This eight-day route traces Czechia at its best, looping out from Prague by comfortable coaches and fast trains to three very different corners of the country. You'll spend three days in Prague's Old Town, castle and coffee houses — with the easy train day trip to Kutná Hora an optional add-on — then head west to take the drinking cure along the belle-époque colonnades of spa-town Karlovy Vary. From there the road runs south to Český Krumlov, the fairy-tale town folded into a bend of the Vltava beneath its painted castle, and finally east into Moravia and lively Brno, with its hilltop fortress, functionalist villa and student-fuelled bars. It's built around RegioJet and České dráhy, so you never need a car — just book ahead and watch Bohemia and Moravia roll past the window.
The Grand Tour of Czechia: 8 Days from Prague to Moravia
The route
- Prague3n
- Karlovy Vary1n
- Český Krumlov2n
- Brno1n
Everywhere you'll go
Every stop on this itinerary — tap a card for details or to save it.
Prague Astronomical Clock & Old Town Hall (Staroměstský orloj)
Mounted on the Old Town Hall since 1410, this is the world's oldest astronomical clock still in operation, its dial working as a mechanical astrolabe that maps the sun, moon and zodiac. On the hour the 'Walk of the Apostles' parades figures past the upper windows while a skeleton tolls for Death, and the adjoining tower can be climbed for rooftop panoramas over the square.
Jewish Museum in Prague (Židovské muzeum v Praze)
One of the world's oldest and most-visited Jewish museums, founded in 1906, it is not a single building but a cluster of historic synagogues and the haunting Old Jewish Cemetery in the Josefov quarter. A single combined route traces Bohemian and Moravian Jewish life, customs and the Holocaust.
Grand Café Orient
Tucked on the first floor of Josef Gocar's House of the Black Madonna, this is the world's only fully Cubist café, where everything from the chandeliers to the coat hooks follows the angular style. Reconstructed in 2002-2003 from period photographs, it serves coffee, cocktails and Czech desserts beneath a balcony over Celetná street.
Municipal House (Obecní dům)
Prague's most lavish Art Nouveau building, raised between 1905 and 1912 next to the medieval Powder Tower by architects Osvald Polívka and Antonín Balšánek. Its interiors were decorated by leading Czech artists including Alfons Mucha, and it wraps the city's grandest concert auditorium, Smetana Hall, alongside cafés, restaurants and ceremonial salons. Czechoslovak independence was proclaimed here in 1918.
Powder Tower (Prašná brána)
A late-Gothic gate tower begun in 1475 as one of the Old Town's thirteen fortified entrances, later used to store gunpowder, which gave it its name, and restyled by Josef Mocker in the 1880s. It marks the start of the Royal Route once walked by kings to their coronation at Prague Castle, and a viewing terrace at 44 metres looks out over the boundary between the Old and New Towns.
Charles Bridge (Karlův most)
A 516-metre Gothic stone bridge begun under Charles IV in 1357 and completed around 1402, famously lined with thirty mostly Baroque saint statues and guarded by a fortified tower at each end. For nearly five centuries it was the only fixed crossing of the Vltava, linking the Old Town with Malá Strana beneath the castle.
Lokál Dlouhááá
The original and longest of Prague's beloved Lokál pubs, this Ambiente-run beer hall pours tank-fresh Pilsner Urquell alongside a daily-changing roster of Czech classics like svíčková, goulash and schnitzel. Long communal tables and brisk, beer-savvy service make it a go-to for an honest, unpretentious Czech meal in the Old Town.
Black Angel's Bar
Set in a Gothic vaulted cellar beneath the U Prince hotel right on Old Town Square, this award-winning bar recreates a 1930s atmosphere and revives original recipes by Czechoslovak bartender Alois Krcha that were discovered during renovations. Expect classic and signature cocktails, occasional live music, and a candlelit, prohibition-era mood.
Prague Castle (Pražský hrad)
The largest coherent castle complex in the world, sprawling roughly 70,000 square metres along a ridge above the Vltava's west bank. Founded around 870, it has been the seat of Bohemian kings, Holy Roman emperors and now the Czech president, and encloses Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral, Romanesque St. George's Basilica, the Old Royal Palace and the cottages of Golden Lane.
