The capital Prague is well-known, but the other regions of Czech Republic aren’t as familiar to many travellers. This small central European country is packed with amazing places – especially beautiful historic towns, but much more besides – and despite living there for over four years, I still have plenty of ground to cover there!
Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, but the furthest that most visitors I’ve met venture from the city is Prague Airport to fly back home.
In this article I show you what else there is to see in the Czech Republic beyond Prague, divided neatly into regions. After a brief introduction, I give you an overview of each Czech region, showing you the must-see highlights and the pick of my off the beaten track discoveries.
Regions of the Czech Republic – Introduction
The map above shows you the 13 regions of the Czech Republic.
Czechs generally tend to divide the country into three sections:
Bohemia (Čech) – the western part of the country, which includes Prague.
Moravia (Morava) – which covers most of the east and southeast of the country;
Moravia-Silesia (Morava-Slezska), covering the northeastern corner of the country, bordering Poland
I’ve divided Bohemia and Moravia further along similar lines to Visit Czechia, the country’s tourist board.
Visiting The Czech Republic – What You Need To Know
Prague and the rest of the Czech Republic are very different – the capital had long since tipped into ‘overtouristed’ territory
Culturally it’s an incredibly rich country, with 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, with many of the finest castles and palaces in Europe
The Czech landscape is very varied, from the sandstone ‘rock cities’ of the north to the forests and lakes of the south and west, and the rolling hills and fields of South Moravian wine country to the peaks of the Krkonoše near the border with Poland
There are hundreds of beautiful towns and villages around the country, with many well-preserved old towns and squares from the medieval, Renaissance and Baroque eras
Train and bus services around Central Bohemia, the region surrounding Prague, are excellent, and many places across the country are accessible by public transport
You sometimes need to hire a car to explore the Czech Republic – mostly in rural or mountain areas like the Šumava in the southwest, the southern border area next to Austria, and Moravian Wine Country.
Regions of Czech Republic
Prague – City of a Hundred Spires – The Capital
Prague – the ‘mother of cities’, the ‘golden city’ and ‘city of a hundred spires’ – is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. After the fall of communism in 1989 Central and Eastern Europe quickly opened up to visitors for the first time in over 50 years, and Prague became the most popular of these new destinations. We lived there for over four years, and watched the crowds grow in that time.
The places mentioned in the highlights section are the busiest, but even in peak season a little strategy pays off. Set the alarm clock early for sunrise on the stupendous Charles Bridge, and walk the cobbled streets of the Old Town before everyone else wakes up. Do the same the following day around Prague Castle, the surrounding Hradčany district and Malá Strana.
Prague Highlights
Charles Bridge at sunrise – when one of the world’s most beautiful bridges is at its best – and quietest
Prague Castle – one of the largest Castles in the world, with outstanding exhibitions, gardens and St Vitus Cathedral, one of the great Gothic churches of Europe
Church of Our Lady Before Týn – one of the great Prague landmarks, with its enchanting fairytale (and slightly mismatched!) Gothic spires
Malá Strana – the heart of Baroque Prague, mostly built in the 17th century between Prague Castle and the Charles Bridge
Jewish Prague – one of the best-preserved medieval Jewish quarters in Europe
Prague – Best Hidden Gems To Seek Out
Žižkov – slightly renegade former working-class district, with some of the best pubs in Prague, a nuclear bunker, the ‘second ugliest building in the world’, and much more
St Agnes Convent – Old Town monastery now the setting for the National Gallery Prague’s collection of medieval and religious art
Břevnov Monastery – monastery and brewery founded in 993 AD, both still going strong, worth the visit for the Baroque church, Romanesque crypt and sublime beer
Nový Svět – the most beautiful street in Prague, hidden away below and behind Prague Castle
Central Bohemia – The First Steps Beyond Prague
Most visitors who venture beyond Prague do so to the immediate surrounding area of Central Bohemia or on day trips or tours to Český Krumlov. The excellent public transport system in and around Prague brings most of it within reach, including the outstanding sights listed below.
Central Bohemia has one of the biggest concentrations of castles in Europe, and some of the most impressive on the continent at that. There’s also an abundance of beautiful historic towns, and some of the countryside and forests give you a first glimpse of some of the magical fairytale sandstone landscapes that lie a little further afield as you delve deeper into the country.
