3 tips for a one-day trip from Prague

Kutná Hora, a little big town with churches and an ossuary

The town of Kutná Hora lies around 80 km to the east of Prague, in Central Bohemia. This is a town whose unique centre has earned it a place on the UNESCO list, and you’re sure to love it!

What to do there

Take a tour of Kutná Hora’s UNESCO treasures - the Church of St. Barbara and the Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady in Sedlec - those are a must. Enjoy a wander through the romantic mediaeval little streets, and visit an authentic mediaeval silver mine at the Czech Museum of Silver. So where to go next? You could visit the Gallery of the Central Bohemian Region, which you’ll find in the former Jesuit College, right by the Church of St. Barbara. This, one of the biggest galleries in Czechia, offers plenty to see, especially for lovers of modern and contemporary art and design. And don’t miss one real curiosity - the Cemetery Church of All Saints in Sedlec near Kutná Hora, with its mysterious ossuary. As it can get very busy, tourist numbers are limited, so it’s best to buy tickets online beforehand.

How to get there

You can get to Kutná Hora by car along the D11 motorway, in around an hour and a half. An excellent alternative is to take the train.  The journey from Prague-Hlavní nádraží – Kutná Hora takes around one hour. You have to change, travelling the last 3 km to the centre of Kutná Hora on a local train. Trains run from Prague every hour and arrival times always match the local train in the town. See here for the timetable.

Welcome to paradise! The Bohemian Paradise.

Rock towns, romantic valleys, viewpoints, castles and châteaux, places to find precious stones and picturesque folk architecture: that’s the region along the Jizera River near Prague. It was long ago that this area’s charming appeal and countless opportunities for hiking and relaxing led people to start calling it the Bohemian Paradise.

What to do there

The main attractions in the Bohemian Paradise are its rock towns, especially Prachov Rocks near Jičín, with several circular walks, including one suitable for families with strollers, the Hrubá Skála rock town, wreathed in many a legend, and Příhrazské skály with remnants of the rock castle of Drábské světničky near Mnichovo Hradiště. It is definitely worth visiting the symbol of the Bohemian Paradise - the monumental ruins of Trosky Castle. Another breath-taking sight is Kost, one of Bohemia’s most important castles. For the icing on your travel cake, check out the charming châteaux of Hrubá Skála, which stands on a sandstone rock, or the Neo-Gothic Sychrov Château, which boasts the largest collection of French portrait art in Central Europe. So what will you go for?

A trip to the Bohemian Paradise is ideal for history buffs, not to mention anyone who likes to put on their hiking boots, grab their backpack and head out into the countryside. If you want to explore the oldest protected landscape area in Czechia under your own steam and go there by bus, we recommend riding to Turnov and following the hiking trails to Hrubá Skála Château and back.

How to get there

The easiest way is to drive and take the D10 motorway out of Prague towards Liberec. You can then choose where exactly you fancy going.
You can also get there by bus, from the Černý Most station in Prague. But you do need to plan everything well, as buses don’t run back so often. See here for the timetable.

Take a trip to heaven! You can get to Karlštejn Castle in no time at all

Pretty much everyone in Czechia knows Karlštejn Castle . You can explore it, too! It was founded in the 14th century and its purpose was clear – it was built as a huge mediaeval vault for the crown jewels! This monumental castle, from which women were allegedly barred, nestles amidst a gorgeous landscape of hills and valleys just a short distance from Prague.

If you’re planning your journey beforehand, it’s definitely worth buying a ticket for a tour on-line before you visit. The popular tour of Karlštejn’s castle chapels in particular needs to be booked well in advance. Why is it so popular? It takes you into a heaven 600 years old! A chapel packed with relics, gold and precious stones with the largest collection of wood-panel paintings in the world.

How to get there

We recommend taking the train from Prague’s Hlavní nádraží station. During peak times trains run several times an hour, and at other times at least once an hour. It takes around 40 minutes to get to directly below Karlštejn by train. See here for the timetable.

You can also get to the castle by car, but you won’t get there any faster. Not to mention the fact that you’ll have to find a space in one of the castle car parks.