The Czech Republic is the place to go if you’re searching for charm, reasonable costs, and a strategic location ideal for touring Europe. While Prague is where most visitors go, the nation has a lot more to offer in the way of ancient towns, breathtaking natural areas, and fairytale-like architecture.
More than 2,000 castles, numerous UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and an incredible skyline dotted with medieval bridges, towers, and spires can all be found in the Czech Republic.
You probably won’t be dissatisfied whether your goal is to unwind, discover the outdoors, or visit the nation’s renowned Christmas markets. Using our list of the top destinations in the Czech Republic, you can organize your sightseeing.
Kutna Hora
The majority of tourists visiting Kutna Hora come to view the Sedlec Ossuary, a Baroque chapel filled with the remains of more than 40,000 people who died during the Hussite Wars and the Black Death in the 14th and 15th centuries.
It is also worthwhile to see the nearby St. Barbara’s Church, a Gothic masterpiece and UNESCO World Heritage site. Kutna Hora is now home to a few historical sites that retain that regal past.
The region was once a thriving center for silver mining and processing. Visitors have the option of going below a medieval mine or visiting a mining museum that simulates life for miners during the 17th through the 19th century.The neighboring Italian Court palace, which now houses a coin minting museum, was formerly a royal minting facility. Visitors can visit the royal chapel inside the palace and mint their coins to take home.
Following a tour, you can stray into the palace’s cellar to view a one-of-a-kind exhibition on Kutna Hora’s shadowy past, which includes documents from the Middle Ages detailing crimes, cases of witchcraft and arsonists, and tools used for interrogation and torture.
Český Krumlov
The Czech Republic’s southern region can be explored from Cesky Krumlov, a smaller, more personal version of the capital city. Walking around the city’s Old Town, with its cobblestone lanes and independent shops, is a terrific way to explore.
Cesky Krumlov’s castle is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Monument and one of the town’s features, but the part of the castle that draws the most tourists is the tower because of its breathtaking views of the town.
This is the only Baroque theatre in the Czech Republic. It was constructed in 1682, and all of its original mechanical stage props and decorations are still present. However, as there are only two open performances each year, getting tickets is difficult. Summertime visitors to Cesky Krumlov also come for water activities, including rafting and tubing on the Vltava River.
Karlovy Vary
Since the 19th century, Karlovy Vary has been a spa resort with several hot springs that are reputed to have healing effects. There are many spas and wellness facilities in this area that provide everything from traditional massages to cupping to healing baths.
Karlovy Vary’s vibrant neo-Baroque and neo-Renaissance structures give the city a distinctive architectural style that is unmatched in other Czech cities. Karlovy Vary is a photographer’s dream with the addition of the spectacular mill colonnade, which houses five of the largest hot springs in the city. It’s also worthwhile to visit the Moser Museum, which honors the renowned Czech glass making legacy.
Take the funicular to Friendship Hill’s summit, then climb the Diana Lookout Tower for the best views in the area. To return to the town and see even more stunning sights, you can use the marked trails that are available. Over 100,000 movie fans and Hollywood celebrities attend the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival each year, which has been held every summer since 1946. Over 200 films from around the globe are presented during the five-day festival.
Prague
Prague is rich with magical architectural creations, with Art Nouveau and Cubist structures coexisting with Baroque palaces and Gothic churches all around the city. Prague’s Dancing House is a tribute to contemporary steel and glass design, and its 600-year-old astronomical clock is one of the Old Town’s most beautiful buildings.
The ancient Charles Bridge Tower and the Old Town Hall Tower, which tower above the main square, provide views of the city’s red rooftops and the popular Christmas market in the winter. These are some of Prague’s best vantage points. Additionally, there is the view from Prague Castle, which dates back to the ninth century and is located atop a hill. According to Guinness Globe Records, it is the largest castle complex in the entire world.
