Journey through Central Europe 

Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic
with an optional extension to Poland

Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic: October 16 26, 2024
Poland Extension: October 26 31, 2024

Immerse yourself in the beauty and mystique of Central Europe, from prehistory 36,000 years ago to ancient Roman times to the transformative periods of the Alchemists, the Renaissance, and the Enlightenment. Together with Grand Master Julie Scott and your fellow fratres and sorores, explore Buda, Pest, and Tata, in Hungary; Vienna, Admont, and Melk, in Austria; and Cesky Krumlov and Prague, in the Czech Republic, including eight UNESCO World Heritage sites. You are also invited to join our optional extension to Krakow, Czestochowa, and Warsaw, Poland.

We’ll experience: ancient Roman ruins, including a Mithraic temple and the location where the Stoic emperor, Marcus Aurelius, wrote some of his “Meditations”; the personal Alchemy Laboratory of the mystical Emperor Rudolph II, as well as the largest collection of objects from his personal museum; the largest monastery library in the world; a live concert featuring the music of Mozart and Strauss in Vienna’s historic concert hall, the Kursalon; private walking tours through the most important historic districts (Budapest, Vienna, and Prague); guided tours through Buda Castle, Schonbrunn Palace (the summer residence of the Habsburg rulers), and Prague Castle, including the Alchemical Golden Lane; a private visit to the personal apartment and museum of Maria Szepes, the author of the classic alchemical book, The Red Lion; historic cathedrals and abbeys, dinner cruises on the Danube and Vltava rivers; and a private visit to the headquarters of the Hungarian Grand Lodge. 

You’ll also have the opportunity to explore: historic palaces (including the Hofburg, Belvedere, and Lobkowicz palaces); Vienna’s Natural History Museum with the prehistoric Venus of Willendorf and Galgenberg figurines; and fine arts museums (Budapest and the Belvedere) during your free time.

Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic

Wednesday, October 16 

Welcome to Budapest! Our journey begins in beautiful Budapest, Hungary the Paris of Central Europe, with its elegant architecture and important history. The city’s two UNESCO-listed areas, ancient Buda and modern Pest (pronounced Pesht), both have their charms and are linked by numerous picturesque bridges crossing the Danube River. 

Tonight we will meet for a welcome dinner in a local restaurant close to our centrally located hotel.

 

Thursday, October 17

This morning, a local guide will take us around the Pest side of Budapest, introducing us to the city’s important landmarks and history. Then we will travel back in time to ancient Aquincum, the Roman city of 50,000 inhabitants, founded on the Danube River before Buda and Pest became one city. Here the Stoic emperor, Marcus Aurelius, wrote some of his “Meditations.”  We will also see the remains of a Mithraic Temple and other ancient buildings and will visit the museum displaying many fine artifacts from this archaeological site.

After lunch, we will travel to the Garden of Philosophy, high above the Danube River, overlooking Pest, with its unique collection of sculptures of important philosophers and founders of world religions, including the Egyptian pharaoh, Akhnaton. After a private meditation here, we will have time to walk in this beautiful park. Then we will visit the personal apartment and museum of the late Maria Szepes, the author of the classic alchemical book, The Red Lion. 

The evening is free to explore this illuminated city at night.

 

Friday, October 18

During our walk to nearby Buda Castle, our local guide will share some of the local history and this city’s important impact on world events.  Then we will explore Buda Castle a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This historic castle and palace were first completed in 1265; the massive Baroque palace was built in the 1700s. There will be plenty of time to explore on your own the National History Museum, the Budapest History Museum, the National Library, and the Gothic Mathias church.  

This afternoon you may choose to stay at Buda Castle or to take a cab to visit the Museum of Fine Arts on your own, with its exceptional collection of Egyptian artifacts, as well as almost 3,000 Old Master paintings, including masterpieces by Raphael, Titian, van Dyck, El Greco, and Durer.

This evening we will enjoy a four-course meal during a candlelight dinner cruise on the Danube River. 

 

Saturday, October 19 Tata

This morning we will drive to the charming lakeside village, Tata, to visit the headquarters of the Hungarian Grand Lodge. There we will meet some of our fellow fratres and sorores, including Grand Master Akos Ekes, who will lead us in a meditation in their Grand Temple. After lunch in Tata, we will drive to Vienna. 

This evening is free. You may choose to stroll along Vienna’s famous Ringstrasse (Ring Street), taking in the palaces and museums as they light up at night or to people watch in one of the many sidewalk cafes.

