A park in the town of Telč. Photo © Igor Plotnikov/123rf.
As great as the Golden City is, it would be a shame if you didn’t expand your horizons a little bit by hitting the road and enjoying some of the more interesting and inspiring day trips the country has to offer. From castles to colonnades, museums and mom-and-pop wine cellars, you’ll quickly come to realize that the Czech Republic has a lot more going for it than the its castle or the Charles Bridge.
Bohemia
After breakfast, jump on a train or in the car and head to Karlštejn Castle. Enjoy the trip along the Berounka River, and when you get to the castle, don’t be put off by the busloads of tourists—there simply isn’t a down time here. Settle on a tour of your liking and have fun roaming through the castle’s various rooms and chapels. For lunch, try either Koruna or U Janů for tasty traditional Czech fare.
Kutná Hora, part of UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage List, boasts the masterfully Gothic St. Barbara’s Cathedral. Take your time admiring its remarkable interiors, then set off for another memorable interior—the morbid yet fascinating Sedlec Ossuary with its unbelievable collection of human bones. If you haven’t lost your appetite, try Pivnice Dačický for a traditional Czech lunch or local fave U Šneka Pohodáře for yummy pizza pie. Depending on time or interest, check out the Czech Silver Museum and Medieval Mine or take a walk through town and soak up life in a slower, friendlier Bohemia.
Leave Prague as early as possible because you’ll want to maximize your time in the medieval paradise that is Český Krumlov. Stroll through the town’s historic center and stop for lunch at either Tavern U dwau Maryí or Cikánská jizba before heading off to the castle, where tours through Masquerade Hall and Mirror Hall will simply astound. Don’t forget to peer into the Bear Moat, and if shopping is in the cards for you, definitely stop by Egon Schiele Art Centrum for funky, creative souvenirs.
Up and at ‘em nice and early before making your way to Karlovy Vary, the Czech Republic’s largest and most famous spa. Head straight for the springs and see whether you can actually stomach the metallic-tasting water. Enjoy walking around the town’s five colonnades, stopping only for lunch before wandering around the peaceful town some more. Visit historical sights like the Russian Orthodox Church of St. Peter and Paul or take a tour of the Becherovka factory, where one of the country’s most popular liqueurs is made.
Moravia
Hit the road for a trip to the peaceful, picturesque, and UNESCO-listed town of Telč. The town square, one of the prettiest in the country, deserves a slow, appreciative stroll through it, so take time to enjoy all the well-preserved examples of Renaissance and baroque architecture. Have lunch on the charming summer terrace of Šenk pod věží, then head up to remarkable Telč Castle, where a tour of its lavishly decorated halls will leave you breathless. If there’s time, make sure to explore a few of the countryside’s numerous lakes and forests.
Pay a visit to the heart of wine country and the town of Mikulov. Start with the remarkably well-preserved Renaissance buildings that characterize the town square. Pop your head into the Church of St. Wenceslas for a look at one of the country’s most valuable church organs then settle in for lunch. Afterward, up to Mikulov Castle you go, where you can learn plenty about Moravia’s wine history at the Regional Museum of Mikulov as well as feast your eyes on Central Europe’s second-largest wine barrel. Spend the rest of your time sampling the local wine at various wineries and wine cellars, and make sure to buy a few bottles for friends and family back home.
Excerpted from the Third Edition of Moon Prague & Budapest.