St. Vitus Cathedral (Katedrála svatého Víta)
The largest church in the country and the spiritual heart of Prague Castle, begun in 1344 under Charles IV and only completed in 1929. Its soaring Gothic nave, flying buttresses and stained glass — including a celebrated window designed by Alfons Mucha — rise above the tombs of Bohemian kings and the chamber holding the crown jewels. Early master builders Matthias of Arras and Peter Parler shaped its chancel and the St. Wenceslas Chapel.
Café Savoy
A grand First-Republic café beneath a restored Neo-Renaissance ceiling, Savoy serves Viennese-style breakfasts, daily-baked pastries and a French-leaning dinner menu just across the river from the Lesser Town. Its all-day buzz and in-house bakery make it one of Prague's most popular brunch destinations.
Petřín Lookout Tower (Petřínská rozhledna)
A 63.5-metre steel observation tower raised on Petřín Hill in just four months for Prague's 1891 Jubilee Exhibition, openly modelled on the Eiffel Tower with an octagonal frame. Because it stands atop the hill, its viewing gallery reaches an effective altitude over the city comparable to its Parisian inspiration, offering some of Prague's widest panoramas.
Museum Kampa
A refined modern-art museum set in the restored Sova's Mills on Kampa Island beside the Vltava, founded by collectors Jan and Meda Mládek. It holds the world's largest public collection of abstract pioneer František Kupka alongside Cubist sculptor Otto Gutfreund and other Central European modernists.
U Modré Kachničky
Tucked down a quiet Malá Strana lane, 'The Blue Duckling' is an old-world, salon-style restaurant specializing in duck and game served amid velvet, antiques and hand-painted walls. Roast duck with chestnut stuffing and venison are the kitchen's signatures.
Hemingway Bar
An intimate, dimly lit cocktail bar near the river in the Old Town, themed around Ernest Hemingway's favourite drinks and stocked with over 200 rums and the Czech Republic's largest absinthe selection. Regularly ranked among the world's best bars, it is known for meticulous craft cocktails such as the Becher Butter Sour, and reservations are strongly recommended.
Vyšehrad
A 10th-century hilltop fortress on the Vltava's east bank, tied by legend to the mythical founding of Prague and briefly the seat of Bohemian rulers in the 11th century. Its ramparts now frame a quiet park favoured by locals, the neo-Gothic Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul, the Romanesque Rotunda of St. Martin, and a national cemetery where Dvořák, Smetana and other Czech notables rest.
Dancing House (Tančící dům)
Completed in 1996 by Vlado Milunić with Frank Gehry, this deconstructivist office building leans a curving glass tower into a solid stone one, earning the nickname 'Ginger and Fred' after the dancing film duo. Its dynamic, off-kilter forms break sharply from the Art Nouveau riverfront, and a rooftop bar and gallery now crown the building.
Café Louvre
A grand Parisian-style café and billiard hall open since 1902, once frequented by Albert Einstein, Franz Kafka and Karel Capek. Its rosy-pink salons fill with a mix of locals and visitors from early morning, and the upstairs hall still keeps historic pool tables in play.
Mucha Museum
Opened in 1998 in the Baroque Kaunic Palace just off Wenceslas Square, this was the first museum in the world dedicated solely to Art Nouveau master Alfons Mucha. It shows around a hundred originals — posters, decorative panels, drawings and personal memorabilia — alongside a short film on the artist and his Slav Epic.
National Museum (Národní muzeum)
The Czech Republic's largest museum crowns the upper end of Wenceslas Square in a monumental Neo-Renaissance palace completed in 1891, with collections spanning mineralogy, paleontology, zoology, prehistory and Czech national history. After a long reconstruction it reopened linked by an underground passage to its modern New Building next door.
Riegrovy sady (Rieger Gardens)
An elegant 19th-century English-style garden in Vinohrady, Riegrovy sady draws locals to its open hillside lawns for sunbathing, dog-walking and sunsets that frame Prague Castle. Its lively beer garden makes it one of the city's most social warm-weather hangouts, affectionately nicknamed 'Riegrák.'
Field
Chef Radek Kašpárek's pared-back Old Town dining room turns Czech farm produce, foraged herbs and seasonal game into playful, precisely plated tasting menus. Holder of a Michelin star since 2016, Field is frequently cited as one of Europe's more accessibly priced starred restaurants.
