Czech Republic: Itinerary Planning Guide

The Czech Republic — officially Czechia since 2016 — contains one of Europe's finest collections of medieval architecture and almost no visitors who venture beyond Prague. That city alone justifies the trip: a UNESCO-listed old town of Gothic churches, Baroque palaces, Art Nouveau buildings, and a castle complex visible from every point in the city. Prague largely escaped World War II's bombing and Cold War-era demolition, leaving its medieval and Renaissance architecture uniquely intact. Beyond Prague, the country rewards exploration. Český Krumlov is a Renaissance castle town on a river bend, often called the most beautiful small town in Europe. Kutná Hora has a Gothic cathedral rivalling Chartres and an ossuary (bone church) with chandeliers made from human remains. Brno is a university city with Bauhaus architecture and an excellent food and wine scene that operates entirely outside the tourist circuit. Czech beer culture is a genuine tradition — Czech pilsner was invented here (Plzeň/Pilsen) and the country has the world's highest per-capita beer consumption. Drinking beer in a Czech pub (hospoda) remains one of Europe's great unpretentious pleasures, at prices that feel absurd compared to Western European capitals.