GIARDINI D’ EUROPA

CONDITIONS

TOUR INCLUDES

  • 7-night accommodation with full breakfast;
  • All dinners;
  • Professional Tour guide;
  • Coach;
  • Guided Tours and Admissions to Gardens and Monuments in the tour;
  • Promotuscia Costumer Service;
  • Medical luggage insurance

TOUR DOES NOT INCLUDE

  • Flights;
  • Drinks during meals;
  • Hotel Service porterage;
  • Local taxes;

HOTEL

  • Hotel Bellevue****, Cesky Krumlov
  • Hotel Comsa Brno Palace**** Sup
  • Hotel Yasmin **** Sup Praga
ITINERARY

GARDENS AND CASTLES BETWEEN BOHEMIA AND MORAVIA

An itinerary to discover an unknown and fascinating land that features twelve UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The tour starts from Prague, the city of one hundred towers, and southern Bohemia, a region with an incomparable cultural characteristic, full of Castles and Fortresses. The last stop is the southern of Moravia, whose architectonic heritage is linked to the patronage and the taste of Liechtenstein family.

Day 1

Meeting at Prague Airport or Train Station with Mr Paolo Camilletti and the local tour guide Eva Novakova.

Departure for Cesky Krumlov. Transfer to Pruhonice’s gardens and parks. Pruhonice’s Park belongs to the Pruhonice Institute, whose aim is to gather gene – pool collections. 1885, in the places where once the natural beauty of Strema Valley integrated itself with the wood, the meadow and rocks, the Count Arnošt Emanuel Silva-Tarouca founded an English natural park, today known as Průhonice Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992. Besides, the park is on Cultural Heritage List and the Historical Gardens List of ICOMOS, (scientific board of UNESCO Committee).

Arrival in Cesky Krumlov and check in to hotel Bellevue****. Dinner in hotel.

Day 2

Breakfast in hotel. After breakfast guided tour of  Cesky Krumlov and its castle. The main part of the castle is the XVII century baroque garden. The garden perimeter is 10.875 hectares, surrounded by walls. The garden consists of a rectangular area with basswoods, in the past used as an equitation centre, an area with a waterfall fountain in rococo’ style, and the section with the original parts of the garden in baroque style with a square pond. Afterwards, lunch in Mastal restaurant.

Next stop is Hluboka, to visit one of the most beautiful castles of Bohemia, Hluboka Castle.

The Schwarzenberg family has restored the castle twice. At the beginning of XVIII century in baroque style, and in 1840-71 in romantic neo-gothic style. In the garden there are fruit trees, some from Lorena, and around the end of the VXII century, chestnut trees has also been planted. In order to design the garden, the family were inspired by  Windsor Castle. The Park   has also been restored and the project was realized by Franz Beer and  Damasius Deworetzky. Beautiful is the rose garden in front of the castle. Return to Cesky Krumlov and dinner at the Bila Pani restaurant. Back to the hotel.

Day 3

Breakfast in hotel and check out.

Departure for Brno with stop at Trebon, the city of ponds and gardens. The spas, the Renaissance castle, the nearby parks and the Svet Lake, create a unique and suggestive complex. The city is surrounded by a picturesque nature among thick woods, numerous ponds, and a   net of canals, which constitute a peculiar water environment. Because of that, the city has been nicknamed the Lake city.

Thanks to the UNESCO, the surrounding land has become a protected national park and an ecological reserve. Time for Independent lunch.

After lunch, transfer to Telc in the heart of South Moravia. Visit to

the city, the garden and the castle. Founded in the XIII century along the busy roads full of commercial activities, Telè used to be a town developed around a fortress surrounded by water. Its current image dates back to the XVI century, period in which the castle and the central part of the city were rebuilt after a fire, which had destroyed the city.

In addition to the castle with the English garden, one of the most important monuments of the city is also the splendid central square with a series of houses and Renaissance and Baroque buildings, featuring decorated loggias and facades. In Telč’s cultural life, the music plays an important role. Arrival in Brno, and check in to Hotel Comsa Palace **** Sup.

