Prague Castle and surroundings
Prague Castle is the historical seat of Czech rulers and today’s residence of the president. Among many architectural jewels of the Castle complex is the magnificent gothic church – St.Vitus cathedral, founded in 1344. Golden Lane, a row of tiny houses built in the Castle fortification, got its name after the alchymists, who, according to a legend, tried to make gold there. You will see also Royal Gardens, the monuments of Lesser Town and at the end, cross Charles Bridge to Old Town. Prague is listed in Unesco World Natural and Cultural Heritage Register.
For the sightseeing tips, visit: http://www.pis.cz/en/prague/monuments/pismeno=&objekt=&kraj=Praha+1+-+Hrad%E8any#res
Departure: 9:00 a.m., departure by bus from ČZU
End: aproximately 2.00 p.m.
The return to hotels is individual. Every participant will get a public transport ticket.
Number of participants: Minimum 20
Cost per person: 22 € or 660 CZK – transport and the tour guided in English is included.
Golden City of Prague
The excursion Golden City of Prague will take through the historical part of the city, is guided in English and includes a lunch in the downtown. You will see Old Town Square - the heart of Old Town, St. Nicolas Church and famous Charles Bridge, full of craftsmen and musicians. On the other side of Vltava in Lesser Town is The Wallenstein Garden, an early baroque park and place to relax from the rush around. You will also walk the Royal Road, connecting the Prague Towns with the Castle. Prague is under the protection of UNESCO.
For detailed information about Prague go to:
http://www.pis.cz/en/prague/monuments/pismeno=&kraj=&objekt=#res
Departure: 9:00 a.m., departure by bus from ČZU
End: Around 3.00 p.m.
The return to hotels is individual. Every participant will get a public transport ticket.
Number of participants: Minimum 20
Cost per person: 32 € or 960 CZK - transport, English guided tour and lunch in the downtown is included.
Konopiště Chateau
The last noble owner of Konopiště Chateau, Archduke Franz Ferdinand d’Este, reconstructed the original baroque chateau into a representative residence of future emperor. Although the history cut of his plans, the residence still bears his remarks - collections of favourite weapons, hunting trophies etc. The chateau is surounded by a large park and Rose Garden with greenhouses. This excursion continues by a visit in Brewery Benešov, where a fine tasting beer Ferdinand is brewed. The direction of both places is south of Prague.
More information about the chateau is on the following website: http://www.konopiste.com/en/index.html
Departure: 9:00 a.m., departure by bus from ČZU
End: Around 5:00 p.m. Buses will take you to the congress hotels.
Number of participants: Minimum 20
Cost per person: 50 € or 1 500 CZK - transport, English guided tour and lunch is included.
Kutná Hora, Žehušice
The medieval town of Kutná Hora is famous for its historical silver mines. You will see the proof of its former prosperity, curiously shaped gothic cathedral dedicated to St.Barbara. Part of this excursion is also a visit to the game park of nearby Žehušice. In the year 1826 count Matias Thun-Hohenstein was given a present of couple white Red deer. Since that time white deer are bred in Žehušice. The herd now consists of some 130 animals.
More details about Žehušice: http://www.obora-zehusice.cz/ and Kutná Hora: http://www.kutnahora.cz/index.php?sec=2&cid=89
Departure: 9:00 a.m., departure by bus from ČZU
End: Around 5:00 p.m. Buses will take you to the congress hotels.
Number of participants: Minimum 20
Cost per person: 50 € or 1 500 CZK - transport, English guided tour and lunch is included.
ZOO Dvůr Králové
Take the opportunity of discovering ZOO Dvůr Králové. The ZOO was opened for public in 1946 on the territory of only 6.5 ha. During the seventies the ZOO organized eight big expeditions with the purpose of importing large African mammals. Their number reached almost 2000. Today you can see more than 2500 animals including 25 rhinoceroses, 30 giraffes, 100 zebras and several hundred antelopes in large enclosures on more than 70 ha.
Part of this excursion is an official tour guided in English both in original ZOO and the newer SAFARI part. After lunch you can enjoy an individual tour as you wish. The zoo is located 140 km from Prague.