AnonymouS Bar
A signless speakeasy off Michalská in the Old Town, themed around the Guy Fawkes mask and V for Vendetta, with masked bartenders and theatrical, hidden-menu cocktails. Drinks arrive in playful vessels such as tiny wooden birdhouses and infusion stands, making it one of Prague's most atmospheric cocktail experiences.
Cafe Elefant
A grand Viennese-style coffee house on the elegant Stara Louka promenade, trading since the spa's belle-epoque heyday. Chandeliers, mirrors, and a riverside terrace set the stage for a slow coffee, a slice of cake, and the town's famous spa wafers.
Spring-Tasting Colonnade Walk
Karlovy Vary's signature ritual is the drinking cure: strolling the colonnades and sipping warm, mineral-rich water from a porcelain spa cup at each spring in turn. The taps run free along the Mill, Market, Park, and Hot Spring colonnades, every spring a slightly different temperature and mineral mix. Buy a traditional spouted cup, taste your way down the valley, and chase the salty water with a sweet spa wafer.
Mill Colonnade
The grandest of Karlovy Vary's colonnades, a 132-metre Neo-Renaissance promenade of 124 Corinthian columns designed by Josef Zitek, architect of Prague's National Theatre, and built between 1871 and 1881. It shelters five thermal springs you taste on the drinking cure, with twelve allegorical statues of the months ranged along its roofline. A defining symbol of the spa town.
Hot Spring Colonnade
A 1975 functionalist hall of glass and concrete by Jaroslav Otruba that arches over the Vridlo, the town's hottest and most powerful spring. The geyser erupts in a jet up to 12 metres high at around 73C, gushing some 2,000 litres a minute, while the same water is cooled at five taps for the drinking cure. The geyser is the enduring emblem of Karlovy Vary.
Diana Funicular Ride
The little Diana funicular climbs through the spa forest from behind the Grandhotel Pupp to the Diana tower and restaurant in about five minutes, rising some 160 metres. It is the effortless way up to the town's best panorama, with carriages running every fifteen minutes year-round. At the top wait the observation tower, a cafe, and a small zoo and butterfly house.
Restaurace Promenada
A long-running fine-dining room by the Market Colonnade, regularly rated among the best tables in Karlovy Vary. The candlelit, intimate setting serves elevated Czech and game cooking, from quail and venison to duck and rabbit, with a deep wine list and old-world service. Booking is advised.
Namesti Svornosti (Town Square)
The arcaded heart of the Inner Town, a gently sloping square ringed by pastel Renaissance and Baroque houses, the 16th-century town hall, and a Marian plague column from 1716. It is the natural meeting point and starting line for exploring the lanes, with cafes under the arcades and the castle tower peeking over the rooftops. In December it hosts the town's small, atmospheric Christmas market.
Lazebnicky most (Barber's Bridge)
The little bridge that connects the Inner Town with the Latran quarter, crossing the Vltava beneath a statue of St. John of Nepomuk and a crucifix. Standing mid-span, you look straight up to the castle tower rising over the river, one of the most photographed angles in town. It is also the spot to watch rafters and canoeists shoot the weir just downstream.
Krcma v Satlavske ulici
A candlelit medieval tavern hidden down the narrow Satlavska lane, where meats are grilled over an open fire in a vaulted former jail. Long wooden benches, flagons of beer, and platters of pork knuckle, ribs, and game give it a boisterous, theatrical atmosphere that fills up nightly. Book ahead in season - it is one of the town's most sought-after tables.
Cesky Krumlov Castle
A sprawling complex of more than 40 buildings and five courtyards rising on a rocky spur above the Vltava, second in size in the Czech lands only to Prague Castle. Begun in the 13th century and reshaped by the Rozmberk, Eggenberg, and Schwarzenberg families, it folds together Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque interiors with the painted Castle Tower, the Cloak Bridge, terraced gardens, and a rococo theatre. The whole town and castle were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.
Castle Tower
The round, six-storey tower painted with trompe-l'oeil Renaissance frescoes is the unmistakable symbol of Cesky Krumlov, balanced on a rocky outcrop between the castle's first two courtyards. A climb of 162 steps to the gallery at 86 metres opens a bird's-eye sweep over the red rooftops packed into the Vltava's loop, the castle below, and the wooded hills beyond. It is the most photographed structure in town and the best high vantage point.
