Farming and Culture in the Czech Republic
During this tour, we will not only learn about farming in the Czech Republic but we will also visit the nicest parts of the country (most of them listed on UNESCO's World Heritage List) and, furthermore, we will immerse ourselves in the Czech culture for a little while.
Technical visits and discussions will explain the transformation of agriculture after the Velvet Revolution and the situation before and after joining the EU.
DAY 1: PRAGUE - ARRIVAL
Prague is undoubtedly one of the oldest, most beautiful and architecturally most diverse cities in Europe. The "Golden Prague", the "Mother of Cities" or "Hundred-Spire City" are some of the nicknames that visitors amazed by this charming place use when trying to describe it. Since it has never been bombed, the city boasts a great number of well preserved historic sights representing almost all architectonic styles ever invented by mankind. Prague is the stately Prague Castle, the 14th century Charles Bridge, St. Nicholas Church or the interplay of shapes, the winding streets of the Old Town, the Astronomical Clock with 12 apostles showing up every hour, the Lesser Quarter with its majestic palaces and many many more.
- Arrival in Prague, meeting our tour guide and coach driver at the airport. Tour of the Prague Castle, Neo-Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral, walk through the Garden on Ramparts
- Check in to our hotel and welcome dinner.
- Overnight in a good standard 3-star hotel in Prague - 2 nights
DAY 2: PRAGUE
Morning meeting with a representative of the Czech Ministry of Agriculture and of the Czech Agrarian Chamber, a presentation and discussion on the Czech agriculture after joining the EU.
The conference hall, equipment and cafe break incl.
Our tour continues with a sightseeing tour of the city of Prague: the Lesser Quarter boasting its aristocratic palaces, St. Nicholas Church - a gem among Baroque architecture, the 14th century Charles Bridge, the Old Town Square with the famous Astronomical Clock and many more; lunch on a boat on the Czech national river: Vltava - splendid views of the major sights of Prague from a different perspective
- Free later afternoon for private sightseeing (the Jewish Town is highly recommended), photography or shopping;
- Dinner in a famous restaurant with a grand bird's eye view of the city at night.
DAY 3: SOUTH BOHEMIA
- Breakfast, leaving Prague for South Bohemia
- Technical visit to Trebon Fish Farm: a typical example of agriculture in South Bohemia; lunch in the historic town of Trebon
- Technical visit to a nearby cooperative with a herd of about 800 dairy cows and excellent milk yield;dinner and overnight in the mediaeval town of Cesky Krumlov, a famous UNESCO site - 2 nights.
Trebon Lake District - once a hostile swampy area that was converted into an ingenious system of interconnected fishponds in the 16th century. More than 3,000 lakes are located in the landscape with alternating meadows, woods, fields and ancient oak alleys which is a good example of a healthy and harmonic relationship between man and nature. The whole region is a protected area and the biosphere reserve of UNESCO today. The historic town of Trebon originated in the 12th century and has well-preserved historic centre. The spa, the Renaissance chateau with attached parks and the nearby Svet Lake create an attractive complex with unique diversity.
DAY 4: SOUTH BOHEMIA
- Morning tour of the town and of the castle of Cesky Krumlov, lunch in one of the charming restaurants downtown
- In the afternoon, two technical visits: to the world-famous Budweiser Brewery in Ceske Budejovice and to an excellent private dairy farm nearby
- Dinner and overnight back in Cesky Krumlov.
Cesky Krumlov is a lovely little town situated about 25 km south of Ceske Budejovice. It has preserved its mediaeval appearance and atmosphere thanks to a number of late Gothic and Renaissance buildings, winding little streets and overall historic layout. The original Gothic border castle was rebuilt in the grand Renaissance style by Italian architects in the 16th century and, today, it is the second largest castle complex in Czech Republic. In addition to the extensive exposition of a number of priceless historic artifacts, it boasts the oldest and fully functional baroque theatre in Europe. In 1922 the town was included on the UNESCO List of the World Heritage List for its unique urban integrity and incomparable atmosphere.
