International
Tea Symposium
2026
5 days of workshops, sharing experiences and unique teas in the nature of South Bohemia
July 14 - 19, 2026 | Střížovice near Jindřichův Hradec, CZ
For tea lovers and professionals | all workshops in English
Inspiration, sharing, discovery
After 10 years of Summer Tea School, this year we are organizing the Tea Symposium for the fifth time to go even deeper and create a space for tea enthusiasts and professionals from all over the world to meet so that we can inspire, learn and enrich each other.
For every Tea Symposium, we compose a lineup of workshops and invite special guests to cover the main aspects of tea blended in our cups:
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Tea tasting, origin and historical, growing and processing
- Tea as a tool in mindfulness and health / tea meditation
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Tea art, creating atmosphere, aesthetics and philosophy
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Touching the crafts of creating teaware and utensils
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Related cultures such as incense, calligraphy etc.
Schedule and lecturers
Each day will be dedicated to a meeting with one lecturer or guest who will share with you their tea journey, many years of experience and knowledge. In the morning from 9 to 12 in the form of a 3-hour guided workshop and in the afternoon during an open meeting and tea sessions.
Tuesday 14.7.
Opening
Arrival anytime after 4 p.m.
Introduction of the space
Afternoon cup of tea
From 8 p.m. welcoming presentation, opening party
Wednesday 10.7.
Harmony in Three Cups
A symposium of this kind offers an ideal setting in which to concentrate on particular facets of the art of tea, including their historical and social backgrounds. Chaozhou Gongfu Cha 潮州工夫茶 represents a highly refined approach to the preparation and appreciation of oolong tea. Three cups, two plates, a stove and a pot are transformed into a small laboratory of flavours and textures—and, at the same time, into a playground for adults.
This seemingly unassuming yet distinctly subtle practice demands an intimate understanding of tea, together with control and fluency of movement, a sense of rhythm, as well as intuition. It opens the way to a joyful contemplation of the transience of the world, reminding us that nothing remains unchanged—all while sipping exquisite Fenghuang Dancong, 凤凰单丛. One could certainly do worse on a morning, before listening to incense together later in the evening.
Dr. Sven Schwannberger
Dr. Sven Schwannberger is a musicologist and musician who holds teaching appointments at two universities. He has devoted many years to the study of Chinese tea culture and the appreciation of aroma, and he appears regularly as a tea practitioner. Combining scholarly expertise with genuine passion, he is an eloquent advocate for those quiet, contemplative arts that the world is currently in great need of. More about the mood of his way of tea at:
https://www.instagram.com/soundofthepine/
Thursday 16.7.
Tea & Mindfulness
Practice of being present, engaged, and intentional with every breath, movement and feeling, treating the tea as "moving meditation". It turns the act of preparing and sharing tea into a peaceful, grounded, active form of awareness, that connects us to ourselves, to others and current moment.
Raneta Kulakova
Raneta is a tea practitioner, ceramic and textile artist, and the founder of Care for Teaware. Her practice is rooted in more than twenty years of study of Chinese and Japanese tea traditions, shaped through long-term immersion in Asia, including work as an author and photographer for Global Tea Hut magazine. Her work has been exhibited and recognized in Europe and the United States, where it is valued for its integrity, craftsmanship and deep connection to tea tradition.
Friday 17.7.
The Teapot: Craft, Form, and Function
In this workshop, we will explore the fascinating relationship between the teapot and the final brew. We will examine teaware as an instrument and explain how historical evolution, various traditional clay bodies from Asia, and specific firing techniques define the character of the tea.
The session will cover how form and ergonomics influence the brewing process itself, and we will conclude with a practical demonstration of the craft – showcasing the final stages of finishing a teapot, where technical precision meets aesthetic intent.
Petr Novák
Petr is an acclaimed ceramicist who has dedicated the past 28 years to the professional craft of teaware. His reputation is firmly established within the global tea community, built on years of deep study across Asia — including multiple international exhibitions in Taiwan and South Korea and extensive expeditions through tea gardens and ceramic studios of Taiwan and China. As a student of tea teacher WuDe, Petr infuses his work with both technical precision and the spiritual essence of the tea ritual. He views teaware as a musical instrument for a composition, striving to create vessels that allow the tea to truly resonate.
Saturday 18.7.
Carving a tea tray
Vlasta and Jan will guide you through the production of a carved tea tray and especially through playing with wood and hand tools. Everyone can breathe their own unique charm into their piece of wood by carving the tea serving surface and adjusting the edges and finally finishing the surface with wax or oil. You will take home a handmade piece of functional tea utensils and the experience of a carver. If you were at last year's symposium and already have your tea tray, you can make a different shape or a set of saucers.
