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Czech and Slovak Heritage Tours
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to questions of importance to you, please contact me by email at
CSTours
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SEPTEMBER TOURS
TOURS SEPT. 11 – 27, 2009
10, 12, 6 or 16 glorious days
( four different tour versions )
Offered by Heritage Tours Inc.
4219 Thornhill
St. Paul, MN 55127-7822
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Wine Festival
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 Buchlov Castle |
Krakow |
 Butter making
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 Gingerbread |
 Wine tasting in a cave |
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Folk Festival |
Jewish cemetery
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Krakow
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Tour officially start in Prague, Czech Republic. I suggest you fly into Prague the day before the tours starts. ( as a option ) We have booked space in a very nice hotel in the historic center the day before the tours start. ( we can easily book additional nights at the hotels – no problem )
Sept. 11, Friday 1st Tour starts at 9 AM - in the lobby of our Hotel in Central Prague. 9 AM Depart for Brno, stroll the city center , lunch. stop at Austerlitz - Napoleon’s battlefield Stop at a village folk PM pottery workshop. Check in to our hotel in Uherske Hradiste, dinner, optional visit to a family wine cellar
Sept. 12, Saturday AM – Whole day spent at a spectacular wine and harvest festival, with-in a few blocks of our hotel. 5000 people PM in folk costumes - kroje for the HUGE parade + music, foods, a dance, crafts, new wine ( burcak ) Nice video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDRyDMWw7lc&feature=related
Sept. 13, Sunday AM Morning free to attend folk festival, church, sleep, shop, etc. then off to visit medieval Buchlov castle started PM about the year 1250. Visit a hand made butter workshop. Dinner in a local wine restaurant. some wine tasting ?
Sept. 14, Monday AM Visit a private museum of kroje , then a special Czech breakfast – tour of the Janacek brewery, then to the only PM factory still making Czech dolls in traditional clothes ( kroje) Then to a family mead ( honey wine ) workshop. Depart for Slovakia, and our hotel in Trencin. Dinner, and a optional evening stroll to clear your head.
Sept. 15, Tuesday AM Off to Bratislava, the charming capital of the Slovak Republic on the Danube river, walking tour of the old town PM lunch on your own, sightseeing and shopping. Travel to the spa town of Piestany, stroll the promenade, dinner.
Sept. 16, Wednesday AM Depart towards Poland passing the majestic Tatra mountains, stop in Kemarok for lunch and a walk to the castle. PM Quick stop at a Slovak ( shotgun ?) wedding, cross the border to Krakow, check-in at out hotel, optional walk.
Sept. 17, Thursday AM Walking tour of Krakow’s historic old town, and huge square. Lunch together at a traditional Polish restaurant PM Afternoon / evening free - Optional excursion to the Royal salt mines, or Royal castle, or sightseeing / shopping.
Sept. 18, Friday AM We stop at somber Auschwitz / Birkenau camp. ( it’s two different places – you will see them both ) Then off PM to Cesky Tesin, plus the museum of historical Tatra cars. Check-in to our hotel in Roznov, dinner, rest.
Sept. 19, Saturday AM Travel to Valasske Mezirici to visit a tapestry workshop, a antique store, and sightseeing. Then depart for PM Roznov the largest open-air museum in Central Europe, and stop at a local woodcarver. Then up the mountain ( don’t worry it’s by bus ! ) for a walk to a tremendous view, dinner in a historic 100 year old restored mountain-top wooden restaurant.
Sept. 20, Sunday 2nd tour possibility would start about 6:30 PM with dinner, & the program below AM Departing towards Prague we stop in Kromeriz, to see the chateau visit, walk the historic square, then off PM for Prague check-in at our hotel, dinner and the option of an evening walk in the old town area of the city.
Sept. 21, Monday 1st Sept. tour ends with breakfast OR you can extend your tour with one of the programs listed below AM Walking tour through the Prague Castle complex - the largest in the world, lunch and continued sightseeing of PM Karluv Most (Charles Bridge), and Stare Mesto (Old Town). till about 2 PM, evening free - for concerts, etc
Sept. 22, Tuesday AM Optional Guided tour of Vysehrad Castle and/or Josefov (Jewish Town) or Museums or opt out - to explore on PM your own, visit family or shop. Dinner is a cruise on the Vltava river, around Charles bridge. Optional walking tour, ( after boat ride ) when the lights of the historic city come on – magical – something you will never forget.
Sept. 23, Wednesday v ( the 12 day tour ends this morning with breakfast, the 16 day tour continues below ) AM Leave Prague for South Bohemia visit the museum of famous Czech artist Josef Lada, Then we go to a small PM village to learn the traditions of your ancestors – make kolac - a Czech pastry and Jiternice - sausage, and a couple of folk songs and dances. Village dinner feast tonight ! depart for our hotel in the old town of Ceske Budejovice.
