Tour Name & Destination: Czech Republic Hidden Secrets Tour 2020
Tour Duration: 14 Days, Monday, July 13 - Sunday, July 26, 2020
Departure: 13 July 2020
Tour Price: 3,990.00* all inclusive, double occupancy
4,380.00* all inclusive, single occupancy
Tour highlights: New experience when revealing hidden secrets and mysterious places, homeland, history, genealogy, excursions, beer, wine, good food, relax, a lot of fun J
Tour Itinerary
Day 1, Monday, 7-13
Depart USA, the luggage will be checked all the way to Europe.
Day 2, Tuesday, 7-14
Arrive in Prague. Tour guide and transportation will wait for the group at the airport. Depart for the Panenský Týnec city to visit the unfinished Gothic Church of the Virgin Mary, which is reportedly one of the most magical places in Czech Republic, with real healing energy from the core of the Earth. Construction on the building began in the early 14th century and most likely stopped after a fire ravaged its neighboring monastery in 1382. Depart for the hotel and dinner.
Day 3, Wednesday, 7-15
Breakfast in the hotel. Depart to Luková by Manětín to visit St. George’s Church a cultural monument of the Czech Republic. Jakub Hadrava, a sculpture student at the University of West Bohemia, decided to sculpt life-sized ghosts to sit in the pews of the abandoned church to help collect money to save the monument. Ghosts are meant to evoke the German-speaking people who once lived in Luková – who, indeed, built the church, but were subsequently forced to leave this place. Depart for Medieval Castle Bečov nad Teplou to see the unique treasury (relic case) permanently exhibited at the castle - the reliquary of St. Maurus, who is with the crown jewels one of the goldsmith's most valuable monument in the Czech Republic. Depart for and visit Medieval city of Kadaň – royal town, historical pearl of Northern-Western Bohemia with many sights and unique architecture, such as historical houses and technical monuments. Depart for the hotel and dinner.
Day 4, Thursday, 7-16
Breakfast in the hotel. Visit Krušovice, old medieval place, founded before year 1000, played important role from the era of the Czech king Premysl Otakar II. Visit famous Royal Brewery of Krušovice established in 1581 by Jiří Birka in the village of Krušovice. Jiří Birka sold the brewery to Emperor Rudolf II in 1583, allowing them to use the Imperial Crown of Austria as part of the company's logo. Arnošt Josef Valdštejn bought the brewery in 1685. After 1945, the Krušovice Brewery was the state-owned company. The brewery was fully privatised in 1993 and were launched beer exports to the USA and the UK. Depart for Žatec – city of the „hop“ (hop growing, harvesting, processing in the region) and visit the museum. Depart to Beroun for the city tour. Dinner in the hotel.
Day 5, Friday, 7-17
Breakfast in the hotel. Depart for Eastern Bohemia to visit a unique Kuks, Hospital, church of the Holy Trinity, a unique Baroque spa and the Pharmaceutical Museum. East Bohemian Kuks is one of the most beautiful Baroque complexes in the Czech Republic. Set out to discover the story of a place which in its heyday easily equaled the largest spa towns in Bohemia and whose architectural value amazes visitors from all over the world to this very day. Discover the second oldest pharmacy in Central Europe, walk through the gallery of beautiful statues by the “Czech Michelangelo” or view the Nativity Scene hewn directly from the rocks, the only one of its kind in the world. Depart for Vamberk. The city has been well known for lace production since the 17th Century. In the mid-17th century, Magdalena Grambová, a Belgian owner of a local estate in Vamberk, introduced Belgian lace patterns and a new technique of bobbin lace making using a lace cushion or pillow. Vamberk became a European center of lace-making. Depart for Moravia, Rožnov, arrive hotel and diner.
Day 6, Saturday, 7-18
Breakfast in the hotel. Program in Rožnov - tour the unique Candle Manufacture Unipar, excursion with shopping. Visit the World of Stones – you will find a wide range of products from the semiprecious stones. Lunch. Open Air Wallachian Museum is the best-known and most remarkable open-air museum in the Czech Republic and central Europe and belongs to the most visited monuments. Its large grounds present folk buildings, customs, and traditions of the Walachia region. A number of cultural events are held and many traditional fetes celebrated there. Dinner.
Day 7, Sunday, 7-19
Breakfast in the hotel. Visit the Church of All Saints for a mass. Listen the story of the church and visit the area outside the church and reveal its mysteries, such as the secret of the old mortuary. Depart for the memory of hermits at delightful Pustevny. At 1018m above sea level and wedged between two peaks called Radohšť and Tanečnice, Pustevny is the most popular tourist centre in the Beskids. Pustevny gets its name from the hermits (“poustevníci” in Czech) who once inhabited this landscape. They were seeking a place far from civilization; the last of them passed away in 1874. In the summer Pustevny is an attractive destination for hikers discovering this wonderful area; in wintertime it serves as a well-known skiing center. Return to the hotel and dinner.
