Czech Republic It has a centuries-old history and that makes it a great tourist destination for those who love history, art and culture. The former Bohemia one day became the property of the powerful Habsburgs and from the hand of the Communist Soviets it integrated Czechoslovakia until 1993 when it finally achieved its independence.
It was then, back in the '90s, when tourism began to arrive in Prague with greater intensity because the Iron Curtain had begun to rust forever. The Czech wonders were becoming known to more and more people and rediscovering this side of the world was at that time the best trip in the world. But Prague is not the only place to visit and if you are in the capital there are three other cities to visit: Pilsen, Ceské Budejovice and Frantiskovy Lázne.
Visit Pilsen from Prague
Pilsen or Plzen was the European Capital of Culture last year and yes, the name has to do with the type of beer pilsen that we all know. The brewing tradition dates back to the XNUMXth century when the townspeople were allowed to brew beer in their homes.
It is the fourth largest city in the country, is west of Bohemia and it was founded at the confluence of four rivers by the hand of King Wenceslas II in 1295. Due to its location it was quickly an important city, with a very important economic and cultural level. There are buildings of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and many XNUMXth century architecture. When the brewing of beer became really important factories were set up that still work today.
Pilsen it is about 90 kilometers from Prague and you can get there by train. Trains depart every hour from the capital. In turn, Pilsen has an integrated transport system, the IDP, which allows you to move around the entire system with a single ticket. There are different "zones" and the value of the ticket depends on the zone you are moving through. Like a tourist it is best to rent a bike.
Once there a walk through the old town it is the obligation, to do something tour of the Pilsner Urquell Distillery, go out of bars obvious, know the Pilsen Cathedral, the Synagogue and the museums and with good weather you have to enjoy the forests and rivers that the city has around it.
Would you like bathe in beer? You can do this at the Purkmistr Distillery, a company that offers spa services and beer-based massages. Beer baths cost 27 euros and they are for groups of up to 16 people. You sign up?
Visit Frantiskovy Lázne from Prague
This city is a spa or city -spa which is closer to the border with Germany, just a two hour train ride from Prague. It is a smaller city than Pilsen but beautiful and has been a relaxing destination for centuries.
It has some hot springs whose waters are rich in minerals and they have been known since the 24th century. Thus, at the end of the XNUMXth century the city was founded under the name of Kaiser Franzensdorf or Franzensbad and became even more famous among the nobility. At its best there were XNUMX mineral hot springs in operation, although today a little less. It was a destination much loved by Goethe himself, so much so that he said it was "heaven on earth", by Johann Strauss, Kafka and Beethoven, among others.
It is an architecturally beautiful site, with many neoclassical buildings, elegant parks, and pastel-painted houses. If you have time, my advice is that you travel five more kilometers, it is nothing, and get closer to get to know Cheb, another picturesque town where the houses are all made of wood. It is surrounded by enigmatic mountainous landscapes, integrated into a natural reserve where mud volcanoes remain as relics of the volcanic activity that once existed here.
The reserve is called Soos and there are moors with lakes and waters that contain gaseous carbon dioxide and minerals. A true prehistoric landscape that is followed by a didactic path that takes you fully into the swamps on narrow wooden platforms. You visit the geological park and there is a museum that deals with the history of the Earth and Nature with replicas of life-size prehistoric animals.
El spa Frantiskovy Lazne It is the place to pamper yourself for a while: 20 cold springs, with medicinal gases and natural peat. They say they are good for female problems, sterility, cardiovascular conditions, and locomotor problems. Seeing is believing, but pampering yourself for a while doesn't hurt. And if you go with children and it is summer you can visit the aquaforum: the family pass for two adults and two children costs just 18 euros. A bargain!
Ceské Budejovice trip from Prague
It is south of Bohemia and it is an important city in the region. It was founded by King Ottokar II and its first settlers were brought from Upper Austria, from the Bohemian Forest. Although in the past there were many German settlers, as in the other two cities that I name above, things changed radically after the Second War and today they are almost all Czechs.
Ceské Budejovice too it is a city that lives on beer. It has been distilled since the XNUMXth century and used to be the imperial distillery of the Holy Roman Emperor. It is the maker of the budweiss original, the one that the American brand started copying, so trying it in a bar or restaurant is our duty as visitors. The Budvar Distillery offers good guided tours that cost 4 euros and you can visit a mini museum with films and special exhibits.
The city has many historical buildings of different styles, baroque, renaissance, gothic. The City Hall with its bronze gargoyles, the Dominican Convent with the XNUMXth century church, the wide central square, the Belle Époque style train station, divine, the ruins of Jan Zizka Castle, the Hluboká Castle, on the outskirts, and the Black tower from the XNUMXth century, for example, are among its main attractions.
Trains link Prague with Ceské Budejovice every hour, the journey takes two and a half hours and costs 6 euros per adult. As you can see, Prague is just the gateway to a country of beautiful destinations and here you have three options that come to life and color in summer. They are waiting for you.