For more information see: http://www.zoodk.cz/
Departure: 7:00, departure by bus from ČZU
End: Around 6:00 p.m. Buses will take you to the congress hotels.
Number of participants: Minimum 20
Cost per person: 60 € or 1 800 CZK - transport, English guided tour and lunch is included.
Equipment:
Even though the tour includes only short walking, please, bring good shoes and raincoat or umbrella just for case.
Karlovy Vary
There is a legend about founding this city. In the 14th century, Charles IV, Czech king and Roman emperor, discovered hot mineral springs while deer hunting in western Bohemia and called the place Carlsbad (Karlovy Vary). The truth is propably less romantic, but Karlovy Vary remains to be a famous cultural centre, with a long tradition of spa curing. The excursion to the world-renown Moser glass factory will be also arranged.
See more on: http://www.karlovyvary.cz/page.asp?ProfileId=2&LangId=2&PageId=8
Date: 7th August
Begin: 9:00 a.m. departure by bus from ČZU
End: Around 6 p.m. Buses will take you to the congress hotels.
Number of participants: Minimum 20
Cost per person: 60 € or 1800 CZK - transport, English speaking guide, entrance fee and lunch is included.
Karlštejn Castle
The medieval castle Karlštejn was, for certain time, home to the emperor Charles IV. It is one of the prettiest historic monuments in our country. During the guided tour you will see The Hall of Ancestors with portraits of Czech kings, The Dining Room, Marianne Tower with The Treasury, castle prison and other parts of castle complex. After the visit, the lunch is follows.
See more on: http://www.hradkarlstejn.cz
Date: 8th August
Begin: 9:00 a.m., departure by bus from ČZU
End: Around 3 p.m. Busses will take you to the congress hotels.
Number of participants: Minimum 20 persons
Cost per person: 50 € or 1500 CZK - transport, English speaking guide, entrance fee and lunch is included.
Kladruby and Slatiňany
The visit in Kladruby will take you to a state horse farm, specialized in breeding Kladrubian Horse – a baroque style breed, used for pulling carriages. Kladrubians are impressive, tall horses with Spanish-Italian origin. Their colour is either black or white. In hippology museum of Slatiňany, you will discover the history of horse-breeding in our country in general.
Date: 10th August
Begin: 9:00, departure by bus from ČZU
End: Around 4:00 p.m. Busses will take you to the congress hotels.
Number of participants: Minimum 20
Cost per person: 50 € or 1500 CZK - transport, English speaking guide, entrance fee and lunch is included.
Prague of the Jews
The tour Prague of the Jews will explain you a Jewish history in Prague. The Jews lived in Prague from 11th century, for a long time in strict separation from the Christian mayority. They created their own world with a rich culture. Especially remarkable are the works of Jewish writers like Franz Kafka, Gustav Meyerink, Max Brod and others. The tour includes a visit in the Jewish ghetto in Old Town, synagogues and the Old Jewish cemetery.
Date: 11th August
Begin: 9:00, departure by bus from ČZU
End: Around 3:00 p.m. Buses will take you to the congress hotels.
Number of participants: Minimum 20
Cost per person: 35 € or 1050 CZK - transport, English speaking guide, entrance fee and lunch is included.
Post Congress excursions 12th – 13th August 2006
The congress organizers invite you for a visit in the most interesting, green parts of the Czech Republic. All tours will be held on the weekend, starting on Saturday the 12th and finishing on Sunday 13th. The price of the first two excursion is 100 €. The price for the excursion to Moravia is 120 €. It includes transport, acommodation and boarding. Minimum of 20 participants. The congress organizers reserve their right to make changes in the content of any excursion.
Šumava National Park
The Šumava National Park (NP) is situated in the south part of Czech Republic; along the state border with Federal Republic of Germany and Austria. With its area of 69.000 hectares, Šumava NP is the largest park in our country. Together with the neighbouring Bavarian Forest NP (in Germany) it forms the largest forest complex in central Europe.
Even so the park is located in densely inhabited central Europe, has a relatively high wildlife conservation and rich water resources. For this reason, Šumava NP is often called „Green Roof of Europe“ and its international significance is ever-increasing.
