Trails of the Czech Republic (self-guided)

Your trip starts today with your arrival in Breclav in the Czech Republic. Breclav is accessible by train from Vienna (1 hour) or Prague (3-4 hours). You will be met at Breclav train station today and transferred to the pretty town of Valtice where you will spend your first night. Please provide Peregrine with your train arrival details into Breclav at least 2 weeks prior to departure. We recommend www.oebb.at/pv/en/Servicebox/Train_schedule/index.jsp (Austrian trains) and www.idos.cz (Czech trains) for accurate train timetables. On arrival you will have a welcome brief. The remainder of the afternoon is free to explore the impressive Moravian town of Valtice.

After breakfast, you commence your first walk, from Valtice to Lednice, meandering through woods and fields dotted with follies, chapels and colonnades as you go. For over 800 years, the Liechtenstein family sculpted the entire Lednice-Valtice marshy landscape into fishponds, fertile fields and tree-lined alleys which are now protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You finish your day at the Gothic Revival Chateau of Lednice, one of the most ornate examples of this historical architectural style. Trails here connect the beautiful gardens with outlying pavilions, statues, chapels, and peaceful ponds. This afternoon you are transferred to the town of Mikulov, where you will spend the evening.

Today you walk along the Palava hills through the ruins of Divci hrady (Maiden's Castles) and across Devin, the highest point of the Palava hills (550m). After crossing the ''saddle'' you arrive at the ruins of Sirotci hradek (Orphan castle). From here you climb to Tabulova Hill and over Turold Hill down to Mikulov, a magical castle town surrounded by expansive vineyards. The Dietrichstein family once ruled here and they have left their mark in the forms of an impressive chateau and family crypt. A late afternoon car transfer takes you to Vranov nad Dyji where you will spend the evening.

Start your day with the tour of the magnificent Baroque chateau in Vranov nad Dyji, perched atop a rocky outcrop, high above the Dyje River. It's then time to explore the unspoiled beauty of Podyji National Park. The trail starts in the village of Cizov, where you can see the last remnant of the Iron Curtain, it continues to the Austrian village of Hardegg with its ancient castle and sweeping views of the Dyje valley. The trail then leads you back to Vranov nad Dyji from where you'll take a late afternoon transfer by car to the town of Telc; one of the best-preserved Renaissance towns in all Europe.

Today's hike begins at the castle of Landstejn, a massive 13th century fortress which was once the largest Romanesque castle in the Czech lands. The trail from the castle leads through woods and meadows to the small town of Nova Bystrice. From here to get to Jindrichuv Hradec you take the quaint narrow-gauge railway which dates back to 1896 and winds through the sparsely inhabited, forested region known as “Czech Canada”. This evening is spent in Jindrichuv Hradec.

This morning there is ample time to take in the historic town and castle of Jindrichuv Hradec before continuing through the mosaic of ponds, woods and meadows of the Bohemia Lake District and its capital, Trebon, a medieval city whose walls are still largely intact. The trail leads around Svet, a man-made lake and an engineering wonder of the 16th century. Your walk ends in the village of Kojakovice with its interesting local village museum. A late afternoon transfer will take you from Kojakovice to Cesky Krumlov; one of Central Europe's most wonderful medieval towns. The next two nights are spent in Cesky Krumlov.

This morning a transfer will take you from Cesky Krumlov to Zlata Koruna, a town situated in the Blanský Forest Nature Reserve at the base of Klet' Mountain and famous for it's impressive Cistercian monastery. A trail then takes you over the highest peak of the Blanský Forest: Klet, where you will find a restaurant, a lookout tower and an astronomical observatory. From here you hike back to Cesky Krumlov.

Today is free to further enjoy the delights of Cesky Krumlov. A UNESCO World Heritage site, Cesky Krumlov's Old Town has 300 protected medieval buildings and it's castle complex is the second largest in the Czech Republic. A late afternoon transfer by bus will take you from Cesky Krumlov to Prague where the tour comes to an end. Extra accommdaiton can be booked in Prague - enquire at time of booking.