English

Jewels
of Regions

Cities
Chateaux and Castles

Destination Manual

#VisitCzechRepublic edition 2020

edition 2018
 Travel to the 
Czech Republic!

CzechTourism Dear Colleagues and Partners,

for you
CzechTourism, founded by the Ministry of Regional
Development of the Czech Republic, operates in the field of
tourism as a client-focused marketing agency whose main
objective is to promote the Czech Republic as a destination
attractive to tourists using the campaign ‘Czech Republic –
Land of Stories’. Our basic objectives include strengthening
the competitiveness and prestige of the ‘Czech Republic’ brand.

Traditionally, CzechTourism cooperates with international,

The successful presentation of the Czech national, and regional partners and supports important
cultural and sporting events. We prepare professional

Republic as a tourist destination seminars, workshops, and training. The Tourism Institute
monitors developments and trends in tourism in the Czech

in domestic and foreign markets has Republic and abroad, cooperates with the academic sphere,
and assesses the efficiency and contribution of the agency’s

been the mission of CzechTourism activities to tourism in the Czech Republic.

and its foreign offices since 1993.

We manage the activities of an international network of
23 foreign representations, which implement 360° destination
marketing in more than 40 world markets. We focus on
product management and improving the quality of services in
the field of tourism, in particular by implementing the Czech
Service Quality System. We support and initiate marketing
and commercial measures through MICE events.
The cooperation between public and private subjects and
Which areas of cooperation are we offering? business partnerships both in the Czech Republic and
abroad is our top priority. We initiated the foundation of the
“Touchpoint” platform. In cooperation with our partners
— Sourcing, supporting and coordinating marketing activities in domestic and foreign markets
we have been developing direct flight connections from
— Organization of over 80 trade fairs worldwide each year strategic and creditworthy markets to our country. In 2018,
— 23 foreign offices operating in more than 40 countries we became the seventh member of “Tým Česko”, a project
— Implementation of roadshows, workshops and round tables for B2B partners focused on supporting entrepreneurs in the Czech Republic.
— Coordination of press and fam trips – participation in hundreds of trips for foreign journalists This Destination Manual has been created for you, our
and tour operators in a year partners. It is designed as a practical tool and a useful piece of
— Organization of regular meetings with the regional and B2B partners, support of significant events informational material for use in your business ventures.
— Publishing promotional materials about the Czech Republic – dozens of publications in various language versions
— Supporting research and educational activities
— Media presentation of the Czech Republic and the tourism industry
In the period of 2019 through 2021, we have been
promoting the Czech Republic and its regions through the
campaign “Like a Czech”. The main topic we target on is
called “Cities – Gateways to the Regions”. In the year 2020 we
are promoting particular chateaux and castles in each region;
in detail we focus on historical landmarks close to Pardubice,
Písek, Liberec, Olomouc, Hradec Králové and Třebíč towns.
The main theme for this year is called “Chateaux and Castles”.
The Czech Republic is a country with a rich cultural history
and unique architecture, and we invite you to all the regions
to see for yourselves.
I believe that our Destination Manual will be a valuable aid
to your business activities.
Jan Herget
General Manager of CzechTourism

Interested:

www.visitczechrepublic.com Previous Destination Manual editions:

2017 2018 2019

All CzechTourism
edition in one place:

Cover photos: Štramberk, Ostrava

www.czechtourism.com/trade-sites/
www.visitczechrepublic.com 1
Tourism in the
Tourism is an important and dynamically Accommodation capacity in 2017

developing economic sector of the Czech Facilities Rooms Beds

Total 9,007 205,324 526,788
Republic. The range of tourist attractions Hotel ***** 61 6,905 13,579
is wide and varied, with the quality of

Czech Republic
Hotel **** 653 39,725 80,221
tourism services ever improving. Plenty Other hotels and guesthouses 5,253 90,688 223,561

of enjoyment awaits not only lovers Campsites 515 9,091 33,473

of exploring, good food and unique Chalet parks and tourist hostels
Others
973
1,552
17,334
41,581
61,405
114,549
experiences, but also sports enthusiasts,
business people or those seeking high-
quality spa care. Arrivals to the CAE 2018 Average length of stay (days)
Total 21,274,686 Total 3.61
Domestic 10,639,041 Domestic 3.70
Foreign 10,635,645 Foreign 3.52

Overnight stays

Product Lines
Total 55,519,431
The product line Spas offers traditional treatment
processes of the oldest European spas in connection with the
7th Ranked the 7th safest destination out of 163 Domestic 28,710,139
countries in the world Foreign 26,809,292
natural therapeutic resources guaranteed by the indications list
of the Ministry of Health – mineral springs, peat, natural
gas, and climate. Czech spas are evenly distributed throughout 12 historical sites on the UNESCO Heritage List
Foreign guests at collective accommodation establishments (CAE)
The Czech Republic is represented by four product lines: the country, and thus offer a diverse range of treatment by country 2018
options. The Czech spa industry is characterised by world- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage:
1) Cultural Tourism class experts and by high quality of treatment guaranteed by 6 traditions (Slovácko Verbuňk, Shrovetide,
Country Number of guests Average length of stay

international certifications (EuropeSpa, EuropeSpa med, TÜV 1. Germany 2,033,065 3.9

Falconry, Kings‘ Ride, Puppetry, Blueprint)
2) Active Tourism SÜD, ISO standards, etc.). The product Medical Tourism 2. Slovakia 734,910 3.0
represents a high standard of treatments provided in 3. Poland 620,414 3.1
3) Spas and Medical Tourism combination with short waiting times and affordable prices. 6 UNESCO Biosphere Reserves and 1 UNESCO 4. China 619,877 2.5
Global Geopark (nearly 6 % of total area) 5. U. S. A. 555,736 3.5
4) MICE The Spas and Medical Tourism product line offers two 6. Russia 545,406 5.4
exceptionally interesting spa places within a diverse range: Over 200 castles, chateaux 7. UK 496,807 3.5
The product lines are based on the main motivation of from one of the most famous spa town in Moravia to the 8. Republic of Korea 416,243 2.6
our target segments, and align both with the demand of youngest spa in the Czech Republic. All the recommended
More than 40 protected historical towns
9. Italy 409,903 3.7
tour operators and the supply of our business partners Czech spas are of the highest global renown with international
10. Austria 299,162 2.9
and the regions themselves. The individual product lines quality certification. The offer of spa and wellness services
complement each other, and together they create a powerful
synergetic effect with considerable pro-business potential.
is accompanied with interesting trips, both educational and
entertaining.
33 spas Sources: Czech Statistical Office (czso.cz);
Global Peace Index

This year’s Cultural Tourism product line primarily focuses The MICE product line is provided by the Czech More than 100 golf courses
on selected cities, chateaux and castles. Regional cities Convention Bureau. Its main purpose is to promote the Giant
Mountains
as gateways to the regions have a high potential in tourism, Czech Republic effectively as an ideal destination for holding
just like the selected chateaux and castles as jewels of conferences and incentive events. 4 national parks and 26 protected Global Geopark
regions. Both offer a wide range of adventure, from historic landscape areas (nearly 16 % of total area) Bohemian
Paradise 5 Opočno
to modern architectural sites, through unusual expositions,
fun parks, events and festivals, attractive countryside, regional 12 mountain ranges higher than 1,000 meters Křivoklátsko
Region Prague
4 Chrudim
Hlinsko
gastronomy, to the opportunities to learn about the lifestyle of Kutná Litomyšl
Hora 2
young and creative people in the Czech Republic.
Over 40,000 km of walking trails Žďár nad
Olomouc
Sázavou
The product line Active Tourism represents a top-class Telč
6 Olešnice
Over 44,000 km of cycling routes
range of services in the field of golf. Czech Mountains Holašovice Kroměříž
Třebíč Brno
and mountain resorts with very good infrastructure both 1
3 White
Bohemian Český Vlčnov Carpathians
in summer and winter seasons offer a varied programme, Krumlov Lower 6
Over 480 km of ski slopes
Forest Strážnice
especially for families with children. Czech Trails represent Morava Lednice
a wide range of sports options, a dense network of walking Valtice
and cycling markers, long-distance cycling routes Over 3,540 km of cross-country ski trails 12 historical sites on the UNESCO Heritage List
connected to the European network, and wine trails.

This year’s Active Tourism product line primarily focuses Over 320 km covered with artificial snow 6 UNESCO intangible heritage

on five selected regions that provide excellent opportunities
for pleasant cycling in the first place, and on six selected
destinations for skiing and winter activities. They are
destinations that attract with both the diversity and ruggedness
of the countryside, and with the historic sites and other leisure
time opportunities, as well as very good infrastructure and
additional services.
Carrying capacity of 466,000 persons/hour
Over 1,800 km of horse riding routes
Lednice
1 – Slovácko Verbuňk
2 – Shrovetide door-to-door processions and masks in the villages
of the Hlinecko area
3 – Ride of the Kings in the south-east of the Czech Republic
4 – Puppetry in Slovakia and the Czech Republic
5 – Falconry
6 – Blueprint
6 UNESCO Biosphere Reserves and 1 UNESCO Global Geopark

2 Destination Manual 2020 www.visitczechrepublic.com 3
Cities,
Chateaux
and Castles
Jewels of Regions
Cultural Tourism

Cities + Chateaux and Castles.......................... 6–13

Prague.............................................................................. 6
Hradec Králové and Chateaux on the Orlice river.......... 8
Olomouc and Helfštýn..................................................... 9
Liberec and Sychrov...................................................... 10
Třebíč, Vranov nad Dyjí and Bítov................................. 11
Písek and Zvíkov............................................................ 12
Pardubice and Kladruby nad Labem............................. 13

Chateaux and Castles....................................... 14–21

Český Šternberk............................................................ 15
Loket.............................................................................. 16
Following the Footsteps of Liechtenstein..................... 17
Štramberk...................................................................... 18 The Czech Republic is a land of stories.
Ploskovice...................................................................... 19 And most of them are connected
Kroměříž......................................................................... 20
West-Bohemian Baroque............................................... 21
with historical towns and noble
residences. The Czech Republic has
Gastronomy................................................................. 22 countless examples – you will literally
Industrial Heritage..................................................... 24
Spiritual Tourism........................................................ 28
encounter a fort, castle or ruin,
château or palace in every other town.
It probably isn’t possible to see them all.
So, allow us to pick the interesting from
both well and lesser-known settlements,
which are true jewels of regions and the
pride and joy of the local populations. Our
list includes also regional capitals and
small towns.
Take a trip with us to castles with over
eight centuries of history, see their
gradual development, redevelopments
conforming to tastes of different eras, as
well as battles to save and preserve
them for future generations. See
chateaux surrounded by landscape
gardens or strictly symmetrical
Baroque gardens. Travel from château
to château along silvery rivers, take entirely
unconventional tours and discover the
secrets of astoundingly well-preserved
interiors.

