his quirky staff, wealthy guests, fascist agents, and the theft of a priceless artwork. Directed by Wes Anderson at his light-hearted (but always precise) best.

Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Czechoslovakia Ice Mother (2017, Comedy/Drama) Hana, a recent widow, has her spirit nearly crushed by her dysfunctional family, with whom she gathers every Saturday for the traditional dinner. Things get disrupted when she meets Brona, who welcomes her into his quirky club of cold-water swimmers, but warms things up in other ways.

Kolya (1996, Comedy/Drama) An Oscar winner for Best foreign Language Film. Kolya is an aging ladies man and professional cellist, after being flippant with Russian officials, he loses his orchestra position. To make money, he marries a Russian woman for pay so she can get her papers. But when the cellist is left with 5-year old son, he changes his tune.

Kafka (1991, Drama) Directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Jeremy Irons as the legendary Czech writer Franz Kafka, this unconventional biopic blends events of the author’s life with fantasy scenes from his fiction. Segments of striking black-and-white cinematography add to the moody allure of 1920s Prague.

The Shop on Main Street (1965, Drama). The Oscar for Best Foreign Film of 1965 went to this story about a disillusioned carpenter, Tono, who is appointed the “Aryan controller” of a button shop owned by an old Jewish woman. By Nazi decree, Tono is the shop’s new owner, but the kind Mrs. Lautmann is so senile, she thinks he is just a nice helper. The two end up forging a delicate bond, but when a roundup of Jews begins, Tono must make a terrible moral choice.

85 Fireman’s Ball (1967, Comedy) Made just before the Prague Spring, this is the last film that the renowned Miloš Forman directed before going into exile in the US. A masterpiece of the Czech New Wave, this veiled critique of Soviet bureaucracy is wrapped in a comic tale about a retirement fete being hosted by some small town firemen. None of the actors were professionals— they were the actual firemen of Vrchlabí, a Czech village.

Anthropoid (2017, Drama) Based on the true story of Operation Anthropoid, an attempt by World War II Czech and Slovak partisans to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich, architect of the Final Solution and the so-called “Butcher of Prague.”

Hungary Son of Saul (2015, Documentary). Winner of the Cannes Grand Prix, Oscar, and Golden Globe awards, this film by László Nemes follows a day and a half in the life of Saul, a Hungarian inmate at Auschwitz forced to work as a Sonderkommando—a prisoner ordered to remove corpses from the gas chamber.

Mephisto (1981, Drama) This retelling of the Faust legend takes place in 1930s Germany, where amoral actor Hendrik Höfgen rapidly rises to become Germany’s most famous actor, and head of the State Theater, by currying favor with the Reich. Sharply observant, yet untroubled by scruples, Höfgen realizes that his best performance is the one that takes place off stage as he acts the role of a loyal Nazi. Buoyed by the electrifying performance of Klaus Maria Brandauer, this gem by István Szabó was the first Hungarian film to win an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film.

Germany Goodbye, Lenin! (2003, Comedy/Drama) A German boy named Alex pulls off an elaborate scheme to prevent his fragile mother, a dedicated socialist, from experiencing a fatal shock. When she awakens in 1990 after a long coma, Alex strives to keep the fall of the Berlin Wall, the collapse of Communism, and the reunification of Germany a secret.

Bridge of Spies (2015, Drama) Steven Spielberg directed this Cold War thriller based on a true story about a lawyer (Tom Hanks) who must negotiate a delicate prisoner exchange: Francis Gary Powers, a U.S. pilot whose U-2 spy plane was shot down by the Soviet Union in 1960—for captured KGB spy Rudolf Abel. The title refers to the Glienicke Bridge that connects Potsdam and Berlin, where the exchange took place.

