Czechia, Europe
Prague sits within easy reach of a bone-decorated chapel, a Gothic crown-jewel castle, a sobering WWII memorial, and Bohemia's grand spa town. Most are an hour or so out by train or bus.
| Where | Getting there | Why go |
|---|---|---|
| Kutná Hora | About 1 hr by train | A UNESCO silver-mining town, known for the Sedlec Ossuary decorated with the bones of tens of thousands, and the soaring St Barbara's Cathedral. |
| Karlštejn Castle | About 40 min by train, then a 20-minute walk uphill | The grand Gothic castle Charles IV built to hold the imperial crown jewels, set above a village in the Bohemian woods. |
| Terezín | About 1 hr by bus from Holešovice | The fortress town the Nazis ran as a ghetto and transit camp. A serious half-day memorial and museum, not a casual outing. |
| Český Krumlov | About 3 hr by bus or train | A UNESCO town wrapped in a bend of the Vltava under a huge castle. Doable in a long day, but it rewards an overnight once the day-trippers leave. |
| Karlovy Vary | About 2 hr 15 by bus | Bohemia's grand spa town, a valley of colonnades, hot springs you sip from ceramic cups, and the Becherovka herbal liqueur. |