Czech Republic: Vienna to Prague

In the geographical heart of Europe, the Czech Republic holds many surprises for the walker. Indeed, its glories in antiquity remain uniquely preserved today—from vast primeval forests to thousands of fairytale castles and manors to tiny villages with white-washed homes topped in heavy-thatched roofs. Even the last war left the republic relatively unscathed. Prague, “the prettiest gem in the stone crown of the world,” according to Goethe, immerses you in time from the Middle Ages to the 18th century with its pointed stone towers and quaint medieval streets. While Prague offers more than a single person can absorb, it is the small towns and untouched rural landscapes through which you walk that solidify experiences into memories.
    On this eight-day adventure, you walk the parks of Neo-Gothic manors, the alleys of Baroque châteaux, and the quiet streets of Moravian folk villages. You enter the forests that cover one-third of the Czech Republic, climb the slopes of its undulating Bohemian hills, and cross meadows carved by great rivers and terraced into vineyards and fragrant orchards.