Of course I’m not suggesting you should skip Prague on your visit to the Czech Republic. But there are so many more hidden gems that are not as touristic in Czech Republic.
Here is my top 5 of places to visit in Czech Republic that are not Prague:
PS: If you do happen to be planning a romantic getaway to Prague, check out these unforgettable things to do in Prague, especially for couples.
Top 5 hidden gems in Czech Republic with map
All five of these hidden gems in Czech Republic are within driving distance from Prague. So they would make a perfect day trip if you’re looking to escape the capital. To make your day trip(s) from Prague even easier to plan, I put my top five hidden gems on the map:
The driving times below are for the toll-free options. Quicker options are available if you’re prepared to pay tolls:
# 1. Cesky Krumlov (2.5 hour drive from Prague)
# 2. Hluboka CastleΒ (2 hour drive from Prague)
# 3. BrnoΒ (3.5 hour drive from Prague)
# 4. MikulovΒ (3.5 hour drive from Prague)
# 5. Punkva CavesΒ (3.5 hour drive from Prague)
#1 Hidden gem in Czech Republic: Cesky Krumlov
Cesky Krumlov is a pretty town with a historic centre built around the Cesky Krumlov castle. Our tour guide told us that the name Krumlov comes from the crooked meander of river Vltava flowing through the town.
I loved walking on the main square called “Namesti Svornosti” with its beautiful colourful houses.Β The Christmas markets are also on this square in December:
Apart from the town’s medieval centre, the Cesky Krumlov castle andΒ Β Cloak Bridge are also must-visits. Just look at how beautiful the pink, yellow and green castle tower is. And did you know that the castle is protected by bears?
We weren’t lucky enough to see the bears (they were probably hibernating), but apparently there’s a festival for the bears every Christmas Evening. If you do happen to see the bears then please keep a safe distance. There’s rumours that tourists got killed by the bears when they tried to get close.
To get the very best views of Cesky Krumlov, you should cross the Cloak Bridge.Β It does get really crowded on the bridge and at some places we had to queue to take pictures. But the views are totally worth it:
#2 Hidden gem in Czech Republic: Hluboka Castle
If you don’t want to miss out on the most beautiful castle in the Czech Republic, then Hluboka Castle is a must-visit. I remember our GPS system was a bit funny with English names, so you’ll probably need to use the nameΒ “HlubokΓ‘ nad Vltavou” if your rental car comes with GPS.
Just walking around this beautiful castle with its gardens was already reason enough for us to visit. The castle gardens are free of charge and open all year around, but you can only enter the castle with a guided tour. You can find more information about the available tours here: https://www.zamek-hluboka.cz/en
#3 Hidden gem in Czech Republic: Brno
Brno is the second biggest city in the Czech Republic, but it still has all the charms of a small town. Brno has quirky statues all over town, but my favourite one is the Statue of the Knight inΒ Moravian Square. There’s even an ice rink built around this super tall statue in winter:
Another must do in Brno is theΒ Spilberk castle. Not that the castle itself looks super impressive, but the views of Brno from the castle hill are absolutely stunning:
The castle was originally built to protect the city of Brno, but it has also been used as a prison. At some point in history, Spilberk was even known as the harshest jail in Europe.
#4 Hidden gem in Czech Republic: Mikulov
I love the colourfulΒ Historic Square in Mikulov, with the historic tower of the church of St. Wenceslas rising above the square. The square is also filled with Christmas market stalls in December. Just around the corner of the square you’ll find theΒ Dietrichstein Tomb:
As if this pretty town is not enough reason to visit, you’ll be amazed with the views from theΒ Holy Hill.Β The best news: you don’t even have to climb the hill very high to get the views. Just make your way to the landmark calledΒ Piaristicky DumΒ and follow the footpath towards the Chapel of St. SebastianΒ until you see this wall:
#5 Hidden gem in Czech Republic: Punkva Caves
Last but not least on my list are the Punkva Caves in the Moravian Karst. This hidden gem requires a bit more planning than the other ones, because you cannot just freely roam around in the Moravian Karst.
First of all, you should drive to SkalnΓ MlΓ½n, where the car park and ticket office are. This place shows in my Google Map as “Rock Mill”. For the latest information on tours and entrance fees, check: https://visit.caves.cz/en/cave/punkevni-jeskyne
Tripods and selfie sticks are not allowed, and you even need to pay a small fee to be able to take pictures with your camera or phone. Once you purchased your tickets, a special train will drive you from the parking lot to the Punkva Caves:
We had the train all to ourselves and the Punkva Caves weren’t busy when we visited in winter. But I read that you need to book your tour a few weeks in advance if you visit in summer.Β
The tour starts as a walking tour through the front dome, the corridors and the back dome of the Punkva caves:
After the back dome, we left the caves and found ourselves at the bottom of the Macocha Abyss:
We then entered the caves again, where the tour continued as a boat tour on the Punkva River. Have you ever been on a boat tour in a cave before?! I sure hadn’t.
The underground part of the boat tour is quite narrow, so you need to stay alert and be able to bend down when the ceiling of the cave is too low:
The boat tour ends outside the caves on the Punkva river, where we disembarked. We then took a quick picture in the Moravian Karst until the train was ready to drive us back to the car park.
Add to your bucket list:
Road trip through Central Europe
We visited these places as part of our 21 day road trip through Central Europe. Click here to see our full day by day itinerary for more inspiration π
I’ve been to Czech Republic only once and didn’t get to venture beyond Prague. I know I want to visit again and see all these other places — thank you for giving me some ideas. I almost thought you were joking about the bears guarding the castle. I thought you meant bear statues or something!
I am definitely guilty of only visiting Prague when I went to the Czech republic. This list gives me some great inspo for places to visit when I go back!
I wish I knew about this before I went to Prague!! I studied abroad there π great post!
I have wanted to go to the Czech Republic for a long time. I will of course want to go to Prague, but I always love exploring more than the most well-known city when I visit a new country. I have never heard of Mikulov or the Punkva Caves. That’s really cool to take a boat tour in the caves, I would love to do that!
These places look so amazing! I will surely add them to my Czech itinerary. π
Those destinations look super nice! Good to know which places to visit that are not the capital city when you travel to a country! Thank you for the recos, my favorite would be Hluboka Castle and Mikulov!