Czechia map & highlights

Czechia is a country of roughly two halves: it’s split between the historic regions of Moravia and little Silesia in the east – and Bohemia in the west. Prague, the capital, is located in Bohemia, as is the popular spa town of Karlovy Vary and Bohemian Paradise, a protected landscape area. The second city, Brno, is in Moravia, as is the Mutenice Wine Region. The train network makes getting around easy: it’s just two and a half hours from Prague to Brno, and four hours from Prague to Vienna. It’s also easy to get from Czechia to other countries in Central Europe.

Try cycling – Forgo the Czech Skoda, take a bike instead! Czechia is a good place for cycling: it’s served by EuroVelo routes, the Prague-Vienna Greenway provides a car-free route all the way into Austria, and you can cycle in scenic Bohemian Paradise. Cycling can take you to off-the-beaten-track hamlets that many visitors would not get to see on a standard Czech itinerary. Sample the wine – Czech wine isn’t typically exported, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good. South Moravia is a winemaking area with four sub-regions. Visit Mikulov, a town in the heart of wine country, for tastings, pairings and local hospitality. Castle-hop – There are over 2,000 castles in Czechia. Some are positively Disney-worthy, like Hluboka. Others are imposing and impressive, like the hulking Karlstejn Castle and medieval Bouzov. Others are pleasantly ragged and ruined, like Sloup Castle, which juts dramatically from an outcrop in the Liberec region. Take the train – An overnight train into the Tatras, a four hour sashay to Vienna, a two and a half hour trip to Brno: getting around from Prague by train is easy. It’s also a nice way to see the rest of the country and appreciate how firmly it is connected to the rest of central Europe, not just by rail, but culturally and spiritually as well.