Central Bohemia Highlights
Kutná Hora – World Heritage-listed town with two superb Cathedrals, a fascinating medieval silver mine and the Sedlec Ossuary, a chapel decorated with the skulls and bones of over 40,000 people
Karlštejn Castle – an absolute behemoth of a Castle, built in the 14th century to house the Bohemian Crown Jewels
Křivoklát Castle – outstanding royal forest castle in rugged countryside west of Prague
Central Bohemia – Best Hidden Gems To Seek Out
Kokořín Castle – forest castle, the first in Bohemia to be restored during the 19th-century Romantic Revival
Vyhlidka Maj – stunning forest viewpoint of a steep-sided meander of the Vltava River winding its way through a gorge south of Prague
Průhonice Park – World Heritage-listed landscaped park with 19th-century castle just outside the Prague city boundary
North Bohemia (Usti nad Labem and Liberec Regions)
North Bohemia has some of the best places to visit on the River Elbe, which passes through on its long journey across Central Europe to the North Sea. The river cuts through the conical volcanic hills of the Central Bohemian Uplands (České Středohoři), a glorious landscape that should capture so many more hearts than it has.
The Elbe continues north to Saxony and Germany, where the sandstone pinnacles and arch of the Bohemian Switzerland National Park – along with the neighbouring Saxon Switzerland National Park – dominates the approach to Dresden.
Some of the riverside landscape is given over to wine growing, and the vineyards are a great place to explore over the summer months. Some of the best of these are close to Litoměřice, one of the most beautiful small towns in Central Europe.
In stark contrast to these, the Terezin Memorial (also known as the Theresienstadt Ghetto) is a permanent reminder of the evil and cynicism of the Nazis, who made propaganda films there showing how well they were supposedly treating detainees – who they then sent to the gas chambers within days of the completion of filming.
North Bohemia Highlights
Bohemian Switzerland National Park – forests, gorges and famous sandstone rock formations like the Pravčička brána rock arch
Litoměřice – the most beautiful town in the region, an overlooked Renaissance and Baroque gem and a major port of call for Elbe River cruises
Terezin – also known as the Theresienstadt Ghetto, holding camp for Czech and other European Jews en route to the Nazi death camps
Trosky Castle – one of the most extraordinary landmarks in the Czech Republic, a ruined Castle consisting of two towers, each built on neighbouring outcrops of volcanic rock
North Bohemia – Best Hidden Gems To Seek Out
Sychrov Castle – sumptuous chateau that became the home of the exiled Rohan family from Brittany after the French Revolution
Ploskovice Castle – outstanding Baroque palace that featured in Amadeus and numerous other films and productions
Lemberk Castle – one of the finest early Baroque chateaux in the Czech Republic, founded by the husband of local saint Zdislava
West Bohemia – Plzeň and Karlovy Vary Regions
The northwest corner of the Czech Republic is home to two very different World Heritage Sites. Three towns in the area are included in the Great Spa Towns of Europe site, while five locations West Bohemia are included in the Erzgebirge-Krušnohoři Mining Landscape UNESCO site.
Plzeň (Pilsen in German) is the third largest city in the Czech Republic, and home to the famous pilsner beer produced there at the Plzenský Praždroj brewery. You can tour it and taste it – it’s best-known for the Pilsner Urquell brew, but Gambrinus is even better.
Plzeň is one of the grittier Czech cities, but makes one of the best day trips from Prague, with a fine medieval cathedral and the country’s largest synagogue close by.
Travelling into the countryside around Plzeň brings many rewards, with some well-off-the-beaten-track castles, country towns and one the outstanding Cold War museums in Europe.
