Pre-conference

The pre-conference will be on Wednesday, April 28 (9:00 am) – Friday 30 (12:00 am)

Pre-conference is the opportunity for those who want to

  • learn more about experiential education programs used in the Czech Republic
  • get to know (and experience) the culture of people living in the Czech Republic (mostly its southern part with wine-yards, beautiful villages, places with finds of primeval inhabitants, caves and abysses
  • offer a longer program or workshop that would not fit within the conference time-schedule
  • spend longer time in a foreign country together with people of your nature during an active discovery-like program.

Costs of the pre-conference: € 100,-
This includes: accommodation, meals 3 times a day, travel costs and the program.

Tuesday 27.4.2004
During day, night Arrival, accommodation – unstructured time, talking, having fun
Wednesday 28.4.2004
8:00 – 9:00 Breakfast
9:00 – 12:30 Outdoor program (see comments below)
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch
14:00 – 18:00 Outdoor program (see comments below)
18:00 – 19:00 Dinner
20:00 – Unstructured time, discussions
Thursday 29.4.2004
Morning Southern Moravia – part of the Czech Republic where wine cellars are inherent parts of the landscape, where limestone ruins of medieval castles dwarf above mixed forests interlaced with dreamy rivers, where leaves of vineyards flutter in afternoon breeze, and where people still can sing.

Offered program:
Bus transportation
Canoeing on the Old Dyje River meandering through forests and blooming meadows. Watching birds, beavers and perhaps more of the rather rich wildlife of the area.
During this small trip we will have coffee/tea and a breakfast cooked on campfire.

We finish in Lednice, right in one of the most beautiful Moravian parks surrounding a neo-gothic Castle and take an easy walk to a place where we pick up bicycles.
Lunch Light bicycle orienteering in the pine forest spreading between the towns Lednice and Valtice, throughout which charming buildings originally serving as hunting lodges are scattered.

“How Grandpa Traded a Bottle of Wine for a Train” – a group walk with a little trading game in Vestonice, a village at the foots of Pálava – a significant limestone ridge looming over the wine country.
A scenic walk to the top of the crags, ending with a visit to a wine cellar. A lecture on wines, wine tasting. Moravian cimbalom folk music.
Dinner Social evening, bus back to Baldovec
Friday 30.4.2004
Morning Options

  • Caving (with professional guides, closed for public caves)
  • Visit to public caves in the Moravian Karst (visit to the most beautiful caves in the Czech Republic, boating on the underground river, getting to the bottom of the hugest abyss in our country – Macocha 100 m deep)
  • Rock-climbing
  • Canyoning (in Rudice – a beautiful and rough gorge just a couple of km away – with professional guides – steel ladders on rock walls, splashing and roaring water, walking through waterfalls )
  • Horse riding – guided cross-country tour

 

You can arrive either on Tuesday or on Wednesday. We prefer Tuesday, so you can have a rest over night after the travel and can participate in the whole program the next day. However, it is possible to arrive during Wednesday and join the program in progress.

The Wednesday program remains open. We would stay around the venue (easy to be reached by those coming later) playing and organizing interesting games and activities. The countryside around is tremendous and during the games we would touch every part of it (deep forests, river, grass fields, climbing tower, ropes course…). Do not worry – it will not be physically challenging… you know what you write to participants of your programs, donīt you? Do you remember the last time anyone organized a program for you? Donīt just think of it too hard and come! If you want to bring your own game (and we ask you to do it) feel free to tell us. Possibilities are unlimited!

We will travel on Thursday so it is not a good idea to arrive on that day. We will be returning back to Baldovec late at night, cheered up by a couple of glasses of different wines. Of course you can arrive, but you will miss that part of the program.

Friday is comprised of options. We will decide according to your interest. We can divide into more groups.

The pre-conference will run with any number of participants. It is an offer for you to get the most out of your stay in the Czech Republic.