Český Šternberk

4 Destination Manual 2020 | Cultural Tourism www.visitczechrepublic.com 5
Prague
Happening Cities
www.prague.eu
Accessibilty by air
from Frankfurt 1 h
from Berlin 1 h (by train 4 h 20 min)
from Moscow 2 h 45 min
from New York 8 h 25 min
from Philadelphia (PA) 8 h 55 min
Target group: Millenials
The Bohemian quarter. A place where creativity
knows no bounds, where artistic opinion is law, where
anyone can say what they want and, most importantly,
how they want it. Like most of the world’s major cities,
Prague also has its multi-genre and multicultural
area. Welcome to ART DISTRICT 7, the district of
art and culture.
Never-ending Happenings
Just a few underground stations from the city centre,
visitors to Prague will come across a string of galleries,
museums, theatres, cafés, restaurants, music clubs,
creative studios and hybrid cultural spaces. Here, life
flows in metaphors and symbols, here there are no obstacles
to individuality. Creative and active people work together
spontaneously, help each other out, and share their know-
how. It doesn’t matter whether they are members of official
institutions or come from the streets. According to the travel
bloggers of The Independent 2017, it is the 15th best
district in Europe.
Among its natural centres is the architecturally unique
Trade Fair Palace with collections of modern art from
the National Gallery, which is housed in a stunning
functionalist building, where you will find, among
others, first-rate works of such famous artists of the 20th-
century European avantgarde such as Pablo Picasso,
Georges Braque, Paul Gauguin or Vincent van Gogh.
Its dynamic counterbalance is the DOX Centre for
Contemporary Art, a multipurpose space for presenting
contemporary international and Czech art,
architecture and design, created thanks to a private
initiative by redeveloping a former 19th-century factory.
It is a remarkable space for comparing different approaches
and tendencies. The Gulliver Airship stands on its roof,
a unique architectural intervention in the shape of a 42-metre
steel and wooden construction, and an alternative
space where contemporary art and literature meet.  Lesser Town
Streets and Squares Full of Alternatives
Not far away, there is the creative centre Vnitroblock.
An enlivened street offers an unusual café, the smallest
cinema far and wide, a dance studio, a different gallery
6 Destination Manual 2020 | Cultural Tourism
Prague 7, Letná
concept, theatre and cabaret spaces, and a multimedia
studio. Put simply, anyone who genuinely wants to discover
Prague’s alternative culture will find it here.
The reconstruction of another industrial space created
the unconventional cultural centre La Fabrika,
a multipurpose space for audio-visual projects, theatre
and dance performances requiring unusual spatial
solutions, multimedia exhibitions, workshops, and
even social meetings, displays and concerts. Its name alone
– “Berlínskej model” – tells us that a non-commercial
off-space gallery focusing on contemporary Czech and
international artists has drawn inspiration from Berlin’s
Bohemian areas. The National Technical Museum, the Gulliver Airship
largest Czech institution specialising in museum collections
of a technical nature with more than a century’s history, is
proof of spontaneous harmony between official organisations
and the artistic underground. It is based in a monumental Prague 7, Vnitroblock
functionalist building which houses unique collections of Holešovice DOX
items in fourteen permanent exhibitions and short-term
displays. The neighbouring, also functionalist building Prague 8 Art District 7
belongs to the National Museum of Agriculture. It offers 9 Vintroblock
nine permanent exhibitions and a unique roof garden 6
7 Trade Fair Palace
with a picnic lawn. Bio Oko is a cinema that is not dictated 1
1 a
by blockbusters, but which rather focuses on film art. 3 av
2 Vlt
Vltava
5 10 National Technical
And it is no surprise that Prague’s largest mobile exhibit, 4 Museum
a sculpture of a giant functional metronome, is also
Hlávkův
Bridge
found here – in the popular Letná Park. The Letní Letná Letná
Štefánikův
Metronome
Bridge
New Circus Festival, which presents the best that the
Čecidge
Czech Republic and the world have to offer in this Vltava
Br
hův
dynamic new genre, also takes place nearby. Another popular
nature area is Stromovka, with 95 hectares of trees,
ponds, connecting water channels, bridges and, above Mán
Bridges
all, paths. Stromovka is ideal for all kind of sports and e
exercise, and many cultural events are also held here. Prague Castle Old Town
Charles
Bridge Old Town
Square
Download the map
of Prague City
www.prague.eu Centre here:
Art District 7: www.praha7.cz
Facebook: Art District 7
National Gallery Prague: www.ngprague.cz
DOX Centre for Contemporary Art: www.dox.cz
National Technical Museum: www.ntm.cz 0 500 1 000 m
www.visitczechrepublic.com 7
Hradec Králové
and Chateaux on
the Orlice river
Heritage Cities and Living History
www.ic-hk.cz
by train from Prague 1 h 30 min
Accessibility:
by bus from Prague 1 h 40 min
119 km from Prague
by car from Prague 1 h 15 min
Target group: Pleasure seekers: active seniors, families with children
Hradec Králové’s architecture is outstanding. The city is
known as an “open-air textbook of architecture”. You will
find all architectural styles here from Gothic to modern.
Where architectural modernity is concerned, there is no
other such comprehensive collection in the world. The river
Orlice, which flows into the Elbe in Hradec Králové, is also
known as the “Czech Loire”. The chain of chateaux and
castles along its banks provide extraordinary experiences.
Hradec Králové
The Salon of the Republic
After the city fortifications were demolished in the
late 19th century, Hradec Králové became a studio for elite
Czech architects. Kotěra, Gočár, Sander, Liska, Sláma
– these all contributed to a completely new urban planning
concept found nowhere else and so visionary that it still
meets the needs of the city’s inhabitants today. Over several
decades, buildings appeared that can be seen today – with or
without a guide - thanks to a circuit walk around “the Salon
of the Republic” with information boards. The modernist
architecture is completely alive. For example, the Museum of
Eastern Bohemia, a work by Jan Kotěra, exhibits almost
three million collected items in the fields of archaeology,
natural science and history. The Gallery of Modern Art is
housed in a late Art Nouveau building and owns a unique
collection of 20th-century Czech modern art.
Hradec is an extremely lively city. Adults and children alike
will be tempted by a paddle steamer cruise, the Hradec
Králové tourist train, a unique view from the White
Tower, night tours with a surprise, an interactive puppet
museum in the Dragon Theatre, a giant freshwater
aquarium with an underwater tunnel and the Hučák
Hydroelectric Power Station, a functioning Art Nouveau
technical landmark. There are parades and festivals, such
as the historical Celebrations of Queen Eliška of Hradec
Králové or the Theatre of European Regions.
www.ic-hk.cz
Hradec Králové region: www.hkregion.cz
The Museum of Eastern Bohemia: www.muzeumhk.cz
The Gallery of Modern Art: www.galeriehk.cz
Walking routes "Salon of the Republic": www.hradeckralove.org/ii-pro-
chazkovy-okruh-salon-republiky/d-50371
8 Destination Manual 2020 | Cultural Tourism
www.mojeorlickehory.cz/zamky-na-orlici
by train from Prague 2 h 35 min
Kostelec nad Orlicí
Accessibility: by bus from Prague —
147 km from Prague by car from Prague 1 h 45 min
Target group: Pleasure seekers: active seniors, families with children
Chateaux on the Orlice
river
A French Phenomenon on a Czech River
By boat, bike, car or on foot – there are many ways
to reach the castles and chateaux along the river Orlice.
Within just 10 kilometres you will see two castles and four
chateaux offering extraordinary experiences. You can enjoy
unusual tours – with themes or games, night tours, tactile
tours for the blind, or with the personal accompaniment of the
owners; you will be taken through the living history of the
Czech nobility.
Heading downstream, we start in Litice, at the medieval
castle of King George of Poděbrady. In Potštejn we come
across the ruins of a Gothic castle and just a short way
along, a picturesque Baroque Chateau, where a colourful
Baroque costume tour literally engulfs us, while children
will be enchanted by two expositions designed mostly for them.
In Doudleby nad Orlicí, we are welcomed by a Renaissance
manor and surrounding park, with interior tours, farmers’
markets and Grandmother’s Courtyard with farm
animals. Next is the New Chateau in Kostelec nad Orlicí,
the precisely reconstructed Empire style seat of the Kinský
family with an exhibition entitled Life in the Biedermeier
Period, where you can play the role of an aristocrat for
yourself, thanks in part to regular tours guided by František
Kinský, the Chateau owner and town mayor.
The last stop is Častolovice with a Renaissance, Gothic
Revival converted Chateau with beautiful interiors,
Renaissance coffered ceilings, and a mini-zoo and
extensive English landscape garden with a game park, where
white fallow deer and sika deer are bred. Add music and
theatre festivals, Chateau cafés, concerts, etc. Breath-taking.
www.mojeorlickehory.cz/zamky-na-orlici
Častolovice Chateau: www.zamek-castolovice.cz
New Chateau in Kostelec nad Orlicí: www.zamekkostelecno.cz
Doudleby nad Orlicí Chateau: www.zamek-doudleby.cz
Potštejn Chateau: www.zamekpotstejn.cz
Podštejn Castle: www.hrad-potstejn.cz
Litice Castle: www.hrad-litice.cz
Olomouc
and Helfštýn
Heritage Cities and Living History
tourism.olomouc.eu
by train from Prague 2 h 5 min
Accessibility:
by bus from Prague 4 h
282 km from Prague
by car from Prague 2 h 42 min
Target group: Pleasure seekers: without children, families with children
The spiritual capital of Moravia, the proud city of
Olomouc, where Czech entries in the UNESCO World
Heritage List began, a city full of unique sacral buildings
situated near the largest medieval fortress in Europe,
the sturdy and dignified Helfštýn castle, which once
guarded the Moravian Gate on the Amber Trail – all this
is an unparalleled treasury full of historical gems and
powerful experiences.
Olomouc
The Spiritual Capital of Moravia
The number of historical monuments, sacral
buildings and palaces in Olomouc is hard to believe. No other
Czech town has so many churches and chapels relative to
its population. In the 1990s, they were personally visited by
Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa.
In the Gothic Cathedral of St. Moritz, you can hear
the oldest church organ in Central Europe. In Klášterní
Hradisko, you can visit the largest independent monastery
in Moravia. The stunning Baroque Holy Trinity Plague
Column, protected by UNESCO, is the largest sculpture
in the Czech Republic. You will be captivated by the
Archdiocesan Museum, the country’s first exhibition
focusing on spiritual culture and the sole Czech holder
of the prestigious European Heritage Label, and the
Archbishop’s Palace, a Baroque building of extraordinary
significance. Climb up above the town to the Baroque
pilgrimage Basilica of the Virgin Mary on Svatý
Kopeček. Marvel at a unique group of six Baroque
fountains and visit the highly popular zoo…
You will soon see why Lonely Planet placed Olomouc at the
top of its list of most beautiful, less known European
destinations. Enjoy Baroque festivals, admire classical
music at Dvořák’s Olomouc and the International
Organ Festival, take a ride though the town in a mobile
beer bar or on quad bikes, or sail along the river Morava
on a boat or raft. You will also find a festival dedicated to
the most famous local delicacy tvarůžky of Olomouc –
excellent ripened cheese, renowned beer from one of the local
craft breweries, Beerfest or Garden Food Festival…
www.helfstyn.cz
by train from Prague 3 h 15 min
Accessibility:
by bus from Prague —
305 km from Prague
by car from Prague 3 h
Target group: Pleasure seekers: without children, families with children
Helfštýn Castle
Amber Trail Guardian
The extraordinarily extensive Helfštýn Castle
complex, a medieval fortress unparalleled in Europe,
towers above the river Bečva about 30 km from Olomouc.
The castle once guarded the Amber Road connecting the
Baltic coast to the Mediterranean Sea, so its fortifications were
very extensive and refined. It is surrounded by a moat, with
another three inside its grounds, it has two parallel defensive
ramparts, five courtyards, towers, six chamber gates,
numerous strongholds, a renaissance palace and more.
The truly rugged fortress is also well-accessible thanks to an
observation platform and a system of circular bridges. You will
feel like you have been transported straight to the Middle Ages.
The castle has a stirring atmosphere, especially during any
of its numerous events from historical and musical events to
theatrical and very specific events.
Helfštýn is one of the main centres of European artistic
smithery. The Hefaiston International Gathering
of International Artistic Blacksmiths, which attracts
500 blacksmiths from around the world, has been held
here for almost forty years. It is therefore no surprise that
you will come across metal sculptures at almost every step.
These will delight adults and children alike. Worksheets
are also available for children. Add a historical mint with
coining demonstrations and an archaeology exhibition
displaying findings from the castle grounds from the 13th to
17th centuries, night-time guided tours and even an archery
tournament; a visit to Helfštýn is certainly not an everyday
experience.
tourism.olomouc.eu
www.helfstyn.cz
Olomouc region: www.ok-tourism.cz
Archbishop′s Palace: www.arcibiskupskypalac.cz
Archdiocesan Museum: www.muo.cz
St. Wenceslas Cathedral: www.katedralaolomouc.cz
St. Michael Church: www.svatymichal.cz/cs
Svatý Kopeček: www.svatykopecek.cz
ZOO garden: www.zoo-olomouc.cz
www.visitczechrepublic.com 9
Liberec
and Sychrov
Joyfull Cities
www.visitliberec.eu
by train from Prague 2 h 30 min
Accessibility:
by bus from Prague 1 h 15 min
110 km from Prague
by car from Prague 1 h 11 min
Target group: Pleasure seekers: families with children
The architecturally remarkable city of Liberec lies in
the embrace of the Jizera mountains at the foot of Mount
Ještěd, crowned with a unique namesake conical hotel.
In recent years, it has become a popular destination
thanks primarily to a number of entertainment centres.
The Gothic Revival-style Sychrov Chateau, located
20 km away, is not only a popular film location, but also
one of the most significant heritage sites representing
the historical style of the 19th century.
Liberec
A City Surrounded with Mountains
The heart of Liberec will charm you with its majestic
Neo-Renaissance City Hall and the nearby Franz
Joseph I Town Spa, built in the same style, which today
houses the Regional Art Gallery, while the 17th-century half-
timbered Valdštejn (Wallenstein) town houses are the
city’s oldest historical sights. There are also breath-taking
historical villas around the city. The most significant
20th-century architectural work, however, is the unusual
mountain hotel with a restaurant and observation
tower at the summit of Ještěd. It was designed by Karel
Hubáček who, as the only Czech architect to date, was
awarded the prestigious Auguste Perret Prize of the
International Union of Architects for the project.
A magnificent entertainment centre is a new hit attraction.
iQLANDIA is a super-modern science centre with
a Planetarium and uniquely conceived exhibitions with
hundreds of interactive exhibits. Another unique feature
is the Babylon entertainment centre, the largest
entertainment, social and hotel complex under one roof in
the Czech Republic, with an amusement park, 4D cinema,
labyrinth (the largest mirror maze in Europe), iQPark
and an aqua park. The local botanical gardens and zoo
provide plenty of rare experiences, such as the white tigers,
bred nowhere else in Europe.
Liberec is also devoted to sport. The surrounding area
is famous for its excellent terrain for hiking, cycling and
downhill and cross-country skiing. The most famous Czech
skiing race, the FIS World Cup Jizerská 50 is held
nearby.
10 Destination Manual 2020 | Cultural Tourism
www.zamek-sychrov.cz
by train from Prague —
Accessibility:
by bus from Prague —
92 km from Prague
by car from Prague 1 h
Target group: Pleasure seekers: families with children
Sychrov Chateau
A Flower of France on Czech Soil
Sychrov is one of the most romantic Czech chateaux.
Its Baroque origins and Classicist and Gothic Revival-style
redevelopments lend it a genuine storybook appearance, so it is
no surprise that one fairy-tale film after another is filmed here.
The vision of Prince Rohan made Sychrov a genuine French
flower on Czech soil, primarily thanks to its collection of
250 portraits of family members, members of related families
and French kings. It is the largest collection of French
portrait art outside of France.
You can also admire the Chateau’s wonderful carving
decorations, masterpieces of Czech artists and craftsmen.
Tours of the interior will show you the lavishly furnished
Royal Suite (King Charles X of France, King William I of
Prussia and Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria spent nights
here), private princely chambers and state rooms.
The golden treasury houses an exhibition of sculptures
and jewels made from precious metals and stones, while the
exhibition Technopolis, located in the Chateau stables, is
dedicated to 19th and 20th-century inventions.
An extensive English landscape garden is one of the
country’s richest and most beautiful botanical collections.
Sychrov is a children’s paradise – in the garden, they can see
free-flying birds of prey, go on a hunt for the Bear Clan’s
treasure, or take a tour of the castle guided by a princess. There
are also thrilling Fire and Hunting Festivals, traditional
Scottish Highland Games with bagpipe competitions, or
idyllic Easter and Christmas Markets.
www.visitliberec.eu
www.zamek-sychrov.cz
Liberec region: www.liberecky-kraj.cz/en/
Ještěd: www.visitliberec.eu/en/vse-o-liberci/horsky-hotel-jested-stavba-
stoleti/
Liebieg's small town: www.visitliberec.eu/liebiegove
IQ Landia: www.iqlandia.cz
ZOO Liberec: www.zooliberec.cz
Centrum Babylon: www.centrumbabylon.cz
Ferdinand Porsche Birth House: museum.skoda-auto.cz/porsche-house/
porsche-house
The Botanical Garden in Liberec: www.botaniliberec.cz
Regional Art Gallery Liberec: www.ogl.cz
Třebíč,
Vranov nad Dyjí,
Bítov
Heritage Cities and Iconic Chateaux
www.visittrebic.eu
by train from Prague 3 h 30 min
Accessibility:
by bus from Prague 2 h 35 min
163 km from Prague
by car from Prague 1 h 55 min
Target group: Pleasure seekers: active seniors, families with children
The medieval town of Třebíč with its breath-taking
UNESCO-protected Romanesque-Gothic basilica and
unique Jewish quarter and cemetery is a gateway to
another world, a world of culture which faced destruction
but has survived to this day. The ancient castles of
Vranov nad Dyjí and Bítov are remarkable landmarks
of the Dyje (Thaya) River Valley which conceal
extraordinary treasures.
Třebíč
Revealed Mysteries of a Remarkable Nation
Třebíč is an extraordinary town. For centuries two
cultures, Christian and Jewish, have co-existed
in peace. This is unparalleled elsewhere. That is why the
monastery complex and Christian St. Procopius Basilica,
a building from the turn of the Romanesque and Gothic eras
with preserved Gothic paintings, a unique crypt with a roof
supported by fifty columns and a unique Romanesque
rosette, together with the extensive Jewish quarter and
cemetery have been taken under the protective wing of
UNESCO.
The Jewish quarter in Třebíč is the only completely
preserved Jewish settlement in Central Europe. Narrow
winding lanes contain 123 originally Jewish houses,
two synagogues, a rabbinate, Jewish town hall, hospital
and poorhouse. The local Jewish cemetery is one of the
largest in Central Europe. Up to 3,000 tombstones,
the oldest from 1631, can be found over an area of almost
12,000 m2. A remarkable feature is the connection of the
Rear Synagogue with the adjoining House of Seligmann
Bauer, which offers a glimpse into the living space of
a Jewish family and a Jewish shop. The paintings in the
interior of the Front Synagogue are also stunning.
Třebíč is alive and vibrant. You will find restaurants, cafés,
confectioners’ and wine bars offering traditional Jewish
catering, while you can also see Jewish weddings, revitalized
tours of Jewish monuments, demonstrations of worship, etc.
The climax is the Revived Jewish Quarter Festival, when
klezmer music can be heard around the quarter, the streets
are filled with characters in costume, and concerts make way
for exhibitions, lectures or screenings, and the Festival of
Jewish Culture.
www.zamek-vranov.cz
www.hrad-bitov.cz
by train from Prague —
Vranov nad Dyjí
Accessibility: by bus from Prague 3 h 35 min
201 km from Prague by car from Prague 2 h 24 min
Target group: Pleasure seekers: active seniors, families with children
Vranov nad Dyjí and Bítov
Castles
Romance of Eagle Nests
On the rocks around the Vranov Reservoir, two
ancient castles stand out. Above the valley of the river which
flows from the reservoir, rises one of the most remarkable
buildings of the Central-European Baroque style, Vranov nad
Dyjí Chateau. The scenery is breath-taking. The original
10th-century
Romanesque castle was redeveloped in the Gothic style, while its
current appearance is from the Baroque era. A walk through
the castle is like a journey through time. Viennese court
architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach designed
the awe-inspiring oval Hall of Predecessors with unique
paintings for the Althann family. Its sacral counterweight
is the Chateau Chapel of the Holy Trinity. You will be
fascinated by the richly furnished interiors, collections
of stoneware products from the local workshop and
gardens on the steep slopes above the river.
The extensive Bítov Castle is a romantic landmark at the
beginning of the reservoir. Wooden buildings were replaced
with stone in the 13th century, while the current Gothic
Revival appearance dates from the 19th century. There is a rare
collection of almost 1,300 firearms and cold weapons
from the 17th century. Another big attraction is the largest
collection of stuffed dogs in the world, pets of the castle’s
last owner, which numbers 50 specimens, including the now
extinct Stable Pinscher. There is also a castle brewery and
a newly built zoo, based on the zoo built by the Daun family
as the first private and, for a long period, the largest zoo in
Europe.
www.visittrebic.eu
www.zamek-vranov.cz
www.hrad-bitov.cz
Valdštejnský Chateau: www.zamek-trebic.cz
Vysočina Museum Třebíč: www.muzeumtr.cz
www.visitczechrepublic.com 11
Písek and Zvíkov
Joyfull Cities and Living History
www.pisek.eu; www.piseckem.cz
by train from Prague 2 h 33 min
Accessibility:
by bus from Prague 1 h 20 min
107 km from Prague
by car from Prague 1 h 27 min
Target group: Pleasure seekers: families with children
Písek, a historical settlement on the river Otava in
a picturesque South-Bohemian backdrop, is a charming
town featuring the oldest hydroelectric power plant
and the largest stud farm in the Czech Republic, as
well as one of the oldest bridges in Central Europe.
An 18 km trip takes you to the Gothic Zvíkov Castle,
a treasure of Medieval architectural art, situated atop
a narrow rocky ridge washed by the confluence of the
rivers Vltava and Otava.
Písek
A Historical Gem on the Gold-Bearing Otava River
The historical town of Písek is a Czech treasure yet
to be fully discovered by tourists. The artery of the delicately
reconstructed historical centre is the river Otava with
a beautiful stone bridge. Dating from the second half
of the thirteenth century, it is older than Prague’s famed
Charles Bridge. A walk along the river bank is one of the
most beautiful experiences the town can offer. You can also
visit the Provincial Stud Farm. This national cultural
monument was built in the Art Nouveau style in 1902,
but the horse breeding tradition dates back to a century
earlier. The building’s Art Nouveau details and fair-faced
brickwork are remarkable in themselves, but the biggest
attractions, of course, are the Písek horses. For another
extraordinary experience, visit the oldest working
hydroelectric power plant in the country. In operation
since 1887, it is also a unique technical museum. The Písek
Synagogue was also given a new coat, built in an oriental
style with Neo-renaissance elements. The Prácheň Museum
offers exhibitions of Czech monarchs, a huge aquarium with
fish from South-Bohemian ponds, and a unique preserved
Art Nouveau apartment, where you can have a themed
photo taken.
Písek also has three other remarkable bridges – the modern
Pleskot footbridge in the town itself and the nearby
Stádlec chain bridge, the country’s last empirical bridge,
and the monumental Ždákov bridge, the largest single-arch
bridge in the country. Písek is a living cultural town which
both adults and children will enjoy. Sand sculpture exhibitions,
“Pískoviště”, are organised on the riverside walkway, and an
unconventional puppet festival can also be seen. The climax,
however, is Sladovna (the Malt House), the country’s
12 Destination Manual 2020 | Cultural Tourism
www.hrad-zvikov.cz
by train from Prague —
Accessibility:
by bus from Prague 2 h 15 min
95 km from Prague
by car from Prague 1 h 20 min
Target group: Pleasure seekers: families with children
largest play centre with several original playrooms, a giant
Anthill labyrinth, an art studio and interactive exhibits.
Zvíkov Castle
Royal Gem of Gothic Architecture
The Royal Castle Zvíkov is among the most
beautifully located castles in Europe. Washed by the waters
from the Orlík Dam, towers, walls, ramparts and castle
bridges rise to the sky. The castle first belonged to the
Přemyslid Dynasty, and is one of the best-preserved castles
of the early 13th century. The oldest structure is the somewhat
mysterious Hlíza Tower built from roughly worked square
blocks with preserved stone markings. By contrast, the palace
chapel is the castle’s most beautiful feature, richly decorated
with paintings dating from the 15th century and magnificent
tiles depicting two-tailed lions. The castle is accessible
without a guide. Multilingual signs and descriptions will
help to let your imagination run evermore wild with every
step. Around the castle, you will find an archaeological
exhibition, castle dungeons and state rooms of the Royal
Palace with breath-taking views of the river confluence. You
can see a model of the whole castle, historical furniture,
transfers of renaissance paintings, an altar relocated from
a former church below the castle and, of course, the already
mentioned chapel and Hlíza Tower and viewpoint.
The castle also holds exhibitions and the Zvíkov Summer
Theatre. Looking out from the ramparts onto the glistening
surface, it is easy to imagine how it looked before the dam
was built, when the castle stood on a steep rock above a small
town and church. A bell from the former Gothic Church of
St. Nicholas now located in the Royal Palace is a reminder of
that era.
www.pisek.eu
www.piseckem.cz
www.hrad-zvikov.cz
South Bohemia region: www.jiznicechy.cz
Museum of Prácheň: www.prachenskemuzeum.cz
The oldest public water power station in the Czech Republic:
www.elektrarnapisek.cz
Provincial Stud Farm: www.zemskyhrebcinecpisek.cz
Pískoviště: www.piskoviste.info
Adolf Heyduk Memorial: www.prachenskemuzeum.cz
Zvíkov Castle: www.hrad-zvikov.cz
Orlík Chateau: www.zamekorlik.cz
Pardubice and
Kladruby nad
Labem
Joyfull Cities and Living History
www.topardubicko.cz
by train from Prague 1 h 20 min
Accessibility:
by bus from Prague —
123 km from Prague
by car from Prague 1 h 20 min
Target group: Pleasure seekers: families with children
Pardubice has been dedicated to horses and horse
racing for over 150 years. Almost everything here
revolves around horses, and visitors to this historical
city with remarkable architecture can experience it for
themselves. The horse-breeding tradition is even older, as
demonstrated by one of the world’s oldest stud farms
in Kladruby nad Labem, which is ultimately why the
local Chateau was built.
Pardubice
Home of the Grand Pardubice Steeplechase
Pardubice is the capital city of horses. This
is thanks to a long and colourful horse racing
tradition, the most prestigious racecourse in the
country and, above all, the toughest race in Central Europe, the
famous Great Pardubice Steeplechase, a seven-kilometre
race with thirty hurdles. The most feared of all is the Taxis
Ditch. Pardubice is a member of the European Network of
Horse Cities Euro Equus and has been named European
City of Horses for 2020 . The Pardubice Racecourse
was built as early as 1856, with the first Great Pardubice
taking place eighteen years later. This year it will be run for
the 130th time! Both children and adults will certainly enjoy
the opportunity to take a ride around the course in a
carriage or to walk around it with a guide. You can also hire
horses or take riding lessons on these magnificent animals.
Horses can also be found on the city streets. A mounted
police division has been operating for nearly 20 years.
It is therefore no surprise to see a horse go past you at the
entrance to the urban conservation reserve, the famous
Renaissance Zelená (Green) Gate. It includes a tower,
which you can climb and enjoy a view of the whole city and
its surroundings, as well as an interesting exhibition on
the history of the gate and tower.
Town houses on the picturesque square and adjacent lanes
bear traces of late Gothic construction from the early 16th
century in the form of stone panelling and portals, while other
construction styles have also left their mark, primarily the
Renaissance and Baroque, seen, for example, in the beautiful
“U Jonáše” house. The Neo-renaissance can be found in the
Town Hall complex. Pardubice also has a Renaissance
Chateau, seat of the Museum of East Bohemia with
permanent exhibitions of weapons and postcards, and an
www.nhkladruby.cz
by train from Prague 1 h 35 min
Accessibility:
by bus from Prague —
95 km from Prague
by car from Prague 1 h 10 min
Target group: Pleasure seekers: families with children
extensive collection of Bohemian glass. Beer lovers and others
will enjoy an excursion to the Pardubice Brewery, which
combines a century’s tradition with modern operation.
Kladruby nad Labem Chateau
A Chateau Dedicated to Horses
Without one of the ten oldest stud farms in the
world, the Kladruby nad Labem Chateau would not exist.
Emperor Maximilian II of Habsburg founded a stud farm
here as early as 1563, and this was soon promoted to the court
stud farm. Since Maximilian was a very frequent visitor to the
stud farm, he had a Renaissance Chateau built there in 1588.
It was later redeveloped in the Baroque and Empire styles.
The Chateau is also the origin of the Baroque Old Kladruber
Horse, the sole breed created for ceremonial purposes of the
royal courts, meeting the highest requirements for carriage
horses. At the Chateau, which is connected to the stud farm,
you can visit twelve chambers, where Emperor Franz
Joseph I stayed with his famous wife Elizabeth of Bavaria,
known as Sisi, and take a carriage ride. You and your
children will also enjoy a carriage ride simulator, where
you can try driving a carriage, enjoy a presentation of the
Old Kladruber White breed, and see the stables, carriage
house, harness room and stud museum. Nearby
Slatiňany Chateau has a different story. A stud farm was
also built there, but much later than the Chateau, originally
a medieval stronghold with Baroque and Classicist additions.
Since 1992, it has been a part of the Kladruby National Stud,
breeding Old Kladruber Black horses. The Chateau houses
an interesting hippology museum and a tour route of the
Auersperg family’s summer residence.
www.topardubicko.cz
www.nhkladruby.cz
East Bohemia region: www.vychodni-cechy.info
Racecourse: zavodistepardubice.cz
Pardubice Chateau: www.vcm.cz/zamek
Green Gate: www.zelenabrana.eu
Elbe Cycle Route: www.labska-stezka.cz
www.visitczechrepublic.com 13
 Český Šternberk
Lednice Chateau, Following the Footsteps
of Liechtenstein
Discover Bohemian
and Moravian castles
and chateaus. Find
more tips here. Iconic Castle
Chateaux and
Castles
www.hradceskysternberk.cz
by train from Prague —
Accessibility:
by bus from Prague 2 h 2 min
54 km from Prague
by car from Prague 37 min
Target group: Pleasure seekers: without children, families with children
Feel Like an Aristocrat Český Šternberk Castle, built in a picturesque
in Well-preserved Interiors
landscape, on a long rocky ridge above the river
Sázava, is among the best-preserved Czech castle
complexes. It is remarkable in the fact that it was built in
1241 by the same aristocratic family which owns it today.
The castle walls therefore tell the 780-year-long story
of a single family.
A Castle as the History of a Single Family
The construction of the castle itself gave the family a
new name. When Zdeslav of Divišov, who had a star on his
coat of arms, had the castle built on a rock, he gave it the name
Sternberg, and it has belonged to the Sternberg family
ever since. The family was born there and has lived there for
twenty generations!
The castle’s appearance is also unique. For centuries it has
preserved its exterior Gothic form, while its interiors have
slowly been transformed, giving it a striking early Baroque
Chateau appearance. Český Šternberk is therefore a
Baroque Chateau walled by a medieval castle. On a tour of the
castle’s interior, as you pass through fifteen rooms with
rich furnishings from various time periods, you will appreciate
its authenticity, because the Sternbergs lived and worked
here until 1949. For this reason, indoor plumbing, modern
bathrooms, central heating and electricity were installed in the
1920s and 30s.
After the communist coup, the castle was nationalised, but
even this despotism did not disrupt the continuity of the
Sternbergs’ life in the castle. The expropriated owner,
Jiří Sternberg, managed to stay at least in the capacity of
castle warden. And it is primarily for that reason that almost
everything in the castle remained as it was. Today, the first
floor of the castle is occupied by the family of his son, current
owner Zdeněk Sternberg, so it is not unusual to run into
him somewhere on the extensive grounds.
A Unique Collection of Copper Engravings
On a castle tour, you will also come across other unique
rarities, such as the unique Šternberk collection of 525
copper engravings from the Thirty Years’ War, one of
the largest monothematic collections of engravings
in Europe. You can also see the Knight’s Hall, library,
14 Destination Manual 2020 | Cultural Tourism
salons and dining room, which now serves as a family
gallery, as well as Jiří Sternberg’s study. You will also be
amazed by the Baroque stuccowork of Carlo Brentano.
Take a look at the mysterious dungeon, a projected bastion
with a sharp edge deflecting enemy projectiles to the sides.
It is among the best-preserved buildings of late Gothic
fortification architecture, and its significance extends beyond
the Czech Republic. The tower is accessible as part of a themed
tour – a guided walk around the castle’s surroundings.
This will also take you to the St. George Chapel, on the
nearby Vražda hill and to Baroque statues spread around
the area.
Children will enjoy a tour of the Sternberg family
residence accompanied by a turnkey in historical costume.
Another extraordinary experience is the tour Daily Life in a
First-Republic Castle, where you will catch a glimpse of an
aristocratic family’s lifestyle of the time, together with their
troubles and joys.
City nearby:
Kutná Hora, the Middle Ages in their purest form
Kutná Hora is an ideal place for castle tours, a town
full of unique landmarks, Gothic churches, town houses,
palaces and winding streets. This town with a long history of
silver mining and coin minting, the treasury and a gem of the
Czech Republic, is listed by UNESCO. Its streets, which
preserve their medieval appearance to this day, conceal all
kinds of magic.
Be sure not to miss the Gothic St. Barbara’s Church, the
Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady and Saint
John the Baptist in Sedlec, or the nearby ossuary below
the cemetery of the All Saint’s Church, the Italian
Court royal palace and the Hrádek palace with an exhibition
of the Czech Museum of Silver and Medieval Mine.
www.hradceskysternberk.cz
Small Museum of Technic: jawyodsazavy.cz/
Sázava Monastery: www.klaster-sazava.cz/cs
Glass Art Centre – Sázava: www.cestyskla.cz/
Kutná Hora: destinace.kutnahora.cz
Central Bohemia: www.centralbohemia.cz
www.visitczechrepublic.com 15
Loket
Iconic Castle
www.hradloket.cz
by train from Prague 3 h 45 min
Accessibility:
by bus from Prague 2 h 43 min
142 km from Prague
by car from Prague 1 h 56 min
Target group: Pleasure seekers: without children, families with children
One of the most picturesque Czech castles, Johann
Wolfgang Goethe called Loket “a work of art in
the landscape”. The castle associated with the life
of King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles
IV is the Romanesque crown of a small medieval town
surrounded almost entirely by the river Ohře. It offers
several exhibitions and entertainment programmes, and
also conceals the oldest meteorite and the smallest
rotunda in the world.
A Castle Where Charles IV was Imprisoned
One of the oldest stone castles in the Czech lands
has towered over a meander on the river Ohře for over
800 years. It was built in the Romantic style on the site of
a former Slavic fortified settlement to protect a trade route and
to guard the border. At the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries,
a small medieval town grew up around it. The castle was
known as “the key to the Kingdom of Bohemia” and it
was believed that anyone who conquered Loket would conquer
all of Bohemia. But the castle was never taken.
It was highly appreciated by King Charles IV, even though,
as a young boy, he was kept there by force by his own father.
He did not come to resent the castle, however, and often stayed
there. He even classified it among places which should never
be taken away from the Czech crown. Although the castle later
underwent several redevelopments, it has not lost its Romantic
spirit. It has preserved its Romanesque foundations and,
above all, its extraordinarily valuable rotunda which, with an
inner diameter of just 3.6 metres, is the world’s smallest
preserved rotunda.
Loket is extremely popular for its attractive exhibitions, as
well as for its rich cultural events. There are festivals and
fairs, the Feast of Knights with a jousting tournament, the
Castle Vintage, concerts, theatre and fencing performances,
the famous Castle and Chateau Advent and the Ore
Mountain Christmas. Children will especially enjoy the mini
zoo, as well as the interactive programme A Flight through
Charles’ World and exhibitions of porcelain and tin toys.
Authentic Torture Chambers and Executions
However, visitors of all ages are most attracted by
spectacular exhibitions of medieval torture in a
16 Destination Manual 2020 | Cultural Tourism
torture chamber with movable mannequins, where vivid
demonstrations of various torture methods are accompanied
by authentic sounds and screams. At many castle events, you
can also experience chillingly faithful reconstructions of
medieval executions. In the Margrave’s house, you
can see an old pharmacy, exhibitions of wooden statues
and sculptures and, above all, part of the legendary Loket
meteorite, which was dug up in a nearby field around the
year 1400 and recorded as the world’s oldest meteorite.
More fascinating exhibits await beneath the castle tower. You
can see a collection of cold weapons and firearms,
helmets and artistically drawn targets. You can also visit
several floors of prison cells, where children will be
frightened by Štrakakal, a little man who punishes untidy and
messy-haired children.
And that’s not all. There is an interesting exhibition of
historical porcelain and unique Gothic murals from
the reign of Wenceslas IV. There is also plenty of interest in
the town below. The Baroque town hall houses a Museum
of Bookbinding with a fully functional late 19th-century
book bindery, while the historical square is dominated by a
Baroque Holy Trinity Column and lined by a series of town
houses.
City nearby:
Karlovy Vary, Beneficial Harmony for Body and
Soul
Loket is a fifteen-minute drive from the most famous Czech
spa town, enchanting Karlovy Vary. The number of local
therapeutic mineral springs is unparalleled in the world.
There are 81 of them! Stroll along the famous colonnades,
try the beneficial effects of the local spas and wellness
programmes, visit the Moser Museum of Glass and
Glassworks or the Jan Becher Museum, or experience the
unforgettable atmosphere of the Karlovy Vary International
Film Festival Karlovy Vary in early July.
www.hradloket.cz
Amphitheatre Loket: www.loket.cz/kulturni-akce/prirodni-amfiteatr-loket/
Karlovy Vary region: www.zivykraj.cz
Karlovy Vary: www.karlovyvary.cz
Following
the Footsteps
of Liechtenstein
Living History
www.liechtensteinove.cz
www.jizni-morava.cz
by train from Prague 3 h 40 min
Accessibility:
by bus from Prague —
258 km from Prague
by car from Prague 2 h 25 min
Target group: Pleasure seekers
The noble House of Liechtenstein reigned over
Moravia for seven centuries. The family once owned
one third of the entire region. It is impressive to follow
the traces that the House of Liechtenstein has left in
culture, viniculture, horse breeding, and on the
landscape. There are four chateaus, one castle, and
a landscaped area protected by UNESCO.
The House of Liechtenstein built a landscaped
area known as the Garden of Europe in the south of
Moravia. The majestic Baroque chateau of Valtice
– with more than twenty rooms documenting how the nobility
used to live, including a theatre, a princess suite, a chapel,
and wine cellars – stands on one side of the garden, and the
ornamental romantic chateau of Lednice, constructed
in the Tudor Gothic style and surrounded by a system of
lakes and streams, stands on the other. Between them you
can find Chinese gazebos, belvederes, bridges, romantic
cottages, Empire-style hunting lodges, a scenic colonnade
at Reistna, the manmade ruin of Janův hrad, and even a
minaret from which you can take in beautiful views of the
countryside: all of this is the Lednice-Valtice Cultural
Landscape Area, registered on the UNESCO World Heritage
List. Sailing through this landscape garden on a boat is an
experience of a lifetime.
The Giant Barrel and the Hall of Senses
Other distinctive monuments of the House of Liechtenstein
are the chateaus in Mikulov and Bučovice. The Baroque-
dominated Mikulov is home to the Regional Museum,
which has installed in the chateau’s chambers and cellars the
most extensive exhibition on viniculture in the Czech
Republic. The exposition includes a giant wine barrel made
in 1643. The Renaissance chateau in Bučovice is also
remarkable. The organised façade hides a typical Renaissance
courtyard and beautiful halls representative of the style,
remarkable for its exceptionally interesting murals such as the
Hall of Senses and its allegories of human senses in the form
of female figures and animals. The Liechtenstein chateau
chapel is richly decorated with stucco, and the local armoury
is also very interesting. There is also an interactive exposition
called the Moravian Aristocrat in the Labyrinth of the
World, based on the fate of one of the most notable members
of the Liechtenstein family. The chateau is surrounded with a
perfectly symmetrical Baroque garden.
The Trip to the Soul of a Collector
The last of the Liechtenstein mansions to visit as you follow
in the footsteps of this incredibly influential family is the medieval
castle of Šternberk, the heart of the town with the same
name. There you can embark on fascinating thematic guided
tours, such as the new tour From the Kitchen to the Attic,
which takes you through the castle facilities, including the
food delivery and personal lift system – one of the technical
gems of the estate – as well as the servants’ quarters, the newly
restored kitchen, and even the attic. However, the tour of the
Liechtenstein Collection gets the most attention: it is a tour
of the exceptionally well-preserved collection of Johann II, Prince
of Liechtenstein, which contains hundreds of sculptures, reliefs,
paintings, and items of applied art, and is a look into the soul
of an enlightened and educated collector who favoured
the Italian Renaissance. Other guided tour options include How
They Used to Live in a Noble Mansion. The Liechtenstein
footprints lead to many other interesting places, such as the
family tomb in Vranov u Brna, the church in Křtiny, the
towns of Slavkov, Moravský Krumlov, and Kunštát…
The activities open to you are rounded out by the Liechtenstein
cycling trails and tours of chateau gardens, which the
Liechtensteins especially prided themselves on.
City nearby:
Brno – Stylish, Lively and Young
Brno is a living and generous gallery of functionalism. Let
yourselves be carried away by the Brno Architectural
Manual and discover 383 designs by 211 architects, above all
the famous Villa Tugendhat, one of the greatest gems of 1930s
architecture and a UNESCO-protected site. Brno is also a very
lively, young, and energetic city full of unusual bars, bistros,
cafés, and restaurants as well as festivals and events – it is not
for nothing that Brno is the most dynamically developing
city in the Czech Republic.
www.liechtensteinove.cz
www.jizni-morava.cz
Liechtenstein Trails: www.lichtenstejnske-stezky.cz
Lednice-Valtice area: www.palava-lva.cz
Valtice Chateau: www.zamek-valtice.cz
Lednice Chateau: www.zamek-lednice.com
Brno: www.gotobrno.cz
17
Štramberk
Living History
www.stramberskepikanterie.cz
by train from Prague 4 h
Accessibility:
by bus from Prague —
352 km from Prague
by car from Prague 3 h 25 min
Target group: Pleasure seekers: families with children
The Romantic ruins of a medieval castle with a
legendary tower, now a lookout tower, look down on
the extraordinarily charming scenery of a small town
dubbed Moravian Bethlehem for its picturesque
winding streets lined with timbered houses.
Moravian Bethlehem
The castle complex is freely accessible, so you can
climb the tower yourselves, but it is much more interesting
to choose one of two guided tours – if only for your children.
The tours are known as Štramberk Spice and their biggest
advantage is that you will learn about the most interesting
parts of the town’s history and why it is known as “Moravian
Bethlehem”. Discover the secrets of its ancient nooks
and crannies lined with timbered cottages, look around
St. Bartholomew’s Church, see where “Štramberk ears”,
a local renowned sweet delicacy, are prepared, and where the
excellent local beer is brewed, discover the part of the castle
where the most telluric energy of Mother Earth rises, and take
a look into a historical shelter hut and tourist chalet. From
the viewing gallery of the famous “Trúba”, as the castle tower
is locally known, you will find out just what you are actually
looking at.
Visit the prehistoric cave Šipka, where a globally significant
Discovery was once made – part of the jaw of a Neanderthal
child – and see the ruins of Stallenberg Castle. You can
even request something else – guides are ready to prepare an
individual programme in advance.
Trúba and “Ear” Bakeries
But let’s start at the beginning – Stallenberg Castle was built
for the Olomouc Přemyslid princes sometime around 1200.
At one time it also belonged to the Knights Templar. In the
late 18th century, the front part of the castle collapsed, and
the complex began to fall into disrepair. The castle received its
Romantic appearance in the early 20th century through the
care of prominent Prague architect Kamil Hilbert, who was
also working on the completion of Prague Castle’s St. Vitus
Cathedral at the time. That was when the 40 m tall castle
tower gained its characteristic roof. The tower is square at the
bottom, with walls 3.5 metres thick. It is not until 24 metres
above the ground that it becomes round in shape. And it is this
very cylinder soaring above the fortifications and trees that
18 Destination Manual 2020 | Cultural Tourism
gives it its popular name Kulatina (log) or Trúba (tube).
The reconstruction gave the castle two new gates and part of
the ramparts which originally circled and protected the whole
town was partially repaired.
The tower can be climbed via a three-flight staircase up to its
protruding wooden viewing gallery, offering glorious
views of the whole town, the peaks Kotouč and Bílá hora,
the Beskid massif and Starojičínský hill, as well as Hostýn,
Jeseníky and the Moravian Gate. And what are the famous
Štramberk ears? A guided tour will take you to the place
where they are made. These pastries made from honey-
spiced dough twisted into cones resembling ears have been
baked in Štramberk for centuries to commemorate a legendary
victory of the local Christians over the Tartar army. This is
because the Tartars cut off their slain enemies’ ears and sent
them in sacks to their khan. And if your children are looking
for fun, take them to the Museum of Zdeněk Burian, a
world-famous painter of dinosaurs and the prehistoric world.
City nearby:
Ostrava – Undiscovered Raw Beauty
An ideal base for a trip to Štramberk is Ostrava,
the city with the highest concentration of technical
monuments in the Czech Republic. Travel to Dolní
Vítkovice, the largest freely accessible industrial area in the
country and have a coffee at the top of a tall furnace. Landek
park will take you to a mining exhibition deep underground.
And after putting the kids to bed, you can spend a lively
night in the clubs and bars of legendary Stodolní Street –
the distinctive phenomenon of Ostrava nightlife.
www.stramberskepikanterie.cz
Štramberk Castle: www.stramberska-truba.info
Šipka Cave: www.mesto-stramberk.cz/jeskyne-sipka.php
Museum of Zdeněk Burian: www.zdenekburian.cz
Botanic garden Štramberk: www.stramberk.info/dr-cs/9-botanicka-
-zahrada.html
Technical Museum Tatra: www.tatramuseum.cz
Sigmund Freud Birth House in Příbor: www.freudmuseum.cz
Ostrava: www.visitostrava.eu
Moravian-Silesian region: severnimorava.travel
Ploskovice
Living History
www.zamek-ploskovice.cz
by train from Prague 1 h 36 min
Accessibility:
by bus from Prague 1 h 32 min
76 km from Prague
by car from Prague 54 min
Target group: Pleasure seekers: families with children
A fairy-tale Chateau, one confident woman’s dream
come true and the summer residence of the last King
of Bohemia, a beautiful crowning Baroque garden known
as the “Little Versailles”, a settlement with remarkable
artificial caves and breath-taking paintings, and a shooting
location for many films – meet Ploskovice.
Summer Residence of Emperor Ferdinand
Before the last crowned King of Bohemia, Emperor
Ferdinand I of Austria, could pass on his sceptre to his
son and retire to the magical Ploskovice Chateau, this
late Baroque gem first had to be built. And the story is like
a thrilling film. Anna Maria of Tuscany had a dream.
To convert a medieval fortress into a beautiful Chateau
according to the latest global fashions. Her marriage was
a terrible failure. Although her husband was a member of
the Medici family, he was a drunk, a gambler and a crook.
Ploskovice was supposed to be a place where the Duchess could
escape from him. According to some sources, she turned to
Bohemian architect Kilian Ignatius Dientzenhofer for help
her with her plans. She wanted a residence in the fashionable
French style with Italian and Chinese influences,
artificial caves and a park in the style of Versailles.
She spared no expense, personally oversaw construction, and
when the costs began to increase, she burnt all the accounts so
that no-one could blame her. But her dream came true.
As a result, we can now stroll through an enchanting eight-
hectare park with fountains, a pond and rare trees –
perhaps with a guide, who will tell us about its botanical
curiosities. We can also be guided through fantastically
formed grottos with fanciful paintings, i.e. artificial caves with
a system of finely concealed nozzles, which bring Baroque
fountains to life with water, and reliefs of ancient
ruins, or a sala terrena decorated with rare Baroque
stuccowork by Tommaso Soldatti.
Walls and Ceilings as a Gallery
Over a century later, Emperor Ferdinand I had the Chateau
rebuilt in his own style. He raised the building by one floor,
added arcades which give the impression of crabs’ claws, and
invited the era’s most prominent Czech artist to take care of
the interior decorations. Thanks to this, the Chateau can boast
magnificent landscape paintings by Josef Navrátil (besides
wall and ceiling paintings, there is also a permanent exhibition
of his works entitled “Czech Paintings of the 19th
Century”) and sculptures by Václav Levý. One tour route
takes you through eleven rooms that look as if the Emperor
has just left.
Children will feel like they are in a fairy tale – after all,
countless Czech children’s films have been shot here. But
it also has a long list of global film appearances. Famous
passers-through include Gérard Depardieu, Nastassja Kinski,
Jacqueline Bisset, Kiefer Sutherland, Katie Holmes and
Michael Keaton. Young Indiana Jones and Forman’s famous
Amadeus were also filmed here. What children will really
enjoy is the permanent exhibition Teddy Bears at the
Castle, a charming display of teddy bears inspired by the
Skagen Teddy Bear Museum in Denmark. If you visit in mid-
June, don’t miss the local Ceramics Markets!
City nearby:
Litoměřice – A Baroque Pearl in the Central
Bohemian Uplands
A nearby historical town on the Elbe with a Baroque soul and
very good tourist facilities. The preserved fortifications conceal
interesting exhibitions (a puppet gallery or a handmade
paper workshop). Monumental city walls offer tempting
walks, the Dómský vrch area is the original site of the town
and to this day it preserves a unique atmosphere created by
the Bishop’s Palace, St. Stephen’s Cathedral and its
monumental tower, which offers great views of the town
in the embrace of a river and mountains. Take one of the
numerous guided tours, such as the Sacral Monuments
Tour.
www.zamek-ploskovice.cz
Elbe Cycle Route: www.labska-stezka.cz
Litoměřice: www.litomerice-info.cz
Ústí nad Labem region: www.gatetobohemia.com
www.visitczechrepublic.com 19
Kroměříž
Iconic Chateau
www.zamek-kromeriz.cz
by train from Prague 3 h 15 min
Accessibility:
by bus from Prague 3 h 35 min
274 km from Prague
by car from Prague 2 h 50 min
Target group: Pleasure seekers: without children, families with children
The early Baroque Archbishop’s Chateau,
dominating the heritage conservation area of Kroměříž,
and the Chateau garden are UNESCO-listed
landmarks, and are among the biggest tourist magnets
of Moravia. The Chateau interior is one of the most
valuable in Central Europe. Its picture gallery is
the second most important in the country and Titian’s
painting Apollo and Marsyas is considered the most
valuable work of art in the Czech Republic.
Representative Residence of the Archbishops of
Olomouc
A monumental Chateau rises from the northern corner of
Kroměříž square. It was once a fortified settlement with a
Gothic and Renaissance castle, but after the total destruction
brought by the Thirty Years’ War, a representative palace
was built in the early Baroque period. The settlement’s entire
history was connected with the Bishops of Olomouc from the
year 1100 and, since 1777, with its Archbishops. Bishop Karl II
von Liechtenstein-Castelcorno contributed to the Chateau’s
current appearance. He also founded its historical painting
collection. In the picture gallery today, you can admire
538 works by such global maestros as Veronese, Lucas
Cranach the Elder, Hans von Aachen, Anthonis van
Dyck, Annibale Carracci, Jan Brueghel the Elder and
Titian, whose work Apollo and Marsyas is the jewel in the
gallery’s crown. The interior is breath-taking. The Assembly
Hall is among the most beautiful Rococo style interiors in
Central Europe. As you walk through it, take a look at the ceiling
painting, which is actually on a canvas. The Throne Hall with
its rich stucco decorations, the Counselling Hall with a gallery
of Bishops and Archbishops, or the most valuable artistic hall
of all, the Liege Hall, with gilded Rococo carvings in artificial
marble and fresco decorations all inspire awe.
Music, Wine and a Unique Garden
The Chateau garden contains 90,000 rare volumes,
while the musical archive with over 6,000 compositions,
including Mozart’s (Miloš Forman filmed Amadeus here) is
also astounding. The Archdiocesan Museum offers two
exhibitions – garden art and the musical cabinet. In the
National Centre of Garden Culture, you can see a unique
exhibition of European garden art with attractive models
of gardens. The Chateau also includes the Bishop’s Mint, the
20 Destination Manual 2020 | Cultural Tourism
only preserved mint in Moravia. Another feature of the complex
is the Archbishop’s Wine Cellars founded in 1266. Wine
is matured in historical barrels, the largest of which holds
over 19,000 litres of the intoxicating drink. A walk through
cellars and, of course, tasting the altar wine is an unforgettable
experience.
The adjacent Chateau Garden conceived as an English
landscape garden, Baroque Flower Garden (originally called
Libosad), unique in the world, with a rotunda, greenhouses
and arcade, are gems which must also be perceived as part of the
Chateau. Only with these is the value of the UNESCO-protected
landmark complete. Kroměříž Chateau will also appeal to
children. They will enjoy a mirror maze, observatory,
Secrets of Old Kroměříž – a fun tour in period costumes
with short scenes from the time of the Archbishop of Kroměříž,
Bishop Karl’s Dream – a tour with a borrowed tablet, Titian
Art Studio, a workshop for parents with children, or a guided
tour of the town and gardens in an open-topped vehicle.
Persons with hearing impairment can use the tablets
with text and video guides; tactile tours are provided for
persons with visual impairment.
City nearby:
Zlín – The phenomenon of Bata
Zlín is a town where one of the last century’s greatest
business brains made his dream a reality, a social
visionary whose shoes conquered the world – Tomáš
Baťa. His modernist utopia, which amazed Le Corbusier,
was designed, for example by Jan Kotěra. Visit Baťa’s
Skyscraper, the Grand Cinema, shopping centre and
marketplace, House of Art, the Letná villa district, etc.
A number of mobile apps will guide you through the town, or
you can order a guided tour.
www.zamek-kromeriz.cz
Olomouc Archdiocesan Museum: www.muo.cz/en/kromeriz-archdiocesan-
-museum
Waterworks: www.kromeriz.eu/trasy/detail/236-Arcibiskupska-
vodarna.html; www.galerie-orlovna.cz
Archbishop wine cellars: www.arcibiskupskevino.cz/
Zlin: www.ic-zlin.cz
East Moravia region: www.vychodni-morava.cz
West-Bohemian
Baroque
Living History
www.zapadoceskebaroko.cz
Klatovy by train from Prague 2 h 18 min
Accessibility: by bus from Prague 2 h 25 min
131 km from Prague
by car from Prague 1 h 30 min
Target group: Pleasure seekers: families with children
Chateaux, monasteries and churches – the West-
Bohemian Region is brimming with splendid Baroque
landmarks, which are very much alive. These unique local
Baroque places are united every year in the Summer
Baroque Festival, consisting of eight Baroque festivals
and more than sixty accompanying events dedicated to the
Baroque thinking and lifestyles.
A Baroque Landscape at Every Step
The typical Czech cultural landscape, said to be
like a garden, has its origins in the Baroque. And it seems
as if West Bohemia has preserved a light and jubilant
Baroque spirit to this day. It is brought to life not only by
carefully reconstructed monuments, but above all by events
and festivals which try to contribute to understanding the
Baroque view of the world.
The Summer Baroque Festival is a never-ending chain of
tours, concerts, exhibitions, tastings, fairs, theatres,
equestrian exhibitions, dance performances,
lectures, fire shows, masses, falconry and hunting
demonstrations and, of course, baroque fireworks.
The events are held in all major Baroque places and are designed
to offer something to both children and adults. Festival-goers
therefore discover landmarks not only as passive visitors, but also
experience these Baroque buildings with authentic feeling.
The central point of the entire festival is the pilgrimage site
in Mariánská Týnice. The church, provostry and cloister are
the work of probably the greatest Czech Baroque genius Jan
Blažej Santini. It houses the Centre of Baroque, which
connects all events and initiatives, and also offers a fascinating
exhibition on Santini and his Creative World and other
interesting permanent exhibitions – the History of Mariánská
Týnice and the Marian Devotions, which also capture the
story of the construction of the complex, an ethnography
exhibition or the exhibit Life in the Town, where you will find
yourself in a period shop, craft workshops, a household and a pub.
A Monastery on Water, a Pharmacy and Catacombs
In this region, Santini also met Kilián Dientzenhofer, so that
they could – individually – contribute to the construction of a
monastery in Kladruby. Santini designed the stunning Church
of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, St. Wolfgang and
Klatovy, Baroque pharmacy “At the White Unicorn”
St. Benedict crowned with a richly decorated central dome
with a breath-taking interior and an ingeniously built altar
space. Dientzenhofer designed the unique Convent. Another
magnificent baroque jewel is the Manětín Chateau with the
Church of St. John the Baptist, an extensive gallery of
statues and a Chateau garden, where the popular Baroque
Day is regularly held. In Klatovy, you can also enjoy the unique
Baroque pharmacy “At the White Unicorn” with a special
tour and a pharmacy exhibition with numerous curiosities and
rarities, as well as a mysterious tour of the catacombs
with mummified monks and the exhibition “Baroque
Jesuit Klatovy”. Klášter Plasy is further proof of Santini’s
genius. The  monastery convent is built on five thousand oak
poles driven into marshland in such a manner that it is still
standing today. And the list of Baroque sights goes on – there
is Nebílovy Chateau with a collection of the oldest Central-
European Baroque still life art, Přeštice with Dientzenhofer’s
Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Nepomuk and
the pilgrimage Church of St. John of Nepomuk designed
by the same architect, etc. Baroque is everywhere you look.
City nearby:
Plzeň – City of Beer
The regional centre of the Baroque region is Plzeň. Its
name is synonymous with the highest-quality and best-known
Czech beer in the world. Don’t miss a tour of the Pilsner
Urquell Brewery where the famed beer is born, or other
beer attractions – the Brewery Museums and taprooms
and restaurants. There is much more to Plzeň. You can
visit four apartments with interiors designed by modernist
architect Adolf Loos.
www.zapadoceskebaroko.cz
Kladruby Monastery: www.klaster-kladruby.cz
Manětín Chateau: www.zamek-manetin.cz
Plasy Monastery: www.klaster-plasy.eu
Baroque pharmacy “At the White Unicorn” in Klatovy: www.klatovy.cz/
klatovy/fr.asp?tab=snet&id=2155&burl=
Plzeň: www.visitplzen.eu
Plzeň region: www.turisturaj.cz
www.visitczechrepublic.com 21

