What to See in Czech Republic - Top Sights and Attractions

Shrine and home of national treasures. The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saints Vitus, Wenceslaus and Adalbert is a Roman Catholic metropolitan cathedral in Prague, the seat of the Archbishop of Prague. Until 1997, the cathedral was dedicated only to Saint Vitus, and is still commonly named only as St. Vitus Cathedral.

This cathedral is a prominent example of Gothic architecture, and is the largest and most important church in the country. Located within Prague Castle and containing the tombs of many Bohemian kings and Holy Roman Emperors, the cathedral is under the ownership of the Czech government as part of the Prague Castle complex. Cathedral dimensions are 124 by 60 metres (407 ft × 197 ft), the main tower is 102.8 metres (337 ft) high, front towers 82 metres (269 ft), arch height 33.2 metres (109 ft).^[3]

Church adorned with human skeletons. The Sedlec Ossuary is a Roman Catholic chapel, located beneath the Cemetery Church of All Saints, part of the former Sedlec Abbey in Sedlec, a suburb of Kutná Hora in the Czech Republic. The ossuary is estimated to contain the skeletons of between 40,000 and 70,000 people, whose bones have, in many cases, been artistically arranged to form decorations and furnishings for the chapel. The ossuary is among the most visited tourist attractions of the Czech Republic, attracting over 200,000 visitors annually.

Four bell-shaped mounds occupy the corners of the chapel. A chandelier of bones, which contains at least one of every bone in the human body, hangs from the center of the nave with garlands of skulls draping the vault. Other works include piers and monstrances flanking the altar, a coat of arms of the House of Schwarzenberg, and the signature of František Rint, also executed in bone, on the wall near the entrance.

Along with Sedlec Abbey and the rest of the Kutná Hora city centre, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, because of its unique Baroque architecture.^[5]

Catholic monument dating to early 1700s. The Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc, in the Czech Republic is a Baroque monument that was built between 1716 and 1754. The main purpose was to celebrate the Catholic Church and faith, partly caused by feeling of gratitude for ending a plague, which struck Moravia between 1713 and 1715. The column was also understood to be an expression of local patriotism, since all artists and master craftsmen working on this monument were Olomouc citizens, and almost all depicted saints were connected with the city of Olomouc in some way.

It is the biggest Baroque sculptural group in the Czech Republic. In 2000 it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as "one of the most exceptional examples of the apogee of central European Baroque artistic expression".^[8]

Catholic church in Žďár nad Sázavou, Czechia. The Pilgrimage Church of Saint John of Nepomuk at Zelená hora is a religious building at the edge of Žďár nad Sázavou, Czech Republic, near the historical border between Moravia and Bohemia. It is the final work of Jan Santini Aichel, a Bohemian architect who combined the Borrominiesque Baroque with references to Gothic elements in both construction and decoration.

In 1719, when the Roman Catholic Church declared the tongue of John of Nepomuk to be incorruptible, work started to build a church at Zelená hora, where the future saint had received his early education. It was consecrated immediately after John's beatification in 1720, although construction works lumbered on until 1727. Half a century later, after a serious fire, the shape of the roof was altered.

The church, with many furnishings designed by Santini himself, is remarkable for its gothicizing features and complex symbolism, quite unusual for the time. In 1994, it was declared a World Heritage Site. The nomination dossier pointed out Santini's mathematical ratios in its architecture which aimed at "the creation of an independent spatial reality", with "the number 5 being dominant in the layout and proportions" of the church.^[17]

The coat bridge in Český Krumlovie - a bridge located in the Krumlów castle in the Czech Republic, in the South -South Country.

The first mention of the bridge comes from the 15th century. The current, monumental building comes from 1777. The bridge together with the castle complex is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The bridge was built in several stages in the years 1686, 1707, 1748 and 1765. High arcades, maintain four pieces of structures. It is tall like the buildings that connect.

The lower corridor connects the mask hall with the Castle Theater building, the upper corridor connects the castle gallery of paintings with the castle garden and continues to the Minorite monastery at Latrán.

On the brick bridge, there are four copies of Baroque sculptures: Saint. Antoni Padewski, Saint. Feliks of Cantalition, Saint. Wacław, by Jan Antonín Zinner and Saint. Jan Nepomucen. Nepomuk's sculpture dates from 1727, the author was Jan Plasker. Original sculptures are exposed in the castle lapidarium.

Historic 13th-century Gothic church. Church of Saint Maurice is a Roman Catholic church in Olomouc, Czech Republic. It is located in the city centre, near the Horní náměstí and remains one of the most important landmarks of the city.

