This is not anything new and actually gets more and more popular every year. A travel agency Atis started to offer "Dovolena s ROH" a few years back. "Dovolan s ROH" means a retro holiday as back at the time of holiday with national trade unions in Czechoslovakia. Just to explain - back in communism, the best workers in each factory, plant or any place of work were awarded and got a chance to go for "dovolena s ROH". This was typically one week holiday in one of the holiday resorts in Czechoslovakia. The price was rather low and included accommodation, full board and also the full week programme. What does it actually look like nowadays? Enjoy the reading
The holiday "Dovolena s ROH" takes place in Tatra Mountains in Slovakia in the hotel Morava. Hotel Morava is one of the few hotels in the Czech Republic or Slovakia that still keeps the atmosphere as well as the equipment as back in time. Plus it is a famous place from one of the Czechoslovakian traditional movies Andel na horach (Angel in the mountains).
Participants of this retro holiday can come to Tatranska Lomnica (location of the hotel Morava) by a special "train for holidaymakers". During the era of communism, there were specialized holiday trains that were dedicated only for holidaymakers from the national trade union. After coming to the hotel Morava, paticipants are welcomed by borovicka, traditional spirit in Slovakia, and get an introduction of the programme for the whole week.
Every morning, there is a wake-up music playing at 7am all over the hotel. As the wake-up music, the old workers' songs from the era of communism are used. Ten minutes later, a warm-up exercise starts outside. Every day, there is a special programme prepared, which can vary from visiting nearby places to hiking in the mountains or also cleaning the surroundings of the hotel.
For the second evening, the welcome party is prepared. It is expected to dress up for the evening programme. During the welcoming evening, each person stands up and says his or her name and where he or she works. People get to know each other, then there are several games prepared as well as oldies music at the dancing floor. Each other evening there is a retro programme prepared.
Hotel Morava has until these days kept all the old equipment related to the national trade unions in Czechoslovakia. And for the time being of these retro holidays it really seems as if you turned back in time.
On the top of that you may also join the traditional 1st May retro parade, in case you happen to be there on May 1st. Parades on 1st May (as a day of labor) were compulsory for all workers all over Czechoslovakia before 1989. Nowadays, it is more a parody and for some people a part of memory.
The concept of "Dovolena s ROH" is successfully running already for many years and is especially welcomed by the older generations. Does that all sound crazy? What most participants say - it is all about fun. And on the top of during this holiday you really get to know all other people in the hotel, which is something that basically does not happen nowadays. If you want to try pretty unusual holiday or want to learn about and really experience how it was back in times before 1989, then maybe this might be a nice option for you :-)
Czech Television even made a documentary movie about this retro holiday concept.
You can watch it here (it is in Czech only).
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