Tourism succeeds because the country is a sightseer ’s paradise with border-to-border photo ops in countless charming, well-maintained old towns. In addition, the country is comfortable for tourists (good hotels, train services, food and wine). A visit to the Czech Republic centers around Prague, one of Europe’s most beautiful cities (some consider it No. 1) whose well-preserved architecture displays examples of all the great European building styles. In traveling about the country, visitors appreciate the sense of stepping back in time and experiencing a touch of that melancholy angst that is part of the central European psyche. In the countryside, medieval castles and numerous picturesque villages appear amidst rolling hills and dark pine forests.

Another facet is music: The Czechs love music and Prague abounds with classical and semi-classical offerings, including opera, during high season. Festivals are staged outside the capital, too. Mozart lived in the Czech Republic for part of his life. Anton Dvorak and Bedrich Smetana were born there. Who goes there? As always, venturers lead the way in visiting new vacation destinations, and centrics are close behind. As Americans come to perceive the Czech Republic as being part of mainstream Europe (now in the European Union, it will get the euro, too), its ratings will rise among all groups. Fortunately, joining Europe for certain financial and political benefits does not mean the country will be a cookie-cutter version of neighbors to the west. Prague has been quite popular with Americans for several years, and you will meet many American residents and travelers there. When do they go? April through October is the desirable time of year. Winters are cold and bitter, and many attractions are closed.

Go rock climbing among the Czech Republic’s sandstone “rock towns,” a collection of rock towers and deep valleys found mostly on the Bohemian Plateau. They attract cyclers and hikers, as well.

For a sobering reminder of World War II, visit the Lidice Museum and Monument commemorating the razing of the entire town by Nazis in 1942; also, see the Theresienstadt concentration camp at the town of Terezin.

Take a hike. The Czech Republic cares for a vast system of marked tourist trails.

Sample Olomouc cheese, described locally as the world’s smelliest. It must be stored outdoors and tourists cannot take this home.

Attend the July film festival in Karlovy Vary. The spa town is one of four European cities to host an A category film event, along with Berlin, Cannes and Venice.

Go cycling in the Sumava mountains, a forested area in Bohemia.

Fish, surf or go yachting on local fish ponds and reservoirs such as Lipno, Nove Mlyny and Orlik. Rivers are suitable for boating and rafting trips, too.

Go to Olomouc for Europe’s second-largest beerfest after Munich’s.

Drink the original Budweiser beer. Visit Ceske Budejovice, where it is made, and tour the brewery. Or drink Pilsner Urquell beer in the town where it is made — Plzen — and tour the brewery. Some beer aficionados consider it the finest lager in the world.

Sip the curative waters at Karlovy Vary (formerly Carlsbad), an old and well-loved spa town. Even if the waters don’t appeal, buy a sipping cup to take home as a souvenir. Also, sample the locally made herb liqueur Becherovka.

Go to the races. See the Velka Pardubicka Steeplechase in Pardubice, considered to be among Europe’s most demanding horse racing events. Or, go to the horse races in Karlovy Vary.

See the Sedlec Ossuary, a church near Kutna Hora, which is decorated with the bones of more than 40,000 bodies buried in its graveyard from the 13th century onward. Even crucifixes and chandeliers are made from bones. Also, mummified aristocrats and monks can be seen in the Capuchin Monastery in Brno.

If you are interested in religious history, specifically Protestantism, follow the trail of the religious reformer Jan Hus (who preceded Luther). This will take you to Tabor, founded by Hus followers and the radical center of the reform movement, and to Prague.

Pursue examples of a unique artful way to decorate buildings: sgraffito designs, which are created by scratching a smooth surface of one color, getting the design by chipping down to a surface of another color. Look for incredibly detailed illustrations in the little Bohemian towns of Slavonice and Prachatice; inside the castle in Litomysl, plus a modern rendition of sgraffito at Litomysl’s town square which is astonishing for its world of demons, and on the walls on Prague’s Castle Hill.

Come to the Czech Republic to shop in the Christmas markets. Stay on for Christmas, too.

In a land with more than 200 crystal works, tour a glass factory. Then, buy some crystal to carry home (carefully).

Attend a music festival. There are plenty to choose from including multiple choices that honor Dvorak, plus the open-air Smetana’s Litomysl International Opera Festival. Attend folk festivals, too.

Take a guided sightseeing tour of Prague, the only way to grasp how many truly appealing sights and activities are competing for your attention.

Commit to a few days at a spa resort in a Czech spa town; the best-known of the towns are Frantiskovy Lazne, Karlovy Vary and Marianske Lazne, where the springs have been tapped since the Middle Ages. Spas in this part of the world are more focused on medical matters than on pampering and relaxation.

See one of Europe’s largest castle complexes, dating from the Middle Ages, in South Bohemia’s Cesky Krumlov. One of several Czech UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Cesky Krumlov also is striking for its topography with the castle high above a small town center that is nearly encircled by a river.
From here, it is an easy jaunt to a host of other charming and beautifully preserved towns: Ceske Budejovice, Holasovice, Jindrichuv Hradec and Trebon; also, Hluboka Chateau, Rozmberk Castle and the monasteries in Vyssi Brod and Zlata Koruna.

Play golf.

Go east to Olomouc, now a regional capital in Moravia but a town dating from the Middle Ages and noted for its extensive collection of Baroque architecture.

Make your own religious pilgrimage to one of the Czech Republic’s numerous such sites.

For more information, consult the Czech Tourism at http://www.czechtourism.com/eng/uk/docs/holiday-tips/news/index.html
For a Czech Specialist, click on Prague Information Service at www.prague-info.cz

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