It is unknown when exactly the church was constructed. It has two towers – the southern tower dates back to 1403, which is the oldest part of the building; the northern one dates back to 1412. The church was probably consecrated in 1492. The Neo-Gothic main altar was built in 1861. The church is built as arched triple-nave. Main nave contains church organs, which originates from 1740–45; with their five manuals and 135 registers they are the 7th largest in Central Europe (and 52nd in the world). Their author was organist Michael Engler.

The church was designated a National Cultural Landmark by the government in 1995. The southern tower serves as a lookout tower with view on the whole city of Olomouc and surroundings.^[19]

Historical landmark in Pilsen. The Square of the Republic forms historical centre of Plzeň, Czech Republic. With size of 552 by 627 feet it is one of the largest medieval squares in the Czech lands.

Plzeň as a town appears at the end of the 13th century, the square existing since then. Around the oblong square regular blocks of houses delimitated by a rectangular network of streets were built.

Archaeologists had identified wooden pavement from the 13th century and another three layers of pavement from the 14th century. The square was cobblestoned in 1859. The stones were replaced by asphalt cover in the 20th century; this replaced again with cobblestones during 2005-2007 reconstruction.

In the beginning of the 16th century water supply became critical. Water tower with a mechanical pump was erected, the water being stored in leaden reservoir and led through wooden pipes to public fountains at the main square.

A graveyard had existed on the square since the town was established until 1789, when Emperor Joseph II ordered to close such graveyards.

The buildings in the square are of predominantly Gothic and Renaissance styles. In the courtyards on the east side remains of the medieval walls are still preserved. The best preserved part of the square is its southern part.

Many buildings contain two or three levels of cellars used to preserve food, for wells or just as cesspools.

The most important historical landmarks are Church of St. Bartholomew (1295, since 1993 a cathedral), the city hall (the building serves as city hall since 1496) and St. Mary's plague column from 1681 by the Plzeň sculptor Kristian Widman, all in the northern part of the square.^[23]

Basilica in Třebíč, Czech Republic. St. Procopius Basilica is a Romanesque-Gothic Christian church in Třebíč, Czech Republic. It was built on the site of the original Virgin Mary's Chapel of the Benedictine monastery in 1240–1280. It became a national cultural monument in 2002 as a part of the "monastery with St. Procopius church". The basilica together with the Jewish Quarter in Třebíč were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003, because of their exceptional testimony to the exchange of culture and values in the regions.

The basilica was originally dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Saint Procopius became the Patron saint of the basilica on the quincentenary his canonization in 1704. Jan Karel, Count of Valdštejn established a castle chapel of St. Procopius from the presbytery of the basilica.

As of 2013, the renovated Třebíč castle is a museum adjacent to the Basilica.^[26]

Castle in Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic. Schreckenstein Castle or, less commonly, Strekov Castle, is a well preserved ruined castle perched atop a cliff above the River Elbe near the town of Ústí nad Labem in the Central Bohemian Highlands in Czechia. It was built in the 14th century to protect the waterway and collect duties on transported goods, the castle is renowned for its impressive views. It has enchanted a variety of visiting artists, most notably Goethe, Richard Wagner, and Karel Hynek Mácha.

The castle is especially well known from the painting by Ludwig Richter called Passing the Schreckenstein (Überfahrt am Schreckenstein) which hangs in the Galerie Neue Meister in Dresden.

The castle is sited on a steep, monolithic, clinkstone rock that rises steeply to 100 metres above the River Elbe and is the symbol of North Bohemia. Large parts of the castle have survived or been rebuilt, including the bergfried, palas and castle walls.^[32]

Rocky lookout with a historic hut. Mariina skála is a 428 m rocky hill in the Czech Republic, located in the region of Bohemian Switzerland not far from Jetřichovice. It was named in the 19th century after Princess Marie Kinsky. Before that, the hill was known as the "Spitzgestein" or "Grosser Spitziger". The hill is one of the best viewing points in Bohemian Switzerland.

In 1856 a wooden refuge hut was erected on the hilltop by Ferdinand Bonaventura, 7th Prince Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau, that acted as a fire observation tower. In the night of 9 September 2005 the hut was badly damaged by a forest fire. The cost of the damage came to 200,000 CZK. Another forest fire in the area of the Marienfelsen occurred on 22 July 2006. The hut - that had been replaced just three weeks earlier - escaped further damage.

The Kinsky family did a lot of work in the 19th century in opening up the rock landscape around Jetřichovice.^[33]

Historical landmark in Liberec, Czechia. Liberec Town Hall is a large building in the town of Liberec, Czech Republic.

Liberec town hall is a Neo-Renaissance building, which was built from 1888 till 1893 by design of the Viennese architect, Franz Neumann, replacing earlier structures dating to 1602.

The building has a richly decorated façade, integrated artwork, and very rare stained glass windows. Above the entrance portal is a sculptural relief by Viennese sculptor Theodor Friedl, showing the establishment of the old and new town hall. At its center is a female figure symbolizing the city; on the left side, figures associated with the original town hall, and figures associated with the emergence of a new town hall on the right, including the architect Neumann.

