There’s nothing I like better than getting off the
well-trodden tourist trail and finding places that aren’t too well known (as
yet) to the international visitor.
On a recent trip to the Czech Republic I was able to journey
to small towns like Most, Zatec, Plzen and Tabor as well as spend a little time
in the capital city, Prague.
It has to be said that the Czech people are creative, and
when I discovered that I would be visiting a Coal Mine near Most, I was bemused
to say the least. However, my bemusement
soon turned to admiration when I saw the scale of the industry on a “Coal
Safari” and how the Czech Coal Company has returned the land to the people of
the town by creating housing, leisure areas
and community spaces. The Coal Safari guided tour, which takes place in a huge
4x4 vehicle, takes you to various parts of the enormous site and it is
certainly something different to do on a short break.
Nearby, in the town of Zatec, we saw industry of a different
kind. Hops are this town’s main produce
and the excellent Hop Museum explains the process of hop production and its
importance not only to the town, but to the brewing industry in the
country.
Not surprisingly, the big name in Czech brewing is about an
hour down the road from Zatec. The
Pilsner Urquell brand is known throughout the world and if there’s one thing
you will learn on a trip to the town of Plzen, it is that Pilsner Urquell is
the original pilsner style of beer. The
brewery tour is well worth a visit.
Visitors even get a chance to taste unpasteurised freshly brewed beer in
the cellars. My recent visit coincided
with the annual 2-day party Pilsner Fest which featured 4 main stages of music
acts and lots of beer on offer. Plzen itself is quite an historic town and well
worth a wander. The Main Square and Cathedral
are only 5 minutes walk from the brewery and there’s plenty of good restaurants
to sample some traditional Czech dishes too. There’s a great accommodation choice in Plzen too. I stayed at the Marriott, just beside the
brewery. The rooms were very comfortable
and the breakfast is great!
The Czech Republic is known for its stunning ornate
castles. There are a few that are on
every visitors itinerary and a few that haven’t really been discovered
yet. I visited one, Castle Orlik, which
is a fascinating building with some stunning rooms and amazing views over an
enormous man-made lake.
My favourite place on the trip was the town of Tabor in
Southern Bohemia. It has a stunning town
square and I spent an hour late one night savouring the view from the terrace
of a bar. The town hall and church are beautifully lit and it provides for a
stunning scene. The Hotel Nautilus is on
the town square too. Each room as been
designed individually and it has a very traditional feel. As with everywhere outside Prague, visitors
from the UK & Ireland will find excellent value for money and the Nautilus
offers fantastic accommodation for very little outlay.
The city of Prague is, obviously, the centre of the tourism
industry. The Old Town Square is a
tourist magnet and the 14th Century Astronomical Clock attracts a
crowd almost every hour of the day. There are many ways to see the city and if
you don’t want to tire yourself out, you could see the sights by Segway which,
for the uninitiated, is a 2-wheeled self-balancing personal transporter. I’d love to be able to
say how the 3 hour Segway tour lets you see the best of Prague. However,
despite being taught how to control the unit,
I lasted 10 minutes before crashing into a wall and no doubt someone
somewhere will make a fortune if the video ever makes its way onto You’ve Been
Framed.
There’s all manner of accommodation options in Prague, from
budget hostels to 5* hotels. I stayed in
the Hotel Jalta, on Wenceslas Square, which was excellent. The bedroom was very well appointed and mine
had a balcony overlooking the square. I
also stayed at the nearby Fusion Hotel, which is a hybrid between an upmarket
hostel and a hotel. It has an arty,
minimalist approach and attracts all agegroups.
It even has a revolving bar, which is designed to aid conversation and
chances to talk to lots of people during your visit.
Overall, the Czech Republic is a country well worth
visiting. While Prague is a tourist magnet, there are many places to visit
within an hour’s radius of the city, which will be much easier on your wallet.
One tip is to shop where the locals shop and use public transport where
possible as it is very efficient and very cheap.
You can find out lots more about the country by ‘czeching
out” (sorry, had to be done) www.czechtourism.com