Traditional
Czech
Gastronomy Pilsen
CzechSpecials
Discover the truth of the popular Czech saying “Love passes
through the stomach”. If you want to taste Czech cuisine
and have good quality guaranteed at the same time, look for
restaurants that are certified under the CzechSpecials project.
The project brings together and supports restaurants that offer
traditional, honest Czech gastronomy with a modern approach
and guaranteed quality. If you choose a restaurant labelled
with a blue-and-white sticker with the CzechSpecials sign, you
will discover the diversity of Czech cuisine, the specifics and
specialities of the individual regions, the uniqueness of
meals and the manner of their preparation from local sources.
Part of the certification is also a guarantee of a pleasant
atmosphere and high-quality services. Guaranteed by the Czech
Association of Hotels and Restaurants, and the Association of
Chefs and Confectioners of the Czech Republic.
▪ www.czechspecials.cz
The Phenomenon of Beer
In the Czech Republic, beer is referred to as “liquid bread”.
In recent years, there are a growing number of small and
family breweries supplementing traditional brands; one
could say that the Czech Republic is experiencing a boom in
microbreweries. In addition to spontaneous visits to pubs
and restaurants that often include a brewhouse, and beer is
thus brewed literally in front of your eyes, special beer trails
and beer tourist trails are also multiplying... For example,
the South Bohemian Beer Trail connects six industrial
breweries and eleven microbreweries. When travelling along
the trails, not only will you taste various kinds of beers,
but you will also be able to see the technical background of
the breweries. Don't forget that the promised lands of beer
are particularly the areas around Pilsen and Žatec. In
addition, exceptional service is also offered by a fast-growing
number of beer spas, where you can try beer baths, wraps,
and massages, but also drink beer. The aim is to harmonise
the body, as well as physical and mental relaxation. Many parts
of the country also host a wide variety of beer festivities
and festivals, and you can visit several museums focusing
Brno on the history of beer production and drinking (for example,
22 Destination Manual 2020 | Cultural Tourism
Download
application Czech
Republic Wine
Trails here!
Roast sirloin in cream sauce
the Hop Museum and the Temple of Hops and Beer in Žatec).
▪ www.czechtourism.com/a/beer-and-wine-spas
▪ chchp.cz
Great aids in orientation among attractive locations connected
with Czech beer include:
Map of Industrial and Craft Breweries and Beer Guide
to Prague
▪ www.prague.eu/file/edee/universal/download/
brozury/the-beer-guide-to-prague.pdf
Moravian Wine Trails
In turn, South Moravia is a land promised to wine. In addition
to wine festivities, festivals, and harvest, you can, for
example, journey along one of the many wine trails. Ten
circuits and a total of 1,200 km of trails will guide you through
a picturesque landscape among vineyards, through distinctive
villages and historical towns, alleys consisting of nothing but
wine cellars, and often, underground to cellars with giant
barrels and a millennium-long tradition of wine production.
Hundreds of branches streak off the arterial Moravian Wine
Trail, where you are guaranteed to find good wine, beautiful
landscapes, and, above all, interesting, distinctive, and
hospitable people, who have dedicated their lives to wine.
▪ www.stezky.cz
A great help in orientation among attractive locations of
Moravian wine tourism is the brochure Moravian Wine
Trails
▪ www.czechtourism.com/s/wine-trails/
You can also download the useful app Czech Republic
Wine Trails.
See the Map
of Czech Discover map
Breweries of Moravian
here Wine Trails
www.visitczechrepublic.com 23
 Zlín, 14|15 Baťa Institute

Industrial
Heritage
Probably not everybody can see a connection 4  Museum of Baťa in Zlín www.14-15.cz
between the words ‘industry’ and ‘charm’. Language availability CZ
However, this is indeed true of many places by train from Prague 3 h 40 min
in the Czech Republic. The formation of Accessibility:
300 km from Prague
by bus from Prague 4 h 50 min

the Republic was accompanied by the need by car from Prague 2 h 50 min

to overcome the decline caused by war, and Visitors 121,603 (2016)

the pace as well as the inventiveness with

which the production took off is breath- 5  Budvar Brewery in České Budějovice www.visitbudvar.cz

taking. The textile, glass, and footwear

Language availability CZ, EN, DE, FR, RU, IT, ES
by train from Prague 2 h 30 min
industries were among the most Accessibility:
direct connection by bus from Prague 2 h
advanced in the world. The same was
144 km from Prague
by car from Prague 1 h 40 min

true of the Czechoslovak armaments

industry. 6  Brewery Museum in Pilsen www.prazdrojvisit.cz
Language availability CZ, EN, DE, FR, RU, IT, ES, PL, HU, NL
The prosperity of Czech companies was permeated with direct connection by train from Prague 1h 40 min
stories. For example, the shoemaker Baťa, who literally Accessibility:
by bus from Prague (Zličín) 1 h
“shod the world” and gave jobs to tens of thousands of people. 92 km from Prague
by car from Prague 1 h
Or the story of the Škoda brand. Its position before the war
was unshakable, but the demand for weapons ebbed. Škoda
took this as an inspiration for a new expansion – it started 7  National Technical Museum Prague www.ntm.cz
producing locomotives and cars (at first steam, then Language availability CZ, EN, FR, IT
electric), later also aircraft, trolleybuses and bridges, even Visitors 272,323
the first fully-welded bridge in the world. However,
Škoda and Baťa were not the only expanding Czech brands.
8  Technical Museum in Brno www.technicalmuseum.cz
1  Technical Museum Tatra in Kopřivnice www.tatramuseum.cz Language availability CZ, EN, DE
Language availability CZ, EN, DE, PL direct connection by train from Prague 2 h 30 min
Accessibility:
by train from Prague 4 h direct connection by bus from Prague 2 h 30 min
Accessibility: 206 km from Prague
by bus from Prague 3 h 45 min by car from Prague 2 h
358 km from Prague
by car from Prague 3 h 30 min Visitors 128,773 (2016)
Visitors 91,785
9  South Bohemian Motorcycle Museum motomuseum-hostalek.cz
2  Škoda Museum in Mladá Boleslav museum.skoda-auto.cz Language availability CZ
Language availability CZ, EN by train from Prague 2 h 30 min
Accessibility:
direct connection by train from Prague 1 h 40 min direct connection by bus from Prague 2 h
Accessibility: 146 km from Prague
direct connection by bus from Prague 50 min by car from Prague 1 h 45 min
64 km from Prague
by car from Prague 50 min Visitors 5 959, closed till April 2019
Visitors 254,143
10  Dolní Vítkovice and Landek Park in Ostrava www.dolnivitkovice.cz
3  Jawa Museum in Konopiště jawamuzeumkonopiste.business.site Language availability CZ, EN, PL
Language availability CZ, EN, RU, DE direct connection by train from Prague 3 h 20 min
Accessibility:
direct connection by train from Prague 1 h —
Accessibility: 373 km from Prague
by bus from Prague 50 min (from Florenc) by car from Prague 3 h 30 min
47 km from Prague
Techmania Science Center in Pilsen, locomotive S 699.0 by car from Prague 35 min Visitors 1,557,784

