Excursions
Sightseeing bus excursions will be held on Wednesday afternoons and on Sundays (all day excursions). Please remember to fill in your application to reserve your place in the preferred excursions. After submission of your application you can rebook the trips or make any changes by e-mail to: pprochaz@rek.zcu.cz (by May 31, 2010 at the latest). All excursions are included in the participation fee except of the bonus trip. Scholarship holders do not attend excursion on June 11.
24 - 25 July 2010 BONUS TRIP FOR INTERESTED: SOUTHERN MORAVIAN WINERIES AND UNESCO SITES
For Moravia, viniculture is much more than a business, it is way of life, peculiar culture.
TELČ – uniquely extant Renaissance town and the Lords of Hradec castle, a part of UNESCO's World Heritage List for its significance, the castle sightseeing tour. Before the tour, short walk around the town and free time for lunch.
MIKULOV – because of its location, the town was predestined to become a crossroads and meeting point for traveling merchants but also of cultures. A mutual togetherness and co-existence between Catholics, Baptists and Jews made the distinctive character of the town. For centuries, Mikulov was one of the main Jewish centers in Moravia. 500 years of Jewish community activity illustrates the spirit of tolerance that dominated the town. A castle built on chalk rock is the prominent feature of the town. It reminds us of the glory of the times when Mikulov was cultural capital of Morava. The second dominating feature of the place is so called „Svatý kopeček“ (St. Hillock), outstanding peak with steppe and forest steppe communities and baroque Calvary with a church and the way of the Cross from the 17th century. In the afternoon, after arriving in the town, hotel check-in and a walk around the town, from 7pm – dinner and wine tasting in a trr. The second day at 10 am, a walk to ‘St. Hillock’ then a drive to Lednice.
LEDNICE – Landscape Protected Area, summer mansion of the House of Liechtenstein, a neo-gothic jewel in the middle of a vast landscape park (Lednice-Valtice Complex registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List), romantic architecture , the most famous structure is a 60 meters high Minaret (prayer tower). The possibility of a sightseeing tour in the castle (admission fee required) or visit of a unique aquarium, tropical greenhouse, wine shop, a walk around the park with centuries-old trees in floodplain forest - to the John's Castle ruins, the possibility of sailing in small boats, a carriage ride, or a birds of prey flight show.
Official web page: http://www.zamek-lednice.com
Price: 2.550 CZK (transport, accommodation in a hotel (double bedrooms), breakfast, dinner in a wine cellar (including 6 wines tasting, free wine, non-alcoholic beverages and coffee, cold dishes), guide, a hammer dulcimer music band from 9pm till midnight. Entrance to the Telc Castle, as well as a lunch package on the second day.
Departure: 8.00 am, arrival – 2nd day till 8 pm
This trip can be reserved at the ISLS reception desk by Tuesday, July 20, 2010! Payments for this trip should be done on Wednesday, July 21 or Thursday, July 22 between 10 - 10.45 a.m. at the reception desk.
- ON A FOLKLORE NOTE
11.07.2010ŠVIHOV - a picturesque gothic water castle and fortification, connected with names of prominent personalities of the Kingdom of Bohemia, plus a sightseeing tour
KLATOVY - the second biggest town in the Plzeň Region founded 750 years ago, an ancient town with a black tower, catacombs with mummies, a baroque apothecary ( on the UNESCO list). Walk in the historical centre, visit of the apothecary with commentary, free time. At the time of our visit, a wake and the International Folklore Festival are held together with a number of accompanying events (e.g. traditional exhibition of Klatovy clove-pink flowers)
Departure 8.30am, arrival till 6.30pm
Photo:www.sumavanet.cz - HOŘOVICE
14.07.2010HOŘOVICE - Sightseeing of a rococo castle, after the tour, a 20-minut performance of a fencing and theatre society in the park, one-hour free time (Entrance with commentary in a foreign language and fencing performance).
