Our team has prepared for you a number of different cultural, sport and social activities which are designed to accompany and enhance the academic program. They’ll give you the chance to explore the beauty and charm of Prague beyond the tourist highlights and fully enjoy everything this city has to offer. You can join us and participate in all of the activities or you can choose just the ones you like best!

All following events are included in the total price of your course. You don’t have to pay anything extra!

Guided tour of Prague

A professional guided tour is one of the best ways to learn about Prague. We will take a walking tour through the historic centre. You will admire the delights of Prague’s Old Town (Staré město), above all the Old Town Square with Prague’s famous Astronomical Clock. After crossing the Charles Bridge over the Vltava River, we will make our way through the Lesser Town (Malá Strana). (http://www.praguewelcome.cz/en/visit/monuments/top-monuments/)

River cruise

The Vltava River is without doubt an outstanding place from which to admire the beauty of Prague, and a river cruise through the heart of Prague is the most relaxing way to explore this beautiful city. The cruise will allow you to experience the magnificence of Prague in the late afternoon. We will enjoy views of the most notable and beautifully sights, as many of Prague’s famous attractions border the river.

Walk through the Prague Castle compound (guided tour)

The Prague Castle, an ancient symbol of the Czech lands, is the most significant Czech monument and the seat of the head of the state. Most likely it was founded in the 9^th century. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the Prague Castle is the largest coherent castle complex in the world, with an area of almost 70,000 m². It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is comprised of palaces, ecclesiastical buildings (the best-known is the St Vitus Cathedral), defence towers and other buildings of various architectural styles. You will have the chance to walk through the castle compound with a professional guide in the late evening, when there are fewer tourists  and you can enjoy a relaxing walk while listening to myths and facts about the Prague Castle and its surroundings.
(http://www.hrad.cz/en/prague-castle/prague-castle-tourist-information/visit-of-prague-castle.shtml)

Excursion: Czech art

After a workshop about Czech art in European context, you can take part in an excursion to learn more about Czech works of art made within the 20th century. The exact programme of the excursion will be set by the lecturer after all exhibitions available in September are known.
Most probably we will visit some of these places/works:
Mucha Museum (http://www.mucha.cz/index.phtml?S=home&Lang=EN)
Bílek Villa (http://www.citygalleryprague.cz/cs/web/guest/objekt-detail/-/objekty/detail/11152)
National Gallery (Veletržní palác) (http://www.ngprague.cz/en/5/0/0/sekce/veletrzni-palace/)
DOX – Centre for Contemporary Art (http://dox.cz/en/)
Artworks by the provocative artist David Černý (http://www.davidcerny.cz/startEN.html)
Prague’s TV tower (http://www.praguerocket.com/)

Prague’s Nightlife and Clubbing

Prague’s nightlife is all encompassing. Prague clubs and pubs spin their tunes from dusk till dawn, so whether you are interested in serious clubbing or just a late drink and a quick dance, Prague is the ideal place for a good night out for everybody. The tour is led by local guides, who have selected only the very best (the quality of beer and/or music being the meter). Despite being a foreigner, you will feel like a real insider! And remember – drinking beer is a national pastime in the Czech Republic so some of the pubs have a very long tradition and history. This lovely evening tour is therefore also a voyage of discovery into Czech social traditions.

All-day trip

Prague is surrounded by a lot of magnificent and beautiful castles and historical towns. We will visit one of the much-frequented monuments of Czech history. The best possibilities are:

Konopiště
Originally castle from 13th century, today chateau inherently connected with its last nobleman owner Franz Ferdinand d’Este. On guided tour you can find representative and inn-holders rooms or collection of arms and hunting trophies. After the tour you can sit down in the Chateau Park, walk through the Rose Garden or along a fish pond. (www.zamek-konopiste.cz)

Karlštejn
High Gothic castle founded in 1348, which has a unique position among Czech castles. It was built by Czech King and Roman Emperor Charles IV as a place for safekeeping of the royal treasures, especially Charles's collection of holy relics and the coronation jewels of the Roman Empire. (www.hradkarlstejn.cz)

Kutná Hora
Kutná Hora is, as its name suggests, associated with the mining (kutání in Czech) of silver. At the end of the 13th century the original mining settlement became a wealthy royal city, where coins for all the Kingdom of Bohemia were minted. Kutná Hora was rightly considered to be the treasure-house of the land whose wealth gave strength to the expansion of the kingdom. Its history and uniqueness were recognised in 1995 when the city was inscribed in the UNESCO World Cultural and Heritage List. The historical centre is an architectural jewel of European importance, above all the late gothic Church of St. Barbora, the patron saint of miners. We can also visit the Czech museum of silver and a silver mine. (www.kutnahora.cz)

Carolinum (guided tour)

Founded by the Holy Roman Emperor and Czech King Charles IV on April 7, 1348, Charles University is the oldest university in Central Europe. The very first lectures were given in various churches, monasteries and private flats. Afterwards, the son of Charles IV, Wenceslas IV, bought three houses in the city centre for the purposes of the university. In addition, a new university chapel and a big hall for ceremonial assemblies (Aula Magna) were built. In 1611 the new complex, known as the Carolinum, became the central building of Charles University. The history of the Carolinum is closely connected to Czech history and of course also with great names, Jan Hus being among the most prominent. Nowadays, Charles University is in possession of many buildings throughout the whole city, and the Carolinum remains the seat of the rector. We will enjoy a tour through rooms that are not usually open to the general public. In the great hall, for example, you will see a tapestry with the motive of Charles IV kneeling in front of St Wenceslas, and a bronze statue of the university founder himself. (http://foto.mapy.cz/46501-Praha-carolinum)

Film projection

While watching a popular Czech movie you can not only have fun and relax, but also learn more about Czech society, culture, history and sense of humour.

Sport activities

There are many places for sporting activities in Prague. If the weather is not appropriate for outdoor activities, then we can go bowling in the late afternoon or even in the evening. We can also go to see a football match, if there is a group of fans among our students – sometimes it is really interesting for foreigners to be able to compare the top Czech league with their national league, to see a sport which is not so popular in their country, or for those less interested in the sport itself, just to experience the social and cultural atmosphere of the event.
If the weather is really nice, the coolest and trendiest place for sport activities is in the so-called “Golden Spa” (Žluté lázně in Prague-Podolí). This is a large sporting, entertainment and relaxation facility on the bank of the River Vltava. If you are interested, you can enjoy a game of beach volleyball or pétanque. If not, you can simply relax and enjoy yourself on a real sand beach sipping an ice-cold drink and chatting with your new friends and locals. If you want to try something new, you can play “football-tennis”, a hybrid sport originating in Czechoslovakia that is very popular all over Central Europe.

Jewish Prague (guided tour)

The Prague Jewish quarter is one of the most exciting places in Prague. Its rich history which covers more than 1000 years, gives you an excellent picture of the life of Jews in Europe. From the 9^th century, Jews have played a significant role in making Prague one of the most interesting places in Central Europe. The many monuments that have been preserved reveal the prosperity and intellectual vigor of Prague’s Jewish culture. Our programme offers you the possibility to take part in a walk which will not only show you the most famous places connected with Jewish history, but a professional lecturer from  the Jewish Museum will also explain the historical and social context of what you are seeing. (http://www.jewishmuseum.cz/aindex.php)