24 Destination Manual 2020 | Cultural Tourism www.visitczechrepublic.com 25

Technical Museum Tatra in Kopřivnice
Czech Family Silver
1 Tatra
There was, for example, the Tatra brand, the second oldest
operating car manufacturer in the world. In 1897,
the first car was made here, and the brand still enjoys high
prestige in the truck category, which is well-known from
the Dakar Rally. You can best learn about the history of
the brand in the Technical Museum Tatra in the North
Moravian town of Kopřivnice.
▪ www.tatramuseum.cz
2 Škoda
The fame of Czech cars under the Škoda brand began to unfold
in 1925, when the concern acquired the car manufacturer
Laurin & Klement in Mladá Boleslav. Currently, Škoda is
one of the most visible and best-selling brands on the world
market. You can learn about its history in comfort in
the Škoda Museum in Mladá Boleslav. The exhibition is
a modern concept, standing on 1,800 m2 of exhibition grounds
equipped with a multifunctional hall and restaurant.
▪ museum.skoda-auto.cz
3 Jawa
The company of Mr. Janeček and Mr. Wanderer – the first
letters of their names combined to create the brand Jawa,
which also focused on armaments production at first, but
after the decline of interest it shifted towards motorcycle
and car production. Jawa motorcycles are still popular
and very successful in races on a flat track, Enduro, but also
in the Dakar Rally. In the Jawa Museum in Konopiště
(near the State Chateau Konopiště), you can view around
200 historical motorcycles.
▪ jawamuzeumkonopiste.business.site
4 Baťa
In the Czech Republic, the name Baťa is still synonymous
with successful business combined with social conscience
and empathy. The footwear giant, who achieved global
success, built houses, schools, and hospitals for his employees,
and after WWII he discounted his goods to half price rather
than lay off workers en masse. The entire city of Zlín still has
the character impressed on it by Baťa’s genius. The notable
Zlín museum “Building No. 14” of the Baťa Institute,
located in one the Baťa-built buildings, offers an amazing
26 Destination Manual 2020 | Cultural Tourism
Pilsner Urquell
journey through the history of the brand as well as the Baťa
family. Enthusiasts can also visit the famous skyscraper, which,
at the time, caused amazement due to its technical amenities.
The main attraction is an independently air-conditioned
mobile office in a lift, which even contained a sink with hot
water.
▪ www.14-15.cz
5 Budvar Brewery
In 1930, the registered trademark of Budvar was created
by connecting two Czech words, Budějovický and pivovar
(brewery). Its extraordinary international success brought
the local administrative board to incorporate it into the name
of the brewery itself. Tourists can now visit this brewery in
České Budějovice, and admire the production process of
the world-famous lager. The tour, which is available in
up to seven languages, is enhanced by a tasting. Thanks to it,
visitors can sample the genuine South Bohemian recipe, whose
origins date back to the 13th century.
▪ www.visitbudvar.cz
6 Pilsner Urquell
The most famous brand of Czech beer was born in 1842
in Pilsen, which is, with only a very slight exaggeration, said
to be the world capital of beer. Beer that is valued by experts
as well as lay people across the globe has been brewed here for
more than 175 years. In the Brewery Museum in Pilsen,
you will experience the story of beer from ancient times to
the present. The exhibition is unrivalled in the world. You
will discover the history of Pilsen’s pubs, see the complete
facilities of the brewery, including the laboratory, and view
beer curiosities – and you will even have a taste of the delicious
local beverage.
▪ www.prazdrojvisit.cz
National Technical Museum in Prague
The World of Technology at
Your Fingertips
There are many more famous Czech brands
– Moser glass, Solo Sušice matches,
Koh-i-noor Hardmuth pencils,
the inimitable Becherovka liqueur,
engineering products from ČKD, and
others. You can experience their stories,
accompanied by stories of people and
wondrous products, at one of the Czech
technical museums.
7 The National Technical Museum in Prague
In the immense space of the museum, among the unique
exhibits you can experience the history of automobile,
motorcycle, aviation, and marine or rail transport in the Czech
lands. Additionally, you can visit expositions of Printing,
Photographic Studio, Chemistry Around Us, Time Measuring,
Metallurgy and Mining, Intercamera, Playful Technology,
Architecture, Civil Engineering and Design or exposition of
Television Studio. Another interesting exposition focuses on
Ore- and coal-mining - where you may attend guided tour.
▪ www.ntm.cz
8 Technical Museum in Brno
A wide range of seventeen permanent exhibits and
countless occasional exhibitions. You will become familiar
with the history of optics, computing, you will travel through
time From Tom-toms to the Internet, as well as through
a Crafts Lane, you will be enchanted by Historical Stereovision,
Historical Cars, Water Engines, Salon of Mechanical Music,
Brno on Two Wheels, Aircraft Engines, Metal Casting, Cutlery,
and others.
▪ www.technicalmuseum.cz
9 South Bohemian Motorcycle Museum in České
Budějovice
In the attractive setting of the historical town nestles the South
Bohemian Motorcycle Museum, one of the largest in
the country with respect to two-wheeled vehicles – there
Dolní Vítkovice
are about a hundred unique ones here. In addition, you can
see historical engines, military equipment, old toys, carts, and
many other things that make up the motorcycle history.
▪ motomuseum-hostalek.cz
Dolní Vítkovice and Landek Park in Ostrava
10 Mining and metallurgy have been a part of Czech
tradition since the Middle Ages. In North Moravian
Ostrava, which is famous for mining, a unique adventure
park was built. You can view furnaces, experience first-hand
the feelings of a miner, from changing clothes in historical
chain changing rooms or taking an authentic journey down
the pit, to the miner’s journey to the underground workings.
You can experience a ride in the original carts pulled
by a functional mining locomotive, which were used for
transporting people in the mine. Experienced miners will guide
you through the 250 m of mine tunnels. In the popular-science
centres of the Big and Small World of Technology, you
will learn interesting scientific and technological facts in a fun
way, complete with the mystery of inventions from the steam
engine to present. Lovers of industrial monuments will enjoy
the Techno Route in Ostrava. It connects buildings of
a technical nature associated with the tradition of mining,
metallurgy, railway transport, automotive industry, but
also fire service equipment, beer industry, and military or
agricultural history.
▪ www.dolnivitkovice.cz
2
Mladá
7 Boleslav
3 10
6 Prague Ostrava
Konopiště
Kopřivnice
Pilsen
4 1
5,9 8
Brno Zlín
České
Budějovice
www.visitczechrepublic.com 27
 The Czech Republic is a country with Velehrad, Basilica of the Assumption
a very rich spiritual tradition. For more of Our Lady and of Saints Cyril and
Methodius
than a millennium, the country has been
building on a Christian tradition,
and the Jewish tradition and culture
has also played a significant part in its
development. The marks left behind by
human faith are ubiquitous.
It is riveting to journey to churches, cathedrals, monasteries,
places of pilgrimage, ways of the cross, but also to minor sacral
monuments, to synagogues, which were preserved despite
the Nazi oppression, to Jewish but also Christian cemeteries,
which have differing, but always very powerful atmospheres.
It is fascinating to see all that people have built in the name of

Spiritual
faith. Nowadays, we often understand these buildings only as
monuments, but for the people of the past, they were places
essential for life. Jewish Cultural Heritage

Spiritual and Religious Tourism Up until the Middle Ages, many Czech cities used to have
very large and active Jewish communities. The coexistence of

Tourism
This Religious Tourism project, intended for the general
public, is very ambitious. Its aim is to create the richest
menu possible to suit everybody, regardless of their religious
beliefs. It offers the option to learn about various sites
linked to Christianity and the Christian Church, religious
monuments, places of pilgrimage, and others. In principle, it
has an ecumenical approach, which respects the diversity of
the Christian Church. The involvement of locals provides visitors
with an authentic experience of the individual communities.
At the same time, it represents new options for the use of
religious buildings, and links Christian religious monuments
with other accompanying activities. The project website allows
you to search for a specific route, place of pilgrimage, sacral
building, accommodation, event, or spiritual exercise, and it is
a very good and practical aid in the planning of your trip.
▪ www.cirkevnituristika.cz
Cyril and Methodius Trails
St. Cyril and St. Methodius are very popular and revered
saints in the Czech Republic, as it was they who spread
Christianity in the Czech lands. A set of trails in their names
is focused on journeying in the footsteps of the cultural
roots of the Czech nation. They are designed to connect places
of pilgrimage and provide information about the cultural
heritage of the early Middle Ages at the same time, so
they also link archaeological sites, archeo-parks, Slavic
fortified settlements, sacral buildings, statues, paintings,
museums, galleries, and libraries. The trails are marked using
the traditional tourist markers, and are particularly suitable for
hiking. 3 trails in total length of 300 km situated in the east of
the Czech Republic are part of the project.
▪ www.cyril-methodius.eu
Jewish people with the majority population had never been
easy. Despite that, there had also been long periods of peaceful
and mutually beneficial cooperation, and it was during those
that Jewish communities built entire city quarters, synagogues,
and cemeteries. The twentieth century dealt heavy blows to
the Jewish nation, and many buildings and places of culture were
destroyed. However, many have been preserved, and nowadays
they attract tourists from all over the world. The Jewish
cemetery, Klausen Synagogue, Old New Synagogue,
and the Jewish ghetto in Prague, as well as the unique
Jewish quarter in Třebíč registered on the UNESCO
World Heritage List, are all strong tourist magnets. Unique
monuments are spread across the whole country – great
synagogues in Pilsen or in Boskovice, a synagogue and large
cemetery in Mikulov, the Museum of Dr. Šimon Adler and
a synagogue in Hartmanice, the Jewish quarter in Dolní Kounice,
mikvah in Dobruška, Jewish cemeteries in Mladá Boleslav,
Třebíč, Liberec, and Brno, synagogues in Děčín, Kolín, Břeclav,
Krnov, Holešov, Jičín, Turnov, or in Úštěk, and others. Very good
orientation is provided by the mobile apps Jewish Bohemia and
Moravia, as well as Jewish Trips, which are free to download.
App Store Google play
Download application Jewish
Bohemia and Moravia here!
Another interesting source of information is the web project
Magni Sacred Czech that places an emphasis on making
connections between Christian and Jewish themes, which it
links in an interesting way.
▪ www.magni.cz

Interior of the Synagogue in Holešov
Open Gates
More sacred sights
Open Gates, in turn, is a project which represents significant
sacral monuments of the Zlín Region. Towns,
municipalities, parishes, the Evangelical Church, as well
as the Roman Catholic Archbishopric cooperate within its
scope. This makes it possible to view selected sites with
a guide between May and the end of September. All tours are
free (except of tours in Velehrad). The website of the project
contains an interactive map of all churches, monasteries, and
basilicas included in the project.
▪ otevrenebrany.cz/en/

28 Destination Manual 2020 | Cultural Tourism www.visitczechrepublic.com 29
Health and
Relaxation
Spas and Medical
Tourism
Czech spas are known around the
world. Beautiful spa towns inseparably
connected with the surrounding
countryside, highly-qualified
staff and, last but not least, highly
effective therapeutic springs are
the cornerstone of the Czech spa
Luhačovice..................................................................... 32
Lednice.......................................................................... 33 industry. Countless therapeutic
Other Spas..................................................................... 34 mineral springs rise here, the
foundations of spa care, but the Czech
Medical tourism............................................................. 37
Journeys to Luxury......................................................... 37 Republic provides a very wide range
of other natural healing sources from
peat, mud and marshy soil to
natural gases, climatic conditions
Jeseník
30 Destination Manual 2020 | Spas and Health Tourism
and radon. Choosing from over
90 therapeutic facilities in more than
30 spa locations isn’t easy, but it is also
a joy, because with slight exaggeration it
can be said that there isn’t an ailment in the
world that a Czech spa couldn’t cure. This
time we have chosen two spa locations
for you – one of the oldest and the very
youngest Czech spa. In the first
case, tradition connected with entirely
unique architecture, and in the
second, the unique genius loci of the
UNESCO-protected surrounding
landscape.
www.visitczechrepublic.com 31
 Luhačovice
www.luhacovice.cz
by train from Prague 4 h 20 min
Accessibility:
by bus from Prague —
319 km from Prague
by car from Prague 3 h 15 min
Target group: Pleasure seekers
Luhačovice, huddled in the foothills of the White
Carpathians, in a beautiful valley surrounded by
magnificent countryside, is the largest and most
famous spa town in Moravia with 300 years tradition.
This spa site has even been nominated for registration on
the UNESCO World Heritage List.
A Fairy-Tale Spa Town
Luhačovice is a spa town with a truly fairy-tale atmosphere.
This is underlined and co-created by both the surrounding
countryside and the unique architecture, which adds charm
and personality. Luhačovice can thank architect Dušan
Jurkovič, whose work is classed as “Folk Art Nouveau” and
falls under the early 20th century. His houses are like nothing
else; they are absolutely original and very picturesque.
Another reason that Luhačovice belongs to the European elite
in spa treatments of the respiratory tract, circulatory
system, digestive system, metabolic disorders,
musculoskeletal system and nervous system, is water.
There are 16 kinds of acidulous mineral water and one
sulphur spring. Every hour 15,000 litres of mineral
water, considered among the most effective in Europe for
its high mineral content and excellent gasification of free
carbon dioxide, gushes out of the ground here. The beneficial
and therapeutic natural mineral springs, headed by world-
famous Vincentka, have been tried and tested over the three
hundred years of the spa’s existence.
A local particularity are children’s spa treatments starting
from 1.5 years of age. The children’s sanitorium even holds a
winner’s certificate from the ESPA Innovation Awards
2016 for the best European innovative medical spa. Spa and
wellness stays are concentrated in many resorts. Whether
you choose Hotel Augustinian House with a garden of
six senses, Hotel Miramare with renowned wellness stays,
Alexandria Spa & Wellness Hotel with Roman style baths,
or the First-Republic elegance of Boutique Hotel Radun,
you will be delighted by the level of service. There are 60
therapeutic spa procedures and a wide and varied range
of wellness services.
The comfort of guests is further increased by the Spa Park,
town swimming pool and Duha outdoor swimming
pool. A local tourist road train has three routes, and you
32 Destination Manual 2020 | Spas and Health Tourism
can make your stay more special by visiting the Vincentka
bottling plant. But you can also discover stories of houses
and villas or visit Pozlovice Reservoir, where you can go
for a walk, ride a bike, and go in-line skating, swimming or
fishing, or just relax. Dozens of marked trails will take you into
the virgin countryside of the White Carpathians protected
landscape area. Add the Springs Opening ceremony with
a fair and folklore concerts, colonnade concerts, a carving
symposium, a festival of folk costumes and concert bands or
Festival Janáček, and you have at least part of the varied
picture of local spa life.
Luhačovice
www.luhacovice.cz
Luhačovice Municipal Swimming Pool Facility: www.plovarnaluhacovice.cz/
East Moravia region: www.vychodni-morava.cz
Lednice www.lednicelazne.cz
Accessibility:
by train from Prague 2 h 30 min
by bus from Prague 3 h
255 km from Prague
by car from Prague 1 h 40 min
Target group: Pleasure seekers
The Perla Spa House in Lednice, the youngest spa are just a few steps from the château gardens, in the famous
in the Czech Republic, lies in the centre of the beautiful Lednice greenhouse. Birds of prey fly around you during
cultural landscape of the Lednice-Valtice Complex, falconry demonstrations, while other attractions include
where water surfaces and courses complement the château interiors, a trip to the minaret, or the possibility
decorative structures and fairy-tale chateaux. The spa to get into a carriage or boat and to travel along artificial
complex is connected directly to the Lednice Château canals as far as Janův Castle or other enchanting buildings of
garden. the Lednice-Valtice complex.
Spa in a UNESCO-Protected Landscape You can also travel through the complex by bike along six
Lichtenstein cycle paths. It is not far to the vast Valtice
The natural therapeutic spring produces iodine-bromine Château, where, besides the amazing interiors, Baroque
water, mineral water which is reminiscent of strongly theatre and chapel, and herb garden Lu & Tiree
mineralised sea water and is one of the highest- Chmelar, you will also find wine cellars and tasting
quality sources of its kind in Europe. It is drawn from exhibitions of the prestigious nationwide wine-making
an impressive depth of 1,250 metres, from a cave where contest Wine Salon of the Czech Republic. What’s more,
remains of the Tertiary Sea have been preserved for millions guests of the Lednice spa have a unique opportunity to visit
of years. Lednice water helps to cure problems with the seven easily-accessible UNESCO-protected landmarks.
musculoskeletal and circulatory system, neurological
disorders, and even gynaecological disorders and
post-burn conditions. The comfortable and modern
spa is equipped with a gym, fitness centre, sauna and
swimming pool with a whirlpool and counter-current
pool. Operation is adapted to the individual seasons. Over
100 spa procedures are on offer. The spa also includes an
amphitheatre, where a range of cultural events are held,
including the ceremonial opening of the spa season on the first
Saturday of May.
By Carriage and Boat for Good Wine
One of the biggest benefits of the Lednice Spa is the
exceptionally attractive surrounding area. No other
spa in the country, or in Europe for that matter, can offer
anything like it. It lies in the very heart of the largest human-
created landscape area on the continent, the Lednice-Valtice
complex, which has been protected by UNESCO since
1996. The splendid area of abundant water flowing silently
through riparian forests, meandering in charming bends
of the river Dyje, gleaming in artificially created canals
www.lednicelazne.cz
and in a chain of ponds, is complemented by harmoniously
incorporated buildings of summer residences, colonnades, Lednice Chateau: www.zamek-lednice.com
Valtice Chateau: www.zamek-valtice.cz/cs
artificial ruins, bridges and even a lookout minaret.
The National Wine Centre: www.vinarskecentrum.cz/en/salon-vin/salon-vin-
ceske-republiky
The keystones of the complex are two chateaux – Lednice John's Castle: www.januv-hrad.cz/cs
and Valtice. Lednice Château, built in a style imitating Tudor Liechtenstein Trails: www.lichtenstejnske-stezky.cz
Gothic, is connected to the spa by a modern colonnade. You South Moravia region: www.jizni-morava.cz
www.visitczechrepublic.com 33
Karlovy Vary
The main attraction of this picturesque town built in the valley
of the Teplá River has always been the fifteen local mineral
springs whose composition is similar, but their therapeutic
effects differ due to differing temperatures and CO2 content.
They are particularly beneficial with respect to diseases of
the digestive system. Beautiful colonnades, historical hotel
buildings and spa buildings, the famous Grandhotel Pupp,
but also the magnificent Baroque Church of St. Mary
Magdalene – these are the traditional, typical, and popular
backdrops for spa treatment and a wide range of wellness
network. Miraculously, the city became a world-famous spa
overnight, and quickly developed to cope with the growing
crowd. In the 1920s and 1930s, when a visit to the spa
was more or less a social obligation, Františkovy Lázně
became the natural habitat of the better-off layers of society.
The prosperity of the spa, which culminated before World
War I, gradually returned. At the time, European medical
circles considered the spa to be highly effective for so-called
women's diseases and anaemia, and in these areas, the spa
essentially had no rival in Europe. This family silver has been
preserved, but the indications have expanded along the way.
▪ www.frantiskovylazne.cz
Poděbrady
On the bank of the River Elbe, in countryside as flat as
a table, there lies the spa town of Poděbrady, a town in
a park. Poděbrady is renowned for treating diseases of
the circulatory system – there is even a unique spa analogue
of an intensive care unit. Treatment of diabetes is also highly
effective. In 1904, a famous dowser pinpointed the site, where
a strong CO2 acidulous spring was drilled. As soon as four years
later, the first spa season began in Poděbrady. However, the real,
very rapid development of the spa began after the formation
of the Republic. Gradually, treatment houses, guest houses,
Jeseník
This spa, embraced by the beautiful mountains, has
several rarities and points of uniqueness. According to
recent measurements, there is, for example, the cleanest
environment in the central Europe. Another gem is
the founder of the spa, the world-renowned healer Vincenz
Priessnitz. His hydrotherapy method has not yet been
surpassed. A world rarity is the Vincenz Priessnitz
Balneopark, a special “water garden” in which you can wade
through streams, try Priessnitz’s benches or Scottish Showers.
All this is beneficial for the treatment of respiratory, circulatory,

activities. Throughout all of Austria-Hungary, no spa was
more important than Karlovy Vary. The world-famous spa was
the pride of the monarchy heading towards its demise, and, of
course, of the newly born Republic.
President Masaryk visited the spa enthusiastically and
repeatedly, and notable writers also stayed here, including
Franz Kafka and Karel Čapek, as did musicians, among
them Richard Strauss, Leoš Janáček, and the world
renowned operatic soprano Emma Destinn. The renown and
prosperity of Karlovy Vary was contributed to by the names
of Becher, Pupp, Moser, and Mattoni, traditional business
families, whose tombs at the city cemetery are the destination
of many spa visitors even today. The city pulsed with
culture – right in the centre there was a popular golf course,
Konstantinovy Lázně
A quiet spa town in a forest park surrounded by picturesque
rolling countryside, that is Konstantinovy Lázně, also referred
to as the fourth peak of the West Bohemian spa triangle.
Clear air, healing mud, and the famous Prusík Spring
with the highest CO2 content in the whole of the Czech
Republic, have for many years been bringing those who
require treatment of the circulatory or musculoskeletal
system. The formation of the Republic a hundred years
ago was an impetus for the rapid development of this small
spa. Construction began, new villas and hotels appeared, as
well as a swimming pool with a sandy beach, waterworks,
electricity, cinema... In 1928, the main spa building was
hotels, a railway station, and a villa district were built.
A breakthrough in the spa development came in 1926, when
the First Investigation and Medical Institute for Heart Diseases
was established. It was led by Prof. Dr. Václav Libenský,
the founder and the first president of the Czech Society of
Cardiology, thanks to whom the institute gained a great
reputation throughout Europe. A spa park was set up, new
springs were opened – in 1930, 16 of them were operational –
and additional spa buildings were constructed. It was then that
the slogan that all Czechs know was created: “Poděbrady for
your heart”. Famous guests visited – Presidents Masaryk
and Beneš stayed here, as well as famous Czech actors,
the singer Emma Destinn, writers, poets, and others.
▪ www.lazne-podebrady.cz
musculoskeletal, mental, as well as skin diseases. In the early
19th century, little Vincenz Priessnitz noticed a doe, which used
to come and wash its injured leg in a well, and was completely
cured. When he later had a serious injury, he took advantage of
the power of the water, and cold compresses helped him when
doctors had given up. He was the very first person in the world
to build a small improvised hydrotherapy spa at the springs
of the Studniční Mountain – a simple shack with two baths.
However, his fame soared, and soon he treated the most
significant people from all over Europe. At the time of the newly
formed Republic, an excellent psychologist and psychiatrist
Dr. Josef Reinhold took over his method, and added the latest
scientific knowledge. Rich clients from many European
countries, but also from the USA and Canada, sought him out.
▪ en.priessnitz.cz

a frequented racecourse also contributed to the glamour of
the city, and the interest in the spa was further revived by
the building of an airport in 1933.
▪ www.karlovyvary.cz
Lázně Bělohrad
rebuilt and reopened, in the same year the town was officially
recognised as a spa treatment site, and in the ten years from
1924, the number of houses had increased by a third. Such
development was also in line with societal interest at the time, The absolute calm, the pleasant small-town atmosphere, the
including from the cream of society. surrounding forests and meadows, and, of course, the local

Mariánské Lázně
▪ www.konstantinovy.cz healing mud – such is the foothill town of Lázně Bělohrad.
Poultices, baths, and wraps of the famous Bělohrad marsh

Mariánské Lázně has always been a city of parks, cafés,
sweet shops, and stylish pubs, as it is to this day. Almost
a hundred mineral springs bubble up here. Spa care builds
on six of them in particular. Interestingly, they are not thermal
springs, but cold mineral waters with high iron and mineral
salt content. The springs differ from one another rather
significantly, although they often push to the surface close
together – that is also one of the world’s greatest balneologic
rarities. Diseases of the musculoskeletal, excretory as well as
respiratory systems are treated here. Mariánské Lázně was
a representative place of the political and intellectual
elite of the 1920s. Here, President Masaryk met with
the Yugoslavian royal couple, King Ferdinand of Bulgaria
spent forty spa seasons here, the French Foreign Minister
Barthou visited repeatedly, and President Beneš was also
a frequent guest. In the late 1920s, more than 40,000 guests
per year visited the city. This trend was aided by an airport
which opened in 1927.
▪ www.marianskelazne.cz
Teplice
Below the massive ridge of the Krušné Mountains, there
is the oldest spa in central Europe. The strong spring
called Pravřídlo has been issuing from the bowels of the earth
for eighteen thousand years and brings health and relief.
The spa used to be called Little Paris or the Salon of Europe at
the end of the 18th century, when it used to be one of the most
important spas on the continent.
The oldest spa building in the town is Beethoven, named
after its famous guest, with a large pool with 100% thermal
water from Pravřídlo. The Emperor’s Spa is another
important centre of the local spa treatment with beautiful
historic buildings, an impressive spa house from 1845
bearing the name of Franz Joseph I, and the Stone Spa,
a neo-Baroque spa house of 1911. The water that used to
heal Romans and Celts is used to treat locomotor ailments,
including rheumatism, osteoporosis and arthrosis, nervous
and vascular disorders, backaches and headaches, multiple
successfully treat diseases of the musculoskeletal system and
skin diseases. Till today, the rich spa cultural programme offers
promenade concerts, organised in the same place as at the
time of the formation of the Republic, and dance evenings,
talks, and lectures are held. The most important cultural event
of the town is the International Song and Dance Festival
Pod Zvičinou (one of the oldest Czech folklore shows) and
the Opening of the spa season (taking place every year in
May). Bělohrad peat was used for treatment as early as the
late 19th century, but the spa started developing only with the
discovery of a ferritic acidulous spring with arsenic content.
Since then, sulphurous-ferric marshland peat has been used as
a natural medical source.
▪ www.belohrad.cz

Františkovy Lázně
sclerosis, and central nervous system inflammations,
and the treatment of diabetes is also very effective. Local
rehabilitation and prevention is important.
The third smallest peak of the West Bohemian spa triangle ▪ visitteplice.com
is Františkovy Lázně. Nowadays, the spa achieves excellent Discover more in Spas and health
results in treating women’s diseases, heart disease, diseases resorts brochure.
of blood circulation, musculoskeletal system, and digestive
system. However, its twenty mineral springs are not For more professional and business information:
the only sources of healing, which also include local mud, Czech Spa Association
natural gas, and even the air itself, which is exceptionally www.lecebnelazne.cz/en/
clean. The remarkable uniform architecture of the spa lends sekretariat@lecebnelazne.cz
a wholly unique atmosphere to the city. This used to be and Association of spas
a provincial rural spa, until promoted by the Emperor to www.jedemedolazni.cz/en/ Jeseník
a city in 1865 and, most importantly, connected to the railway info@jedemedolazni.cz

