Best things to do in the Czech Republic
21.07.2023 - 07:31
/ roughguides.com
“Prague never lets you go,” said Franz Kafka, “this dear little mother has claws”. Prague also gets her golden claws into tourists, and few ever make it outside the capital. But those who tear themselves away won’t be sorry. The colonnade- and park-filled spa towns, Bohemia’s Renaissance breweries and hilltop ruins, and Moravia's rolling hills are among the many best things to do in the Czech Republic.
The information in this article is inspired by The Rough Guide to Europe on a Budget , your essential guide for visiting Europe.
Discovering architectural pearls among the winding alleys of the Old Town (Staré Město) in Prague is one of the best things to do in the Czech Republic. Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí) was the city’s main marketplace from the eleventh century until the nineteenth century. On the west side is the medieval astronomical clock (Pražský orloj), which gives a mechanical show featuring saints, deadly sins and Jesus.
Across the square are the dour Gothic steeples of Týn Church. If you look closely, one steeple is slightly bigger – they represent Adam and Eve. In the centre of the square is the Jan Hus Monument, built in 1915 to mark the 500th anniversary of the Protestant reformer’s execution.
Prague, Old Town @ Shutterstock
Once the heart of the Holy Roman Empire, Prague Castle is home to the Czech president and crown jewels. Wandering the grounds is one of the best things to do in the Czech Republic for free. But to enter the buildings, including St Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace and the Basilica of St George, you need to buy a ticket from the Castle Information Centre, opposite the cathedral entrance.
Visit 3 countries at once with our tailor-made trip to Fairytale Czech Republic and Hungary: Czechia with the beautiful cities of Prague, Cesky Krumlov and Kutna Hora. Afterwards, visit Bratislava in Slovakia before continuing to Budapest.
The view of the Prague Castle © Shutterstock
Northwest of Old Town Square is Josefov, a mixture of narrow cobbled streets – the remains of the old Jewish ghetto, and wide Art Nouveau boulevards – the legacy of 1890s slum clearance. The Old Jewish Cemetery is a poignant reminder of the ghetto, its inhabitants overcrowded even in death. To the south is the Pinkas Synagogue, inscribed with the names of 80,000 Czechoslovak Jews killed by the Nazis.
The Old–New Synagogue, Europe’s oldest, is the heart of Prague’s Jewish community. Opposite is the Jewish Town Hall (Židovská radnice), with its distinctive anticlockwise clock. East of Pařížská is the gorgeous neo-Byzantine Spanish Synagogue (Španělská synagoga), which hosts classical concerts. This wonderful Neoclassical synagogue in Prague serves as a testament to over a thousand years of