Peace and Quiet in Winter: Four Cities Where You Can Get Warm

Winter has come and, like every year, you might be asking where is the best place to hide from the cold weather in the city. We have prepared a few tips on what to do in Prague, Brno, Olomouc and Plzeň in winter.

Praha: cafés with atmosphere

In Prague, there are many places where you can find shelter in bad weather. We definitely recommend the famous Prague cafés. When you get too cold during your strolls through Prague, you can visit the Slavia Café, located on the right bank of the Vltava, opposite the National Theatre, where you can look at Prague Castle, the Vltava River and Lesser Town from the café’s large windows. However, a true café gem can be found inside the Czech cubist house: Dům U Černé Matky Boží (House of the Black Madonna), where the restored Grand Café Orient, the only cubist café in the world, is open. You can enjoy the unique atmosphere of the beginning of the 20th century in Café Louvre at Národní třída. Winter is a great season for visiting museums and galleries as well. You won’t be disappointed when you visit The Kampa Museum, the National Gallery or the Franz Kafka Museum.

Brno: gems of functionalism

The cafés in Brno are also inviting in winter. Try the Savoy Café on the corner of Jacob Square and Běhounská Street. Right beside the Cabbage Market is one of the best cafés in Brno – Cosmopolis Cafe. If you would like to experience a functionalistic café and restaurant, then you should go to Cafe Era. From there, you can continue the tour of functionalist gems by visiting Villa Tugendhat, and you should definitely make time for a tour of Villa Stiassni, where Fidel Castro stayed. The Mahen Theatre and Janáček Theatre also offer interesting programmes.

Olomouc: the tallest Czech sculpture

Olomouc, the second largest conservation area in the Czech Republic, offers many attractive places. You can enjoy numerous tours of monasteries, temples or museums. You should definitely see the Holy Trinity Column in the centre. The column is 35 metres high and it is the tallest sculpture in the Czech Republic, with a small chapel inside. The dominant feature of Olomouc is the St. Wenceslas Cathedral, which has the second tallest church tower in the Czech Republic (100.65 m) and the largest bell in Moravia. You can warm up in the Art Museum or in the legendary Olomouc pub Ponorka. If you like science, you should visit Fort Science, the first interactive museum of science in Central Moravia.

Plzeň: Great beer and the largest synagogue

Plzeň is famous for its beer all over the world. And you can also learn about the history of beer in winter, either in the Brewery Museum or the Plzeň Historical Underground. You can warm up while enjoying some of the cultural events in Měšťanská beseda or while touring the interiors designed by one of the most prominent Central European architects of the first third of the 20th century, Adolf Loos. Plzeň also has the Great Synagogue in the city centre. It is the largest synagogue in the Czech Republic, the second largest in Europe and the third largest in the world. If you like to tease your brain cells, then you have a great opportunity in this city – visit the science centre at Techmania. In the city centre, you can climb up the tower of St. Bartholomew Cathedral. The tower is 102.26 metres high and, in addition to a great view of the city, you will be pleased to learn that you have just visited the highest church tower in the country.