Prague nearby trips
Travel guide to attractions on a Prague city break
Trips out of Prague by train or bus are well worth considering. Karlovy Vary was, as Karlsbad, one of the great spa towns of Europe. Karlstejn Castle is a gem while Kutna Hora was once the second city of Bohemia.
This beautiful spa town, once known as Karlsbad or Carlsbad, is in western Bohemia. It's one of the world's most famous spas with its hot mineral springs in use since the Middle Ages. It is set in wooded countryside 130km west of Prague.
The waters are used largely for drinking cures. There are currently 12 main hot springs, the best known being Vridlo rising from a depth of 3,000m. There are 300 smaller springs and the warm water Tepla River.
Many celebrities have visited including the composers Dvorak, Beethoven and Chopin and the writers Goethe, Schiller and Tolstoy. The town is often used in films, most recently the Bond movie 'Casino Royale'.
Moser Glass is based here and Princess Michael of Kent was born in the town. It is also home to a major film festival and the liqueur Karlovarská Becherovka. There is rumoured to be a strong Russian Mafia presence, so much so that the local airport has flights to Moscow.
Book Now: A Day in the Spa City of Karlovy Vary
Southwest of Prague is the castle of Karlstejn. It was built between 1348 - 1355 by Charles IV. It has since been much altered - in the 16th century renaissance style and with Gothic additions in the 19th century.
Karlstejn is 30km from Prague. You can take a train to Beroun and stop at Karlstejn but there are many organised trips from Prague.
Book Now: Karlstejn Castle Tour
Konopiste once belonged to Franz Ferdinand, infamously murdered at Sarajevo in 1914, the incident which led to the outbreak of the Great War a few weeks later.
Built in the 14th century and rebuilt in the 19th it now has fine collections of weapons, art, furniture and tapestries. Franz Ferdinand's enthusiasm for hunting is reflected in the trophies on display - he shot some 300,000 animals and more than 100,000 heads decorate the walls.
Konopiste is 50km south of Prague. Either take a bus from Roztyly metro station to Benesov or the train from Prague's main station to Benesov. The castle is 2.5km from the town.
Book Now: Highlights of Bohemia
Its silver mines, which operated for 250 years, made Kutna Hora the second most important town in Bohemia. In the 14th century its population was as large as London's. Today, it is just a small provincial town packed with Gothic churches, notably St. Barbara´s Cathedral. Kutna Hora is a world heritage site.
Kutna Hora is 65km east from Prague. You can travel by bus in just over an hour from Florenc bus station or by train in 55 minutes from Prague's main station.
Book Now: Sightseeing in Kutna Hora
Once a garrison town built by Emperor Joseph II, Terezin was turned into a Jewish transit camp for Auschwitz. Some 140.000 Jews passed through Terezin which is 60km north of Prague near Litomerice. You can get a bus from Florenc bus station.
The Czech Republic has the most hospital beds per resident in the EU
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