Top 10 Things to Do & See in The Czech Republic

Link back to Czech Republic

1.DON'T DRINK BEER-OK, so let's be honest, if you're in the Czech Republic you're probably going to be drinking a ton of great, cheap beer, but in all honesty, if you've come all the way to the Czech Republic, you need to make a pretty conscious decision whether you're going to spend the next three days or week you have blocked out to spend there crawling pubs or actually seeing and doing things. As much fun as partying is, you have to decide if you really made your detour to Prague to drink yourself senseless. Don't let yourself get pulled in by the Germans that are there for the weekend...that is, unless you really did come to Prague just to drink.

2.Visit a Museum in Prague-This has to be one of the most undervalued cities in terms of art, and I don't think there is another city that can truly rival the accessibility and ease of access to art galleries that Prague really has. The city has at least 6 national galleries! Yes, 6! Three of them are located directly across from the main castle, and another two are downtown near the Jewish Quarter. In addition, not only are these accessible, but they have amazing galleries that rival others throughout Europe. And what's even more amazing! That 2 hour line you have to wait in to get into the Louvre? These galleries are almost always empty, that's right, want to see some of the most famous Renaissance painters with no wait? Prague is your place to go.

3.Raft Český Krumlov-Here's one of the greatest jewels of the Czech Republic. If you haven't had the opportunity to visit this magnificent UNESCO site, you should, and while you're seeing bears in moats, and walking through the tight streets in the city, you should think about taking a rafting trip under the city and through the Czech countryside.

4.Film Festival Karlovy Vary-Karlovy Vary is another of the must sees in the Czech Republic, but if you time your visit right, you might get to see some of the most famous actors around at this great festival. If you're off time, however, don't worry about it, Karlovy Vary is still one of the great destinations in the Czech Republic.

5.See Bones in Kutná Hora-Just a short half hour ride away from Prague, this historic town is a must see for any visitor to the Czech. Here you'll find one of the few bone churches in all of Europe. Additionally, you'll find a city steeped in history and an amazing old cathedral.

6.Eat some Czech Food-Most foreigners hate Czech food, and I can't really blame them because allthey ever get is Goulash, but even though the Czechs have a few different versions of ghoulash, it's a Hungarian dish, and let's just say they make it better in Hungary. But the Czechs do make some awesome dishes. Look for things like a Trdelnik on the old town square (a rolled pastry with cinnamon sugar), also get a slice of pork from the stands or a sausage too. Sometimes the stands in Prague will have the Czech version of Halusky as well. Mmmmm. And if you want real good Czech food in a restaurant, ask for some Svičková, or Vepřo, knedlo, zelí. And of course, make sure you get some Kofola to go along with it, that is, if you're not drinking beer.

Svičková on left, Fruit dumplings on the right (my favorite) 

7.See a Castle-The next great thing to do in the Czech is get out and see a castle. One of my favorites and probably the best castle to go inside is Karlštejn. It was the seat of the old Czech kings and the Czechs even have a famous musical that bears the name. This is also where the crown jewels are kept, but reserve a tour ahead of time if you want to see them as they fill up months in advance. If you want some other castles there are a whole host of others around Prague, don't be afraid to branch out.

Karlštejn 

8.Ride a Train-Riding trains is actually a lot of fun, but it can be extremely costly thoughout most of Europe. This is not the case in the Czech. Czechs have some of the cheapest public transport around, and you can even buy a full day pass to ride trains in the country anywhere you want for 24 hours for about $20. Not only does this allow you to really see the countryside and get lost in Europe, but you get to meet some awesome people as they'll be stuck in a train with you for quite some time. A little sidenote here, sometimes Czechs get a bad rap for not talking very openly to strangers, but it doesn't mean they're hostile, sometimes all that's needed is a good ice breaker like I'm a foreigner, where should I go?

9.Get off the Beaten Track-This goes along with riding a train, but there are so many awesome places in the Czech Republic that foreigners will never see because they don't take the time to look. Some of my favorite: Brno, Olomouc, Třebič, Pernštejn(Where Van Helsing was filmed), Jaroměřice, Kroměříž, Nové Hrady, Telč, and Liberec.

Telč 

10.Cliff Dive-If you really want to have a good time and get off the beaten track, well you need to hang out with the Czechs. One of the best places to do this is go to an old mine that was filled in with water. This is now home to a stop on the circuit of the most extreme diving competitions in the world. The place is called Hřiměždice, and you will be hard pressed to get there without a car. So bum a ride, or rent a car. It's worth it!

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