Outside Outside of Prague, the Czech Republic offers a wealth of quaint towns and interesting attractions – too bad that very few people ever bother to venture outside the noisy, overcrowded capital. All the more reason to discover the charms of this cute little landlocked country – prices are a lot lower outside the capital, quality of services is generally higher, and people are a lot friendlier. Below, you’ll find some of the highlights of the country outside of Prague. CESKY KRUMLOV The southern Bohemian town of Cesky Krumlov is undoubtedly the country’s biggest tourist attraction after Prague, and for good reason. It’s a perfect little medieval town that’s just a beauty to look at, walk through, and get to know. For most, the undisputed highlight of Cesky Krumlov is its castle, the second largest in Europe. It was first mentioned in 1253 as the seat of the Vítek family, but it didn’t take on its current Renaissance-Baroque appearance until much later. Somehow, the interior remains amazingly intact, and you can either view the courtyards and gardens free of charge or take a guided tour of the whole castle for a small fee. There’s also a 54.5m tall tower you can climb for magnificent views, if you don’t mind heights. In Your Pocket offers a useful downloadable guide, at http://www.inyourpocket.com/cr/ck/en/ CESKE BUDEJOVICE Ceske Budejovice is perhaps most famous as the home of the original Budvar – known more commonly by its German name, Budweiser. Here you can visit the Budweiser Budvar Brewery. It is situated in an industrial area several kilometers north of the city center. The 2pm tour is open to individual travelers; otherwise, you will have to come with a group of 10 or more. If not, you can always visit the Brewery’s beer hall, which is open from 10am to 10pm daily, for a sample or three of the real Budweiser. Besides getting drunk as a skunk, there are a lot of other things you can do in Ceske Budejovice. The town boasts a lovely main square surrounded by 18th century arcades; at its center is the Samsonova Fountain, dating from 1727, and on the western side stands the baroque town hall, dating from the same period. Every hour a tune is played from its tower. Also standing on the square is the House of Art, a gallery featuring rotating exhibitions of contemporary art. Just south of the Old Town is the Museum of South Bohemia, which is worth checking out. What’s more, Ceske Budejovice serves as a great base for exploring smaller towns throughout the region. Pisek, Trebon, Tabor, and Prachatice are all in the vicinity. MELNIK Perfect for day trippers, Melnik is just 33 kilometers (20 miles) north of Prague and boasts a fine castle that’s been restituted to the Lobkowicz family (old Czech nobility.) Its vineyards produce the excellent Ludmila wine, supposedly what Mozart drank while he was composing Don Giovanni. The town’s main sights are all concentrated around the castle. It overlooks the confluence of the Vltava and Labe Rivers, the sight of which inspired Smetana to write Ma Vlast, his famous anthem to Bohemia. TEREZIN Originally constructed by Emperor Joseph II as a fortress town in 1780 to protect the empire from Prussian invaders, Terezín was converted into a concentration camp in 1941. Of the 140,000 men, women, and children who passed through Terezín, over half of them were sent further east – most of them to Auschwitz. Only 3,000 who passed through here were to survive the Second World War. Over 34,000 died within the Terezín ghetto itself. The Nazis expelled the entire population of the town to convert it into a model ghetto which was used as the setting for a propaganda film, The Fuhrer Gives a Town to the Jews, part of a strategy to deceive the world about the Third Reich’s real aspirations. Red Cross officials visited the town twice to find a fully operating town with a self-governing Jewish community and thriving cultural life. The reality, of course, was much different. What was remarkable, however, was the fact that so many prominent musicians, artists, and intellectuals of the era passed through Terezín as part of the Nazis’ cruel scheme. KARLOVY VARY Known as Karlsbad in German, or Charles’s Baths, Karlovy Vary is a picturesque town with a river of medicinal hot springs flowing through the city center. Legend has it that King Charles was hunting in the area when one of his prized hounds injured its paw. As the hunting entourage marched through the creek, the dog made a miraculous recovery after having walked through the springs. Ever since then, invalids from far and wide have come to take the waters, which are supposed to cure all sorts of ailments. In the summertime, the annual Karlovy Vary International Film Festival takes place. Movie stars mingle in the streets with elderly Germans and Russians, making for a bizarre scene. Karlovy Vary is also famous as the home of Becherovka, the ever-popular Czech liqueur. You’ll either love the taste of it or be repulsed. It’s great for digestion, though. The spa treatment is usually pre-booked with an expensive hotel package. If you want to try a spa without having to fork over all