Departure 1.30 pm, arrival till 7.00 pm - THE COUNTRYSIDE BELOW THE ORE MOUNTAINS
17.07.2010KADAŇ - a tour around the royal town which was built in the 13th century (town hall, conserved ramparts with bastions, donjons and city gate, St. Cross church, gothic castle, Minorite monastery, connected with Bohuslav Hasistejnsky z Lobkovic (plus sightseeing in the monastery). Two and half free time in the town – possibily a visit to the promenade alongside Ohre river, tour to a local view point, sitting on ramparts, self catering lunch. The town of Kadan won a competition ‘The most beautiful town and village in Bohemia and Moravia 2009.’
KLÁŠTEREC NAD OHŘÍ – beautifully reconstructed castle area of Thun dynasty, where the Museum of Pottery is located. The Museum of Pottery is also in partnership with the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague, Picturesque castle park with rare woods on the bank of Ohre River. Possibility of individual tours (e.g. tower – 10 CZK per person). Tereziiny lázně (Teresa’s spa) – possibly of sampling local mineral springs, plus walk in a park
Departure: 8.30 am, arrival till 8.00 pm - PRAGUE AS CROSSROADS OF HISTORY AND CULTURE
17.07.2010PRAGUE - Tour around the Old Town Square and its neighborhood, where the thousand-year history of the city started, two-hour steamboat cruise on Vltava River along the most beautiful sights of the Old Town and the Lesser Quarter. On the board, lunch in the form of a self-service buffet After the cruise, departure to Wenceslas Square with a short commentary on the history of the square and approx. 1 hour and half free time. Departing Wenceslas Square by bus and ride to the newly open National Memorial on Vitkov Hill (opened 29 October 2009). Possibly visiting its exposition or just walking in the park surrounding the memorial, as well as taking the view of Prague from Vitkov Hill. The memorial is used as a museum of modern history with a multimedia exhibition called ‘Crossroads of Czech and Czechoslovak statehood‘. This exhibition has been prepared in conjunction with The Military History Institute in Prague. It portrays the important crossroads in Czech history when statehood and ideological conception of the state were developing significantly. Particularly these five moments: 1918: The independence of Czechoslovakia was proclaimed, 1938: Munich, Hitler's takeover of Czechoslovakia, 1945 – 1948: The re-emergence of Czechoslovakia and the Communist takeover, 1968: the emergence of Czech and Slovak Federal Republic, 1989: Breakdown of Communism together with the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1992. Departure from Prague at 6.15 pm, arrival in Plzen at 8.00pm
Departure: 8.30 am, arrival till 8 pm - MANĚTÍN
21.07.2010MANĚTÍN - short walk round the town and castle park, tour in baroque castle rebuilt on J.B. Santini’s plans. J.B. Santini was the architect of the church in Zelena Hora near Zdar nad Sazavou registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. Due to the rich sculptural decorations, Manetin is called ‘the pearl’ of Czech barocco. From 5.30pm there will be an hour concert in premises of the castle.
Departure: 1.30 pm, arrival till 7.30 pm - ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PILSEN REGION FROM THE ‘ROTUNDA’ ERA UNTIL NOW
28.07.2010STARÝ PLZENEC - one of the oldest Czech mansions offering visits to a rotunda and ruins of the king’s castle Radyně. A tour in a sparkling wine distillery will guide you through the production process from the cellars to the adjustment line. You will learn how the bottle bearing the Bohemia Sekt logo comes to life, from the still wine of the renowned Moravian vineyards to a fine sparkling wine. You will learn how to appreciate sparkling wines with all your senses, and how to distinguish the quality and uniqueness of each sparkling wine. You will learn how to enjoy Bohemia Sekt sparkling wines to the fullest! After the tour, a short stop under the rotunda and the dominating feature of the countryside – Castle Radyne.
Sparkling wine tasting and a free bottle of sparkling wine to take away.
Departure: 1.30 pm, arrival till 7.00 pm
