Czech Republic

The Czech Republic, a compact country at the heart of Europe, joins historic Bohemia in the west with Moravia in the east — a land of old towns, castles and spa towns. In Prague, the capital on the Vltava, Old Town Square with its astronomical clock, Charles Bridge and Prague Castle with St Vitus Cathedral above Malá Strana anchor a UNESCO-listed centre of Gothic, baroque and Art Nouveau streets. Evenings belong to concert halls and opera, wine bars and a long-standing beer culture.

Beyond Prague, Bohemia is castle and château country: Gothic Karlštejn, Konopiště, and the UNESCO-listed towns of Kutná Hora and Český Krumlov. In the west, Karlovy Vary and Mariánské Lázně, with their colonnades and mineral springs, belong to the UNESCO “Great Spa Towns of Europe” and still welcome guests for spa cures. Moravia centres on Brno, with its old town and functionalist architecture, and on the wine country around Mikulov and the UNESCO-listed Lednice–Valtice landscape.

Summers are warm, with days mostly around 20–25 °C; winters are cold, near freezing, with Christmas markets in the town squares. Spring and early autumn are best for walking. The country suits city breaks and couples, music and architecture lovers, spa stays, food and wine trips — and a few days in Prague combine easily with a château or a spa town.