Budapest – Vienna – Prague

Jewish tour in Central Europe

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Day 01 Thursday Arrival in Budapest

Arrival in Budapest Airport. Upon arrival, you are greeted by your local guide, who will make you feel comfortable in the city that houses the largest Jewish Community in Central Europe. Get a first introduction to this majestic place during an orientation tour, before checking in at your luxurious hotel in the heart of the city. Remainder of the day at leisure. In the evening, enjoy a Dinner Cruise. Continental Hotel.

Day 02 Friday Budapest

After Breakfast, depart on a Jewish tour of Budapest. Visit the birthplace of Theodore Herzl, the Jewish Museum, and the lavish Dohany Synagogue, where Liszt used to play the organ. Continue to the Weeping Willow Memorial Tree, dedicated to the 600,000 Hungarian Jews who perished in the Holocaust. Next, walk in the former Jewish area, still filled with dozens of Synagogues and small shtiebls. Later, drive to the Buda side of the city to enjoy panoramic views of Budapest and the Danube River. Continue to Castle Hill, where Emperors of the Austro-Hungarian Empire once ruled. Pass the Royal Palace and richly-decorated St. Matthias Church, entering Fisherman’s Bastion and the Citadel for spectacular views of some of Budapest’s most famous buildings. En route back to Pest, visit the Raoul Wallenberg Memorial, commemorating the Swedish diplomat who rescued thousands of Jews. Remainder of the day at leisure. Dinner. Continental Hotel.

Day 03 Saturday Budapest

This morning, you can choose to join the Shabbat services in one of Budapest’s many synagogues or to attend a lecture on Hungary today (it is the largest Jewish community in Central Europe). Afterwards, join the excursion by bus and take a short walk around Heroes’ Square and the City Park. Continue the ride to Szentendre, a small, picturesque Baroque-Rococo town, the tourist capital of the Danube Bend. It is famous for its museums and galleries, including one devoted to Jewish artist Kovacs Margit. Return to Budapest in the afternoon, where you may take the opportunity to browse the colorful and busy shopping district, with its many pedestrian streets and markets. Continental Hotel.

Day 04 Sunday Budapest – Vienna

Departing Budapest, drive through Hungary’s countryside towards the Austrian border – symbolically dividing Eastern and Western Europe. Continue to Vienna, famed for its world-class music, art, and blend of Baroque and contemporary architecture. Visit the imposing Schonbrunn Palace and its surrounding Gardens. Schonbrunn, Summer Residence of the Hapsburg Dynasty, is now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage. Later, drive along the Ringstrasse, one of the most beautiful boulevards in the world, past the State Opera, Museums, Hofburg Palace, City Hall, and National Theater, stopping at Hundertwasser House. Next, continue along the Ringstrasse, past the Museum of Applied Arts, the Musikverein and Charles Church. Stop at Hofburg Palace, Winter Residence of the Hapsburgs, built in the 13th century, and frequently enlarged throughout the following 600 years. Continue to your hotel in the heart of the city. Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom.

Day 05 Monday Vienna

Your Jewish tour of Vienna begins in Leopoldstadt, once the center of Jewish life. Continue to the site where the Gestapo Headquarters once stood, and begin your walking tour. Visit Vienna’s surviving pre-war Synagogue, the Stadtempel, which today also houses the Community Offices and Chief Rabbinate. Then, walk towards Judenplatz, where Jewish life thrived until 1421. Today, this vast square features a touching Holocaust Memorial; several Jewish organizations have returned to the surrounding buildings. Along narrow quaint streets, see Vienna’s landmark, St. Stephen’s, before arriving at the Jewish Museum. Besides its Judaica collection, the Museum also chronicles the impactful story of Viennese Jewry. Names like Freud, Mahler, Schoenberg, Buber, and Zweig will forever be associated with Vienna’s prominence. Lunch is served during the tour. Afternoon at leisure to enjoy Vienna or to experience its famous 3,000 calorie cakes (worth it!). Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom.

Day 06 Tuesday Vienna – Prague

Leave Vienna and drive towards the Czech Republic, now also a member of the European Community. Sit back and relax as you drive past historic towns and fertile farmland in a picturesque and hilly area. En route to Prague, visit the little known pearls of Central Europe: Cesky Crumlov and Trebic. Lunch is served during the day. Arrive in magnificent Prague, and check-in at the hotel situated in the very center of town, as well as within the Jewish Historic Quarter, home to such Jewish literary luminaries as Franz Kafka. Remainder of day at leisure. Iron Gate Hotel & Suites.

Day 07 Wednesday Prague – Terezin – Prague

Today features a Jewish tour of Prague. Begin in the uniquely-preserved Jewish Quarter, which survived due to the Nazi’s intention of making Prague a museum of the “Vanished Jewish Race.” This area is actually an unmissable sight for tourists of all religions. Stroll the streets and visit the Maisel, Spanish, Pinkas, and Klaus Synagogues, and the oldest existing Synagogue, the Old-New (“Alt-Neu”) Synagogue. Prague’s Jewish Museum uses several of these Synagogues as exhibits, boasting one of the world’s greatest Judaica collections. Visit the 15^th century cemetery, burial place for many of Prague’s famous Jews, including the legendary Rabbi Loew. After Lunch, depart for Terezin (Theresienstadt). This former fortress was transformed to a notorious “model” concentration camp. Tour the barracks, crematorium, cemetery and Ghetto Museum, which contains art and poetry created by imprisoned Jewish children. Later, return to Prague for an evening at leisure. Iron Gate Hotel & Suites.

Day 08 Thursday Prague

First, attend a lecture on the Jewish Heritage and everyday-life in the Czech Republic. A short drive takes you to the Church of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, where the assassins of Heydrich hid in 1942. Then, continue to Prague Castle, situated on top of Hradcany Hill on the West Bank of the Vlatala River. Visit the imposing Castle, now the official residence of the President of the Czech Republic, as well as several government offices. Continue to the stunning St. Vitus Cathedral before walking towards the Lesser Town and its picturesque streets, Baroque houses, and galleries featuring emerging local talent. Cross the historic Charles Bridge, always crowded with visitors and artists showing their work. From here, continue to explore the colorful streets of Prague, or take the short walk back to the hotel. Afternoon at leisure. In the evening, enjoy a Farewell Dinner. Iron Gate Hotel & Suites.

Day 09 Friday Prague – USA

Transfer to the Prague Airport for your flights back to the USA.