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1 Hradec Králové and Chateaux on the Orlice river – From the Salon of the Republic to Czech Loire An open-air textbook of architecture, or the Salon of the Republic: those are just some of the nicknames for the city of Hradec Králové. At the end of the 19th century, the medieval city walls were dismantled to be replaced with a highly conceptual architectural revolution led by Kotěra and Gočár: Modernism in a bold, but still functional, form. The Orlice River really looks like its famous French counterpart: the Loire. There are four chateaus and two castles offering both traditional and unusual designs along just 18 kilometres of the river. (Also check out page 10)

Olomouc and Helfštýn – The Spiritual Capital of Moravia and Amber Trail Guardian Olomouc is a city filled with sacred sites that have no parallels in any other country in terms of the ratio of population to sites. Churches, chapels, a plague column protected by UNESCO, the Archdiocese Museum, the Archbishop’s Palace, the pilgrimage site at Svatý kopeček, a popular zoo, a Baroque festival, the list could go on and on . . . One of the largest medieval fortified castles in Europe, the stocky and dignified castle of Helfštýn, offers an extensive collection of blacksmith sculptures made by masters all over the world. (Also check out page 9)

Malá Skála

Kroměříž – the Representative Residence of the Archbishops of Olomouc UNESCO also included on its list the beautiful early Baroque archbishop’s chateau in Kroměříž together with its two amazing gardens – the Chateau Garden, designed as an English park, and the Flower Garden, a garden unique in the world for its Baroque orchard with a rotunda, greenhouses, and a gallery with a balcony. The decorations of the chateau halls and the number and quality of the artworks in the chateau picture hall are also amazing. You can see the works of Titian, Veronese, Granach, van Dyck, and Breughel, among others. It is the second-most important picture gallery in the country. (Also check out page 20)

Highlights Tour 3 Designed for: Pleasure Seekers: Travellers without children, Millenials. A trip to the lesser-known face of Prague and to castles, chateaus, spas and landscape areas in the name of beauty and good wine. Distance 700 km Estimated Driving Time 9 h The number of days: 6

34 km, 0:27 h

Pol a

4h 1:3 m, 7k 10

Hradec Králové

1 Kostelec nad Orlicí 14 1k Kladruby m, Pardubice nad Labem 1:5 6h Kutná Hora 11 8

3 20

km ,1 :2 4

214 k m, 2:4 1

318 km , 3: 14 h

Olomouc

51 km, 0:44 h

4 :2 ,2 km h

h 131 km, 1:26

Třebíč

Aus t

Vranov nad Dyjí Znojmo

ria

Štramberk

75 km, 1:10 h

3 Lednice

Zlín

Brno

Bítov

Helfštýn

Kroměříž

7h , 1:3 1 km 10

Luhačovice

Slovakia

Prague – A Never-Ending Happening Prague is known as a beautiful historical city, but its bohemian soul is not known that well. We will take you to a creative district where everyone takes advantage of the right to express their artistic vision in informal and alternative clubs, galleries, theatres, and multipurpose industrial spaces. There are whole streets dedicated to art, but there are also national galleries and official museums there. You can also experience a new circus festival and an extraordinary cinema. It is the place to be when you want to discover Prague’s alternative culture. (Also check out page 6)

Moravian Wine Trails – On bicycle through the region of sights and wine South Moravia has always been a region dedicated to wine. The dense and varied network of wine cycling trails that is over 1,200 kilometres long will take you to vineyards, wineries, and cellar-lined streets as well as dozens of chateaus, the Baťa Canal, folklore festivals, and grape harvests. (Also check out page 42)

Following the Footsteps of Liechtenstein Four chateaus, one castle, and a cultural landscape area protected by UNESCO: that’s just the beginning of your travels in the footsteps of the House of Liechtenstein, a family that had a significant influence

50 km

on architecture, culture, and viniculture. The House of Liechtenstein designed the LedniceValtice Cultural Landscape Area, a UNESCO-protected garden full of water and decorative structures. You will see the Lednice Chateau and its gardens with the famous minaret, the chateau of Valtice with its amazing interiors, the chateaus of Bučovice and Mikulov, and the castle of Šternberk. (Also check out page 17)

Třebíč, Vranov nad Dyjí, and Bítov – For UNESCO Sites and Ancient Castles The extraordinary coexistence of the Christian and Jewish cultures for many centuries in the town of Třebíč helped the town’s main compound – which includes a monastery, a basilica, and the Jewish Quarter and its cemetery – get registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Dozens of sites as well as live Jewish culture and gastronomic festivals attract visitors. The Hall of Ancestors in the Vranov castle is one of the most beautiful Baroque buildings in the country, and the Bítov castle is full of rarities: it even holds the largest collection of stuffed dogs in the world. (Also check out page 11)

Český Šternberk – A Castle as a History of Single Family One of the best-preserved castle compounds in the Czech Republic was built by the same family that still owns it today, over 780 years later! The exterior is Gothic, the castle looms high over the Sázava River, and the interiors are early Baroque. The rare preserved and authentic interiors can be admired by those who are interested in the everyday life of the nobility. Also, there is a unique collection of copperplate engravings from the time of the Thirty Years’ War. (Also check out page 15)

Ostrava

Lednice – A Spa Surrounded by a UNESCO-Protected Landscape Luhačovice, you will understand why you’ll never confuse this spa with any other. The unique architecture by Dušan Jurkovič that combines folk art and Art Nouveau styles, the pure and unspoiled countryside, and the valuable and effective mineral springs that produce the famous Vincentka mineral water. The Luhačovice Spa is a leader in the treatment of the

Loket – The Castle Where Charles IV Was Imprisoned Loket is one of the most scenic and also oldest castles in the Czech Republic. It is a romantic peak of a medieval town surrounded by the Ohře River. Charles IV took it under the protection of the Czech Crown in spite of the fact that his father imprisoned him there when he was a small boy. You can explore the smallest preserved rotunda in the world there, experience jousting tournaments and medieval festivals, or check out the mini zoo or the exhibition of porcelain and tin toys. (Also check out page 16) respiratory system in Europe and the wellness offer is also above standard. You will feel like you are in paradise no matter if you’re in the spa park, the city swimming pool, or the nearby dam. (Also check out page 33)

Luhačovice – A Fairytale Spa Town When you come to Luhačovice, you will understand why you’ll never confuse this spa with any other. The unique architecture by Dušan Jurkovič that combines folk art and Art Nouveau styles, the pure and unspoiled countryside, and the valuable and effective mineral springs that produce the famous Vincentka mineral water. The Luhačovice Spa is a leader in the treatment of the respiratory system in Europe and the wellness offer is also above standard. You will feel like you are in paradise no matter if you’re in the spa park, the city swimming pool, or the nearby dam. (Also check out page 32)