 

Sunday, October 20

Today we will wake up in Vienna the City of Music. We’ll begin our day with a walking tour through the historic city center, a UNESCO World Heritage site, including a visit to Stephansdom (St. Stephen’s Cathedral) and a stroll through the grounds of the Hofburg Imperial Palace and Gardens. Then we will explore the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Art History), with its exceptional galleries of ancient Egyptian artifacts and the largest collection of objects from the mystical emperor, Rudolph II’s, Kuntshammer (his personal museum), with its rare gems, mathematical instruments, and curiosities.

The afternoon is free to explore Vienna on your own. You may want to visit the Natural History Museum of Vienna, one of the finest in the world, with a rare collection of dinosaur fossils, an exceptional exhibit of meteors, and the 29,000-year-old Venus of Willendorf figurine, along with the 36,000-year-old Galgenberg figurine. Or you may want to explore the living spaces and ballrooms of the Hofburg Palace itself, built in the middle of the thirteenth century, which served as the winter imperial palace of the Habsburg Dynasty.

Late this afternoon we will visit the Mozart House, the apartment where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart lived and composed his music from 1784 to 1787, which today is a museum restored to present the world of Vienna's society and music in the late 1700s. After dinner together, we will enjoy a classical concert by the Mozart Ensemble in the oldest concert hall in Vienna, where Mozart himself played.

 

Monday, October 21

This morning we will visit Schonbrunn Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site, that was the main summer residence of the Habsburg rulers, with palaces and gardens that rival those in Versailles. Our Grand Tour will take us through the private apartments of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth (Sisi), as well as the rooms occupied and used by Empress Maria Theresa. 

We’ll return to the hotel this afternoon and have the rest of the day free. During this free time, you may want to visit the Belvedere to view the largest and most important collection of paintings by the Austrian Symbolist painter, Gustav Klimt, including “The Kiss,” Or perhaps you’re interested in Austria’s National Treasury, displaying the Crown Jewels and elegant robes of the former rulers.

 

Tuesday, October 22

Today we will travel into the Ennstal Alps to Admont Abbey, with its amazing library one of the great works of art from the Late Baroque Period and the largest monastic library in the world, with over 200,000 volumes. We’ll also learn about the extraordinary influence this abbey exerted in European history. Then we will drive through scenic Gesause National Park, with its inspiring panoramic views, on our way to Melk, where we’ll spend the night in the historic district.

 

Wednesday, October 23

This morning we will explore Melk Abbey, a UNESCO World Heritage site, where Benedictine monks have been living and working since 1089. This astonishingly beautiful complex is being renovated over a period of fifty years (it’s in year forty now). One phase was partially funded by the sale of the abbey’s Guttenberg Bible to Harvard University. 

Then we will travel to Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic, a UNESCO World Heritage site and an outstanding example of a small central European medieval town whose architectural heritage has remained intact over the centuries. We will have several hours free for lunch and exploring the charming Old Town on our own. 

Then we will drive to Prague, where we will check in to The Alchymist Grand Hotel and Spa, in the heart of Prague’s historic district. The hotel is housed in four former houses, the oldest of which has served various purposes and owners over the past five centuries.

 

Thursday, October 24

Our morning walking tour will be the ideal way to get to know the beautiful historic center of Prague. We will walk the Royal Route, originally used for the king's coronation procession. The walk will take us through the center of Old Town, where we will see all of the most famous sights, and also learn about the fascinating history that has made Prague a unique destination throughout the ages. We’ll see the old Jewish Quarter where legend says a rabbi created a golem (homunculus) in the sixteenth century. Crossing the Charles Bridge, our guide will tell us all the stories of the past as we head up to Lesser Town. 

After lunch, we will explore the Prague Castle complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with its Old Royal Palace (where the defenestration of Prague took place, leading to the Thirty Years’ War and the postponement of the progress of Rosicrucianism); the Golden Lane, with dwellings from the 1500s and two alchemy laboratories; and the Cathedral of St. Vitus, St. Wenceslas, and St. Adalbert, a Gothic cathedral founded in 1344.

During your free time late this afternoon, you may want to visit Lobkowicz Palace, a privately owned palace in the Prague Castle Complex, sharing the Lobkowicz family‘s personal art collection, or to return to Old Town.


Friday, October 25

Today we will walk in the footsteps of Prague’s Alchemists. We will begin with a walk along Nerudova Street. Until 1770, there were no house or building numbers in Prague. Before that, buildings were identified by signs. Nerudova Street has the largest concentration of these signs, many of which have alchemical significance, such as the houses of the Red Lion, the White Swan, and the Golden Key (representing the Philosopher’s Stone). Next we will explore the Museum of Alchemists and Magicians of Old Prague, in the very house where Edward Kelley, John Dee’s assistant and one of the famous alchemists at the court of Rudolph II, lived. 

