The whole country — from castles to mountain trails

Prague Castle

A vast historic castle complex and the official seat of the Czech president.

St. Vitus Cathedral

Gothic cathedral with dazzling Mucha stained glass, inside the castle.

Charles Bridge

The 14th-century statue-lined bridge over the Vltava.

Old Town Square & Astronomical Clock

Medieval heart of Prague with the 1410 Orloj astronomical clock.

Hosts Prague's biggest Christmas & Easter markets.

Old Town Hall Tower

A tower gallery with an elevator and a broad panorama over Prague's Old Town.

Jewish Quarter (Josefov)

Historic synagogues, exhibitions and the Old Jewish Cemetery in Josefov.

Petřín Lookout Tower

A 63.5-metre steel lookout tower on Petřín Hill with wide city views.

The hillside erupts in cherry blossom in April.

Kampa Island & Lennon Wall

A quiet riverside island with the ever-changing John Lennon Wall.

National Museum

Grand neo-Renaissance museum crowning Wenceslas Square.

Lobkowicz Palace

Private palace inside the castle with a Beethoven manuscript and Canaletto views.

Vyšehrad Fort & Gardens

A hilltop fort with a neo-Gothic church and the city's most peaceful river views.

Letná Beer Garden

An open-air beer garden under chestnut trees with skyline and bridge views.

Open-air; runs roughly Apr–Oct.

Lokál Dlouhá

Fresh-tank Pilsner and honest Czech classics done properly.

Náplavka Riverfront

Vaulted-cellar bars and a Saturday farmers' market along the embankment.

Kutná Hora & Bone Church

A silver-mining UNESCO town and the eerie Sedlec Ossuary of 40,000 bones.

Karlštejn Castle

Charles IV's Gothic castle, built to safeguard royal treasures and relics.

Closed most of winter; peak tours Apr–Oct.

Konopiště Chateau

Archduke Franz Ferdinand's romantic hunting seat, ringed by a rose garden and deer park.

Rose garden peaks in June; park lovely in autumn colour.

Křivoklát Castle

A deeply medieval royal castle wrapped in the protected Křivoklátsko forests.

Český Krumlov

A fairy-tale UNESCO town wrapped in a bend of the Vltava.

Magical under snow; five-petalled rose festival in June.

Český Krumlov Castle & Tower

Bohemia's second-largest castle with a candy-striped tower and Baroque theatre.

Hluboká Chateau

A dazzling white neo-Gothic chateau modelled on England's Windsor.

Třeboň & the fishpond country

A renaissance spa town among vast medieval fishponds and peat-bog trails.

Autumn carp harvests (výlov) are a local spectacle.

Lipno Lake & Treetop Walk

Czechia's biggest reservoir — a summer water playground and winter ski resort.

Watersports Jun–Sep; skiing & the frozen-lake skate path Dec–Mar.

Holašovice Village

A perfectly preserved UNESCO village of pastel 'rural Baroque' farmhouses.

Šumava National Park

The 'Green Roof of Europe' — deep primeval forest, glacial lakes and peat bogs.

Cross-country skiing paradise Dec–Mar; wildflower meadows in early summer.

Pilsner Urquell Brewery

The birthplace of pilsner lager, with cellar tastings straight from the barrel.

Pilsen Old Town

A big square crowned by the tallest church tower in the country, plus vast beer cellars.

Karlovy Vary Spa Town

Grand 19th-century spa colonnades, hot springs and Becherovka.

Famous film festival in early July; misty colonnades are atmospheric in winter.

Mariánské Lázně

A greener, gentler spa town with a musical 'singing' fountain and grand colonnade.

Singing Fountain performs May–Oct on the hour.

Loket Castle & Town

A Gothic castle and preserved historic town above a tight bend of the Ohře River.

Bohemian Switzerland (Pravčická brána)

Europe's largest sandstone arch and dramatic gorge hikes near the German border.

Autumn foliage in the gorges is spectacular; some gorge boat rides run Apr–Oct.

Terezín Memorial

A former fortress town turned Nazi ghetto and prison — a sombre, essential memorial.

Žatec Hop Town

The world capital of hops — a UNESCO-listed brewing-heritage townscape.

The September hop harvest & Dočesná festival are the highlight.

