Czech Republic Guide
Central Bohemia
Few capital cities can boast such extensive unspoilt tracts of wooded countryside so near at hand as Prague. Once you leave the half-built high-rise estates of the outer suburbs behind, the softly rolling hills and somnolent villages of central Bohemia (Čechy) take over.
To the north, several chateaux grace the banks of the Vltava, including that of the wine-producing town of Mělník, on the Labe (Elbe) plain. Beyond Mělník lie the wooded gorges of the Kokořínsko region, too far for a day-trip unless you've your own transport, but perfect for a weekend in the country. One of the most obvious day-trip destinations is to the east of Prague: Kutná Hora, a medieval silver-mining town with one of the most beautiful Gothic cathedrals in the country and a macabre gallery of bones in the suburb of Sedlec.
Further south, there are several minor sights along the winding, picturesque Sázava valley. Probably the most impressive chateau near Prague is Konopiště, the ill-fated Archduke Franz Ferdinand's Boehmian seat, set in exceptionally beautiful and expansive grounds. Southwest of Prague, a similar mix of woods and rolling hills surrounds the popular castle of Karlštejn, a gem of Gothic architecture, dramatically situated above the River Berounka. There are numerous possibilities for walking in the region around Karlštejn and, further upstream, in the forests of Křivoklátsko. Immediately west of Prague, there are two places of pilgrimage: Lány is the resting place of the founder of the modern Czechoslovak state and summer residence of the president; and Lidice, razed to the ground by the SS, recalls the horror of Nazi occupation.
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