To conclude our alchemical journey, we will explore the Speculum Alchemiae Museum the incredible Museum of Alchemy with the original alchemical laboratory of Emperor Rudolph II, the royal patron of important Rosicrucians and other mystics in the early 1600s. This intact Alchemy lab was discovered in 2002 during the reconstruction of one of the oldest buildings in Prague. The afternoon is free for exploration on your own. 

This evening we will enjoy the beauty and majesty of Prague from the Vltava River, on our farewell dinner cruise. 

 

Saturday, October 26

Following breakfast, those heading home will depart for the airport, leaving with fond memories and warm hearts. 

 

Poland Extension

For those extending your journey, we will drive from Prague to Krakow, Poland a city whose beauty and influence will astonish you. The city dates back to the seventh century and was the official capital of Poland until 1596. In the year 2000, the European Union named Krakow the European Capital of Culture and in 2013, Krakow was officially named a UNESCO City of Literature. We will stop for lunch on the way.

 

Sunday, October 27 

This morning our local guide will introduce us to the fascinating history of Krakow on our walking tour of historic Old Town and Wawel Castle UNESCO World Heritage sites. The churches and houses on these cobbled streets and squares are a mix of medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque architecture all spared from destruction in World War II. We’ll experience the Wawel Dragon statue, a fire-breathing dragon and one of the most important symbols of the city, as well as the Wawel Chakra, a mysterious energy center that local people believe helps with creative thinking and positive creative energy. We’ll also walk through Wawel Castle, dating back to 970 CE.

Then we’ll explore the Collegium Maius (University Museum), Jagiellonian University's oldest building dating back to the 1300s. Jagiellonian University, one of the oldest and most historically prestigious universities in the world, including its Botanical Garden, has played an important role in science, education, and culture. Nicolas Copernicus and his brother were students at this university. The future Pope John Paul II was a student and later a teacher here.

This afternoon is free to explore on your own. Perhaps you will want to return to Wawel Castle to explore its Royal Palace apartments and a display of the ancient objects discovered during archaeological excavations of the castle area.  Or you may want to visit the Czartoryski Museum, home to Leonardo da Vinci’s Lady with an Ermine, as well as an important collection of works by Rembrandt and Raphael. Or you may want to relax at a café overlooking the Main Market Square, designed in 1257 the largest Medieval plaza in Europe.

This evening we will enjoy a piano concert with music composed by the Polish music genius, Frederic Chopin, performed by a talented and award-winning pianist in an intimate piano salon.

 

Monday, October 28

Today we will visit the somber Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum, the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp, an experience that is guaranteed to touch something deep inside you. Then we will travel to Wieliczka for lunch, followed by a tour of the 800-year-old Wieliczka Salt Mine. This underground world, with its beautiful figures, chapels, and monuments carved in salt by miners over the centuries, earned one of the earliest listings on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list. As we descend into the salt mine, we will feel like we’re entering a vast underground city complete with huge caverns and underground lakes, 400 feet beneath the surface.

 

Tuesday, October 29

Today we will drive to Czestochowa to see the Black Madonna in the Jasna Gora Monastery, the largest Pauline monastery in the world. This icon, showing a dark-skinned Mary holding the baby, Jesus, has been worshipped for over 600 years and is credited with many miracles. Three Roman Catholic popes have worshipped in this Basilica. After lunch we will drive to Warsaw, the capital of Poland, where we will check in to our charming Old Town hotel.

 

Wednesday, October 30

This morning our local guide will introduce us to the history and major sights of Warsaw on our walking tour of the UNESCO World Heritage site Old Town, with its cobblestone alleys and medieval buildings reconstructed after WWII. At its heart is Rynek Starego Miasta, a city square lined with charming burgher houses. Nearby is St. John's Archcathedral, dating back to the fourteenth century. The area is also home to the restored apartments and manicured gardens of the Royal Castle. All of these buildings were rebuilt after their complete destruction by the Nazis during World War II, who intended to wipe out Warsaw and build a new German city in its place. The reconstruction is nothing short of miraculous. 

After lunch, we will visit the Royal Castle of Warsaw.

This evening we will enjoy a farewell dinner together at a local restaurant.

 

Thursday, October 31

After breakfast, we will say “until the next time,” as we depart Warsaw for home, with our hearts full of fondness for new friends and good memories. 