Bohemian Paradise (Český ráj)

A protected landscape of sandstone rock towns, castles and the Trosky twin spires.

Autumn colour in the rock forests is superb.

Ještěd Tower

A hyperboloid mountaintop hotel-and-transmitter that looks like a spaceship.

Skiing off the summit Dec–Mar.

Sněžka & the Giant Mountains

The Czech Republic's highest peak (1,603 m), reachable by cable car.

Ridge hiking Jun–Sep; downhill & cross-country skiing Dec–Mar around Špindlerův Mlýn and Pec.

Adršpach Rock Town

A labyrinth of towering sandstone pillars, lakes and boat rides.

Frozen waterfalls draw ice climbers in deep winter.

Kuks Hospital & Bethlehem Wood

A grand Baroque terrace lined with Braun's Virtues-and-Vices statues.

Litomyšl Chateau

A UNESCO Renaissance arcade chateau covered in sgraffito, with a jewel-box Baroque theatre.

Renowned Smetana opera festival in June.

Pardubice Old Town & Chateau

Gingerbread, a famous steeplechase, and a handsome Renaissance chateau and square.

The Velká Pardubická steeplechase runs in October.

Telč

A UNESCO square of pastel Renaissance houses reflected in two ponds.

Pilgrimage Church of St John (Zelená hora)

Santini's star-shaped Baroque-Gothic church, a UNESCO one-off.

Třebíč Jewish Quarter & Basilica

A remarkably complete Jewish town and a Romanesque-Gothic basilica — both UNESCO.

Brno — Špilberk & Old Town

The lively Moravian capital — Špilberk fortress, a dragon legend, and a young café-and-bar scene.

Villa Tugendhat

Mies van der Rohe's 1930 masterpiece of functionalist architecture — UNESCO listed.

Lednice–Valtice Chateau & Park

A neo-Gothic chateau in the vast UNESCO-listed Lednice–Valtice cultural landscape.

Gardens at their best May–Sep; wine harvest festivities in autumn.

Mikulov & the Pálava Hills

A sun-baked wine town under white limestone hills and vineyards.

September–October grape harvest (vinobraní) and young burčák wine are the highlight.

Moravian Karst & Macocha Abyss

A limestone cave system with an underground river boat trip and a 138 m sinkhole.

Caves stay ~8°C year-round — a good rainy-day or heatwave option.

Znojmo & Podyjí National Park

A wine town of underground tunnels above the wild Dyje river canyon.

Big historic wine festival in September.

Olomouc

A grand university city with the UNESCO Holy Trinity Column and an astronomical clock of its own.

One of the country's loveliest Christmas markets.

Praděd & the Jeseníky Mountains

Moravia's highest range — open moorland ridges, waterfalls and a summit transmitter.

Skiing at Praděd/Ovčárna Dec–Apr; the range holds snow late.

Bouzov Castle

A romantic, film-favourite fairy-tale castle rebuilt in neo-Gothic style.

Kroměříž Gardens & Chateau

A UNESCO archbishop's chateau with an important picture gallery and Baroque flower garden.

Flower Garden at its peak May–Sep.

Wallachian Open-Air Museum

The country's biggest open-air folk museum — a living Wallachian mountain village.

Live folk festivals in summer; candle-lit Christmas programme in December.

Luhačovice Spa

Moravia's largest spa, famous for Dušan Jurkovič's whimsical folk-Art-Nouveau buildings.

Pustevny & Radhošť (Beskydy)

A folk-Art-Nouveau mountain resort with a ridge walk to the pagan god Radegast's statue.

Sledding and skiing in winter; the 'Valašsko' ridge glows in autumn.

Lower Vítkovice, Ostrava

A vast former ironworks reborn as a museum, gallery and gasholder concert hall.

Štramberk & Trúba Tower

A steep, timbered 'Moravian Bethlehem' below a round castle tower.

Negrelli Viaduct

A brick railway viaduct completed in 1850 across the Vltava near Štvanice Island, still in use today.

Slapy Reservoir

A large Vltava reservoir used for summer swimming, boating and waterside stays.

Swimming & boat cruises Jun–Sep.

Kokořín Castle & Rocks

A romantic Gothic castle above a wooded valley of sandstone rock formations.

