• 9:00 a.m. Depart Dresden for Prague.

• Transfer to Nelahozeves for visit of Nelahozeves Castle.
  
  Private Visit and Lunch at Nelahozeves Castle
  The town of Nelahozeves, 25 kilometers north of Prague, is the location of this beautiful Renaissance château built in the late 1500s. The château, which has been in the hands of the Lobkowicz family since 1623, is now home to one of the most magnificent family art collections in Europe (including works by Rubens, Veronese, Breughel the Elder, Cranach, Canaletto and Velasquez).
  
  The fine art galleries are located on the first and second floors and include three family portrait rooms, a majolica room, a room devoted to Beethoven memorabilia, and a dining room as well as the stunning 'Knight's Hall' with its massive stone fireplace.
  
  The castle archives include a library holding 65,000 volumes, including letters signed by 12th century Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa and 4,500 musical manuscripts with priceless autographed scores by Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven.
  
  Antonín Dvorák was born on September 8th, 1841 in the then tiny village of Nelahozeves. In 1860, while serving in his father's butcher's store, he decided to leave home and try his luck in the big city as a classical composer. Making do with the subsidy that the state provided its artists at the time, Dvorák lived modestly for five years, allowing himself time to concentrate on creating his own works. A couple of these piqued the interest of Johannes Brahms, a member of the subsidy committee, who convinced his publisher in Berlin to publish them. After the appearance of the Moravian Duets and Slavonic Dances, he instantly won over a wide audience and gained increasing recognition from his peers.
  

• Transfer to our hotel in Prague.
  
  
• Check-in to our hotel, Sheraton Prague.

• Optional Performance at the Rudolfinum - Home to the Czech Philharmonic .
  
  
• Dinner at leisure.

• Overnight: Sheraton Prague Charles Square Hotel, Prague.
  
  The Sheraton Prague Charles Square Hotel
  The 19th-century building is conveniently located off Charles Square, in the heart of Prague´s New Town and just steps from the historic Wenceslas Square, Old Town Square and National Museum. Fabled Charles Bridge is a short walk away and the rooftop terrace has stunning views of Prague Castle. All the rooms are elegantly furnished with large bathrooms. Spa and fitness facilities are available.
  
  
  

• Buffet breakfast in our hotel.

• Visit to the Klementinum.
  

  CLEMENTINUM (Klementinum)
  Formerly a Jesuit college established in the former Dominican monastery of St Clement between 1653 and 1723. It is the largest complex of buildings in Prague after Prague castle. The Church of St Clemens and the Church of St Salvator are its part. When the Jesuits had to leave Prague in 1773, the Clementinum became the Prague University and National library. Concerts are often held in the Mirror Chapel.
  

• Special private visit of the historical premises – including the Baroque Library Hall with a showing of some highlights from the Manuscripts and Printed Books Department, and the Astronomical Tower.
  
  
• Transfer to Charles University – Science Faculty Building.
  
  
• Coffee break and presentation of the history of the institution and department.
  
  
• Return to the centre at the end of the morning.
  

• Lunch at the Grand Café Orient.
  
  
• Mid-afternoon visit of Sternberg Palace including the collection of Old Masters in the National Gallery.
  
  Sternberg Palace
  This Baroque style palace was built at the end of the 18th century as a home for Count Šternberg - a leading member of the Bohemian aristocracy.
  
  Today it houses the Czech National Gallery’s exhibition of early European Art, including works by renowned artists such as Goya, Rubens and Rembrandt.
  

• Reception at the Residence of the American Ambassador.
  Pending Request

AND/OR

• Dinner at Kampa Park Restaurant.  

• Overnight: Sheraton Prague Charles Square Hotel, Prague.
  

• Buffet breakfast in our hotel.

• Visit to the Hradcany area in the city center.

  Hradcany Neighborhood
  Visit Church of Our Lady of Loreta and walking tour of the Palaces on Hradcanske Square.
  
  THE LORETA
  This extraordinary Baroque pilgrimage church was built in 1626 with funds donated by Countess Lobkowicz. The grandiose design was part of Ferdinand II's campaign to re-Catholicize the Czechs.
  
  SCHWARZENBERG PALACE
  Built originally for the Lobkowicz family it passed through several hands before the Schwarzenbergs acquired it in 1719. There has been a Museum of Military History here since 1945.
  
  ARCHBISHOP’S PALACE
  Bought by Ferdinand I in 1562 for the first Catholic Archbishop, it has been the seat of archbishops ever since.

• Private visit of the home of Geraldine Mucha, daughter-in-law of Alfons Mucha.

Home of Geraldine Mucha
The lush and expressive posters Mucha designed in Paris - most famously of the actress Sarah Bernhardt - have been reproduced many times the world over. Today his works are taken care of by his grandson John and daughter-in-law, Geraldine Mucha, living in Prague. Geraldine is an accomplished and internationally respected composer and at 88 is still hard at work, living in the beautiful and romantically impractical 18th-century flat which has been her home for most of the last 50 years.
Alfonso Maria Mucha was born in the town of Ivančice, Moravia and when he left school, he worked painting theatrical scenery nearby. In 1879 he moved to Vienna to work for a leading Viennese theatrical design company but when a fire destroyed his employer's business in 1881 he returned to Moravia as a freelance painter. Count Karl Khuen of Mikulov hired Mucha to decorate Hrušovany Emmahof Castle with murals and was impressed enough that he agreed to sponsor Mucha's formal training at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts. In 1887 he moved to Paris to continue his studies and in 1894, he produced the artwork for a lithographed poster advertising Sarah Bernhardt at the Theatre de la Renaissance. This poster art won him fame and numerous commissions.

