By some ancient accounts, Prague’s Jewish community is as old as the city itself. The earliest written reference to Prague dates from the 10th century, and was recorded by the Jewish merchant, Ibrahim Ibn Jakub. From the beginning, the Jewish population had to contend with a Christian majority that viewed them with great suspicion, and at times, blind hatred. Starting in the 13th century, Prague’s Jewish citizens suffered from oppressive laws, and were often the victims of brutal pogroms. It was at this time that the Jewish population was walled into The Old Ghetto. The Old-New Synagogue, built in the 13th century, was the scene of a massacre of Jewish citizens during the Easter Pogrom of 1389. Today it is Europe’s oldest functioning synagogue, a defiant testament to the endurance of Prague’s Jewish community. Josefov, named for the 18th century Emperor Joseph II, preserves this priceless legacy. Its historical buildings, monuments and cultural artifacts manifest the richest collection of Jewish history in Europe. The community has also well-served Prague’s artists and writers over these many centuries. Many of the legends that constitute “Magic Prague” refer to the Old Ghetto. The gravestones of the Old Jewish cemetery, the life of the 16th century scholar, Rabbi Low, and the counter-clockwise hands on the Hebrew clock of its town hall have inspired works by Gustav Meiring, Nobel Prize winner Jaroslav Seifert, Franz Kafka and the poet, Apollinaire.

• On your arrival at Prague airport, meeting with your individual guide and transfer to your hotel. 
• Transfert to start of excursion. A half day introductory tour around the city. 
• "The Residence of Czech Kings — Prague Castle"

 

A huge, ancient fortress stonily ribbons the hill rising above Prague’s Mala Strana. Its massive walls and towers, and the soaring spires of Saint Vitus Cathedral, are visible from almost every quarter of the city. Here legend and archeological evidence converge: this has been the seat of Bohemian royalty since the 9th century. We are at Prague Castle, or simply “Hrad”, as it is known in Czech, residence of Czech Kings, Emperors, Habsburg monarchs and now, the President of the Czech Republic. We pass through its great gates, watched over in equal measure by two fierce stone Titans and somber presidential guards, and make our way through the Castle courtyards. Up ahead we catch sight of the glorious Saint Vitus Cathedral, and take in the grandeur of this exhilarating Gothic structure. Its towers and spires, stained glass and monstrous chimeras, were constructed over many centuries by a plethora of Europe’s most renowned artists, stonemasons and architects. Beyond the cathedral lies Golden Lane, the little medieval community originally built in the sixteenth century by perhaps the most melancholic and madly acquisitive of all the Habsburg emperors, Rudolf II. Legends surround this charming, miniscule collection of cottages wherein lived court-maintained alchemists and sorcerers – and not a few infamous charlatans - in pursuit of the philosopher’s stone. Moreover, for a short time in the early years of the twentieth century, Golden Lane was home to the world-famous author of Metamorphosis and The Trial, Franz Kafka. We end our tour with a meandering stroll through the grounds and beautifully landscaped gardens of Prague Castle…

 

• Breakfast at your hotel. Transfert to start of excursion. 
• Excursion "Jewish Quarter — Josefov"

 

Prague’s Josefov is home to many of Central Europe’s richest collections of Jewish historical and cultural artifacts. This tiny quarter, bordered by the Vltava River, contains plentiful exhibitions ranging from the centuries-old history of the Jewish people in the Czech and Moravian lands to modern Jewish art and history. The Moorish-style Spanish Synagogue is one of the most beautiful in Europe with magnificent interiors. Upon entering the Old-New Synagogue, we sense the spirit of a people who have worshipped within its ancient walls since the mid-thirteenth century. Its 700 year-old walls conjure echoes of a lively populace of craftsmen, artists and scholars. There are also poignant memorials to the terrible losses inflicted on the Jewish community throughout its long history in the Czech Lands. The Old-New Synagogue remains a defiant witness to a time of brutal pogroms, when the Jewish community was forcibly walled within the Old Ghetto. The Pinkas Synagogue, adjacent to the Old Jewish Cemetery, contains a stark stone memorial with the names of the over 77,000 Czech and Slovak Jews killed by the Nazis during the Second World War. We walk through the Old Jewish Cemetery, watched over by great rafts of rook nests high in the trees. Twelve thousand Jewish citizens were buried here between the fifteenth to eighteenth centuries. The time-chiseled Hebrew on the jumbled gravestones tells us of the vibrant lives of some of the inhabitants.

 

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Excursion to the Terezin Fortress.

 

Fortress Terezin was built in the 18th century to serve as the northern fortifications of the Habsburg Empire. It lives on in Czech memory, not for the glorious battles fought there, but as a terrible reminder of the Nazi Occupation. Terezin served as a round-up site for Jewish citizens throughout the country and the rest of Nazi-occupied Europe. Here the people lived in the Ghetto until they were transported east to the Death Camps – or perished. During the Nazi Occupation, 140,000 Jewish people were deported to Terezin, tens of thousands died here from starvation, overcrowding and brutal treatment; there were only 17,500 survivors at war’s end. The Ghetto Museum, established in 1991, suffered some damage from the fierce floods of 2002, but has since been repaired. It presents an extensive exhibition of historical documents, oral histories, films and photographs which enable the visitor to witness the terrible suffering of those who lived and died there.

 

• Water Show at Krizik Fountain *

 

Krizik FountainAn exciting, unusual water show awaits visitors to Prague’s Vystavište (Exhibition Grounds). The Krizik Fountain is rumored to be the world’s largest musical fountain, and there are regular daily shows. Classical ballet and modern dance performances are set against the fountain’s soaring rainbow-colored jets and spectacular lighting effects. The Krizik Fountain was built as part of the 1891 Prague Exposition, and is named after engineer, Frantisek Krizik, who created its special effects.

 

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Free time to further explore at your own pace.
• Concert of classical music "An evening with Mozart" at villa Bertramka
  

 

During the 18th century, Villa Bertramka was the country home of the Dušek family. Today it lies in the fast-growing Prague neighborhood of Smichov. Its fame rests on the fact that the Dušeks were friends of the great composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The Dušeks put the Maestro up during his 1787 and 1791 visits to Prague, and it was here, in Villa Bertramka’s idyllic setting, that Mozart finished the score to his opera, Don Giovanni. The Villa houses a museum dedicated to Mozart, and presents concerts of his Chamber music.

 

• Breakfast at the hotel. 
• Visit to the city Trebic.

 

Our destination is a unique monument to Jewish history, included on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites. The Jewish Quarter of Trebic is an exceptional testament to the cultural traditions of the Jewish Diaspora in central Europe. Its walls and ancient houses bear witness to the longevity and vibrancy of Jewish life here. The proximity of the Jewish Quarter, the old Jewish Cemetery and the Basilica of Saint Procopius reminds of the co-existence of Jewish and Christian cultures in Trebic from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. The Basilica, built as part of the Benedictine monastery in the early 13th century, is a remarkable example of the influence of Western European architectural heritage in this region.

 

 

• Breakfast at your hotel. 
• Transfer to the airport with your guide, departure.