34 Destination Manual 2020 | Spas and Health Tourism www.visitczechrepublic.com 35
 Jeseník
West Bohemian
spa area
Prague
Central
Bohemia
Moravia
and Silesia
Medical tourism
Outstanding quality at a bargain price
Health care in the Czech Republic is at a very high standard.
There are many specialised, superbly equipped, certified
hospitals and clinics with top experts at their disposal, who are
sought after not only by the people from the entire country,
but increasingly also from abroad. In recent years, interest
from international clients has been increasing by 15%
annually. The advantage of Czech medical tourism is the ideal
combination of excellent quality, convenient geographical
position in the centre of Europe, considerable flexibility of
the individual facilities (in practice, this means short waiting
times for the required surgery), narrow specialisation
of some clinics, and, not least, also bargain prices,
which are often up to three times lower than elsewhere in
Europe. The country has excellent care available in many
fields – cosmetic surgery, reproductive medicine, dentistry,
diagnostics, bariatry, cardiology and cardiac surgery,
neurology and neurosurgery, gynaecology, ophthalmic surgery,
oncology, orthopaedics, paediatrics, but also in the field of
sleep disorders, gynaecology, urology, gastroenterology and
hepatology, endocrinology and otolaryngology, as well as
oral and maxillo-facial surgery. A significant advantage is
also a continuity with the subsequent rehabilitation and spa
treatment. It is becoming more common that an international
client, who seeks out medical specialists in the Czech Republic
and undergoes medical treatment, remains for the required
period in a Bohemian or Moravian spa, selected by the doctor,
under the supervision of local specialists. Treatment efficacy is
thus significantly enhanced.
Discover what makes the Czech
Republic an excellent destination of
medical tourism.
36 Destination Manual 2020 | Spas and Health Tourism
Spa and wellness
Journeys to Luxury
Luxury accommodation, top-class gastronomy, high
quality services with an emphasis on extraordinary
experiences and sufficient privacy
The Czech Republic is the heart of Europe, a heart which beats
to a unique rhythm. Those who come here desire originality,
tradition, uniqueness, unrepeatability, excellence – and it does
not matter whether it is in regard to unusual experiences or
things that tourists take away from here. The Czech Republic
is ready. Here, tourists find luxury accommodation, top-
class gastronomy, comfortable transport, unique relaxation
and sports activities, specialised shops with luxury and
original goods, unusual options for leisure activities,
or hire luxury historical and modern spaces, vehicles, and
means of transports. You can choose from special luxury
packages prepared for a specific type or opportunity – romance
for couples, fun for families with children, indulgence for
women, Christmas or New Year specials. It is always different,
unexpected, intimate, and memorable. You will receive
the highest quality of services particularly in Prague, in
the West Bohemian spa area, Central Bohemia and Moravia
and Silesia.
In the Czech Republic, you can experience a unique dinner
and a joining of great food with a novel environment in one
of the top-class culinarily creative restaurants, whether you
follow the recommendations of the Michelin Guide (34
restaurants). You can hire one of the 75 chateaus and
castles, and hold a truly exceptional event there; organise
a wedding in a monastery, at a castle chapel, library, in
the stables, in a courtyard, in the middle of a lake, or on
the tops of cliffs; or personalise your wedding with a carriage
ride, medieval jugglers, a balloon flight, a procession of masks
– the possibilities are countless, it is all up to you. There are
increasingly more places where you can buy truly luxurious
items, from clothing, through handbags, shoes, fashion
accessories, jewellery, watches, to antiques. But a discerning
visitor of the Czech Republic can get much more. For example,
how about hiring a helicopter, a historical train, plane,
or a steamer?
www.visitczechrepublic.com 37
Pleasant
cycling
Active Tourism
The Czech Republic is a promised land
for active tourism. Crossing the entire
country by bike today is really not a
problem. After all, the Czech Republic
is currently criss-crossed by a barely
believable 37,000 kilometres of cycle
paths! Cycle routes, i.e. protected,
separate routes for cyclists only in the
Czech Republic today measure 2,000
kilometres. Cycle routes are connected
to a still improving network of facilities,
from restaurants and kiosks to bike
servicing centres, accommodation
and educational elements in the form
of information boards, maps and
notices of local attractions. Backbone
Elbe Cycle Trail, Canyon of Elbe
38 Destination Manual 2020 | Active Tourism
Elbe Cycle Route............................................................ 40
The Iron Curtain Trail..................................................... 41
Moravian Wine Trails...................................................... 42
Ohře Cycle Trail............................................................. 43
Greenway Jizera............................................................. 44
Bicycle wandering......................................................... 45
Singletracks................................................................... 46
and long-distance cycle routes
are often integrated into the EURO-
VELO network. Winter offers ideal
conditions for skiing – for cross-
country skiers, the Czech Republic
is a genuine paradise and also offers
surprising opportunities to lovers
of downhill skiing. Indeed, today 289
ski resorts are in operation! Cross-
country trails combine with thousands
of kilometres of beautiful
countryside, while the facilities of
downhill resorts improve in quality every
year. So, accept our invitation to five ski
resorts and five magnificent cycle
routes.
www.visitczechrepublic.com 39
Elbe Cycle
Route
www.labska-stezka.cz
by train from Prague 1 h 10 min
Elbe Cycle Trail –
Ústí nad Labem: by bus from Prague 1 h 5 min
89 km from Prague by car from Prague 1 h
Target group: Pleasure seekers: families with children
One of the most attractive European long-distance
cycle paths begins on Czech soil and offers 370
beautiful kilometres from the sources of the Elbe to the
border with Saxony. Thanks to its undemanding character,
stunning landscape, wide range of accompanying
attractions and perfect facilities and services, it is also one
of the most popular.
1,300 Kilometres Full of Surprises
The awards held by the Elbe Cycle Route speak volumes - for
the fourteenth time it has become the most popular and
most visited cycle route in Germany, while the Czech
section is the ninth most popular in Germany. In the
prestigious Tourism Grand Prix, it was named the best
tourist product (2017/2018), and it is part of the EURO
VELO network of European long-distance routes. Why so?
The Czech section of the Elbe Route is simply beautiful.
More than 80% of the surface is covered by the cycle
route. Services are offered by 160 certified partners in
the programme Cyclists Welcome and there are around
600 certified accommodation and catering services.
More important, however, is where cyclists go and what they
experience. Starting from the frontiers and heading upstream
to the springs, the first impression is extremely strong –
Bohemian Switzerland with its national park; the
Kamenice River gorge and the Pravčice Gate; the entire
Elbe Sandstone protected landscape area; the Elbe
Canyon; the Děčín Château and, opposite it, the country’s
sole urban via ferrata and a charming zoo.
This is followed by the picturesque Central Bohemian
Uplands protected landscape area with a historical
railway and open-air museum of traditional folk architecture
in Zubrnice (there are other open-air museums later
in Ostrá and Přerov nad Labem); the Empirical Velké
Březno Château; medieval Střekov Castle; the dominating
town of Ústí nad Labem, surrounded by waterfalls; the
attractive Porta Bohemica canyon; hillsides covered by
vineyards in Velké Žernoseky; the historical – and wine-
growing – towns of Litoměřice and Roudnice nad Labem;
the opportunity to use frequent ferries to get to the other
bank, for example to the unique fortress town of Terezín
and the local memorial, Small Fortress, and town ghetto;
the mythical mountain of all Bohemia – Říp; Mělník –
40
Destination Manual 2020 | Active Tourism
a historical town surrounded by vineyards; and the wholly
original Gallery of Painted Easter Eggs in Libotenice.
Castles, Chateaux, Towns and Mountains
There are impressive chateaux in Ploskovice, Libochovice
or Veltrusy, and castles and ruins – e.g. Košťálov or
Házmburk with fantastic views of the Central Bohemian
Uplands, other vantage points and lookout towers;
historical towns – Brandýs nad Labem – Stará Boleslav
with a château and the Romanesque St. Wenceslas Basilica,
the country’s oldest Christian pilgrimage site;
Nymburk or Kolín; and, above all, one of the country’s
most valuable medieval pearls – Kutná Hora with two
cathedrals and a centre protected by UNESCO.
There are also fortresses in Čelákovice and Týnec nad
Labem. We pass by spa towns – Poděbrady, Toušeň or
Bohdaneč, natural swimming pools and water parks.
We are now in East Bohemia with the historical towns of
Hradec Králové, the Salon of the Republic, with a
planetarium or Pardubice – the capital city of horses. We
will see the Kunětická hora Castle, the National Stud
in Kladruby, Josefov Fortress or a popular safari in
Dvůr Králové.
Ahead of us is the highest Czech mountain range –
Krkonoše with a national park, the towns of Vrchlabí
and Špindlerův Mlýn with typical mountain chalets and
the sources of the Elbe, our destination. It’s a long journey
from the North Sea – and the Czech conclusion is a dignified
crown on an extraordinary journey.
www.labska-stezka.cz
Hřensko: www.hrensko.cz
Pravčice Gate: www.pbrana.cz
Děčín: www.mmdecin.cz
ZOO Děčín: www.zoodecin.cz
Open-air museum Zubrnice: www.skanzen-zubrnice.cz
Open-air museum Přerov nad Labem: www.polabskemuzeum.cz/mista/
polabske-narodopisne-muzeum
Litoměřice: www.litomerice.cz
Říp Mountain: www.hora-rip.cz
Ústí nad Labem region: www.gatetobohemia.com
Central Bohemia region: www.centralbohemia.cz
The Iron
Curtain Trail
www.ev13.eu; www.eurovelo13.cz
www.eurovelo13.com
Stezka Železné opony by train from Prague —
– Šatov: by bus from Prague 4 h 38 min
214 km from Prague by car from Prague 2 h 36 min
Target group: Pleasure seekers
A cycle trail full of stories under a spell of magnificent
and often untouched countryside. For over forty years
it was a place of fear and death. Today the longest
EURO VELO route leads through the remains of the
Iron Curtain which just recently divided two implacable
camps. From Kirkenes in Norway to Rezovo in Bulgaria,
the trail measures over 10,000 km.
Culture and Nature along the European Green Belt
The central section of the route, which traces the southern
Czech border, is one of the most beautiful. What’s more,
the South Moravian section leads through very gentle
terrain, so even less skilled cyclists will enjoy it. It is a route
of stories told by information boards, often making for
sad reading. For decades this territory was forbidden, with
hundreds of lives lost in attempts to cross the border into
the free world. A threefold barbed-wire fence built into
ploughed soil ran through the centre of the border strip, which
was up to 10 km wide. For years, one of them was under high
voltage. Guard towers stood at regular intervals. Only those
willing to risk their lives dared to come close.
Today the trail passes through an idyllic landscape,
often virgin countryside, paradoxically preserved thanks to the
long-forbidden border area. A bike ride here is intoxicating,
often literally. The route is lined with wine cellar lanes and
connected to the dense network of Moravian Wine Trails.
Facilities are sufficient and hospitable – there are places to stay
and more than enough opportunities to try the local cuisine.
The trail is intersected by spas on the Moravian and Austrian
sides, and you can also visit Aqualand Moravia, the
country’s newest water amusement park, and Archeopark
Pavlov and Dolní Věstonice with a unique underground
museum of prehistory and the era of mammoth hunters.
A ride along this trail is a thrilling story in itself. A contrast
of glorious countryside and a terrifying past. One moment in
the Czech Republic, the next in Austria – on one side the deep
and wild forests of the Podyjí National Park; meanders of
the Dyje and the glittering surface of the Vranov Reservoir;
the medieval town of Znojmo, one of the most important wine
centres in South Moravia; ponds; the Laa an der Thaya water
castle; a freshwater pearl mussel museum in Felling and
the smallest town in Austria, Hardegg and its Romanesque
border castle; prickly vineyards, churches, monasteries,
Jewish landmarks (cemeteries in Písečná, Šafov and
Mikulov, which also features a remarkable synagogue of
the Lvov type), museums and chateaux in Bítov, Vranov
nad Dyjí, Uherčice, Jaroslavice, Jevišovice, Mikulov,
Lednice, Valtice and Břeclav; the watery landscape of the
UNESCO-protected Lednice-Valtice Complex with
a minaret, Janův Castle, the Reistna Colonnade and
other buildings which make up the landscape; magical boat
rides along the canals and arms of the Dyje; the unique
atmosphere of the Novomlýnské Reservoir, which washes
the white hills of the Pálava protected landscape area, and
more. There is beauty wherever you look.
On the other side, reverential places – the Čížov Visitor’s
Centre with 350 metres of preserved Iron Curtain,
including a guard tower; the Iron Curtain Museum
in Valtice, the first of its kind in the country; the
Czechoslovakian Fortifications Complex in Šatov with
an infantry log cabin; the “Gate to Freedom” memorial
near Mikulov dedicated to victims of the Iron Curtain;
the educational Freedom Trail, a three-kilometre route
around Mikulov honouring the hundreds of brave souls who
died along the Iron Curtain, etc. An astonishing experience in
places where no mere mortal dared to tread for decades.
www.ev13.eu; www.eurovelo13.cz;
www.eurovelo13.com
The Iron Curtain Museum: www.muzeumopony.cz
Infantry Block in Šatov: www.technicalmuseum.cz/pamatky/areal-cs-
opevneni-satov
Trail of Freedom: www.kudyznudy.cz/aktivity-a-akce/aktivity/naucna-
stezka-stezka-svobody-v-mikulove.aspx
Gate to Freedom: www.pametnimista.usd.cas.cz/mikulov-pamatnik-
obetem-zelezne-opony
Podyjí National Park: www.nppodyji.cz
National Park Šumava: www.npsumava.cz
Karlovy Vary region: www.zivykraj.cz
Pilsen region: www.turisturaj.cz
South Bohemia region: www.jiznicechy.cz
South Moravia region: www.jizni-morava.cz
www.visitczechrepublic.com 41
Moravian Wine
Trails
A dense and incredibly varied network of themed
cycle trails connects places attractive for their natural
beauty and frequent historical landmarks, but above
all for wine and wine-making. Cycle the length and
breadth of countryside which has been devoted to wine
since time immemorial, see viticulture traditions and
meet people who live for wine.
On bicycle through the region of sights and wine
A total of 1,200 kilometres among vineyards and wine
cellars and ten circuits named after original wine regions
– these are the Moravian Wine Trails. Their backbone is
the 245-kilometre Moravian Wine Trail from Znojmo
to Uherské Hradiště. There is plenty more, however,
because the main trails connect to local educational
wine trails and the cross-border Skalická Wine Trail
along the Moravian-Slovakian border. Seen from above, the
Moravia wine-growing region is criss-crossed by cycle
paths. Thanks to the Moravian Wine Trails, anything that
is essential for vine growing, wine making, storage and, of
course, tasting, can be reached by bike.
But it is not only about riding between vineyards and
wine cellars. The whole region lives for various events
and experiences connected with folklore, wine and
gastronomy, without which, tasting good wine is
unimaginable. There are over 500 such events during the
season. You can take part in thematic bike rides around
vineyards, discover half-fermented wine, see the
Festival of Open Wine Cellars, ride through the wine
region to the rhythm of various musical genres during the
popular event Music by Bike, etc. There are also gastro
festivals – asparagus, cucumber, garlic, Moravian smoked
meats, and goose festivals, apricot harvests, pumpkin
harvests and sorb apple harvests – and, naturally, vintages
and endless wine tastings. The range is complemented by
folklore and kings’ parades, feasts or the Masopust
carnival.
The Moravian Wine Trails comprise 28 detailed routes.
An ever-improving environment for cyclists is served by 220
facilities certified by the programme Cyclists Welcome
and over a hundred specialised and certified wine tourism
services, such as open-air wineries, cellars, wine bars,
restaurants and themed guesthouses and hotels.
42 Destination Manual 2020 | Active Tourism
www.stezky.cz
Moravské vinařské by train from Prague 4 h 39 min
stezky – Znojmo: by bus from Prague 3 h 15 min
203 km from Prague by car from Prague 2 h 25 min
Target group: Pleasure seekers
Individual routes pass through unique folklore regions,
places where folk traditions are not only honoured, but full
of life.
Chateaux and Cellars Streets
It is simply breath-taking to travel through the beautiful
scenery of the Lednice-Valtice Complex (UNESCO),
Podyjí National Park, the Pálava Hills, around ponds
and lakes, the Lužní virgin forest region near Lanžhot,
a region of limestone caves, castles, ruins and countless
lookout towers and vantage points. It is a joy to pass
through dozens of chateaux – such as those in Lednice,
Valtice, Mikulov, Bzenec, Ořechov, Milotice, Kyjov, Čejkovice,
Klobouky u Brna, Znojmo, Strážnice, Dolní Kounice,
Moravský Krumlov, Kyjov , Ždánice, Uherský Ostroh, Veselí
nad Moravou, Pohansko or Hrušovany nad Jevišovkou.
You will find varied exhibitions and museums, village
reservations, Slavic fortified settlements, windmills
and water mills, a Baroque forge in Těšany, spa towns
and small towns of Hodonín, Lednice or Buchlovice. You can
see the famous Baťa Canal and take a boat ride along it, or
a bike ride alongside it.
And wine? Open-air wineries and open wine cellars, rare
seven-storey cellars in Vrbice, three-storey château
cellars in Strážnice and, above all, whole cellar lanes or
even small towns, such as Polešovice, Kobylí, Dráhy, Hýsly,
Kelčany, Vlkoš, Bořetice, Velké Bílovice, Moravská Nová Ves,
Vrbovec – and many more.
www.stezky.cz
Znojmo region: znojemsko.info/
Brno region: www.destinace-brnensko.cz/
Mikulov region region: www.mikulovskoregion.cz/
Velké Pavlovice region: www.modrehory.cz/
Podluží region: jiznislovacko.cz/podluzi/region-podluzi
Mutěnice region: mutenice.cz/vinarske-stezky/
Kyjov region: www.slovacko.cz/lokalita/6479/kyjovsko
Bzenec region: www.bzenec.cz/
Uherské Hradiště: www.slovacko.cz/lokalita/6487/uherskohradistsko
Strážnice region: www.straznicko.cz/
Ohře Cycle Trail
www.cykloohre.cz
SCyklostezka Ohře by train from Prague 2 h 41 min
– Cheb: by bus from Prague 3 h 15 min
170 km from Prague by car from Prague 2 h 10 min
Target group: Pleasure seekers: families with children
A backbone cycle path leading along one of the
country’s five cleanest rivers, the Ohře, which flows
through beautiful countryside from the border with
Bavaria to the mouth of the river, where it flows into the
Elbe near Litoměřice. The varied river valley offers
narrow canyons lined with fantastic rocks and wide
meadows, castles, chateaux and historical royal
towns.
National cycling trail along the Ohře river
The Ohře rises in Bavaria and flows into the Czech
Republic near the historical town of Cheb. The cycle path
“Egerradweg” (number 6) leads from the source and
continues across the border as the Ohře Cycle Path,
classed as a national long-distance route. It covers 230
kilometres of relatively gentle terrain. The route has asphalt
sections, as well as unpaved sections and field and forest
paths. In many places, tempting branches lead to tourist
attractions. Yet, you will encounter some of these even if
you stick strictly to the main path. Very good public transport
is available, with a number of cycle buses, as well as trains
which run parallel to the route.
The Ohře Cycle path won the competition DestinaCZe 2018
in the category Best Location for Active Holidays. It starts
near the historical town of Cheb and its Romanesque castle
with the only Kaiserpfalz style fortifications in the country
and “Špalíček”, a unique collection of burgher and merchant
houses. The Mostov Château hotel offers romantic overnight
stays and fine catering. Along the river, the path continues
through Sokolov with a late Classicist château with an
exhibition of the regional museum, while Královské
Poříčí offers the picturesque Bernard Farm with
traditional handicrafts. One of the river’s most beautiful
sections follows, a deep canyon in the Slavkov Forest massif.
On the steep hillsides there are dozens of small karst caves
and weathered rock formations. A meander on the Ohře
around the medieval Loket castle is spectacular. In no
time, there is more astonishing scenery, the glorious Svatoš
Rocks, a granite rock town, where the river has carved out a
stunning canyon lined with massive cracked rock pillars and
needles.
Through Royal Towns to the Elbe
We are in Karlovy Vary, the most famous Czech spa
town with thermal springs, colonnades and the Moser
Glassworks and Jan Becher liqueur museums. A few
kilometres along lies former spa town Kyselka, with the
Mattoni mineral water spring and Mattoni Museum,
and the educational Elves Path leading through the spa
complex. Klášterec nad Ohří features a red château with
one of the country’s most interesting porcelain exhibitions.
From here to the royal town of Kadaň the cycle path
occasionally passes along skilfully built galleries leading
along the Maxipes Fík riverfront, named after a popular
children’s cartoon character, to a Franciscan monastery,
which is seeking a place on the UNESCO list and into the
heart of the historical town with the country’s narrowest
street, a unique town hall tower and a magnificent plague
column.
The path continues around the Nechranice Reservoir with
the longest gravity dam in Central Europe to the historical
royal town of Žatec, the world’s hops capital with
the world’s largest hop museum and the interactive
Temple of Hops and Beer. The last royal town on the Ohře
is Louny with a preserved complex of fortifications and a
historical centre. The path now reaches the first solitary hills
of the picturesque Central Bohemian Uplands, and hurries
past the Baroque Stekník and Libochovice chateaux and
the alchemists’ water castle in Budyně nad Ohří to the
Baroque monastery complex in Doksany, the fortress
town of Terezín, and the mouth of the Ohře near a historical
pearl on the Elbe, the town of Litoměřice. It is also the mouth
of a cycle path, the Elbe route leading to the North Sea.
www.cykloohre.cz
Cheb: www.cheb.cz
Mostov: www.chateaumostov.cz
Sokolov: www.omks.cz
Loket: www.loket.cz
Karlovy Vary: www.karlovyvary.cz
Kyselka: www.obeckyselka.cz
Kadaň: www.mesto-kadan.cz
Žatec: cs.zatec-thum.eu
Louny: www.louny.eu
Karlovy Vary region: www.zivykraj.cz
Ústí na Labem region: www.gatetobohemia.com
www.visitczechrepublic.com 43
Greenway Jizera Bicycle wandering

www.greenway-jizera.cz
Greenway Jizera – by train from Prague 2 h 8 min
Malá Skála: by bus from Prague 1 h 30 min
97 km from Prague by car from Prague 1 h 5 min

Target group: Pleasure seekers: families with children

The river Jizera rises on the Polish side of the Jizera remarkably rugged Vranov ridge, a rock labyrinth, ruins, For more professional
Mountains and is followed by the network of marked vantage points and the stunning rocky massif Pantheon and business information:
cycle routes Greenway Jizera, (Euro Regional with the remains of Vranov Castle and a Neo-Gothic Nadace Partnerství
route ER-9) until it flows into the Elbe. The Jizera hunting lodge in the form of a chapel; one of the most www.eurovelo.cz
corridor contains natural landmarks, castles and photogenic places in the country. Nearby is Besedické www.greenways.cz
Dresden Görlitz 1
chateaux, technical sights and folk and religious skály with more rock towns and labyrinths. The route meets Singletracks

architecture. Most impressive of all, however, is a the rock town Drábovna, from where we return to the bank Dresden
natural gallery of the beauty of four Czech regions of the Jizera and on to Dolánky u Turnova. Tourists will 1
Long-distance (cycling) trails
– the Jizera Mountains, Krkonoše, Bohemian enjoy the reconstructed traditional Dlaskův statek farm,
Paradise and the Polabí. a wonderful example of folk architecture with exhibitions Ústí nad
Liberec
at the Bohemian Paradise Museum and House of Nature, Labem 11

Along the River to Nature and History a unique facility, where phenomena of the country’s oldest
protected landscape area are presented using sensory
Hof 2 Kłodzko Wrocław Poland
Hradec
The backbone route connects the ridges of the Jizera perception. Králové
Mountains to lowlands on the banks of the Elbe and leads 10
Karlovy Prague
all the way to Prague. It is roughly 160 kilometres long, Nearby Turnov offers a tour of a synagogue, a Museum Vary 9 Kraków
“roughly” because there are several alternatives for getting of Jewellery Making with exhibitions of traditional and Pardubice
to the Elbe valley. Greenway Jizera is beautiful from beginning unique production of jewellery from Bohemian garnet, the Weissen- Kraków
stadt Ostrava
to end. If you want to find its most attractive part, however, Bohemian Paradise Museum and, above all, a visit to
you should probably choose a 17 km section running through the beautiful Neo-Gothic Hrubý Rohozec Chateau and
Pilsen Olomouc
Bohemian Paradise, specifically between Maloskalsko its English landscape garden. The section packed with
and Turnov. Here you can combine travelling by bike, experiences leads to Svijany. In the local Chateau, you can 5 8
scooter, in-line skates, on foot and even by boat as you see several exhibitions, for example, on the history of the Nürnberg
Jihlava
please. brewing and spa industries, the underground, and the
6 Zlín 7
Chateau chapel. You don’t have to settle for ordinary tours Regensburg
Greenway Jizera, however, begins in the charming mountain – you can try the interactive adventure game Arcana, München 3
Brno
settlement Jizerka, which lies in meadows interlaced by which takes you through the Chateau in an entirely different
Germany
Safírový potok (Sapphire Creek). From its confluence with way. The journey to the Toušeň Spa, where the Jizera flows České
Budějovice
the Jizera, we head down to Kořenov and Paseky nad into the Elbe, is full of experiences. The terrain is gentle and
Jizerou, popular winter and summer sport resorts, and the landscape full of charm.
through the picturesque townlet Vysoké nad Jizerou along Slovakia
a stunning and diverse mountain landscape offering deep 4 Austria Wien
Wien

forests, rolling meadows, steep valleys and high mountain Bratislava

0 50 km Wien
ridges. We continue through the town of Semily with Linz
its Museum and Jizera gallery until we reach Železný
Brod, a town of glass and folk architecture. An alternative
route leads through Pasky nad Jizerou through the
town of Jilemnice with a Krkonoše Museum housed in
www.greenway-jizera.cz The network of bicycle paths has been
a Renaissance Chateau and connects with Semily.
Malá Skála: www.mala-skala.cz developing even more dynamically.
Rock Towns
Pantheon: www.vranov-pantheon.cz The system of arterial routes with
Besedice Rocks: www.cesky-raj.info/dr-cs/678-.html
The Bohemian Paradise House of Nature: www.dumprirody.cz/ceskyraj thousands of branches proves that Czechs
A stone’s throw from Železný Brod is Malá Skála, where the
mentioned most beautiful section begins. Maloskalsko is
Dlaskův statek Farm: www.muzeum-turnov.cz/dlaskuv-statek love cycling. Above is a selection of Discover Czech
Svijany Chateau: www.hotelzameksvijany.cz
a rocky region and one of the most significant and well- Liberec region: www.liberecky-kraj.cz the most attractive recreational bicycle cycling trails. Find
known rock town in all of Bohemian Paradise with the Central Bohemia region: www.centralbohemia.cz wandering. more tips here

