Discover a wealth of monuments, from the star-shaped Pilgrimage Church of St John of Nepomuk to the flower gardens of Kroměříž
Uncover important witnesses to Jewish history, including Třebíč’s Jewish Quarter and the modernist masterpiece Villa Tugendhat, created for the Tugendhat family in the 1920s
Take in the stunning cultural landscape surrounding Lednice and Valtice castles, established by the ruling dukes of Liechtenstein
“Alex Koller is truly outstanding not only in his vast knowledge of the art and history… but also in his clear instructions and awareness of the needs of the members of the group”
ACE customer who travelled with Alex Koller in 2025
“Having escaped major damage during the wars of the 20th century, Moravia offers a unique panorama of the beauties of medieval and feudal Central Europe”
– Tour Director Alex Koller
Taking its name from the Morava River, Moravia is a historical region in east Czechia and one of the five lands of Czechoslovakia founded in 1918, encompassing Brno and Olomouc, both former capitals. Witness to centuries of history, the region is home to a remarkable collection of UNESCO sites, not least the stunning Baroque-style flower gardens at Kroměříž, the Jewish Quarter and Basilica of St Procopius in Třebíč, and the masterpiece of modernist architecture in Brno, Villa Tugendhat.
Indeed, the entire cultural landscape surrounding the Lednice-Valtice valley – blending natural and man-made features – is lauded by UNESCO for its uniqueness and exceptional beauty: “It is the mingling and interplay of Baroque and Romantic elements that gives it a special character: architecture and landscape are intimately associated with one another” (UNESCO).
“I have travelled a lot with Alex, in Russia and Central and Eastern Europe, where his intellectual mastery and erudition have always amazed me”
ACE customer who travelled with Alex Koller in 2025
Our new tour will go in search of the history, architectural and artistic excellence of Moravia, as well as its wider culture. The region’s important Jewish history will come to the fore in Mikulov with its Upper Synagogue, once the centre of a large and thriving community and now a museum; while in Třebíč, the grouping of the well-preserved Jewish Quarter, old Jewish cemetery and Basilica of St Procopius testifies to the co-existence of Jewish and Christian communities from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.
“The urban fabric of the Jewish Quarter has retained an exceptionally good stratification ranging from the late Middle Ages to the 20th century”
– UNESCO
Czechia’s second largest city, Brno is home to some outstanding monuments reflecting layers of history, including the Gothic Cathedral of St Peter and Paul and the iconic modernist masterpiece Villa Tugendhat, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich. An excursion to Moravia’s former capital of Olomouc, meanwhile, will acquaint us with ecclesiastical treasures including Holy Trinity Column, an astonishing example of Moravian Baroque, which soars to a height of 32 metres and gleams with religious sculpture courtesy of artist Ondřej Zahner.
Interspersing key centres with picturesque estates and gardens, our tour will take us to the fairy-tale streets of Telč with their colourful Renaissance and Baroque facades; and Czechia’s Wallachian region for its superb Open Air Museum, displaying material culture and traditional ways of life.
Magnificent church architecture will also dazzle in Žďár nad Sázavou, home to the highly unusual 18th century Pilgrimage Church of St John of Nepomuk: poised between the Gothic and Baroque and designed by renowned Czech architect Jan Blazej Santini, its star-shaped ground plan deftly references architectural features throughout the site.
As we progress, we will take in the region’s remarkable natural scenery, which is largely unspoilt and beloved for its diverse flora and fauna.
We will stay at the four-star Hotel International, Brno. Located in the historic centre of Brno, the hotel offers a perfect combination of modern comfort and traditional character.
Alex Koller, PhD
Alex studied in Vienna, Salzburg and Cambridge, and gained his PhD at Magdalene College, where he also lectured and supervised.
Our Tour Director is art historian and experienced tour leader, Alex Koller, PhD. Alex studied in Vienna, Salzburg and Cambridge, and gained his PhD at Magdalene College, where he also lectured and supervised. An accomplished linguist, Alex has led many art and architecture tours across the globe, and his experience ranges from Eastern Europe, Russia and the Himalayas to Japan and Southeast Asia.
“Moravia, named after the Morava River, constitutes the eastern part of the Czech Republic. It is geographically and culturally distinct from Bohemia to the West and has always occupied a crucial strategic position in Central Europe as a corridor between Poland, Silesia, Austria and Slovakia/Hungary. While the glorious days of early-medieval Great Moravia have left few traces above the ground, the area is extremely rich in the monuments of affluent trading towns and cities like Brno, Olomouc and Jihlava and in the estates of the great noble families, often of non-Czech origin, that dominated the early modern period, the most important of whom were the Liechtenstein. Well-preserved villages and small towns thus combine with the splendour of castles, monasteries and pilgrimage churches. Having escaped major damage during the wars of the 20th century, Moravia offers a unique panorama of the beauties of medieval and feudal Central Europe.”
- Tour Director Alex Koller
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£2995
ATMO-26
Fully booked - please contact the office on 01223 841055 to be added to the waiting list.
Included: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a business twin or double bedded room, seven breakfasts, seven dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.
Not Included: travel insurance, business double room for single use £350.
