DA N U B E
Charles Bridge and Castle view – Day 9
Prague tour extension Extend your holiday in picture-perfect Prague, undoubtedly one of the world’s most enchanting and beautiful capitals, spanning the lovely Vltava river that idles its way through this charismatic European gem. Spend three days exploring ‘The Magical City’, painstakingly restored and bursting at its seams with magnificent palaces, cathedrals, exquisite churches and elegant bridges.
3 DAYS FROM
£499
April to October 2022 & April to October 2023
Your itinerary DAY 8/DAY 1 EXTENSION – Brno & Prague We leave the ship and the magnificent Budapest skyline behind as we head north-west on a scenic drive along the Danube basin, towards the Slovakian border. Enjoy the stunning countryside views – vast swathes of thick forests, interspersed with verdant pastureland strewn with wildflowers and a scattering of vineyards, the occasional sleepy hamlet and isolated farm dotted here and there. Heading north we cross the border into the Czech Republic and the eastern region of Moravia, one of three historic lands together with Bohemia and Czech
70
Silesia that formed this picturesque European nation. An imperial state of the Holy Roman Empire and then forming part of Austria-Hungary, the land takes its name from the Morava river which runs north to south. The rolling landscape is gently undulating, lush and green, as we enjoy a drive through the region known as Czech Tuscany, before arriving in historic Brno, once the region’s capital, and enjoy some time at leisure to explore this attractive city. Perhaps visit the impressive Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul set high on a hill in the centre with its lofty Gothic spires. Admire its beautiful baroque altars and 14th-century statue of the Madonna and
Child, and you’ll enjoy amazing views from its steeple. Or head to the medieval Špilberk Castle, its bright red roofs and freshly painted stonework, belie its sinister history. Dating from the first half of the 13th century it became a major royal castle but its impregnable walls ensured its gradual metamorphosis into a huge baroque citadel, at one time considered the harshest prison in the Austrian Empire, and later it was used by occupying Nazis to hold political prisoners during World War II. Visit the Old Town Hall, now the tourist information centre; dating from 1240, it’s the oldest secular building in Brno,
Join our community facebook • twitter • instagram
