Czech Family Tour Itinerary

Day One: Prague - Lednice-Valtice Loop
Our guides will greet you in Prague, where you will meet and transfer to the south of Moravia. After an arrival welcome drink on the chateau terrace of our fairy-tale hotel Hranicni Zamecek, we’ll set off to explore the unique Lednice-Valtice UNESCO Cultural Landscape.  After 700 years under the care of Lichtenstein noblemen, the swampy area was transformed into a carefully conceived combination of castles and parks which combines both indigenous and exotic natural elements to create an outstanding work of human creativity.  Since the complex is very large, bicycling is the recommended mode of transportation since it allows easy access to an exceptional cultural site – and a good workout!  Highlight of the day will be Lednice Chateau with a Falcon exhibition directly in the chateau gardens, where there are up to 70 birds of prey and a special show of bird hunting; you can even touch some birds!  Afterwards we will try our riding skills during horse riding lessons.
Valtice Chateau, an imposing building with beautiful interiors, conceals a wine cellar overflowing with the best wines of the Czech Republic; here we will end the day savoring a wine tasting of an imposing collection these wines!

Meal:  Dinner
Destinations visited: Prague, Lednice Chateau Falconry, Lednice-Valtice cellars
Distance cycled: 23 km / 14.25 miles
 

Day Two: Valtice-Mikulov via Iron Curtain Road
Today we will continue our explorations of this exceptional UNESCO area. At Lichtenstein’s “summer house,” the Lednice Chateau, we will find out why this area is called “The Garden of Europe” or “The Garden Paradise.”  The English neogothic chateau, French gardens, a romantic minaret and Jans Castle ruins will transport you back to the 19th century.  As a sweet farewell to the Lednice-Valtice you will be treated to a picnic on the Promenade with a wonderful view over this fairytale countryside!  We’ll commence our ride along the former Iron Curtain Road. While biking through this wonderful landscape it is hard to believe that less than 20 years ago this area was a “no man’s land”, a virtual dead zone.  We arrive in lovely Mikulov, a small diamond hidden amidst the Palava Hills.  Here we will have a special Strudel making lessons, where you will learn your own formula and try to cook your own traditional strudel!  We end our day at the unique Hotel Templ, which was created from a former synagogue that was deserted during the dramatic days of WW II. If you look carefully, you will find many details of its former use.  A highlight of the day will be our dinner in the formal synagogue room.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations visited: Lednice Chateau, Jans Castle, Oldest Synagogue and Cemetery in Mikulov
Distance cycled: 50 km / 31 miles

Day Three: Mikulov Vineyard Loop
We will start our day with visit to an old Jewish cemetery, a rare Polish synagogue and second biggest European wine cask in the heart of Mikulov castle.  We will then bike Palava’s UNESCO Biosphere Reservation.  This small “Czech Mediterranea” or “Czech Provence” offers a great combination of biking through vineyards and karst rock formations.  We will hike in Palava’s hills with countless vineyards and climbs to Devin and Divci Hrady castle ruins.  We will end our hiking tour in Pavlov viticulture village and then visit the village of Dolni Vestonice, known for the rare archaeological discovery of a small, 23,000-year-old female statue.  At Palava water dam you will try windsurfing lessons.  After arrival back to Mikulov, we will end our sport day with dinner in special Eat and Art Gallery, a unique place where you will eat with all your senses!

Meals: Breakfast / Dinner
Destinations visited: Dolni Vestonice, Pavlov hills and dam
Distance cycled: 50 km / 31 miles

Day Four: Mikulov – Laa an der Thaya
Today we follow the Veltliner Bike Path into Austria.  Our route is named for the region’s most famous wine cultivar. It will take us through slightly hilly terrain.  We’ll climb to the Falkenstein Castle ruin, which is the dominant landmark of the region and as a reward; we will have picnic lunch in the village of the same name.  The vineyard-lined Veltliner is the most beautiful byway in this area and it leads us all the way to Poysdorf, the Austrian capital of wine. Along the way we stop in Herrnbaumgarten Village, famous for its poetic museum of non-senses. You’ll appreciate the high quality of Austrian wines during sampling in Poysdorf’s local wine market. After passing the Staatz Castle ruins, we arrive in the spa town of Laa an der Thaya. Here we admire two town halls, the remains of a castle and, most importantly, fun, swimming and relaxation in our special hotel, Therme Laa.

Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch
Destinations visited: Veltlin Bike Path, Falkenstein Castle ruins, Poysdorf, Herrnbaumgarten Village,
Staatz Castle ruin
Distance cycled: 59 km / 37 miles

Day Five: Austria Loop – Water World
Indulge yourself in the optional spa amenities and the services of Therme Laa water world, or pedal your way into the rich mosaic of the Czech-Austrian border wine region.  We start in Šatov, where we admire a unique painted wine cellar, well-preserved fortifications from World War II, and other curiosities.  We will bike through an old Celtic sanctuary to Retz.  In this old wine town, lorded over by its famed white windmill, we have a chance to admire not only an interesting main square, but a 20 km-long labyrinth of wine cellars, which holds five million liters of this elixir!  Afterwards you will bike through the village of Hadres, where we visit the most beautiful wine street of the entire region, 1.6 km long and lined with 400 cellars.
 
Meals: Breakfast / Dinner
Destinations visited: Šatov, Retz, Hadres, or Water World
Distance cycled: 62 km / 38 miles

Day Six: Vienna
In the morning you have an optional bike loop to Staatz castle ruin and will then transfer by car to the city of opera, apfelstrudel, and the famous Viennese waltz. The capital city of Austria will be our final destination of our journey. As a sweet farewell to our tour, we will experience a unique chocolate tasting in a family run luxury chocolate company.  We strongly recommend you extend your stay in Vienna by at least one day, because the UNESCO protected city center, the Schönbrunn Castle and many other sights are too beautiful and unique to be missed.  We can arrange accommodations and tour guiding services for you, to places such as the Prater fairground and famous Prater Wheel or Schonbrunn Castle’s special children's tour and Park Labyrinth, as well as possible transport back to Prague. 

Meal: Breakfast
Destinations visited: Vienna
Distance cycled: optional loop in morning