Hiking the Greenways Trail: The Czech Republic

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1 Hiking the Greenways Trail: The Czech Republic DATES OF TRIP: May 23, 2017 to June 1, 2017 COST OF TRIP: $ (per person, double occupancy) NAME OF TRIP LEADER: Mary Chayka-Crawford MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 501, Lake Orion, MI ADDRESS: TELEPHONE NUMBER: # TRIP SIZE: MINIMUM: 11 MAXIMUM: 15 NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS (plus leader) DESCRIPTION: On this Hiking the Greenways Trail tour you will experience all the rich history and breathtaking scenery that connects two of Europe s most beautiful cities: Vienna and Prague. Our leisurely route follows national marked trails with landscapes from far reaching plains to forested hills to picturesque valleys. This trip includes daily luggage transfer so you have the freedom to walk with just a light day pack. We will spend our nights in lovely historical places real gems of the Czech Republic. This tour has a wonderful balance between outdoor recreation and lovely natural beauty, and the opportunity to visit amazing castles, quaint churches and picturesque towns. Since we do not walk all the way from Vienna to Prague, our transfers will be by private Van, train or first class coach. Most of the hikes are easy to moderate with only one challenging hike...the last day walking up Klet hill, outside of the town of Cesky Krumlov, which is 5 miles uphill and then 5 miles downhill. There are no technical hikes or scrambles involved. A favorite hike on this tour is on Day 4 from Cizov to Vranov via the Austrian town of Hardegg. The hiking is high up along the side of a river valley in the forest. One can hear the river below and part of the trail is a "smugglers route" where the trail narrows to a single track.

2 We will explore many towns such as Telc - listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its perfectly preserved town center with stunning Renaissance town square - undoubtedly one of the most beautiful in the Czech Republic. On our free day, we will absorb its restful atmosphere and enjoy countless opportunities for gentle walks along the ponds, which encircle the town centre on three sides and offer spectacular town panoramas. The tour ends in Cesky Krumlov, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the "must see" Czech towns. It has a particularly large and well-preserved medieval town center surrounded by a meander in the river Vltava. The second largest chateau in the Czech Republic overlooks the town. We will usually start our day with our included breakfast (generally served between 7:30 and 9:30) which consists of various kinds of pastry, ham, sausages, eggs, cheese, butter, jam, yogurt, cereals, fresh fruit, vegetables, water, juice and coffee. For lunch, we can shop at a local grocery to buy what we need and then stop along the way for a picnic. Our luggage will usually arrive at our lodging around 2:00 and will be in our rooms waiting for us. For dinner, we will have choices of recommended restaurants in the towns where we will be staying. Depending on the described itinerary, you can expect on between five and six hours of walking each day. This will depend on the hiker s ability, meal breaks and how much time is spent at sites. DAILY ITINERARY: Day 1: Tuesday: May 23: Vienna-Valtice Plan on arriving at the Vienna airport by 12:00pm at a meeting place to be determined. We will travel one and half hours by private Van (included) from the airport to our hotel (included) in Valtice. Our group will meet in the hotel lobby at 5:00 for an orientation and informational meeting. Following that, we will go to dinner (included) at a local restaurant. Overnight in Valtice at Penzion Prinz. Day 2: Wednesday: May 24: Valtice-Lednice-Mikulov (7 miles) We begin our day by touring the Baroque Valtice chateau, then follow the path through fields, vineyards and forest. We will see the romantic follies on the way to Lednice, and wrap up our day in the Gothic Revival Chateau of Lednice, one of the most ornate examples of this historical architectural style. Afternoon transfer by private Van for the 20 minute ride to Mikulov. Overnight in Mikulov at Hotel Galant. Day 3: Thursday: May 25: Mikulov Pavlov Mikulov (6 miles) We will begin our day with a 15 minute Van transfer to Pavlov to walk along the Palava hills through the ruins of Divci hrady (Maiden's Castles) and across Devin, the highest point of the Palava hills (550 m). After crossing the "saddle" we arrive at the ruins of Sirotci hradek (Orphan castle). From there we climb to Tabulova Hill and over Turold Hill down to Mikulov, a magic castle town surrounded by vineyards. Overnight in Mikulov at Hotel Galant. Day 4: Friday: May 26: Mikulov-Cizov-Hardegg-Vranov-Telc (9 miles)