Castle Baroque Theatre Tour
A guided tour of one of the world's best-preserved Baroque theatres, from 1767, with its original auditorium, painted scenery, stage machinery, costumes, and props still in place. The guide demonstrates the hand-cranked system that changed entire scenes in seconds and shows the cramped undercroft of ropes and winches beneath the stage. Visitor numbers are strictly limited to protect the fragile interiors.
Laibon
A relaxed vegetarian restaurant and tea house on Parkan with a wooden terrace built out over the Vltava, facing the castle across the water. The menu spans soups, curries, falafel, and meat-free Czech dishes - a welcome change of pace in a town of hearty grills. The riverside deck is a lovely, low-key spot for lunch or a sunset drink.
Castle Gardens
A 7-hectare terraced Baroque garden laid out behind the castle in the 17th and 18th centuries, with clipped parterres, a grand cascade fountain, and the Bellaria summer pavilion at its far end. Free to enter, it is a calm escape from the crowded lanes, with broad lawns for a picnic and an open-air revolving auditorium used for summer performances. The upper terraces give long views back over the castle and town.
Seminarni zahrada (Seminary Garden)
A small terraced garden above Horni street that frames the classic Cesky Krumlov postcard: the painted castle tower, the sweep of the castle complex, and the red rooftops tumbling down to the Vltava, all in one view. It is the town's most popular vantage point and an easy walk from the main square. Come at dawn to catch the castle floating in river mist before the crowds arrive.
Egon Schiele Art Centrum
A large private gallery in a converted 16th-century brewery devoted to the Austrian Expressionist Egon Schiele, who lived and worked in Cesky Krumlov - his mother's home town - in 1911. A permanent exhibition documents his life and shows drawings and watercolours, while changing exhibitions bring in major modern and contemporary artists. It is the town's leading art museum.
Krcma U Dwau Maryi
A riverside tavern - the Two Marys - recreating the food of old Bohemia in a medieval house on Parkan, with a terrace right at the water's edge looking up to the castle. The kitchen builds dishes on millet, buckwheat, lentils, and game from historic recipes, served with mead and dark beer. Beside the weir under the castle, the setting is among the prettiest in town.
namesti Svobody (Freedom Square) & the Astronomical Clock
Brno's main square and social living room, ringed by historic and Art Nouveau facades and busy with cafes, trams, and events. Its quirk is the 'astronomical clock', a nearly 6-metre obelisk of polished black granite shaped like a bullet, which dispenses a glass marble through one of four holes every day at 11am.
Zelny trh (Cabbage Market)
Brno's sloping central market square, trading vegetables, fruit, and flowers since the 13th century and still busy with stalls most mornings. The Baroque Parnas fountain anchors its upper end, the Reduta theatre where the young Mozart once played lines one side, and the Labyrinth of medieval cellars runs beneath.
Lokal U Caipla
A buzzing branch of the Ambiente group's beloved Lokal concept, serving Czech pub classics like svickova and goulash alongside fresh, perfectly poured Pilsner Urquell straight from the tank. Long communal tables, daily specials chalked on the board, and proper Czech beer ritual make it a reliable, good-value stop near the cathedral.
Super Panda Circus
A theatrical hidden cocktail bar entered through an unmarked door near the cathedral, where guests are welcomed with a cup of tea and led into a low-lit room under a swirling red ceiling. Eccentric, beautifully made drinks arrive with elaborate presentation and a menu drawn as pictures, making it Brno's most talked-about bar; reservations are wise.
Cathedral of SS Peter and Paul (Petrov)
Brno's landmark cathedral crowns Petrov hill, its twin 84-metre neo-Gothic spires added in 1901-09 and printed on the Czech 10-koruna coin. By tradition its bells ring noon at 11am, recalling a 1645 ruse that fooled the besieging Swedes into lifting their siege; inside, a Baroque interior fills the Gothic shell.
Spilberk Castle & Casemates
Explore the hilltop castle that became the Habsburgs' most feared prison: tour the chilling casemate dungeons, climb the lookout tower, and visit the Brno City Museum's exhibitions inside the ramparts. The self-guided casemate route is the highlight, evoking the fortress's grim 'prison of nations' past.
Cafe Era
A jewel of Brno functionalism, designed by Josef Kranz in 1927-29 with a streamlined interior of sweeping curves and period detail, often called the 'little sister' of Villa Tugendhat. Lovingly restored, it serves coffee, cakes, and light Czech lunches out in Cerna Pole, a short way from the famous villa.