In the Šumava NP is found the most of highly valuable natural phemnomena of Šumava Mountains, which requires strict protection. Among others are worth mentioning glacial lakes, mountain and valley undulating grounds or remnants of primeval forest.
For more information see http://www.npsumava.cz/klasik/english/index.html
Programme of the Post Congress Excursion to Šumava NP
1st day – leaving Prague; after accommodation and lunch we will visit the winter deer enclosure, talk about the lemetry and about the projects running in the Šumava NP; dinner in the hotel.
2nd day – we will visit the central part of the Šumava NP – the area ot the dead bark-beetle forest (Breznik – Luzny). After lunch we will leave for Prague.
Krkonoše National Park
The Krkonoše National Park (NP) is a mountain national park located in the north part of the Czech Republic. The Giant Mts. (Krkonoše in Czech, Karkonosze in Polish) are the topmost range of the Sudetes, a chain of middle mountains along the border between the Czech Republic and Poland. In spite of their moderate altitude (the highest peak being Mt. Snezka 1603 m a. s. l.), the Giant Mts. display two regions with a continuous alpine timberline, large arctic-alpine ecosystems, numerous avalanche tracks, and occasional landslides. On the summit plateaus, average annual temperatures range between 1° and 2°C, and average annual precipitation reaches 1450 mm. Continuous snow cover persists from November to the beginning of May, with a maximum snow depth observed in March or at the beginning of April. Mean snowpack thickness reaches values of about 1.8 m. Transport, accomodation and boarding will be provided.
For more information see http://www.krnap.cz/en/index.php
Program of the Post Congress Excursion to Krkonoše NP:
1st day - departure by bus from the Czech University of Agriculture (CUA) Prague, arrival in Krkonoše, lunch, short introduction: basic facts about the Krkonoše NP. Excursion into a winter enclosure will be followed and then a visit of the traditional small mountain dairy farm with testing of milk products; dinner in the hotel.
2nd day - Trip on the Sněžka Mountain (1602 m) – the highest mountain of the Czech Republic. Vegetation zonation in relation to altitude, as well as many arctic and alpine phenomena will be visible there. We will leave for Prague after the lunch.
Alternative program in the case of unfavourable weather: Trip into Sklenářovice Mountain valley where ruins of abandoned village, damages caused by deer browsing, many types of mountain meadows and experiment with alternative grassland management will be visible.
Equipment: Even though the tour includes only a 10 kilometers hike please bring sturdy shoes and a raincoat or an anorak just in case.
Number of participants: minimum 30
Price: 100 € or 3000 CZK (bus, hotel, 2x lunch, breakfast, dinner, excursion)
Notice: There can be some program changes due to bad weather.
Židlochovice, Lednicko-Valtický areal – pearls of the south Moravia
Židlochovice – a baroque castle with a world reknown game park situated south of Brno was a former summer residence of President T.G. Masaryk and now serves a representational purpose. The non-oficial meetings take place in the extensive English-style park with a game park, which is from the history a famed hunting centre with an abundance of pheasants, boars, Fallow deer, Red deer, mouflons and Roe deer.
South of Židlochovice are located the Pálava hills. The favourable climate and fertile land have attracted people to this region since the dawn of history. The Roman legions of Emperor Marcus Aurelius travelled there and centuries later, the Lords of Lichtenstein decided to build there a “garden of Europe” - a charming world of rare trees, ponds, meadows and ingenious views that include stylish buildings from castles to colonnades, statues and chapels to an artificial ruin. All the region is generally called the Lednicko-Valticky areal, as the largest artificial landscape in Europe, it was deservedly listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Programme of the Post Congress Excursion to Southern Moravia
1st day – leaving Prague; arrival to Židlochovice, check-in and lunch, introduction of the Židlochovice game park, excursion. Dinner at the hotel.
2nd day – you will enjoy the guided walking tour in the Lednicko-Valtický areal; part of a famous Unesco herritage. After lunch you will leave for Prague.
Equipment: Even though the tour includes only a 10 kilometers long hike; please, bring sturdy shoes and a raincoat or an anorak just for case.