Traditional Stone Paving Course
- 🪨 Work with 3 types of stone paving: granite setts, irregular granite pieces and natural fieldstone paving
- 📐 Understand base preparation, supporting layers, compaction, levels and drainage fall
- 🧠 Learn the common mistakes that cause paving to sink, spread or become uneven
- 🔷 Practise straight courses, double rows, circular patterns and more informal paving layouts
- 🌿 Get practical ideas for paths, courtyards, driveways and natural garden surfaces
- 🧾 Receive a course certificate and, more importantly, the confidence to start your own paving project
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the booking work?
Choose the course date that suits you, enter the participant’s name and add the course to your cart.
At checkout, enter your details and confirm your order. You will receive an immediate confirmation by email.
Once payment has been received, your place on the course is fully reserved.
Approximately one week before the course, we will send you the practical information and schedule.
On the day of the course, the facilities, materials and instructor will all be ready for you.
Where does the course take place?
Novosedly, South Moravia, Czech Republic
48°49’51.7″N 16°30’07.1″E
The course takes place in Novosedly near Mikulov, in the South Moravian wine region of the Czech Republic.
Parking is available along the property or directly on site.
If you are travelling from abroad, accommodation is available in Novosedly and the surrounding area. We can recommend suitable options according to your travel plans.
By prior arrangement, we may also be able to organise transport from Vienna International Airport or Brno Airport. If you need help with accommodation or your journey to the course, please contact us before travelling.
What if it rains?
The course takes place outdoors, but you do not need to worry about the weather disrupting the day.
- We have a large covered tent that provides a comfortable base and protects participants from both sun and rain.
- Thanks to this covered area, the course can take place in changing weather conditions without affecting the planned programme.
- Your place and the course schedule remain confirmed even if the weather is not perfect.
What if I can’t attend after all?
We understand that plans can change. For this reason, our cancellation policy is clearly defined in advance:
- If you cancel more than 30 calendar days before the course date, we will refund 50% of the course fee.
- If you cancel 30 to 15 calendar days before the course begins, we will refund 25% of the course fee.
- If you cancel 14 calendar days or less before the course begins, the course fee is non-refundable.
What about food and drinks?
During the course, you will be well looked after throughout the day. Drinking water, chilled Coca-Cola, coffee and light refreshments are available at all times.
At lunchtime, we take a break for a hot meal – usually a traditional schnitzel with bread – and there is always something else available to eat as well.
Toilets, a covered rest area and a place to relax in the shade are also available on site.
Is the course suitable for beginners and women?
Yes. The course is suitable for complete beginners and is also suitable for women. Everything is explained step by step through practical work, you work under the guidance of the instructor, and the pace is adapted to the group.
It is worth keeping in mind that this is still manual outdoor work with natural stone, so a basic level of physical fitness is helpful.
Instructor Luděk Komoň will show you proven techniques and share practical experience from real stonework projects.
You will receive individual guidance and plenty of time to discuss your own projects.
Tools, equipment, refreshments, water, coffee and on-site facilities are all provided – you do not need to arrange anything yourself.
You will receive a certificate and gain a practical skill that is difficult to learn elsewhere, with strong practical and financial value.
Learn How to Lay Natural Stone Paving for Paths, Courtyards and Driveways
Want to build a granite-sett path, stone courtyard, driveway or paved area around your home, but do not want to risk an inadequate base, uneven joints or paving that begins to move, sink or become uneven over time?
On this practical traditional stone paving course, you will work through the process from base preparation to laying the stone itself. You will learn to work with granite setts, irregular granite pieces and natural fieldstone paving and understand what determines whether a paved surface remains stable and works as intended.
A high-quality result does not depend only on expensive stone. It depends on the base, drainage, finished levels, jointing, accurate laying and the decisions made while working with each individual piece.
- Learn how to lay granite setts for paths, courtyards, driveways and garden areas.
- Understand the construction beneath natural stone paving, including supporting layers, compaction, finished levels and drainage.
- Work directly with real stone rather than learning only from diagrams, videos or theory.
- Learn how to establish lines, patterns and joints so the finished surface remains visually controlled and well constructed.
- See the common paving mistakes that can cause stone surfaces to sink, spread or become uneven over time.
- Receive a course certificate and, more importantly, gain a clearer understanding of how to approach your own paving project.
Who Is This Course For?
This course is designed for anyone planning natural stone paving around a house, in a garden, courtyard, driveway or outdoor seating area and wanting to understand how to prepare and lay it correctly.
It is suitable for homeowners, DIY enthusiasts, gardeners, tradespeople and smaller landscaping or construction companies.
If you plan to lay stone paving yourself, the course can help you avoid costly mistakes before they happen. If you already offer paving or landscaping services, it can help you better understand the construction, materials and practical decisions behind a professional result.
The course is also suitable for complete beginners. Previous paving or stonemasonry experience is not required. You only need a willingness to work with your hands, suitable work clothing and sturdy footwear.
International course dates include professional English interpretation throughout the practical training.
What You Will Learn
We begin with the part that determines the performance of the finished paving more than almost anything else: the base beneath the stone.
Natural stone paving does not begin with the first sett. It begins with understanding supporting layers, finished levels, compaction, drainage fall and how water will leave the paved area.
We then move directly into practical laying.
You will learn how granite setts are positioned, how joints and lines are controlled and how different traditional paving patterns are developed. Depending on the practical work during the course, we can explore straight courses, double-row details, curved arrangements, circular paving and more informal patterns suitable for gardens.
You will also learn to understand the material itself.
Granite setts, irregular granite pieces and natural fieldstone behave differently. Each requires a slightly different approach to selection, positioning, joint width and the overall character of the finished surface.