West Bohemia Highlights
Mariánské Lázně – one of three towns in the region to be included in the Great Spa Towns of Europe World Heritage Site, also known by its German name Marienbad
Karlovy Vary – grand and glamorous spa resort in the mountains and forest, and home to a famous International Film Festival
Plzeň – the country’s third city, birthplace of pilsner beer with a fascinating historic centre and Great Synagogue
Loket – beautiful small town and Castle in the forested far west of the country
West Bohemia – Best Hidden Gems To Seek Out
Jachymov – World Heritage-listed town, birthplace of the dollar currency, home to the oldest operating mine in Europe and the first radon spa in the world
Bečov nad Teplou – village with a fort and chateau complex containing the amazing reliquary of St Maurus, one of the finest in the world from the early Middle Ages
Atom Museum, Mišov – the only nuclear arms storage depot in the world open to visitors, and one of the best Cold War museums in Europe
Castles of the Šumava – fine rural castles including Rabi and Horšovsky Týn in the mountainous, forested west of the country
South Bohemia
South Bohemia is one of the most beautiful part of the country, with some of its loveliest historic towns, the upper reaches of the Vltava River and some wondrous countryside.
If one part of the country warrants some overnight stays, this is it. There are so many places to visit in South Bohemia, and other than long-since ‘discovered’ Český Krumlov, you’ll have many of these places almost to yourself.
South Bohemia Highlights
Český Krumlov – many people’s No 2 destination in the Czech Republic after Prague
Holašovice – unique World Heritage-listed ‘folk Baroque’ village form the 18th and early 19th centuries, the only one of its kind fully preserved
České Budějovice – massively underrated regional capital, beautiful medieval Old Town and home to the delicious Budvar beer
Museum Fotoatelier Seidel – one of the outstanding small museums in Europe, 1930s rural Bohemia frozen in time in a photographer’s house and studio in Český Krumlov
Třeboň – beautiful Old Town and zámek (chateau) surrounded by lakes, in a town famous for its peat spas and carp soup
South Bohemia – Best Hidden Gems To Seek Out
Slavonice – sleepy country town near the Austrian border with the best surviving concentration of Renaissance-era sgraffito-decorated houses in Europe
Blatna Castle – gorgeous water castle and deer park
Lipno Reservoir – sailing on the country’s largest lake, the great outdoors, Czech style
Červená Lhota – red Renaissance-era lakeside chateau, one of the most picturesque Czech castles
East Bohemia – Hradec Kralové and Pardubice Regions
This part of the country receives relatively few overseas visitors, but those who make it are immensely rewarded. The Bohemian Paradise is one of the most beautiful landscapes in Europe before you add in the many romantic castles among the forests and sandstone rock cities.
The Krkonoše is the highest mountain range in the Czech Republic, including Sněžka, which straddles the border with Poland. They are the northernmost alpine range in central Europe, with gorges and forests to explore too.
Hradec Kralové – also known by its German name, Königgrätz, is one of many overlooked Czech cities and towns, on the upper reaches of the Elbe River. It has some beautiful medieval and Renaissance churches and towers, but is perhaps best known as the ‘Salon of the Republic’, due to the functionalist buildings designed by renowned Czech architect Josef Gočar around the birth of the independent Czechoslovak nation after 1918.
East Bohemia Highlights
Bohemian Paradise (Český ráj) – fairytale landscape of sandstone rock labyrinths, medieval castles and beautiful country towns
Jičín – along with Turnov, the gateway to the eastern part of Bohemian Paradise, a beautiful medieval and Renaissance town graced with one of the most beautiful town squares in the country – and the spectacular Prachov Rocks hiking on its doorstep
Hradec Kralové – one of the most underrated cities in the Czech Republic, with a wonderful medieval skyline and some of the finest early 20th-century modernist buildings in the Czech Republic
The Krkonoše Mountains and Sněžka
Sněžka, the country’s highest peak at 1,603 metres (5,260 feet) is the highest point in the Krkonoše mountain range shared with Poland – and due to its easy ascent has been attracting visitors and hikers for over 500 years
Adršpach-Teplice Rocks
Two stunning ‘rock cities’ in the far north of the country, close to the Polish border
Vysočina
This is the one region of the Czech Republic divided between the historic Czech lands of Bohemia and Moravia. It’s home to three fascinating World Heritage Sites, but even these are well off the beaten path, mainly because of the region’s distance from Prague making day trips from the capital close to impractical. Take the leap, it’s well worth it.
