Travel and Class Trips

A study abroad semester is made up of many components, and a lot of those take place outside the classroom. If you make it all the way to Prague, we want to make sure that you also get to see some of the other incredible sites close-by.

Prague is very well situated for travel around Europe. It's only a four-hour train ride to Berlin, a quick flight to Paris or Dublin—the options are endless. To make sure you have plenty of opportunity to explore Europe, our classes will only be scheduled four days each week, so you'll always have a long weekend! Lots of students also choose to travel after the semester is over, exploring other parts of Europe and meeting up with family and friends.

We will also take some class trips together. These are an important part of our community building, and also a great way for you to learn a bit more about European history and culture.

Our first trip will be to the spa town Karlovy Vary. Otherwise known as Carlsbad, this western Bohemian town is famous for its hot springs. We will take a tour of their springs, go to a day spa and get massages and other spa treatments. Not a bad way to get to know each other. You can find out more about Karlovy Vary here.

Our next trip will be to Vienna, Austria. Vienna has been an important city to the Czechs, and our history teacher, Petr Svobodny, will make sure we have plenty to see and do while we're there. We'll take a tour around the city, visit the Hapsburg Palace and the Museums Quartier, the wonderful Nachtsmarkt, and maybe even take in a concert with the Vienna Boys Choir. There will be plenty of time to hang out with the group and also explore the city on your own. Read more about Vienna here.

A more sobering trip will be to the Czech concentration camp, Terezin. This camp was the site of a major propaganda campaign in which the Nazis convinced the Red Cross that Hitler had given the Jews a "town of their own." We will visit the Small Fortress, primarily a camp for political prisoners, as well as the museums located in what was the Jewish Ghetto. Find out more about this site here.

Naropa will also offer support to students wishing to take part in a group tour of Krakow and Auschwitz. Again, this is a harrowing experience, but an important aspect of exploring the act of "witnessing." You can find out more about Krakow here and about Auschwitz here.

Our next trip will be to Kutna Hora and The Kostnice Ossuary. Kutna Hora is most famous for its silver mines, and we will take a tour in an old mine, learning about the history of silver production in the Czech Lands. More info here.

We will also visit the famous Kostnice Ossuary (Bone Church!). This church is decorated with the bones of approximately 40,000 people—a macabre and beautiful place you have to see to believe. For a sneak preview, click here.

Our final trip is always a favorite. We'll take an overnight trip to the South Moravian town, Cesky Krumlov. We'll visit their medieval castle, take a tour of the Baroque Theater, and even go white water rafting. Find out more about this incredible town here.