In the embrace of ancient castles: Top 18 Czech Republic attractions

Charles Bridge (Prague)

Charles Bridge is one of the main tourist attractions of the Czech capital. It connects the capital's Old Town and Malá Strana districts, and it can only be described with definitions of the highest degree — ancient, famous, beautiful.

The bridge is supported on 16 piers. It is 516 meters long and 10 meters wide. It is named in honor of Emperor Charles IV, who, in fact, gave the order in 1357 to begin its construction. According to legend, His Majesty, wishing to give the bonding mortar at the base of the bridge the best quality, ordered to collect eggs from all over Bohemia and bring them to the capital. However, the peasants of one of the villages even overdid it in their desire to please the king: they boiled these eggs and sent them, as they call it, ready for consumption.

Walking along the legendary bridge, every tourist will get unforgettable impressions from contemplating amazing landscapes, towers and sculptures.

St. Vitus Cathedral (Prague)

St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague is the main Gothic pearl not only of the city, but also of the whole country. It is one of the most beautiful Gothic churches in Europe.

The Cathedral of St. Vitus, Wenceslas and Vojtech is visible from any part of Prague. The other Gothic sights of the Czech Republic pale before it, because it is so unique and inimitable. The cathedral is located on the territory of Prague Castle and has stood here since the middle of the 14th century.

Canyons of Great America and Little America

Canyons of Great America and Little America are two natural gems of the Czech Republic. Although they were created by man, they still attract tourists with their extraordinary beauty.

The Great and Little America Canyons are part of the Karlštejn National Nature Reserve. A large number of karst formations are located here. Fourteen species of bats hibernate in the canyons.

Czech America is a very popular place. It is interesting for paleontologists, zoologists, tourists and filmmakers. Scenes for the movies "Lemonade Joe", "The Battery" and "Little Sea Villa" were filmed here. Divers are also interested in exploring the local lakes and speleologists in the caves.

Lednice Castle (Brno)

50 km from Brno, right on the border with Austria, is the pearl of South Moravia — the neo-Gothic castle Lednice, listed as a UNESCO cultural heritage site. The castle is immersed in greenery, because it is surrounded by a park of 200 hectares. And the local park is not just trees and walking paths. Here you can see a Venetian fountain, a Roman aqueduct, a Chinese pavilion, a minaret and the artificial ruins of John's castle.

The graceful yet majestic structure once served as the summer residence of the Liechtenstein family and today is one of the most popular historical and architectural monuments in the region. The castle is often called the "Romantic Wonder of Bohemia" or the "Neo-Gothic Pearl of Bohemia". The castle grounds regularly host various cultural and entertainment events — exhibitions, concerts, lectures, theater performances and much more.

Chocolate Museum (Prague)

Czech chocolate is popular all over the world for its delicious flavors. So we recommend paying tribute to it and checking out the Chocolate Museum near Old Town Square in Prague. At the entrance you will be treated to a chocolate bar or a cup of hot chocolate, and in the museum you will see cocoa beans of different shapes and sizes, learn the history of chocolate, and appreciate the rich collection of various chocolate wrappers and packages.

What do you think about the idea of trying your hand as a confectioner? At the museum you can make chocolate and then eat your product. You're sure to be full and proud of yourself.

Thermal springs (Karlovy Vary)

Those wishing to improve their health do not have to think about what to visit in the Czech Republic — of course, first of all, they should see the world-famous resort of Karlovy Vary. Mineral water from thermal springs here plays a major role in spa treatment. There are 13 thermal springs in the resort, of which 12 are used for treatment and recovery.

About 600 years ago, at the time of the birth of the spa business in Karlovy Vary, people came here more intuitively than purposefully — to the thermal water for the treatment of many ailments. The effectiveness of thermal waters on the body is due to their high mineral content.

Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul (Brno)

The Church of St. Peter and Paul is one of the most beautiful Romanesque churches in the world today. The interiors of the building are painted by the famous artist Martin Johann Schmidt. It is reliably known that by the 11th century on the site of the future temple stood a rather ancient fortress.

Nowadays the temple is a national monument of the Czech Republic and one of the most important architectural monuments of South Moravia.

Kostnica (Kutná Hora)

The town of Kutná Hora is located 80 kilometers from the Czech capital. Here is one of the sights of the Czech Republic, frightening and mesmerizing at the same time — the Church of All Saints, also known as Kostnica.

In medieval times, it was a common tradition to bury the dead in churches. This temple was no exception, but here the bones of the deceased are not just stored — the entire interior is made of them. The bones are decorated with chandeliers, crosses, coats of arms — all this is astonishing and even shocking to modern visitors.

The history of Kostnica dates back to the 13th century, when one of the monks scattered holy earth brought from Golgotha over the cemetery of the monastery. Later, the local land was considered holy, and it was considered a great honor to be buried in this cemetery. Subsequently, the cemetery began to rapidly increase in size due to endless wars, epidemics and floods. By the 16th century, the bones had accumulated so much that it was at this time that they began to be used for temple decoration.

Hluboká nad Vltavou Castle

This place is truly unique — the white facade of the castle stands out against a background of lush and bright greenery, and the flowerbeds of the nearby park are filled with colorful flowers.

The castle is an example of English romantic architecture, its facade is adorned with a beautiful ligature of white decorative elements, the view is completed by charming crenellated towers — the whole picture seems to have fallen from the pen of some talented storyteller. The palace is surrounded by an English park with ornamental ponds and rare species of trees.