Koněprusy Caves

The largest cave system in Bohemia, with a medieval coin-forger's workshop inside.

Guided tours Apr–Oct; caves stay ~10°C.

Český Šternberk Castle

A mid-13th-century castle above the Sázava river, held by the Sternberg family since its founding.

Full timetable May-Oct; Nov-Apr weekends/holidays only, fixed tour times.

Točník & Žebrák Castles

Two adjacent royal castle ruins near Hořovice: Žebrák below, Točník built above it around 1400.

Both close for winter, roughly Dec-Feb.

Nelahozeves Castle

A fortified Renaissance chateau built 1553-1613, owned by the Lobkowicz family since 1623.

Blaník

A 638m forested hill and the core of a small protected landscape area, topped by a Hallstatt-era hillfort.

Žleby Chateau

A Gothic-origin chateau, first documented in 1289, rebuilt 1849-1868 into its current neo-Gothic form.

Closed Jan-Mar and Nov-Dec (except Advent tours).

Zvíkov Castle

The 'king of Czech castles' on a rocky spur above the confluence of the Vltava and Otava.

Jindřichův Hradec Chateau

The third-largest castle complex in the country, beside a large fishpond.

Červená Lhota Chateau

A scarlet Renaissance water chateau on a rock island in the middle of a pond.

Orlík Castle & Reservoir

A neo-Gothic Schwarzenberg chateau at the water's edge of a huge Vltava reservoir.

Boat cruises to Zvíkov run in summer.

Tábor Old Town

The fortress town founded by the radical Hussites, riddled with medieval tunnels.

Rabí Castle

The largest castle ruins by area in the Czech Republic, a fortress above the Otava river near Sušice.

Rožmberk Pond

The largest fishpond in the Czech Republic (489 ha), engineered 1584-1590 by Jakub Krčín near Třeboň.

Black Lake (Šumava)

The largest glacial lake in Czechia, dark and still under a steep forested wall.

Trails snow-covered in winter (ski touring).

Kašperk Castle

The highest-set royal castle in Bohemia, on a ridge deep in the Šumava foothills.

Švihov Castle

A late-15th-century Gothic water castle still surrounded by a moat fed from adjoining ponds.

Boat tour around the walls runs May-Sep only.

Cheb Old Town

A historic border town with a unique cluster of medieval merchant houses and a Romanesque castle.

Bečov nad Teplou Chateau

A castle-and-chateau pair guarding the Reliquary of St Maurus, a Romanesque treasure.

Kynžvart Chateau

A neoclassical chateau remodeled 1821-1836 for Austrian Chancellor Klemens von Metternich.

Říp Mountain

The legendary hill where forefather Čech is said to have founded the Czech nation.

Milešovka

The highest and windiest peak of the volcanic Central Bohemian Uplands.

Litoměřice

A well-preserved royal town chartered in 1219, at the confluence of the Elbe and Ohře rivers.

Mácha's Lake

A large medieval fishpond turned beloved summer bathing lake, ringed by pine woods.

Beaches & boat hire Jun–Sep.

Trosky Castle

Twin ruined towers on two basalt volcanic plugs — the icon of Bohemian Paradise.

Sychrov Chateau

A neo-Gothic Rohan family chateau with a famous English landscape park.

Rhododendrons bloom in May.

Bezděz Castle

A mighty early-Gothic royal castle crowning a lone conical hill.

Frýdlant Castle and Chateau

A combined medieval castle and Renaissance chateau above the town of Frýdlant, near the Polish border.

Closed Nov-Mar.

Valdštejn Castle

A small early-Gothic rock castle built on sandstone pillars in the 13th century, near Turnov.

Closed Nov-Mar.

Prachov Rocks

A dense maze of sandstone towers and gorges, the most famous rock town of Bohemian Paradise.

Autumn colour among the rocks is superb.

Hradec Králové

The 'salon of the republic' — a handsome city of brick Gothic and pioneering modern architecture.

Ratibořice Chateau and the Old Bleachery

An Empire-style chateau in Grandmother's Valley, with the adjoining free Old Bleachery cottage nearby.

Main season roughly Apr/May-Oct.

