209 Best Sights in Czech Republic

Straddling the border between the Czech Republic and Poland—with one side belonging to each country—Sněžka is by far the most popular mountain ascent in Krkonoše. Luckily, the routes are long enough for the hiking groups to be spread out, so it rarely feels like you're part of a big crowd. Most visitors from the Czech side start and end in the resort town of Pec pod Sněžkou: a strenuous hike leads up through blueberry-filled forests and across gentle waterfalls to the summit, where you can stop to soak up the sweeping panoramic views with a cold beer (from the bistro or cafe), before heading back down the other side of the mountain and across the slopes of Růžová hora into town. The route is around 8.5 miles (13.5 km) altogether, so plan for around six hours including stops. For non-hikers, there's also a cable car running from Pec up to the summit; it takes around 15 minutes and costs 330 Kč each way (620 Kč return) in peak season.

Hluboká is working hard to offer visitors something beyond its castle, and this extensive sports complex is a complete change of pace. Here you can golf, play tennis or volleyball, rent Rollerblades or other sports equipment, test your bravery (and fitness level) in the "adrenaline park" (think a massive ropes course, unicycles, and a bungee trampoline), watch the local hockey team play in the stadium, or even catch a baseball or soccer game. The park offers a playground for kids, plus a restaurant with a huge terrace. It backs up to the woods, so you can take off for a short hike as well. There's also a hotel.

Just inside the door of the oldest secular building in Brno, dating to the 13th century, are the remains of two famous Brno legends, the Brno Dragon and the wagon wheel. The dragon—actually an alligator—apparently turned up at the town walls one day in the 17th century and began eating children and livestock. As the story goes, a gatekeeper came up with the idea of stuffing a freshly slaughtered goat with limestone. The dragon devoured the goat, swallowing the limestone as well, and when it drank at a nearby river, the water mixed with the limestone and burst the dragon's stomach (the scars on the preserved dragon's stomach are still clearly visible). The story of the wagon wheel, on the other hand, concerns a bet placed some 400 years ago that a young wheelwright, JiřÌ Birek, couldn't chop down a tree, form the wood into a wheel, and roll it from his home at Lednice (53 km [33 miles] away) to the town walls of Brno—all between sunup and sundown. The wheel stands as a lasting tribute to his achievement. (The townspeople, however, became convinced that JiřÌ had enlisted the help of the devil to win the bet, so they stopped frequenting his workshop; poor JiřÌ died penniless.)

No longer the seat of the town government, the Old Town Hall holds exhibitions and performances and the town's tourist information office. To find out what's on, ask in the information center just inside Pilgram's portal. The view from the top of the tower is one of the best in Brno, but the climb (five flights) is strenuous.

Dating to the mid-13th century, this is the oldest functioning synagogue in Europe and one of the most important works of early Gothic architecture in Prague. The name refers to the legend that the synagogue was built on the site of an ancient Jewish temple, and the temple's stones were used to build the present structure. Amazingly, the synagogue has survived fires, the razing of the ghetto, and the Nazi occupation intact; it's still in use. The entrance, with its vault supported by two pillars, is the oldest part of the synagogue. Note that men are required to cover their heads inside, and during services men and women sit apart.

A jumble of styles and add-ons from different eras are gathered in this palace. The best way to grasp its size is from within the Vladislavský sál (Vladislav Hall), the largest secular Gothic interior space in Central Europe. Completed in 1493 by Benedikt Ried, the room imparts a sense of space and light, softened by the sensuous lines of the vaulted ceilings and brought to a dignified close by the simple oblong form of the early Renaissance windows. In its heyday, the hall held jousting tournaments, festive markets, banquets, and coronations. In more recent times, it has been used to inaugurate presidents, from the communist leader Klement Gottwald (in 1948) to modern-day leaders like Václav Havel.

From the front of the hall, turn right into the rooms of the Česká kancelář (Bohemian Chancellery). This wing was built by Benedikt Ried only 10 years after the hall was completed, but it shows a much stronger Renaissance influence. Pass through the portal into the last chamber of the chancellery. In 1618 this room was the site of the second defenestration of Prague, an event that marked the beginning of the Bohemian rebellion and, ultimately, the Thirty Years' War throughout Europe. The square window used in this protest is on the left as you enter the room.