The front of the building is a bronze monument in the shape of a tank strip, commemorating nine victims of the invasion of the Warsaw Pact armies in August 1968.

The tower is 65 metres tall. Liberec town hall is similar to Vienna town hall. Today Liberec Town Hall is the seat of The Municipal Authority.^[37]

Zoo in Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic. Ústí nad Labem Zoological Gardens is a zoo located on the edge of Krásné Březno, close to the centre of the city of Ústí nad Labem in the Czech Republic. The gardens cover an area of 26 ha, and lets visitors view rare and endangered species of animals such as orangutans, Somali donkeys, rhinoceroses, and Malaysian sun bears. Open throughout the year, the gardens host regular displays—the training of sea lions, a parade of elephants through the gardens, flying display of birds of prey, rides on ponies, and a range of other activities.

The zoo is a member of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), and the Union of Czech and Slovak Zoological Gardens (UCSZ).

Both the upper gate (Dobětice) and the lower main gate (Krásné Březno) include ticket offices, but during the winter season the upper ticket office is closed.^[39]

Castle in Zvíkovské Podhradí, Czech Republic. Zvíkov, often called "the king of Czech castles", is a castle in Zvíkovské Podhradí municipality, about 15 kilometres north of Písek in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It stands on a difficult-to-access and steep promontory above the confluence of the Vltava and Otava rivers. The castle is one of the most important early-Gothic castles in Czech lands.

The area was inhabited as early as prehistoric times, when the Celts built a fort here in the 1st century AD. The current castle was built in the first half of the 13th century, most probably on the orders of King Ottokar I, but the exact date is not known. The first written mention of the castle comes from year 1234 and owned by the Kings of Bohemia.^[40]

12th-century castle and event venue. Loket Castle is a 12th-century Gothic style castle about 12 kilometres from Karlovy Vary on a massive rock in the town of Loket, Karlovarský kraj, Czech Republic. It is surrounded on three sides by the Ohře river. Once known as "the Impregnable Castle of Bohemia", because of its thick walls, it is one of the oldest and most valuable historical stone castles in the Czech lands. It is administered by the Loket Castle Foundation since 1993 and preserved today as a museum and national monument.

Every year the town plays host to an Opera festival, with performances by the Czech National Opera in an outdoor amphitheatre with the castle as a backdrop, and is also host for the Czech motocross grand prix.^[41]

Vintage cars and history in a sleek museum. Škoda Auto is one of just four automakers in the world which has an unbroken history stretching back over 100 years. The Škoda Auto Museum is located in Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic, adjacent to a large production facility. The remodeled museum were opened in Autumn 2012.

The museum is now divided into three divisions in separate spaces. In Evolution section are the most important products, from the first bicycle, motorcycle, tricycle, first car (1906) with performance of seven hp and other important products up to newest designs. There is also a racing car 720 Spider, 1100 OHC and Super-Sport Ferat. Division Tradition shows cars from different eras, brand participation in motorsport, logo development and personalities and events associated with the brand. In the last section Precision, people can see reconstruction of historical car in various stages of development.

• The museum and its collection

Building in Znojmo, Czechia. The Rotunda of St. Catherine, known as the Znojmo Rotunda, is a Romanesque rotunda located in Znojmo, Czech Republic. It is the town's most valuable monument, and features one of the oldest fresco compositions in the Czech lands. Besides the religious motives, of particular importance is the praising portrayal of the ruling Přemyslid dynasty.

The building was originally a castle chapel, dedicated to Virgin Mary, built in the mid-11th century. The painting was commissioned by Konrad II of Znojmo on the occasion of his wedding with Mary (Marija), daughter of Uroš I of Serbia in 1134. Apart of the donor couple, Konrad and Mary, the identity of the other depicted members of the dynasty is disputed among the historians. With two exceptions being the Přemysl the Ploughman, the legendary ancestor of the dynasty, and Vratislaus I, the first King of Bohemia.^[45]

The Elbe Sluice is a lock on the Elbe river in Ústí nad Labem, Czech republic, located immediately below the Střekov Castle. The waterworks were built between 1923 and 1935 according to plans of architect František Vahala. Their main purpose was to navigate the Elbe in the area of the Střekov rapids, which were often impassable. In its time it was one of the largest waterworks in the country and one with the most modern technical concept in Europe. The hydroelectric power plant, which is part of the sluice, was put into operation in 1935. the waterworks is built in the functionalism style.

The Elbe road is one of the most important waterways in the Czech Republic. Two and a half thousand ships got through this lock in 2010.

The sluice was declared a Czech cultural monument in 1958.^[46]