Welcome
Prague and Carlsbad (Karlovy Vary)
By many measures, Prague is Europe’s most beautiful capitol. As the home of the Bohemian monarchy, for centuries it was second only to Paris as a glittering center of Art, Architecture, Culture and Music. It fell from a position of great power and wealth only at the beginning of the 20th century; just in time to avoid the devastation of two world wars in the first half of the century and the plague of brutal and soulless architecture that characterized the second half of the century.
Event Highlights
The music scene is fabulous and has been so for over two hundred years. Mozart presented Marriage of Figaro and premiered his Don Giovanni here. This musical heritage is evident in the architecture of the concert halls and theaters all over town. Our Hotel Paris is directly across the way from the imposing Smetana Hall (above), considered the most beautiful Art Nouveau building in the world. The Charles Bridge (1357) still spans the Vitava River that bisects Prague.
Its castle is the largest in all Europe and the cathedral (1344 – 1929), which is within the castle walls. is half again as big as Notre Dame in Paris. The streets of the Old Town are loaded with shops, cafes and the mansions of the old families. And the fact that rents are still affordable helps Prague to have one of the most vibrant art scenes in the world. Below: the Cathedral
Kutna Hara
Visiting sites with a big group is not ideal, so we always break the big group into smaller groups for daily excursions. Each small group is offered the chance to visit a different place each day, and in the end everybody gets to see everything.
In addition to our explorations of Prague, we’ll take one excursion out of the city to the gorgeous small town of Kutna Hora. Here were discovered large silver deposits in the middle ages. The town became fabulously wealthy, so, of course they spent the money by starting to build one of the most beautiful Medieval churches in Bohemia. Along side it they built a wonderful monastery that is now a museum. But the silver ran out and the church was never finished. But the half that was completed (St. Barbara’s) is famous as perhaps the most gorgeous example of gothic architecture outside of France
When the silver ran out, the mood turned darker and Kutna Hora now is home to one of the more macabre monuments in the world: The Sedlec Ossuary, commonly known as the Bone Church. When they set out to clear the cemetery to make better use of the land, rather than reburying the dead they decided to give them their own church. It is now decorated with the bones more than 70,000 skeletons, many of whom died in the black death, the crusades and the many religious wars. The photos don’t do it justice. You have to see this to believe it!
Lodging
Our Accommodations in Prague
Directly across the street from Smetana Hall is the Hotel Paris. (pictured at left) It was built at the same time (1904) and in the same over-the-top Art Nouveau style. It is a block or two from everything in the center of Old Town. The hotel is listed as a monument and has a variety of suites and executive rooms. (pictured at right is the view from the tower suite) Let us know early if you want to be in upgraded rooms.
The Bocaccio Room:
In the next block from the Hotel Paris is the Grand Hotel Bohemia, home to the Boccaccio Room (pictured at right). Before the war, this was the most famous nightclub east of Paris. Here is where the elite would meet and dance to the orchestras till dawn. After forty years of neglect under the communists, it has been restored to its former glory. Castles and Concerts has reserved this beautiful venue for our private concerts and banquets.
Art Nouveau: Although the kingdom of Bohemia has a millennium of history filled with war and peace, grit and grandeur, and the personal exploits and foibles of its ruling class, it was only in the late 19th century that “bohemian” took on a particular meaning referring to lifestyle choices. It was a golden age of wealth and indulgence. Average people could work a little less and drink a little more. And they did! And the privileged class could live extravagantly and without rules. And they did!
Everybody wanted to live like a Bohemian!
You can hear it expressed in the lush music of Dvojác and his contemporaries. But, perhaps, the visual style of Art Nouveau captured this sensibility best. Alphonse Mucha, one of the most popular and prolific artists of the era, did the interior decorating of the great buildings, as well as documenting the times with his posters, ads, portraits and illustration. (at right; works by “Mucha.”)