the dough, try the Vojenský State Baths. The Grand Hotel Pupp is supposed to be the finest luxury hotel in the Czech Republic. This is where all the movie star action is centered during the Film Festival. The Hotel also boasts a fine restaurant worth splurging on when in town. KUTNA HORA The tiny town of Kutna Hora was once only second in importance to Prague, after the discovery of silver here in the late 13th century. It boasts fantastic Gothic architecture, but is perhaps best known for its famous “bone church,” where 40,000 human skeletons have been used for elaborate decoration by local artisans. North of the church is an Ossuary, also worth visiting. Other eccentric highlights of Kutna Hora include the world’s first Alchemy Museum in the city center, as well as the Czech Silver Museum and Medieval Mine, where you’ll be given a protective suit and hard hat to wear before descending to the tunnels. Kutna Hora’s centerpiece, the Cathedral of St. Barbara, dates from 1388 and is even more magnificent than St. Vitus’s Cathedral in Prague. There are a ton of quaint cafes and places to eat in Kutna Hora. If you’re feeling hungry, try Harmonia, at Husova 105. It features a beautiful terrace overlooking a picturesque lane. TABOR Following the execution of rebel leader Jan Hus, a bunch of religious radicals founded a town here in 1420. Led by a one-eyed general named Jan Zizka, they would go on to battle the Catholics for nearly 15 years. Their ideas were a bit too extreme for the ruling class – they wanted equal rights for men and women, common ownership of property, and all sorts of silly things. They were eventually crushed by more “moderate” Hussite forces. While things might be a bit quiet in Tabor these days, it nonetheless makes for a relaxing respite from the hustle and bustle of Prague, and the city’s Hussite Museum is definitely worth visiting. If you get lost wandering through the labyrinthine streets of the Old Town, remember that it was built that way on purpose as a way of confusing the enemies. The Kotnov Castle, which was founded in the 12th century, was destroyed by fire in 1532. The remains were turned into a brewery, which still operates today. What remains of the castle is a round tower dating from the 15th century, which you can climb from the Bechyne Gate Museum, a small historical museum focused on the lives of peasants, to admire the striking views of Tabor and the surrounding area. OLOMOUC Olomouc just might qualify as Moravia’s best kept secret (if not the Czech Republic’s.) This dazzling little beauty of a town was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2000, and boasts a lively cultural scene, thanks to the prominent place of the university in the city’s life – it’s really more of a student town than anything else, and the perpetually young vibe can be felt everywhere you go. The most impressive sight in the Old Town is the neo-Gothic St. Wenceslas Cathedral, which inspired an 11-year-old Mozart to compose his Sixth Symphony. Next door, the Premyslid Palace has foundations dating back to 1204. The Town Hall Astronomical Clock Tower on Horni namesti includes a mosaic of a scientist discovering better living for all through chemistry. While in town, be sure to try the special Olomouc cheese, which you can order fried in most restaurants here. The delightful Old Town Square is lined with outdoor cafés, and the surrounding area tends to fill up with revelers on warm nights – just pick a group and follow them to the nearest party. BRNO The Czech Republic’s second largest city definitely has attitude, and it’s on the up-and-up as far as tourism is concerned. It’s definitely worth a stop if you’re on your way to, say, Slovakia or Hungary. While it might not offer as many tourist attractions as Prague, it boasts a laid-back, yet big city (well, big for the Czech Republic) vibe. The main attraction here is the castle, which, while if nowhere near as ornate as Prague’s or Cesky Krumlov’s, nevertheless has its charms. It also has a spooky labyrinth of dungeons, where Emperor Joseph II used to suspend his prisoners on the walls – so behave. Another morbid curiosity is the Capuchin Crypt, which displays the mummified remains of several nobles and monks. Then there’s the Petrov Cathedral hovering over the center of the Old Town. Its noon bells sound each day at 11am, a tradition that supposedly originated during the Swedish siege of Brno, when the town is said to have been saved by an ingenious monk who knew that the attackers had decided to fight only until noon, whereupon they’d pack up and move on. Moravia’s big claim to fame is its delectable white wines, which can be sampled at Spolek, a hipsterish bookstore-café. If you prefer beer, you might want to stop by Restaurant Pegas, which features its own homemade brew, served in wheat and cinnamon varieties. Want a ritzy place to stay? Go ahead. You might as well splurge. Try the Hotel Royal Ricc (www.romantichotels.cz), which boasts luxurious Renaissance-era interiors, complete with stained-glass windows and timbered ceilings.
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