3 We will have a morning transfer of one hour by private Van from Mikulov to Cizov where we will take in the unspoiled beauty of Podyji National Park. The trail starts in the village of Cizov, where we can see the last remnant of the Iron Curtain. We continue to a view of (visit optional) the Austrian village of Hardegg with its ancient castle and a sweeping view of the Dyje valley, and then leads us back to Vranov nad Dyji. We will finish our day with the tour of the magnificent Baroque chateau in Vranov, perched atop a cliff over the Dyje River. Late afternoon transfer by private Van for the one hour drive from Vranov to Telc. Overnight in Telc at Hotel Celerin. Day 5: Saturday: May 27: Telc Free day to enjoy Telc and the surrounding areas. Overnight in Telc at Hotel Celerin. Day 6: Sunday: May 28: Telc-Slavonice-Landstejn-Nova Bystrice-Jindrichuv Hradec (7 miles) In the morning, we travel by train for the one hour trip from Telc to Slavonice, a forgotten jewel with sgraffito houses. The hiking trail begins in the town and finishes at the castle of Landstejn. On the way, we will see an interesting outdoor museum of military bunkers that were built along the Czech borders in the 1930s. We will have a short 15 minute transfer by private Van from Landstejn to the town of Nova Bystrice. We will board a train to take a one and a half hour ride along a quaint narrow-gauge railway dating from This excursion winds through the sparsely inhabited, forested region called "Czech Canada". Overnight in Jindrichuv Hradec at Hotel Concertino. Day 7: Monday: May 29: Jindrichuv Hradec -Trebon-Kojakovice (9 miles) We will take in the historic town of Jindrichuv Hradec, then continue through the mosaic of ponds, woods and meadows of the Bohemia Lake District and its capital, Trebon, a medieval city whose walls are still largely intact. The trail leads around Svet, a man-made lake and an engineering wonder of the 16th century. We hike to the village of Kojakovice which has an interesting local village museum. Late afternoon transfer by private Van for the 40 minute ride from Kojakovice to Cesky Krumlov. Overnight in Cesky Krumlov at Hotel Peregrin. Day 8: Tuesday: May 30: Cesky Krumlov- Klet-Cesky Krumlov (10 miles) We will have a very short 10 minute morning transfer by private Van from Cesky Krumlov to Zlata Koruna, which is famous for its monastery. You continue over the highest peak of the Blanský Forest: Klet, with a restaurant, a lookout tower and an astronomical observatory. Then hike back to Cesky Krumlov. Overnight in Cesky Krumlov at Hotel Peregrin. Day 9: Wednesday: May 31: Cesky Krumlov-Prague We will depart in the morning for the three hour transfer by first class coach from Cesky Krumlov to Prague. We will have a few hours in the afternoon to explore Prague and check into our hotel. We will meet at 6:00 at a local restaurant for a farewell dinner as a group (included) to celebrate our successful journey and an end to this trip itinerary. Overnight in Prague at Hotel Constans. Day 10: June 1: Prague

4 After breakfast, you are free to depart Prague or stay and enjoy this beautiful city. TRIP PRICE INCLUDES: Airport transfer on Day 1; 9 night s accommodations in selected hotels and pensions; daily buffet breakfast; two dinners; daily luggage transfers; detailed hiking and town maps and route descriptions; transportation by private Van, train and coach according to itinerary; gratuities. TRIP PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE: Airfare to the meeting place; daily lunches; seven dinners; entrance fees to sites; airport transfer on Day 10; travel insurance. WHAT TO BRING: A suggested packing list will be provided to participants. You will hike daily with a day pack and your other belongings will be transferred for you. This transferred luggage is limited to one suitcase not weighing more than 50 pounds per participant. A valid (for a period of at least 6 months from the trip end date) passport is required. No special immunizations or visa s are necessary. WEATHER: Late May is usually a very nice time of year to trek in these areas. We will pack for all types of weather including rain gear as some rain is possible. The high temperatures should be in the high 60 s to low 70 s and the low temperatures should be in the high 40 s to low 50 s. LEVEL OF FITNESS: Participants should is good physical condition and able to walk/hike/tour at least 10 miles each day for this easy to moderate trip. PAYMENT SCHEDULE: A Deposit of $ _700.00_ is due with the Application forms to register for the trip. Must have at least _11 registered by 12/1/16 for the trip to go (if applicable). The Balance of $_ is due no later than 12/1/16_.

5 APPLICATION AND REGISTRATION PROCEDURE: Please carefully read the above detailed trip description and itinerary, and contact Trip Leader if you have any questions. Then, if you decide to join this adventure, please contact me ( , phone or snail mail) and I will send you the registration paperwork, consisting of the Registration form, the Health and Physical Condition Questionnaire and Release of Liability form. Complete these forms and send them to me by U.S. Postal Service with the deposit (check payable to "ADK" or the Credit Card Authorization) to reserve a spot. Please note that original signatures are required on all forms. Spaces are reserved in the order that complete and acceptable registration forms and deposit payments are received, so don t delay. CANCELLATION POLICY: If registrant cancels prior to 12/1/16, all payments received by ADK minus $ will be refunded. After 12/1/16, refund will only be made if the vacancy can be filled from a waiting list maintained by the leader, if any, and then all but $ will be refunded. Note that there is a $100 registration fee included in the trip deposit which is not refundable if you have to cancel for any reason whatsoever. If the leader decides that this trip is not for you, or the trip is canceled by ADK, all payments received by ADK will be refunded. TRIP INSURANCE: It is very strongly recommended that all participants have trip or travel insurance that will cover trip cancellation by the participant, travel delays, medical expenses and medical evacuation. ADK does not provide this insurance and does not cover medical expenses or evacuation in the event you are injured or become ill during the trip. Note that if you have to cancel after the date indicated above, and cannot be replaced from the leader's waiting list (if any) you could be out the entire amount you paid for the trip. ADK MEMBERSHIP: You must be a member in good standing of the Adirondack Mountain Club to be a participant on an ADK Adventure Travel Trip. You can join online at: NOTES: **Do not make your flight arrangements until Trip Leader tells you that this trip has the minimum participants for the trip to go. **Trip prices and arrangements are subject to change due to circumstances beyond ADK s control. **Planned activities are subject to change due to weather, trail conditions or other unforeseen circumstances, at the sole discretion of the Leader.

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