Our Stay in Carlsbad (Karlovy Vary)
The 14th century was a high point in Bohemian history. The king, Charles IV was also the Holy Roman Emperor. He laid the first stones for Prague’s Cathedral (1344), built the famous Charles Bridge (1357) and founded the spa town of Carlsbad (1370). Hunting in the hills west of Prague, he discovered a series of hot springs that were believed (and still are believed) to have healing powers. The town that grew up around these springs became Europe’s most exclusive Spa. For centuries, crowned heads and aristocrats came here on vacation to see and be seen and “take the waters”.
An infrastructure was developed that provided everything that the wealthy elite needed, including the churches needed for various religions. Below are pictured the churches built for the Holy Roman Emperor and the Czar of Russia. And the rulers only attended services in these fabulously expensive churches a couple of times a year.
Entertainment
The Music, the Musicians and the Artists
We have a wonderful cast of musicians and entertainers. We’re excited to present our “stars” using a “House Band” consisting of some of Prague’s finest freelance players. We’re bringing our own conductor (Brian McCune). Our singers, Billy Valentine, Livingston Taylor and Michael McGuire all work regularly with orchestras. Others in our group have their own compositions and arrangements to share. And, of course we have the great waltz music and classical ”standards” that will be available to us by virtue of having an orchestra available to us. And we never loose sight of the fact that you, the audience, is the critical part that brings the magic to life! Thank You.
and Becca Wilcox
Details
Arrival: Plan to fly into Prague International airport. (PRG). Please furnish us with your arrival information and we’ll be there to greet you. We’ll start our events on Sunday evening Sept. 27 with cocktails, dinner and a show. But if you want to fly in a day or two earlier to get over jet lag or do some sight-seeing on your own, we are happy to confirm a hotel reservation for you and pick you up.
Weather: We should have beautiful daytime weather and lovely evenings cool enough for a jacket. This is not a rainy season, but it’s always a possibility, so bring a light rain jacket.
Deposits: A $500 per/person deposit will secure your place. Deposits are fully refundable until you make another payment, several months from now.
Insurance: If there is something that might prevent you from attending, we encourage you to take out trip insurance. This is best purchased immediately when you sign up. By putting the insurance in place when you sign up for the trip you assure that the policy will cover any pre-existing medical conditions you may have.
Cancellations: All deposits and payments are fully transferable to someone who takes your place. If you cancel for any reason we will refund all of your money if the trip is full and we can fill your spot. We usually (but not always) have a waiting list.
What’s included: All accommodations and group ground transportation including to and from the airport. Breakfast, lunch and most dinners each day, and any meals taken with the whole group on excursions. We’ll give you one night to dine on your own in Prague and one in Carlsbad. Great parties and music where we will include the wine and soft drinks at our banquets. Not included are alcoholic drinks and incidentals signed for and charged to individual rooms.
Moser Glass works, the most famous in Carlsbad.
Costs
Costs: The trip comes in two parts; Prague from Sept 27 to October 1 and Carlsbad, from October 1 to October 6. You can come to either part or to both parts. The cost for the Pre Trip in Prague is $4,950 per person (double occupancy) and $5,950 for the Carlsbad portion. We’ll have great parties including full orchestras and dancing in both places. A single occupancy supplement is $1,900 for each segment. There are a few suites and junior suites available in each location. An upgrade to junior suites is $600/person in Prague and $900/per person in Carlsbad. A full upgrade to suites is $900/person in Prague and $1,300/person in Carlsbad. These supplements will go directly into the production budget to pay for the large number of local musicians and entertainers we will hire.
Dress: Casual during the day: And be sure to bring comfortable walking shoes for our small group excursions.
Evening Dress: Our evenings will take place in some of the most sumptuous rooms we’ve ever had. Don’t feel like you must sparkle, but know that you have permission. Dress as fancy as you please or as fancy as you dare. What’s the point of owning jewelry if you never wear it? And should you decide to leave your tiara at home; not to worry. Castles and Concerts will bring one for you!
Departure: We will provide coaches from the Hotel Imperial to PRG airport on Tuesday morning October 6.
It’s a two-hour ride to the airport, so an afternoon departure on Oct. 6 is recommended. If you need an early flight, we suggest staying at the airport on Tuesday night and catching the early flight on Wed. Oct. 7.