44 Destination Manual 2020 | Active Tourism www.visitczechrepublic.com 45

Singletracks
Currently, cycling is the most widespread form of
recreational activities in the Czech Republic. In
addition to the still-growing network of cycle routes
and cycleways, bikeparks and trail-centres are also
multiplying. The popularity of extreme biking is increasing
rapidly, conditions are improving, as are the facilities.
Admission to parks is always free, fees are payable only
for rentals, cable cars, and other services.
1 Singltrek pod Smrkem
This ingeniously built network of trails (in collaboration with
Daffyd Davis, one of the most experienced trail designers in
the world) has a total length of 80 km, the routes are very
playful, colour-coded according to difficulty. Suitable both
for complete beginners, including families with children, and
experienced bikers. There are 12 locations, including very
difficult black trails skirting the rocks on the Hejnický Hřeben.
All routes are accessible throughout the year.
Services: shops, rental shops, services, bike wash, luggage
storage, locker rooms, showers, refreshments, training
camps, individual tutors
Accessibility from Prague: 146 km, 1 h 45 min
▪ www.singltrekpodsmrkem.cz
▪ www.trek-centrum.cz
46 Destination Manual 2020 | Active Tourism
2 Trail Park Klínovec
A high-quality complex built on the southern and southwestern
slopes of the highest range of the Krušné Mountains. It
has more than 30 km of playful trails and 70 km of
marked routes – from very easy to difficult – with breath-
taking views far into the countryside. Trail Park Klínovec
is well known for very long trails: Azur (10 km) and Rubin
(8 km) are one of the longest continuously descending trails in
Europe. Beginners, families with children or experienced trail
lovers will all find their perfect matches here. All tracks are
operated by the chairlift from May to October.
Services: four-seater chairlift, service and self-service,
rental shop, shop, bike wash, showers, restaurant, free
parking, pump track
Accessibility from Prague: 140 km, 1 h 50 min
▪ www.trailpark.cz
3 Bikepark Špičák
A challenging and very progressive bike park on the slopes of
Špičák of the Šumava Mountains. Almost 6 km of tracks offer
a combination of free-ride, downhill, north-shore,
and jumps. Most of the tracks have a higher level of difficulty
(the only Czech park among the 14 top European bike parks,
where GraVity Card, a whole season card, is valid). Besides
moderately difficult terrains, there is also a real treat, a very
difficult route called Struggle, which is 1,100-m long, rocky,
with a lot of roots, drops, and jumps across the path. Tracks
are open from June to October.
Services: four-seater chairlift, service, rental shop, shop,
refreshments, showers, toilets, bike wash, mountain rescue
service, free parking
Accessibility from Prague: 170 km, 2 h 15 min
▪ www.spicak.cz
For more professional and business information:
Czech mountainbike association
cemba.eu
cemba@cemba.eu
Association of Czech Mountain Resorts
www.ahscr.cz
info@ahscr.cz
4 Bikepark Lipno
The park is in close proximity to Lake Lipno, with a spectacular
view of water as well as the forest. 4,5 km long routes offer
world-class flow and fun on the bike. Family flow trails are also
under construction, so the park aspires to become the ideal
centre for beginners, intermediate, as well as families with
children. Tracks are open from May to October.
Services: four-seater chairlift, rental shop, restaurant, free
parking, summer courses with an instructor
Accessibility from Prague: 210 km, 2 h 45 min
▪ www.lipno.info/zazitky/bikepark
5 Bikepark Monínec
Easily accessible from Prague, this park changes each year.
A local strategy are routes that are not firmly fixed, but rather
variable and branching. You can find a very challenging
route here, but also free-ride, or a hobby trail suitable for
children.
Services: four-seater chairlift, service, restaurant, bike
wash, free parking
Accessibility from Prague: 80 km, 1 h 15 min
▪ www.moninec.cz
6 Singletrail Moravský kras
This area near Brno contains about 30 km of artificially
constructed, only slightly elevated but inventively playful
trails. The routes can be ridden by anyone – the challenge is
in the speed. Three circuits combine trails with inclined bends
and jumps with reinforced paths. Open all year round.
Services: rental shop, service, refreshments, info-centre,
parking
Accessibility from Prague: 232 km, 2 h 30 min, from Brno:
28 km, 30 min
▪ www.singlekras.cz
7 Bike resort Valašsko
A complex of tracks in three areas situated on the mountain
slopes of the Beskids. The total length is 348 km! It is
a combination of forest and hiking paths, cycleways and trails.
Bike Park Kyčerka is equipped with a lift and has a wide
range or tracks (XC/Enduro, free-ride, downhill, flow trail).
Bike Trails Valašsko offers trails that make biking more
varied in three locales. Bike Arena Vsetín is a site with
15 km of man-made trails which undulate smoothly over
the local hills. Open May – October (some parts year round).
Services: lift, rental shop, restaurant, free parking,
training camps, instructors
Accessibility from Prague: 333 km, 3 h 30 min;
from Ostrava 84 km, 1 h 15 min
▪ www.kycerka-bikepark.cz
▪ www.bikeresortvalassko.cz
Rychleby Trails
8 Cyklo Aréna Vysočina
The trails are built within a vast biathlon and skiing site near
Nové Město na Moravě. In 2016, the Mountain Bike World
Cup was held here. Here, you can find technically easy, fun
and safe trails for children, nature trails for disabled
cyclists, passable even in a wheelchair or a handcycle, but also
challenging trails for experienced bikers. Intended for rigid
bikes with low travel. Open from April to October.
Services: test centre, rental shop, service, shop,
refreshment, restaurant, free parking
Accessibility from Prague: 166 km, 2 hours,
from Brno: 85 km, 1 h 15 min
www.vysocina.bike
9 Bikepark Kopřivná
A very flexible and modern site in the heart of the Jeseníky
Mountains. Six different tracks with several variants and
connections, with slight elevation (200 m). The total length
is 14 km. Suitable both for beginners and advanced bikers.
A simple Fun Trail can be ridden by anyone, Spicy Freeride
is moderate in difficulty and full of jumps, Downhill is
a challenging downhill ride, Gravity Rail is technically difficult
with wooden bridges, and there is also a singletrack and family
tracks. There is also a wooden pump track and Big Air Bag –
a jump into a large inflatable pillow. Open May to September.
Services: four-seater chairlift, rental shop, service,
restaurant, wellness, swimming pool, amusement for
children, bike camps, free parking
Accessibility from Prague: 229 km, 3 h 15 min; from
Ostrava 172 km, 2 hours
▪ www.koprivna.cz/bikepark
10 Rychleby Trails and Lipová Trails
Rychleby Trails, one of the oldest, largest, and best-
rated Czech sites, are located in the Jeseníky Mountains and
are very extensive. More than 60 km of routes. The tracks
are closed circuits in the hills in very diverse terrains, from
old stone paths to modern flow trails. For example, Superflow
is one of the most popular trails in the Czech Republic. In
contrast, the connected Lipová Trails are a younger site, rather
simple and fun, suitable for families with children of as a great
start towards the Rychleby Trails. Open April to October.
Services: rental shop, service, shop, refreshments,
facilities, bike school, camp, free parking, restaurant, pump
track
Accessibility from Prague: 250 km, 3 h 30 min;
from Ostrava 150 km, 2 h 15 min
▪ www.rychlebskestezky.cz
▪ www.rychlebskestezky.cz/cs/lipovske-stezky
11 Trutnov Trails
One of the youngest Czech trail centres, which is constantly
expanding. To date, it offers 17 km of natural trails of
varying difficulty. Wonderful views. There are old paths, flow
sections, but you can also enjoy a natural terrain, typical
mountain biking. The tracks can also be ridden by less fit
cyclists – the more challenging parts can always be bypassed.
Open from April to November.
Services: rental shop, shop, refreshments, parking, bike
park with artificial obstacles and jumps
Accessibility from Prague: 165 km, 2 h
▪ www.trutnovtrails.cz
▪ www.facebook.com/trutnovtrails
www.visitczechrepublic.com 47
 More information also
available at: www.ahscr.cz,
www.czechtrails.com

Skiing and Winter

Acitivities
Ski resorts are spread across most their blood. After all, their Union of Skiers
of the Czech Republic, not only in in the Kingdom of Bohemia is the oldest
the mountains, but also in terrains that national ski union in the world.
are not perceived as mountainous at first In the last hundred years, cross-country
glance – and yet they offer interesting skiing has gradually become a well-liked
Active Tourism options. Their offer is varied, the resorts
are not similar, they typically have
and widespread popular sport, and each
winter more and more people go out
clearly given specifications determined “running”. Ski resorts have been adapting
both by the relief of the scenery, to this very quickly, maintaining the trails
the surrounding nature, on even greater areas and with increasing
the technical parameters, quality. Rugged terrain and beautiful,
as well as related services. often untouched landscape make cross-
dvoustrana f. zimní hory Cross-country skiing has a very long
country skiing in the Czech mountains
an extraordinary experience.
a aktivity tradition in the Czech Republic.
The Czechs have cross-country skiing in
www.czechtourism.com/a/active-winter-
cross-country/

Skiing and Winter Acitivities........................... 48–55

InterSki region Klínovec ............................................... 50
Špindlerův Mlýn............................................................. 51
Ski Resort Černá hora – Pec.......................................... 52
Dolní Morava.................................................................. 53
Nové Město Skiing......................................................... 54
Lipno Ski Resort............................................................. 50

Špindlerův Mlýn

48 Destination Manual 2020 | Active Tourism www.visitczechrepublic.com 49

InterSki region
Klínovec
www.klinovec.cz
by train from Prague 1 h 06 min
140 km from Prague by bus from Prague 1 h 15 min
by car from Prague 1 h 03 min
Target group: Pleasure seekers: Millenials
Klínovec, the highest peak of the Krušné Mountains,
looks down on a valley from a height of 1,244 metres
above sea level. Its pistes are renowned and are
connected to the neighbouring German Fichtelberg
resort by free ski buses, so you can ski down more than 47
kilometres of slopes!
The Largest Interconnected Ski Resort in the Czech
Republic
Klínovec is primarily a beautiful mountain and its
surroundings are truly stunning. Ridges and plains of the
Krušné mountains, a ski slope leading directly to a spa town,
very stable snow conditions, a historical outlook tower, an
octagonal stone outlook tower, which puts on a thick snow coat
in winter, and astounding views of half of Bohemia. A skier’s
paradise.
Cross-country enthusiasts can enjoy 50 km of groomed
trails, including a popular arterial trail. Downhill skiers can
choose from five slopes with snowmaking. They are served
by five chairlifts, eleven ski lifts and five children’s
conveyor belts. Two new and very modern four-person
chairlifts are covered by characteristic orange bubbles. The
longest slope leading to spa town Jáchymov is 2,950-metres
long and, in places, up to 100 metres wide – it is among
the longest and widest in the country. Freestyle lovers
will also be kept happy. Cool Fun Park Pod Zámečkem
is provided just for them with a chain of obstacles and jumps.
There is also the opportunity for freeriding on two kilometres
of ungroomed slopes with natural snow.
Snowboard adrenaline lovers will appreciate Cinestar
Snowpark Neklid with a top-class U-ramp, while there
is also a snow tubing run, a ski school, a well-equipped
rental shop with skis, snowboards and even snowshoes
or mountaineering skis, for which there is ideal terrain.
Children will love a children’s mini resort in both
Klínovec and Fichtelberg. There are also après-ski tents or
a swimming pool lagoon with a whirlpool, sauna and
massages in the Hotel Nástup directly below the pistes. In a
nutshell – over 30 km of slopes in Klínovec, 47 km if we
include neighbouring Fichtelberg, where you can use a joint
ski pass. Spa towns Jáchymov and Oberwiesenthal.
Evening skiing and sledging. Snow groomer rides. An ice
riding wall. Mushing, etc. What more could you want?
50 Destination Manual 2020 | Active Tourism
Špindlerův
Mlýn
www.skiareal.cz
by train from Prague —
145 km from Prague by bus from Prague 2 h 40 min
by car from Prague 2 h 02 min
Target group: Pleasure seekers
The most traditional, most sought-after and most
watched Czech ski resort is the mountain resort
Špindlerův Mlýn. It is sometimes called “Krkonoše’s
suburb of Prague”. Prominent guests meet with
ordinary skiers on very varied courses served by
modern chairlifts, as well as in restaurants and bars.
Anyone who wants to be seen comes here in winter.
The Most Modern Ski Resort in the Czech Republic
One of the most attractive and universal skiing locations in
the Czech Republic, winner of the World Ski Awards in the
category Best Ski Resort in the Czech Republic (2015,
2016 and 2017) with long and varied downhill slopes
with six powerful and express chairlifts, dominated by
a luxurious and rapid modern six-person chairlift fitted
with a blue bubble to protect against bad weather. These are
Klínovec complemented by eleven ski lifts. The resort surrounds the Špindlerův Mlýn – Medvědín
town of Špindlerův Mlýn on all sides and consists of five
resorts interconnected by ski buses, providing 27 km of
downhill slopes.
The most sought-after resort is Svatý Petr, partly because it
holds world-class races each year. There are pistes of all
difficulty levels, which the six-seater “Rolls-Royce” among
Czech chairlifts will take you to. The Black FIS World Cup
tests even very experienced skiers, while the above-standard
wide blue slope is calm and undemanding. Hromovka is
ideal for more demanding skiers and snowboarders, but also
for lovers of evening skiing, since you will find one of the
country’s best floodlit slopes.
Medvědín is literally a sunny mountain with the highest
number of sunlight hours in the whole resort. Here too, the
slopes offer all difficulty levels. The newest resort is
Horní Mísečky with gentle slopes more suited to beginners
and holiday skiers. There is also a fun track with berms,
banked turns and moguls, as well as the Burton Snow Park
www.klinovec.cz full of fun elements. Přední Labská is a smaller, peaceful
resort primarily for families with children. Add a 90 km
Cool fun park: klinovec.cz/cool-funpark
groomed cross-country trail, an ice rink, a sledging www.skiareal.cz
Snopark Neklid: www.neklidsnow.com
and bobsleigh run, rental shops and ski schools, great
Boží Dar: www.bozidar.cz Špindlerův Mlýn: www.mestospindleruvmlyn.cz
Baby Jesus Post: www.bozidar.cz/en/attractions/not-only-for-children/
restaurants, après-ski bars, bistros, and an aqua park Liberec region: www.liberecky-kraj.cz
baby-jesus-trail-and-baby-jesus-post-office.html with water slides. If you haven’t been to “Špindl”, you Hradec Králové region: www.hkregion.cz
Jáchymov: www.aquajachymov.cz haven’t skied in the Czech Republic. Krkonoše: www.krkonose.eu
Karlovy Vary region: www.zivykraj.cz   Krkonoše National Park: www.krnap.cz
www.visitczechrepublic.com 51
Ski Resort Černá
hora – Pec
Five beautiful and perfectly interconnected ski
resorts in eastern Krkonoše, the highest Czech
mountain range, each with a different character and
different experiences. The country’s largest ski resort
also offers the most varied terrain and the longest
slopes in the Czech Republic.
The Largest Ski Resort in the Czech Republic
The Ski Resort Černá hora – Pec provides 44 kilometres
of downhill slopes on a single ski pass, five downhill
resorts connected by SkiTour groomers, twelve ski bus
services and skiing connections. What’s more, they offer
the most slopes for evening skiing in the country.
Ski Resort Černá hora – Janské Lázně operates
nine ski lifts and three cableways, including the only
eight-seater in the country, while a six-seater is the
country’s fastest. There are three-kilometre slopes,
as well as the large children’s area Live Park with a magic
carpet, ski school and a snow tubing run. You will also
find the longest Czech evening skiing slope, measuring
1,600 metres – and it is possible to ride six further pistes
under floodlights. Černá hora also features the country’s
longest sledging track at 3.5 km.
Ski Resort Pec pod Sněžkou offers 14 km of ski
slopes on both sides of a picturesque valley with views
of the highest Czech mountain, two chairlifts and
13 ski lifts. It also includes Funline with banked
turns, berms and a tunnel, a giant slalom course
with a speed radar, a snow park and fun park, and a
family educational zone Live Park. There is also evening
skiing. Ski Resort Černý Důl is exceptional for its wide,
gentle slopes ideal for families with children. There are
two chairlifts and four ski lifts, and, of course, a Live
Park and Funline. Ski Resort Velká Úpa is known for
peaceful skiing without queues throughout the season.
This smaller resort has a chairlift and three ski lifts. Its
speciality is a children’s ski slope. The last and smallest
resort is Svoboda nad Úpou. There are three ski lifts
and ideal terrain for beginners and small children. For
this reason, a great advantage is that all slopes converge at
one point, giving a perfectly clear view. Rental, servicing
and babysitting are a matter of course everywhere.
Janské Lázně with a Tree Top Trail and an Aqua
Centre with mineral water is an ideal base.
52 Destination Manual 2020 | Active Tourism
www.skiresort.cz
142 km from Prague
Target group: Pleasure seekers: families with children
www.skiresort.cz
Aquacentrum: www.janskelazne.com/aquacentrum/
Krkonoše Tree Top Trail: www.stezkakrkonose.cz/
Relaxpark: www.relaxpark.cz/
Cableway: www.snezkalanovka.cz/
Hradec Králové region: www.hkregion.cz
Krkonoše: www.krkonose.eu
Krkonoše National Park: www.krnap.cz
by train from Prague —
by bus from Prague 2 h 44 min
by car from Prague 2 h 5 min
Černá hora
Dolní Morava
www.dolnimorava.cz
Stezka Železné by train from Prague —
opony –
by bus from Prague 3 h 50 min
Šatov:
203 km from Prague by car from Prague 2 h 42 min
Target group: Pleasure seekers: families with children
Near the Czech-Polish border, in the heart of the beautiful
Králický Sněžník massif, in a mountain range which
is also a national nature reserve, the unique Dolní
Morava ski resort, with more than 10 kilometres of
downhill slopes and 60 kilometres of cross-country
trails, unfolds on the wide slopes of Mount Slamník
(1,233 metres above sea level).
Mountains of Experiences
The title doesn’t lie – few ski resorts are so rich in
experiences as Dolní Morava. Its year-round offer of
activities is truly unique. The complex is ideal for families
with children, but skilled skiers and lovers of adrenaline
activities and sports will also find something for them.
It is the country’s most visited mountain resort all-
year-round.
There are 10.4 km of downhill slopes of all difficulty
levels, including a half-kilometre black slope. For
convenience, there are two four-person chairlifts and Route). The height of extraordinary experiences is the Sky
four ski lifts. But this is just the beginning. The children’s Walk, a 55-metre tall winding structure which takes you
ski park Amálka has a ski lift, a conveyor belt, a ski along an educational trail with unbelievable views and a
carousel and a fun slalom trail. There is also a ski school. 100-metre spiral slide.
More unusual experiences include a 400-metre snow
tubing run.
The Funline is also great – a fun trail with banked turns
and two tunnels – the 12-metre tunnel is the longest in the
Czech mountains. Skiers can try snowboard cross, ski
cross and freestyle. There is also a freestyle cross run
with professional turns and jumps. The snow park
“U Slona” offers 8 metal obstacles and jumps of various
sizes. You will spend a lot of adrenaline on a bobsleigh
run with two-man bobs, which, incidentally, is open all year
and does not depend on the whims of the weather. Another
wonderful experience is evening sledging on a floodlit
2.5 km track.
In a daily “sneak preview” you can try out “First Track”,
a perfect corduroy trail, take a ride on an 11-ton snow
groomer, hit the countryside on mountaineering skis,
or take a laid-back trip through virgin countryside on
snowshoes. If you prefer cross-country to downhill, you
can enjoy 50 kilometres of groomed trails including the www.dolnimorava.cz
famous Jesenicka magistrála (Jeseníky Cross-Country East Bohemia region: www.east-bohemia.info
www.visitczechrepublic.com 53
Nové Město
Skiing
The heart of picturesque undulating Vysočina, the
country’s most extensive highlands, is the Nové Město
region. Despite its relatively low altitude, it regularly
has very good snow conditions and offers excellent
conditions for downhill skiing and primarily for cross-
country.
The Cradle of Skiing in Vysočina
With over a century of skiing tradition, Nové Město
offers 100 kilometres of perfectly groomed trails – it is the
area with the longest machine-groomed cross-country
trails in the Czech Republic. Circuits for classic-style
skiing and ice-skating are very diverse, leading through forests
and across plains of Žďárské vrchy, the highest parts
of Vysočina. There is a very good navigation system at the
intersections of the trails, with orange signposts which help
everyone to find their way. The possibility of following the
movement of grooming machines preparing the trails via GPS
is also very convenient. What’s more, the Nové Město trails
connect directly to the Svratka and Bystřice trails, as well as
those in the direction of Velké Dářko, so the resulting length of
these connected trails is an impressive 200 km!
Every year, the central resort Vysočina Arena organises
the legendary Golden Ski race, while cross-country world
cups and increasingly popular biathlons are also held here,
so there is a genuine opportunity to try out world-class race
circuits. Importantly, all cross-country trails are accessible free
of charge, including the evening hours, with popular floodlit
cross-country skiing.
But downhill skiing lovers will not be disappointed either.
Nové Město offers the ski snow park Harusův kopec, the
ski resorts Nový Jimramov, Svratka, Dalečín and Olešnice
na Moravě, and the Karasín downhill slope – all with the
possibility of snowmaking and evening floodlighting. There
are two snow parks, ski and snowboard rental and servicing,
a children’s school, and even après-ski relaxation, whether at
the Žďár nad Sázavou Leisure Centre or the Nové Město na
Moravě Town Baths with swimming pools, a whirlpool, saunas,
massages, a salt cave and relaxation baths and a solarium, or at
several wellness guest houses and hotels.
54 Destination Manual 2020 | Active Tourism
lyzovani.nmnm.cz
167 km from Prague
Target group: Pleasure seekers
lyzovani.nmnm.cz
Vysočina Aréna: www.vysocina-arena.cz/en/
Nové Město na Moravě: www.nmnm.cz
Žďár nad Sázavou: www.skizdarsko.cz
Bystřice nad Pernštejnem: info.bystricenp.cz/lyzarske-trasy
Velké Meziříčí: www.skivm.cz/ski-areal/bezecke-trasy
Municipal Swimming Pool Nové Město na Moravě: lazne.nmnm.cz
Aquacentrum Žďár nad Sázavou: www.bazen-zdar.cz
Vysočina region: www.vysocina.eu
by train from Prague 2 h 56 min
Lipno Ski
by bus from Prague —
by car from Prague 1 h 50 min
Resort
www.lipno.info
by train from Prague 3 h 44 min
Lipno nad Vltavou
by bus from Prague 4 h 15 min
214 km from Prague
by car from Prague 2 h 44 min
Target group: Pleasure seekers: families with children
Lipno Ski Resort is a unique five-star winter resort
in the immediate vicinity of a large reservoir, a glittering
jewel in the beautiful and still untamed Šumava
countryside. The resort is primarily aimed at families
with children. The prestigious EDEN (European
Destination of ExcelleNce) award is further proof of
the resort’s quality.
We are Family Skiing
12 kilometres of downhill slopes, three
comfortable four-person chairlifts, four
magic carpets for novice skiers, timed
slalom, a ski cross track and snow park, the world’s
longest ice skating track listed in the Guinness Book of
Records – almost 11 km connecting to further tracks with
a total length of 38 km, as well as 40 km of groomed
cross-country skiing trails for both classic and skating
styles – these are just the basic dimensions of this very
comprehensive ski resort.
The resort’s pride and joy is its skiing school Skischool
Lipno and its 150 instructors who teach budding skiers located directly in the resort, as proven by first place in the
from as young as 3 years old. As well as Czech, they category of best European ski resorts for beginners
also teach in a number of other languages – English, in a poll by the prestigious Zoover holiday review website.
German, Russian and Dutch. Lipno is a children’s paradise,
with a wide range of entertainment programmes hosted
by the popular Mr. Fox on the Fox park and Bambini
park educational playgrounds. Activities range from warm-
up exercises to building snowmen and afternoon games.
The resort also features Hopsarium, an indoor play area
with a ball pool, climbing frames, slides, a trampoline, an
inflatable kangaroo with a welcoming pouch, and more. But
the family fun does not end there. You can also enjoy two
intertwined bobsleigh tracks, which are open year-round,
the January event Camels on the Snow – an entertaining
parade with live camels, Aquaworld Lipno, which includes
a sauna, the Treetop Walkway, the magical Candlelit
Ice Skating evening event, where part of the ice skating
track is illuminated with flickering candle flames, or Sport
Arena, which offers fitness exercises, squash, bowling, tennis,
badminton, a golf simulator and a climbing wall.
The Lipno Ski Resort also accommodates handicapped www.lipno.info
skiers and offers a range of unique non-skiing activities. The Treetop Walkway: www.stezkakorunamistromu.cz
A big advantage in Lipno are the excellent facilities South Bohemia region: www.jiznicechy.cz
www.visitczechrepublic.com 55
 Hiking Golf

Karlštejn

There are over 40,000 kilometres of marked The tradition of golf in the Czech courses is presented below. The picturesque Czech countryside
trails in the Czech Republic. This number Republic is dignified and strong.
adds unique scenery, the courses are looked upon by beautiful
castles (Karlštejn, Konopiště, Hluboká, Kynžvart), they are
is unique when you consider the size of The first course appeared as early surrounded by mountains, framed with lakes, and the courses
the country. It is the circumference of Earth. as the beginning of the 20th century, are rather varied, from rugged park courses to windy links.
The Czechs even export their tourist and the gentlemen’s game achieved
marking system: you can find Czech unprecedented development during 1. Albatross golf resort 13. Golf resort Konopiště

marks in Georgia or Brazil. The Czech the formation of the new Republic, when 2. Austerlitz golf resort 14. Kořenec golf & ski resort

