Sierra Club Outings | Vienna to Prague: Hiking the Czech Greenways; Czech Republic and Austria

Vienna to Prague: Hiking the Czech Greenways; Czech Republic and Austria
May 31-June 13, 2009

Highlights:

Explore five UNESCO World Heritage sites and two Biosphere Reserves
Hike through the rolling hills of Moravia and Bohemia in the Czech Republic Moravia and Bohemia in the Czech Republic
Visit stately Vienna and magical Prague on guided city tours

Includes:

Comfortable hotel lodging in quaint towns and most meals
On-trip bus transportation and English-speaking guides
Guest speakers in ornithology and botany, private guided tours and entrance fees at chateaus, castles, museums, and other select attractions

The focus of this trip is the Czech Greenways, a network of more than 250 miles of trails and country roads along centuries-old salt, silver, and amber trade routes that were closed off for 40 years behind the Iron Curtain. Traveling along the Greenways is like taking a trip back in time to the days of medieval towns, baroque castles, and renaissance squares, all in a wonderful state of preservation.

Our trip will begin in Vienna, the romantic capital of Austria, nestled on the banks of the Danube River. It will end, thirteen days later, in Prague, capital of the Czech Republic, known as the “jewel in the crown” of Central Europe and widely recognized as one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Most days, we will hike between three and nine miles through deciduous forests, over rolling hills, across meadows, and through small towns. We will have opportunities to visit many of the well-preserved chateaus and castles along the way, as well as an archeology museum, the National Wine Salon, and the Bohemian Tapestry Center. We will hike one day with an ornithologist and another with a botanist, and we will meet with the Phoenix Society, which is responsible for preserving the heritage of the Telc area. We will spend our evenings enjoying the local pubs, fine Czech beer and crusty bread, while talking about various aspects of Czech history and culture with our local contacts.

Day 1: Arrival-Vienna. Plan to arrive in Vienna by mid-afternoon. We will provide instructions for getting from the airport to our Vienna hotel, and your Sierra Club leader will be waiting to meet you at the hotel. At 4:00 p.m. we will gather for introductions, a brief overview of the trip, and to meet our Czech guide. We’ll go out to dinner as a group. (D)

Day 2: Vienna. In the morning, we will enjoy a city tour, taking in the impressive buildings of the Ringstrasse: the State Opera; the Burgtheater; and the Hofburg, the imperial palace of Hapsburgs. In the afternoon, we will board a van for the short trip to Schönbrunn Palace, the magnificent royal summer residence of the Hapsburgs on the outskirts of Vienna. This palace of nearly 1,500 rooms was completed in the early eighteenth century as a smaller model of Versailles, and is surrounded by a large zoological and botanical park. In the evening, we will have a welcome dinner. Overnight: Vienna. (B, L, D)

Day 3: Vienna-Mikulov. Today we will hike seven miles with an ornithologist. We will board a bus for the trip from Vienna to the Czech Republic and spend the day in the Lednice-Valtice Area, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the former estate of the Liechtenstein family, who resided there from the early thirteenth century until 1945. Then we will tour the Baroque Lednice Chateau and hike through the woods graced by numerous architectural "follies," romantic structures built for fun rather than function. We will then arrive at the Gothic Revival Chateau of Valtice to visit the National Wine Salon of the Czech Republic. Overnight: Mikulov. (B, L, D)

Day 4: Mikulov-Palava UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. We will drive to a trailhead below the ruined castle of Divci Hrady and the ruins of Sirotci Hradekand, and hike from there through the historic wine-growing region of Palava, along the Palava Hills to the village of Dolni Vestonice with its museum of archeology and its display of mammoth hunters. The ancient Venus of Vestonice, a sculpture of a woman made from baked clay and estimated to be 26,000 years old, was discovered near here. Upon our return to Mikulov, the cultural and administrative center of Moravian Jews, we will see the recently-opened Turold Caves and then tour the town square with its sgraffito houses displaying striking geometric designs carved into the stucco walls. We'll also see the crypt of the Dietrichstein family, as well as a synagogue and Jewish Cemetery, where the oldest tombstones date to 1605. Dinner will be served in a traditional wine cellar. Overnight: Mikulov. (B, L, D)

