Czech Republic

The land-locked Czech Republic borders with Germany, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Austria. Hilly and quaint with undulating valleys dotted with lakes, historic castles, caves, and canyons, the Czech Republic is, without doubt a picturesque country. Indeed, the Czech Republic cannot fail to be an idyllic, verdant land when approximately one third of the country is still covered in lush green virgin forest. There are two major regions - Bohemia in the west and Moravia in the east. In Bohemia, there are the beautiful river valleys of the Vltava (Moldau) and Labe (Elbe), whilst in Moravia, there are miles and miles of wooded highlands, vineyards, folk art and castles. The mountainous region of the country, the Krkonoe Mountains cut across the top of Bohemia and Moravia and literally mean the ‘Giant Mountains’. In recent years, they have become very popular for outdoor holidays as well as winter sports.

As both the social and the cultural centre of the Czech Republic, Prague is renowned as a city chock full of architecture and history. The city centre is like a massive open-air museum with a curious mix of architectural innovation encompassing Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Art Nouveau and Cubist styles. The Castle District at the historical heart of the city lies on a hill overlooking the Vltava River. Here, creating the distinctive Prague skyline stand Prague Castle and St Vitus Cathedral. Below, within Prague’s complex of historical districts - the Lesser Quarter and the Old Town lie the city’s major historical attractions linked together by the famous Charles’ Bridge. Conversely, the New Town, with it’s shops, cafes, museums and theatres is just as popular with the regular influx of tourists. The second largest city after Prague is Plzen, home of the famous Pilsner beer and full of intricate architecture and museums.

Outside of the major cities, there are plenty of small towns scattered throughout the countryside. The Moravian Karst for example is a stunning densely wooded hilly region north of Brno, it is full of canyons and has approximately 400 caves to explore. There are also the idyllic spa towns of Karlovy Vary and Marianske Lazne with their regenerative qualities admired by Beethoven, Wagner and Edward VII to name a few. There are a total of 24 springs at Frantiskovy Lazne which has been fabled to cure heart disease and infertility whilst the spas around the region of Jachimov/Joachimsthal offer relief from rheumatism. The Czech Republic has a picture postcard type of beauty, and offers culture, architecture, natural splendour all packed into this tiny country.

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