Hotels:
Bucharest: Golden Tulip Bucharest – 4*
Budapest Hotel Carat – 4* (in Jewish district)
Vienna: Mariott Vienna – Superior 4*
Brno: International Hotel – 4*
Itinerary & Services:
Day 1:
Departure for Bucharest from your city of departure.
Group is met and greeted by our English speaking guide at the Otopeni airport. Transfer to a 4* hotel in Bucharest. Time to relax after the long flight. Before dinner tonight, the group will be offered an orientation tour of Bucharest by bus (the main squares, boulevards and tourist attractions). Dinner at local restaurant (or at the hotel's restaurant). Overnight in superior 3* or in 4* hotel in Bucharest.
Day 2:
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Full day (09-17) for touring the most important Jewish sites (Coral Temple, History Museum of Romanian Jews - if available, to be advised) and tourist attractions in Bucharest: Triumphal Arch, Victory Palace, Victory Avenue with its interwar small palaces, Palace of the Posts, Palace of the Saving Bank, Parliament's Palace, Manuc's Inn, historic city center with the commercial streets named by the different guilds, University Square, National Theatre, Roman Square, Village Museum). Visits inside to Coral Temple, History Museum of Romanian Jews (if open, to be advised), Parliament's Palace, Village Museum. Tonight a festive dinner with live folklore show is booked for you at a local typical restaurant (Lady's Terrace, Beer Wagon, Pescarus).
Overnight in Bucharest.
.
Day 3:
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. We leave early (07:45 a.m.) to Sinaia where we shall visit the exquisite Peles Castle (10:30-11:30) - summer residence of the former Romanian royal family. We hurry toward Brasov (13) where we first stop for a brief lunch (13:15-14:15) and then visit the Black Church (Brasov's landmark, 14:30-15:15) and the synagogue in Brasov (15:30-16). If we are lucky, we shall reach Bran in due time for visiting the castle (16:30-17:15) known also as Dracula's castle mostly for its gloomy appearance and location (perched on top of a 60m high rock). Return to Bucharest (20:30). Dinner at local restaurant and overnight in Bucharest.
Day 4:
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Transfer by first class rail to Budapest. Enjoy a sightseeing tour on arrival.
Overnight and dinner at a local restaurant “Bor la Bor” in Budapest
Day 5:
Breakfast buffet in the hotel. The guide will give the group a morning city tour of Budapest at the Buda and the Pest side. Entrance for the Matthias Church and the Fisherman Bastille. Lunch and some free time for shopping. We will pass the monument of Raoul Wallenberg and in the afternoon visit of the one of the biggest Synagogues in Europa and guided tour in the Jewish museum. Budapest is rich of Jewish history and we really recommend this visit.
Dinner in the hotel and in the evening some free time to discovery the Jewish district or other parts of the “Pearl at the Danube”. Overnight in Budapest
This evening enjoy a Folklore dinner in a nice tscharda restaurant. Folk show program with gipsy music. One of the most popular show programs in Budapest. 3-course menu and wine incl. Coach transfer, guide incl.
Day 6:
This morning we visit the Holocaust Memorial Centre in Budapest. The subject of the exhibition is the Holocaust in Hungary. Its aim is to recount and present the suffering, persecution and massacre of those Hungarian nationals – mainly Jews and the Roma – who were condemned to annihilation in the name of racial ideology.
Afternoon at leisure.
Dinner tonight is in a local restaurant “Gundels” After dinner we visit the Opera, including transfer and guide.
Day 7:
Breakfast buffet in the hotel. Departure to Vienna by hydrofoil. On arrival in Vienna, we meet our tour coach and tour guide and depart for the city centre.
The seat of the federal government, and once the capital of the huge Hapsburg empire, Vienna is steeped in history and boasts several magnificent buildings, many of which line the famous Ring Boulevard. The splendid Hofburg Palace is perhaps the greatest monument to the Hapsburgs and was their favourite royal residence in the 16th and 17th centuries. Enjoy an Imperial Tour of the Schonbrunn Palace. Schönbrunn Palace is one of the most important cultural monuments in Austria and since the 1960s has also been one of the major tourist attractions in Vienna. Soon after the end of the monarchy the population of Vienna discovered the park as an attractive recreational area.
The most beautiful cloister celler in Vienna provides the perfect setting to combine a sophisticated 3 course dinner with a real surprise - the Old Viennese Hat Parade. After dinner enjoy a nostaligic trip to the Kaiser period with the Hat parade. Decked out with hats from the days of the Emperor taken from the Museum's exhibits, the guests proceed by candlelight in a ''hat & wine parade'' to the wine cellar, where they are entertained with a wine tasting.