Villa Tugendhat Guided Tour
A guided tour of Mies van der Rohe's 1930 functionalist masterpiece, the only modern building in the Czech Republic on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Guides walk you through the famous open-plan living level with its onyx wall and retractable windows, while the longer technical tour adds the ingenious basement systems.
Ossuary at the Church of St James
Rediscovered in 2001 and opened to the public in 2012, the ossuary beneath the Church of St James holds the remains of more than 50,000 people, making it the second-largest in Europe after the Paris catacombs. Bones cleared from the medieval cemetery are stacked through vaulted underground chambers and arranged with modern lighting and music into a sombre memorial.
Vycep Na stojaka
A standing-room-only taphouse on Behounska reviving the interwar tradition of the stand-up beer bar, with no chairs inside and the crowd spilling onto the kerb in warm weather. It rotates beers from small Czech and Moravian craft breweries plus its own house brew, and is one of the most sociable drinking spots in town.
Day by day
Old Town, Josefov & the heart of Prague
09:00Prague Astronomical Clock & Old Town Hall (Staroměstský orloj)
Start where Prague started, on Old Town Square beneath the 1410 Astronomical Clock — the world's oldest still running — and climb the Old Town Hall tower for a first sweep over the red roofs and Týn Church's spires.
Tip: Be at the clock a few minutes before the hour for the parade of apostles, then take the lift up the tower to get your bearings.
Jewish Museum in Prague (Židovské muzeum v Praze)
Walk into Josefov, the old Jewish quarter, where a single combined ticket links a cluster of historic synagogues and the haunting, headstone-crowded Old Jewish Cemetery.
Tip: The Old-New Synagogue is ticketed separately; the museum closes Saturdays and Jewish holidays, so plan around it.
12:30Grand Café Orient
Lunch upstairs in the world's only Cubist café, on the first floor of Josef Gočár's House of the Black Madonna, where even the coat hooks follow the angular style.
Tip: Order a Czech cake with your coffee; the balcony tables over Celetná street are the ones to grab.
14:00Municipal House (Obecní dům)
A few steps on stands Prague's most lavish Art Nouveau building, decorated by Alfons Mucha and others and wrapping the grand Smetana concert hall.
Tip: Pop into the café or book a guided interior tour; Czechoslovak independence was proclaimed here in 1918.
15:00Powder Tower (Prašná brána)
Climb the late-Gothic Powder Tower next door, one of the Old Town's medieval gates and the start of the Royal Route that kings once walked to the castle.
Tip: It's a 44-metre climb to the terrace — a handy orientation point on the seam between the Old and New Towns.
16:30Charles Bridge (Karlův most)
Drift down to the 14th-century Charles Bridge and cross beneath its baroque saints toward Malá Strana as the late light gilds the castle.
Tip: Come at golden hour or early morning to beat the crowds and the caricature stalls.
Lokál Dlouhááá
Dinner back over the river at the original Lokál: tank-fresh Pilsner Urquell and honest Czech classics like svíčková and schnitzel at long communal tables.
Tip: No reservation? Arrive before 19:00; the unfiltered tank beer is the thing to order.
21:00Black Angel's Bar
Nightcap in the Gothic cellar of Black Angel's, where bartenders revive 1930s recipes by candlelight right on Old Town Square.
Tip: Head downstairs under the U Prince hotel; the rooftop bar above has the square's best clock-tower view if you'd rather drink up high.
Prague Castle, Hradčany & the Lesser Town
09:00Prague Castle (Pražský hrad)
Beat the queues to Prague Castle, the largest coherent castle complex in the world, strung along the ridge above the river since the 9th century and still the seat of the president.
Tip: Buy the 'Circuit' ticket for the key sights and clear security early; the changing of the guard at the gates is on the hour.
10:30St. Vitus Cathedral (Katedrála svatého Víta)
At its heart soars St. Vitus Cathedral, six centuries in the making, with a stained-glass window designed by Mucha and the tombs of Bohemian kings.
Tip: The free vestibule gives a taster; the paid nave and St. Wenceslas Chapel are worth the castle ticket.
12:30Café Savoy
Drop down to the river and lunch under the restored Neo-Renaissance ceiling of Café Savoy, famous for its bakery, breakfasts and First-Republic grandeur.
Tip: Save room for a větrník; reserve ahead at weekends when the brunch crowd descends.
