Prague and the Czech Republic

Two-day Prague

Most people are blown away when they see Prague for the first time - we sure were! It's an unforgettable experience and an unforgettable city. Gothic spires and incredible Renaissance, baroque, neoclassical, Art Nouveau, and (Prague's own) cubist architecture await you at every turn. Get your walking shoes ready because this city will make you want to get out and explore every inch of it!

Just wandering through Prague's maze of streets and admiring the architecture is enough to make a visit to Maticka Praha (Little Mother Prague) worthwhile. But we can't just leave it at that…

We'll start our day by crossing the Charles Bridge over the Vltava River from Stare Mesto (Old Town) to Mala Strana (Little Quarter) to see the spectacular baroque church of St. Nicholas which houses the largest ceiling fresco in Europe!

Next we're on to Prague's star attraction, Prazsky hrad, or Prague Castle. Prague Castle is in the Guinness World Records as the largest ancient castle in the world and covers an area larger than seven football fields!

After a hearty Czech lunch, why not make our way up Petrin hill for some outstanding views of the city on the funicular railway. Or maybe a museum would be more your style. How about the Prague city museum or the museum of communism? As night comes the city takes on a different character. Opportunities abound for strolling around and imbibing the atmosphere!

Our second day will be spent in the narrow bustling streets of the Old Town and will begin with a tour of the Municipal House. After that we're on to the Old Town Square, one of the largest in Europe and home to the fascinating Astronomical clock, Tyn church, Old Town Hall, and several towers that provide wonderful views of the surrounding spider web of streets!

Another hearty Czech lunch will be necessary for the energy we'll need to visit Wenceslas Square and Nove Mesto (New Town) - which was only new way back in 1348 when it was founded - and Josefov, Prague's former Jewish ghetto. Josefov, with its synagogues, Jewish museum, and Jewish cemetery, was left intact by the Nazis who intended to use it as a “museum of an extinct race.” Fortunately, things didn't work out the way they planned and they inadvertently left it for us! In the evening why not take in a bit of classical music to top off your visit to the “Queen of Music?”

Prague's fascinating astronomical clock!

As with Vienna, there is so much to see and do in Prague that we offer the option of extending this tour to three days instead of only two for those who wish to visit the “City of a Thousand Spires” more thoroughly.

Prague is not, however, all that the Czech Republic has to offer; not by a long shot! That is why we offer an optional 2-day Czech Highlights Tour.

2-Day “Czech Highlights” Tour

The Czech and Slovak Republics are castle central and you honestly run the risk of burning out on beautiful, majestic, fairy tale castles! Despite this risk, however, there are some things that shouldn't be missed in the Czech Republic. Come along with us and let us show you this amazing country!

Our first stop will be the incredibly beautiful Cesky Krumlov. Like something out of a fairy tale, Cesky Krumlov, and its magnificent castle, is surrounded by an arc in the Vltava River. Its center is a smorgasbord of Renaissance and baroque architecture and is on Unesco's World Heritage List!

Next we pass through Ceske Budejovice where the original Budweiser (Budvar) lager was invented in the 13th century. A visit to our next stop, Telc, is like going back in time to the Renaissance. Another Unesco World Heritage List member, Telc's 16th century Main Square is a site to behold. Of course, what would a Czech town be if it didn't also have a magnificent castle to go with it?!

The main draws in Kutna Hora, itself yet another Unesco World Heritage List site, are the Cathedral of St. Barbara, one of the finest gothic cathedrals in Europe, and the Sedlec ossuary. What is an ossuary, you may ask? An ossuary is a vault used to hold the bones of the dead. This strange place is the result of the plague which caused so many deaths that there was no more room for the bodies! And so the bones began to pile up at Sedlec, the bones of 40,000 people that is!

In 1870 a local woodcarver named Frantisek Rint began making sculptures out of the bones and what resulted is something that has to be seen to be believed. Four mountains of bones await you at Sedlec ossuary along with a chandelier made from at least one of every bone in the human body, a coat of arms made of bones, and the artist's name signed in…bones of course!

Karlstejn Castle, one of the highlights of the Czech Republic!

After Kutna Hora you may choose one of two options: you may replace one shocking site for another and visit the fortress of Terezin, the site of a Nazi transit camp where over 144,000 Jews were held and 33,000 died due to the inhumane conditions; or you may chose to visit Karlstejn castle, who's soaring Walt Disney-like towers and parapets make this one of the top attractions in the Czech Republic!

1-Day Dresden, Germany

An interesting addition to your trip is a day trip to Dresden, Germany, a city flattened by carpet bombing by the Allies during World War II resulting in the death of 35,000 people but now restored and sporting some of Germany's finest baroque architecture!