Day 5: Vranov-National Park of Podyji. Today we'll drive to the village of Cizov to see the last remnants of the Iron Curtain and hike to the Austrian town of Hardegg, with its ancient castle and a sweeping view of the river Dyje valley. Then we'll continue hiking on to Vranov. The total hiking mileage today will be nine miles. Overnight: Vranov nad Dyji. (B, L, D)

Day 6: Vranov-Telc. In the morning, we tour the Baroque castle perched on a rock 230 feet above the river Dyje in Vranov and then drive to the renaissance town of Telc, a UNESCO World Heritage site. After lunch, we will meet with representatives from the Phoenix Society, the nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the heritage of the Telc area. Later in the afternoon, we will walk a three-mile trail established as a memorial to the Jewish painter Frantisek Nagl and discover a story hidden in time. Overnight: Telc. (B, L, D)

Day 7: Telc. In the morning, we will visit Telc Castle with our guide. Later in the morning, our van will take us to Castle Rostejn. We will tour the castle with our guide and begin our seven-mile hike through the Moravian Highlands back to Telc. Overnight: Telc. (B, L)

Day 8: Slavonice-Landstejn-Jindrichuv Hradec. We’ll transfer to the town of Slavonice, founded in the 12th century and famous for its sgraffito facades and local pottery workshop. We’ll then hike seven miles from the ruins of castle Landstejn to Nova Bystrice, where we begin a train ride on the curious narrow-gauge railway to Jindrichuv Hradec, home of the third-largest castle complex in the Czech Republic, after Prague and Cesky Krumlov. Overnight in Jindrichuv Hradec. (B, L, D)

Day 9: Jindrichuv Hradec-Trebon. In the morning, we'll visit the Bohemian Tapestry Center in the historic town of Jindrichuv Hradec and also visit the Regional Museum which houses the largest mechanical crèche in the world, with several thousand figures. It's quite spectacular and beautiful! Later in the morning, we'll drive to Trebon, a thirteenth-century medieval town with fortification walls, and walk eight miles around the man-made lake of Svet, an engineering wonder of the sixteenth century, and through the Trebon UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Overnight in Trebon. (B, L, D)

Day 10: Cesky Krumlov. We’ll transfer to Cesky Krumlov, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the "jewel of South Bohemia," with the second-largest castle complex in the Czech Republic. After a walk around town, we can enjoy an optional activity, a canoe trip from Cesky Krumlov to Zlata Koruna, or spend the afternoon on our own. Overnight in Cesky Krumlov. (B, L, D)

Day 11: Cesky Krumlov-Zlata Koruna-Klet. After touring the Castle in Cesky Krumlov, we'll take a cable car to the top of Klet, the highest peak in the region (about 3,200 feet), to enjoy its great vistas, and then we will take the hiking trail seven miles back to Cesky Krumlov. Overnight: Cesky Krumlov. (B, L)

Day 12: Hluboka-Prague. Today we'll drive north to the fairy-tale Tudor Gothic chateau of Hluboka, and we'll hike seven miles through the Sazava river valley. After our hike, we will drive on to Prague. Overnight: Prague. (B, L)

Day 13: Prague. We will begin the day with a walking city tour through the historic center of Prague, known as Old Town. We will visit the Old Town Square, the Town Hall, and the Jewish Quarter and meet at the end of this day for a farewell dinner to celebrate our newfound friends and the successful completion of our journey. Overnight: Prague. (B, L, D)

Day 14: Prague-Departure. Participants will depart individually. The leader will provide instructions for getting from the hotel to the airport. (B)

The trip begins in Vienna and ends in Prague. Many major international airlines serve both cities, so it is possible to purchase an “open-jaw” ticket. Or you may prefer to fly in and out of Vienna, and take the train from Prague back to Vienna at the end of the trip. Your leader will provide information and recommendations.