Opočno Chateau

A Renaissance chateau rebuilt 1560-67 for Vilém Trčka of Lípa around an arcaded courtyard.

Náchod Chateau

A chateau on a hilltop above Náchod, developed from a medieval castle into a Baroque-Rococo residence.

Kost Castle

A high-Gothic castle built before 1349, sited on a spit of land between two brooks rather than a hilltop.

Closed Jan-Mar and Nov-Dec.

Seč Reservoir

A clean reservoir among wooded hills at the foot of the Iron Mountains, ringed by trails.

Swimming & boat hire Jun–Sep.

Kunětická Hora Castle

A late-Gothic castle on a volcanic hill rising alone from the flat Elbe plain.

Dalešice Reservoir

A deep, fjord-like reservoir winding through the wooded hills of the highlands.

Náměšť nad Oslavou Chateau

A Renaissance chateau above a stone bridge, famed for its tapestry collection and library.

Pernštejn Castle

A well-preserved Gothic-Renaissance castle with layered defensive architecture.

Vranov nad Dyjí Chateau

A dramatic Baroque chateau perched on a cliff above the Dyje river and its reservoir.

Slavkov u Brna (Austerlitz)

The Baroque chateau at the heart of the 1805 Battle of Austerlitz battlefield.

Battle re-enactment each early December.

Brno Reservoir

Brno's lakeside playground, with boat cruises out to the fairy-tale Veveří Castle.

Boat cruises & beaches Apr–Sep.

Punkva Caves

A show-cave system in the Moravian Karst, its guided route ending in an underground boat ride.

Shorter hours and fewer tours Nov-Mar.

Šternberk Castle

A medieval castle rebuilt in Romantic style above a town at the edge of the Jeseníky.

Velké Losiny Chateau & Paper Mill

A Renaissance chateau linked to the 17th-century witch trials, beside a working historic paper mill.

Helfštýn Castle

One of the largest castle ruins in Central Europe, with a bold modern roof over its palace.

Dlouhé Stráně Pumped Storage Power Plant

The Czech Republic's largest pumped-storage plant, with Europe's largest reversible water turbine.

Advance online reservation required; upper-reservoir circuit runs May-Nov only.

Zbrašov Aragonite Caves

The warmest caves in the Czech Republic (14°C year-round), with rare aragonite formations.

Guided tours only; reduced hours Nov-Mar, closed Dec-Jan.

Velehrad Basilica

A major Baroque pilgrimage basilica linked to Saints Cyril and Methodius.

Buchlovice Chateau

An Italian-style Baroque villa-chateau set in a park famous for its fuchsias.

Fuchsia festival in summer.

Vizovice Chateau

A Baroque chateau built 1749-1770 with period interiors and English and French gardens.

Hukvaldy Castle & Game Park

A sprawling hilltop castle ruin above a deer park, birthplace region of composer Janáček.

Hradec nad Moravicí Chateau

A White and Red Chateau in a large English park where Beethoven and Liszt once played.

Landek Park

An open-air mining heritage museum at a former coal mine on Landek hill in Ostrava, with a mine train.

Prague Zoo

A major conservation-focused zoo spread across the wooded slopes of Prague's Troja district.

Safari Park Dvůr Králové

An African safari park you can drive through in your own car among rhinos and giraffes.

Self-drive safari runs Apr–Oct.

Zoo Zlín (Lešná)

A large park-zoo built around continents, with a chateau at its heart.

Zoo Ostrava

A big botanical-and-zoological park in a natural forest valley.

Zoo Brno

A hillside zoo above the Brno Reservoir with a children's zone and a wolf pack.

Zoo Liberec

The country's oldest zoo, set beside Liberec's historic centre and botanical garden.

Zoo Plzeň & DinoPark

A zoo-and-botanical-garden with an adjoining DinoPark of life-size dinosaurs.

Zoo Olomouc (Svatý Kopeček)

A forest-hillside zoo with the country's tallest zoo lookout tower.

Zoo Jihlava

A compact city zoo specialising in exotic reptiles and small predators.

Zoo Ústí nad Labem

A terraced hillside zoo above the Elbe, known for its orangutans and elephants.

Zoo Ohrada (Hluboká)

A lakeside zoo focused on European and farm animals, beside a hunting-themed chateau.