14:00Petřín Lookout Tower (Petřínská rozhledna)
Take the funicular up wooded Petřín Hill and climb its 1891 lookout tower, a pocket-sized Eiffel that gives some of Prague's widest views.
Tip: Your city transit ticket covers the funicular; pair the climb with the mirror maze beside it.
16:00Museum Kampa
Back at river level, cross to Kampa Island for the Museum Kampa, a refined modern-art collection in a converted mill, strong on the abstract pioneer František Kupka.
Tip: The riverside terrace and David Černý's crawling 'Babies' sculptures outside are free to enjoy.
19:30U Modré Kachničky
Dinner in a quiet Malá Strana lane at 'The Blue Duckling', an old-world salon serving roast duck and game amid velvet and antiques.
Tip: Book ahead; the duck with chestnut stuffing is the signature.
21:00Hemingway Bar
Finish back across the bridge at the Hemingway Bar, a tiny, dim cocktail room regularly ranked among the world's best, with 200-plus rums and Bohemia's biggest absinthe list.
Tip: Reserve — it's small and busy; try the Becher Butter Sour, built on Karlovy Vary's herbal liqueur.
Vyšehrad, the New Town & local Prague — or a day trip to Kutná Hora
09:30Vyšehrad
Begin on the calm hilltop of Vyšehrad, Prague's legendary first seat, with ramparts over the Vltava, a neo-Gothic basilica and the national cemetery where Dvořák and Smetana rest.
Tip: With an extra day, swap today for the easy hour-long train trip to Kutná Hora instead (see the FAQs) — Vyšehrad still makes a perfect quieter morning either way.
11:30Dancing House (Tančící dům)
Walk the embankment to the Dancing House, Frank Gehry and Vlado Milunić's curving 'Ginger and Fred' that twists out of the Art Nouveau riverfront.
Tip: There's a rooftop bar and gallery if you want to go up; otherwise the best photo is from the opposite bank.
12:30Café Louvre
Lunch at Café Louvre on Národní, a rosy-pink grand café open since 1902 and once frequented by Einstein and Kafka, with billiard tables still in play upstairs.
Tip: The weekday lunch menu is good value; book a billiard table if you fancy a game.
14:00Mucha Museum
See the originals behind Prague's Art Nouveau at the Mucha Museum — posters, panels and sketches by Alfons Mucha, just off Wenceslas Square.
Tip: Small and quick; the short film sets up his monumental Slav Epic cycle.
15:30National Museum (Národní muzeum)
Stroll up Wenceslas Square to the monumental National Museum crowning its top, reopened after a long restoration with grand halls of Czech natural and national history.
Tip: Even without a ticket the staircase and dome are a spectacle; the square below is the stage of modern Czech history.
17:00Riegrovy sady (Rieger Gardens)
Climb into leafy Vinohrady for sunset at Riegrovy sady, the locals' hillside park and beer garden with the castle silhouetted across the valley.
Tip: Grab a plastic cup of beer and find a spot on the grassy slope; cash is handy at the garden kiosks.
19:30Field
Mark the last Prague night with dinner at Field, a Michelin-starred but down-to-earth Old Town room turning Czech farm produce and game into playful tasting menus.
Tip: Book well ahead; it's one of Europe's more affordable starred tables, but seats are limited.
21:30AnonymouS Bar
Cap the night at the AnonymouS Bar, a signless V-for-Vendetta speakeasy where masked bartenders serve theatrical, hidden-menu cocktails.
Tip: Look for the unmarked door on Michalská; reserve to be sure of a seat.
West to the spa town: colonnades & springs
13:00Cafe Elefant
Arrive in Karlovy Vary and ease in over coffee and cake at Café Elefant, a belle-époque coffee house on the elegant Stará Louka promenade.
Tip: Try the lázeňské oplatky — the town's signature spa wafers — with your coffee.
14:30Spring-Tasting Colonnade Walk
Begin the spa town's defining ritual: the drinking cure, sipping warm, mineral-rich water from a spouted porcelain cup at one spring after another along the colonnades.
Tip: Buy a traditional spa cup from any kiosk; the water is a salty, acquired taste — chase it with a wafer.
Mill Colonnade
Stroll the grand Mill Colonnade, a 132-metre Neo-Renaissance promenade of Corinthian columns by the architect of Prague's National Theatre, sheltering five springs.
Tip: Look up at the twelve allegorical statues of the months ranged along the roofline.
