NEW TOUR!!! June heritage tour June 2012.
12+
day tour, or 15+ days with
Prague/ Sokol Slet* extension.
Offered by
Heritage Tours Inc. 4219
Thornhill, St. Paul, MN
55127-7822
This extensive - jam packed tour starts in Prague, Czech
Republic. I suggest you
fly into Prague - on Friday June 18th the day before the
tour officially starts, ( that means you will need to depart the USA on
June 17th – you fly overnight, arriving to Prague on June 18th
so you can rest from your journey, and the bus will pick everyone
up from the same hotel, in
the morning. (This is an option)
We have reserved rooms in a hotel in the historic center for this
option. Mark will take
anyone who is interested on a walking tour of the historic center;
we will have a dinner someplace, and return to the hotel for a good
night’s rest. (Depart the
hotel about 3 PM)
Major towns and locations we visit below on the tour - are in bold print.
This tour celebrates the heritage of these
wonderful countries, and many unknown areas.
June 19
Tuesday
Tour officially starts this morning at 9 AM, when
the bus will pick us up.
Departure to Kutná Hora, walking tour of the
city, cathedral, and ossuary. The journey continues to our hotel, in
Rychnov nad Kneznou Check-in,
dinner, rest or optional walk around of this small town.
June 20
Wednesday
Museum day: Letohrad – city museum with
kroje collection, unique occupation museum, and a few other stops
Ležáky. Private tour
party and performance, by an East Bohemian folk dance group!
June 21
Thursday
Depart for lovely Litomysl – walking tour of historic town, château, local Smetana museum, special Czech stop: Černá Hora brewery, brewing beer since 1298! Check-in to our hotel in Strážnice - a nearby village will put on a private party for us, more details later......
June 22
Friday
Visit to a local kroje workshop and the
Moravian Red scarf workshop (where you will also be taught how to tie
them as a headscarf) Then to a small village visit with some ladies
who still churn butter by hand, folk singing, crafts.
Returning to the hotel, evening opening program of the 67th
International Strážnice folk festival. The festival is just a few
blocks walk from our hotel. (Come and go as you please, you can walk
everywhere... and our hotel is right on the parade route!)
June 23
Saturday
Whole day - at the 67th International
Strážnice Folklore festival - Folk craft fair is taking place this
day at the open air museum. (Walk to everything as you wish) Optional
morning program; Blue
print workshop tour.
Wonderful festival parade is at 3 PM.
Thousands of people in kroje (folk costumes), dozens of folk
bands, lots of singing, dancing and FUN!
June 24
Sunday
Morning options (by bus): Church service at the
pilgrimage Basilica of Velehrad, then a Moravian folk pottery
workshop. OR you can stay and
attend the morning programs at the folk festival. Afternoon by bus the
group will: Visit to Uherske Hradiste – local Moravian museum
kroje collection. And visit
the unique Shoe museum in Zlin.
Then meet with the Mysločovice dance group! (Hana area
dance group) for a private performance and Moravian party!
June
25 Monday
Whole day excursion to SLOVAKIA!
Where we will have a walking tour of historic Bratislava
charming capital of Slovakia.
Maybe visit the ULUV folk craft workshop in Bratislava, in the
past they had people demonstrating crafts, and they sell kroje too!
(Slovakia is on the Euro money system)
June 26
Tuesday
Departure from Strážnice to visit a
painter of water colors with folk motifs, and then visit the
Slavonic epoch, by Alphonse Mucha; in Moravský Krumlov.
(Stunning LARGE paintings by the most famous Czech painter)
Lunch, then a short stop in Slavonice (a town similar to
Telč), arrival to České Budějovice, check-in at our hotel in
the historic old town. Optional evening stroll of the historic
square.
June 27
Wednesday
Walking tour of old town České Budějovice,
some free time for shopping: garnets, crystal, and antiques. Lunch
on your own. Hrdějovice
– local folk pottery?
Then wonderful Český Krumlov, extensive walking tour, dinner.
June 28
Thursday
Visit to wonderful Písek, and visit a
small Bohemian village, for a unique Heritage tours
experience, for folk dancing and singing lessons. Learn to
make traditional Bohemian sweets, enjoy homemade soup, bread, a
great local Czech experience!
June 29
Friday
Visit a local museum dedicated to Czech
immigration to America, and a carp scale decoration
demonstration. Free
time for lunch in Třeboň, (spa wafers!) a trip to
Jindřichův Hradec, sightseeing
in the town, a visit of the unique moving Bethlehem, optional
visit of its castle. Evening with dance
group from Ševětín performance and dancing together -
a wonderful Bohemian folk evening!
June 30 Saturday
Departure to Prague, on the way there we
will stop to visit a folk artist, and the castle of Karlstein,
with a few optional tours. (One will be to see the golden
chapel) Arrive to
Prague - check-in at hotel. Wonderful dinner cruise on the
Vltava, river, around the Charles bridge.
Optional evening walking tour of the historic
center.