Overnight at the Marriott Vienna
Day 8:
Continental Buffet Breakfast
Today a sightseeing tour of the Jewish sights in Vienna is arranged.
Until 1938, Vienna had a flourishing Jewish community with dozens of synagogues and prayer houses. The prevalent anti-Semitism of the time provided fertile grounds for the racism and terror of the Nazis, which started immediately after the occupation of Austria by the German Wehrmacht in March of 1938. Any Jew who owned something, was robbed: through "Aryanization", his property came into the possession of the state or of private persons who could "buy" at low prices. 140,000 Austrians had to flee the country for racial reasons; 65,000 who could not escape were murdered. Visits are arranged to all the Jewish sights in Vienna.
The Stadttempel synagogue was constructed from 1825 to 1826 by the Viennese architect Joseph Kornhäusel in a neo-classicistic style. The luxurious Stadttempel was fitted into the block of houses and hidden from plain view from the street. This went back to an edict issued by Emperor Joseph II that only Catholic places of worship were allowed to have a direct means of entry from the street. This situation actually saved the synagogue from total destruction during the Reichskristallnacht in November 1938, as the Nazis were afraid that the whole block could go up in flames.
In the former living quarters and office of Sigmund Freud in the house at Berggasse 19 in Vienna's ninth district, the Sigmund Freud Museum presents an exhibition documenting the life and work of the founder of psychoanalysis. Freud lived and worked in this house from 1891 until 1938, when on 4 June he was forced by the National Socialists to flee with his family into exile in England.
Judenplatz is considered a singular place of remembrance; it combines three things: Rachel Whiteread's Memorial, the excavations of a medieval synagogue and a museum about medieval Jewry; together they form a unique unit of remembrance. Floor tiles around the memorial contain the names of the places where Austrian Jews were killed during Nazi tyranny.
This evening we attend a Gala Dinner & concert at Vienna’s famous Kursalon
The focal point of the Sound of Vienna is undoubtedly the Strauss & Mozart concerts at Vienna's famous Kursalon. In this exquisite Palace in Vienna's City Park, you can combine the musical delights of a Concert in the Lanner Hall in the Kursalon, with a delicious Gala Dinner in the stylish surroundings of the Cafe Restaurant Johann.
Overnight at the Marriott Vienna
Day 9:
Continental Buffet Breakfast
This morning we depart Vienna and head for Prague. En route we stop in Trebic - a UNESCO world Heritage Site.
Třebíč used to belong to the important centres of Jewish culture in Moravia. The uniquely preserved Jewish Town remains a witness of the coexistence of the Jews and the Christians. The unique Jewish quarter with dense housing, narrow isles, dark corners, vaulted passages and romantic little squares, includes more than 120 residential houses. Besides them there have been preserved the buildings of the former Jewish institutions – e.g. the Town Hall, the school, the rabbinate and the poorhouse. The Back Synagogue was completely reconstructed. Its interior, decorated with unique wall paintings from the early 18th century, houses the exposition of the history of the former ghetto. Various cultural events, such as exhibitions, concerts, meetings and seminaries, take place here. The Front Synagogue serves today as a chapelry of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church.
A half-day sightseeing tour of Trebic is arranged, including the Jewish cemetery.
The original Jewish cemetery was relocated in the 17th century to the northern slope of the Hrádek Hill. Around 3000 tombstones, the eldest of which dates back to 1625, are situated in a beautiful park with tall trees and mysterious atmosphere. The cemetery includes the Ceremonial Hall from 1903 with uniquely preserved interiors. Funeral ceremonies have been taking place here still according to the old Jewish tradition. Today, the cemetery belongs to the best-preserved Jewish cemeteries in the Czech Republic. Besides Jerusalem the Třebíč Jewish sights are the only ones, which have been included in the UNESCO list as separate.
Overnight at the Hotel International Brno
Day 10:
Continental Buffet Breakfast
This morning we continue to Prague.
En route we stop in Trest & Telc – two very picturesque towns.
In a country famed for its picturesque old town squares, Telc's sprawling cobblestoned nam Zachariase z Hradce ringed with Gothic arcades and elegant Renaissance facades, out-picturesques the lot. At the square's northwestern end is the town's greatest monument, the Water Chateau, a jewel of Renaissance architecture.