Prague, a center of culture and history, has more than 100 museums, including one honoring local author Franz Kafka, the National Museum, which has more than 14 million artifacts, and the more unusual Museum of Communism. Not to be missed is the Strahov Library, which dates back to the 12th century and is regarded as one of the most stunning libraries in the world.
Brno
The second-largest city in the Czech Republic, Brno, doesn’t receive much attention, but if you know where to look, there are a tonne of intriguing things to do there. The imposing Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul dominates Brno’s city center and serves as a wonderful starting point for visiting the Old Town and its stunning Gothic and early Baroque buildings.
Although there aren’t as many museums in Brno as there are in Prague, the city nevertheless has some interesting options. Visit the Museum of Romani Culture, descend into the subterranean 10-Z nuclear bunker, or head to the Brno City Museum housed inside Pilberk Castle.
In addition, Brno is home to the second-largest ossuary in Europe, which is situated beneath the Church of St. James, as well as the renowned network of cellars and tunnels known as the “Labyrinth under Vegetable Market.” Brno is a terrific city to tour on foot because it has a vibrant café scene and a tonne of outdoor markets to explore. A day excursion to the Moravian Karst, a spectacular karst environment with more than 1,000 caverns and gorges, is an option for those seeking more adventure.
Bohemian Switzerland National Park
One of the most beautiful natural areas in the nation is Bohemian Switzerland, which features Sandstone Mountains, rock labyrinths, deep valleys, and ravines. Pravická brána, the largest sandstone rock arch in Europe at 16 meters high and about 27 meters wide, is the park’s most well-known feature.
The park is adjacent to Saxon Switzerland National Park in Germany, and for the best hike, paths crisscross between the two countries. The gorges of the Kamenice River, where a ferryman will row you away through the constricting sandstone passageways and near waterfalls, are among the other major attractions in Bohemian Switzerland National Park.
Liberec
The 94-meter-tall Jetd Tower, which is perched atop its eponymous mountain, is what makes the fifth-largest city in the nation more famous. Originally intended only as a TV transmitter, the concrete tower is now home to a hotel and a restaurant. Those who are feeling more intrepid can climb up to the tower, but you can also ride a cable car to the top of the hill. You’ll be rewarded with breathtaking open vistas of the Lusatian Mountains once you arrive here. Over nine kilometers of ski and snowboard slopes are created on the hills surrounding the tower in the winter.
There is a lot to discover in Liberec, despite its modest size. Visit the first humanoid robot in the Czech Republic at the iQLANDIA planetarium and scientific museum, stroll through the themed pavilions at the botanical garden, or investigate the historic Frdtejn Castle.
Špindlerův Mlýn
Located next to the Krkonoe Mountains and national park, Spindleruv Mlyn is a ski resort in the winter and a hiking haven for the rest of the year. The most significant winter sports complex in the nation is in Spindleruv Mlyn, which has 25 ski slopes for skiers of all abilities and 11 ski lifts.
. Non-skiers can attempt snow tubing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, or ice climbing a frozen waterfall. Visitors can try a 120-meter zipline above the Labská dam in the summer, explore the cycling lanes (the longest route is 71 kilometers long and connects the cities of Harrachov and Aclé), or embark on one of the several hiking trails that crisscross the region.
Šumava National Park
The largest tract of prehistoric woodland on the continent can be found in Sumava National Park. The park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve with rising peat bogs, green mountains, and glacial lakes, is still largely undeveloped and natural. No matter you hike the forest trails or ascend to the viewing tower atop Polednk mountain, hiking here is a unique experience.
The enormous 680 square kilometer Sumava offers a variety of hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing paths. Additionally, Kaperk Castle and erné jezero, the nation’s deepest natural lake, is located just beyond the park’s boundaries.
Telč
The town square in Telc, a little town, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, the plaza is lined with a variety of vibrant Renaissance and Baroque homes with tall gables and sgraffito-covered exteriors. Tel was formerly a moat- and gate-enclosed water stronghold from the Middle Ages.
