Incantato Impressions: Prague

Homes away from Home: Accomodation Overview

June 24-26, Prague
Mövenpick Hotel Prague, Mozartova 1 - 150 00 Prague, web: www.moevenpick-prague.com

June 27, Český Krumlov
1) Hotel The Old Inn, Nám. Svornosti 12, 38101 Český Krumlov,
phone: +420 380 772 199, web: www.hoteloldinn.cz
OR
2) Hotel Ruze, Horní 154 - 38101 Český Krumlov, phone: +420 380 772 100,
web: www.hotelruze.cz

June 28-29, Krems
Steigenberg Avance Hotel Krems, Am Goldberg 2, 3500 Krems,
phone: +43 27 32 710 10 715, web: www.steigenberger.com/Krems

June 30, Wien
Austria Trend Hotel Messe, Messestrasse 2, 1020 Wien,
phone: +43 1727 270, web: www.austria-trend.at/mhw

Juli 1-2, Budapest
K+K Hotel Opera, Révay utca 24, 1065 Budapest,
phone: +36-1-269 02 22, web: www.kkhotels.com/opera

A Beautiful Prague Welcome Dinner at The Blue Duckling II

For the Carolina International Chorale's welcome dinner on their 2010 Performance Tour of Central Europe, Incantato Tours has hand-picked this delightful restaurant for your tasting pleasures!


The Blue Duckling II follows the success of the first restaurant bearing the same name, with a new locale mere steps away from the Old Town Square in Prague. The Blue Duckling II attempts to refine standard Czech dishes into true Bohemian haute cuisine, and has a menu that is loaded with an array of wild game and quirky spins on Czech village favorites. Even the President and former prime minister Václav Klaus took visiting leaders here when he wanted to prove that Czechs, too, have a unique style.

The building consists of small dining rooms with vaulted ceilings and playfully frescoed walls, and is packed with antique furniture and pastel-flowered linen upholstery. The Blue Duckling II is an ideal place to relax while tasting some very sophisticated Czech cuisine, where traditional recipes are improved to guarantee extraordinary culinary experiences.


Bon Appétit!

CIC Tour Itinerary updated

Dear CIC travelers, please find a more updated itinerary below and you will be receiving your very detailed day by day information via email after Memorial Day Weekend. We sure hope you are excited about your upcoming tour to Central Europe -- Auf Wiedersehen from all of us at Incantato Tours.

DAY 1 Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Travel to Europe
Overnight group flight to Prague with Lufthansa.

Group Flight Schedule:

Raleigh to Philadelphia with US1238 departing at 3:40 PM, arrival at 5:11 PM
connect to LH 427 to Frankfurt departing at 6:50 PM and arriving at 9:05 AM (dinner and breakfast served on board) on June 24, then clear customs and immigration and continue with LH3260 to PRG departing at 12:00 PM and arriving at 1:00 PM.

DAY 2 Thursday, June 24
Vítejtes to Central Europe
Your tour manager Barbara Holl will welcome you at Prague airport and assist you in the transfer plus check-in at the Moevenpick Hotel. Time to rest prior to a welcome meeting in the lobby,followed by a special welcome dinner in Prague’s historic Old Town with local specialties.

Overnight in Prague at the Moevenpick Hotel.

Mövenpick Hotel Prague
Mozartova 1 - 150 00 Prague Czech Republic
Phone:+420 257 151 111
www.moevenpick-prague.com

DAY 3 Friday, June 25
Prague in-depth & first Concert
Your guided sightseeing tour starts in the Royal Castle District where you will see beautiful St. Vitus Cathedral and then cross over Charles‘ Bridge into the Old Town. Next stop is the Smetana Museum followed by free time for a quick lunch and a brief rehearsal.
At 2 pm, CIC presents the first formal concert at the baroque church of St. Nicholas located right in the heart of the city center and on one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. The remainder of the day is at your leisure under the guidance of your tour manager.

Overnight in Prague at the Moevenpick Hotel.

DAY 4 Saturday, June 26
Prague at Leisure - Evening Concert and reception
Explore the Czech capital at your own pace until the early afternoon, then around 2:30 pm take a short ride just a few miles outside of the city to the town of Panenské Brezany u Prahy for a special highlight performance in the magnificent Chapel of St. Ann. After the concert, a special reception by the local town's people awaits you and the mayor of the small village invites all members of the CIC Tour to refreshments. You will return to Prague around 8 pm.

Overnight in Prague at the Moevenpick Hotel.

