This post features: Prague, Plzeň, Liberec, Český Krumlov, Brno and Olomouc visited during October 2024. There are also some photos taken in Prague and Kutná Hora from a previous visit in March 2015…
For the October trip I used Prague as a base for 6 nights, then Brno for 3 nights and a last night in Prague before flying home. I flew with Jet2 from Leeds-Bradford. They fly to Prague on Thursdays and Sundays – which is a bit random but worked out quite well and the flights are at sensible times. For getting around Czechia I used Czech rail (České dráhy or ČD). Their app is easy to use for planning journeys, buying and storing tickets. The app also sends useful updates on train times and so on. Czech trains aren’t especially fast but are easy to use. The rail network is undergoing massive infrastructure investment, which hopefully will lead to quicker and more reliable services. Having said that, anyone used to travelling around the UK by train will feel right at home except that Czech train journeys are a fraction of the cost…
You might find it quicker to use buses such as Flixbus or RegioJet on some routes. I used the Omio app for the bus journey from Brno to Omolouc for ease but bear in mind that Flixbus & RegioJet have their own apps that won’t incur a service charge…
In cities the trams are easy to use but not all stops have ticket machines and not all of the machines accept cards – some are still coin-only. You can’t buy tickets on the trams and very few have the tap-in, tap-out facility that exists in London. If you buy a ticket, it will need validating on boarding – i.e. getting a time stamp from one of the little machines on the trams. But that’s all changing, of course, as they modernise…
Prague is a lovely city but very busy – so, if you have the time to get out of the capital and explore a bit more of the country you will be in for a treat…
Czechia has 16 cultural and 1 natural UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Included in the list are the historic centres of Prague, Český Krumlov and Kutná Hora; the Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc and the Villa Tugendhat in Brno: https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/cz
Prague
Staré Město:
The Old Town Square on a gloomy dayThe Old Town Hall with its Astronomical Clock dates from the early 14th century – it was virtually destroyed at the end of WW2 but then faithfully rebuilt…The twin towers of the Church of Our Lady before Týn. Construction started in the mid 14th century and completed in the early 16th century before being given a Baroque makeover at the end of the 17th century The Jan Hus Monument and the Cathedral of St Nicholas, which was built between 1732-37
Churches:
Prague is known as the “city of a hundred spires” but there are over 300 churches – here are just a few…
The Basilica of St James was founded in 1232 but was rebuilt in a Baroque style in the 18th centuryInterior of the Basilica of St JamesInterior of the Basilica of St JamesSt Nicholas Church Lesser Town – to distinguish it from St Nicholas Cathedral in the Old Town – was built between 1703-11, although work on the interior continued into the 1760s. Various churches had existed on this site since the 13th century…The interior of St Nicholas Church Lesser Town is remarkableThe interior of St Nicholas Church Lesser Town is remarkableThe Church of St Martin in the Wall was built between 1178-87 in a Romanesque styleThe Gothic Cathedral of St Ludmilla, in Peace Square, was built between 1888-93
The Charles Bridge:
The Vltava River – at 435km it is the longest river in CzechiaThe Old Bridge Tower
Wenceslas Square:
Wenceslas Square in March 2015Wenceslas Square in October 2024 – a building site as it undergoes major restoration…The museum was closed for restoration during my visit in March 2015 – it had actually been closed for 5 years and nobody seemed to know when it would re-openOpen again October 2024 (the barriers are actually in Wenceslas Square)The Grand Hotel Europa was closed for renovation in March 2015The Grand Hotel Europa open in October 2024 – the barriers are there for the work going on in Wenceslas Square
Prague Main Station:
Prague’s main station was built in 1871in a neo-Renaissance style. The main hall interior is glorious and among the most significant Art Nouveau monuments in the Czech Republic…The memorial to Sir Nicholas Winton on platform one – Sir Nicholas Winton organised the rescue of 669 Czech children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia during the 9 months before war broke out in 1939…
Street Scenes:
City view from the 9th floor terrace at the Radisson Blu Hotel on ŽitnáThe Powder Gate Tower – built in 1475 it was originally a gunpowder storeThe Vinohrady TheatreThe Vítězslav Hálek Memorial in Charles Square in front of the 14th century Novoměstská radnice (new town hall)The tower of Novoměstská radnice at nightBar Duende – Karoliny Svétlé, Prague – a lively bar selling Pivo Bernard Although the original brewery was founded in 1597, by the late 1980s the brewery was effectively defunct. In 1991 it was bought by Stanislav Bernard and two colleagues who set about revitalising the brewery. In 2001 the Belgian brewery Duvel Moortgat acquired 50% of the company enabling much needed investment and expansion. It’s a terrific beer – see: http://www.bernard.cz
Kutná Hora
Kutná Hora is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for its historic town centre, the Church of St Barbara and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec. The town developed as a result of the exploitation of the silver mines. In the 14th century it became a royal city endowed with monuments that symbolized its prosperity. The Church of St Barbara, a jewel of the late Gothic period, and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec, which was restored in the Baroque style of the early 18th century, were to influence the architecture of central Europe. These masterpieces today form part of a well-preserved medieval urban fabric with some particularly fine private dwellings.
