Czech Republic/Poland/Hungary/Austria
The Best of Central Europe: Krakow, Budapest, Vienna, Prague
Program No. 12259RJ
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The Best of Central Europe: Krakow, Budapest, Vienna, Prague
The Best of Central Europe: Krakow, Budapest, Vienna, Prague
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Program
At a Glance
Duration
18 days
Program Begins
Krakow
Program Concludes
Prague
Group Type
Small Group
Meals
36 (
16B, 9L, 11D
)
Activity Level
From
7,499From the elegance of a Chopin polonaise in Krakow to the grandeur of the Habsburg’s summer palace in Vienna, embark on an exquisite journey to learn about Central Europe’s most artistically rich cities and the great thinkers and creative geniuses who called them home. Private concerts, viewings of world-class art collections and in-depth discussion of some of Europe’s leading intellectuals create a detailed portrait of these royal capital cities.
Best of all, you'll...
- Enjoy a private concert at the Strahov Monastery and explore the library.
- Admire the illuminated city of Budapest on an evening river voyage along the Danube River, passing such important sights as parliament, Chain Bridge and Castle Hill.
- Explore Schönbrunn Palace, the former imperial summer residence and one of the most important cultural monuments in Austria.
General Notes
Those interested in a program intended exclusively for solo travelers may enjoy "Go Solo: The Best of Central Europe: Krakow, Budapest, Vienna, Prague" (#25123)
Featured Expert
All Experts
Hana Kundratova
Hana Kundratova was born in Ostrava, Czech Republic. She graduated with a degree in education from Charles University and then moved permanently to Prague. Having formerly worked as a teacher, Hana has been an educational group leader and program coordinator throughout the Czech Republic and its neighboring countries since 1992.
Please Note:
This expert may not be available for every date of the program
Please Note:
These experts may not be available for every date of the program
Hana Kundratova
Hana Kundratova was born in Ostrava, Czech Republic. She graduated with a degree in education from Charles University and then moved permanently to Prague. Having formerly worked as a teacher, Hana has been an educational group leader and program coordinator throughout the Czech Republic and its neighboring countries since 1992.
Petra Bidlasová
Petra Bidlasová has been sharing her knowledge of Prague with lifelong learners from around the world since 1997. With an education in art history, she is currently working on her thesis on contemporary African art and post-colonial theory. For more than 10 years, she has been a lecturer in the Department of Modern and Contemporary Art at the National Gallery in Prague. In 2013, she became a professor of modern Czech art at CIEE Study Center for American students.
Anna Maria Orla-Bukowska (Krakow)
Annamaria Orla-Bukowska is a social anthropologist teaching at the Institute of Sociology at Jagiellonian University in Kraków, where she earned a Ph.D. American born and raised, she has lived in Poland since 1985. Her general field of research is majority-minority relations, cultural pluralism, and collective identities. She has co-authored "Rethinking Poles and Jews: Troubled Past, Brighter Future," as well as a chapter on Polish collective memory in "The Politics of Memory in Postwar Europe.”
Ourania Menelaou (Prague Music)
Pianist and musicologist Ourania Menelaou was born in Nicosia, Cyprus. She graduated from the Prague Conservatory in 1996, and continued her studies at the Charles University of Prague, receiving her master’s degree in musicology. Menelaou has been invited to participate in music festivals in the United States and performed in recitals around the world. As a musicologist, Ourania has been researching and studying piano music of the 19th and 20th centuries. Currently, she is working in a research program on solo piano music.
Lukas Husa
Dr. Lukas Husa was born and raised in Vienna, Austria, where he still lives. He studied history with a specialization in economic and social history at the University of Vienna, completing his master’s degree in 2014. He studied at both the University of Vienna and Chiang Mai University in Thailand for his PhD. While pursuing his academic studies, he also studied to be a travel leader in Vienna and Austria. Dr. Husa has greatly enjoyed showing people from all over the world his beautiful home.
