ESHO 2007 SOCIAL AND TOURIST PROGRAM. OPERA I (45 per person) Thursday at 19:00. Madama Butterfly Giacomo Puccini

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OPERA I (45 per person) Thursday 14.06.07 at 19:00 Madama Butterfly Giacomo Puccini The opera is based on an American writer s novel, written according to a true event.

The spiritual background of the opera is the meeting of two cultures in the character of Pinkerton (as the cynical representative of the superior white race) and a young Japanese girl.

1 OPERA I (45 per person) Thursday at 19:00 Madama Butterfly Giacomo Puccini The opera is based on an American writer s novel, written according to a true event. The composer found everything he needed in the story of Cio-Cio-San s unhappy love a sentimental story, sharp plot contrasts, exotic setting, action and tenderness. The spiritual background of the opera is the meeting of two cultures in the character of Pinkerton (as the cynical representative of the superior white race) and a young Japanese girl. The music of Madam Butterfly shows great mastery in giving a true picture of the atmosphere and poetry of the orient, even though it is borne by Puccini s own harmonious devices. Running time: 2 hours 35 minutes with 1 intermission Seats : 7 th and 8 th row in the Pit OPERA II (36 per person) Saturday at 19:00 La Traviata Guiseppe Verdi Running time: 2 hours 45 minutes with 2 intermissions Seats : Box in second order front seats In La traviata, to the libretto from the novel by Alexandre Dumas the Younger, La Dame aux camélias, telling the story of Marie Duplessis, a noted courtesan and idol of the 1840s Parisian society, Verdi in fact created history s first major opera dealing with a contemporary social theme. This was only one of the work s several aspects that proved unpalatable for the audience at its premiere in Venice, in 1853: beyond that, they were similarly shocked by the principal part there being assigned to a courtesan, and that moreover she was portrayed as a heroine. Consequently, the premiere ended by a fiasco. Soon thereafter, nonetheless, Verdi s La traviata scored its first triumphs, and ever since then has remained a hugely loved repertoire staple.

TOUR I (28 per person) Thursday 14.06.07, 10:30 13:00 *This is a walking tour. Therefore, we recommend comfortable shoes.

You will stroll through the Old Jewish Cemetery, visit some of the six surviving synagogues and see Kafka s house.

2 TOUR I (28 per person) Thursday , 10:30 13:00 *This is a walking tour. Therefore, we recommend comfortable shoes. Jewish Prague Ghetto A unique walk through history in Prague s famous Jewish district. During this tour you will see the only Central European Jewish Town-quarter that survived the Holocaust. You will stroll through the Old Jewish Cemetery, visit some of the six surviving synagogues and see Kafka s house. You will then walk through Maiselova Street and reach the Old Town Square, where the journey ends. The price includes admission to the Jewish Museum and the Old Jewish Cemetery. The Prague Ghetto, as it has been called since the 16th century, began as a colony of Jewish tradesmen who came to Prague and settled in this area permanently. In the 13th century, by order of the city administration and the church authorities, an independent district was created and named the Jewish Quarter. In the 17th century, the Ghetto grew considerably and was a Hebrew metropolis in Central Europe. In spite of this, the Ghetto ceased to operate as an independent district in 1850 and was dissolved by the late 19 th century for administrative reasons when it became District V, the so-called Josefov. The Prague Ghetto was a typical complex and certain important historical monuments still remain to this day. In the gothic period, the Ghetto was shut off from the outside world by fortified walls with gates ( ). However, during the Renaissance ( ), the Jewish community spread beyond the walls of the city. Building also continued within this area, and dwelling houses arose around the synagogues, schools and cemeteries. There were also many changes in the Josefov during the Baroque period; new buildings were erected, old buildings reconstructed mostly after the Great Fire of 1754, but it has retained its original form since the late 19 th century. Today the following historical buildings belong to the Old Ghetto: the Old New School, the Pinkas and Klaus Synagogues, and the old Town Hall, besides which the worldfamous Old Jewish Cemetery is located. There are several places connected to the life and works of Franz Kafka. The Old Jewish Cemetery was begun in the 15 th century and the date on its oldest tombstone is This marks the grave of Avigdor Karos, the famous Rabbi and poet who witnessed the Jewish massacre in 1389 and wrote a dirge about it. There are 2000 graves in the cemetery, including the graves of all the important Jews who lived in the Ghetto. Among them, notably, is the grave of Mordechai Maisl and Rabbi Jehuda Löw ben Bezalel, known for the Golem legend.