Like the cherry on a cake, Telč's Renaissance chateau, part of which is known as the Water Chateau, guards the north end of the peninsula. Rebuilt from the original Gothic structure in 1553-56 by Antonio Vlach and 1566-68 by Baldassare Maggi, the surviving structure remains in remarkably fine fettle, with immaculate lawns and beautifully kept interiors.
On arrival in Prague, we check into our hotel, and enjoy the afternoon at leisure to relax.
A city of outstanding charm and beauty, Prague has succeeded in retaining much of its original style and character. See the Old Town and the historic Jewish Quarter and the medieval Hradcany (castle area) of Prague. The walk to the castle is through a maze of cobbled streets which give the city a mediaeval air.
Overnight in the Eurostars David Hotel, Prague
Day 11:
Continental Buffet Breakfast
Enjoy a half-day sightseeing tour of Prague.
The Prague Castle is the castle in Prague where the Czech kings, Holy Roman Emperors and presidents of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic have had their offices. The crown jewels of the Bohemian Kingdom are kept here. Prague Castle is one of the biggest castles in the world. Admission is arranged to Prague Castle, the Old Royal Palace, St George's Basilica and Golden Lane.
The Jerusalem Synagogue, while not located in the Jewish Quarter, should be a part of your tour of Prague. The Jerusalem Synagogue was built in 1906 in New Town and has also been called the Jubilee Synagogue.
Overnight in the Eurostars David Hotel, Prague
Day 12:
Continental Buffet Breakfast
Today we visit all the sights associated with the Jewish Quarter in Prague.
The Jewish Quarter, known as Josefov, is located between the Old Town Square and the Vltava River. its torrid history dates back to the 13th century, when the Jewish community in Prague were ordered to vacate their disparate homes and settle in one area.
Entering the Pinkas Synagogue, you see a beautiful courtyard and early Renaissance entrance. See the Holocaust Memorial with the names of 78000 victims, and the exhibition of Children´s Drawings from Terezin Concentration Camp. Among the Terezin prisoners there were over 10000 children under the age of 15 at the time of imprisonment , 8000 that were deported to the East about 242 survived the wartime suffering .
The ancient Jewish cemetery, in the heart of Prague's Jewish Town was opened apprioximately in the 15th century ( the oldest tomb on the top is from the year 1439 )and closed to further burials in 1787. There are twelve layers of burials, with thousands of graves underneath the surface and twelve thousand tombstones on the top.The picturesque groups of tombstones from various periods result from the fact that older stones were lifted up several times from the lower layers.
The Klausen Synagogue is located by the exit from the Old Jewish Cemetery .It takes the name from the German word ''Klaus'' meaning ''small building''. You will be fascinated with the collections exhibited in it reminding us of the Jewish customs and traditions.
The Maisel Synagogue was the home of the birth of liberal Judaism in the 19th Century. There is the exhibition about the history of the Jewish settlements from the 9th-10th centuries , till the year 1781. It was built in 1590-1592 by the Mayor of the Jewish Town Mordechai Maisel .
The Spanish Synagogue was built in the later part of the 19th century in the Spanish-Moorish design. This synagogue fell on hard times but its beauty lasts forever. There is an historical exhibition about the history of the 19th and the 20th century , i.e. about the enlightenment and emancipation of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until 1918 , about the First Republic life until 1938 , about the Nazi Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia ( 1939-1945) and the postwar decades.
There is an old legend that the foundation stones of for the Old-New Synagogue were brought by angels from the destroyed Temple of Jerusalem. It is the oldest synagogue in Europa at the present , from the year 1280.The Old-New Synagogue , which is not part of the Jewish Museum , is one of three Prague synagogues , together with the High and the Jerusalem Synagogues , in which divine services are held.
Overnight in the Eurostars David Hotel, Prague
Day 13:
Continental Buffet Breakfast
Today - our last day - we pay an emotional visit to the Terezin Memorial, opened to commemorate the victims of racial and political persecution at the hands of the Nazis during World War II. Terezin itself is a fortified town founded by Emperor Josef II in the late 18th Century. However is it probably remembered most as the HQ of the Prague gestapo in World War II when it became a model contentration camp for Jews from all over occupied Europe. If possible, a survivor from the Camp will show us around.
Afternoon at leisure.
This evening enjoy a traditional Czech dinner and Folklore show in the little village of Stredokluky. Your evening at this rural farm restaurant will be accompanied by live music performed by professional dulcimer players. You will also be able to see several folk dances. In order to get into the spirit of the occasion, you can join in some of these dances during the dinner and afterwards
Overnight in the Eurostars David Hotel, Prague
Day 14:
Continental Buffet Breakfast
Depart for the airport.