Three Types of Natural Stone Paving in One Course
The course is not limited to one paving technique.
The aim is to help you understand how different types of stone behave and where each approach can make sense. Granite setts, irregular granite pieces and natural fieldstone paving have different appearances, laying principles and practical applications.
Granite Setts
Learn the fundamentals of more regular traditional stone paving: alignment, joints, bonding, edge details, connections and finished levels.
Granite setts can be used for paths, entrances, courtyards, borders and driveways.
Irregular Granite Pieces
We will look at how less regular granite pieces can be incorporated into paving.
The finished surface can feel more natural than paving based entirely on regular setts while still retaining the durability and craftsmanship associated with natural granite.
Natural Fieldstone Paving
You will also experience working with irregular natural stone.
Here, the builder needs to read the shape of every piece, control the joints and create a surface that feels natural without becoming visually chaotic.
This approach can work particularly well in gardens, rural properties and more informal landscapes.
Understand the Construction before You Buy the Stone
Many people begin a paving project by choosing the stone.
But the stone itself is rarely the biggest risk.
Problems usually begin with incorrect finished levels, an inadequate base, poor compaction, insufficient drainage or uncontrolled joints.
During the course, you will see why it is not enough to choose attractive granite and start laying it.
The goal is to understand how the complete paved surface will behave under foot traffic, vehicle loads, rain and years of use.
Natural stone paving does not begin with the stone. It begins with understanding where the water will go, how the base will carry the load and how the first line will establish everything that follows.
Stone Paving Is about Decisions, Not Only Laying Stones
Good paving is not simply a collection of stones placed next to one another.
It involves proportion, joints, direction, edges, loads, drainage and the overall visual relationship between the paving and its surroundings.
During the course, you will begin to look at paving from a craft perspective.
Which stone belongs at the edge?
Which one works better within a course?
When is a joint becoming too wide?
When is a pattern beginning to lose its direction?
When should the paving remain regular, and when can a more relaxed natural arrangement work better?
This is the difference between simply placing material and understanding how to work with natural stone.
How the Course Works
The course takes place outdoors in Novosedly, South Moravia, Czech Republic, in the wine-growing region close to Mikulov and the Austrian border.
We normally begin at approximately 9:00 and finish around 15:00.
Theory is kept to what you actually need for the practical work. Most of the day is spent working directly with natural stone.
- We explain the construction beneath natural stone paving, including supporting layers, compaction, finished levels and drainage.
- We establish the first reference line and explain why the beginning of a paved surface influences everything that follows.
- You practise laying granite setts, controlling joints, bonding and connections between stones.
- We explore different paving layouts, which can include straight courses, double rows, curved patterns, circular paving and more informal arrangements.
- You work with irregular granite pieces and more natural paving suitable for garden environments.
- We finish by discussing common mistakes, jointing, maintenance and practical questions relating to participants’ own projects.
Throughout the day there is time for questions.
You can discuss your own garden path, courtyard, driveway, stone terrace, paving material, base construction, drainage or laying method.
For international course dates, a professional English interpreter is available throughout the practical training, so you do not need to speak Czech.
What Is Included in the Course?
- hands-on training in traditional natural stone paving,
- stone for the main practical techniques used during the course,
- tools and working equipment available on site,
- course facilities, seating, toilet and refreshments,
- time for individual questions and discussion of your own project,
- the opportunity to discuss base construction, jointing, materials, patterns and practical project considerations,
- course completion certificate,
- professional English interpretation on international course dates.
You do not need to buy specialist paving tools before attending.
Arrive in suitable work clothing and sturdy footwear. Stone, tools, working facilities and refreshments are prepared on site.
Why Attend before Starting Your Own Paving Project?
The most expensive mistake in natural stone paving is not buying expensive stone. It is building the surface incorrectly.
If the base, finished levels, edges or drainage are wrong, even beautiful granite paving can begin to sink, spread or become uneven.
One practical day can help you avoid hours of uncertainty and costly trial and error later.
Before you begin your own courtyard, path or driveway, you can first practise the principles with real stone under guidance.
Bring Your Own Project with You
If you are already planning a specific path, courtyard, driveway, garden paving area or stone surface around your home, bring photographs, dimensions, a sketch or a simple site plan.
During the course, we can discuss the principles relevant to your situation, including base layers, stone type, finished levels, drainage fall, edge restraint and the laying process.
Tradespeople, landscapers and smaller companies can also use the opportunity to discuss practical topics such as material consumption, tools, workflow, pricing and offering natural stone paving to customers.
Travelling from Abroad
The course takes place in Novosedly in South Moravia, approximately in the Mikulov wine region and close to the Austrian border.
There are accommodation options in Novosedly and the surrounding villages, as well as in the wider Mikulov area.
For participants travelling internationally, the location is also accessible from Vienna and Brno. Depending on the course date and prior arrangement, it may sometimes be possible to help organise transport from Vienna International Airport or Brno Airport.
If you are travelling from another country, we recommend arranging your accommodation and travel in advance.
What Happens after Booking?
Once your order has been completed and paid, your place on the selected course date is reserved.
Approximately one week before the course, we send practical organisational information including the exact location, recommended clothing, the day’s schedule and arrival instructions.
The course takes place outdoors and is primarily practical.
Stone, tools and the basic facilities needed for the day are prepared on site.
A Practical Course for Anyone Who Wants to Understand Natural Stone Paving
This is not a general classroom lecture about paving.
It is a practical course where you handle granite setts and irregular natural stone yourself, understand what lies beneath a good paved surface and experience how individual stones are selected, positioned and connected into a complete area.
If you want to understand how to build a granite-sett path, natural stone courtyard, driveway or garden paving area, this course gives you a practical foundation that you can later apply to your own project.