Sept. 24, Thursday AM View the Czech - American Emigration museum, stop in historic Trebon, and visit a oplatky - spa wafer store PM Visit with a local folk artist in her 300 year old cottage, learn how to decorate eggs, then to ancient Novy Hrady.
Sept. 25, Friday AM Visit a folk pottery workshop, and a cut glass factory. Walking tour of Ceske Budejovice old town square PM Depart to famous Cesky Krumlov, walking tour of the old town and castle gardens, optional visit to the castle. Dinner in a medieval restaurant.
Sept. 26, Saturday AM Tour the peasant village of Holasovice ( a UNESCO World heritage site ), then to a local area museum, and a PM archaeological park / open-air museum. Depart to Pisek walk through the old town, and across the oldest stone bridge in Central Europe. ( it was build about the year 1300 ) Visit to a wooden toy folk artist, and a private performance of a wonderful South Bohemian folk dance group.
Sept. 27, Sunday Tours ends with a lifetime of good memories and when we return to Prague from South Bohemia, arrival time is 11 AM. Arrange any departures for 1 PM or later. Our bus will drop us off at the airport .
The final itinerary will have more stops, and much more detail. I do not publish this in advanced because we don’t want our out-of-the-way places to be swamped with tourists. Our secret places are for you - our valued guests.
PRICES FOR THESE WONDERFUL TRAVEL EXPERENCES ARE ONLY:
First tour, Sept. 11 -21, a 10+ DAY TOUR is : $ 2595.00* per-person, double. Single is $ 500 extra. OR add the 2 day Prague optional extension, Sept. 11 – 23, a 12+ DAY TOUR is : $ 2895.00* per-person, double. Single is $ 600 extra.
Second possible tour is Sept. 20 – 27 : A 8 DAY TOUR ( starting in Prague Sept. 20th at 6:30 PM ) is $ 1659.00 pp. Single is $400 extra
The complete program : A FULL 16+ DAY TOUR is : $ 3595.00* per-person, double. Single is $800 extra.
Tour price is based on double room occupancy. ( most times it’s two beds in a room ) Single supplement price is for a single room, with a single bed. Triple rooms are available too. Tour price includes : Hotel rooms with private bath, in small select superior class hotels ( 3 stars or above ). Almost all meals, every breakfast, and most all evening meals,( which are large ). Professional driver, in a nice new 48 passenger modern air-conditioned motor coach - ( with LOTS of room to relax and spread out on all those empty seats, this is a real luxury – as most tours will cram you in, every seat is full ) Or a smaller vehicle in case of a small group. This is a fully guided tour, with a full time licensed local Czech guide. You will not be left on your own - with no clue. ( unless you want to ) Your admission to places and events on the itinerary. Plus lots of entertainment, ( due to our extensive expertise, almost all entertainment we have is exclusive to Heritage Tours ) This is a Land only tour. Program is subject to change, tour price based on currency exchange rates as of Nov. 1st, 2008. No two tours have ever been the same, each is unique and custom designed around the local calendar of events. No one else will offer a tour like ours, period Tour size is limited to around 10 – 20 people – again this is a real luxury, as many of my competitors have 35 to 50 people on one tour. Tour space is held by deposit only. *Listed tour price is by personal or bank check, final payment can be made by credit card, and 4 % will be added to your total for credit card fees. ( the 4 % is NOT added to your tour deposit ) You may charge your tour deposit to your credit card, by phone or email. Or by personal check sent by postal mail.
Please feel free to contact Mark, for any tour questions you may have – by email at : Bmark@visi.com or by phone at 480- 982-7994 in AZ till mid April, then 651-426-1222 in MN
Those very few extras
are: a. One meal a day, mostly lunches ( with two BIG meals a
day, its not missed by most people) Beverages other than breakfast. b. Car, drivers,
translators, for family visits and personal reasons, and additional
services done by the genealogical service. c. An occasional
evening cultural program, or extra stops at places or events we come
across. d. Gratuities during the tour. e. Transportation to
/ from Europe ( Deb at Forest lake travel can get you a price for this –
or do your own thing ! ) in Budapest transfers to meet the start of the
tour. For references please feel free to contact :
Elizabeth
Miller in NC (704) 364-4857 email,
emiller@vnet.net
Kathryn Betlach
(415) 479-8483 in Calif.
Barb Bening ( 507
) 964-2739 in MN Betsey McCalley ( 319 ) 363-9163 in Iowa Doreen McKenny 952-941-0426 in MN Doreenlouise@aol.com
Gerry Payette in
ILL. ( 708 ) 478-1247
Marge Duffy in
MN email, Mduffy38@aol.com
Carol & George
Bisek in MN Cbisek@hazelden.org
Susan Tesauro
in ILL 708-597-8822 Elaine Jones in Neb email : ekathryn@cox.net |
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Comments: Webmaster November 1st, 2008