Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CzeCh
RepUblIC
Česká Republika
The Czech Republic is geographically small. In a quick visit,
you can enjoy a fine introduction while still packing in plenty of
surprises.
Despite their difficult 20th-century experience, the Czechs
managed to preserve their history. In Czech towns and villages,
you'll find a simple joy of life—a holdover from the days of the
Renaissance. The deep spirituality of the Baroque era still shapes
the national character. The magic of Prague, the beauty of Český
Krumlov, and the lyrical quality of the countryside relieve the
heaviness caused by the turmoil that passed through here. Get
beyond Prague and explore the country's medieval towns. These
rugged woods and hilltop castles will make you feel as if you're
walking through the garden of your childhood dreams.
Of the Czech Republic's three main regions—Bohemia,
Moravia, and small Silesia—the best known is Bohemia. It has
nothing to do with beatnik bohemians, but with the Celtic tribe
of Bohemia that inhabited the land before the coming of the Slavs.
A longtime home of the Czechs, Bohemia is circled by a natu-
rally fortifying ring of mountains and cut down the middle by the
Vltava River, with Prague as its capital. The wine-growing region
of Moravia (to the east) is more hilly, Slavic, and colorful.
Tourists often conjure up images of Bohemia when they think
of the Czech Republic. But the country consists of more than
rollicking beer halls and gently rolling landscapes. It's also about
dreamy wine cellars and fertile Moravian plains, with the rugged
Carpathian Mountains on the horizon. Politically and geologi-
cally, Bohemia and Moravia are two distinct regions. The soils and
climates in which the hops and wine grapes grow are very differ-
ent...and so are the two regions' mentalities. The boisterousness of
the Czech polka contrasts with the melancholy of the Moravian