Lisa Zeiler (Habsburg)
Born in 1966 in Vienna, Lisa Zeiler studied English and Art History at the University of Vienna and the University of Toronto, Canada. Since 2001 she has worked as a qualified Group Leader in Vienna, specializing in art and museum visits. She also organizes and teaches in Austria's most extensive guide training course. In addition, she works part time for an institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Lisa sees herself as an ambassador of Austrian culture, history and character.
Ernst Felberbauer (Austria)
Ernst Felberbauer is a Colonel in the Austrian Armed Forces. He teaches geopolitics at the Austrian National Defence Academy and the Theresian Military Academy. He has published widely on international security and crisis and conflict management with a special focus on South East Europe and the South Caucasus. Since 2018, he is a lecturer on political geography and conflicts in the wider European Region, ranging from the Arctic to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean for the Universities of Vienna, Innsbruck and Krems.
Viktória Dorkó
Viktoria Dorko lives and works in Budapest, Hungary as a freelance travel leader and program director. She received her master's degree in pedagogy, tourism management, and later in marketing in Budapest. She has worked in travel in various roles since 2004, living for five years also in Bratislava, Slovakia, and traveling extensively around Europe. She is passionate about arts and history and enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience about this part of the world. Her hobbies and interests include photography, arts and crafts, painting, reading, and hiking. She lives with her young son and Italian husband. Viktoria speaks two foreign languages, English and Russian, and she is currently mastering Italian and German.
Nóra Szále
Nóra Szále was born in Budapest where she earned a degree in ESL (English Teacher). Nora worked and studied in Denmark for a year. Following college, she was a schoolteacher and PR manager; she also taught English freelance. During COVID-19, Nora joined a company as their technical translator and was later promoted to leader of the technical department. She also organized seminars, partners’ meetings, and trade exhibitions. In the summer of 2024, she joined Kult-Turist, a travel company that works with Road Scholar.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to 5 miles per day at a moderate pace of 2 mph over mixed terrain, including cobblestones, dirt paths, stairs, short uphill inclines, and uneven surfaces, often in crowded areas. Standing up to 5 hours per day. Program will require approximately 40 miles of walking over 17 days. Participants should be prepared to navigate uneven stairs with and without handrails and be comfortable getting on and off public transportation (tram, subway, motorcoach, taxi). Due to the pace of this program, use of public transportation, and some sites only being accessible on terrain inconducive to mobility devices, wheelchairs, walkers, quad canes, and scooters cannot be accommodated on this program. Must be physically capable of participating in all planned program activities.
Small Group
(13 to 24)
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Suggested Books and Resources
View Full List
You can also find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
HAVE QUESTIONS?
Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone?
We can help. Give us a call, and we can answer all of your questions!
Call
800-454-5768
Helpful Links
Enroll with Confidence
Peace of Mind
We want your Road Scholar learning adventure to be something to look forward to—not worry about. That’s why we go to the ends of the earth to give you peace of mind, from the moment you enroll until the day you return home.
Assurance Plan
Road Scholar is committed to the well-being of every participant, whether on a program in the United States or abroad. That’s why all participants are covered under our Road Scholar Assurance Plan, which provides 24-hour assistance in the event of an emergency during your program, as well as insurance for emergency medical evacuation.
Want to Protect Your Investment?
Road Scholar is pleased to offer its Trip Protection Plan as a way to protect your program investment. You may purchase this optional trip protection plan when enrolling in your program.
Sustainable Travel
We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Read about our commitment to a more sustainable planet.
- Peace of Mind
We want your Road Scholar learning adventure to be something to look forward to—not worry about. That’s why we go to the ends of the earth to give you peace of mind, from the moment you enroll until the day you return home.
- Assurance Plan
Road Scholar is committed to the well-being of every participant, whether on a program in the United States or abroad. That’s why all participants are covered under our Road Scholar Assurance Plan, which provides 24-hour assistance in the event of an emergency during your program, as well as insurance for emergency medical evacuation.
- Want to Protect Your Investment?
Road Scholar is pleased to offer its Trip Protection Plan as a way to protect your program investment. You may purchase this optional trip protection plan when enrolling in your program.
- Sustainable Travel
We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Read about our commitment to a more sustainable planet.
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