DAY 5 Sunday, June 27
Magical Cesky Krumlov
After a leisurely breakfast and check-out around 9:30 am, drive to South Bohemia and visit Cesky Krumlov‘s historic city center (UNESCO World Heritage). You will arrive around noon. At 2 pm, two local guides show you around town for an hour or two. Aside from having plenty of time for museum visits, shopping or just strolling around town, a medieval-style dinner in a cellar tavern awaits you. The Satlava restaurants is one of our old time favorites and known for its special garlic soup. The now rustic tavern once served as the town prison.

Overnight at Hotel The Old Inn

Hotel The Old Inn
Nám. Svornosti 12 - 381 01 Český Krumlo
Tel: +420 380 772 500
www.hoteloldinn.czv

DAY 6 Monday, June 28
Via Linz to the Danube Valley
Cross the border to Austria and visit Linz. Two local guides will introduce you to their city’s highlights followed by free time for lunch. At 2 pm, continue along the Wachau Valley first to your hotel in Krems for check-in and to explore town. A special wine-tasting with some light snacks is offered this evening, dinner is on your own.

Overnight at Hotel Steigenberger Avance Krems

Steigenberger Avance Hotel
Am Goldberg 2 - 3500 Krems/Wachau, Österreich
Tel: +43 2732 71010
www.steigenberger.com/Krems

DAY 7 Tuesday, June 29
Krems - Melk - Dürnstein & another very special Concert
After a leisurely breakfast, your group visits beautiful Melk Abbey and then continues to the picturesque town of Dürnstein for lunch on your own. then continue to the Benedictine Abbey of Goettweig where a special reception and private tour awaits you. This evening, at 7:30 pm, a highlight concert takes place at the magnificent Stiftskirche at Göttweig Abbey followed by dinner in the panoramic restaurant.

Overnight at Hotel Steigenberger Krems

DAY 8 Wednesday, June 30
Vienna Sightseeing
“Willkommen in Wien“: Visit Schubert‘s Birthplace and the Mozart Museum, then drive along the famous Ring and last not least see Stephansdom. The afternoon and evening are at leisure so you can pursue your own activities, be it a stroll through the city center, attending a concert at the State Opera House or Schönbrunn Palace, or enjoying a special dinner at one of the many famous Viennese restaurants. Your home away from home is the Austria Trend Hotel Messe right near the Prater Park with the famous giant ferris wheel.

Overnight at Hotel Austria Trend Messe

Austria Trend Hotel Messe Wien
Messestraße 2 -1020 Wien, Austria
Tel.: +43 (1) 727 27-0
www.austria-trend.at/Hotel-Messe-Wien/en/

DAY 9 Thursday, July 1
Off to charming Budapest
Cross the border to Hungary and drive straight to Budapest. Start your stay in the Hungarian capital city with a panoramic sightseeing that takes you up to the Castle District, Matyas Templom and the Fishermen's Bastion. Evening at leisure.

Overnight at Hotel K+K Budapest Opera

K+K Hotel Opera
Révay utca 24, 1065 Budapest, Hungary
Tel.: +36-1-269 02 22
www.kkhotels.com/opera

DAY 10 Friday, July 2
Szentendre - Finale Concert & Cruise
Embark on a half-day excursion to the nearby artist colony of Szentendre in the morning, then return to Budapest in the afternoon for some free time. At 6 pm, CIC presents another highlight concert at the beautiful church of St. Michael’s followed by a fun farewell dinner cruise with music and local specialties on the Danube.

Overnight at Hotel K+K Budapest Opera

DAY 11 Saturday, July 3
Departure to the US
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your return flight or for those of you who would like to stay longer, embark on your individual extensions.

Group Flight Schedule:
Leave Budapest on LH3465 departing at 7:00 AM to Munich arriving at 8:15 AM, connect to LH 428 to Charlotte leaving at 11:40 AM and arriving at 3:35 PM, clear immigrations and customs, then continue with US1236 to RDU departing at 8:05 PM and arriving at 8:58 PM.

Springtime in Vienna

Dear travelers of CIC,
Long-awaited springtime has finally arrived in Europe. On this occasion the Tourist Board of the Austrian capital, Vienna, launched a new campaign for outdoor & indoor activities in the beautiful city. As you are going to visit Vienna on your Incantato Performance Tour in June, check out the official website www.wien.info to learn more about what the city has to offer - like Summer Night's Concerts, new exhibitions and the Wiener Festwochen (drama & musical theater). Enjoy!

CIC Group Flights confirmed

Those of you who chose the air-land package will be flying the friendly skies on the long-hauls with one of the world's premier airlines, Lufthansa, on the 2010 CIC Incantato Performance Tour to Central Europe.
We are currently holding 47 seats on the following schedule. Travelers with individual flights, please remember to meet the group at the first hotel on arrival day.

