Czech Republic Travel Guide: Prague, Brno & Where to Go in 2026
Пиво, барокко и богемская меланхолия. Чехия играет намного выше своего размера — Прага очевидная цель, но страна драматически раскрывается за её пределами. Чешский Крумлов — идеально-открыточный средневековый городок. Моравский винный край — недооценённая центральноевропейская альтернатива Бургундии. А курортные города Карловы Вары и Марианские Лазне тихо принимают восстанавливающихся европейских путешественников с XIX века.
The Czech Republic is the country that exports its capital city as its identity, but the rest of the country rewards travelers who venture beyond Prague. Český Krumlov is the perfect medieval town two hours south. Moravia produces some of Central Europe's most interesting natural wines. The spa towns of Karlovy Vary and Mariánské Lázně have been hosting Europe's recovering writers, czars, and artists since the 1800s — and they still work.
Our Czech Republic coverage focuses on Prague's overlooked neighborhoods (Vinohrady, Žižkov) and the country routes beyond the capital. Scroll for the archive.
The travel personality: The Bohemian Wanderer
Quick facts
Live right now
Best time to visit
| Season | Why go |
|---|---|
| April-June | Mild, blossom season, fewer crowds before peak summer |
| September-October | Wine harvest, Czech autumn colors, perfect city weather |
| December | Christmas markets — Prague's Old Town Square the most famous |
Top cities to visit
Experiences you'll probably love
- Beer tasting in a Plzeň brewery — birthplace of pilsner, since 1842
- Sunrise walk across Charles Bridge before the tourist crowds arrive
- Klementinum Baroque library tour in Prague Old Town
- Moravian wine tasting in Mikulov's small family wineries
- Spa weekend in Karlovy Vary or Mariánské Lázně
Not many tourists know about…
- Stay in Vinohrady or Žižkov rather than Old Town — locals' Prague, half the price
- Coffee at Café Savoy — Prague's grand 19th-century café locals still go to
- Beer halls (pivnice) charge by the half-litre — never tip in cash, leave change on the table
- Sundays in spring at Letná park beer garden for views over the city
- Take the train to Kutná Hora for the Sedlec Ossuary — bones arranged into chandeliers
If you visit only once, make it this
UNESCO-listed medieval town wrapped inside a horseshoe bend of the Vltava — Czech Republic's most perfectly preserved medieval cityscape. Climb the painted Renaissance tower of the castle for the panorama, walk the cobbled streets when the day-trippers leave at 5pm.
3 hours from Prague by bus or train. Stay overnight; the magic happens after dark.
Where to walk & breathe
Pravčická Brána is the largest natural sandstone arch in Europe — 26m wide, 16m tall. Inside Bohemian Switzerland National Park near the German border. Trail through pine forests, the gorges along the Kamenice river, boat trips through illuminated chasms.
2 hours north of Prague by car. Best May-October.
Museums worth your time
Anchors Wenceslas Square — Neo-Renaissance building from 1891, reopened 2018 after major renovation. Czech history, natural sciences, the famous library reading room.
Visit website →The world's only museum dedicated to Alfons Mucha — original posters, drawings, oil paintings, photographs. His Sarah Bernhardt theater posters that defined Art Nouveau.
Visit website →Prague's leading contemporary art space in the Holešovice industrial district — the Gulliver air-ship (a wooden zeppelin sticking out of the building) hosts literary readings.
Visit website →The Insider's Edit
A few additions to the standard Prague itinerary:
Inside a 13th-century Augustinian monastery in Malá Strana — with the only working monastic brewery in a hotel.
The only privately owned building in Prague Castle — a family collection that includes Bruegels and original Beethoven and Mozart scores.
Czech contemporary art and architecture in a former Holešovice factory, with a Zeppelin sculpture on the roof.
The 1701 spa town's grand hotel — filmed as Wes Anderson's Grand Budapest. Thermal water cures still the original draw.
Where to eat
Two Michelin stars (Czechia's only 2-star) — chef Oldřich Sahajdák's modern Bohemian tasting menus built around a 19th-century Czech cookbook. Only 22 seats.
One Michelin star — modern Nordic-influenced cooking by chef Radek Kašpárek in Prague's Old Town. The tasting menu changes weekly with the market.
'The Blue Duckling' in Malá Strana — traditional Czech and Bohemian game (the duck and venison dishes are the signature), in a 17th-century building.
Prague's oldest brewery still operating (since 1499) — they brew exactly one beer, a dark 13° lager. Touristy but the beer is the real deal.
Where to stay
On the Vltava riverbank with Charles Bridge view — three connected historic buildings (a Baroque palace, Renaissance house, and modern wing). Spa, riverside restaurant.
Seven historic buildings including a 13th-century monastery (Augustinian monks still live in part of it) — Refectory restaurant, courtyard gardens, walking distance to Prague Castle.
Quirky Malá Strana boutique with a vinyl-record-meets-mid-century theme — the in-house Sound Bar, hidden among the cobblestones below Prague Castle.
1908 Art Nouveau bank building converted to boutique hotel, refreshed 2024 — central Old Town location, rooftop terrace, the Próza bar attracts locals.
Realistic daily budget
Per person, per day. Excludes flights. Peak season can run 20-40% higher.
Travel safety & inclusivity
Safety scores reflect UK FCDO & US State Department travel advisories. LGBTQ+ scores reflect Equaldex and ILGA-Europe rankings. Both refreshed quarterly.
Major festivals
Need a visa for Czech Republic?
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Articles in this section are written by Locals Insider editorial team. Want to share your experience about Czech Republic? Email us at hello@localsinsider.com.
