Czechia's second city, Moravia's traditional capital, comes as a surprise. It's a busy industrial and technology city that goes back to medieval times and bears the marks of culture throughout its old town. Its historic castle, Hrad Špilberk, and its Gothic cathedral, Katedrála svatých Petra a Pavla, are the chief landmarks on its hilly contours. But there is much more between.

Brno's town hall, Stará radnice, has an unusual portal by the controversial 15th century sculptor Anton Pilgram below a tower that rises more than 60 metres from the street. Suspended in the vault below is a sculpted copy of fabled dragon that looks to most visitors like a crocodile. There is a different, more believable story behind its origin.

Kašna Parnas, the unconventional late 17th century fountain on the old city marketplace Zelný trh, depicts the Greek myth of Parnassus, which suits the hillside location. A grotto network is below the market. On more classical lines is the Calvary Crucifixion scene Boží muka in the garden below the cathedral, following the centuries-old wall circuit.

There are several striking churches in Brno, but three others stand out. The Gothic Kostel svatého Jakuba Staršího would be impressive even without its neighbour, Kostnice u svatého Jakuba, a chilling but fascinating ossuary below where bones from the former cemetery have been stored and shaped into monuments to the dead. On a similar theme, the Capuchin monastery church Kostel Nalezení svatého Kříže has a crypt with mummified remains.

The refined beauty of the Baroque Kostel svatého Tomáše stands in contrast to these two.

Filling in a historical space is the imposing Renaissance facade of the palace Dům pánů z Lipé, with a restored but updated arcaded courtyard.

The southern Bohemian capital has preserved its classic open medieval town square Náměstí Přemysla Otakara II, but most of the architectural highlights of the old town came later. The imposing town hall, the Katedrála svatého Mikuláše and the Baroque fountain Samsonova kašna dominate the scene with the dark stone tower Černá věž.

An array of colourful 16th century town houses each make their own historical statement. Also richly decorated is the interior of the modern Kostel Panny Marie Růžencové. A surviving Baroque water tower is a rare item, but the restored (and raised) Vodárenská věž is now a museum.

Part of České Budějovice's old-town wall network along the banks of the Malše has been preserved. The most prominent survival is the six-storey tower Rabeštejnská věž, which is now used to host community arts events.

The city's long brewing history continues.

The UNESCO-listed historic town on the Vltava is one of Czechia's greatest attractions, thanks to its preserved old town.

About Český Krumlov 170 buildings spanning from the late medieval era up to the 19th century make a remarkable streetscape and retain decoration including facade wall paintings.

The scene is dominated by a castle complex, Státní hrad a zámek Český Krumlov, the basis of which is Renaissance princely residence, enhanced by the addition of Baroque gardens, a rare largely operational Baroque theatre, and a remarkable multi-level bridge that connects it with castle.

Museums, small hotels, pensions, restaurants and cafes operate in the heritage buildings and nothing in the old town spoils the historical ambience.

A wealthy river trade in salt, gold and silver mining and princely patronage by the Rosenberg-Rožmberk family, grew Český Krumlov from the 13th century. Carp fishing and brewing also developed.

The Habsburg emperor Rudolf II bought the castle early in the 17th century. Then the Eggenberg princes were granted the castle and developed the site further. The following century the prince Josef Adam zu Schwarzenberg became the last patron of the castle.

Tours of the castle take place from April to October and the Baroque theatre, with original sets and stage machinery, can be visited from May to October.

Hradec Králové in eastern Bohemia is a city of stunning architecture, especially from the Baroque and Art Nouveau eras. The central Velké náměstí, a triangular market space on the raised old-town fortified zone, is the scene of much of the splendour.

The 16th century clock tower Bílá věž, the tallest landmark in the city at 70 metres, can be climbed to observe the view of the city and surrounding region, but it's also a museum of its own construction. The cathedral Katedrála Svatého Ducha is a red-brick example of late Gothic style, inside and out.

The Baroque church Kostel Nanebevzetí Panny Marie and the city's Marian column are other clear devotional signs, but do no end the old town's connection with the church.
Kanovnické domy, a row of canons' houses from the Renaissance era that were recast in stunning Baroque style, preserve their elegance in bright colour. The Renaissance house Dům U Špuláků stands between the bishop's house and the Jesuit seminary Nové Adalbertinum.

Art Nouveau buildings dominate outside the old town and the museum of eastern Bohemia is one.

The tiny but precious wooden Greek Catholic church Kostel svatého Mikuláše in the gardens south of the old town is a rare gem of the early 17th century, moved to the site from a Slovak village with its painted interior decoration.

The city's position at the junction of the Elbe and Orlice rivers was strategic in more than one respect. Hydroelectricity came early and the Art Nouveau Hučák hydroelectric power station is now a display centre for the history and future of energy technologies. Another operated on the Orlice.

This small medieval city became known for its silver production. After a late medieval boom a fire and the Thirty Years War dealt it setbacks, but enough of its past has survived to help attract visitors today.

