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2024 Trip

Gardens & Castles of Central Europe

September 6-17, 2024
Hosted by Mark Konlock, Director of Horticulture

Explore Central Europe Through its Gardens & Castles

Embark on an 11-day journey through Central Europe, where historic wonders and botanical treasures await.

From the enchanting streets of Prague to the UNESCO-listed gems of Czechia and Slovakia, immerse yourself in the rich culture of the region, explore exquisite gardens, and visit magnificent castles.

For questions or to reserve your spot, contact County Travel Discoveries at 855-744-TRIP or email Reservations@CountryTravelDiscoveries.com.

Tour Details

12 Days | 23 Meals | September 6–17, 2024

  • Pricing
  • Depart/Return
  • Highlights
  • Inclusions
  • Accommodations
  • Full Tour Itinerary

Price Per Person

Garden Member
Double: $5,197
Single: $5,870

General Public
Add $55 per person or $75 per couple

Depart/Return

Chicago (Roundtrip motorcoach transportation included from Green Bay to Chicago)

Highlights

  • Enjoy dinner on the Vltava River Cruise
  • Explore one of the prettiest gardens in Prague – Wallenstein Garden
  • Visit Pruhonice Castle and its park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Experience a folk music presentation in a local restaurant

Inclusions

  • Round-trip airfare from the U.S.
  • Professional, English-speaking Tour Director
  • Welcome Dinner and meals as indicated: (B=breakfast | L=lunch | D=dinner)
  • Fees and tips for included attractions and meals
  • Luggage handling at most hotels
  • Free bottled water on coach
  • 24-hour emergency call service

Accommodations

  • Nights 2–3 | Hotel Grandior, Prague
  • Nights 4–5 | Hotel International, Brno
  • Nights 6–8 | Hotel Park Inn, Bratislava
  • Nights 9–11 | Hotel Stefanie, Vienna

Full Tour Itinerary

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Following our overnight flight, we arrive at the Prague airport and transfer to our hotel where we will take a rest before a walking city tour of Prague Old Town with our English-speaking guides. Tonight, enjoy a festive group welcome dinner. 

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Begin your day with breakfast at the hotel before embarking on a tour of the Prague Castle area, focusing on its exterior beauty. Today’s highlight is a visit to one of Prague’s most picturesque gardens, the Wallenstein Garden – a stunning early Baroque masterpiece designed during the construction of the Wallenstein Palace.

Enjoy lunch at your leisure before returning to the hotel for free time before dinner on a Vltava River cruise, offering a unique perspective of Prague’s illuminated skyline.

B, D

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Explore Pruhonice Castle and its park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and National Cultural Monument. As you wander through Pruhonice Park, you’ll experience a true work of art, carefully crafted over the years by Count Ernst Emanuel Silva-Tarouca and his successors.

After lunch in a local restaurant, transfer to Brno. Take a leisurely walk through the Open Gardens of Brno, exemplifying urban green spaces that serve the local community.

After checking into our hotel in Brno, take part in an optional walking tour to discover the charms of this vibrant city.

B, L

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Embark on a tour of Lednice Castle, including a visit to the greenhouse. The Lednice-Valtice area, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site since December 1996, spans 283 square km near the Austrian border, making it the largest composed landscape in Europe and possibly the world.

Transfer to Valtice for a delightful lunch before experiencing a wine tasting at the National Wine Salon of the Czech Republic, featuring a degustation of wines from the best 100 wines of the Czech Republic for the year 2024.

Afterward, transfer to Mikulov, where you’ll have free time to explore this city with a rich viticulture tradition. Return to your hotel in Brno, where you can enjoy dinner on your own.

B, L

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Visit the Flower Gardens of Kromeriz, one of the most important gardens in the world. It is a discourse late Italian Renaissance with early Baroque French-style gardens. Enjoy lunch together and free time to explore castle gardens before transferring to Bratislava.

Take a guided walking tour of Bratislava before dinner on your own.

B, L

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Journey to the Small Carpathian region and begin the day at the Rosarium of Medolandia in Dolná Krupa, where the rose-growing tradition flourishes. Indulge in a tasting of locally produced mead, including their award-winning Barique mead, crowned ‘The Best World’s Mead for 2023.’

Explore the vast rose garden, a living testament to the legacy of Countess Maria Henrietta Chotek, known as ‘the Rose Countess.’ After lunch, visit Red Stone Castle and its gardens.

Perched on a quartz hill in the Small Carpathian Mountains, this magnificently preserved castle, originally from the 13th century, once played a vital role in the fortified castle line on the west border of Austria.

B, L, D

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Travel to the Banska Stiavnica region, known as the ‘SOHO of Slovakia,’ for a day rich in history and culture. Explore Banska Stiavnica’s beauty and history with a walking city tour and an intriguing falconry presentation. Recognized by UNESCO, this town flourished during Maria Theresa Habsburg’s reign, marked by the establishment of the world’s first technical university.

Lunch today includes a folk music presentation, a highlight of the day! Next we’ll visit a local family and their gardens near Zvolen, indulging in coffee, cake, and drinks.

As the day concludes, return to Bratislava for dinner and a restful overnight stay.

B, L

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This morning experience a tour of Bratislava and a visit to the Baroque Garden of Bratislava Castle. After a delightful lunch at a local restaurant, we’ll transfer to Schlosshof. Enjoy a guided visit to its Baroque gardens. This garden, inspired by the French model, became one of the most splendid in the German-speaking regions.

Continue to Vienna, where you’ll check in to your hotel for this evening. Tonight experience a classical music concert in Kursalon Vienna (or similar concert hall).

B, L

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Experience the beauty of Austria’s Kittenberger Garten, nestled in the gentle hills of Schiltern near Langenlois. This captivating garden, a testament to artisan pride and passion, features 40 imaginative themes, a bright restaurant, and a well-stocked shop.

Enjoy lunch together in the garden before continuing to Garten Tulln an der Donau, a unique showcase project in Europe which has become a model for many garden shows in Austria.

B, L

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Take part today in a tour of Vienna. Austria’s capital along the “Blue” Danube merges Baroque and art nouveau, showcased in the stunning architecture of the Ringstrasse. See landmarks like the Opera House and Natural History Museum.

After lunch in the city center, visit Botanical Garten Wien. This diverse collection of endangered and exotic plants supports academic research and provides a habitat for local wildlife.

B, L, D

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After breakfast transfer to the Vienna airport and travel home with treasured memories and new friends.

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