6 days in Karlovy Vary and Prague.

Three days in a spa hotel in Karlovy Vary and three days in Prague.

Day 1:

Arrival to the hotel in Karlovy Vary.

Dinner in the hotel.

Day 2:

Before noon we will make a two hour city walk. We will walk to the nearby colonnade. On the tour we will pass many of the most interesting sights in Karlovy Vary. Close to our hotel is hotel Termal placed. Every year there is held a big film festival. It is a tradition to invite one of the greatest American actors to join the festival. Then we pass many of the big palaces and spa hotels, and the 12 health giving sources, too, where you will have the oppoutunity to taste the healthy water after you have bought one of the traditional porcellan cups. The most famous one is named Vřidlo and it gushes to a height of 12 metres. The tour ends at the famous hotel Pupp, where scenes to a James Bond movie were shot. Then we return to the hotel. On the tour we will pass many of the houses were renown people have been lodging, let us mention the most famous bohemian king and German-Roman Emperor Charles 4th from the 14th century, the last Austrian-Hungarian emperor Franz Josef, an English king, Goethe and many of the biggest composers.

In the afternoon we will vist the Becherovka Muzeum. We have a short walk to the muzeum where we start with an excursion. Becherovka is the Czech nation drink, a mixture between schnaps and liqueur. It holds 38% alkohol and is as well sweet as strong. It was brewed for the first time in 1907, and today it is owned by the french company Pernod Ricard. On the excursion we will learn about the history of the company and see posters and objects connected to the company. We will be explained the brewing process as well as three of the ingredients – herbs will be revealed, but not all of the 30 herbs, because the receipt is secret. Finally we will see an interesting film about the company and taste three of their products.

Day 3:

After breakfast we drive to Becov nad Teplou to visit the castle in this small town. We will have an excursion in the historic buildings, which are built in Gotic, Renaissance and Baroque style. The climax of the visit is the St. Maurus` reliquary, that has a very interesting history. It was made around 1225 and during WW2 it was hidden under the floor of the castle chapel to prohibit the Germans to get hold of it. Later it was forgotten until 1985, when it was retrieved in a very bad condition. After 11 years of reconstruction it has since 2002 been exhibited in the castle.

There will be time for a stroll in the castle garden before we enjoy lunch in a restaurant nearby.

Dinner in the hotel.

Day 4:

After breakfast we go by the bus to Prague. After check in in the hotel we make a city tour in the Old and the New Town. We will visit the Wenceslaus Square and tell the story about the 68-uprising with Dubček and Jan Palach, who burned himself to death. Then we go to a `hidden` monastery garden and monastery church. After that we will go to the Old Town Square to see the famous Astrological Clock, the Jewish Quarter with the Old Cemetary and the Charles Bridge. During the walk we will make a break for a cup of coffee or lunch.

Late in the afternoon we will meet in the hotel and walk to the river Moldau for a two hour boattrip. We start with the Czech national drink Becherovka, followed by a big buffet with hot and cold dished, cheese fruit and cake for dessert, one drink included.

After the buffet you can go to the sun roof of the boat to enjoy the nice view of the Charles Bridge, the Prague Castle and several other nice building along the river. The guide will tell about some of the most interesting sites.

Day 5:

We meet before noon to go by bus, public transportation or the historical veteran tram to the Prague Castle, which is the biggest in Europe, so the visit will last a couple of hours. We will go into the St. Vitus Cathedral, the old Royal Castle, the St Georges Church and not least the Golden Lane with the cosy, small houses, which are built into the castle wall. From the castle we will go down the stairs to the Little Side to enjoy lunch including one drink in a nice restaurant.

The theme for the evening will be the world famous Czech beer. We will start in a local bar for a beer or two. Enjoying the beer the guide will inform about brewing process, beer types, the famous breweries Pilsner Urquell and Budweiser and the traditions in the locals bars outside the center of Prague. After that we will walk to Novoměstsky pivovar – the New Town Brewery, which is also a restaurant with 350 seats. We will enjoy a very big meat plate, consisting of many kinds of meat and rich side dished f. ex. the typical dumplings. Unlimited consumption of the brewery´s own golden or dark beer. After the dinner the guide will show you around in the brewery. We will start at the big copper vessels where the malt in boiled and sugar set free. Here the hops are added, too. On the same spot we will see, smell and taste some of the ingredients to the beer, hops and malt. Then we go to the fermentation room, where the sugar is converted into alcohol. It is quite unique, that we are allowed to go into this room and see the fermentation vessels and the beer with foam on the top. Finally we will se the lager tanks, too.

Day 6:

Transfer to the airport.

Additional information:

Other possible excursions from Karlovy Vary: Visit in Pilsen in Pilsner Urquell, the biggest brewery in the Czech Republic. In Prague Folklore show or bus trip to Kutna Hora.

On board the bus or during dinners we will give some small lectures about the Czech history in the 20th century, Czech religion, Czech language, the Christmas dinner, having carp, the spilt up of Czechoslovakia in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the political situation, and not least information about the social system concerning maternity leave, education system, salaries, taxes, rent, unemployment rate, health system and retirement.