The unusual stone Gothic church Kostel svatého Jakuba Většího is full of art objects and decoration, including a 7.5 metre Baroque altar painting.

Kostel Nanebevzetí Panny Marie is an example of a medieval Minorite monastery church given a full Baroque makeover, except for medieval vault paintings that have been preserved and partly restored. Nearby is the medieval town gate Brána Matky Boží. Much of the walls that provided succour during the Hussite wars remain.

Tantalising fragments of the Renaissance facade of the house at Znojemská 2 preserve not just religious images, but a priceless historical record of the arrival of a Turkish delegation on horseback in 1609.

In the 14th century, Kutná Hora was the centre of wealth generation in the Czech lands. It could also have been one of Europe's biggest cities, rivalling Prague. Its importance and influence came from the discovery of silver.

Today the town is known for churches. The superb Gothic Chrám svaté Barbory has double-arched flying buttresses and its unusual roof distinguishes it from other Gothic churches. Interior frescoes from fragments from the late medieval and Baroque periods.

Another extraordinary church is the Kostel svatého Jakuba Staršího, with a 80m tower and its own medieval frescoes.

The Cistercian abbey Sedlecký klášter was the basis for the cathedral Nanebevzetí Panny Marie a svatého Jana Křtitele, remodelled as a Gothic basilica the following century and dedicated to Mary and St John the Baptist. It had to be reconstructed in the 17th century after construction during the Hussite Wars.

Nearby, a small 14th century cemetery chapel built nearby is now known as Kostnice Sedlec. It is distinguished by its use of exhumed bones as a unique and grotesque artistic ossuary.

The Baroque church Kostel svatého Jana Nepomuckého features ceiling paintings telling the story of the apotheosis of the Czech saint Jan Nepomucký.

Recalling the history that made Bohemia rich, museums of silver (České muzeum stříbra) and minting (Vlašský dvůr) have been set up in small Renaissance palaces. The Gothic stone fountain Kamenná kašna in the old town is another sign of Kutná Hora’s past greatness.

The small town Mikulov na Moravě is dominated by a big hilltop palace that comes as a surprise to the small number of foreign travellers who visit.

The main palace tour of Zámek Mikulov covers several periods of its history under the Liechtenstein and Dietrichstein families, which lasted from medieval times until the end of World War II.

Most of the unique old town is arranged around the palace, which is a striking monument in the Moravian rural landscape. The town’s streets wind around the hill and up to the palace past picturesque squares and streetscapes that preserve Renaissance and Baroque buildings.

Two nearby vantage points, the pilgrimage chapel Kaple svatého Šebestiána, and the top of the ruined tower Kozí hrádek, allow visitors to admire the striking scene.

The Catholic church Kostel svatého Václava houses a Loreto Black Madonna. But the town's Jewish heritage is preserved in the synagogue museum and an extensive cemetery.

In a remarkable city, no monument is more remarkable than the Baroque Sloup Nejsvětější Trojice, a monument to the Holy Trinity on Horní náměstí outside Olomuoc's striking town hall. This column, erected in the 18th century in gratitude for the passing of plague and the greatness of faith, is more than a column, rising 32 metres above an ornate sculpted chapel inside.

The skills and labour were contributed to by generations of city craftsmen. It is now a UNESCO heritage monument and was under restoration in 2026.

The town hall, the first stone version of which was built in the 15th century, has a large astronomical clock and carillion that were recast in Socialist style last century.

The archdiocesan museum of Olomuoc is one of the most important and impressive museums in Czechia, including restored frescoed interiors, most precious a chapel dedicated to John the Baptist, a Gothic cloister and part of the Romanesque Zdíkův palác.

The cathedral Svatého Václava, the priceless Kostel Panny Marie Sněžné, Kostel svatého Mořice and Kostel Zvěstování Páně are important Czech churches, architecturally and historically.

The remains of medieval city walls are still impressive and the hands-on science museum Pevnost poznání is sited in a Baroque former barracks.

Visitors to the Moravian-Silesian regional capital will find a long industrial and coal-mining heritage and one of the most prominent preserved monuments is the mine headframe Těžní věž dolu Jindřich not far from the city centre.

In keeping with this identity is the city's 20th century architecture, including Art Nouveau and Communist-era buildings such as the towered Socialist-style Nová radnice Ostrava. Slightly earlier in date is the Historicist Radnice Slezské Ostravy, a house converted into a city hall.

The impressive Neorenaissance Katedrála Božského Spasitele shows the style of the 19th century.

Ostrava's castle, known as Slezskoostravský hrad, is old however, with a past reaching back to the 13th century as a stronghold of the dukes of Těšín. In its Renaissance form it withstood the Thirty Years War.

Plzeň's stately central square Náměstí Republiky, with architecture of many periods, is the backdrop for the Gothic cathedral Katedrála svatého Bartoloměje.