At the back of Vladislav Hall a staircase leads up to a gallery of the Kaple všech svatých (All Saints' Chapel). Little remains of Peter Parler's original work, but the church contains some fine works of art. The large room to the left of the staircase is the Stará sněmovna (Council Chamber), where the Bohemian nobles met with the king in a prototype parliament of sorts. The descent from Vladislav Hall toward what remains of the Romanský palác (Romanesque Palace) is by way of a wide, shallow set of steps. This Jezdecké schody (Riders' Staircase) was the entranceway for knights who came for the jousting tournaments.

This Gothic castle was transformed into a refined Renaissance château by Italian masters between 1553 and 1568. Grouped in a complex with the former Jesuit college and Kostel sv. Jakuba (Church of St. James), the castle was built during the 14th century, perhaps by King John of Luxembourg, the father of Charles IV. In season you can tour the castle and admire the rich Renaissance interiors. The chastising sgraffito relief in the dining room depicting gluttony (in addition to the six other deadly sins) seems oddly placed. Other interesting rooms with sgraffiti include the Treasury, the Armory, and the Blue and Gold Chambers. There are two tours: the first, Tour A, goes through the Renaissance chambers and is available in English; the second, Tour B, displays the rooms that were used as recently as 1945 but is available only in Czech. The castle basement and gardens are also accessible.

The contrast between the cool, dark interior of St. Vitus Cathedral and the pastel-shaded Pacassi façades of the Third Courtyard is startling. Noted Slovenian architect Josip Plečnik created the courtyard's clean lines in the 1930s, but the modern look is a deception. Plečnik's paving was intended to cover an underground world of house foundations, streets, and walls from the 9th through 12th centuries and was rediscovered when the cathedral was completed; you can see a few archways through a grating in a wall of the cathedral. Plečnik added a few features to catch the eye, including a granite obelisk to commemorate the fallen of World War I, a black-marble pedestal for the Gothic statue of St. George (a copy of the National Gallery's original statue), and a tucked-away entrance to his Bull Staircase leading down to the south garden. This courtyard also provides the best view of St. Vitus Cathedral's Last Judgment mosaic, as well as access to its South Tower viewpoint.

With exhibits and photos, this memorial tells the story of the liberation of Plzeň from the Nazis by U.S. soldiers on May 6, 1945. As the story goes, Patton wanted to press on from Plzeň to liberate Prague, but was prevented from doing so by the Yalta agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union that said Czechoslovakia was to remain under Soviet influence. U.S. aid to Czechoslovakia is also documented. The museum was dedicated in 2005 on the 60th anniversary of Plzeň's liberation.

In a custom-built art nouveau building dating to 1897, this wonderfully laid-out museum of exquisite local prints, books, ceramics, textiles, clocks, and furniture will please anyone from the biggest decorative arts expert to those who just appreciate a little Antiques Roadshow on the weekend. There are superb rotating exhibits, too, and a fantastic design-led gift shop.

This "square"—more of a very long, very thin rectangle—was first laid out by Charles IV in 1348, and began its existence as a horse market at the center of Nové Mĕsto. Today, it functions as the commercial heart of the city center and is far brasher and more modern than Staroměstské náměstí (Old Town Square). Throughout much of Czech history, Wenceslas Square has served as the focal point for public demonstrations and celebrations. It was here in the heady days of November 1989 that some 500,000 people gathered to protest the policies of the then-communist regime. After a week of demonstrations, the government capitulated without a shot fired or the loss of a single life. After that, the first democratic government in 40 years (under playwright-president Václav Havel) was swept into office. This peaceful transfer of power is referred to as the Velvet Revolution. (The subsequent "Velvet Divorce," when Czechoslovakia was peacefully divided into the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic, took effect in 1993.)

Look up when you glimpse the Marks & Spencer shop sign—during the Velvet Revolution in 1989, Václav Havel addressed the crowds from this building's balcony.

Located south and slightly west of the Charles Bridge, this square is fronted by the Grand Prior's Palace—considered one of the finest baroque buildings in the area. Though now part of the Embassy of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta—the contemporary (and very real) descendants of the Knights of Malta. Alas, it's closed to the public. Opposite you'll find the flamboyant orange-and-white stucco façade of the Buquoy Palace, built in 1719 by Giovanni Santini and now the French Embassy. The nearby John Lennon Peace Wall was once a monument to youthful rebellion, emblazoned with political slogans and the large painted head of the former Beatle during the communist era in Prague. Back then, it was regularly painted over by the authorities; nowadays, Lennon's visage is seldom seen because it is usually covered instead with political and music-related graffiti. For now, you can still take a pen and add your own, but there's talk of regulations to prevent obscene daubings by inebriated tourists.

Designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and completed in 1930, this austere, white Bauhaus villa counts among the most important works of the modern period and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Function and the use of geometric forms are emphasized. The Tugendhat family fled before the Nazis, and their original furnishings vanished. Replicas of Mies's cool, functional designs have been installed in the downstairs living area. Some of the original exotic wood paneling and an onyx screen remain in place. The best way to get there is to take a taxi or Tram 3, 5, or 11 to the Dětská nemocnice stop and then walk up unmarked Černopolní ulice for 10 minutes or so; you'll be able to see the modernist structure up on the hill.

Reservations for tours are highly recommended at least three months in advance and can be made online.

Holders of the Brnopas have access to a limited number of last-minute tickets at the Tourist Information Center at Panenská 1 and can skip to the front of the line at the villa. The extended tour shows some of the building's infrastructure.

This vineyard perched on a hill within the Botanical Gardens is a rewarding stop on a visit to Troja's zoo, the gardens, or the château. Well priced and lively, with delicious hyperlocal vintages, of course, it's a beautiful and relaxed spot for sunset among the vines. Note: you have to pay admission to the Botanical Gardens to go to the vineyard.

Coins were first minted here in 1300, made by Italian artisans brought in from Florence—hence the mint's odd name. The Italian Court was where the Pražský groš (Prague groschen), one of the most widely circulated coins of the Middle Ages, was minted until 1726. The regular, self-guided tour (120 Kč) takes you through the Royal Mint museum, where you can see the development of the groschen and other Bohemian coins throughout the centuries, from the tiny haléř of the mid-1400s to the giant, pocket-filling Tolar of 1630. A more extensive tour (300 Kč) includes a visit to the cellar and the Royal Palace.

Once the gardens of the Monastery of the Discalced Carmelites, later taken over by the Order of the English Virgins, this walled garden now provides a peaceful haven in summer, with weeping willows, fruit trees, and benches. Exhibitions of modern sculpture are occasionally held here, contrasting sharply with the two baroque chapels and the graceful Ignaz Platzer statue of John of Nepomuk standing on a fish at the entrance. At the other end of the park you can find a terrace with a formal rose garden and a pair of peacocks that like to aggressively preen for visitors under the trellises. The park is surrounded by the high walls of the old monastery and new Ministry of Finance buildings, with only an occasional glimpse of a tower or spire to remind you of the world beyond.

An unobtrusive door on noisy Karmelitská hides the entranceway to a fascinating sanctuary with one of the best views of Malá Strana. The street door opens onto the intimate courtyard of the Vrtbovský palác (Vrtba Palace). Two Renaissance wings flank the courtyard; the left one was built in 1575, the right one in 1591. The original owner of the latter house was one of the 27 Bohemian nobles executed by the Hapsburgs in 1621. The house was given as confiscated property to Count Sezima of Vrtba, who bought the neighboring property and turned the buildings into a late-Renaissance palace. The Vrtba Garden was created a century later. Built in five levels rising behind the courtyard in a wave of statuary-bedecked staircases and formal terraces reaching toward a seashell-decorated pavilion at the top, it's a popular spot for weddings, receptions, and occasional concerts. (The fenced-off garden immediately behind and above belongs to the U.S. Embassy—hence the U.S. flag that often flies there.) The powerful stone figure of Atlas that caps the entranceway in the courtyard and most of the other statues of mythological figures are from the workshop of Mathias Braun, perhaps the best of the Czech Baroque sculptors.

Shooting its scalding water to a height of some 40 feet, the Vřídlo is indeed Karlovy Vary's hottest and most dramatic gusher. Built around it is the jarringly modern Vřídlo Colonnade. Walk inside the arcade to watch patients take the famed Karlsbad drinking cure. The waters (30°F–72°F) are said to be especially effective against diseases of the digestive and urinary tracts. They're also good for gout (which probably explains the spa's former popularity with royals). If you want to join the crowds and take a sip, you can buy your own spouted cup from one of the souvenir vendors throughout the town.

In a huge, beautiful park, Konopiště Castle dates to the 14th century and is best known as the hunting lodge of the ill-fated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose assassination sparked World War I. He no doubt had a whale of a time hunting on the grounds before he met his untimely end, and now visitors can wander the forests, gaze at the lake, and even watch plays in summer, as well as muse on the archduke's global significance. In a suitably historic touch, there's also a bear who lives in the castle moat; he's a bit shy so you might not see him.