First of all you will be taken by bus for a short city tour through the Old and the New Town.

During the three hours cruise you will admire the beautifully sights of the Old Town, the Lesser Town and

3 TOUR II (43 per person) Thursday ; 18:00 22:00 Prague by Night This tour offers you an enjoyable evening in Prague! First of all you will be taken by bus for a short city tour through the Old and the New Town. Then the tour will continue by boat along the Vltava River. During the three hours cruise you will admire the beautifully sights of the Old Town, the Lesser Town and the Prague Castle passing also the Charles Bridge and Vyšehrad. This river cruise includes also a music entertainment as well as a buffet dinner that will be served on the board.the tour ends at 22:00 at the pier located about 5 minutes from the city centre.

TOUR III (15 per person) Friday 15.06.07, 09:15 12:15 *This is a walking tour. Therefore, we recommend comfortable shoes.

First you will go through the narrow streets of the Old Town to the Old Town Square, providing a great view of the beautiful houses, palaces, churches and the famous Orloj (astronomical clock).

Five towers, the tallest of which is the Old Town Hall Tower at almost 70 metres high, dominate the Square.

4 TOUR III (15 per person) Friday , 09:15 12:15 *This is a walking tour. Therefore, we recommend comfortable shoes. Old Town and Charles Bridge This three-hour walking tour will show you the historic centre of the city, which was settled more than 1000 years ago. First you will go through the narrow streets of the Old Town to the Old Town Square, providing a great view of the beautiful houses, palaces, churches and the famous Orloj (astronomical clock). The Old Town Square is permanently linked to the history of the Czech nation and the Czech Republic, as it has witnessed the important events that determined its course. Five towers, the tallest of which is the Old Town Hall Tower at almost 70 metres high, dominate the Square. From the Old Town Square the walk continues along Karlova Street to Charles Bridge, which was built in the second half of the 14 th century and is one of the oldest examples of this type of construction in Europe. From here we can offer you a magical view of Prague. It is interesting that its founder, the Czech King and Roman Emperor, Charles IV, did not hesitate to commission it in 1357 to a relatively young (17 year-old) master builder, Peter Parler, who also supervised the construction of the St. Vitus Cathedral. A grandiose project, the bridge is 516 metres long, almost 10 metres wide and rests on 16 arches. Today we appreciate the unique, mostly Baroque, open-air gallery. Between 1683 and 1714, the bridge was decorated by 22 of the present 30 sculptures. The oldest sculpture on the bridge is St.John of Nepomuk, cast in 1683 after a wooden model by J. Brokoff. The statue of St. John has become a sort of international standard for a bearded saint with an aureole decorated with stars. Fortified towers are situated on both sides of the bridge. The lower Lesser Town bridge tower is a Romanesque structure dating from the 12 th century, and the higher Lesser Town bridge tower was erected in The Old Town bridge tower is a Gothic structure erected in the 15 th century. The tour ends on the Lesser Town near to St. Nicholas Church.

TOUR IV (34 per person) Friday 15.06.07, 10:00 15:00 *This is partly walking tour. Therefore, we recommend comfortable shoes.

It was founded in the 14 th century and it has become famous as the last residence of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir of the Austro-Hungarian throne, whose assassination in Sarajevo