Vlastimil Hanuš a Jan Šmejkal
I am still in the phase of enthusiastic discovery in the world of tea, even though it has been about fifteen years since tea has accompanied me through life. I prefer to drink tea in the mountains or on nature hikes. It is my daily companion in the workshop, where I do artistic carpentry and woodcarving. I do not attach much importance to accumulating things in life, but I enjoy surrounding myself with objects that are distinctive, beautiful, simple and functional. And that is exactly what I like to create. I enjoy thinking about patterns, colors and forms, perceiving shapes. In tea utensils, this hobby of mine in craft and aesthetics comes together nicely and naturally. In the few years that I have been making tea trays and funnels, their form has changed. They are becoming more and more delicate, subtle.
I prefer to work with hand tools - chisels, planes, saws, sanders. I work with wood by cutting, I don't like the dust and noise of sanding or machine processing. A year ago I started working with my friend Jan Šmejkal. In the workshop we complement each other nicely and enrich each other - I focus more on carving and the inner space of the tray, Jan is great with planes and gives the trays a clear shape on the outside.
Sunday 19.7.
Wuyishan Rock Teas
I first visited Wuyishan, the cradle of oolong and red tea, on my 7th trip to China in 2015. And I found everything I was looking for in China and dreaming about it. Mystical nature like from ink paintings – a vertical landscape of steep cliffs woven with streams and waterfalls, bamboo forests and ancient tea gardens. Monasteries and temples that suddenly emerge from the mist at the end of the trail through the gorge. And most importantly, people who create amazing teas and love to share their stories. Tradition, precise craftsmanship and tea leaves with a unique rock taste and deep fragrance of mountains.
At the workshop, we will immerse into the atmosphere of Wuyishan and taste a number of beautiful oolong and red teas and talk about the history and processing of local teas.
Tomáš Rajnoch
For the past 16 years, I have been importing, discovering, and sharing tea in many forms – on 12 trips to China, behind a teapot at Meetea Studio, in the Tea Subscription I send out every month, with friends, and as my own healing ritual. I enjoy the atmosphere of a tea gathering and all the arts it connects, most notably ceramics and music, after tea itself. Recently, I have been exploring how tea culture can help us live healthier and more conscious lives in the 21st century.
Sunday 19.7. Afternoon
Wuwocha - common farewell tea ritual
We will all make a cup of tea for each other and look back over the Symposium.
Who is the event for?
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Any Tea lovers who want to be inspired and share their experiences
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Professionals from the world of tea and ceramics
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Employees of tea houses and tea shops
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Asian culture enthusiast
The Symposium is limited to 12 participants, so it has an intimate, community atmosphere.
Tea collection
You can also enjoy tea tasting outside of the workshop time - our "All You Can Drink" tea collection with many types of fresh and vintage teas as well as our rich collection of beautiful tea utensils will be freely available to you at all times.
You can experience boiling water on charcoal, Yixing teapots, Czech wood-fired ceramics and other treasures.
Place
Our tea paradise is located in tiny village Střížovice near city Jindřichův Hradec, Czech republic (map).
Connection by car from Prague or Brno 1 hour 50 minutes, we will try to arrange a car sharing with other participants. Train from Prague takes about 3 hours 20 minutes and you can enjoy the last part of the journey by taking a romantic local narrow-gauge railway and a short walk.
Sleeping and eating
In a South Bohemian cottage with a beautiful garden surrounded by meadows and forests. Simple accommodation, shared kitchen, original tea room - everything is under one roof.
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The cottage has two comfortable bathrooms and a toilet.
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Fully equipped (not only tea :) kitchen where you can cook.
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We provide vegetarian lunches from a great local chef, which you can order a week before the event (not included in the price).
Price and registration
492 EUR / 11 800 CZK with accommodation in a shared room in the attic of the cottage.
or
408 EUR / 9 800 CZK for lovers of summer romance and privacy with accommodation in your own tent (set up in our garden) or other personal accommodation.
If you'd prefer more comfortable accommodation, let us know by email meetea@meetea.cz, we will check out the nearby options.
The price includes accommodation, the entire program
and top-quality teas "all You can drink"
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We expect half the deposit to be paid within a week of registration. The other half is due by June 1, 2026. Or you can pay the full amount straight away.
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If you register and for any reason are unable to attend, please let us know by May 15, 2026. Only then will we be able to refund you the full price.
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If you cancel your participation between May 15 and June 1, 2026, we will only be able to refund 50%. If you cancel after June 1, 2026, and cannot find a replacement, we will no longer be able to refund the price.
