In the Tracks of Austria-Hungary 7-23 May 2020 Prague, Czech Republic–3 nights ● Vienna, Austria–2 nights ● Ljubljana, Slovenia–3 nights ● Zagreb, Croatia–2 nights Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia, and Banja Luka, Bosnia–1 night ● Sarajevo, Bosnia–4 nights The price is $3240 per person (double occupancy) plus air fare THE SEVENTEEN-DAY TOUR ALLOWS AMPLE TIME TO . . .
Contact Dr. Daniel E. Miller, Department of History, University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL 32514 Phone 850.450.8536  WHAT THE TOUR INCLUDES ● This is a great way for individuals, families, and friends of any age to see Europe. ● Accommodation is in three- or four-star hotels, based on double occupancy. The single supplement for those not wishing to share a room or are unable to do so because of an odd number of participants is $590. ● Included are all breakfasts and seven lunches or dinners in Prague, Vienna, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Plitvice (two dinners, but one may be in Banja Luka), and Sarajevo. ● A professional historian will escort the tour and provide insight on the development of politics and culture. The tour members also will benefit from the knowledge and experience of an expert regional guide who will lead a tour of Prague. Local guides in Ljubljana and Sarajevo will conduct additional walking tours in those two cities. ● Travel between cities will be by train (Prague-Vienna-Ljubljana-Zagreb) and then by private motor coach (Plitvice-Banja Luka-Sarajevo). ● Participants receive a limited number of mass-transit coupons in Prague, Zagreb, and Ljubljana as well as a forty-eight-hour mass-transit pass in Vienna. ● Participants will receive historical background and travel tips before departure. ● There will be guided tours, lasting part of one day or parts of two days, in Prague, Vienna, Ljubljana, Zagreb, and Sarajevo. Afterward, participants will have time to explore individually. Short walks will take place in Plitvice and Banja Luka. ● Admissions are included for at least three venues: the castle in Ljubljana, the Museum of Sarajevo (1878-1918), and the Sarajevo Tunnel. Participants may purchase other admissions. ABOUT THE TOUR GUIDES: The tour guides, Dan Miller and Lenka Kocková, not only provide information about the attractions in each city but elaborate extensively on the history, culture, cuisine, and architecture of each location. Dr. Daniel E. Miller (Ph.D., 1989, University of Pittsburgh) is a professor of history at the University of West Florida in Pensacola and the author of several books, chapters, and articles in English and Czech. He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in Central European as well as Balkan, Russian, German, and Modern European history. A course introducing architectural history to graduate students in the UWF public history program also is on his list. Dr. Miller's research deals with agrarian politics and the maintenance of democracy in Czechoslovakia between the two world wars. He has made numerous research trips to Central Europe and has traveled widely throughout Europe. Since 1990, he has led ten tours to Central Europe–a half dozen since 2001 with Ms. Kocková. He is near fluent in Czech and has a command of German and Slovak. Read more about Dr. Miller at CentralEuropeanObserver.com. Ing. Lenka Kocková (Civil Engineering, Czech Technical University, ČVUT, 1988) is the proprietor of Aura Prague Travel Agency, based in Prague, Czech Republic. For three decades, she has led small and large groups as well as individual tours in Prague, Czech Republic, and Central Europe. Her clients include individuals, businesses, travel agencies, government entities in the Czech Republic and the European Union, schools, and associations throughout Europe. In addition to Czech, her native language, Ms. Kocková is near fluent in German and English, has an excellent command of and Russian, and has a basic knowledge of several other languages. Read more about Aura Travel and Ing. Kocková on Facebook at Aura-Prague-Guides.  THE TOUR FOR THOSE WHO HATE TOURS: If you like to explore on your own but would love to have someone handle almost all of the arrangements, like hotels, ground transportation, and some of the meals, this is the tour for you! In each city, participants have time to walk the streets on their own to see what they want to see, not what guides think should interest you. In Prague, some might want to explore Baroque structures, tour an early Gothic monastery, or just take in the view of the city from the place where an enormous statue of Stalin once stood. In Vienna, when a few participants might team up to visit the famed Museum of Art or the Belvedere, others might just want to visit the Prater amusement park, sit in the famed American Bar, relax in Café Central, or sample a real slice of Sacher Torte. In Ljubljana, the castle might be attractive for some, while others might want to revisit some of the Art Nouveau (Secession) structures that the group tour had passed earlier. In Zagreb, some of the fashion-conscious men might want to visit Kravata Zagreb, where they can purchase a hand-made silk tie from a shop that has been in existence for 65 years in a country that originated the necktie. Really! It all started as military insignia for Croatian soldiers. Meanwhile, some members of the group might want to imbibe in some Croatian wine. In Sarajevo, you can walk through the Muslim cemetery, the resting place of many who were killed during the 1992-1996 siege of Sarajevo and climb the hill to have a view of the city from the Yellow Fortress. There even is enough time to walk past the spot where Franz Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated on 28 June 1914–the deaths that contributed to the start of the First World War–before sitting down in a rakija (brandy) bar. There is something to pique everyone’s interest!   ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE TOUR: The prices for the basic tour package assume a minimum of ten participants. Each participant will book transportation by air from their preferred point of departure to Prague, Czech Republic, and from Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, to their preferred destination in the United States or elsewhere. Because participants will book their own air fare, deviations are permitted. This is a great way to travel to other destinations in Europe before or after the tour. The price of the tour does not include air fare trip cancellation insurance, which is available through your travel agent or booking service, or any other form of cancellation insurance. It does not include transportation to and from airports in the United States, but it includes one scheduled trip from the airport in Prague to the hotel in Prague and from the hotel in Sarajevo to the airport in Sarajevo. Those who miss or cannot make the scheduled trip to or from the hotel and airport must arrange their own transportation. Gratuity and portage are not included in the price of the tour. Museum admissions and other incidentals, other than those noted, are not included in the tour price. At the end of February 2020, participants will receive instructions about wiring payments through their banks to the tour agency in Prague. United States citizens must have a passport that will remain valid for six months after their return to the United States. Visas and inoculations are unnecessary. The tour operators reserve the right to make minor changes in the itinerary.  |
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