Cabaret (1972, Musical/Drama) Directed by Bob Fosse, this movie has it all: a killer Broadway score, a perfect cast, Fosse’s sultry choreography, pointed social commentary, and an electrifying portait of lost souls struggling to survive in Weimar-era Berlin on the cusp of Nazism. It did not win Best Picture, but took eight other major categories including Best Actress (Liza Minelli), Best Supporting Actor (Joel Grey), and Best Director (Fosse).

Das Boot (1981, Adventure) One of the most authentic war films ever made Das Boot is a raw and compelling portrayal of a German Atlantic U-boat crew and captain as they struggle to survive during World War II.

86 The Lives of Others (2006, Drama) A drama that marked the feature film debut of German filmmaker Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. Set in East Berlin in 1984, an agent of the secret police conducts surveillance on a writer and his lover. As the story unfolds, he finds himself becoming increasingly absorbed by their lives. As intoxicating as it is chilling, this film quietly depicts the secret world of German espionage. In German with subtitles.

The Marriage of Maria Braun (1978, Drama) A young German woman marries her true love, then loses him when he is sent to the Eastern Front and is presumed dead. When the war ends, Maria must fend for herself, becoming a prostitute and eventually using her wiles to establish a bourgeois existence. But things get complicated when her husband returns. This is an engrossing, dynamic and often funny allegory for the scrappy rise of postwar Germany.

Look Who’s Back (2015, Comedy) Can Germany escape the specter of Nazism? Not according to this biting satire, in which der Fuehrer magically reawakens in 2014 in the square where his bunker once stood. He is horrified to learn that the country is led by a woman, Poland is a free state, and the Fatherland is full of immigrants. An out of work filmmaker thinks this eccentric character is just a comic Hitler impersonator, and he builds a reality show about him. As Hitler becomes a media sensation, others are shown to share his ideas about the future of Germany. Filmed Borat-style, many scenes feature real people reacting to this putschy provocateur.

Immortal Beloved (1994, Drama) After the death of Ludwig van Beethoven (Gary Oldman), the life and loves of the great composer are revealed in flashbacks as his friend and executor tries to solve the mystery of an unmailed letter to a mysterious lover.

Schindler’s List (1993, Drama) Spielberg’s masterpiece about a callow industrialist, Oskar Schindler, whose life is transformed as he gradually, then unceasingly works to save his Jewish workforce during World War II.

The Reader (2008, Drama) Based on the bestselling novel by Bernard Schink, this compelling story is an allegory for Germany’s struggle to come to terms with its Holocaust guilt. It centers on the secret affair of a 15-year old West German teen and a mysterious woman who is 20 years his senior. Fast forward six years, when the young man is now a law student observing a war trial, and is shocked to realize that the defendant is his former lover. Kate Winslet won an Oscar for her nuanced portrayal of the tormented Hanna Schmidt.

Austria Before Sunrise (1995, Comedy/Drama) Two strangers meet on a rain and decide to get off in Vienna for just one evening. As they explore some of the city’s most evocative landmarks, their conversations go from wryly philosophical to deeply personal, before they must decide to go their separate ways. Stars Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke collaborated on writing the sparkling dialogue.

The Third Man (1949, Drama) Based on a Graham Greene story and starring Orson Welles, this smart and stylish thriller is considered a masterpiece of cinema. Its moody camerawork, striking shots of Viennese landmarks, and jangling zither score perfectly build and release the tension of Cold War Vienna.

87 Amadeus (1984, Drama) The pious Italian composer Antonio Salieri is obsessed with his rival, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, whom God has favored with divine talent and worldly success— despite Mozart’s immaturity and vulgarity. The Oscar winner for Best Picture, this epic from director Milos Forman is gorgeously filmed, and lifted by its pitch-perfect performances by F. Murray Abraham (as Salieri) and Tom Hulce (as Mozart.)

Museum Hours (2012, Drama) A lonely guard at Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Art Museum befriends an enigmatic American visitor, who has been called here due to a family emergency. Through conversations sparked by the art they both admire, the two begin sharing their lives, and the life of Vienna.

