Czech republic bucket list

Most of the people would visit only Prague and wouldn’t care too much about the rest of the country. Before you do that, maybe it is a good idea to make the Czech republic bucket list. Yes, a bucket list for this little country. It is not crazy. You can visit a lot of charming towns, hiking places, castles or enjoy local spa towns for relaxation. It all very much depends on your itinerary. But there is certainly more to the Czech Republic than Prague.

Czech Republic bucket list

Prague

As I mentioned, Prague isn’t the only reason for visiting the Czech Republic, but it is the obvious one. Prague is a very old city that will make you feel like you are going back to the middle ages. Not completely, since there are still cars on a street, but from the very old building, you have an opportunity to see how architecture differs through centuries and watch some historic sights. Unlike other cities like Berlin or Copenhagen, Prague is also very cheap for such a well-known capital.

So what can you see here? Well, there is the magical Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, Old Town Square with their apostle’s clock. Otherwise, Prague has quite an interesting opera house, National Galery and museum of modern arts. You can also take long walks around the river or even book a tour on one of the boats that rooms river Vltava.

Brno

It is the second biggest city in the Czech Republic and it should be on your bucket list. It is not as big as Prague, but you can find here really cool and local places that are not that crowded by the tourist. Brno is also a little bit more folklore town than Prague itself, so it is worth visiting.

What can you do in Brno? That is the burning question, isn’t it? Very close to this town, you can find Moravian Karst – a little national reserve with really historical caves. But that is not all when it comes to historical places. You can also find a castle just in the middle of the city, gothic church, or modern architecture in the form of Villa Tugendhat.

Karlštejn

One of the most visited castles close to Prague. Karlštejn lays in a little valley about 30 km from Prague. It could be easily the most magnificent day trip from Prague. This castle is also really old. It was built in 1348 and it stays there up till today. You can come here all year round and visit the medieval place with an English guide as well.

To get there, you will go through a little village filled with local markets. The castle is surrounded by forests and it is close to a river. It is just a fairy tale place.

Český Krumlov

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This is one of the relatively small towns, that has a lot to offer. The local historical center will bring you back to the middle ages. There is a river in the middle of the city and a lot of spots to see all be beautiful from above. It might sound strange but Český Krumlov is one of the sparks of the Czech Republic. However, prepare yourself for the fact, that this town is a little bit more discovered by tourists, so it might get crowded.

And what can you do here?  There is a second biggest palace complex in the Czech Republic. It is actually on the UNESCO list. It is the main attraction but you will see why the castle that you can find here is spectacular. There is also a theatre with a turnable auditorium. I’m not sure if they play some of the plays here in English, but even if not, it is placed in castles gardens so you can check it out too. You can also find here several museums in the town, but the main thing to see here would be the castle and get the feeling from the historical center.

Czech Switzerland

Czech Switzerland is not a national park but never the less it is a rocky area that is great for hiking. It is a relatively big place with a lot of great hiking spots. The views from here are just amazing. So amazing that even some Hollywood movies were shot here.

The most famous place here is called Prechčičcká Archway. It is not a place that you can hike on, but you can hike all the circuits all around. It is nice to walk around. Besides, there are several circuits, so you can choose both the length of the hike and the difficulty.

Plzeň

Welcome to a beer paradise. Or if not beer paradise just a place where they developed the famous Pilsner. So it is named after this city. Pilsen is only 90 km from Prague on the west which would make another great day trip from the capital. Besides the town is small enough to spend here just one day if you want to.

What is here to see? If you decide to come to Pilsen, you should have a visit to the local brewery on your bucket list. Here you would get to know everything about the history of local beer and the story behind it – how it become world hit. Plzeň also has an interesting main square with one of the highest cathedral in the Czech republic. If you are seeking historical buildings, there is also the third-biggest synagog in the world.

Karlovy Vary

And now lets head to the most famous spa town in the Czech Republic. Karlovy Vary is the most popular spa towns in the country, they are also world known for their movie festival that is happening here every year in July.

What can you do in Karlovy Vary? Karlovy Vary should be on your Czech republic bucket list for several reasons. First one would be the spa, several hotels are offering high-quality services, where you can just lay back and let other care of your body. There is also a cozy historical center with a lot of houses from the 19th century. Otherwise, there are also some interesting hikes on the peaks around the town.

