Which of us in childhood did not dream to get into a fairy tale? But what if now and now you really want to drop everything and at least leave for a week in a place where it’s quiet and calm, where you can take a leisurely stroll through the narrow streets of a small cozy town with gingerbread houses; admire the scattering of red tiled roofs below from the high tower of the local ancient castle; to breathe in the aroma of beautiful flowers in the castle park?
Or stand on a huge crowded square surrounded by chic palaces and medieval temples with high towers and spiers, listening with pleasure to the multilingual rumble of people scurrying around and feeling “out of time and space”. Is it tempting? Then you definitely need to go to the Czech Republic.
Here you will find everything you want - the solemn grandeur of the once royal city, generously seasoned with real magic literally spilled in the air (this is the beauty of Prague), and a real cozy and bright medieval fairy tale (in Cesky Krumlov), and gloomy a reminder of the transience of our being and the transience of life (on the outskirts of Siedlec in Kutna Hora), and real natural “living water” to improve our health (of course, in Karlovy Vary). In any case, BEAUTY, many, many beauty will surround you all the way.
When you get to know the Czech Republic quite well (falling in love with it even stronger in every new place you manage to get to), it becomes very difficult to choose only the 10 most beautiful cities in this country. But we still try.
10. Karlovy Vary
According to legend, this perhaps the most aristocratic city in the Czech Republic was founded by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles I of Luxembourg (aka King of the Czech Republic Charles IV).
The king hunted in the local forests, and when (in pursuit of a deer) his horse injured his leg, he was helped to heal water from an accidentally found spring that was beating from the ground. Charles IV ordered the construction of a hunting lodge here and began to frequently run into these places in order to relax and heal.
By the beginning of the XVIII century, Karlovy Vary was very popular among the European aristocracy. Well, after our Peter I visited here, the Russian nobility also reached out to the resort. In a very picturesque town, through which a shallow but transparent Tepla River flows, it is always quiet and calm.
Life moves as if in slow motion - thoughtfully and leisurely. The pacified vacationers stroll between the light colonnades, in the depths of which are 12 springs with mineral water of different temperatures (from 30 to 72 degrees), capable of treating a variety of diseases.
And going to the end of the main street, past the beautiful houses in the Baroque style, decorated with stucco and bas-reliefs, you can climb the funicular to the Diana tower, from where you can see the whole city and the dense forest around it.
Be sure to try the local round wafer-pay. And buy yourself (as a souvenir) a bottle of the famous Becherovka - a liqueur on 20 herbs.
9. Brno
Brno is the second largest (as well as the largest) city in the Czech Republic. It is located in a very picturesque place - where the rivers Svratka and Svitava merge together - and is the capital of the historical region of Moravia. By the way, Moravians consider Brno to be the true capital of the Czech Republic. So, Brno before Prague (back in the 12th century) became a royal city - it was here that the legendary Przemyslovic dynasty ruled.
And since Prague and Brno have long been constantly competing for the title of the main city of the country, then, not even trying to “catch up and overtake” the official capital in terms of crowded and beautiful, the inhabitants of Brno decided to get ahead of it culturally. Here are the best theaters and galleries in the Czech Republic, a variety of music and art festivals are held. Student life is in full swing in Brno - there are several large universities.
The city has many beautiful monuments of architecture (in the style of Gothic, Baroque, Renaissance and Art Nouveau), amazing and unusual sculptures. You should definitely take a look at the city hall of the XVI century, the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul (founded in the XIII century), climb the hill to the huge fortress Spilberk, etc.
8. Pilsen (Plzeň)
Even if you have never heard the name of this city before, it seems vaguely familiar to you, doesn’t it? Naturally! Indeed, it is here, at one of the oldest breweries in Europe, that brew one of the most popular beers in the world - Pilsner Urquell.
Of course, now the whole process is going on with modern technologies and with new equipment. But they will show you with pleasure and tell you how it was in the old days (and they will let you taste freshly brewed unfiltered beer). Just sign up for an excursion. Moreover, there are beer spa resorts in the city where you can take a dip in a whole barrel of beer.
But in Pilsen, of course, it is worthwhile to come not only for the sake of a foamy drink. The town is very picturesque, especially its old center. Take a look at the Renaissance (the largest in Europe) town hall built in the 17th century, admire the beautiful Křížikov gardens, climb the highest tower in the Czech Republic of St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral (XIII century, Gothic) to see the whole city at once. And bring the children to the Dinopark, look at the giant dinosaurs.
7. Litomyšl (Litomyšl)
In 2008, Travel in the Czech Republic magazine named Litomyšl the most beautiful city in the Czech Republic after Prague. First of all, this small town surprises with the fact that here the ancient and ancient buildings perfectly "coexist" next to almost new buildings (and this does not seem to be something wrong or dissonant).
The most beautiful building in the city is a 16th-century renaissance castle painted with sgraffito art. Moreover, the picture never repeats: here you can see not only twigs, leaves and flowers, but also a lot of animals - from dragons and elephants to ordinary hedgehogs, as well as people in ancient costumes.
The interiors of the castle are just as beautiful, and in its courtyard, distinguished by excellent acoustics, theater performances, music festivals and competitions, etc. By the way, Litomyšl is the birthplace of the most famous Czech composer Bedřich Smetana.
Another city attraction is the house of philanthropist Joseph Portman, painted with drawings with mythical characters: from gnomes to angels.