Several times the city was a focal point of bitter war. During the Hussite conflict and the Thirty Years War, and again at the end of World War II, Plzeň was under siege. A museum of the city's underground hosts a fascinating tour of defensive architecture. The regional museum of western Bohemia prominently displays artefacts of weapons and armour of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. A museum of the US liberation of western Bohemia named for the controversial general George Patton.

Plzeň's Franciscan monastery centres on the Assumption church Kostel Nanebevzetí Panny Marie, a Gothic church with additions and remodelling in most subsequent styles. Muzeum církevního umění plzeňské diecéze displays ecclesiastical art of the Plzeň diocese. Kostel svaté Anny is a Baroque remnant of the Dominican monastery and now an Orthodox church.

The history and operations of Plzeň breweries are prominent visitor attractions. Pivotéka a Pivovarské museum is set up in a historical cellar and the Pilsner Urquell Visitor Center and Gambrinus brewery are popular.

World-heritage Prague stands alone for its variety of architecture and striking location of the castle Pražský hrad and its Gothic Katedrála svatého Víta. The castle includes one of the most extensive medieval halls, Vladislavský sál, large enough to have been used for tournaments.

One of Europe's most famous bridges, the stone late-medieval Karlův most, connects the oldest town settlements, Staré Město and Malá Strana.

The old-town square Staroměstské náměstí reflects the variety of the city's streetscapes with the Gothic old town hall and Orloj clock, the Chrám Matky Boží před Týnem, the Baroque Kostel svatého Mikuláše, and the dramatic 20th century sculpture honouring the religious reformer Jan Hus.

In the Josefov precinct are synagogue including the Gothic Staronová Synagoga and the Jewish cemetery Starý židovský Hřbitov.

In Malá Strana is the vast Valdštejnský palác built by the 17th century imperial field marshal Wallenstein and another Baroque Kostel svatého Mikuláše.

On the Petřín hill is the monastery Strahovský klášter with twin Baroque libraries. The monastery, the extensive hilltop gardens and so-called Hunger Wall can be reached by a funicular rail car.

Travellers should also visit the fortifications, vaults and gardens of Vyšehrad south of the old town. The Bazilika svatého Petra a Pavla is a striking church with a stunning interior. The Vyšehrad cemetery features the Slavín national tomb of famous Czech personalities and the graves of the composers Dvořák and Smetana.

Prague is also a city of Art Nouveau buildings, the largest being Obecní dům.

This small city has a unique history as a stronghold of the reformist Hussite cause in the religious wars that rent the Czech lands the 15th century. It was founded by the Hussite general Jan Žižka in 1420.

Tábor was built as a fortified hilltop town and was given not only walls but an underground tunnel network that included wells and food stores. This network can be toured today from the Hussite museum.

Tábor's restored Renaissance building facades in the old town are also key attractions.

At nearby Klokoty, which once formed a separate town, is a cloistered monastery that is now a Marian pilgrimage place with a delicate church, although the monastery grounds were closed pending restoration early in 2026.

Tiny Telč in the Vysočina region of Moravia is probably the most beautiful town in Czechia, thanks to its unique historical central square.

Náměstí Zachariáše z Hradce is ringed by preserved and restored Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque facades, including arcades and richly detailed sgraffito houses. A Marian column was erected in the 18th century.

The uniqueness of the triangular space has attracted world-heritage listing for the town. Its story goes back to at least the 12th century but its population never grew beyond several thousand people, a factor that has helped preserve it so faithfully.

It is almost surrounded by the ponds that helped protect it from the damaging Hussite Wars and Thirty Years War and the gardens that encircle the entire ensemble enhance the beauty of the scene today.

The square memorialises the cultured Renaissance aristocrat who built the small castle with a decorated ceremonial hall that became his rural residence. He also built a burial chapel for himself and his wife with a stunningly ornate interior including stucco and painted details.

The south-west Moravian town was founded in the 13th century and also suffered during the Hussite wars, thanks to its powerful walls and underground tunnel network. Znojmo‘s tunnels merged defensive communications with the cellar spaces needed to preserve food, wine and water supplies.

The town's landmark is a prominent Gothic tower above the old town hall. The smaller defensive tower Vlkova věž can be climbed. The walls and part of the town's castle have survived, but a small rotunda tower dedicated to St Catherine, is especially precious because of its surviving but fragile Romanesque interior frescoes.

The town's churches include the Baroque Kostelo svatého Michaela and Capuchin monastery church Kostel svatého Jana Křtitele. Chrám svatého Mikuláše, above the valley of the river Dyje, is fitted with a glass coffin that holds the claimed relics of St Boniface, supposedly brought from the catacombs of Thebes. The twin-level Kaple svatého Václava next to it houses ceiling reliefs of saints and sculpted Crucifixion scene and painted motifs in the older, Gothic lower chapel.

The Louka abbey to the south of the old town is set for major restoration work.

Urban palaces include the impressive Palác Daun and the house at Horní náměstí where Napoleon stayed overnight before the Battle of Austerlitz.