Tourist Club takes care of the trails and the first purely Czech golden club
3.
4.
Beroun golf club
Golf resort Kaskáda Brno
15.
16.
Golf & spa Kunětická hora
Golf club Kynžvart
one of the conditions for marking is safety. was established. The communist regime 5. Golf resort Cihelny 17. Golf resort Lipiny
That is why tourist marking in the Czech repressed golf as a bourgeois evil, but since 6. Prosper golf resort Čeladná 18. Royal golf club Mariánské Lázně
Republic is one of the most reliable the 1990s, golf has been making its way 7. Golf resort Black Bridge 19. Golf Mladá Boleslav

and sophisticated in the world. There back with an unparalleled force. 8. Resort Darovanský dvůr 20. Nová Amerika golf resort

are also several European long-distance 9. Greensgate Golf & Leisure

Resort – Dýšina
21.
22.
Golf course Ostravice
Panorama golf resort – Kácov
trails going through the Czech Republic, The golf boom cannot be compared with that of any other
post-communist country – nowadays, there are around 100 10. Golfový klub Hluboká 23. Ropice golf resort
connecting, for example, the Atlantic with golf resorts in the comparatively small Czech Republic, and nad Vltavou 24. Ypsilon golf Liberec
the Black Sea, or Lapland with the Alps. half of those are 18-hole resorts. That accounts for one half of 11. Golf resort Karlovy Vary 25. Prague city golf
all the golf courses in Eastern Europe. Selection of TOP golf 12. Golf resort Karlštejn
If any movement in nature has a truly long and solid tradition
in the Czech Republic, it is most certainly hiking. The first
Czech Tourist Club was founded as early as in 1884, when
the first tourist route was marked. To this day, you can meet Types of designations 24 Poland
a mark-maker anywhere in the Czech Republic, restoring Ústí nad Liberec
Labem
and adding to the unique tourist marking, which is by far
hiking blazes: coloured
the densest and clearest in the world. You can find tourists stripes on a white field 19
markers almost anywhere in the Czech Republic – in Karlovy 20
Vary
the mountains, lowlands, forests, and cities. In addition, bike path markings: coloured Hradec
the fact that a path is marked means that it is truly worth stripes on a yellow field Králové
5 11 Prague
passing through. Wherever you are in the Czech Republic, 16 7 15
a signpost of marked paths will not be far away. 18 3 25
yellow mark for a cycle path Pardubice Ostrava
12 1 17
8
Gorgeous routes literally crammed with sights can be found 9 13 22
23
mainly in the Czech mountains. In the Šumava Mountains, wheelchair-accessible trails: 21
wheelchair pictogram on signpost Pilsen Olomouc
Jizera Mountains, Krkonoše Mountains, Jeseníky, as well 6
14
as the Beskids, there is always a combination of stunning
nature trails: green stripe
views of the countryside, climbs to mountaintops, wandering on a white field Jihlava 4 Zlín
along the ridges and gorges, along rivers and through deep
forests – and it will always be unforgettable. Tourist paths 10 2
Brno
through sandstone rock towns are particularly attractive
– in Bohemian Switzerland, Czech Paradise, or the Adršpach- Germany České
Teplice Rocks. The Czech Tourist Club Budějovice Slovakia
▪ www.czechtourism.com/a/active-summer-walk/ www.kct.cz/cms/czech-tourist-klub-kct
▪ trasy.kct.cz kct@kct.cz
Austria
36 holes 27 holes 18 holes 9 holes 0 50 km

56 Destination Manual 2020 | Active Tourism Destination Manual | Active Tourism www.visitczechrepublic.com 57
 For more professional and
business information:
Association of Golf
Courses
www.amgh.cz
info@amgh.cz

Find more than 70

other golf tips here

Golf Čeladná

)
)

ZK
ZK
K)

tal
CZ

(C
(C

s
en
T(

OR
OR

ar

es
on

yr
UL

yc

ol

cc
al
NI
NI

public course
h
ati
Liberec

lle
ge

po
nt

as
AD

tal

 da

ir a
tal
SE
JU

ee

ing
ns

re
od

tro
ran

qu
ot

tal
t
e

ng
en

en
gr

n’s
ran

ha
so
ee

ee

ee

us

rid
lub
gl

ss
p
mm
ay

,s
en
ies
yr

mi
ic

yr
ng

ho
es

elc
ng
nf

nf

nf

re
o

ss

r
e
t

kin
tau

nis
Pd

ctr

oo
rs e
gh

bh

lf c

er
les

lln
lle

im
gg
dd

ild
lf l
co

oS
tti

ne
ee

ee

ee

ivi

e
r

ten

ind
HC

s
len

bik
clu

ele

wh
tro

we
sw
pu

bu
go

go
ho

ho
pa

ch
ca
ac

Pr
gr

gr

gr

dr

fit
re
resort PAR CR SR

+ + – + + + + + + + + – + – – – – – – – + – –
men 72 73,0 140 6059 weekdays 1750 875 1750
1 Albatross golf resort Sunday 18
women 72 74,0 139 5219 weekends 2150 1075 2150

+ + + + + + + + + + – – + – – – – – – – + – +
men 72 71,9 139 5918 weekdays 1050 525 735
2 Austerlitz golf resort Wednesday 18
women 72 71,3 135 5129 weekends 1450 725 1015

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + – – + + – + + + – –
men 72 69,2 130 5581 weekdays 2000 2000 2000
3 Beroun golf club — 18
women 72 68,5 123 4556 weekends 2000 2000 2000

+ + + + + + + + + + + – + – – – + + + + + + +
men 72 73,2 140 6009 weekdays 1600 950 1600
4 Golf resort Kaskáda Brno Tuesday 27
women 72 75,2 139 5286 weekends 1950 1250 1950

+ + + + + + + + + + + – + + + – + + – + + – +
men 70 67,6 129 5392 weekdays 1000–1200 500–600 600–1200
5 Golf resort Cihelny — 18
women 70 68,9 119 4680 weekends 1400 700 1400

+ + + + + + + + + + + – + + + – – + + + + + –
men 72 73,9 152 6069 weekdays 1190–1490 700–900 1190–1490
6 Prosper golf resort Čeladná Friday 36
women 72 75,0 144 5200 weekends 1390–1890 800–1100 1390–1890

+ + + + + + + + + + + – + – – + – – – – – + +
men 72 72,0 137 5863 weekdays 1000–1500 760 510–765
7 Golf resort Black Bridge Tuesday 18
women 72 71,9 135 4919 weekends 1800 760 918

+ + + + + + + + + + + – + + + – + + – + + – +
men 72 70,5 133 5666 weekdays 700–900 400–500 700–900
8 Resort Darovanský dvůr Sunday 27
women 72 73,2 133 5062 weekends 1350 750 1350
Greensgate Golf & Leisure Resort men
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + – – – – – – – + + +
72 71,3 136 5724 weekdays 1300 800 1300
9 — 18
– Dýšina women 72 71,7 130 4837 weekends 2200 1200 2200

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + – +
men 72 70,9 137 5786 weekdays 950 457–665 665
10 Golfový klub Hluboká n. Vltavou Wednesday 18
women 72 73,0 134 5082 weekends 1150 575–805 805

+ + + + + + + + + + – + + – – – – – – + + + +
men 72 71,7 142 5771 weekdays 2000 1200 2000
11 Golf resort Karlovy Vary Tuesday 18
women 72 73,1 134 5039 weekends 2000 1200 2000

+ + – + + + – + + + – + + – – + + – + + + – –
men 72 72,0 139 5839 weekdays 1350–2000 1350 1350–2000
12 Golf resort Karlštejn Wednesday 27
women 72 72,3 132 4876 weekends 3000 1500 3000

+ + + + + + + + + + + – + + – – + + + + – + +
men 72 70,6 122 5859 weekdays 1700 900 1700
13 Golf resort Konopiště — 36
women 72 72,3 123 5221 weekends 2000 1100 2000

+ + + + + + + + + + + – + – – – + + + + + – –
men 72 69,8 142 5524 weekdays 1000 500 700
14 Kořenec golf & ski resort Wednesday 18
women 72 70,4 135 4735 weekends 1400 700 980

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + – + + – + + + + + +
men 72 70,6 128 5868 Mo, Tue, weekdays 900 450 675
15 Golf & spa Kunětická hora 18
women 72 73,9 132 5476 Wed, Thu weekends 1200 600 900

+ + + + + + + + + + + – + – – – – – – – + – +
men 72 71,9 145 5865 weekdays 1390 830 830
16 Golf club Kynžvart — 18
women 72 72,8 137 4996 weekends 1700 1070 1700

+ + – + + + + + + + + – + – – + – – – – + + +
men 68 64,7 116 4783 weekdays 300–700 300–350 300–560
17 Golf resort Lipiny Wednesday 9
women 68 65,8 116 4135 weekends 360–1000 360–500 360–800

+ + – + + + + + + + + – + – – – – – – – + + +
men 72 72,9 126 5839 weekdays 1600 800 1600
18 Royal golf club Mariánské Lázně — 18
women 72 73,1 135 5156 weekends 1800 900 1800

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + – – – + – + + + + +
men 72 71,8 129 6032 weekdays 1200 720 1200
19 Golf Mladá Boleslav Tuesday 18
women 72 71,8 120 5056 weekends 1500 900 1500

+ + + + + + + + + + – + + + – + – – – – – + +
men 72 71,2 127 5869 Mo, Tue, weekdays 900 450 675
20 Nová Amerika golf resort 18
women 72 72,9 133 5139 Wed, Thu weekends 1200 600 900

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + – – – – + – + + – +
men 72 72,4 144 5874 weekdays 1190 300 1190
21 Golf course Ostravice — 18
women 72 74,1 134 5070 weekends 1390 300 1390

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + – – – – – – + – – +
men 72 72,9 137 5778 weekdays 950–1500 discount discount
22 Panorama golf resort – Kácov — 27
women 72 74,8 138 4992 weekends 1450–1800 discount discount

+ + + + + + + + + + – – + – – – – – – – + + +
men 72 69,5 132 5480 weekdays 1150 575 880
23 Ropice golf resort Tuesday 18
women 72 70,9 128 4755 weekends 1350 675 990

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + – – – – – – – + – +
men 72 71,1 132 5679 weekdays 1500 750 1050
24 Ypsilon golf Liberec — 18
women 72 72,2 127 4834 weekends 1500 750 1050

+ + – + + + + + + + + – + – – – – – – – + + +
men 72 70,9 134 5766 weekdays 990–1290 740–960 790
25 Prague city golf — 18
women 72 72,0 131 4938 weekends 1690 1260 1690
The golf courses were selected on the basis of course ratings between 4 and 5 stars.

58 Destination Manual 2020 | Active Tourism www.visitczechrepublic.com 59

Regular
International Music Festival Český Krumlov
experience
events
Music
Prague Spring May–June
The Prague Spring festival was founded in 1946. From the very
beginning, Prague Spring has had the profile of the most
important cultural event of post-war Czechoslovakia and has
maintained that standing in the Czech Republic to this day.
During more than seventy years of its existence, the festival
has welcomed to its stages nearly all of the most important
Czech and foreign performers, orchestras and other musical
ensembles.
▪ www.festival.cz
International Music Festival Český Krumlov July–August
The International Music Festival Český Krumlov is one of
the most important cultural events in the Czech Republic with
a tradition dating back to 1992 and has become a permanent
element in the European cultural calendar. The festival is
a prestigious summer showcase of world musical culture and
its latest trends, with a wide range of music from the 15th till
the 21st century, presenting important Czech and foreign artists
which takes place during four weeks in July and August.
▪ www.festivalkrumlov.cz
Colours of Ostrava July
Colours of Ostrava is a multi-genre music festival held annually
in the city of Ostrava. Since 2012, the event is being held in
the impressive surroundings of Dolní Vítkovice – the site of
former blast furnaces, mines and ironworks. During four days,
this one of the biggest summer festivals in the Czech Republic
offers over 350 program items on 20 stages – bands, DJs,
films, discussions, workshops and theatrical performances,
including the biggest stars of the world music.
▪ www.colours.cz
Hrady CZ (Castles CZ) July–August
This festival ranks among the largest cultural and social events
in the Czech Republic. It takes place against the backdrop of
attractive historical monuments. The tour has eight stops in
Bohemia and Moravia. The festival presents Czech and Slovak
artists, and so attracts mainly domestic visitors.
▪ www.hradycz.cz
Colours of Ostrava
60 Destination Manual 2020
Smetana‘s Litomyšl Festival June–July
Smetana‘s Litomyšl International Opera Festival is the oldest
music festival after the Prague Spring and the largest open-
air classical music festival in the Czech Republic. It mainly
presents opera performances, gala concerts, oratorios or
cantatas. The festival's main center is right on the premises
of the magnificent Litomyšl State Chateau, inscribed on
the UNESCO World Heritage.
▪ www.smetanova-litomysl.cz
Film
The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival July
The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is the largest film
festival in the Czech Republic and the most prestigious such
festival in Central and Eastern Europe. Every year, the festival
presents some 200 films from around the world, and regularly
hosts famous and important filmmakers. The Karlovy Vary
festival is intended for both film professionals and the general
public, and offers visitors a carefully designed programme,
excellent facilities and a broad range of other services.
▪ www.kviff.com
more film trips:
Architecture and Design
Designblok October
Designblok, Prague Design and Fashion Week is the largest
selection of design and fashion show in Central Europe.
Designblok traditionally shows a selection of works of
designers and manufacturers from all over Europe, represents
new prestigious brands and prototypes of young and well
established designers and design studios.
▪ www.designblok.cz
Signal Festival October
Video-mapping, site-specific projections, interactive and light
installations, workshops, international conferences… the Signal
Festival first lit up Prague in 2013, and has since shone on
Prague every autumn. Current trends that combine creativity,
new technology and public space appear regularly in the streets
of the city. The backdrop of the Royal City on the River Vltava
makes the festival a unique European experience.
▪ www.signalfestival.com
Folklore
Chodsko Folk Festival August
The Chodsko Folk Festival, held since 1955, is one of the oldest
folk festivals in the Czech Republic. Nowadays, it always takes
place the first weekend after 10th August and is connected
with St. Laurence’s Fair. The major part of the programme is
devoted to local folk music and folklore dance groups. Besides,
groups from other Czech regions and from abroad also perform
every year. The main programme takes place on five stages and
consists of more than 20 different kinds of performances.
▪ www.chodskeslavnosti.cz
more traditions in trips,
download free app:
www.visitczechrepublic.com 61
 RunCzech
Sport
Jizerská 50 January or February
One of the most important winter events, which celebrated its
53rd jubilee in 2020. It is the largest mass ski race in the Czech
Republic for recreational and professional cross-country skiers
of all ages. At the same time it ranks among the most prestigious
ski races held for the general public worldwide. By being open
to all, the Jizerská 50 race allows recreational sports people to
compete with elite racers. The Jizerská 50 is so popular that
a summer version called the Jizerská 50 Run was set up.
▪ www.jiz50.cz
Mountain Bike World Cup May
The Czech instalment of the Mountain Bike World Cup has
frequently been declared the best race of the season, thanks
above all to its great fans, who always create an unforgettable
atmosphere. It is thanks to this atmosphere that the race
in Nové Město na Moravě is also the most popular among
competitors.
▪ www.mtbnmnm.cz
RunCzech from Spring to Autumn
The RunCzech Running League is made up of a number of
races which take place in Prague and around the country.
These unique sporting events are filled with emotions and
are usually complemented by an accompanying musical
programme, allowing this series of marathons to gain a strong
position during its almost 20 years of existence. The events are
not all about running. The organiser RunCzech is constantly
developing new projects, organising new events, and providing
people with new opportunities to get outside and enjoy
themselves. In 2018, these events attracted more than 89,000
participants and their popularity continues to grow.
▪ www.runczech.com
Barum Czech Rally Zlín August
The most prestigious car race in the Czech Republic. This fact is
confirmed not only by the always crowded starting line, but also
by the throngs of excited spectators and motor sports fans who
regularly come to the Zlín Region for the popular “Barumka” in
late summer. 2020 sees the 50th year of this event.
▪ www.czechrally.com
62 Destination Manual 2020
D+D REAL Czech Masters
Moto GP August
Moto GP, which includes the Czech Republic Motorcycle
Grand Prix, is a prestigious series of motorcycle races and the
oldest motorsport world championship. The Czech Republic
Motorcycle Grand Prix is the most famous motor race in the
Czech Republic and is held at the Masaryk Circuit located
in located in the woodlands near the city of Brno. The race
and its fifty years of tradition attracts global stars and tens of
thousands of spectators each year.
▪ www.automotodrombrno.cz
D+D REAL Czech Masters August
A European Tour golf series men’s tournament with
participants who are the best players in the world, such
as World Champion Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood, or
the American golf icon, John Daly. The four-day event
offers spectators an active programme in the tournament
village, from golf clinics, to a children’s playground to a food
festival. Czechia is one of the twenty-six countries where this
prestigious event takes place: in mid-August in the Albatross
Golf Resort near Prague, a member of European Tour
Properties, the association of the best courses in the world.
▪ www.czechmasters.cz
Velká pardubická with Česká pojišťovna October
Velká pardubická is a horse race (cross-country steeplechase)
held every second Sunday in October at the Pardubice
Racecourse. The race day comprises 8 races. The highlight is
the oldest and most difficult race in continental Europe. Horses
ridden by the best jockeys from around the world attempt to
conquer the race track, which is 6,900 m in length, and has
a total of 31 obstacles. This is a sporting and social event with
the longest tradition in the Czech Republic (144 years), which
enjoys great popularity with the public, celebrities, top Czech
political leaders, and important foreign guests.
▪ www.vpcp.cz
Other significant activities
Austerlitz
Gastronomy
Fresh Festival May–June
The Fresh Festival is a gourmet festival of good food and drink,
which has already been held in many cities. For many years,
it has been a stable programme point of the city of Plzeň; for
a long time, it also took place in Pardubice, and it has also
visited Prague and Brno. The aim of the festival is to promote
the best of the current local and global gastronomy on offer.
Celebrity cooking shows, presentations by TOP restaurants,
breweries, and mini-breweries, wine industry, regional foods
and delicacies. It has become the most visited gastro-festival in
the Czech Republic.
▪ festival.fresh.iprima.cz
Historical events
The Five-Petalled Rose Celebrations June
The Five-Petalled Rose Celebrations is a town historical
festival, set during the reign of the noble family of Rosenberg.
The most attractive parts of the programme include historical
parades, knight tournaments, a historical fair, festive fireworks
and ancient games for children and adults. The programme
takes place on eleven stages in the historical centre of Český
Krumlov and there are almost 150 performances during
the three days of the festival.
▪ www.slavnostipetilisteruze.eu
The Royal Silvering of Kutná Hora June
The Royal Silvering of Kutná Hora is an annual Gothic historical
festival, which symbolically opens the tourist season of the town
of Kutná Hora, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage
List. Thanks to sophisticated dramaturgy, spectators become
a part of the two-day theatrical performance, the highlight of
which is a visit by King Wenceslas IV. Spectators learn about
Czech history in an attractive manner (facts, fashion, habits,
terminology, the court culture). The Royal Silvering represents an
attractive opportunity to put on your own historical costume
and enter the genuine history of the town.
▪ www.stribreni.cz
Historical Znojmo Grape Harvest September
A spectacular historical festival, the largest one in the Czech
Republic, featuring a costumed procession of King John
of Bohemia, with 550 participants. Jousting and horse
competitions, medieval markets with craft shows, a military
Ignis Brunensis
camp, the street of the poor, a medieval pub, and a rich
cultural programme including various genres on twelve stages
in the centre of Znojmo. Programme for children, quiet zones.
A wide offer of wine and young wine, period maashaus, wine
tasting.
▪ www.znojemskevinobrani.cz
Austerlitz (Slavkov u Brna) December
Austerlitz generally sees the culmination of the tourist season
in the form of a major commemorative event dedicated to
Napoleonic history in Central Europe. It takes place on the
Austerlitz battlefield near the village of Tvarožná at the end
of November. The programme includes a battle re-enactment
with up to 1,000 soldiers in period uniforms, dozens of horses,
and wartime cannons. The programme is supplemented by
numerous accompanying events.
▪ www.austerlitz.org
Culture
Ignis Brunensis from May to June
Ignis Brunensis is an international fireworks competition that
regularly lights up the Brno sky in May. The event takes place
by the Brno Reservoir, where a number of fireworks shows
take place. The festival aims to showcase the atmosphere of the
city along with catering and events aimed at fun and nightlife
– the fireworks are set off once it’s dark, with an entertaining
accompanying programme before and after the main event.
▪ www.znojemskevinobrani.cz
The Commencement of the spa season May
The commencement of the spa season consists of two social
and cultural events which regularly take place on the first
weekend of May in Karlovy Vary and the second weekend
of May in Mariánské lázně. The events connect the local
population, hotel guests, and visitors to the spa towns. The rich
cultural programmes associated with celebrations of the spa
industry and the blessings of the local springs are open to all.
▪ www.marianskelazne.cz
▪ www.karlovyvary.cz
For more events visit: www.czechtourism.com/events/
www.visitczechrepublic.com 63
Practical
Oct. 28 Independent Czechoslovak State Day Typical Czech Dishes:
Nov. 17 Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day • Dumplings as a side-dish with many meals
Dec. 24 Christmas Eve • Sirloin in cream sauce with dumplings
Dec. 25 Christmas Day • Roast pork with dumplings and cabbage
Dec. 26 St. Stephen’s Day • Fruit dumplings

information
• Roast duck with dumplings
Tips and Advice • Beef goulash with dumplings
• Tomato sauce or dill cream sauce with beef and dumplings
The language skills of Czechs are slowly improving, in cities • Fried cheese with potatoes
you can converse at least at a basic level in English, German • Steak tartar with toast
and Russian, minimally in French. Czechs will appreciate it • Thick and substantial soups
if you try to speak Czech, often just a greeting or a courtesy
phrase is enough: Ask about traditional foods – for example in
Chodsko and Wallachia you will be treated to great
Dobrý den / Hello cakes, in Olomouc to strong ripened soft cheese – every
Dobrý večer / Good evening area has some unusual traditional food.
Ahoj / Hi (only among friends)
Jak se máte? / How are you? Beer is the liquid bread of the Czech nation and Czechs
Prosím / Please are convinced that it is the best in the world. The most
Děkuji / Thank you famous brands are Pilsner Urquell, Budvar and
The Czech Republic is a landlocked, country The price of the motorway toll sticker for passenger cars up to Ano / Yes Staropramen. But it is worth trying different tastes. The Czech
located in Central Europe. It borders Germany in 3.5 t is year/month/10 days – CZK 1,500/ 440/ 310. Ne / No Republic is seeing a huge boom in local breweries and
the west, Poland in the north, Slovakia in the east and Austria Ztratil jsem se / I  am lost microbreweries, so every now and then you come across a new
in the south. The most distant points of the country between Buses must be equipped with an electronic device for toll Můžete mi pomoci? / Can you help me? brand. Typically they produce bottom fermented lagers.
west and east are 493 km apart, between north and south collection; the toll rate for them is lower compared to freight Promiňte, nerozumím česky / Sorry, I don’t understand
278 km. vehicles. Czech South Moravia is however an area far more interested
in wine. The countryside is peppered with villages
The Czech Republic is a member of the European Union. Since In the Czech Republic it is not permitted to Czechs love stories and anecdotes and like to tell that have wine cycle paths leading through them,
Jan. 1, 1993 it has been an independent state, until then it was drive after consuming any amount of alcohol them even to complete strangers. If you listen to them, charming wine cellars and grape harvest celebrations.
part of Czechoslovakia. The territory of the Czech Republic whatsoever. Drivers are required to have headlights you will be thought well of.
consists of three historical lands – Bohemia, Moravia and on in the daytime.
Silesia. Good Advice: Czechs consider themselves to be part Accommodation
Train and bus transport is widely used, including of Central Europe; if you include them in Eastern
Area: 78 866 km2 a network of cycle buses. Tourists can also use Europe they may become offended.
Capital City: Prague cableways and passenger boats. Larger towns have
Administrative Structure: 14 Regions extremely efficient public transport networks. Czech Currency North
System of Government: Parliamentary Bohemia
Republic Population: 10.6 million A good service is provided by the information transport Czech currency contains the banknotes – CZK Prague
Religion: roughly two-thirds of the population are atheists, system IDOS, which is a software interface for searching for 100, 200, 500, 1,000, 2,000, 5,000. Coins are in West Central
East
Catholicism is the major religion connections of different types of public transport, including denominations of – CZK 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50. Bohemia Bohemia
Bohemia
Official Language: Czech combinations (www.idos.cz). Tips are not usually included in a price, the normal amount
Time: the time zone is UTC + 1, both summer and winter time expected is 10 %. If you pay by card, it is good manners to South Moravia
and Silesia
are used Opening Hours leave a tip in cash. Bohemia
Currency: Czech koruna (CZK)
Dialling Code: + 420 Normally shops are open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Hiking
Internet Domain: .cz mainly on weekdays. In large towns, opening hours
are usually longer, often up to 10 p.m. and during Hiking is very popular in the Czech Republic. Number of collective accommodation establishments in the regions
Important Telephone Numbers: the weekend. Conversely, in smaller towns and The Czech Republic has the densest and most Hotels ***** Hotels **** Hotels ***
112 SOS Emergency Call villages shops often close at 5 p.m. or even 4 p.m. Hypermarket elaborate network of marked hiking trails in the world. Prague 46 218 210
155 Emergency Medical Service chains are normally open until 10 p.m., the largest stores are The marked trails begin in the centres of towns and
Central Bohemia 1 35 121
158 Police of the Czech Republic open non-stop including weekends. villages or at railway stations. Information on guideposts is
South Bohemia 2 39 132
156 Municipal Police given in kilometres.
150 Fire Brigade Historical sites and museums are mostly closed on Mondays. West Bohemia 9 124 144
Their opening hours are governed by the season; longer over North Bohemia — 44 144
Gastronomy
the summer, shorter in winter. Some of the sites are open year- East Bohemia 1 49 234
How to get there
round, others only from April to October. Czech cuisine is permanently evolving; it adopts Moravia and Silesia 2 144 400
The largest and main Czech airport is the Václav the current trends of preparation and presentation
Havel Airport in Prague-Ruzyně, which meets all Public Holidays of dishes. However, you can expect, particularly
European standards and has three terminals. Other in restaurants in smaller towns and villages that
international airports are in Brno, Ostrava, Karlovy Jan. 1  Restoration Day of the Independent Czech State the side dish will be larger than you imagined. They also offer
Vary and Pardubice. Jan. 1  New Year less vegetables and vegetable dishes. Simple guide: look for
The first Friday after the first full moon following the spring the Czech Specials symbol. In restaurants marked with this
In the Czech Republic, traffic drives on the right, equinox – Good Friday symbol, the Czech cuisine is of excellent quality.
speed limits: motorway/outside of municipalities/ The first Monday after the first full moon following
in municipalities – 130/90/50 km/h. The dense road network The spring equinox – Easter Monday
is dominated by 19 motorway sections totalling 1250 km. May 1  Labour Day
Motorway use is paid for in the Czech Republic via motorway May 8  Victory Day Practical information for
toll stickers, which can be purchased at petrol stations or post Jul. 5  Saints Cyril and Methodius Day travelling in the Czech
offices; the drive-through toll is not paid by passenger cars. Jul. 6  Jan Hus Day Republic is available also at
Sep. 28 St. Wenceslas Day (Czech Statehood Day) www.czechtourism.com