 

Included in the Hungary, Austria, and Czech Republic Tour:

Budapest:

3 nights in the Hotel Oktogon Haggenmacher or the Up Hotel, in central Pest

Welcome dinner

Breakfasts

Budapest Sightseeing Tour with Aquincum Mithraeum with Museum, Garden of Philosophy with meditation overlooking the Danube River, lunch, and visit to Maria Szepes apartment and museum.

Entrance to Buda Castle

Exclusive 4-course dinner cruise

 

Tata:

Visit to the Hungarian Grand Lodge with a special meditation presented by Grand Master Akos Ekes, followed by lunch in Tata. 


Vienna:

3 nights in the Hotel Kaiserhof Vienna, steps away from St. Stephen’s Cathedral 

Breakfasts

Vienna Private Walking Tour of historic district

Entrance to St. Stephen’s Cathedral and Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Art History)

Grand Tour of Schonbrunn Palace

Visit to the Mozarthaus, Dinner, and a Concert

Admont Abbey:

Entrance to the Abbey and Library


Melk:

1 night in the Washauerhof, a family hotel located in the historic center of Melk, at the foot of Melk Abbey

Breakfast

Entrance to the Abbey

 

Prague

3 nights in the Alchymist Hotel, an historic hotel located near Prague Castle and the Charles Bridge

Breakfasts

Prague Private Walking Tour, including Old Town and the Jewish Quarter

Entrance to Prague Castle Castle, the Golden Lane, and the Cathedral

Private Walking Tour of Alchemical sites

Entrance to the Museum of Alchemists and Magicians of Old Prague and the Speculum Alchemiae Museum

Farewell Dinner Cruise

Transfer to Prague airport

Included in the Poland Extension:

Transportation from Prague to Krakow, with lunch on the way


Krakow:

3 nights in the Hotel Grodek, a charming boutique hotel, just off the Main Market Square

Breakfasts

Krakow Private Walking Tour, including visit to Collegium Maius (University Museum)

Chopin Music Concert

Auschwitz-Birkenau Visit

Lunch, followed by Wieliczka Salt Mine Tour

Visit to Jasna Gora Monastery in Czestochowa, with lunch on the way

 

Warsaw:

2 nights in Mamaison Hotel La Regina, Warsaw Old Town hotel

Breakfasts

Best of Warsaw Private Walking Tour

Lunch, followed by Royal Castle Tour

Farewell Dinner

Transfer to Warsaw Chopin Airport


NOT INCLUDED: 

International airfares to or from Europe 

All items of a personal nature, such as laundry, telephone calls, etc.

Travel insurance, which is required.

Passports which must be valid for at least six months past the end date of our journey: valid through April 30, 2025.

Required Visas - please check with your local State Department.


Please note: This itinerary is subject to change and any changes made will be to enhance your experience!


COST:

Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic:

$5,750 per person sharing a triple room 

$6,500 per person sharing a double or twin room


$9,250 per person in a single room

A $2,000 non-refundable deposit confirms your registration for Hungary, Austria and the Czech Republic.

Poland:

$4,250 per person sharing a double or twin room

$5,250 per person in a single room 

A $1,000 non-refundable deposit confirms your registration for Poland.

CANCELLATION POLICY 

The deposit is non-refundable, although it is transferable.

Final payment is due on August 1, 2024.

Cancellations received before August 1, 2024 will be refunded less the deposit. 

Cancellations received after August 1, 2024 cannot be refunded, although they can be transferred to another traveler.  


 
  • Per person Triple Occupancy

  • Per person Double Occupancy

  • Single Occupancy

  • Per person Double Occupancy

  • Single Occupancy


$0.00

I, being 18 years of age or older, do hereby release, forever discharge and agree to hold harmless the Grand Lodge of the English Language Jurisdiction of the AMORC and the Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORC and the directors, officers, employees and agents thereof from any and all liability, claims or demands for personal injury, sickness or death, as well as property damages and expenses, of any nature whatsoever which may be incurred by the undersigned that occur while participating in the above described trip or activity.

Furthermore, I hereby assume all risk of personal injury, sickness, death, damage and expense as a result of participation in any and all activities involved therein.

Further, authorization and permission is given to said trip and travel organizers to furnish and hereby release liability of transportation, food and lodging for this participant.

The undersigned further hereby agrees to hold harmless and indemnify said organization(s), its directors, officers, employees and agents, for any liability sustained by them as the result of negligent, willful or intentional acts of the undersigned participant, including expenses incurred attendant thereto.

Further, should it become necessary for the undersigned participant to return home due to medical reasons, disciplinary action or otherwise, the undersigned participant hereby assumes all transportation costs.

I have read the above and understand the rules of conduct applicable to the trip, and will fully abide by them, as well as all additional instructions of the leadership of this trip, and activity directors.


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