Hot Spring Colonnade
See the Vřídlo, the town's fiercest spring, erupting in a jet up to 12 metres high inside the modern glass-and-concrete Hot Spring Colonnade.
Tip: The cooler taps along the side are for drinking; the geyser itself is far too hot.
17:00Diana Funicular Ride
Ride the little Diana funicular up through the spa forest to the Diana lookout tower for a golden-hour panorama over the colonnades and pastel rooftops.
Tip: A lift saves the tower's 150 steps; a café and small zoo wait at the top.
19:30Restaurace Promenada
Dinner at Restaurace Promenáda by the Market Colonnade, long rated the town's best table for candlelit Czech and game cooking.
Tip: Book ahead and ask about the venison or duck; the wine list is deep.
South to Český Krumlov
17:30Namesti Svornosti (Town Square)
Arrive in Český Krumlov and find your feet on Náměstí Svornosti, the sloping, arcaded main square ringed by Renaissance and Baroque houses beneath the castle tower.
Tip: Drop your bags and wander; the town empties of day-trippers by early evening, its best hour.
18:30Lazebnicky most (Barber's Bridge)
Walk down to Barber's Bridge over the Vltava, where the painted castle tower rises straight ahead above the river — the town's most photographed angle.
Tip: Linger at dusk to watch rafters and canoeists shoot the weir just downstream.
Krcma v Satlavske ulici
Dinner in a candlelit medieval tavern down Šatlavská lane, where meats grill over an open fire in a vaulted former jail.
Tip: Reserve in season; come hungry for the pork knuckle and game platters.
Castle, Baroque theatre & the river bend
Cesky Krumlov Castle
Spend the morning at Český Krumlov Castle, second in size only to Prague's, a warren of forty buildings and five courtyards layering Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque.
Tip: The courtyards and ramparts are free to wander; the live bears in the moat are a centuries-old tradition.
Castle Tower
Climb the round, fresco-painted Castle Tower, the town's emblem, for a bird's-eye sweep over the red roofs packed into the river's loop.
Tip: 162 steps; go early before the tour groups fill the narrow stair.
10:45Castle Baroque Theatre Tour
Tour the Castle Baroque Theatre of 1767, one of the most complete in the world, with its original stage machinery, painted scenery and props still in place.
Tip: Numbers are strictly capped to protect it — book your timed English-language tour well ahead.
Book this tour12:30Laibon
Lunch on the wooden deck of Laibon, a relaxed vegetarian tavern built out over the Vltava facing the castle.
Tip: A welcome lighter break in a town of hearty grills; the riverside terrace is the spot.
14:00Castle Gardens
Walk up over the dramatic tiered Cloak Bridge to the castle's terraced Baroque gardens, with clipped parterres, a cascade fountain and long views back over the town.
Tip: Free to enter and rarely crowded at the far end by the Bellaria pavilion.
15:30Seminarni zahrada (Seminary Garden)
Cross back for the classic postcard from the Seminary Garden — painted tower, castle and tumbling red roofs all in one frame.
Tip: The light is best early or late; it's an easy walk above Horní street.
16:30Egon Schiele Art Centrum
End the culture at the Egon Schiele Art Centrum, set in a converted 16th-century brewery and devoted to the Expressionist who lived and worked here in 1911.
Tip: The changing exhibitions upstairs are often as good as the Schiele rooms.
19:30Krcma U Dwau Maryi
Dinner at the riverside 'Two Marys', cooking old-Bohemian dishes of millet, buckwheat and game beside the weir below the castle.
Tip: Ask for a terrace table at the water's edge; try the mead.
East to Moravia: arriving in Brno
16:30namesti Svobody (Freedom Square) & the Astronomical Clock
Arrive in Brno and start on Náměstí Svobody, the Moravian capital's lively main square, where a black granite 'astronomical clock' shaped like a bullet drops a glass marble each day at 11am.
Tip: The square is the city's social living room — a good place for a first Moravian coffee.
17:30Zelny trh (Cabbage Market)
Wander up to Zelný trh, the sloping Cabbage Market that has sold produce since the 13th century, anchored by the Baroque Parnas fountain.
Tip: A labyrinth of medieval cellars runs beneath the square if you want to descend.
19:30Lokal U Caipla
Dinner at Lokál U Caipla, the Brno outpost of the beloved Lokál pubs, pouring tank Pilsner Urquell with Czech classics at communal tables.
