Czech Republic Guide
Things not to miss
1 Žďár nad Sazavou, Zelená Hora
• Star-shaped Gothic-Baroque pilgrimage church by Giovanni Santini, dedicated to the martyr St John of Nepomuk.
2 Rožnov pod Radhoštěm
• Moravian town that's home to the largest and most impressive open-air folk museum in the Czech Republic.
3 Český ráj
• Natural playground within easy reach of Prague, with densely wooded hills, sandstone rock "cities" and a smattering of ruined castles.
4 Třeboňsko
• South Bohemian flatlands with the pretty walled town of Třeboň at its heart, surrounded by medieval carp ponds.
5 Plzeň brewery
• World-famous brewery where, in 1842, the world's first lager, Pilsner Urquell, was produced.
6 Telč
• Telč's vast, arcaded main square is one long parade of perfectly preserved sixteenth-century facades and gables, culminating in a handsome Renaissance chateau.
7 Karlovy Vary
• Grandiose late nineteenth-century spa town lying in a steep valley, and home to the Czech Republic's premier film festival.
8 Terezín
• This Habsburg-era military fortress was transformed into a "model" Jewish ghetto by the Nazis, though in reality it was simply a transit camp en route to Auschwitz.
9 Litomyšl
• This tiny Bohemian town, the birthplace of Bedřich Smetana, is home to a very handsome Renaissance chateau and the weird and wonderful Portmoneum, designed by self-taught artist Josef Váchal.
10 Mariánské Lázně
• Elegant fin-de-siècle Bohemian spa town set in verdant wooded hills – and once a firm favourite with European royalty.
11 Pernštejn
• Highly atmospheric hilltop Gothic castle with dizzying sheer walls and spectacular views across the wooded hills.
12 České Švýcarsko (Bohemian Switzerland)
• Switzerland it may not be, but this forested border region features outlandish sandstone outcrops and boat trips down the River Kamenice.
13 Roast pork, dumplings and cabbage
• Known colloquially as vepřo-knedlo-zelo, this is the quintessential Czech comfort food and pub grub staple.
14 Český Krumlov
• Medieval town of steep cobbled streets, picturesquely situated in a tight U-bend of the River Vltava.
15 Moravský kras
• Moravia's karst region, just outside Brno, replete with cave systems featuring superb stalactites and stalagmites and an underground river.
16 Nové Město nad Metují
• Pint-sized east Bohemian town with a picture perfect main square and a Baroque chateau with a rich and remarkable interior, reconstructed in 1908.
17 Hiking in the Šumava
• Bordering Germany and Austria, the rolling, wooded hills of the Šumava is an unspoilt terrain best explored on foot.
18 Budvar beer
• Taste the original Budweiser beer in the one of the many pubs serving Budvar in České Budĕjovice.
19
Strážnice folk festival • This Moravian folk jamboree is the country's biggest and most popular, with lots of impromptu music-making in addition to the official programme.
20 Slavonice
• Slavonice's tiny old town sports more pictorial sgraffito facades than any other town in the republic.