Adrzspach rocks

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Close to a border with Poland, there is another magnificent hiking area called Adrzspach rocks. And the rocks there are! Similar to Czech Switzerland, you can find here a lot of circuits with different lengths and difficulty. If you are a rock climber here would be probably a great place to do it.

Otherwise, you can just hike around and enjoy the nature filled with rich forest and high rocks. There is a lot of places that will offer you unique views of nature. Also, there is a really popular lake, that people are visiting. All of this area is possible to either hike or ride around on mountain bikes.

Czech paradise

This is a national park full of natural wonders. You can find here an area called Hruboskalsko, which is another great place for hiking, and again, you will see a lot of high rocks. But don’t worry it is not boring. All of these deep forests are also surrounded by cute little villages and fields. Even though there is a lot of modern buildings, you will still feel like you are visiting a fairytale.

Besides Hruboskalsko, you can also find here two castles. The first one is the Sychrov castle, which is located more in the local town. The second one is called the Hrubá Skála castle. That one is purely just surrounded by forest and rocks making it a great place to relax. Besides, the views from here are just a must.

Čertovo and Černé lake

For natural relax somewhere close to a lake there are these tho lakes. They have located just 7 km from each other and make the perfect resting place. Especially if you are looking for a short hike and rest around the lakes with restaurants around.

Besides both of these lakes are a little bit rare from anything else you can see in the Czech republic. They are glacier lakes and very old ones. So don’t miss these out, even though they are a little bit further away from civilization. It is a total of the beaten path destination.

Olomouc

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This is not yet another hiking spots. We are getting to another great town to visit in the Czech republic that should be on your bucket list. Olomouc is a nice historical town with a medieval vibe.

So what is so interesting about Olomouc? First of all, if you are visiting Olomouc, you shouldn’t miss the main square. You will see here the spectacular holly trinity column right in the middle of the square. Besides that, you can also see here a local cathedral of Saint Wenceslas, built in gothic style. If you have kids with you or you are just an animal lover, Olomouc has one of the nicest zoos that you can visit here.

Krkonoše

This place is all you want it to be. Krkonoše is a huge national park with the highest peak in the Czech Republic. There is a lot of hiking places to discover. When you are there, you can almost feel like having a vacation in the Alps.

Besides, you can also hike the highest peak in the Czech republic. There are three basic hiking trails for it and all of them are cool. None of these hikes are really difficult.

Other than that, if you decide to visit the Czech Republic in the wintertime, you will find a lot of ski resorts in Krkonoše.

Mariánské Lázně

Hall in Marianske Lazne, one of the spa towns

Let’s hop back to town and civilization in general. Mariánské Lázně is another spa town. It is a lot smaller and cozier than Karlovy Vary. You will also find here a lot of magical parks that have a spark, especially in the autumn, when they get all kinds of colors.

Mariánské Lázně is also famous for its healing springs that are filled with diverse minerals and all are healthy. Besides that, they are surrounded by deep forests and different peeks, so it is nice to not see just the main area with a fountain but get the view of the whole town as well.

Hluboká Castle

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The southern part of the Czech Republic is magical and full of beautiful castles. Hluboká is one of them. This castle is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful castles in the Czech republic and should be definitely on your bucket list.

The castle itself comes from the 13th century but was massively renovated in the 18th century and you can see it on it. The whole castle is in the neogothic style and has gorgeous gardens in french style all around it. You can easily spend here the whole afternoon before you decide to head your way again. The guided tours are in English as well, so language shouldn’t be a problem. Besides that, you can see a beautiful nature with small cozy villages close to the river Vltava that goes all the way to Prague.

Zvíkov castle

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One of the most famous castles in the Czech Republic. The whole castle is right between two rivers. It is said that once it used to be a place that cannot be conquered. Once it was defended by 150 men against 4000 men army. The location is just that good.

And it is good for tourists as well. Because it is so close to the place where two rivers meet, you can enjoy the romantic nature around. A lot of people would come here by a boar from one of the shorelines and make it even more romantic than it already looks.

But if you want to know more about the castle, here it is: It is supposed to be the king of Czech castles, and this king stands here since 1278. Back then it was a very small area, but over the years it grows bigger once other noble families bought it off. Inside of this castle was shot several movies and series. Recently you could see this castle star in a series called Knightfall.

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