Czech Republic Travel Guide

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A historic jewel at the heart of Europe, the Czech Republic packs a sizeable punch for a small country; from its fairytale castles and medieval towns, to elegant spa resorts and scenic national parks. This is also the birthplace of some of the world's finest beer.

The Czech Republic’s capital is the culture-filled Prague, whose imposing castle is the center piece. Easy daytrips from Prague include the spa resort of Karlovy Vary, Karlštejn and Konopiště castles, and the historic towns of Mělník and Kutná Hora.

The Czech Republic is peppered with fascinating UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the picture-postcard town of Český Krumlov, and the Renaissance architecture of Telč.

For natural beauty, try Šumava National Park, the weird and wonderful rock pinnacles of the Adršpach-Teplice Rocks, and the spectacular caves and underground rivers of the Moravian Karst. The rich agricultural area of Moravia in the eastern half of the country offers rolling ranges of wooded hills and vineyards.

Geography

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country situated in central Europe, sharing frontiers with Germany in the west, Poland in the north, the Slovak Republic in the east, and Austria in the south. Covering only about one-third of the area of the United Kingdom, the country is hilly and picturesque.

The western two-thirds of the country is known as Bohemia, and consists of a vast river basin fringed by hills and mountains. The Czech Republic's longest river, the Labe, rises in the Krkonoše Mountains in the northeast, on the border with Poland, and flows south, then west, then north into Germany where it becomes the River Elbe. These mountains are also home to the country's highest summit, Sněžka (1,602m/5,262ft).

Prague sits almost in the middle of Bohemia on the River Vltava, which flows into the Labe just to the north of the city. The Vltava rises in the forested Šumava hills that run along the country's southern border with Austria. The plains to the north of Prague are bordered by the Krušné Hory (Ore Mountains, named for the iron ore and other minerals found there).

The eastern third of the Czech Republic is known as Moravia. This region is also based on a river basin, that of the Morava River, which rises in the northern hills near the Polish border and flows south to join the Danube at Bratislava. The main city of Moravia is Brno, the second-largest in the Czech Republic.