While in Vienna and Prague, we will be staying at small, centrally-located hotels or pensions within walking distance of many major attractions. While hiking the Greenways, we will stay in country inns in quaint villages. All rooms will have their own bathrooms, but may not have telephones, televisions, or air-conditioning. Rooms are double occupancy, with a roommate provided for those traveling alone.
The cuisines of Austria and the Czech Republic are heavy on meat and potatoes. Vegetables are usually viewed as garnish, so vegetarians may find it difficult to eat as they do at home. Participants should discuss any dietary restrictions with the trip leader.
All meals, with the exception of three dinners, are included in the trip price. Breakfasts will be provided at our hotels, dinners at local restaurants and pubs. While hiking, we will stop at grocery stores or markets and purchase ingredients for picnics on the trail.
On several evenings, we will have an opportunity to engage in "beer meditations" -- evening discussions held at a local pub on such topics as the Iron Curtain and the Cold War, conservation issues, and the Czech nation. Your participation in these evenings is entirely voluntary, and you will be responsible for your own purchases of alcoholic beverages.

This trip is designed for hikers in good health who are comfortable walking five to nine miles a day for several consecutive days. The terrain is moderate, with trails consisting mostly of well-groomed dirt tracks winding through forests or open meadows, country roads, or, occasionally, town streets. Elevations are also moderate. The highest peak in the area, Klet, rises 3,200 feet, and we will be taking a cable car to the top and walking down. The support van will be available in case of illness, exhaustion, or injury. The trails are mostly well-marked, and each participant will have detailed maps and directions in their own packs. The length of any day's hike may vary from the itinerary, depending on the route selected.
The weather is variable. June is usually temperate, but can also be very hot. Rain is possible. We will adjust the hikes as necessary to accommodate weather conditions.
Austria and the Czech Republic are modern countries, but do some things differently than we do. Critical to your enjoyment of this trip is a relaxed attitude and your willingness to accept the inevitable surprises that travel has in store for us.

Sturdy walking shoes and a day pack are essential, otherwise, normal travel gear will do. Be prepared for both rain and heat. A complete list of equipment will be provided prior to the trip.
A valid passport is required for travel to Austria and the Czech Republic, U.S. citizens do not need visas. Citizens of other countries should check with their embassies or consulates.

Capek, Karel, Stories from Two Pockets, Catbird Press, 1994. Short mystery stories from a popular Czech writer of the early 20th century.

The modern Greenways were created by a group of preservation enthusiasts -- Czechs and Americans -- after the 1989 "Velvet Revolution." This group realized that under the new free market economy, with its rapid and environmentally careless economic development, architectural monuments and the surrounding countryside of the region were in need of protection.

They formed a nonprofit civic organization, Greenways-Zelene stezky, in 1992. Following the model of The Hudson River Valley Greenway, they created a partnership of 12 mayors and their towns, and inspired and supported grassroots initiatives. Greenways-Zelene stezky is a member of the Environmental Partnership for Sustainable Development (Nadace Partnerstvi), which is working to promote sustainable regional development through projects that preserve the natural and cultural heritage that make each community unique. We will have opportunities to visit many of those projects.

The payment of a deposit does not confirm you as a member on the trip. Participants must be approved by the trip leader. After signing up for this trip, you will be sent a confirmation packet containing approval materials (Participant Approval Questionnaire, Medical Form, Liability Release Form). Each applicant (including those on the waitlist) must fill out these forms and promptly mail them to the trip leader. The leader will review the approval materials and notify you of your acceptance in a timely manner.

Growing up in a remote Sierra Nevada village in California, Martha�s love of wilderness was nurtured from an early age. She is an avid hiker, cross-country skier, and sea kayaker. Over the past 18 years, she has led several sea kayaking trips in Alaska and backpacking trips in California for the Sierra Club. She especially likes to combine traveling with outdoor adventure�trekking in Nepal, �hut-hopping� in the Alps, or kayaking in New Zealand.