The castle itself is also worth a look, with a carefully preserved interior including many original furnishings from Ferdinand's time. The rooms reflect his incredible opulence as well as his fondness for hunting—there are animal trophies and weapons everywhere. It can be seen only on a guided tour, and there are a choice of four: opt for Tour 3 to see the hunting corridor and the archduke's private apartments. Book in advance for an English-speaking guide or, if one isn't available, ask for an English text to accompany the tour.

The château holds the Regionální Muzeum (Regional Museum), exhibiting period furniture and local wine-making items, including a remarkable wine cask, made in 1643, with a capacity of more than 22,000 gallons. Built as the Gothic-era residence of the noble Liechtenstein family in the 13th century, this château later served as the residence of the powerful Dietrichsteins. Napoléon Bonaparte also stayed here in 1805 while negotiating peace terms with the Austrians after winning the Battle of Austerlitz (Austerlitz is now known as Slavkov, near Brno). Sixty-one years later, Bismarck used the castle to sign a peace treaty with Austria. At the end of World War II, retreating Nazi SS units set fire to it. Much of what you see today was rebuilt after World War II.

There are several different tours that can be combined in various ways.

The town's castle may be petite but it hovers grandly over the confluence of the Labe (Elbe) and Vltava Rivers. On entering, the courtyard's three dominant architectural styles jump out at you, reflecting alterations to the castle over the years. On the north side, note the typical arcaded Renaissance balconies, decorated with sgraffiti. To the west, a Gothic touch is still easy to make out. The southern wing is clearly baroque (although also decorated with arcades).

Inside the castle, you can walk through 10 ornate rooms filled with paintings, furniture, and porcelain belonging to the old aristocratic Lobkowicz clan, as well as a vestry chapel. In particular, look out for the Big Hall, which is decorated with 17th-century European maps and vedute (views) of cities including London, Paris, and Madrid.

Day-tripping wine lovers can also tour the wine cellars under the castle and book a wine tasting. The town is known best for its special Ludmila wines made from local grapes. As the locals tell it, Emperor Charles IV was responsible for bringing wine production to the area. Having a good eye for favorable growing conditions, he encouraged vintners from Burgundy to come here and plant their vines.

The castle also has a good restaurant, looking out on the vineyards, river, and fields beyond, as well as a café and wine bar.

The entrance to this château lies at the southwest corner of the square. From the outside the white walls make it appear restrained, but the inner courtyard is covered with sgraffito. There's a variety of tours of the interior, which boasts sumptuous re-creations of the Renaissance lifestyle enjoyed by the Rožmberks and apartments furnished in late-19th-century splendor. The gardens adjacent to the castle are well maintained and free to stroll in. The last of the Rožmberks died in 1611, and the castle eventually became the property of the Schwarzenberg family, who built their family tomb in a grand park on the other side of Svět Pond. It's now a monumental neo-Gothic destination for Sunday-afternoon picnickers. It's well worth the easy stroll along the lake to visit this tomb; summer concerts are held here occasionally. In the summer you can tour a kitchen for preparing dogs' meals, a stable, and casemates (part of the fortifications) with tunnels. The dogs' kitchen is a rarity and was for the noble family's pampered pets and working dogs.

As the third-largest castle in the Czech Republic, this is the dominant structure in town, holding 300 rooms and 10,000 pieces of art. Behind the courtyard and its elegant Italian arcades, the castle's core is pure Gothic splendor, reflected not only in its thick defensive walls and round tower but also in the frescoes covering interior corridors. Colorful examples of medieval coats of arms and a panorama depicting the legend of St. George date to 1338. Over the course of centuries, buildings of an adjoining Renaissance-era château were added to the early Gothic castle, together forming a large complex. There are three different marked routes through the castle for visitors to follow. Tour A is best for design lovers: you'll visit the Adam building, which includes glimpses of Renaissance, baroque, rococo, Empire, and classical styles, as well as see numerous paintings from a previous owner's vast collection. Tour B takes you to the castle's Gothic and medieval core, the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, and the Royal Hall. Tour C offers the opportunity to visit 18th- and 19th-century apartments as well as the Rondel, a bit of an architectural oddity set in this Gothic scene, designed by an Italian in the 16th century. The official term for the decor is "European mannerism," but it really resembles a big pink cake with confectionary images of aristocratic dancers and musicians. Built as a ballroom, this space still hosts the occasional concert. Wander the exterior courtyards for free, or simply climb the Black Tower for a view of the castle and surrounding area.