July 1
Sunday
The first part of the tour officially ends with
breakfast at the hotel.
You can return home, visit
friends or family or?
OR
you can extend your time with the optional tour extension below:
First day of Sokol Slet.
Wonderful historic parade through the Prague old town.
Catholic Mass at the Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral.
Optional Opera performance this evening: Prodaná
Nevěsta (the bartered bride) by Czech composer; Bedřich Smetana.
Complete Slet program is not available yet. .
July 2
Monday
Extensive walking tour of Prague Castle,
and district, Lesser
Town, group lunch,
Charles bridge, Old Town (comfortable shoes are necessary!). Ends
mid-to-late afternoon. After that you are free to wander in the
streets of Prague, have dinner or choose one of the many concerts
offered that evening.
July 3 Tuesday
Morning - visit to historic Vyšehrad, with
guide. Afternoon is
free; for shopping, sightseeing, maybe the National folklore/kroje
Museum? A. Mucha Museum,?
Browsing antique stores, etc.
Evening -final group dinner at a very unique restaurant in the
historic center!
July 4
Wednesday
Departure to wherever you wish, the USA or???
If anyone will wish to stay for the complete
Sokol Slet, (another 4 or 5 days?)
We can arrange for a hotel, etc......
(But you will be on your own - with no guide)
***** What is the Sokol Slet you ask? It's
a special event that happens every 4 years in Prague. (It’s sort of like
the Olympics for Czechs) A Slet is a gathering of people who belong to
Sokol. Sokol is a fraternal organization, with branches in many
countries around the world.
Google Sokol and the Sokol Slet.
*The final itinerary will have more detail.
I do not publish this on the Internet because we do not want our
out-of-the-way places swamped with other visitors.
Our secret places are for you - our valued guests.
PRICE FOR THIS WONDERFUL ONE TIME TRAVEL EXPERENCE
Option one; Price
for the main 12+ day tour July 19th through
breakfast July 1st is:
$ 3695.00 per-person in a double room.
Single supplement is $ 600 extra.
FOR THE COMPLETE 15+ day tour July 19th
through breakfast on July 4th
with Prague / Sokol Slet extension is:
$ 4295.00 per-person in a double room
Single price for the whole 15 days is: $ 695 extra.
Reserve
your space! Tour space is held by a deposit only, Mail in a check
for your tour deposit of
$ 300.00 per-person to:
Heritage Tours 4219 Thornhill St. Paul, MN 55127-7822
This tour
has a great deal of interest – and is already over 50 % filled – do
not wait!!!
Please feel
free to contact Mark, as he is on almost every tour, with any tour
questions you may have by email at:
4cstours AT
gmail.com
or
Cstour AT visi.com,
(just replace the AT with a @ = to put these complete email
address on the Internet will get me thousands of spam or junk
emails) or by phone at (651) 426-1222
Tour price is
based on double room occupancy. (most times its 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 smaller 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 October 10th, 2011.
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 5 % will be added to your
total for credit card fees.
Make your tour deposit by personal or bank check sent by
postal mail.
We add many things
to our tour program in Europe and are only satisfied when most people
say I am too tired to go on!
We don’t believe in playing games with tour prices, there will be
very few extras while you are on our tour.
Those very few extras are: a. One
meal a day, mostly lunches (with two BIG meals a day, it’s 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, and in Prague transfers to meet the
start of the tour.
f. Admission
tickets to the Straznice folk festival, so you can choose to go all
three days, or one or both of the other days. (you can decide at the
festival what you want, no issue buying advanced tickets)
g. Tickets for Karlstein castle on June 30th.
If you want the tour that includes the Golden chapel (about $
45 each) you MUST tell Mark, and he will include this cost in
your final billing. This ticket can only be bought before the
tour in Prague. (not at the castle)
If you wish to take one of the other tours, that ticket can
be bought on the spot at the castle, and will cost less.
You can also decide to skip the castle, they have plenty of
places to shop, or
just sit at a cafe, etc.
h. On the evening of July 1st the Opera
performance of Prodaná Nevěsta (the bartered bride) by Czech
composer; Bedřich Smetana, at the National Theater.
If you want to attend the Opera you MUST tell Mark, and he
will include this cost in your final billing. These tickets will
have to be bought in advance before the tour.
We will know more about costs in the spring.
A wild guess as to ticket prices; $ 20 to $ 50 per-person. (I
do not think you have to be really dressed up to attend, just a nice
pair of pants and shirt for the guys, gals? same thing or a simple
dress. (no suite and
tie needed, ladies leave your furs
and tiara at
home)
For references please feel
free to contact:
Lisa Messman from MO
email:
Lmessman@hotmail.com
Karen Helwig (262) 473-2187
in Wisc. email, helwigr@cni-usa.com
Kathryn
Muckler in WA state - email:
tedwed61@q.com
Gary Zabokrtsky
( 402 ) 729-2875 in Nebraska. email: garyzabo@gmail.com
Barb Bening ( 507 ) 964-2739
in MN email :
barbb@frontiernet.net
Lisa Conrath
email;
ewm1573@yahoo.com in
SC.
