Parish of Our Lady of Sorrows Pilgrimage
Includes return British Airways flights from London Heathrow, airport transfers, five nights’ bed and breakfast accommodation, and the services of an English-speaking tour manager. The itinerary features all coach travel and guided visits to highlights such as Strahov Monastery, Loreto Sanctuary, Prague Castle, Kutná Hora, and more. Comprehensive travel insurance is also included.
PRELIMINARY PROGRAM
DAY 1
Arrival to Prague airport, meeting with your tour manager and transfer to your hotel.
Check-in.
Orientation walking tour.
Day 2
Guided visit of the OLD TOWN (walking tour, 3-4 hours, no entrances).
Let yourself be enchanted by the magic of living Old Town, an attractive mixture of diverse architectonical styles and cultures. In the heart of the Old Town lies the Old Town Square, featuring the spectacular, six hundred years old astronomical clock. Every full hour the apostles pass, the bell rings and the golden cock crows.
Just a few steps from here, you can enter the mystical world of Rabbi Loew, in the Jewish Quarter. After seeing the synangogues, cemetery and Art Nouveau houses of the Jewish Quarter, you’ll have a chance to discover the noble Municipal House, explore the vibrant Wenceslass Square – centre of New Town. Royal road will lead us through the picturesque cobblestone lanes to one of the most magical sites in Prague – the Charles Bridge. From there, you can enjoy a wonderful view of the Prague castle panorama.
- Guided visit of the CHARLES BRIDGE and LESSER TOWN (3-4 hours).
- Entrance to St Nicolas church and Church of Our Lady Victorious (Baby Infant Jesus).
The noble and romantic Lesser Town will enthrall you! Many aristocrats built their precious palaces directly under the majestic Prague Castle, for both status and protection. One of the most famous ones was owned by the controversial figure Albrecht of Wallenstein, whose palace currently serves as a seat of the Czech Senate.
You will have to opportunity to relax in the Wallenstein palace gardens, or explore the artificial stalactite cave. The most notable landmark of Lesser Town, St. Nicholas Church is a true jewel of Prague baroque architecture. Its unique ceiling frescoes are considered among the greatest in Europe and the world renowned Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart played the local organ! You will also see the Infant Jesus of Prague, or Bambino di Praga, which came from Spain and was given to the church by Polyxena of Lobkowicz in 1628.
DAY 3
The Strahov Monastery, founded in 1140 by the Premonasterian Order of monks. The Czech Republic’s storied history and culture will confront you around every corner. In the unique and noble interiors of the Philosophical and Theological Hall, along with beautiful ceiling frescoes from the 18th century, you will find valuable book collections (normally inaccessible to the public) that emphasize the prestige of this magnificent building. Strahov houses many thousands of splendidly bound, medieval philosophical and theological works, illuminated manuscripts and precious maps, along with globes and graphic sheets indicating the rich spirit of Czech culture.
The Loreta is situated in the Prague Castle area and it is a remarkable Baroque pilgrimage site as famous as the statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague! This unique pilgrimage complex include the Santa Casa, the Church of the Nativity of Our Lord and the steeple with its world-famous carillon. The carillon is a exceptional historical rarity; the bells of the Loreta first chimed over the roofs of Prague on 15th August 1695. One of the most admired places in the Loreta is the treasury with the Loreta treasure. The most significant of the three hundred artworks in the collection is the diamond monstrance, known as the Prague Sun, fashioned by Viennese goldsmiths at the end of the 17th century.
Our royal tour begins near the serene grounds of the Strahov monastery. Its library with beautiful frescos is the greatest monastic library in the country, holding more than 130 thousands books. A short walk along Loreto (a place of pilgrimage) will lead us to the famous Prague castle. A former seat of kings and princes of the Czech lands, in 1918, it also became a seat of Czech presidents. You will visit the monumental, gothic St. Vitus cathedral with its imposing mosaic above the Golden Gate, and the famous window at the old royal palace: The location where the second Prague defenestration took place, at the beginning of the Thirty Years War. Next, you’ll discover another jewel of the castle complex – the picturesque Golden lane with colorful tiny houses where you can find many historical exhibits: A film studio, libations pub with medieval kitchen and a house where Franz Kafka used to stay, top the list.
Day 4
St Norbertine’s Shrine – mass.
Transfer back to your hotel/city centre.
Lunch and afternoon at leisure.
Day 5
A walk in the historical old town of Kutná Hora, protected by UNESCO, will take you back to a long-forgotten age. Once the second most important town in the Czech Kingdom, Kutna Hora was historically, a rich source of silver ore. You shall see the magnificent dominance of the city: The Cathedral of St. Barbara amazes visitors with its complicated system of buttresses and pillars. You can visit the nearby Sedlec with its breathtaking monuments – the recently wonderfully reconstructed UNESCO listed Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist with beautiful clear interiors
Entrances : Cathedral St Barbara, St James church, Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist
Day 6
Morning at leisure with time to browse and enjoy the local shops.
