There was a time, not too long ago, when the Czech Republic was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This is the period that defines what you find in the country these days.
Forget the Soviet period – it hardly rates a mention these days. This country is all about opulent European palaces, dramatic castles, and carefully-landscaped gardens.
But aside from the cities, there’s also huge national parks, small towns, and rural landscapes that are all pretty incredible.
Most travellers these days stop for a few days in Prague and then move on. But I can promise that if you give yourself some time to discover more of the Czech Republic, you won’t be disappointed.
Although you can visit the Czech Republic anytime of the year, I think the warmer months are better so you can explore more of the countryside and some of the country’s natural beauties.
Spring or autumn are perfect, summer isn’t too hot but it gets very crowded in the popular cities, and winter does offer the charm of the Christmas markets.
The Czech Republic is considered to be a fairly safe country, and you are unlikely to have problems with major crime (although petty crime like pickpocketing exists in the busy tourist areas). As always, it’s sensible to have travel insurance, and I recommend CoverMore.
The currency is the Czech koruna (crown), written as either Kč or CZK.
The Czech Republic uses the E power plug, with two round prongs, like most of Europe.
The official language of the Czech Republic is Czech.
Travelling in the Czech Republic is easy, even when you get outside of Prague. There’s a decent train network that will take you to the other main cities. To get to some of the smaller places, there are regular comfortable buses.
If you have time, I would suggest seeing more than just Prague. For example, Kutna Hora is one of the best day trips from Prague, another highlight is the fairytale town of Cesky Krumlov, and there’s lots to see in Brno like the Tugendhat Villa.
Top destinations
Country - Czech Republic
World Heritage Sites
See all of the Czech Republic’s World Heritage Sites, or check out these highlights:
Castles and palaces
There are some incredible castles and palaces in the Czech Republic. These are some of the best:
More top stories from the Czech Republic
As you can see, there are so many amazing experiences to discover within the Czech Republic – many of which are not crowded with tourists, even though they are among the best in Europe.
To continue your travel planning, have a look at all my stories about the Czech Republic.