Czechia Vacations

People in Czechia are proud of their languages. Czech is the dominant language, but you will hear the Slovak language too. Older people tend not to speak English, so expect quizzical looks if you’re not attempting to speak in a local language – even trying just a little usually goes a long way in showing respect to your hosts in a new land. The younger generations speak English though, as it was taught in schools starting in 1990. Most Czechs speak a second if not a third language.

There are many sites to see around the country, but you could spend a whole trip in energetic  and cultural Prague, if you wanted to. Between the buildings, events, nightlife, and historical past, Prague seems to have it all.

Prague Castle is an iconic landmark that overlooks the city. It’s the largest ancient castle complex in the world and has served Czech kings, emperors, and presidents over its history. Charles Bridge is a medieval arched bridge, completed in the early 15th century, that spans the swan-filled Vltava River in the heart of Prague. It was commissioned by King Charles IV in the 14th century and features an impressive and imposing thirty statues of saints on either side.

Prague street sculpture is an interesting one. Czechia, after all, the home of Franz Kafka, who is immortalized by several odd figures and attractions he put throughout the city. One is a beggar carrying a skull on his back, there’s an old East German car on legs, and a statue of Sigmund Freud clinging to life several stories above the ground. Prague certainly has its own personality – full of energy, music, cultural art, fine dining and events.

Czechs are active people and there is lots to do throughout the year.

Czechia’s national football (soccer) and ice hockey teams compete regularly on the international stage, and a few tennis stars have emerged from within its borders. Average Czechs enjoy these sports too, along with swimming at public pools, canoeing, and long-distance running. 

Ice skating and skiing are also popular in the winter. For cross country skiing, there are amazing long tracks that aren’t too steep, which have spectacular views on several mountain ranges across the country. Make sure you bring layers, because cross country skiing is such a powerful full body workout, you’ll be sweating buckets if you’ve worn too much. Ski through vast forests where every branch has a few inches of snow, just waiting for a breeze to blow the top layer off. Complete this activity with a beer in a lodge afterwards for the full experience.

On a lower key, spa culture, where yoga and wellness are a focus, is a much embraced habit in Czechia. In towns like Karlovy Vary and Marianske Lazne there are thermal baths, and massage treatments, particularly pleasant in the winter. Imagine your goosed and bare skin in the cold wintery air until your toes reach the hot thermal waters – your body will feel the effects the minerals have on your body, and the relaxing sensations the environment has on your mind – this is awesome in the summer too. 

For a true rural experience in Czechia, you might want to think about renting a traditional Czech chalupa (cottage) in the Sumava Mountains. You can enjoy birdwatching, trek to practice the age-old tradition of mushroom picking in the forests, and enjoy the tranquility of the natural beauty of the countryside.

Bohemia was formed in the 9th century. It was for a time under the power of the Great Moravian Empire, the Roman Empire, Habsburg, then Austrian Empire, and after 1918, Bohemia formed the independent and democratic republic of Czechoslovakia. This was annexed to Germany in 1938 and liberated by the Red Army in 1945, when it fell under communist rule. The Soviet grip tightened after Czechoslovakian efforts at economic and political liberalization in the ‘Prague Spring’ of the 1960s. And then the Velvet (nonviolent) Revolution occurred as the Soviet regime collapsed and saw the end of one-party rule. In 1993 Czechoslovakia dissolved into the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic, and in 2004 the Czech Republic joined the European Union.

Invention of the sugar cube is attributed to a local Jakub Krystof Rad, and Josef Ressel, one of the inventors of the propeller, hails from Czechia too.

The Astronomical Clock, described as an ingenious piece of equipment, has been showing the time and date, plus the position of the sun and the phase of the moon for centuries. Every hour on the hour, it opens up with a spectacle of 12 parading apostles who nod to any watchers in the crowd below.

The currency is the Czech Koruna and things in Czechia are generally affordable, though in the summertime in the Old Town, prices are inflated on pretty much everything.

Despite their exquisite churches, Czechs today are among the least religious people in the world, though family is a top priority for most.

Franz Kafka was born in Prague and celebrated there, even though he wrote primarily in German. Milan Kundera is a 20th century writer and author of ‘The Unbearable Lightness of Being’, and you should not miss the harmonious symphonies and operas of the pivotal Czech composer, Antonin Dvorak.

Czechia is where modern beer (pivo) was invented, more specifically, in Plzen (Pilsen). 

In Plzen there is a strong history of brewing, with one of the oldest breweries dating back to 1379. Pilsner Urquell Brewery, founded in 1842 is also there, and it is one among more than sixty other breweries in the country. Other popular brands include Pizensky Prazdroj, Zamecky, Budejovicky Budvar, and Bernard. 

Czechs are the heaviest beer drinkers in the world. You would be wise to experience a meal in a Czech pub of goulash, along with a few beers – where it is not uncommon to share tables with other people. Czech lager is hoppy, with a bitter flavour that goes well with rich foods like duck and other meats, dumplings, and strong cheeses.

The first vineyards  appeared in the country around 300 AD and the best wine comes from South Moravia. Becherovka is a liqueur, and a cultural icon associated with Czech traditions and hospitality. It’s a traditional liqueur that is made from all-natural ingredients, but the recipe is a closely held secret. It has spices and herbs like cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and other botanicals but no one knows the proportions. With aromas of citrus and cinnamon, the drink is served on its own, or in a popular cocktail called a Beton, when it's mixed with tonic water and served with ice and a slice of lemon.

You haven’t been to Prague properly unless you’ve sat in a family kitchen or a pub and had a steaming bowl of potato and sauerkraut soup (with a pint of beer on the side).

Czech cuisine has been greatly influenced by its neighbours, and traditional meals are based on meat, dumplings, potatoes, and rice. Goulash is a hearty stew that combines beef, pork, or game, onions, and spices, and is often accompanied by knedle, fruit filled dumplings, apple strudel, honey cake, or bread.

The most classic of Czech meals is roast pork with dumplings and red or green, cooked or pickled cabbage.