US1238 / 23 JUN RDU to PHL 3:49 PM - 5:13 PM
LH 427 / 23 JUN PHL to FRA 6:15 PM - 8:25 AM
LH3260 / 24 JUN FRA to PRG 12:10 PM - 1:10 PM

LH3465 / 03 JUL BUD to MUC 7:00 AM - 8:15 AM
LH 428 / 03 JUL MUC to CLT 11:40 AM - 3:30 PM
US1236 / 03JUL CLT to RDU 7:55 PM - 8:45 PM

CIC Visits Magical Cesky Krumlov

Cesky Krumlov‘s historic city center is an UNESCO World Heritage. On Sunday, June 27, CIC will have plenty of time for museum visits, shopping or just strolling around town.

Český Krumlov is a small city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic, best known for the fine architecture and art of the historic old town and Český Krumlov Castle. Old Český Krumlov is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was given this status along with the historic Prague castle district. The city is named Český Krumlov ("Bohemian Krumlov") to differentiate it from Moravský Krumlov ("Moravian Krumlov") in the southeast of the country.
Construction of the town and castle began in the late 13th century at a ford in the Vltava River, which was important in trade routes in Bohemia. In 1302 the town and castle were owned by the House of Rosenberg. Emperor Rudolf II bought Krumlov in 1602 and gave it to his natural son Julius d’Austria. Emperor Ferdinand II gave Krumlov to the House of Eggenberg. From 1719 until 1945 the castle belonged to the House of Schwarzenberg. Most of the architecture of the old town and castle dates from the 14th through 17th centuries; the town's structures are mostly in Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque styles. The core of the old town is within a horseshoe bend of the river, with the old Latrán neighborhood and castle on the other side of the Vltava. The town was seat of Duchy of Krumlov. 8,662 inhabitants lived in Krumau an der Moldau in 1910, including 7,367 Germans and 1,295 Czechs. During the interwar era it was part of Czechoslovakia. Between 1938 and 1945 it was annexed by Nazi Germany as part of the so-called Sudetenland. The town's German-speaking population was expelled after liberation by the American Army during World War II and it was restored to Czechoslovakia. During the Communist era of Czechoslovakia, Krumlov fell into disrepair, but since the Velvet Revolution of 1989 much of the town's former beauty has been restored, and it is now a major holiday destination popular with tourists from Germany, Austria, and beyond. In August, 2002, the town suffered from damage in the great flood of the Vltava River.
Český Krumlov Castle is unusually large for a town of Krumlov's size; within the Czech Republic it is second in extent only to the Hradčany castle complex of Prague. Inside its grounds are a large garden, an extensive bridge over a deep gap in the rock upon which the castle is built and the castle itself, which in turn consist of many defined parts dating from different periods of time. Church of St. Vitus (Kostel Sv. Víta) is a Gothic church dating back to the 15th century with frescoes from the same period. Český Krumlov Castle preserves its Baroque theatre (completed 1766), complete with original stage machinery, scenery and props:, one of only a few such court theatres that still exist. Due to its age, the theatre is only used three times a year (only two are open to the public), when a Baroque opera is performed in simulated candlelight. The castle's last private owner was Adolph Schwarzenberg. It was here that he received President Edvard Beneš and gave him a large contribution for the defence of Czechoslovakia against the growing threat of Nazi Germany. His property was seized by the Gestapo in 1940 and then confiscated by the Czechoslovak government in 1945. Krumlov has a museum dedicated to the painter Egon Schiele, who lived in the town. Ten kilometers from Krumlov is one of Bohemia's oldest monasteries, Zlatá Koruna ("The Golden Crown"). About 30 km from Krumlov is the Hluboka Castle, established in the twelfth century and later remodelled in imitation of Windsor Castle. Krumlov is close to the Šumava National Park, the Czech Republic's largest national park. The Šumava mountains lie along the border with Austria and Germany and offer a range of natural habitats - peat bogs, Alpine meadows, old-growth forests, lakes, and rivers. The area is popular with walkers, cyclists, and canoeists on the Vltava. Cesky Krumlov is only a short distance from the man-made Lake Lipno, on which many people take boat trips to various small towns on the lake and also to the Dam, which is a Hydro-electic power plant. Český Krumlov is home to Pivovar Eggenberg brewery. It has also been used as filming locations for movies such as the 2006 films "The Illusionist" and "Hostel" as well as the 1970s German movie "Traumstadt".