Rulers and Bohemians - Budapest to Vienna

Budapest, Prague, Cesky Krumlov, Vienna.

''Besides, I now considered myself as bound by the law of hospitality to a people who had treated me with so much expense and magnificence.''

Gullivers Travels, Jonathan Swift, 1726.

The Austro-Hungarian empire was ruled by despots, and yet it numbered amongst its many subjects a nation of people who gave their name to the very epitome of free-living - the Bohemians. Our tour takes you to the centres of autocracy, and looks at the arts of Bohemia.


Budapest is two cities in one - Buda and Pest. We explore all of the sights on both sides of the river: Margaret Island, the landmark Parliament Building and St Stephan Basilica. By day there is culture galore in the Museum of Fine Arts and the National Gallery; by evening an opera, a ballet or a symphony concert.

Prague has become a byword for the new Eastern Europe, with its internet cafes and visiting film stars, but it really is a must-see city with its Old Town, Little Quarter and Hradcany. We take you on two private tours - backstage at the Estates Theatre, and into the library of the Strahov Monastery. From Prague we travel to Cesky Krumlov, a thirteenth century town famous for its castle, and then to Ceske Budejovice, a beautiful unspoiled village.

Vienna was the capital of the Austro-Hungarian empire, and the Hapsburgs lived as much on the grand scale as their counterparts, the Romanovs and the Hohenzollerns. Our tour gives you plenty of time to see the sights such as Schonnbrunn, the Opera House, the Spanish Riding School and the Hofburg.

Please contact us for day-by-day itinerary.

Accommodation

Le Meridien in Budapest
Mandarin Oriental in Prague
Hotel Ruze in Cesky Krumlov
Sacher in Vienna

Single Supplement: £1,540.00
All prices per person, sharing.

Meals: Breakfast daily, 5 Lunches, 6 Dinners
Cost of flight not included.