When I went in March 2015 it was on an organised tour from Prague. I didn’t realise that Sedlec is a separate suburb; don’t remember having visited the Cathedral of Our Lady in Sedlec; didn’t see much of Kutná Hora’s historic centre and my photos aren’t very good – several reasons to go back…
Trains for Kutná Hora go from Prague main train station but the main Kutná Hora train station (Kutná Hora hl.n.) is about 4 km/2.5 miles from the city centre, so it’s best to transfer to a local train after arriving. There’s always one connecting with the arriving Prague train and takes seven minutes to the town. When buying tickets, make sure to buy one for Kutná Hora město (město = town), so you’re covered all the way into town and don’t have to buy an extra ticket on the local train. If you miss the connection at Kutná Hora, there is a local city bus into town. The bus stop is right in front of the station and it takes about 20 minutes to the bus station.There are bus services from Prague, too, and these go to the bus station in the centre of Kutná Hora…
The Church of St Barbara:
The UNESCO-listed Church of St. Barbara (also called St. Barbara’s Cathedral) is a monumental Gothic church consecrated to St. Barbara, patron saint of miners. Its unique design with a three-tent roof and intricate flying buttresses make it an unmistakable landmark. Intriguingly, construction took over 500 years. Building began in 1388 and the church was consecrated in 1403 but it continued evolving until 1905 with a Neo-Gothic restoration…St. Barbara’s Church was originally planned to be twice its today’s size…
The Ossuary (Bone Church):
The Ossuary is in the underground chapel of the Church of All Saints. It contains the bones of about 40,000 people who died of the plague in 1318 and during the Hussite wars in the 15th century. They were originally buried in the church cemetery. When the cemetery was closed at the end of the 15th century, the exhumed bones were transferred to the chapel and piled into pyramids. In 1870, František Rint of Česká Skalice arranged the bones and skulls into creative decorations that include bells, the Schwarzenberg coat-of-arms, and a chandelier…It’s a bit macabre…Daćicky – owned by Heineken – a much needed beer…
Plzeň
Plzeň (Pilsen) is easy to get to by train from Prague and the journey takes roughly 1hr30. A useful guide to the city is: http://www.visitplzen.eu
Pilsner Urquell Brewery:
King Wenceslas II first granted brewing rights in 1295 to some citizens of Plzeň, which proved to be a lucrative prerogative. The beers brewed were top-fermented and, unsurprisingly, quality varied. The effort to improve the quality of their beer led the Pilsen brewers to founding a new brewery and calling in a brew-master who would produce a new style of beer that was also of consistent quality…
Josef Groll, the Bavarian brew master credited with creating a new, lighter style of beer in October 1842. The yeast he used was bottom-fermenting. This beer quickly became popular and known universally as “Pilsner” – see: https://www.prazdroj.cz/en/our-story/historyThe brewery on the banks of the Radbuza – one of two rivers that flow through Plzeň, the other being the Mže – they merge to form the Berounka…The imperious gate to the Pilsner Urquell brewery – an easy 10-minute walk from Plzeň station…At the end of brewery tour you are given a glass of this fresh Pilsner Urquell – unfiltered and unpasteurised it only stays fresh for about a week but the tours are so popular that very little beer is wasted…
Republic Square:
St Bartholomew’s Cathedral:
The Gothic-style St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral has the tallest church tower in the Czech Republic (102.26 m / 335.5 ft). Construction of the church began in 1295 and was completed at the start of the 16th century. Two towers were planned for the church, a north and a south one; however, only the former was ever finished. Pope John Paul II established a bishopric in Pilsen in 1993 and St. Bartholomew’s became a cathedral.
Street Scenes:
Pilsen’s Great Synagogue is the third largest structure of its type in Europe; the fifth largest in the world and the largest synagogue in the Czech Republic. Originally, it was meant to be built in a neo-Gothic style but ended up in a Moorish-Romanesque style and completed in 1893. The building survived WW2 as it was used as a storage facility and later a workshop…
Liberec
Liberec is an intriguing city about 110km from Prague, close to the borders of Germany and Poland. It takes about 2hrs30 to get there by train, whereas the RegioJet bus does the journey in about 1hr15…
The train to Liberec from Prague – it involves changing trains at Turnov and the journey takes about 2hrs30 – just don’t go on a Monday as the museums won’t be open…Change of train at Turnov
Beneše Square:
The neo-Renaissance Liberec Town Hall building was constructed in 1893, and was designed by Viennese architect F. Neumann. It is famous for its close resemblance to Vienna City Hall. The central tower is 61m high…
Churches:
Street Scenes:
The Šalda Theatre was built between 1881-3 on the site of the Draper’s Theatre that burnt down in 1879
Museums:
The Technical Museum exhibits historical cars, motorcycles, bikes, model cars and an exhibition about the history of urban transport in the region. In keeping with most museums in Europe it isn’t open on Mondays…Liberec Regional Art Gallery was established in 1953 but only moved to this building in 2014. It opened as the Municipal Spa in 1898 to mark the 50th anniversary of the reign of Emperor Franz JosephThe North Bohemian Museum in Liberec was founded in 1873 and is one of the largest museums in Czechia
Český Krumlov
Český Krumlov is surrounded by the meandering Vltava River, has one of the most beautiful castles and chateaus in the Czech Republic and, thanks to its preserved medieval centre, is included on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list.