Dinner at the refined hotel’s restaurant.

Day 4

Breakfast in hotel and departure for Moravia.

Full day excursion to two pearls of Moravia, the Archbishop’s Palace with the annexed Gardens of Kromeriz and Buchlovice Castle.

In 1998 Kromeriz Castle and its gardens became

UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In the castle, there is one of the most important picture galleries in Europe. Time for independent lunch.

The tour continues to Buchlovice Castle, the pearl of Moravia baroque architecture. The area of ​​the castle consists of two semi-circular buildings, built in the style of an Italian villa. Part of the complex is also the French garden and the English garden where age-old trees grow.

Return to Brno and dinner in hotel.

Day 5

Breakfast in hotel and check out.

Departure to discover the grand complex of Lednice-Valtice castles, which extends over an area of ​​200 km, 2km southeast of Brno.

Visit to Lednice Castle with its famous greenhouse. It is located in the vast natural area on the banks of Dyje River. Originally, here there was an ancient Gothic fortress, mentioned already in 1222, given by the margarine Přemysl to Lichtenštejn family, who resided there, except for a short period of time, until the end of World War II. In the XVI century the fortress was converted into a Renaissance castle and, at the end of the XVII century, the Viennese architect J.B.Fischer of Erlach restored it in baroque style. The current architecture dates back to the neo-Gothic reconstruction of 1846-1858, carried out by Jiří Wingelmüller.

Afterwards, transfer to Lednice – Minaret by boat, (duration 25 minutes) and return to Lednice castle on foot through the castle park

Lunch at Hraniční Zámeček restaurant.

Next is the visit to Valtice castle.

The castle was part of Liechtenstein family’s heritage, until 1945, when they were accused by the Soviets for collaborating with the Germans, and because of that, they lost their property.

Since 1996, both castles are part of the UNESCO Heritage. The Valtice Castle is a Baroque style building with a beautiful garden, statues and woods that in the past were hunting grounds of Lichtenstein family.

After the visit, departure for Prague and check in to Hotel Yasmin ****.

Dinner-buffet in hotel.

Day 6

Breakfast in hotel. Full day excursion to the city.

Transfer by bus to Prague Castle.

Visit to Prague Castle and its gardens with Saint Vito’s Cathedral, Saint George’s Basilica, the Royal Palace and   Rozmberk Palace. Prague Castle is surrounded by six gardens. The castle is considered to be one of the most sumptuous and emblematic buildings of the great historical, cultural and social past of Czech Republic’s capital. Inside, the castle features, the Prague cathedral, the Saint George’s convent that houses ancient art of Bohemia, Saint George’s Basilica, the Royal Palace, and Renaissance and Baroque painting galleries.

At the end of the visit, time for independent lunch.

Towards the old town centre, we visit Valdstejn Palace’s gardens. The large park is an example of an Italian mannerist garden, the result of a mature and established experience. It is isolated, and enclosed by  high walls. The garden is full of scenery and surprises, unusual and imaginative elements, an allegory of symbols and myths, all harmonized by a geometric and well “designed” plant.

Guided walks in the most representative squares of the city: Astronomical Clock Square, and  Wenceslas Square.

Return to the hotel and  dinner at Palffy Palace restaurant (not included).

Day 7

Breakfast in hotel. After breakfast, you will meet the tour guide to visit the elegant Jewish Quarter and the beautiful Jewish cemetery among the oldest and most famous Jewish cemeteries in Europe. Located in the center of the Jewish Ghetto, (among the most visited in the Old Continent), the cemetery was built in 1478 and was the only place in Prague where the Jews could bury their dead. There are over 12,000 tombstones (though the tombs are thought to be more than 100,000).  In Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance styles. The entrance to the cemetery is not included.

Time for shopping and then dinner, (not included).

Day 8

Breakfast in hotel and check out.

Transfer to the airport and end of the tour.