Prague: Best for Medieval Architecture
In the 14th century, Prague was a European megalopolis – the capital of the Holy Roman Empire and one of the Europe’s largest cities. The fascinating part is that it’s all still there. Stroll around Old Town Square and gawk at the medieval Astronomical Clock and the cross the Gothic Charles Bridge, before climbing up to Prague Castle, by some accounts the world’s largest castle complex. Explore the Prague Jewish Museum and tour some beautifully manicured baroque gardens, like the one at Wallenstein Palace.
Prague, of course, is also a vibrant 21st century European capital, with the galleries, museums, restaurants and pubs to match. Enjoy a vaunted Czech beer at a restaurant like Lokál, or traditional Czech duck or schnitzel at restaurants like Hostinec na Výtoni or Výčep.
Český Krumlov: Best for Fairytale Setting
Wrapped lovingly around a tight bend in the Vltava River in south of the country, Český Krumlov is Prague in miniature. The town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, sports a huge Renaissance castle complex, stirring views from every corner, and a warren of cobbled, old town lanes. Tour the castle and spend the rest of the day wandering. Art fans will want to visit the Egon Schiele Art Centrum, dedicated to the Austrian expressionist painter who maintained a studio here.
Planning tip: The word is out on Český Krumlov’s unique charms and, like Prague, the town gets crowded from May to September. Try to visit out of season and book hotels and restaurants in advance. Snag a table at Krčma v Šatlavské, an atmospheric medieval cellar with a mouthwatering menu of grilled meats.
Czech Switzerland National Park: Best for Natural Beauty
Head north of Prague to stretch your legs amid the startling stone towers, cliffs, rock fingers and arches of the Czech Switzerland National Park. The main attraction is the Pravčická Gate, Europe’s largest natural stone arch, but trails fan out in all directions and lead to less-frequented places of dramatic natural beauty. The park extends seamlessly into neighboring Germany as the Saxon Switzerland National Park (Sächsische Schweiz in German).
Planning tip: The Czech Switzerland National Park is a good jumping off spot for more hikes and dramatic rock formations. Lying north and west of the park, the Elbe Sandstone Rocks (Labské Pískovce) is a relatively quiet landscape park with its own stone towers and dramatic views.
Karlovy Vary: Best for Spa Architecture
Tour the historic promenades and colonnades and take in the grand neoclassical architecture here to experience the surviving glamor of 19th century spa culture. Back in the day, Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad) was the favored haunt of royals as well as the greatest thinkers, writers and composers of the time. Buy a porcelain drinking cup and sip the sulfurous waters said to help heal various ailments. Tour the Moser Glassworks, suppliers of fine glassware to British royalty since 1907, or ride the funicular up into the hills surrounding the town for breathtaking views and gentle hikes.
Kutná Hora: Best for Bone-Chilling Spectacle
Even if the medieval silver-mining mecca of Kutná Hora wasn’t home to Czechia’s eeriest attraction, it would still be worth the hour detour from Prague to take in the grand Gothic Cathedral of St Barbora, the Czech Silver Museum (which includes a visit down an ancient silver mine), and the Italian Court, home to the opulent Royal Mint. But toss in the chance to tour the Sedlec Ossuary, aka the “Bone Church,” and it’s a no-brainer. The work of local woodcarver František Rint, the bones of some 40,000 victims of plague and war have been creatively re-imagined as garlands of skulls and femurs. Pyramids of stacked bones squat in the corner chapels, and crosses and chalices of bone adorn the altar.
Olomouc: Best for Baroque Splendor
Olomouc is arguably Czechia’s prettiest large city outside of Prague, but attracts a fraction of the visitors. Moravia’s first capital exudes unexpected grandeur. Start your exploration on the expansive Upper Square to see the soaring 32m-high Holy Trinity Column – the largest baroque sculpture in Europe. The adjoining Lower Square is punctuated by a baroque Marian Column. Around these landmarks find six mythological baroque fountains.
The historic center is stuffed with beautiful Gothic and baroque churches. The sky-poking 100m-high St Wenceslas Cathedral boasts a crypt entombing Olomouc bishops. The 15th-century Church of St Maurice houses Central Europe's largest organ. The triple-domed 17th-century Church of St Michael glimmers with baroque. Olomouc was once a Habsburg fortress town. Trace the Theresian Walls in Bezruč Park, a ribbon of gardens along the fortress’s remnants.
Brno: Best for Cafes and Bars
Czechia’s second city, Brno, may lack the capital’s allure but makes up for it with authenticity and a youthful vibe. The result is a local bar and café scene that, well, feels buzzier than Prague’s. Bars like the secretive Super Panda Circus or centrally located Bar, Který Neexistuje (the “Bar that Doesn’t Exist”) set a trendy, speakeasy tone. Emerging coffee shops like Kimono and Kafe Friedrich keep the scene fresh.
Between pit stops, check out quirky underground attractions like the Labyrinth under the Vegetable Market or the Ossuary at the Church of St James. Pushing the envelope on ghoulish, the Capuchin Crypt below Capuchin Square shows off the mummified remains of 18th-century monks and benefactors.
Planning tip: Book ahead to tour the UNESCO-listed Villa Tugendhat, a modern masterwork from 1930 designed by German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe as a residence for the Jewish industrialist family of Greta and Fritz Tugendhat.
Mikulov: Best for Wine and Pretty Vineyards
Surrounded by limestone hills and long strips of grapevines, this gorgeous town is synonymous in the local lexicon with wine. Stroll the main street, called simply “Náměstí” (“Square) to find little tasting nooks like Zahrádka U Zajíce and (Ne) Vinná Kavárna. Stretch your legs along the 82km-long Mikulov Wine Trail.
The town center is impossibly picturesque. Mikulov’s centerpiece chateau rises dramatically from a rocky outcrop. Mikulov was also once the most important center of Jewish life and culture in Moravia. Stroll along quiet Husova Street, the heart of the old Jewish Quarter.
Planning tip: Mikulov is withing easy reach of two UNESCO-protected noble estates. Mighty Lednice Chateau is more visually impressive, with showpiece interiors and gardens adorned with noble architectural flexes. Valtice Chateau was the Liechtenstein ruling seat, with its own sprawling gardens.
Did you like the story and want to add your own experiences? Or maybe help me to correct something I didn’t get right? Write me at bakermark@fastmail.fm.