64 Destination Manual 2020 www.visitczechrepublic.com 65
Contacts
Česká centrála cestovního
ruchu – CzechTourism
Vinohradská 46
P.O.Box 32
120 41 Praha 2
Czech Republic
Tel.: +420 221 580 111
info@czechtourism.cz
B2B
www.czechtourism.cz
www.czechtourism.com/
trade-sites/
@agenturaczechtourism
www.czechconvention.com
czechconvention@
czechtourism.com
B2C
www.czechtourism.com
@czechrepublic
@VisitCZ
@visitczechrepublic
@czechrepublic
Visit Czech Republic
#VisitCzechRepublic
Contacts of CzechTourism
foreign offices
BENELUX coverage for
Belgium, Netherlands,
Luxemburg
Tsjechisch Bureau
voor Toerisme –
CzechTourism
Petra Koorn-Palečková
Warmoesstraat 155
1012 JC Amsterdam
THE NETHERLANDS
Tel.: + 31 615 69 68 75
amsterdam@czechtourism.
com
66 Destination Manual 2020
For more professional and Association of Tourist AUSTRIA coverage for USA coverage for Canada West Bohemia Bohemian Paradise
business information: Information Centres of Switzerland Association
The Association of Tour the Czech Republic Czech Tourist Authority – Regional Authority of Jitka Kořínková
Operators and Travel www.aticcr.cz Tschechische Zentrale CzechTourism the Pilsen Region Antonína Dvořáka 335
Agents of the Czech office@aticcr.cz für Tourismus – Michaela Claudino Ilona Šnebergerová Turnov 511 01
Republic Czech Camping CzechTourism 1109 Madison Avenue Škroupova 18 korinkova@cesky-raj.info
www.accka.cz Association Yvette Polasek New York, NY 10028 Plzeň 306 13 Tel.: +420 481 540 253
sekretariat@accka.cz www.camp-cr.cz Penzinger Str. 11–13 USA ilona.snebergerova@plzensky- www.cesky-raj.info/en/
The Association of Czech info@camp-cr.cz 1140 Wien, ÖSTERREICH Tel.: + 1 212 288 0830 kraj.cz
Travel Agents CR Guides Association Tel.: + 43-1-89 20 299 newyork@czechtourism.com Tel.: +420 377 195 692 Destination company
www.ackcr.cz www.asociacepruvodcu.cz wien@czechtourism.com en.plzensky-kraj.cz/en Eastern Bohemia
ackcr@ackcr.cz asociacepruvodcu@ UNITED KINGDOM Alena Horáková
The Czech Association of seznam.cz RUSSIA – Moscow coverage for Ireland Living Land – Destination nám. Republiky 12
Hotels and Restaurants Union of Rural Tourism and coverage for European Agency for the Karlovy 530 02 Pardubice
www.ahrcr.cz Agrotourism part of Russia, Belarus and Czech Tourist Authority – Vary Region a.horakova@vychodnicechy.
sekretariat@ahrcr.cz www.svazvt.cz Azerbaijan CzechTourism Ing. Petr Židlický info
info@svazvt.cz Katarína Hobbs Závodní 379/84a Tel.: +420 725 702 650
Czech Tourist Authority – Embassy of Czech Republic Karlovy Vary 360 06 www.east-bohemia.info
CzechTourism 26-30 Kensington Palace zidlicky@zivykraj.cz
CHINA – Beijing HONG KONG SOUTH KOREA coverage Alena Kudílková Gardens Tel.: +420 354 222 243, Moravia and Silesia
Tel.: + 852 2959 6388 for Philippines 3rd Tverskaya- London W8 4QY +420 736 650 129
Czech Tourist Authority – hongkong@czechtourism.com YamskayaStreet 31/35 UNITED KINGDOM www.zivykraj.cz/en/ Vysočina Tourism
CzechTourism Czech Tourist Authority – 125047 Moscow, RUSSIA Tel.: + 44 (0) 203 220 0184 Tomáš Čihák
Lukáš Pokorný INDIA CzechTourism Tel.: + 7 499 978 52 05 london@czechtourism.com North-West Bohemia Na Stoupách 3
Rm. 1111, Jintai Office Michal Procházka moscow@czechtourism.com 586 01 Jihlava
Building Czech Tourist Authority – Yeoksam Heights Building, Contacts of representatives Regional Authority of tomas.cihak@
No.24, Jianguomenwai Dajie CzechTourism Office n. 1314, 13th floor RUSSIA – Representative in the regions the Ústní nad Labem vysocinatourism.cz
Chaoyang District Rashmi Chandnani 642-19 Yeoksam-dong, Office in the Russian Region Tel.: +420 732 650 158
100022 Beijing 20th Floor, Tower A, Gangnam-gu, 06132 Seoul Federation Prague Jiří Válka www.vysocinatourism.cz/
P.R. OF CHINA Urmi Estate, 95 REPUBLIC OF KOREA Velká Hradební 88
Tel.: + 86 10 65156550 Ganpatrao Kadam Marg, Tel.: + 82-2-322-4210 Czech Tourist Authority – Prague City Tourism Ústí nad Labem 400 02 Tourism Hub for South
beijing@czechtourism.com Lower Parel (W) seoul@czechtourism.com CzechTourism Lenka Pluhařová valka.j@kr-ustecky.cz Moravian Region, z. s. p. o.
Mumbai 4000136 Roman Procházka Arbesovo nám. 70/4  Tel.: +420 475 657 509 Pavla Pelánová
CHINA – Shanghai INDIA MEXICO coverage for House of Rosstourism, 40 150 00 Praha 5  www.kr-ustecky.cz/en Radnická 2
Tel.: + 91 22 6718 9680 Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Rosa Luxemburg St., l.pluharova@prague.eu 602 00 Brno
Czech Tourist Authority – india@czechtourism.com Peru, Chile 620026 Yekaterinburg Tel.: +420 221 714 197 Regional Authority of pelanova@ccrjm.cz
CzechTourism RUSSIA www.praguecitytourism.cz the Liberec Region Tel.: +420 542 211 123
Štěpán Pavlík ITALY Oficina de Turismo de Tel : + 7 912 256 55 34 Eva Hornová www.ccrjm.cz/en/
Shangai Office la República Checa – Central Bohemia U Jezu 642/2a
Room no. 1008, Chengdu Ente Nazionale Ceco CzechTourism SLOVAKIA 461 80 Liberec 2 Tourism Hub for East
North Rd. 500 per il Turismo – Petr Lutter Tourism Hub for Central eva.hornova@kraj-lbc.cz Moravian Region, o.p.s.
Huangpu Dist. CzechTourism Ejercito Nacional 505 Česká centrála cestovného Bohemian Region Tel.: +420 485 226 614 Barbora Krkošková
Shanghai Luboš Rosenberg of. 402 Colonia Granada ruchu – CzechTourism Bc. Kristýna Bzenecká www.liberecky-kraj.cz/en/ J. A. Bati 5520
P. R. OF CHINA Via G. B. Morgagni 20 11520 Mexico City Nora Gill Husova ulice 156/21 761 90 Zlín
Tel.: + 86 21 6315 0582 20 129 Milano, ITALIA MEXICO Hviezdoslavovo nám. 7 Praha 1 – Staré Město, 110 00 East Bohemia barbora.krkoskova@vychodni-
shanghai@czechtourism.com Tel.: + 39 02 2046526 Tel.: + 52 55 5545 8000 811 02 Bratislava kristyna.bzenecka@sccr.cz morava.cz
milano@czechtourism.com mexico@czechtourism.com SLOVENSKO Tel.: +420 220 190 413 The Giant Mountains Tel.: +420 577 043 900
FRANCE Tel.: + 421 255 645 064 Mobil: +420 777 507 773 – Union of Towns and www.vychodni-morava.cz
ISRAEL GERMANY bratislava@czechtourism.com www.centralbohemia.cz Boroughs
Office National Eva Šulcová Regional Authority of the
Tchèque de Tourisme – Czech Tourist Authority – Tschechische Zentrale SPAIN South Bohemia Zámek 1  Olomouc Region
CzechTourism CzechTourism Israel für Tourismus – 543 01 Vrchlabí Radek Stojan
Marie Muchová Ynon Harel CzechTourism Oficina Nacional Checa de Tourism Hub for South- sulcovaeva@muvrchlabi.cz Jeremenkova 40a
18, rue Bonaparte Hamasger 39, Tel Aviv-Yafo Markéta Chaloupková Turismo – CzechTourism Bohemian Region Tel.: +420 499 405 745 Olomouc 779 11
75006 Paris ISRAEL Wilhelmstraße 44 Markéta Lehečková Jaromír Polášek www.krkonose.eu/en r.stojan@kr-olomoucky.cz
FRANCE tel. + 972-3-6090906 D-10117 Berlin Avda. Pío XII, 22-24 B. Němcové 12/2, Tel.: +420 585 508 251
Tel.: + 33 1 53 73 00 34 ynon@hrel-moradi.com DEUTSCHLAND 28016 Madrid ESPAŇA P. O. BOX 80 370 80 Regional Authority of www.ok-tourism.cz/en
paris@czechtourism.com Tel./fax: + 49 30 204 47 70 Tel.: + 34 91 359 25 27 České Budějovice the Hradec Králové
JAPAN berlin@czechtourism.com madrid@czechtourism.com polasek@jccr.cz Region Regional Authority –
HONG KONG coverage for Tel.: +420 387 201 283 Vlasta Kratochvílová Moravian-Silesian region
Taiwan, Australia, Singapur, Czech Tourist Authority – POLAND coverage for SWEDEN coverage for www.jccr.cz Pivovarské nám. 1245 David Karčmář
Malaysia, Indonesia and CzechTourism Lithuania and Latvia Denmark, Norway and 500 03 Hradec Králové Moravian-Silesian Tourism,
Thailand Martina Cílková Finland Regional Development vkratochvilova@ s.r.o.
2-16-14, Hiroo, Shibuya-ku Czeska Centrala Ruchu Agency Šumava, o.p.s kr-kralovehradecky.cz Vítkovická 3335
Czech Tourist Authority – Tokyo 150-0012 Turystycznego – Czech Tourist Authority – Kateřina Vlášková Tel.:+420 495 817 181 702 00 Ostrava-Vítkovice
CzechTourism JAPAN CzechTourism CzechTourism Stachy 422 www.hkregion.cz/en/ david.karcmar@mstourism.cz
Jan Urban Tel.:+ 813-6427-3093 Ivana Bílková Lucie Vallin 384 73 Stachy Tel.: +420 603 148 617
RM 802, 8/F, Beverly House, tokyo@czechtourism.com Al. Róż 16, 00-556 Warszawa Villagatan 21 vlaskova@rras.cz severnimorava.travel/
93-107 Lockhart Road, POLSKA 114 32 Stockholm, SWEDEN Tel.: +420 380 120 263
Wanchai Tel.: + 48 22 629 2916 Tel.: + 46 (8) 440 42 21 www.rras.cz
warszawa@czechtourism.com stockholm@czechtourism.com
www.visitczechrepublic.com 67
Highlights
A Trip to the Regions 1
1 Hradec Králové and 2 Olomouc and Helfštýn – 3 Kroměříž – the Representative 4 Třebíč, Vranov nad Dyjí, and
Designed for: Pleasure Seekers: Chateaux on the Orlice river The Spiritual Capital of Residence of the Archbishops Bítov – For UNESCO Sites and
Families with children. – From the Salon of the Moravia and Amber Trail of Olomouc Ancient Castles
Republic to Czech Loire Guardian UNESCO also included on its list the The extraordinary coexistence of
A trip to cities, castles, and chateaus full of An open-air textbook of Olomouc is a city filled with sacred beautiful early Baroque archbishop’s the Christian and Jewish cultures for
attractions and entertainment for the whole family,

Tours
architecture, or the Salon of the
including areas especially favourable for cycling. Republic: those are just some of the
Distance 1,250 km nicknames for the city of Hradec
Králové. At the end of the 19th
Estimated Driving Time 17 h century, the medieval city walls
The number of days: 10 were dismantled to be replaced with
a highly conceptual architectural
revolution led by Kotěra and Gočár:
A Trip to the Regions 2 Modernism in a bold, but still
Designed for: Pleasure Seekers: Active seniors, functional, form. The Orlice River
Families with children, Travellers without children.
Cities, Chateaux and Castles
really looks like its famous French
A trip to historic sites and the unique atmosphere of counterpart: the Loire. There are
four chateaus and two castles
old towns and proud aristocratic mansions offering both traditional and unusual
Distance 900 km designs along just 18 kilometres of
Estimated Driving Time 11 h the river. (Also check out page 10)
The number of days: 7
sites that have no parallels in any chateau in Kroměříž together with
other country in terms of the ratio its two amazing gardens – the
of population to sites. Churches, Chateau Garden, designed as an
chapels, a plague column protected English park, and the Flower Garden,
by UNESCO, the Archdiocese a garden unique in the world for its
Museum, the Archbishop’s Baroque orchard with a rotunda,
Palace, the pilgrimage site at greenhouses, and a gallery with
Svatý kopeček, a popular zoo, a a balcony. The decorations of the
Baroque festival, the list could go chateau halls and the number and
on and on . . . One of the largest quality of the artworks in the chateau
medieval fortified castles in Europe, picture hall are also amazing. You can
the stocky and dignified castle see the works of Titian, Veronese,
of Helfštýn, offers an extensive Granach, van Dyck, and Breughel,
collection of blacksmith sculptures among others. It is the second-most
made by masters all over the world. important picture gallery in the
(Also check out page 9) country. (Also check out page 20)
Highlights Tour 3
many centuries in the town of Třebíč
helped the town’s main compound
– which includes a monastery, a
basilica, and the Jewish Quarter
and its cemetery – get registered
on the UNESCO World Heritage
List. Dozens of sites as well as live
Jewish culture and gastronomic
festivals attract visitors. The Hall of
Ancestors in the Vranov castle is
one of the most beautiful Baroque
buildings in the country, and the
Bítov castle is full of rarities: it
even holds the largest collection
of stuffed dogs in the world. (Also
check out page 11)
5 Český Šternberk – A Castle

any
34 km, 0:27 h as a History of Single Family
20 km, 0:30 h
8 Designed for: Pleasure Seekers:
rm
One of the best-preserved

Ge
Pardubice and Kladruby nad m, Travellers without children, Millenials. castle compounds in the Czech
1 4 West Bohemian Baroque –
6 90 k h 9
Labem – City and Chateau A Baroque Landscape at 1:20
Liberec 11 A trip to the lesser-known face of Republic was built by the same
Ústí nad 7 family that still owns it today,
Pol
Dedicated to Horses Every Step Malá Skála
Labem Prague and to castles, chateaus, spas over 780 years later! The exterior
a
Pardubice is the city of horses A superb connection of unique Ploskovice Sychrov
and home to the Velká pardubická Baroque sites set in the undulating 05
h
Litoměřice nd and landscape areas in the name of is Gothic, the castle looms high

10
steeplechase, the most difficult , 2: beauty and good wine. over the Sázava River, and the

7k
countryside of the Plzeň Region. km
steeplechase in continental Europe. 53 interiors are early Baroque. The

m,
The central point is the pilgrims’ 1 Distance 700 km
The race course can be toured with rare preserved and authentic

1:3
area in Mariánská Týnice: the work
6 1 Estimated Driving Time 9 h interiors can be admired by those

4h
a guide or in a horse-drawn carriage. of Jan Blažej Santini Aichel with Karlovy Vary
Pardubice is a historical city with a the Centre of Baroque, offering 5
264 km, 3:05 h
1 The number of days: 6 who are interested in the everyday
protected centre. The chateau in Hradec Králové life of the nobility. Also, there is a
several exhibitions, including Loket
Cheb unique collection of copperplate
Kladruby nad Labem is home to one one about Santini. The road 1 Kostelec nad Orlicí
of the oldest stud farms in the world then leads to Kladruby with its 120 km 4 197 k
m, 2
Prague 14
1k
engravings from the time of the
, 1:30 h :17 h Kladruby m, Thirty Years’ War. (Also check out
and the origin of the famous white magnificent monastery, the chateau nad Labem Pardubice
horse, the Kladruber, that Empress 1:5 page 15)
in Manětín, the catacombs and 6h
Mariánský Kutná Hora
Elizabeth of Austria so admired. On Baroque pharmacy in Klatovy, the Týnec 5
the other hand, the chateau stud Plasy Monastery, and other sites. 214 k
m, 2:4
Ostrava 6 Loket – The Castle Where
farm in Slatiňany breeds fiery black Moreover, the Summer Baroque Český 318 1 Charles IV Was Imprisoned
h

12
horses. (Also check out page 13) Plzeň
Šternberk km 2 Loket is one of the most

7k
Festival, open throughout the 11
8
, 3:
14 2 scenic and also oldest castles in

m,
season, offers many interesting km h
2 Olomouc Štramberk the Czech Republic. It is a romantic

1:5
Štramberk – Moravian events. (Also check page 21) ,1
Ge

:2

7h
Bethlehem 4 51 km, peak of a medieval town surrounded
h Helfštýn

20
One of the most scenic towns Zvíkov by the Ohře River. Charles IV took it
rm

0:44 h
5 Ohře Cycle Trail –

3
in the Czech Republic, with streets under the protection of the Czech

km
lined with timbered houses and National cycling trail along 3 356 km,
4h 3 Crown in spite of the fact that his
an

,2
the Ohře river Zlín

:2
crowned with the romantic ruin of 4 131 km, 1:26
h father imprisoned him there when

4
y

One of the cleanest rivers in the Kroměříž

a medieval castle, Trúba – as the
locals call the castle tower, which is
today used as a lookout tower. The
specially designed guided tours
will let you delve into unexpected
places, such as the prehistoric
cave of Šipka or the production
of the famous local delicacy, the
gingerbread ears of Štramberk.
(Also check out page 18)
3 Písek and Zvíkov –
The Historic Gems on South
Bohemian Rivers
Písek is a historic gem on the Otava
River that is yet to be discovered
by most tourists. The oldest stone
bridge in Central Europe can be
there, as well as other unique
bridges, a regional stud farm, the
oldest still-functioning power plant
in the Czech Republic, an attractive
display of sand sculptures, and a
vast playpark, the largest in the
country. The Gothic royal castle
of Zvíkov lies above the dam on
the Vltava River with a mysterious
tower, a beautiful palace chapel,
a basement, and the impressive
interiors of the Royal Palace. (Also
check page 12)
Czech Republic flows through an
amazing countryside, the historic
town of Cheb, the most famous
Czech spa of Karlovy Vary, the
royal towns of Kadaň, Žatec and
Louny, and joins the Elbe River
near Litoměřice, where the Elbe
Route follows. The trail passes
majestic chateaus, fantastic rocks,
a medieval castle, and a monastery;
you will be able to take strolls
along colonnades and check out
the world capital of hops as well as
an alchemist fort. (Also check out
page 43)
6 Elbe Cycle Route –
1,300 Kilometres Full of
Surprises
One of the most attractive long-
distance European cycling routes
that follows the flow of the Elbe
River, starting in the Czech Republic
and reaching the North Sea after
1,260 kilometres. It is 470 beautiful
kilometres from the springs of the
Elbe to the border with Saxony. Its
profile is gentle and it offers some
great adventures and facilities.
There are castles, chateaus, forts,
cities, mountains, and historic
towns along the route, as well as
natural sites such as the Polabí
Region, the Central Bohemian
Uplands, and the Elbe Canyon in
Bohemian Switzerland. (Also check
out page 40)
7 Ploskovice – Summer
Residence of Emperor
Ferdinand
Ploskovice are often called ‘Little
Versailles’: the fairy-like chateau
with beautiful gardens was built in
the style of the great French model,
and it is a place loved by filmmakers
and tourists alike. The chateau has
beautiful interiors, unique murals
by famous Czech landscaper Josef
Navrátil, artificial grottos, Baroque
fountains, a colonnade with rare
stucco decorations. Children love
the exhibition of the teddy bears
and stuffed animals in the Chateau;
adults enjoy botanical oddities in the
gardens. (Also check out page 19)
8 Liberec and Sychrov –
City Surrounded with
Mountains and Luxurious
interiors of neo-gothic
residence
Liberec is a city surrounded with
mountains, sitting below the peak
of Ještěd, which is crowned by the
timeless cone of the mountain hotel.
It has a distinct design, but above all
it is a place of never-ending family
fun: the super-modern science
centre, the unique entertainment
centre, the botanical and zoological
gardens. On the other hand, the
romantic chateau of Sychrov holds
the largest collection of French
h
Písek
Třebíč
Brno
75 km, 1:10 h
2 1 km
Bítov
Aus
Vranov
nad Dyjí Znojmo Lednice
t ria
portrait art outside France, as well
as beautiful interiors, programmes
for children, and a large park. (Also
check out page 8)
9 Greenway Jizera – Along the 1 Prague – A Never-Ending
River to Nature and History Happening
The network of varied and Prague is known as a beautiful
gorgeous cycling trails going down historical city, but its bohemian
the hillsides of the Jizera Mountains, soul is not known that well. We will
the region of glassmakers and take you to a creative district where
weavers, will take you through everyone takes advantage of the
four distinctive areas of the Czech right to express their artistic vision
Republic and to a very attractive in informal and alternative clubs,
section, only 17 kilometres long, galleries, theatres, and multipurpose
where you can admire rock industrial spaces. There are whole
formations, ruins, lookout points, streets dedicated to art, but there
folk architecture, beautiful jewellery are also national galleries and
made with Czech garnet, a neo- official museums there. You can also
Gothic chateau, and a chateau full experience a new circus festival
of adventures and games, all the and an extraordinary cinema. It is
way to the banks of the Elbe River the place to be when you want to
where it joins the Elbe Route. (Also discover Prague’s alternative culture.
check out page 44) (Also check out page 6)
5
Luhačovice
7h
, 1:3
10
3
4
Slovakia
2 Moravian Wine Trails –
On bicycle through the
region of sights and wine
South Moravia has always been a
region dedicated to wine. The dense
and varied network of wine cycling
trails that is over 1,200 kilometres
long will take you to vineyards,
wineries, and cellar-lined streets as
well as dozens of chateaus, the Baťa
Canal, folklore festivals, and grape
harvests. (Also check out page 42)
3 Following the Footsteps of
Liechtenstein
Four chateaus, one castle,
and a cultural landscape area
protected by UNESCO: that’s
just the beginning of your travels
in the footsteps of the House
of Liechtenstein, a family that
had a significant influence
0 50 km
on architecture, culture, and
viniculture. The House of
Liechtenstein designed the Lednice-
Valtice Cultural Landscape Area, a
UNESCO-protected garden full of
water and decorative structures.
You will see the Lednice Chateau
and its gardens with the famous
minaret, the chateau of Valtice with
its amazing interiors, the chateaus
of Bučovice and Mikulov, and the
castle of Šternberk. (Also check out
page 17)
4 Lednice – A Spa Surrounded
by a UNESCO-Protected
Landscape
Luhačovice, you will understand
why you’ll never confuse this
spa with any other. The unique
architecture by Dušan Jurkovič that
combines folk art and Art Nouveau
styles, the pure and unspoiled
countryside, and the valuable
and effective mineral springs that
produce the famous Vincentka
mineral water. The Luhačovice Spa
is a leader in the treatment of the
he was a small boy. You can explore
the smallest preserved rotunda in
the world there, experience jousting
tournaments and medieval festivals,
or check out the mini zoo or the
exhibition of porcelain and tin toys.
(Also check out page 16)
respiratory system in Europe and
the wellness offer is also above
standard. You will feel like you are
in paradise no matter if you’re in the
spa park, the city swimming pool,
or the nearby dam. (Also check out
page 33)
5 Luhačovice – A Fairytale Spa
Town
When you come to Luhačo-
vice, you will understand why you’ll
never confuse this spa with any
other. The unique architecture by
Dušan Jurkovič that combines folk
art and Art Nouveau styles, the
pure and unspoiled countryside,
and the valuable and effective
mineral springs that produce the
famous Vincentka mineral water.
The Luhačovice Spa is a leader in the
treatment of the respiratory system
in Europe and the wellness offer is
also above standard. You will feel
like you are in paradise no matter
if you’re in the spa park, the city
swimming pool, or the nearby dam.
(Also check out page 32)

68 Destination Manual 2020
www.visitczechrepublic.com
 @czechrepublic

  @VisitCZ

  @VisitCZ

 @czechrepublic

Visit Czech Republic

#VisitCzechRepublic

The 2018 issue of the

Cities, Chateaux and Castles Destination Manual came
Jewels of Regions shortlisted in Fénix Content
Marketing competition.
Destination Manual 2020

Published by CzechTourism, Prague 2019©

Vinohradská 46
120 41 Praha 2
info@czechtourism.cz
Written by: CzechTourism and Rostislav Křivánek
Translation: Skrivanek s. r. o.
Cover photos: Štramberk, Libor Sváček; Ostrava, UPVISION
Photograph: CzechTourism, Libor Sváček, Aleš Motejl,
Ladislav Renner, Petr Polák, Luděk Antoš, David Marvan,
Petr Slavík, Milan Drahoňovský, Martin Veselý, Jaroslav The 2018 issue of the
Horák, Miloš Vojíř, Ota Mrákota, Dragin Dragan, UPVISION, Destination Manual came
České dědictví UNESCO, Golferia, Boris Renner DOV, 1st place in Turist Propag
Bike Park Kyčerka, Olomouc Region, Barum Czech Rally Zlín, competition / The Tourist
Colours of Ostrava, Rock for People, RunCzech, Information of the Year.
Velká pardubická with Česká pojišťovna, The Royal Silvering
2misto.pdf 1 02/05/17 22:58

of Kutná Hora, Smetanova Litomyšl, RunCzech;

Kateřina Uksová, National Technical Museum,
© Prague Castle Administration, Photo: Jan Gloc; Lázně
Teplice v Čechách; Priessnitzovy léčebné lázně; Petr Toman
Production: CzechTourism and Vydavatelství MCU,
www.mcumedia.cz
Source of statistics: Traffic monitoring of tourist destinations,
CzechTourism; Czech Statistical Office
The data given cannot be guaranteed
in spite of meticulous research.
The information is presented as a sample. It is not intended
to be comprehensive.

The official tourist presentation of the Czech Republic.

www.visitczechrepublic.com The 2017 issue of
the Destination Manual
Not for sale. came 2nd place in Fénix
Content Marketing
ISBN: 978-80-7513-221-5, 1st edition competition.