Post-conference excursions (11 January 2024)

All excursions are one-day trips to various regions of the Czech Republic that differ in landscape type. January in Central Europe is certainly not the best time for biological excursions, so the trips are mostly focused on interesting geomorphological features of the typical landscapes of the region, but sites interesting biologically and/or culturally will be also visited. The price include transport (bus) and lunch (either in restaurant or as a lunch bag).

  • Rewilding site in Milovice and sandstone landscapes in central Bohemia

This trip is divided into two parts. One part comprises the visit of the former Soviet military area in Milovice (about 30 km from Prague) with an undergoing rewilding project – savanna-like open habitats are maintained by the herds of European bison, wild horses and aurochs. The second part comprises typical sandstone area with rock cities close to Mladá Boleslav (protected landscape area Bohemian Paradise).

Price 40 €, maximum 40 participants.

  • The Bohemian Karst

Karstic region (protected landscape area) about 30 km from Prague with typical karst phenomena including limestone rocks and caves (with wintering bats), important paleontological localities (Paleozoic as well as Cenozoic sites and profiles), quaries with different stages of ecological succession, and medieval castle Točník.

Price 40 €, maximum 40 participants.

  • Volcanic hills of northern Bohemia

Protected landscape area „České středohoří“ (The Bohemian Mittelgebirge Hills, about 80 km nortwest from Prague) is renown for its beautiful landscape and many botanically important localities comprising steppes and thermophilous forests. The trip will include also a visit on lake Most (Jezero Most), which is an important site for wintering birds.

Price 45 €.

  • Bohemian Switzerland National Park

Sandstone region in northern Bohemia (about 100 km north of Prague), which borders and is linked to the Saxon Switzerland National Park in Germany, is characterized by unique sandstone features like table mountains, gorges and rock cities.

Price 45 €.

  • Český Krumlov and south Bohemia

The town Český Krumlov is a prime touristic destination (the second one after Prague) – a pitoresque medieval city with a large castle. The trip also includes a short visit of Třeboň basin, a landscape protected area with many fishponds including bird wintering sites. This is the longest trip, as Český Krumlov is 160 km far from Prague.

Price 48 €.

Self-Guided Tours

Ideas for excursions for IBS attendees and their partners in/near Prague ca. 20 January 2024, when the sun sets at 4:35 pm.

Besides the organized excursions above, there are many possibilities of interesting trips/tours in and outside Prague. They are described in any tourist guide, but here we list our recommendations:

  • Prague Staré Město and Malá Strana

The city center located on both sides of Vltava river and connected by the famous Charles bridge from 14th century. Pitoresque streets, houses of all the architectural styles and all periods (across ten centuries), interesting museums. Old town square with the Prague Astronomic clock (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague_astronomical_clock), which is the basis of the logo of the IBS conference.

  • Prague Castle

Arguably the largest castle in the world, headquarter of all Czech kings and presidents with the huge and impressive Gothic St. Vitus cathedral in the centre, surrounded by palaces, other churches from all periods, fortifications and gardens. The area around the castle is also worth visiting (https://www.prague.eu/en/object/places/2163/hradcanske-square).

Architecturally important church and library of a premonstratensian monastery – one of the most valuable and best-preserved historical libraries in the world. Nearby Petřín hill allows nice walks and beautiful views on Prague.

One of the best zoos in the world (certainly in the top ten), located in the northern part of Prague along Vltava river. It can be reached by a boat from the city centre.

Newly reconstructed huge museum dominates Wenceslas square, the cultural centre of Prague. Many beautiful exhibitions, from natural history through geology and paleontology, to cultural history. 

The most famous Czech castle out of Prague, located among forested hills of the Bohemian Karst 36 km southwest of Prague. The castle was founded by Charles the fourth, the most important Czech king (and at the same time emperor of the Holy Roman Empire), as a spiritual centre of Czech Kingdom. He thus concentrated all the most valuable treasures in the castle, including the imperial crown jewels. Beautiful medieval interiors with unique original 14th-century wall decorations. Note: it is important to book the castle tours in advance.

  • Town of Kutná Hora

Historical (mostly medieval) city located  84 km east of Prague; UNESCO world heritage site (https://destinace.kutnahora.cz/d).  It includes the Sedlec Abbey with a famous ossuary, decorated with bones of 40 thousands sceletons. The fourth largest Urban Monument Reservation in the Czech Republic, famous for its outstanding architecture including a monumental Gothic cathedral.

An infamous historical fortress located 62 km north of Prague, which served as a concentration camp during the World War II.