5 TOUR IV (34 per person) Friday , 10:00 15:00 *This is partly walking tour. Therefore, we recommend comfortable shoes. Konopiště Chateau and Brewery Velké Popovice The Konopiště chateau is about 50 km out of Prague. It was founded in the 14 th century and it has become famous as the last residence of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir of the Austro-Hungarian throne, whose assassination in Sarajevo triggered World War I. The chateau is famous for its fascinating collection of weapons and hunting trophies. After visiting the chateau, you will be taken to a renowned brewery in Velké Popovice where you get a chance to see how the Czech favourite beer is made and also taste it. Throughout the history castle Konopiště was alway acknowledged as an economical and cultural centre of the town in the region and since 1918 it has been a property of the Czechoslovak and later Czech state. Konopiště castle is now open to the public. Visitors can observe the residential rooms of Franz Ferdinand, a large collection of antlers (Franz Ferdinand was an enthusiastic hunter), an armory with medieval weapons, a shooting hall with moving targets and a garden with Italian Renaissance statues and greenhouses. It is a popular place for weddings. Currently, Duchess Sophie von Hohenberg, a descendant of Franz Ferdinand, is claiming for the restitution of the castle to her family. The Konopiště castle was founded as a gothic fortress after model of french castles in the end of the 13th century, probably by the Prague s bishop Tobias of Benešov..The first intervention to the medieval structure was made in the end of the 15th century by Jiří of Šternberk than in the beginning of the 17th century by the House of Hodejovsky of Hodejov. The Vrtbas of Vrtba changed Konopiště to a baroque residence in the 18th century. The archduke Franz Ferdinand d Este, who bought the chateau in 1887 from the Lobkowitz, reconstructed Konopiště to a magnificent seat of the intending emperor. The chambres of the chateau were equiped with the museum collections whose basis come from an inheritance after the Modena s duke.

TOUR V (24 per person) Saturday 16.06.07, 10:15 13:45 *This is partly walking tour. Therefore, we recommend comfortable shoes.

You will visit the Old town, the New Town and the Lesser Town including the 70 minutes lasting detailed excursion of the Prague Castle with entry to St. Vitus Cathedral.

6 TOUR V (24 per person) Saturday , 10:15 13:45 *This is partly walking tour. Therefore, we recommend comfortable shoes. Grand City Tour of Prague This tour is a classic tour of both, the historic and modern quarters of Prague. You will visit the Old town, the New Town and the Lesser Town including the 70 minutes lasting detailed excursion of the Prague Castle with entry to St. Vitus Cathedral. Saint Vitus Cathedral, the biggest and most important church in the country and the seat of the Archbishop of Prague, is an excellent example of Gothic architecture. The present day Gothic Cathedral was founded on 21st of November, 1344, when the Prague bishopric was raised to an archbishopric. Its patrons were the chapter of cathedral (led by a Dean), the Archbishop Arnost of Pardubice, and, above all, Charles IV, King of Bohemia and a soon-to-be Holy Roman Emperor, who intended the new cathedral to be a coronation church, family crypt, treasury for the most precious relics of the kingdom, and the last resting place cum pilgirimage site of patron saint Wenceslaus. The first master builder was a Frenchman Matthias of Arras, who build the easternmost parts of the choir: the arcades and the ambulatory. The slender verticality of Late French Gothic and clear, almost rigid respect of proportions distinguish his work today. After Matthias' death in 1352, a new master builder took over the cathedral workshop - Peter Parler, who at first only worked according to the plans left by his predecessor, building the sacristy on the north side of the choir and the chapel on the south, and then he continued according to his own ideas. Parler's bold and innovative design brought in a unique new synthesis of Gothic elements in architecture. This is best exemplified in the vaults he designed for the choir. He also treated architecture as a sculpture - architectural sculpture was given a considerable role while Parler was in charge of construction, as can be seen in the corbels, the passageway lintels, and, particularly, in the busts on the triforium, which depict faces of the royal family, saints, Prague bishops, and the two master builders, including Parler himself. After his death in 1406 his sons continued his work. During next centuries there were many other master builders, who finally finished the Cathedral in 1929; it took almost 600 years to built it. The price includes a visit to the area of the Prague Castle, where the Czech kings, Holy Roman Emperors and presidents of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic have had their offices and where the crown jewels of the Bohemian Kingdom are kept too. Prague Castle is one of the biggest castles in the world (according to Guinness Book of Records the biggest ancient castle) at about 570 meters in length and an average of about 130 meters wide. The price includes also a visit to the ancient Jewish Quarter Josefov and a visit of the view tower at the Old Town Square,

where the tour also ends. ESHO 2007 TOUR VI (36 per person) Saturday 16.06.07, 9:45 15:00 *This is partly walking tour. Therefore, we recommend comfortable shoes.