It takes about 2hrs30 by train from Prague. Trains go via České Budějovice: some are direct, some you will need to change at České Budějovice. Obviously, the direct trains are quicker. I’ll qualify that: trains from Prague to České Budějovice are actually reasonably fast but the line from there to Český Krumlov is single track. It is windy and hilly and the scenery is lovely but it is quite slow. The town centre is an easy 20-minute walk downhill from the station – uphill on the way back – and you do get nice views of the town…
Looking Over The Town:
Cobbled Streets:
The Castle:
Market Square:
River Vltava:
Brno
Brno is the second biggest city in Czechia and was the capital of Moravia from 1641 to 1948. It takes around 2hrs35 to get there by train from Prague. The buses take about the same time. I splashed out & travelled first class – typical, modern train carriages with big comfy seats.
The main station is nice and central – it only takes about 5 minutes to walk to the Cabbage Market and maybe 10 minutes to Freedom Square. You can see the tram stops in front of the station and the bus station is just to the left of the photo – a nice compact bus, tram & train interchangeStall on the platform selling fresh fruit as well as soft drinks and snacks…
The Cabbage Market:
I stayed at the oddly named Grandezza Hotel – an elegant early 20th century building…View of the Cabbage Market from my bedroom window. It was very quiet despite the central location. Well: quiet until 3am, when a bloke arrives to start setting up the market – at which point you’ll want to close the windows…
Freedom Square:
Churches:
The Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul: there has been a church on this site for around 900 years before evolving into a cathedral during the 14th century. This was destroyed in 1643 during a siege by the Swedish army. Between 1743-8 the rebuilt cathedral acquired the main aisle we can see today. It underwent further reconstruction in the late 19th century, acquiring the two main towers… The Cathedral of St Peter and St PaulThe church of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist. The church of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist. The church of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist. The Church of St. James has what is considered to be the second-largest ossuary in Europe. It is estimated that over 50,000 people were buried there in the 17th and the 18th centuries. Somehow it lay unforgotten until being revealed during excavations in 2001…St. Mary Magdalene Church – once a 17th century Franciscan monastery, housing a hospital and pharmacy until it was closed in 1787 during the Reformation after which it was used by the army. It then burnt down and the current church was built in 1852…The Church of St Thomas
The Technical Museum:
Villa Tugenhadt:
Villa Tugendhat is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was built in 1929–1930 for Greta and Fritz Tugendhat to a design by the German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.
The uniqueness of the Brno villa lies not only in its formal architectural purity, siting in natural surroundings, and its interconnection of rooms, but also in its technical and structural design and use of fine materials. It has become Brno’s icon of modernist housing and occupies a prominent position globally and within the oeuvre of its architect. Between 2010 and 2012 the Villa Tugendhat underwent renovation and restoration work, during which both the structure and the adjoining gardens were restored to their original appearance following the completion of the Villa in 1930. https://www.tugendhat.eu/
Visiting is by guided tour only and needs to be booked in advance – its significance is lost on me…You can wander around the outside and the garden for free…This house is on the same street and looks a lot more interesting…As does this house…
Elegant Brno:
Výčep Na stojáka – a friendly bar with a nice choice of beers and lots of outside spaceVýčep Na stojáka had 5 beers on tap. My favourites were Kamenická 12, a lovely crisp beer with excellent hop-bitterness (www.pivovar-kamenice.cz) and Chotěboř (www.pivovarchotebor.cz)
The bus station at Omolouc: I decided to go to Omolouc by bus rather than train as the line was partially closed and buses were replacing trains. Getting a Flixbus or RegioJet bus from the bus station adjacent to Brno railway is easy and the buses are quicker than the trains (1hr5 versus 1hr30). The downside to using Flixbus is that they use the bus station in Olomouc, whereas RegioJet use a stop adjacent to the railway station. It’s not the end of the world if you’re familiar with the city but a bit traumatic for a first time visitor. There are no buses from here to the city centre and you can’t buy tickets here if there were. The very helpful woman in the office played me a little video that showed where to go to the underpass that takes you to the nearby tram stop to get a tram to the city centre. The tram stop has a coin-only ticket machine and you can’t buy tickets on the tram. So, I downloaded the Omolouc app & got a ticket that way. The stop after the bus station is the railway station where there are lots more trams and various buses traversing the city. Still, it all adds to the adventure…
Upper Square:
Lower Square:
Churches:
Sign of the Cross outside the Church of St. Moritz The Jesuit and University Church of St Mary of the Snows – closed for restorationThe sadly shabby Orthodox church
Excellent Barnaby!