Czechia, hitherto known as the Czech Republic and most popularly still know as this, is a gem of a country in Central/ Eastern Europe. While many tourists focus mostly on its capital city Prague, Czechia has a lot to offer beyond just Prague. This itinerary covers Prague as well as the other most important places to visit in Czechia and is suitable for a long weekend (3 days) with public transport.
Connections to Prague
I traveled to Prague on the overnight Flixbus from Luxembourg changing in the German city of Leipzig. On the way back I took the Regiojet direct from Prague to Luxembourg. However you could also drive to Prague depending on where you are travelling and also possibly what time of the year it is. Alternately you can fly into Prague airport which has many connections to mainland Europe as well as the Middle East.
Where to stay in Prague
Stay as close to the Old Town as possible as it will save you a lot of time in transport especially as time is short for this packed itinerary. Most of the places to see in Prague are at a walking distance from the Old Town plus this area is dotted with some of the best restaurants and cafes. We stayed at an apartment near the Astronomical Clock and I would highly recommend this location to anyone who is traveling to Prague on a short break.
Day wise Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive into Prague
We arrived in Prague around lunch time on the Friday at the UAN Bus station where most of the international connections arrive at. It was a short walk from the bus station to our apartments in Old Town Prague. And on the way we passed through the Prague Powder Tower, the ionic Church of our Lady before Tyn right into the Old Town square and the Astronomical clock (which in my opinion is quite overrated as I had found the one in Bern much better). If you want to orient yourself with the history of the city I would recommend going on the Sandman’s Free Walking tour but we missed the one starting at 2pm as we had to check into our Airbnb at the same time.
After freshening up in our apartments, we headed straight to the Charles Bridge to catch a glimpse of the sun setting over the city from one of its towers. If you have to choose between towers to climb, I would recommend the bridge towers over the Powder tower and of the bridge towers the one at the end of the bridge near Mala Strana. After spending an hour at the Bridge and the adjoining tower (the bridge was insanely crowded and a far cry from the idyllic pictures you see in Instagram) we took the tram to the Prague Castle. It was already dark by then but the Castle was open. If you are in Prague during the summer months, I would suggest that you head first to the Prague Castle and then on the way down visit the Charles Bridge. That way one of the attractions of the Prague Castle – the Golden Lane can be seen in daylight which is a definite treat to the eyes.
Day 2: Cesky Krumlov
Its the second day in Czechia and a trip to its most beautiful city should always be on the itinerary. Cesky Krumlov is a fairytale town about 3 hrs south of Prague. There are multiple ways to reach this town – a) a direct train leaving at 0800 hrs from the Prague central station which leaves Cesky Krumlov at 1400 hrs b) multiple bus services by various private service providers such as Leo and Regiojet. We took the 1100 hrs Regiojet from the Na Knizechi bus station and came back by the 1800 hrs bus from Cesky Krumlov.
But before we took the bus to Cesky Krumlov, there was some Prague touring to be done. While the original plan was to checkout the Jewish Quarter in Prague first, being a Saturday its was closed for Sabbath. So instead we walked to Mánesův most to get that coveted view of the Charles Bridge and the Mala Strana and then took the tram to have our rendezvous with the Dancing House.
Once at Cesky Krumlov, you have to walk a short distance to reach the main town square. On the way do stop by at the Vyhlídka (marked on Google maps) and the Seminární zahrada (marked on Google maps) for some beautiful views of the castle.
Once at the bridge near the Castle, there are plentiful restaurants serving average to good food but with a side of the most beautiful view of the river flowing by and the colorful castle tower. I would highly recommend spending some time relaxing here either having a late lunch or just with some coffee.
The next stop would be the Cesky Krumlov castle itself, however we were a little too late to enter the castle and used the time instead to climb the tower. I would highly highly recommend climbing the tower because the views from there are just magnificent. And you might just feel blessed if you catch the sunset from there. I haven’t read great reviews of the interior of the castle so if you want to give it a miss you might. But donot forget to wave a hand at the family of bears which guards the entrance to the castle.
Day 3: Kutna Hora Ossuary
Today is the last day of the trip and hence the remaining two items from the itinerary must be checked out. You can start with the Prague Jewish Quarter and then after spending couple of hours touring the different Jewish Synagogues, it will be time to board the train to visit the Kutna Hora (Sedlec) Ossuary and Church.
The Jewish Quarter in Prague stretches from the Old Town to the Vlatava river and includes 6 synagogues and a museum. There are two types of tickets available – one including the Old Sysnagoue and the other exlcuding it. Tickets can be purchased from both the Klausen Synagogue and the Pinkas Synagogue although the Pinkas Synagogue might have a shorter queue.
Prague is also famous for being the birthplace of Franz Kafka and you would find a number of monuments across the Old Town dedicated to him. There is also a Franz Kafka museum in the Old Town.
There are almost hourly trains from Prague main station (hlavní nádraží ) to Kutna Hora. The journey takes about 1 hr to the Kutna Hora hlavní nádraží station from where there is a small train connection to the Kutna Hora mesto. Make sure that you buy the ticket to the mesto station so that the entire journey is covered. The Church of the Assumption of our Lady and the Sedlec Ossuary are a short walk from the mesto train station. The church of our Lady is a Unesco listed World Heritage site and is one of the oldest examples of Baroque Gothic styles in Czechia. The Ossuary on the other hand is quite a piece of art if human bones donot perturb you much.
If you have the entire day for Kutna Hora, I would highly recommend going further into town to see St Barbara’s Cathedral which is one of the most famous Gothic churches in central Europe and is also a UNESCO listed site. However we didn’t have enough time to make this tour.
In the afternoon, we boarded the train back to Prague main station where we had left our luggage. Our bus was departing from the UAN bus station which was one metro station away. While at the station, you can checkout the old part of the building on the first floor with its beautiful ceilings and facades. And with that it will be the end of the weekend trip to the beautiful country of Czechia.
And until next time, happy travels.
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