7 where the tour also ends. ESHO 2007 TOUR VI (36 per person) Saturday , 9:45 15:00 *This is partly walking tour. Therefore, we recommend comfortable shoes. Karlštejn Castle This half day trip will take you to the famous Karlštejn Castle which was built in the 14 th century by the Roman Emperor Charles IV. and which was used for safekeeping of the treasury of the Holy Roman Empire. The bus will take you to the village of Karlštejn from where you will have to take a walk up the hill to reach the Karštejn Castle. After the visit of the castle, a traditional Czech lunch will be served in the restaurant Bohemia. A special menu for vegetarians, diabetics and children is available. The price includes entry to the castle and lunch. The Karlštejn Castle is a high gothic castle that was founded in 1348 by the Czech King and Roman Emperor Charles IV as a place for safekeeping of the royal treasures. The first known visit by Charles IV was documented in 1355, when he oversaw the building and interior decorating, primarily of the castle chapels. Construction was finished in 1365, at which time the Chapel of the Holy Cross was consecrated. At the outbreak of the Hussite wars, the castle safeguarded the Czech coronation jewels, which were kept there for nearly 200 years. The castle was reconstructed in the late Gothic style after 1480, and in Renaissance style in the last quarter of the 16th century. The present appearance of the castle comes from the last reconstruction, which was carried out in the purist neo-gothic style by architect Josef Mocker at the end of the 19th century. There is a step-like order to the buildings from the Well Tower and Burgrave's Palace, located as the lowest point, to the majestic five-storied Imperial Palace, and the Marian Tower further up. Finally, at the top of the headland, stands the monumental Great Tower standing nearly 60 m high. Points of interest: An original collection of wall paintings dating back to the 14th century, a collection of 129 panel paintings by Master Theodoric in the Chapel of the Holy Cross (the largest of its kind), the largest portrait gallery of Czech rulers in the country, a replica of the St. Wenceslas crown - the coronation crown of the Czech Kings, as well as the unique castle well.

TOUR VII (34 per person) Sunday 17.06.07, 9:30 15:30 *This is partly walking tour. Therefore, we recommend comfortable shoes.

During the excursion you will see interesting and most impressive sights as the unique Gothic Cathedral of St.

8 TOUR VII (34 per person) Sunday , 9:30 15:30 *This is partly walking tour. Therefore, we recommend comfortable shoes. Kutná Hora and Kostnice (Ossuary) This tour will take you to an old mining town of Kutná Hora founded in the 13th century and famous for its silver mines. During the excursion you will see interesting and most impressive sights as the unique Gothic Cathedral of St. Barbara, the patron of saint miners, the nearby Hrádek building which has a direct relationship with the town s mining past, Italian Court which is an important building, originally a Royal Mint, that once produced Prague groschen as well. Then you will see the Gothic fountain and the Archdeacon s Church of St. James. At the end you will visit the Chapel of All Saints with a famous crypt called Ossuary where you can see an unusual arrangements of people s bones dates from the end of 19 th century. The history of Kutná Hora (a UNESCO site since 1995) is closely linked with the mining of silver. The Kutná Hora silver mining district, abounding in silver ore, eventually became one of medieval Europe's largest sources of silver. Already in the late 13th century, one third of Europe's total production of silver came from Kutná Hora. The Prague groschen, one of Europe's strongest currencies of the time, was minted here. Thanks to its wealth, Kutná Hora became the second most important town of the Kingdom of Bohemia, and an economic, political, and cultural rival for the capital city Prague. The first recorded reference to a more systematic mining of the local deposits of silver ore dates from the second half of the l3th century. However, silver coins known as denars had been minted at the nearby Malin site, a residence of the Slavnik family, as early as the l0th century. Kutná Hora developed as a result of the exploitation of the silver mines and, in the 14th century, became a royal city endowed with monuments that symbolized its prosperity. The Church of St. Barbara, a jewel of the late Gothic period, and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec, which was restored in line with the Baroque taste of the early 18th century, were to influence the architecture of central Europe. These masterpieces today form part of a wellpreserved medieval urban fabric with some particularly fine private dwellings.

Guided Tours. Terms & Conditions. Tours on request

Guided Tours. Terms & Conditions. Tours on request Guided Tours Terms & Conditions Minimum of 10 persons is required All tours are private only for attendants and friends of ICPE 2018 Every tour includes pick up and drop off service at Congress Centre