Czech Switzerland National Park

Bohemian Switzerland is the youngest national park in the Czech Republic. It was officially opened on January 1, 2000. The park covers an area of 79 km2. It is located in the Ustec Region and is adjacent to the state border, where another national park, Saxon Switzerland, begins.

The main attraction of the park is a unique rock town. Here tourists visit the observation deck near Jetřichovice, admire the Kamenica Gorge and walk across the natural rock bridge Pravčické láky, which is considered a symbol of Czech Switzerland.

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The rock town of Adršpach

Adršpach is the largest rock town in the Czech Republic. It is located in the Adršpašsko-Teplice Rocks, the largest natural complex in Central Europe, which has been attracting tourists and travelers since the 18th century.

You will not see such a number of picturesque corners as in the Adršpašsko-Teplice Rocks practically anywhere else. Many of the bizarre rocky structures are reached by hiking trails, some of them can be reached only by stairs. Those who overcome all the steps will be able to admire the mountain lake and the Adrshpas waterfall. Right at the entrance to the complex is another lake, which in summer you can take a boat ride on.

Krusovice Brewery (Krusovice)

The history of the Krušovice Brewery dates back to the 16th century. The first written mention of the brewery dates back to 1581, but beer was obviously brewed here long before that. The fame and popularity of this enterprise came thanks to the emperor and Czech king Rudolf II, who purchased the brewery in Krusovice from the former owner Jiří Birka in 1583.

Krusovice beer is considered royal not only because Rudolf II owned the brewery, but also because he himself was a beer aficionado. Brewing became his outlet, and he devoted most of his life to it.

Today, Krušovice beer is served to officials and the brewery's halls are used for tours by guests from all over the world.

Syhrov Castle

Sychrov Castle is called a corner of prosperous France on Czech soil. It has always belonged to the French and this has given it a special reflection of taste and elegance.

Sychrov Castle is the "carved wonder of Bohemia", shrouded in secrets and legends about ghosts and the mysterious black lady. The history of the castle dates back to the 15th century, when this romantic castle came into the possession of the French Rogan family.

In the interiors of the castle there is a portrait gallery of the Rogan family, which now numbers about 240 portraits. Nowadays medieval fairs, banquets and romantic performances are held here.

Telč Museum City

The country's first cultural heritage monument is located in the southeastern part of the Bohemia region. It is the world-famous museum town of Telč, where organized tours from different cities of the country take place. The town is famous for its well-preserved Baroque and other Renaissance architecture, and its ancient center with unique buildings creates a stunning historical atmosphere.

The approximate year of the city's foundation is considered to be 1099. At first, all the city's buildings were made of wood, but a fire in the 14th century destroyed almost everything to the ground. At that time, new houses were built of stone, which have survived to this day.

Skoda Museum (Mladá Boleslav)

Not far from the Skoda factory, 50 kilometers north of the capital, there is an unusual museum, opened in honor of the centenary of the Czech car brand. The plant itself began its work in 1895 and has more than a century of history. That is why Skoda is one of the most famous and worthy brands of the country today.

Exhibition areas of the museum nowadays occupy about 1800 meters, and each exhibit is dedicated to the history of the development of the car brand. Not only unique models of Czech cars, but also separate spare parts and miniature copies of cars, as well as interesting photos, drawings, documents, letters and awards have found their place here. Some of the presented vintage cars are still in good condition and even participate in runs.

Historic village of Holašovice

Welcome to the village! But not an ordinary village, but an exemplary one.

In 1998, UNESCO specialists apparently decided to add something unusual to the Czech World Heritage List. Something that would not be a historic town center, a church or a castle. The eighth object on the list was unexpectedly a village. But, of course, it's not ordinary.

There are 23 manors here, built in a unique rustic baroque style. Approximately 40% of the houses were built before 1827. Holašovice is not a skansen, that is, not an open-air museum inhabited by actors. Ordinary people live here — there are about 150 of them — and they go about their normal daily business. Despite the gingerbread houses and the fact that Golašovice is on the World Heritage List, it is not a tourist attraction, although tourists love the village. For them there is a beer bar, a ceramics workshop and a hotel.

Moravian Karst

30 kilometers north of the Czech city of Brno is the largest karst reserve in Europe. The mysterious underground world that opens up to the visitors of the reserve allows them to get away from everyday life and plunge into another, unknown dimension. After the familiar architecture of cities, this place beckons with a peculiar "architecture" of caves, rocks, which were created for thousands of years by nature itself.

The area with caves stretches 25 km long, and the total area is about 90 square kilometers. The main attraction of the caves is the Matsokha Abyss — the largest underground abyss in Europe with a depth of 138 meters. There are special bridges for exploring the caves.

Lipno Ecological Trail

If central Bohemia is a land of castles, fortresses, museums and other cultural and historical values, the sights of western Bohemia are the country's natural treasures: nature reserves, living springs, thermal spas. We especially recommend you to pay attention to the Lipno Lake and the surrounding area.

This area was closed to tourists for 40 years and has been reopened recently, so today the area around the lake is the purest corner of pristine nature. In the growing forest there is an unusual eco-trail "through the treetops" — a 372-meter-long wooden platform with a constant gradual ascent to a height of 24 meters above the ground, where it ends with a 40-meter observation tower.