6. České Budejovice
Book lovers ’town of Ceske Budejovice is familiar from the“ Adventures of the Good Soldier Schweik ”- it was here that the battalion where this character of Jaroslav Hasek served during the war was located. By the way, today in Budejovice there are a lot of “reminders” about Schweik - the so-called restaurants and pubs, Schweik figures you can buy in souvenir shops, etc.
To see all the main attractions of the town, you will not need to go far - all of them are on its main square (and nearby). In its center you cannot fail to notice the magnificent Samson fountain, and nearby - the blue and white Baroque town hall and St. Nicholas Cathedral with the Black Tower.
Almost all the houses standing on this square, bearing the name of King Przemysl Ottokar II (the founder of Budejovice in the 13th century), were built in the 18th century or a little later - the fact is that the city suffered from a terrible fire and was rebuilt.
And in Budejovice there is the famous Budweiser Budvar brewery, which has been “butting” for almost 80 years (!) For the historical right to name this brand with the American company Anheuser-Busch (so far to no avail).
5. Olomouc
You can walk for hours in the beautiful Moravian Olomouc - once a royal and episcopal, and now a university city. "In terms of density" of architectural masterpieces per square kilometer, it will yield only to Prague.
The city with almost two thousand years of history (it was founded on the site of a Roman military camp of the II century) has incorporated all European architectural styles from early Gothic to Baroque, Renaissance and Art Nouveau.
You should definitely go through three large squares of the old center: from Lower to Upper, and then to the square in front of the Archbishop's Palace and the huge magnificent St. Wenceslas Cathedral, admiring the beautiful fountains, the Town Hall with the astronomical clock (by the way, they were already made in “ the Soviet period is unique in that - you will see on them not the usual saints and angels, but scientists, workers and peasants engaged in creative work) and a 25-meter plague column dedicated to the Holy Trinity and generously decorated with bizarre statues.
And try to look into at least one of several city gardens - they are beautiful.
4. Telč (Telč)
The small town of Telch, the center of which is surrounded on one side by the remains of ancient walls and a deep moat, and on the other by picturesque ponds with huge carps and well-fed hand ducks, is absolutely charming.
This is exactly the place where you will feel as if you have “failed in time” for about 400 years. In fact, the old city consists of one huge square and several short streets that go away from it with numerous souvenir shops and “breweries”.
Most of the houses (as well as the city castle) are built in the Baroque and Renaissance style. They are painted in pleasant pastel colors and compete among themselves with rich decorations, stucco moldings, murals, etc.
In the summer, a real medieval fair is organized in Telč - craftsmen sell hand-made goods, actors and minstrels show colorful performances, and knights find out at the tournament which one is cooler.
3. Kutna Hora (Kutna Hora)
Kutna Hora, a city that dates back to the 13th century, was once the second most important city after the capital. The thing is that in its vicinity there were rich silver mines, and therefore the royal mint worked here. Silver literally flowed, the city grew rich and grew. In many old buildings you can still see bas-reliefs with miners. But, alas, by the middle of the XIV century, the mines had run out. Now, from their former glory, only the local Silver Museum in the castle of Hradec remained. But Kutna Hora is still picturesque.
The tallest (and most beautiful) buildings in the city are the Cathedral of St. Barbara (Barbara), standing on an elevated place and trying to reach with its Gothic spiers to the sky (it was built from the end of the XIV to the middle of the XVI centuries) and the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist (end of the 13th century).
And in Siedlec (a suburb of Kutna Hora) is the darkest, but also the most visited by tourists, attraction - Kostnitsa. This is an old church in an even more ancient cemetery, which amazes with a terrible sight - its entire interior consists of human bones (they say that there are “only” 40 thousand of them). Just imagine: crosses, chandeliers, decorations of arches and vaults, coats of arms on the walls, "pyramids" on the floor - all of skulls and bones. Well, really, “Memento mori” (“Remember death”) ...
2. Cesky Krumlov (Česky Krumlov)
Do you want to visit a real fairy tale? The small town of Cesky Krumlov in South Moravia is all one solid decoration for a knightly film. The streets of Krumlov have not changed at all from the 16th-17th centuries, when this city was especially “on the rise”. Its entire magnificent old center is surrounded by a wide loop of the Vltava River (still not so great in these places), along which Czech rafters like to raft.
And over the city rises a huge (and noticeable from afar) Krumlovsky castle. It was built from the XIV to the XVII century, gradually expanding (now the castle occupies - imagine! - 11 hectares) and therefore you can find Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance elements in it. From the castle, through the Cloak Bridge (an unusual three-story structure), you can go to the castle park.
In the beautiful little Krumlov, in which only 14 thousand people live, there are as many as 8 museums. Hundreds of thousands of tourists come here every year, especially a lot of people come every year on the last weekend of June, when the Five-Petalled Rose Festival sings and dances in the city.
On these wonderful days, all the inhabitants of Krumlov (almost without exception!) Dress up in old costumes and recklessly play scenes from the life of medieval Czechs - from commoners to nobles and knights. It is very authentic and great - believe those who saw it personally!
1. Prague
Well, here we come to the most beautiful city in the Czech Republic - “hundred-towered” Prague, Zlata Prague, magnificent Prague ... You can talk about it for hours, sometimes really “hanging” on the brightness of memories and light sadness that you are not there right now.
Prague is a separate and remarkable topic. You can’t tell about this city in a nutshell. So just drive and admire it yourself.