DAY 5: TRANSFER TO MORAVIA
- Transfer to the town of Telc - tour of the Renaissance palace and of the fabulous town square with gabled Renaissance houses
- Lunch in a renowned restaurant in the main square
- Afternoon technical visit to a large farm of an English investor dealing in potatoes, cereals, vegetables and fruits (7,000 ha) - issues concerning the practical possibility of foreign investments in the Czech agriculture may be discussed here
- Transfer to South Moravia, 3 nights in an excellent 4-star Castle Hotel
The town of Telc, listed by the UNESCO as a world heritage site, ranks altogether with Cesky Krumlov among the finest architectural gems of the whole country. The town's greatest glory is the market square with its picturesque gabled houses and arcades dating from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The north-west end of the square is closed off by the Castle, a splendid Renaissance building with a richly furnished interior and collections of pictures, armours and hunting trophies. The two ponds surrounding the town centre formed a part of Telc's medieval defences, winning the town the name of the Water Lily.
DAY 6: SOUTH MORAVIA
Morning technical visit to a multi-purpose cooperative: 1750 ha of agricultural land (1340 ha of arable land and 440 ha of meadows and pastures); crop production: wheat 450 ha, barley 80 ha, rape 70 ha, caraway 40 ha, medical plants 40 ha, peas 40 ha, sunflower 160 ha, maize 250 ha and fodder plants such as alfalfa, silage maize etc.; animal production: 550 dairy cows with the milk yield of 7,500 litres; beef cattle: 450 heads with the gain in weight of 950 g per day; young cattle: 550 heads; sows: 65; a modern stable built in 2003
- Lunch nearby the farm in a chateau restaurant
- Afternoon tour of the Open Air Museum in Straznice and a walk in a famous wine cellar area nearby
- Dinner in a local restaurant near our hotel
- Overnight
Straznice - the Open Air Museum of Moravian Village gives a unique opportunity to learn about the housing of countrymen from as early as the 18th till the beginning of the 20th century. The simple interiors and picturesque exteriors of ancient wooden and adobe structures, thatched roofs, early wine cellars, a sawmill, a smithy and many examples of traditional agricultural tools, flat irons, cloths and objects of everyday use will bring us back to those bygone days.
DAY 7: CENTRAL MORAVIA
Morning technical visit to the largest horticultural co-operation farm in the country which has very good contacts with Dutch flower farms; short transfer to the Moravian Karst, north of Brno; after lunch - a tour of the Punkva Caves and an easy boat trip on the underground Punkva River; a cable car to the nearby lookout of the famous Macocha Abyss (-180 m) - the deepest abyss in the Czech Republic
Moravian Karst - Natural caves represent a unique phenomenon and provide an insight into the geological setting of the rock massif they are carved in. The Punkva Caves were discovered and explored in 1909-1933 by Professor Karel Absolon. Let us walk through mighty underground spaces and corridors and admire the rich decoration with stalactites and stalagmites created by dripping water for millions of years. The walk will take us as far as the bottom of the world-famous Macocha Abyss - 180 m deep, with fascinating ground dimensions of 174 by 76 m. The walk is followed by a boat ride on the underground greenish Punkva River with many fairy-tale lakes and more natural decorations on the way. The ride includes the visit to the Masaryk Cave, one of the most beautiful caves of the Moravian Karst.
Evening tour of Mikulov, a lovely town synonymous with wine production boasting a massive Baroque palace and a lovely square with Dietrich Shrine, St. Wenceslas Church, Trinity Column and many splendid Renaissance houses;dinner in an impressive wine cellar built in a former cave in Mikulov, with traditional folklore music and wine tasting
DAY 8: TRANSFER TO PRAGUE, DEPARTURE
Morning technical visit - a large pig breeding farm (the visitors are not allowed to enter the pig stable due to veterinary reasons so we will see the animals only in the farm visitor centre)
- Lunch in a restaurant en route
- Arrival in Prague in the early afternoon - free time in the city center (time permitting); our services finish with the transfer to the airport
PRICE CALCULATION:
| Group size: | 15-20 (no FOC) | 20+1 | 25+1 | 29+1 |
| Price € | € 760 | € 790 | € 755 | € 725 |
Single room supplement: € 180
Services included:
- Accommodation for seven nights in double rooms in three/four-star hotels
- Breakfasts
- 7 lunches
- 7 dinners
- Transfer with air-conditioned bus
- Technical and tourist programs as written above
- Entrance tickets
Not included:
- Personal incidental costs of participants (like phone calls, pay TV, etc)
- Personal insurance of participants
Payment:
- by bank transfer, before the arrival of the group