Elegant Elbe

Berlin to Prague | 10 days

Discover Berlin’s modern chic, Potsdam’s rococo whimsy and Prague’s Gothic exuberance. Walk in Martin Luther’s footsteps in Wittenberg, birthplace of the Protestant Reformation. Admire delicate Meissen porcelain. Celebrate Dresden, a phoenix risen from the ashes of war. View Saxon Switzerland’s monoliths. See the Elbe Biosphere Reserve. The Elbe is one of Europe’s most unspoiled rivers and it awaits you—from Berlin to Prague—on our 10-day cruisetour.

Cities of Light

Paris to Prague | 12 days

Sail Europe’s most iconic rivers: the Moselle with its steep vineyards; the castle-studded Rhine; and the Main, lined with quaint villages. Taste legendary Moselle Rieslings. Survey the Rhine from 900-year-old Marksburg Castle. Explore Prague’s Lobkowicz Palace on a Privileged Access tour designed just for us by Prince William. Savor French, German and Czech cuisine. With bookends in Paris and Prague, this 12-day journey celebrates Europe’s most luminous ports.

Christmas Along the Elbe

Berlin to Prague | 10 days

Take part in time-honored European holiday traditions on this 10-day cruisetour. Stroll among colorful stalls and mingle with locals as you sample glühwein. Revel in Berlin’s festive atmosphere and discover the treasured recipe for Dresden’s famous Christstollen. Shop for handmade porcelain in Meissen and cap your cruise with two days in Prague, delving into the city’s Jewish history while its famed Christmas market exudes an abundance of good cheer.

The History of the Czech Republic and Slovakia

By William Mahoney

The History of the Czech Republic and Slovakia charts historical developments in the two nations to the opening decade of the 21st century. The book begins with an overview of the geography, climate, people, economy, and government of both the Czech and Slovak republics. Subsequent chapters offer a chronologically organized survey of historical events, trends, ideas, and people.

Starting with the early Slavic settlements around the 5th century AD, the book explores Czech and Slovak history through the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and Early Modern eras, the Enlightenment, and the age of nationalism and revolution. Chapters on the 20th century include discussion of the World Wars, the interwar Czechoslovak state, the Communist decades, the Prague Spring, and the Velvet Revolution of 1989. The story is brought up to date with insights into developments in the independent Czech and Slovak republics since 1993.

The Trial

Written in 1914 but not published until 1925, a year after Kafka's death, The Trial is one of the most important novels of the twentieth century: the terrifying tale of Josef K., a respectable bank officer who is suddenly and inexplicably arrested and must defend himself against a charge about which he can get no information. Whether read as an existential tale, a parable, or a prophecy of the excesses of modern bureaucracy wedded to the madness of totalitarianism, Kafka's nightmare has resonated with chilling truth for generations of readers. This new edition is based upon the work of an international team of experts who have restored the text, the sequence of chapters, and their division to create a version that is as close as possible to the way the author left it.

In his brilliant translation, Breon Mitchell masterfully reproduces the distinctive poetics of Kafka's prose, revealing a novel as full of energy and power as when it was first written.

The Zookeeper’s Wife

Niki Caro

When Germany invades Poland, Jan and Antonina Zabinski, owners and keepers of the Warsaw Zoo, hide 300 persecuted Polish Jews in plain sight from the Germans. Winner of Political Film Society, USA and Seattle Jewish Film Festival awards. Filmed in Prague, Czech Republic.

A Royal Affair

Nikolaj Arcel

When British Princess Caroline is forced to marry the mad King Christian VII of Denmark, she finds herself miserable—until Dr. Johann Struensee, an ordinary man of Enlightenment, influences the king to begin passing reforms in Denmark. Nominated for one Academy Award and one Golden Globe. Originally titled En kongelig affaere. Filmed in multiple locations including the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany and Sweden.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988)

Philip Kaufman

Just as three intimately close friends are becoming deeply involved with the events of the Prague Spring of 1968, Soviet tanks crush the nonviolent rebels and their lives are changed forever. Filmed in multiple locations including Prague.

The Illusionist

Neil Burger

In late 19th-century Vienna, Duchess Sophie von Teschen is reunited with renowned illusionist Eisenheim after 15 years. The duchess and Eisenheim realize that they still love each other, but she is soon to be wed to the Crown Prince Leopold in what for him would be a marriage solely in pursuit of power. Filmed in multiple locations including Prague.

Yentl

Barbra Streisand

Yentl Mendel is the boyishly klutzy daughter and only child of long-widowed Rebbe Mendel. Rebbe teaches the Talmud to local boys and to Yentl, but secretly because girls are not allowed to learn the law. When her father dies, Yentl disguises herself as a boy in order to get admitted to a yeshiva, to study the texts, traditions, Talmud and more. Filmed in multiple locations including Prague.