• Lunch at leisure.
  
  
• Guided visit of the Jewish Quarter(Josefov) - noted as the best preserved complex of Jewish historical monuments in Europe.
  
  The tour will include the Spanish Synagogue, Cemetery, Pincus Synagogue memorial and the Old-New Synagogue – the oldest European Synagogue still in use.
  
  PRAGUE JEWISH QUARTER
  Named after the Emperor Josef II, whose reforms helped ease living conditions for the Jews, this Quarter contains the remains of Prague's former Jewish ghetto. The current Prague Jewish community numbers 5000 – 6000 people. There are two historical figures synonymous with this part of the city, Franz Kafka (1883 – 1924) and the mystical homunculus Golem created by Jehuda ben Bezalel, also known as Rabi Löw.
  
  SPANISH SYNAGOGUE
  Built in 1868 the Spanish synagogue was named after its striking Moorish interior. There is an exhibition showing the life of the Jews in the Czech Republic from emancipation to the present day.
  
  PINKAS SYNAGOGUE
  Founded in 1479 by Rabbi Pinkas this synagogue was rebuilt many times over the centuries and a gallery for women was added in the early 17th century. Since WWII it has served as a memorial to the 77,297 Jewish Czechoslovak victims of the Nazis with their names inscribed on the walls. There is also a collection of paintings and drawings by children held in the Terezín concentration camp during WWII.
  
  OLD-NEW SYNAGOGUE
  Built around 1270, it is the oldest working synagogue in Europe and one of Prague's earliest Gothic buildings. On the eastern wall is the Holy Ark in which the Torah scrolls are kept and Hebrew biblical abbreviations cover the walls.
  
  
• Private visit of the Municipal House – the city’s premier Art Nouveau building that is stylishly decorated with art work by the country’s leading 20th-century artists.
  

MUNICIPAL HOUSE
Built on the site of the royal court between 1906 and 1912, this is Prague's most prominent Art Nouveau building. Above the main entrance there is a huge mosaic “Homage to Prague“ by Karel Špillar. Inside, there is the Smetana Hall, the biggest concert hall in Prague, a number of smaller halls, plus conference rooms and offices, cafés and restaurants.

• We end the visit with a cocktail reception in one of the elegant salons. 
  

• Michael Feldman - Cultural Attaché to the American Embassy will join us to give an informal talk on a topical aspect of Czech culture. Pending request.
  

• Dinner to follow at the house.

• Overnight: Sheraton Prague Charles Square Hotel, Prague.

• Buffet breakfast in our hotel.

• Transfer to Prague Castle Complex on the other side of the Vltava river.
  
• Special visit including a private behind-the-scenes look at the castle - the official residence of President Vàclav Klaus.
  
• St Vitus Cathedral, St George’s Basilica, Chapel of the Holy Cross, the Royal Garden and Golden Lane.

PRAGUE CASTLE
Prague Castle is the city's most popular sight and the largest ancient castle in the world. Constructed in the 9th century by Prince Bo øivoj, the castle transformed itself from a wooden fortress surrounded by earthen bulwarks to the imposing structure it is today. Rulers made their own additions so there is a mixture of styles. Prague castle has had four major reconstructions, but it keeps the classical facelift it took on in the 18th century during the reign of Maria Theresa. The castle has three courtyards and it has always been the seat of Czech rulers as well as the official residence.

ST VITUS CATHEDRAL
The cathedral's foundation stone was laid in 1344 by Emperor Charles IV. The first architect was Matthias of Arras, after his death Petr Parler took over and completed much of the structure in late-Gothic style. Over the following centuries Renaissance and Baroque details were added and the job was completed in 1929. The most beautiful of numerous side chapels, Parler's Chapel of St Wenceslas houses the crown jewels and the tomb of “Good King” Wenceslas. There are also many superb examples of 20th-century Czech stained glass.

BASILIKA OF ST GEORGE
Founded by Prince Vratislav I in the 10th century, this is the best-preserved Romanesque church in Prague. There are tombs of Pøemysl royalty. The acoustics make it a good venue for classical concerts.

GOLDEN LANE
Named after the goldsmiths who lived here in the 17th century, Golden Lane is popular due to its tiny colorful houses built right into the arches of the Castle walls. In the 18th and 19th centuries they were occupied by squatters and later this area was the home of the writer France Kafka (House 22) and the Nobel-laureate poet Jaroslaf Seifert.

• Lunch at Lobkowicz Palace in the Prague castle complex. Private visit of the Princely Collections of the Lobkowicz Palace.
  
  
• Private after-hours visit of Strahov Monastery including the library – the largest monastic library in the country.
  
  
• Cocktails and dinner in the summer refectory of the monastery. 
  
  
• String Quartet to entertain.
  
  
• Overnight: Sheraton Prague Charles Square Hotel, Prague.

• Departures throughout the day.
  
  
• Airport transfers on request.