Czechia

Positioned squarely in the heart of Europe, the Czech Republic has been front and center in many of the continent’s most impactful eras. Here are the old and illustrious kingdoms of Bohemia and Moravia, visions of the glory days of the Holy Roman Empire, the Habsburgs, and Austria-Hungary; here lie the phantom geographies of German-occupied and Communist-ruled Czechoslovakia, and the seedbed of the Velvet Revolution. That history—and the beautiful cityscapes and monuments that embody it—makes the Czech Republic one of Europe’s richest destinations.

You could restrict your travels in the Czech Republic to its legendary capital of Prague (as many do) and still come away amazed. It’s a dazzlingly gorgeous hub with a lot of well-earned nicknames, including the “city of a thousand spires” and “the handsomest city in Europe.” Work your way between the Old Town, the Lesser Town, and the New Town, admiring landmarks such as the Prague Castle, the Charles Bridge, the Old New Synagogue, the National Theatre, and imposing equestrian statue of the National Monument. The Holy Roman Empire and the dominion of Bohemia come alive here in unforgettable fashion, but there’s also plenty of contemporary culture, from the top-class museums and art galleries to the much-loved Prague Zoo—and brewpubs serving up world-class Czech beer (and not just pilsners).

Prague’s as much a city of cultural festivals as historical monuments: the Prague Writers’ Festival, the Prague International Jazz Festival, the Prague Fringe Festival, and many others. You wouldn’t expect otherwise from such a longtime crucible of intellectual and artistic expression, birthplace of Kafka and Rilke and stimulating stomping-ground for everyone from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to Milan Kundera.

The capital city is swoon-worthy, no question about it, but you’ll also reap rewards for venturing afield to the smaller centers and rural landscapes of the Czech Republic. Again, history’s everywhere: from the vintage architecture of charming towns such as Cesky Krumlov, Loket, Slavonice, and Opava to solemn World War II-era relics such as the border walls mounted against the spread of Nazi Germany and the Nazi-obliterated villages of Lezaky and Ploština. Besides frozen-in-time hamlets and agricultural landscapes, the mostly subdued Czech Republic countryside also harbors parks and reserves exhibiting the wilder side of Central Europe. On the German and Austrian line is a large reach of contiguous forest—with the adjacent Bavarian Forest, part of the "Green Roof of Europe"—protected in Sumava National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, while the Czech Republic’s highest peaks and ridges define Krkonose Mountains National Park in the north.

Come for the historical and geopolitical perspective; come for the architectural splendor; come for a society equally informed by the old and the new. Or just come because in few corners of the world do history and beauty collude so intimately as in the Czech Republic.