CZECHIA

🚶 Start in Prague’s historic heart. Walk from the Powder Tower and the Municipal House to Republic Square, then on to Old Town Square with the Orloj astronomical clock. The stained-glass Gothic lines of Týn stand alongside Baroque façades; street musicians and the smell of fresh trdelník create the Old Town mood. Toward sunset, head down to the Vltava to cross Charles Bridge: 30 stone statues, towers at both ends, a chalky panorama of Prague Castle and the domes of Malá Strana—the city instantly becomes a postcard. In the evening, have dinner in one of the beer halls near the bridge, or taste monastic ale a bit higher up the slope toward Strahov Monastery.

🚶 In the morning, climb up to the Castle hill: St. Vitus Cathedral is a masterpiece of Czech Gothic with soaring naves and stained glass; the Old Royal Palace, St. George’s Basilica, and Golden Lane make a route where the history of monarchy, religion, and crafts is felt at every step. Take a break in the Castle gardens or the Royal Garden to enjoy views of red roofs and the Vltava. After lunch, stroll through Hradčany and Nový Svět: quiet lanes, wrought-iron lanterns, cafés with pies—the best mise-en-scène for an unhurried evening.

🚶 Malá Strana is a quarter of palaces and embassies where Baroque meets quiet gardens. Start at the Wallenstein Garden, climb to Loreto and Strahov Monastery: they brew St. Norbert craft ales here, and the monastery library is one of the most beautiful in the country. Next is Petřín Hill: quiet alleys, the observation tower, and apple-tree gullies. The descent to Újezd via the terraces is one of the most romantic in Prague.

🚶 The Jewish Quarter of Josefov is an ensemble of synagogues, museums, and a cemetery, stitched through with memory and culture. Start at the Jewish Museum Information Center (tickets for all sites are here), then the Spanish Synagogue, the Pinkas Synagogue with the names of Holocaust victims, and the Old Jewish Cemetery with its layered tombstones. In the afternoon, visit the National Museum on Wenceslas Square or the National Technical Museum in Letná, and closer to evening—have a glass of beer in Letná Park with views of the city and the bridges’ lights.

🚶 Modern Prague unfolds in Vinohrady and Letná: third-wave coffee shops, bakeries with trdelník and steins, gastro-bistros and beer gardens. Stop by the Letná Château, walk to the “beer meadow” among the trees—a place where locals meet the sunset, talk football, and simply enjoy the city. For more depth, try a tasting of monastic varieties at Strahov, or Budvar/Urquell in specialized beer halls (look for “tankovna”—beer from the tank).

🚆 Transfer: Praha hl.n. → Karlštejn: ~45–50 minutes on suburban line S7 without transfers; then walk ~30–40 minutes uphill to the castle.

🚶 Karlštejn is a 14th-century Gothic fortress founded by Charles IV as a treasury for relics and coronation regalia. The climb to the walls passes houses with tiled roofs and wine shops; panoramas of the Berounka valley open up already from the bastions. Exhibitions along the routes inside the residence show “imperial” daily life, chapels, and paintings. Back at the station, you can have dinner by the river.

🚆 Transfer: Praha hl.n. → Kutná Hora hl.n.: ~1–1h10m; from hl.n. take a local train/bus to Sedlec (10–15 minutes), then a walking connection to the ossuary; for the second half of the day—St. Barbara’s Cathedral and a walk through the historic center.

🚶 The Sedlec Ossuary is a unique memorial with thousands of bones arranged into compositions and chandeliers; an intimate and powerful place. St. Barbara’s Cathedral is a symbol of the free miner-burgher: pointed arches, a stone “web” of vaults, and views over the valley. Return to Prague in the evening—for tomorrow’s transfer.

🚆 Transfer: Praha hl.n. → Plzeň hl.n.: ~1h15–1h30 by fast/express train; trains run about once an hour.

🚶 After check-in, visit the Pilsner Urquell brewery: interactive halls, copper brew kettles, underground passages with oak barrels, and a tasting of unfiltered/unpasteurized beer “from the tank” in icy lager cellars. The Na Spilce restaurant operates on-site in a historic malt house hall. In the evening, walk to St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral on Republic Square and the Radbuza embankments.

🚶 Morning—visit the Brewery Museum (located in the only preserved medieval “brewer’s house”), then take a tour of the Plzeň Underground with access to wells and storage rooms. After lunch—Techmania (a science center with interactive exhibits) or a visit to the Great Synagogue—one of the largest in Europe, with rich façade ornament and intimate concerts. Evening—in the historic beer halls of the center.

🚆 Transfer: Plzeň hl.n. → České Budějovice: ~2–2h30 on the R line (nonstop/with a short transfer). Check in and stroll around the huge square of Přemysl Otakar II: arcades, Samson’s Fountain, the Town Hall, and the Black Tower—an ideal scene for evening lights.

🚶 For a visit — Budějovický Budvar: the multimedia center tells the story of water from artesian wells, Saaz hops, and long lagering; tours go into the operating workshops and icy cellars with tasting straight from the tank. For dinner — classic Budvar restaurants (Budvarka, Masné krámy “Meat Markets”) with local cuisine.

🚆 Transfer (day trip): České Budějovice ↔ Český Krumlov — ~45–60 minutes by regional train line 194 (runs regularly throughout the day) or ~40–50 minutes by bus. Return by evening.

🚶 Krumlov — a cascade of little bridges, the Vltava’s half-ring, and the massive castle with its Cloak Bridge. Inside — richly decorated interiors; in the tower — colorful spiral frescoes and a 360° view over the tiled roofs. Between stops — antique shops, art galleries, and cozy courtyards with coffee. On the way back — a short pause by the Black Tower of Budějovice at sunset.

🚆 Transfer: České Budějovice → Brno hl.n.: ~3h45–4h15 direct/with a change (per R/IC timetable). Check-in, lunch at Zelný trh (Vegetable Market) and climb up to Špilberk: bastions, casemates, viewpoints, and the city museum.

🚶 After that — the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul on Petrov Hill: dark spires and the legendary chime at 11:00 to trick the besieging Swedes. Evening — on Capuchin Square or on the bar mile along Dominikánská Street.

🚶 Morning — a tour of Mies van der Rohe’s “villa of glass and light”: pre-booked tours of the iconic Villa Tugendhat with original materials (onyx, macassar) and city views. Next — head to Lednice Palace in the vineyard region: a Neo-Gothic “sugar” facade, greenhouse, and park with lion-lined alleys — a half-day walk at an unhurried pace (from Brno with one change ~1–1h15m).

🚆 Transfer: Brno hl.n. → Praha hl.n.: ~2h30 on fast/express trains. With an early arrival — time for shopping, a museum visit, or a last sunset overlooking the Vltava. Flight/departure — allow ~35–50 minutes to the airport depending on the mode of transport.