Fishponds still encircle the chateau at the end of the plaza, even though none of it still exists today. The chateau, which is only accessible through a guided tour, is located where the ancient Gothic castle once stood. Within the royal grounds are a beautiful church and a museum of local history.
For fantastic views of the fanciful rooftops, visitors can ascend the tower of the adjoining Holy Ghost Church and return to the square. The 34-meter-high steel Oslednice lookout tower on the town’s outskirts offers not only a view over the town but also a glimpse of the roof of Rostejn Castle in the distance, providing an even more spectacular vision of Telc.
Holašovice
Over 100 structures make up the 17 Baroque farms that make up this tiny historic community. The earliest structures, which are located close to the protected Blank Forest, date back to the 1200s, though the majority were rebuilt in the 18th and 19th centuries. The farms are permanently occupied, even though the area resembles an open-air museum and some of the structures have been converted into tourist attractions. There are farms here as well as a blacksmith shop and a small chapel.
A significant “construction of the Maypole” celebration is held here in April, and the village hosts an era-specific Bohemian fair in July. Visit the pottery studio to acquire a personalized keepsake after exploring the village’s exhibit on early 20th-century farm life. Anything from your cup to an address plate for your door may be made here using traditional Southern Bohemian techniques.
Olomouc
Olomouc, which is situated right on the Morava River, is full of irregular, narrow cobblestone alleyways that are ideal for strolling through. A variety of historical landmarks can be found in the city, such as the 35-meter-tall Holy Trinity Column, which was constructed in part to commemorate the end of the epidemic and six Baroque fountains that originally served as the community’s primary water source. The neo-Gothic Saint Wenceslas Cathedral and the town hall with its astronomical clock are two more notable structures.
Other notable museums in Olomouc include the open-air Folk Architecture Museum, the interactive science museum Fortress of Knowledge, and a railroad museum. These museums depict the history of farming and crafts through old structures and items used in the trades.
Both the Olomouc castle and the adjoining Olomouc fortress are noteworthy attractions, and both are encircled by lovely greenery ideal for a stroll in the sunshine. Another reason to visit Olomouc is the surprise flavors of Moravian cuisine, which include the well-known ripened curd cheese Olomoucké Tvarůžky.
Krkonoše National Park
The Snezka (Snow), the highest mountain in the Czech Republic at 1,602 meters, is located in Krkonoe National Park, which is also the nation’s oldest national park. The park, which is brimming with breathtaking, picture-perfect hiking and biking paths, is also a skier and snowshoer’s dream come true.
Sledding, snow tubing, and even ice climbing are available for thrill-seekers, all under a guide’s supervision. If you’re up for some serious hiking, you may simply start in one nation and end in the other because the park is located adjacent to the Polish border and the Karkonosze National Park on the Polish side.
Kroměříž
This charming ancient city, which is situated along the Morava River in the Zlin Region, is well-known for the Kromeriz Castle and its stunning gardens, which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The castle has appeared in numerous motion pictures, including Amadeus (1984), Immortal Beloved (1994), and Angélique (1999). (2013). You can explore the castle, which includes the 84-meter Chateau Tower, the former library, the chateau art gallery, and more, in addition to the expansive gardens. You can also get breathtaking open city views by climbing the tower.
České Budějovice
Ceské Budejovice is worth a visit, at the very least for an afternoon, and is only 25 kilometers from Esk Krumlov and roughly 150 kilometers south of Prague. The old town square of the city is surrounded by vibrant Baroque structures. The Black Tower, which is 72 meters high, is close by. For a fantastic perspective of the main square and its red rooftops climb to the summit. There are a lot of shorelines to explore in the city because it is situated where the Vltava and Malse rivers meet.
One of the most magnificent castles in the nation, Hluboká castle, is only 12 kilometers from ceské Budejovice. Although the home was built in the 13th century, restorations made in the 1800s gave it its current neo-Gothic appearance. The castle’s expansive English gardens, a trip up the tower for breathtaking views of the surrounding area, or a tour of the interior chambers and halls are all available to guests.