Vysočina Highlights
Telč – one of the most picture-perfect small towns in Europe, with a stunning square and Castle
Třebíč – one of the best-preserved historic Jewish quarters in Europe, and St Procopius Basilica, one of the finest Romanesque churches in Central Europe
Zelená Hora, Žďár nad Sázavou – a remarkable pilgrimage church and complex dedicated to the Czech St John Nepomuk, the final work of Jan Blazej Santini Aichel, who unusually mixed Gothic and Baroque elements
Vysočina – Best Hidden Gems To Seek Out
Jaroměřice nad Rokytnou – one of the most lavish palaces in the Czech Republic, the vast ‘Versailles of Moravia’
Pelhřimov – gorgeous historic town full of renaissance and Baroque period townhouses
South Moravia (including South Moravia and Zlin provinces)
This fascinating region is at one of the ‘crossroads of Europe’, with Austria and Slovakia next door and Hungary and Poland close by. Whereas most of the Czech Republic is renowned for its beer, South Moravia is a wine producing region, and exploring the towns around the Austrian border towards harvest time is a great way to enjoy it.
If you pay a few visits to Central Europe, sooner or later you’re going to pass through Brno, the second largest city in the country. My advice: make a beeline for it. Architecturally it’s one of the richest, most varied cities in Central Europe, with a Gothic cathedral, Baroque churches and a host of early 20th-century Art Nouveau and Functionalist treasures.
South Moravia Highlights
Brno – the Czech Republic’s fantastic second city, deserves to muscle in more on the Prague-Vienna-Budapest route many travellers follow across Central Europe
Villa Tugendhat, Brno – once the most expensive private house in the world, this suburban villa is one of the great functionalist buildings of the 20th century
Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape – explore World Heritage by bike – two Castles, parkland, follies and monuments built by the luxury-loving Liechtenstein dynasty
Kroměříž – World Heritage-listed Archbishop’s Palace, stunning gardens and a gorgeous town few get to see
South Moravia – Best Hidden Gems To Seek Out
Mikulov – gorgeous wine-growing border town with fine Castle, Renaissance houses and well-preserved Jewish quarter
Moravian Karst – limestone caves, forests and hiking less than an hour north of Brno
Moravia Wine Country – sometimes called ‘Moravian Tuscany’ – breathtaking landscape of rolling hills southeast of Brno
Valtice Iron Curtain Museum – one of several such museums, on the border with Austria which once formed the barrier between East and West
Luhačovice – beautiful spa town in the far east of the country, near the Slovak border
See Also: 12 Best Day Trips From Brno
Olomouc (Central Moravia)
Trinity Column in Olomouc
The Olomouc region covers central Moravia, with the Jeseníky mountains, caves and forests to the north, and several small and beautiful towns and castles. The other main draw in the region is Olomouc, a small and beautiful city that sometimes draws comparisons with Prague. It has plenty of wonderful architecture, and a fraction of the crowds that now visit the capital.
Olomouc Highlights
Holy Trinity Column – one of the great Baroque buildings of Europe, an elaborate column in the city’s main square with a chapel somehow squeezed inside
Olomouc Town Hall Clock – a complete one-off, an Astronomical Clock in a Socialist Realist style, model workers and all!
Bouzov Castle – red-turreted country fortress near Olomouc, the finest in the region
Olomouc – Best Hidden Gems To Seek Out
Praděd and the Jeseníky Mountains – Moravia’s highest mountain, forests and caves near the border with Poland
Šternberk Castle – one of the finest castles in the east of the country
Tovačov – one of oldest Renaissance towns in the country with a fine chateau and 96-metre leaning tower
Moravia-Silesia
The northeast corner of the country includes the small pocket of Czech Silesia – most of this historic region is across the border to the north, in Poland.
It’s a largely industrial (indeed post-industrial) area, with former slate workings to the west of Ostrava as well as the remnants of the coal and steel industries around the main city. There’s also plenty of beautiful countryside, especially to the north around Bruntal (one of the most picturesque towns in the region) and the Polish border area.
Moravia-Silesia Highlights
Dolni Vitkovice – once the industrial powerhouse of Ostrava, now one of the best industrial heritage sites in Europe to visit
Štramberk – the most beautiful country town in the region, with some gorgeous 19th-century wooden houses
Moravia-Silesia – Best Hidden Gems To Seek Out
Karviná – the remarkable crooked church of St Peter in the village of Doly
Český Těšin – lovely border town, as is its Polish counterpart, Cieszyn, on the other side