Day 8, Monday, 7-20
Breakfast in the hotel. Depart for Velké Losiny. Visit Handmade paper mill and the Museum of the paper in Velké Losiny which was on the estate of the Lords of the Moravian Žerotín founded in the late 16th century. Handmade paper mill was built at the site of a former flour mill by John younger of Žerotín. According to the testimony of springs paper mill started production as one of the companies developing the suzerain economy sometimes between the years 1591-1596.
Revealing Velké Losiny and the chateau dark past. Velké Losiny is a place of stark contrasts. On the one hand this is a pleasant spa town set in the gentle landscape of the Jeseníky Mountains; on the other it’s a place with a dark past where 17th century witch trials at the chateau gave it an infamous reputation. The witch hunts and inquisition took place in late medieval times and the beginning of the modern era and many innocent people died during these times. Return to Rožnov, depart for hotel and dinner.
Day 9, Tuesday, 7-21
Breakfast in the hotel. Depart for Frenštát, visit Museum of Frenštát and the city center. Visit Trojanovice, meet Mr. Strnadel founder of the Strnadel brothers and Jan Knebl Museum. Lunch. Visit the Lichnov Museum of the Czech Emigrations to Texas, meet Dr. Josef Šimíček founder of the museum, genealogy research. Individual genealogy research, visits of relatives, friends. Return to Rožnov, depart for hotel and dinner.
Day 10, Wednesday, 7-22
Breakfast in the hotel. Depart for Koprivnice, visit famous Tatra Car Museum. You can see the first car that drove on the roads of the former Austria-Hungarian Empire and another sixty cars and trucks from the phenomenal Tatra automobile factory. Then we will move to close historical city Štramberk, famous for its traditional treats which are offered by many shops and cafes there and are called Štramberské uši (Štramberk Ears). This product can be baked only in this town. Take a walk to Štramberk tower to visit local dungeon, exhibition of scary creatures and room full of traditional Czech crafts. We will have a lunch in the city and some free time for shopping. Return to Rožnov, depart for hotel and dinner.
Day 11, Thursday, 7-23
Breakfast in the hotel. Depart for Karolinka, visit the Crystal Glass Factory with the excursion and shopping. Karolinka Raťkov, visit unique collection of 21 Traditional Historical Cottages owned for centuries by the Orság family and the story of Orság family and Michal Orság (originally Hungarien), who became at 1640 the founder of the Orság family clan and who is the forefather of all Wallachian / Moravian Orságs (or Orsak’s in Texas). Lunch at stylish Raťkov Pub. Museum of the glass and glass products at Karolinka. Visit Velké Karlovice, visit unique wooden Church, the pearl of Wallachian architecture, built 1754. Visit Belfry with the gallery at Solan on the way back to Rožnov. Depart for the Wallachian picnic dinner and party. Return to the hotel.
Day 12, Friday, 7-24
Breakfast in the hotel. Depart for Prague. On the way visit unique Pilgrimage Church of the Virgin Mary in Křtiny, Santini’s Pearl of Moravia. The picturesque Moravian Karst northeast of Brno holds an important pilgrimage place - Křtiny. Come and see for yourself why its nickname, the Pearl of Moravia, is well-deserved. Discover the beauty of the Baroque Church of the Holy Name of Mary, designed by master architect Jan Santini-Aichel, who built dozens of important buildings in the Baroque-Gothic style in Bohemia and Moravia. There you will see a Gothic statue of the Virgin Mary of Křtiny and delight in the regalia. Other attractions include a carillon. In the crypt below the church is a vast ossuary where a special discovery was made in the early 1990s: twelve skulls painted with laurel wreaths and the letter T. Continue to Prague, hotel and dinner.
Day 13, Saturday, 7-25
Breakfast in the hotel. Visit Prague with the local experienced guide with the presentation of major Prague´s mysteries. Visit Charles Bridge, Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square – free time for shopping. Hotel and dinner.
Day 14, Sunday, 7-26
Transfer to the airport. Depart from Prague.
*The “ALL INCLUSIVE” price includes
Airfare/roundtrip: Houston TX – Prague, economy class
Transfers: all the trip and tours
Accommodation: 12 overnights in first class and standard class hotels
Meals and drinks: 12 breakfasts, 12 dinners or evening meals, 11 lunches, free selected drink with each meal (soft drink, coffee or tea, a glass of
beer)
Special events: meetings, help with your genealogy
Entrances: all entrances fee included (excursions in the itinerary)
Guides: all the tour, guided tours, excursions, etc.