Betsey McCalley ( 319 )
363-9163 in Iowa
Doreen McKenny 952-941-0426
in MN
Doreenlouise@aol.com
Stefanie Vocasek
email:
stefanievocasek@hotmail.com
(Miss Czech-Slovak US 2010-2011) from NE
Kathy Sigdestad in KY email:
kathysig@insightbb.com.
Marge Duffy in MN
email,
Mduffy38@aol.com
Midge Robbeloth
920-426-8890 in Wisc.
LFACHE@aol.com
Carol & George Bisek in MN
email;
cebisek@msn.com
Pat & Dick Kutilek
402-393-7469 in Neb. email, dpkutilek@cox.net
Barbara Douvier in MN
651-738-0268
barbdouvier@comcast.net
Elaine Jones in Neb email:
ekathryn@cox.net
Our exclusive family history
assistance: While on a
Heritage Tour if you are interested in locating your family’s roots,
we can make it happen.
We take this mission VERY SERIOUSLY.
Unlike others we contact and search for your living relatives
LONG before you depart for Europe.
We check in advance to make sure people know you are coming,
that the church will be open, that people will be home etc.
All these matters dealing with family history are handled by
a professionally licensed genealogical service, run by a
Slovak-American married to a Czech based in Prague.
They work extensively in Central Europe.
They will contact your relatives, and you and they will
decide how long your visit will be; an evening, afternoon, a day?
As not everyone will speak English, drive, or even have a
car, we can help out with a car, van, driver or translator if you
request it, no problem! (at an additional fee)
We will basically fill in with whatever you need to make your
family visit a roaring success!
Detailed information regarding this service and much more,
will be sent out to you – after you have signed up for a tour.
This is a GREAT GENERAL
TOUR, each day is plum full of activities, your personal family
history and visit is for you, the group is not invited along.
We will be very interested to hear about your wonderful
visit, but it’s your day to be spent with your family.
The tour group will continue seeing great sites, if you’re
gone.
Don’t let the large
paragraph above worry you if you’re not of Czech or Slovak
background. If your interest is just seeing a wonderful part of
Europe - enjoying a more in-depth experience, or extensive travelers
looking for a better travel experience – all have found our tours a
wonderful off the beaten path travel experience !
In the last few years we
have had many people of non-Czech or Slovak background join us, as
more of the world learns what a wonderful place Central Europe
really is. Including American Teachers and librarians doing school
projects, and American’s living in Europe full time.
On a 2006 tour, we had 6 Australian’s and a lady from England
– two of the Australians were returning for their 2nd tour with us!
(none of whom are of Czech or Slovak background; they had all
heard wonderful things about our tours – all the way down under!)
You will meet many friends
as we have over the last 20 years; it's less like a tour and more
like a family outing visiting friends.
Don’t miss your chance…………. Join us for the trip of a
lifetime in 2012!
For more
genealogical information please contact the National Genealogical
Society I founded:
CzechoSlovak
Genealogical Society Int.
PO Box 16225
St. Paul MN 55116
or visit their
web site at: www.cgsi.org or Facebook page (a not-for-profit,
volunteer run society)
My goal for
this tour is a unique in-depth tour like no other I have ever done. This tour will do
things I have never done in over 100 trips! This special trip is the
culmination of decades of in-depth knowledge, and searching for the best
the Czech Republic, and Slovakia have to offer!
Such as:
Attend a MAJOR folk
festival.
Private performances with
3 different wonderful folk dance groups with singing and live music!
Tasting visit to a local
Czech owned pivovar (brewery)!
Visit a number of kroje
(folk costume) museums and a kroje workshop!
Enjoy a couple of village
visits, commune with the locals; practice your Czech language skills!
Visit a number of folk
workshops – and buy those items at a discount!
See the capital of the
Slovak Republic – Bratislava!
See Alphonse Mucha's epic
paintings, which are priceless, and almost unknown.......
Watch and listen as local
teenagers sing Moravian folksongs for hours and hours, with no music,
or printed words... it comes from the heart, and will melt your
heart!
You will have my very
best Czech native guide! “Ramon” who has lived in Australia, his English
is better than ours; you
will have no problem understanding whatever he tells us.
We will have 5 people on
the tour group taking care of you, myself, Mark, Ramon the guide,
the bus driver, and Czech
& Slovak folk dance experts, Jitka and Jan!span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&
In every case where we
visit a local or city museum, we will request well in advance that they
take out and display (just for us) some of their very best local kroje
(folk costumes) for us to view, and I will request that they allow us to
take pictures of them (with-out flash).
So recapping – this
tour will be the most unique I have done in 20 some years of doing
tours. Most of what we will
see and do has not been done on any other tour!
The time to do this is now.
They are losing so much of their heritage and culture, see it
before it disappears forever.....