CENTRAL EUROPEAN DANCE TOUR

July 29. - August 8, 2024

Dear Friends,
Dvorana is a dance and tour company based in Prague, Czech Republic. We are inviting you to join us on this tour, created specially for dancers. We will travel across the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland, and in all three countries, we will learn traditional dances and meet with local dancers. During the tour we will attend a very nice folk festival in Slovakian Mountains.
The tour includes some of the UNESCO heritage locations but also small hidden villages. We can promise tasty food and comfortable accommodation. We are looking forward to dance and travel with you.

Jan Pumpr

Tour program

July 29, Monday
Because all of you will arrive in different time, we will meet in the hotel lobby. More details about the arrival we will send in our Info letter about a month before the tour. After you arrive at the hotel, you will check in and perhaps have time to relax a bit. For lunch time you’ll be on your own, which is very simple to manage, you will be surrounded by restaurants and you can pay by credit card. In the late afternoon we will meet in the hotel lounge and then will go to a fair exchange to get some cash that you will need for the tour. Then we will walk through the Old Town to the restaurant and will have a dinner with folkloric program.

July 30, Tuesday
Today we will depart from Prague and go to the South. Here we will stop in a small village named Květuš, where Dvorana owns an old farm, turned into a dance center. Here we will learn about some Czech traditions, have a dance lesson of Czech folk dance, traditional lunch, and then we will turn to Moravia. On the way we will stop in Telč (UNESCO) – a beautiful renaissance town. Later on we will arrive in Brno and will check-in. Because we will stay close to the city center, you will be on your own for dinner.

July 31, Wednesday
We don’t plan to do real sightseeing in Brno. Instead of that, we will have a dance class of Moravian dances. For lunch time we will stay together and then will have an adventure tour of old water reservoirs. Afterward, you will discover the city on your own. Then you will have free time to relax and dinner will be on your own. In the evening we will meet with local folk dancers.

August 1, Thursday
In the morning we will leave Brno. Our first stop will be at Napoleon’s battlefield (1805), then we will reach the beautiful chateau of Buchlovice. Lunch will be together with the group. In the afternoon we will arrive at Uherske Hradiště, check-in, and will have a dance class of Moravian dances. After dinner which will be on your own, we will meet with local folk dancers.

August 2, Friday
Today we will cross the border between the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It is a little longer drive, but there is not any other way. During lunch time we will stop in Žilina, where you will be on your own. Then we will enjoy the ride by cable car up to the mountains. From here we will walk for about 40 minutes to Vlkolinec village (UNESCO). Here we will meet with the bus again and will continue on our trip. We will stay in Zuberec. After we will check-in we will have dinner together.
In the evening we will attend the dance class of local traditional dances. This will already be part of the festival program.

August 3, Saturday
Today we will spend at the festival. The program will happen in a very nice location in an open-air museum of a traditional village, with several different programs and traditional handicrafts. The program starts in the morning and finishes late in the evening. For lunch time we will stay together and for dinner you will eat on your own in the festival area.

August 4, Sunday
Today morning you will have an option. You can join us for a little hike in the local mountains or you can attend the morning festival program. Lunch time will be on your own and in the afternoon we will depart Western Slovakia and will tour around Tatra Mountains. On the way, we will stop at a small village and meet with local folk dancers from Liptov region. In the evening we will arrive in Kežmarok, will check-in, and after dinner we will have a dance class.

August 5, Monday
We will leave Slovakia today and cross the border to Poland. In the morning we will have fun on the Dunajec River and will go down the stream on wooden rafts. (This is not a challenging event, it is set up for tourists, but is a lot of fun.) Lunch will be together with the group and in the afternoon we will meet with Polish folk dancers and will have a dance class. In the evening we will have dinner together and then will drive to Krakow and check-in. Today we will have lunch and dinner together (pre-ordered meals), that is because of the timing. Tomorrow we’ll be a whole day in Krakow and you will be on your own there.

August 6, Tuesday
In the morning we will have some sightseeing in Krakow. You will see the historical center and learn about Polish history. For lunch you’ll be on your own. In the afternoon we will have a dance class of Polish dances. In the evening you’ll be free in the city center again.

August 7, Wednesday
In the morning we will visit a great place. We will go out of Krakow to visit old salt mine. Very famous in this area. Lunch will be together with the group and a little more free time in the city.
If you’ll be interested, you can visit the local Ethnographic museum. We will have an early dinner today and then we will meet with the local folk dance group for our final evening.

August 8, Thursday
Is time to say goodbye. After breakfast we will arrange a bus transfer to the airport.