Tip: Watch the board for daily specials; the beer is poured fresh from the tank.
21:00Super Panda Circus
Nightcap at Super Panda Circus, Brno's theatrical hidden cocktail bar, entered through an unmarked door and serving eccentric, beautifully staged drinks.
Tip: Reservations are wise; the picture-menu is part of the fun.
Špilberk, functionalism & farewell to Moravia
Cathedral of SS Peter and Paul (Petrov)
Start atop Petrov hill at the Cathedral of SS Peter and Paul, whose twin neo-Gothic spires crown the skyline and feature on the Czech 10-koruna coin.
Tip: By tradition its bells ring noon at 11am — a nod to a 1645 ruse that fooled the besieging Swedes into lifting their siege.
10:00Spilberk Castle & Casemates
Climb to Špilberk Castle and into its casemate dungeons, once the Habsburgs' most feared prison and now the Brno City Museum, with the city's broadest views from the ramparts.
Tip: The self-guided casemates are the highlight; the park wrapping the fortress is a fine shaded walk.
12:30Cafe Era
Lunch at Café Era, a lovingly restored 1920s gem of Brno functionalism often called the 'little sister' of Villa Tugendhat.
Tip: It's out in Černá Pole, handily on the way to the villa.
14:00Villa Tugendhat Guided Tour
Tour Villa Tugendhat, Mies van der Rohe's 1930 masterpiece and the only modern building in the country on the UNESCO list, with its onyx wall and retractable glass walls.
Tip: Visits are by pre-booked guided tour only and sell out weeks ahead — reserve this before anything else on the trip.
Book this tourOssuary at the Church of St James
Back in the centre, descend into the Ossuary at the Church of St James, the second-largest in Europe after Paris, where the bones of more than 50,000 people line the vaults.
Tip: Atmospherically lit and set to music; not one for the squeamish.
18:00Vycep Na stojaka
Toast the end of the tour at Výčep Na stojáka, a sociable standing-room taphouse rotating small Moravian and Czech craft brews.
Tip: There are no chairs — that's the point; trains to Prague take about 2.5 hours, or fly out of Brno-Tuřany, so plan your departure.
Getting between stops
What it costs
Czechia is excellent value. A comfortable mid-range trip — three- and four-star hotels, restaurant meals with tank beer, the castle tours and spa rituals — runs roughly CZK 2,500–4,500 (about $110–195) per person per day, plus around CZK 950 (about $40) total for the three inter-city legs if you book advance RegioJet and České dráhy fares. Self-catering from Prague's markets and the country's famously cheap beer keep costs down further.~CZK 2,500-4,500 / day mid-range (about $110-195) / day
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a car for this Czechia itinerary?
- No. The whole route runs on the country's good train and coach network — RegioJet and Leo Express coaches and České dráhy trains. Karlovy Vary is reached by coach rather than train, and because it sits off on its own in the west, the hop onward to Český Krumlov backtracks through Prague — that's normal here. Book advance fares online for the best prices.
- Should I add a day trip to Kutná Hora?
- Yes, if you can. Kutná Hora is an easy hour by train from Prague's main station and folds neatly into your three Prague days — swap it in for the day-three city walk. The medieval silver-mining town pairs the bone-decorated Sedlec Ossuary with the soaring Gothic Cathedral of St. Barbara, and you can be back in Prague by evening.
- How do I get from Karlovy Vary to Český Krumlov?
- There is no direct service, so you route through Prague: a RegioJet coach from Karlovy Vary to Prague (about 2h15), a change of terminals to Na Knížecí, then a Prague–Český Krumlov coach (about 3h). Reckon on five and a half to six hours all told; book both legs together, and you can break the journey in Prague if you prefer.
- Is one night enough in Karlovy Vary and Brno?
- One night works for each on a first tour. A night in Karlovy Vary lets you do the colonnade drinking-cure walk and ride up to the Diana tower at golden hour; an afternoon and a full morning in Brno cover Špilberk, the cathedral and Villa Tugendhat. Give Český Krumlov two nights, though — staying over after the day-trippers leave is when it's most magical.
- Can I do this trip in reverse?
- You can, but most travellers start in Prague, the main international gateway, and it works best as the hub. If your flights favour ending elsewhere, Brno has its own airport and a fast 2.5-hour train back to Prague, so finishing in Moravia is easy.
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