The Woman in Gold (2015, Drama) Helen Mirren stars as Maria Altmann, an Austrian-Jewish Holocaust refugee who successfully sued the Austrian government for the return of a major artwork that was stolen from her family by the Nazis: Gustav Klimt’s Portrait of Adele Bauer-Bloch, who was her aunt. Based on a true story.

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88 VACCINATIONS NOW REQUIRED FOR ALL TRAVELERS, SHIP CREW, TRIP EXPERIENCE LEADERS, AND COACH DRIVERS Plus, updated Health & Safety Protocols for our Land Tours

The health and safety of our travelers is always our #1 priority, and we understand travelers are concerned about exploring the world in light of the unprecedented crisis we are currently facing. To ensure your safety and give you peace of mind, we have worked with our regional team and listened to government guidance and feedback from our travelers to create these health and safety protocols for our trips. As we continue to make changes, we will keep our website updated with the latest information.

VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS • All travelers, ship crew, and Trip Experience AND UPDATED HEALTH & SAFETY Leaders will have their temperature checked PROTOCOLS FOR SMALL SHIP every time they return to the ship using a non- ADVENTURES contact infrared temperature scanner. • All travelers must be fully vaccinated against • All meals are served by the dining staff— COVID-19 at least 14 days prior to departure buffets are no longer available. and provide proof of vaccination upon VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS AND boarding the ship. If you are unable to UPDATED HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS provide proof of vaccination upon arrival at FOR SMALL GROUP ADVENTURES ON LAND your destination, you will have to return All travelers must be fully vaccinated against home at your own expense. • COVID-19 at least 14 days prior to departure. If To meet this requirement, please bring your you are unable to provide proof of vaccination original COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card upon arrival at your destination, you will with you on your trip. The white card must have to return home at your own expense. display your name, type of vaccine, and the To meet this requirement, please bring your date(s) the vaccine was administered. We also original COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card with suggest taking a picture of this card to keep for you on your trip. The white card must display your records as a backup. your name, type of vaccine, and the date(s) • All local Trip Experience Leaders, the vaccine was administered. We also suggest ship staff, and crew will be fully taking a picture of this card to keep for your vaccinated against COVID-19. records as a backup. • All coach drivers will be fully • All local Trip Experience Leaders will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. vaccinated against COVID-19. • All public areas will be sanitized nightly and • All coach drivers will be fully vaccinated all ships are equipped with High Efficiency against COVID-19. Particulate Air (HEPA) filters.

Help us ensure travelers’ safety and health while on our trips. Please follow best health and hygiene practices to prevent the spread of illness—wash your hands regularly and cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing. Together, we can create a safer travel experience for everyone.

Learn more at www.oattravel.com/covid-update

89 Notes

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94 D L A N P O

Prague Y Meissen Berlin

Terezín

HUNGARY N Budapest

CZECH REPUBLIC

A Dresden

M

e R

Potsdam b l E

E (Optional tour) G Wittenberg e

PRE-TRIP EXTENSION b

u

n a

r D SLOVAKIA ő Gy Bratislava Miles To/From U.S. Land route POLAND 040 Lednice č Carnuntum ebí ř T Vienna Slavonice

(Post-trip Extension) (Post-trip

e

b ) u

e n

b

l a

E CZECH D ( AUSTRIA e Trebon b La REPUBLIC Prague

ava Český Krumlov Vlt jovice ě Pisek

Factory Y eské Bud

Č N A (Optional tour) Ruckl Crystal M R E G

95 YOUR TRIP EXPERIENCE LEADER

Your O.A.T. Trip Experience Leader is an insider who lives in the destinations you are exploring. They are not just knowledgeable, but personable and personal—eager to understand your own interests, and happy to share their own. This makes all the diff erence between just visiting a place, and experiencing its true spirit.

For your Jewels of Bohemia: Czech Republic, Slovakia & Hungary adventure, your Trip Experience Leaders have earned an overall “Excellence” rating of 99% in post-trip surveys completed by our travelers.

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