Admirers of art nouveau master Alfons Mucha may want to take a 40-km (31-mile) detour off the main road linking Mikulov to Brno to visit the Moravský Krumlov Château, which is now the temporary home to one of Mucha’s most celebrated works, his 20-painting Slav Epic. This enormous work took almost two decades to complete and tells the history of the Slav nation. The city of Prague won ownership of the paintings in a long legal battle but is lending them back until at least 2025. The château, built as a castle in the 13th century, also offers a tour of noble chambers and access to the château tower. It is next to a large park with a plague column (a monument built in thanksgiving for the end of a plague).

Only in this Cabbage Market could Brno begin to look like a typical Czech town—not just for the many stands from which farmers still sell vegetables but also for the flamboyant Parnassus Fountain that adorns its center. This baroque outburst (inspiring a love-it-or-hate-it reaction) couldn't be more out of place amid the formal elegance of most of the buildings on the square. But when Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach created the fountain in the late 17th century, it was important for a striving town like Brno to display its understanding of the classics and of ancient Greece. Therefore Hercules slays a three-headed dragon, and Amphitrite awaits the arrival of her lover—all incongruously surrounded by farmers hawking turnips and onions. What could be more Czech?

Flora, fauna, and fresh air are the main things you can find in Prague's zoo. Hit hard by the floods in 2002, when some 134 animals perished, and again in 2013, when much of the zoo's grounds were inundated with water, Prague's zoo gets a periodic cleanup and offers a welcome break from the bustle of the city, particularly for those traveling with kids. Covering 160 acres on a slope overlooking the Vltava River, the zoo has thousands of animals representing 500 species. Take the chairlift for an outstanding view of the area, and look into arriving via boat: either, in summer, on a steamboat from the center of town or on the simple daily passenger ferry between Podbaba and Podhoří.

In a country overrun with castles, Zvíkov lays claim to being the most famous early Gothic one. Everything needs its marketing hook, but Zvíkov is interesting enough thanks to its location on two rivers and its authenticity. Unlike many other castles in Bohemia, this one survived the 18th and 19th centuries without renovation and still looks exactly as it did 500 years ago. If you have the time, you can cycle here from Písek or jump on a boat and float downriver to another nearby castle, Orlík.

Bordered to the north by Nové Město and to the south by Nusle, Vyšehrad is mostly visited for its citadel high above the river on a rocky outcropping. However, fans of 20th-century architecture—you know who you are—will find cubist gems between the area's riverfront street and the homes that dot the hills on the other side. Prague's cubist architecture followed a great Czech tradition: embracing new ideas, while adapting them to existing artistic and social contexts to create something sui generis. Between 1912 and 1914 Josef Chochol (1880–1956) designed several of the city's dozen or so cubist projects. His apartment house at Neklanova 30, on the corner of Neklanova and Přemyslova, is a masterpiece in concrete. The pyramidal, kaleidoscopic window moldings and roof cornices make an expressive link to the baroque yet are wholly novel; the faceted corner balcony column, meanwhile, alludes to Gothic forerunners. On the same street, at No. 2, is another apartment house attributed to Chochol. Like the building at No. 30, it uses pyramidal shapes and a suggestion of Gothic columns. Nearby, Chochol's villa, on the embankment at Libušina 3, has an undulating effect, created by smoothly articulated forms. The wall and gate around the back of the house use triangular moldings and metal grating to create an effect of controlled energy. The three-family house, about 100 yards away from the villa at Rašínovo nábřeží 6–10, was completed slightly earlier, when Chochol's cubist style was still developing. Here the design is touched with baroque and neoclassical influence, with a mansard roof and end gables.

This museum is dedicated to the history of the city, and though it's technically in Nové Město, it's relatively easy to reach from Old Town because it's near the Florenc metro and bus stations. The highlight here is a cardboard model of the historic quarter of Prague; it shows what the city looked like before the Jewish ghetto was destroyed in a massive fire in 1689 and includes many buildings that are no longer standing.

This 19th-century neo-Renaissance monument has some of the cleanest, brightest stonework in the city. Designed by Josef Zítek and Josef Schulz and completed in 1884—it was named for then Hapsburg Crown Prince Rudolf—the low-slung sandstone building was meant to be a combination concert hall and exhibition gallery. After 1918 it was converted into the parliament of the newly independent Czechoslovakia until German invaders reinstated the concert hall in 1939. Now the Czech Philharmonic has its home base here. The 1,200-seat Dvořákova síň (Dvořák Hall) has superb acoustics (the box office faces 17 Listopadu Street). To see the hall, you must attend a concert.