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At Four Seasons, you enjoy a unique vantage point from which to explore the sights, sounds and experiences around you. We hope the highlights of local attractions below help simplify your planning. Please let us know how else we can assist you. Attractions on this page Attractions Originally a 13th-century Gothic castle, Ceský Šternberk was one of the most powerful fortresses in Bohemia. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Habsburgs modified its design in the Baroque style. The castle stands high on a hill and offers excellent views of the river valley below.
Often compared to England's Windsor Castle, mock-Tudor Hluboká is one of the country's most-visited castles. Built in the mid-13th century, this Gothic castle was purchased in 1661 by the Schwarzenberk family and rebuilt as their residence. The grounds include an extensive park and riding school.
Josefov, the Old Jewish Quarter, includes the Jewish Museum (Zidovské Museum) as well as seven synagogues. The Gothic Old-New Synagogue, one of the oldest Jewish temples in Europe, is still used for religious services. This complex houses the world's largest collection of Jewish artifacts.
Karlstejn Castle and Golf Course is the most popular attraction in the Czech Republic after Prague itself. This medieval castle sits on a hill and is surrounded by forests. Across the river on another hill is a championship golf course with fine views of the castle.
The Koneprusy Caves are impressive limestone caves, 600 meters deep, with colourful rock formations. Visitors can view the bones of humans and a woolly rhinoceros as well as a forge belonging to 15th century counterfeiters.
Konopište is a 17th-century castle and hunting lodge of the Habsburgs. In 1887 it became the property of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and the interior still contains his furnishings and possessions.
Krivoklát, a medieval castle surrounded by a forest, has an outstanding Gothic interior. The forest is protected by UNESCO as a “biospheric preservation” area.
Kutná Hora is an attractive medieval town, whose main attraction is the magnificent St. Barbara’s Cathedral. There is also a 15th-century castle housing a mining museum with tours down the mineshafts. In the neighbouring village of Sedlec, the church interior is decorated with the bones of 40,000 plague victims.
The foundations of several buildings are all that is left of Lidice, the town that Hitler razed in revenge for the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich. The Lidice Memorial Museum documents the fate of the inhabitants.
Melník is a pleasant town in the centre of Bohemia’s winemaking area. Tours are available of the Renaissance Lobkovicz Château, including wine tasting in the 13th century cellar.
The town of Nelahozeves features the home of the famous Czech composer, Antonín Dvorák, as well as a Renaissance château built in the late 1500s. The château, which has been in the hands of the Lobkowicz family since 1623, is now home to one of the most magnificent family art collections in Europe (including works by Rubens, Veronese, Breughel the Elder, Cranach, Canaletto and Velasquez). Additional highlights include musical instruments and manuscripts of Beethoven, Mozart, Gluck, Vranicky and others.
The Old Royal Palace, also part of Prague Castle, has been the home of Bohemian kings since the 13th century. Today it is the official residence of the Czech president.
Orlík, a 13th-century Gothic castle, has undergone several reconstructions and features impressive wood carvings in its interior, beautiful gardens and a fine collection of Napoleonic weapons and other artifacts. The castle is built on a steep rock on the banks of the Vltava River. This magnificent location allows guests to combine a visit here with a boat trip to the royal castle at Zvíkov.
Plzen is the second biggest city in Bohemia, with a pleasant main square, and is most notable for being the home of Pilsner beer. Tours are available of both the brewery and the nearby beer museum.
Prague Castle, the largest ancient castle in the world, sits on the highest hill in the city. Its courtyards, gardens and cafés make for a fascinating visit. The gigantic St. Vitus Cathedral, part of the castle, towers over the city and took 600 years to build. The cathedral has seen the coronation of more than 30 Bohemian monarchs, many of whom are buried here. The crown jewels of the Bohemian kings and relics of St. Wenceslas, the 10th century Duke of Bohemia, are on display. Visitors can admire the marvellous murals, statues, ceiling frescoes and stained glass.
Since the 1989 Velvet Revolution, many restaurants, bars and clubs have opened. The spectrum for entertainment ranges from high quality luxury restaurants to all kinds of ethnic restaurants, popular beer pubs offering famous Czech-brewed products, as well as a sampling of traditional cuisine. Bars, jazz clubs and discos offer a varied night life.
Originally a 19th-century fortress, Terezín was used as a concentration camp by the Nazis. In 1944 it was falsely presented to visitors from the Red Cross as a model camp. Today, the camp remains as a memorial to those who died there.
The Charles Bridge connects the Old Town with the Lesser Quarter (Malá Strana). The defence towers on either end of the 600-year-old bridge offer a view of the city from above. Lining either side of the pedestrians-only bridge are the statues of 30 saints.
The Old Town Hall has an extraordinary astronomical clock in its tower, built in the early 1400s – when Prague was one of the largest and most prosperous cities in Europe. The clock is designed to tell time as well as chart the motion of celestial bodies. The top of the tower offers a sweeping view of the city.
The Old Town Square, Staromestské námestí, has been the centre of Prague since the 10th century. Buildings with pastel neo-Renaissance façades as well as the Old Town Hall and two cathedrals surround the square. The imposing early-Gothic-style Church of Our Lady before Tyn was built in the 1700s. St. Nicholas Church, a baroque cathedral with a wedding-cake façade, was built in the 1700s.
Wenceslas Square is Prague’s equivalent of the Champs Elysées. Visitors look for world-renowned Bohemian crystal amongst its multitude of shops. The National Museum dominates one end of the square. This vast neo-Renaissance building offers permanent and temporary exhibits of mineralogical, paleontological and zoological collections.
Museums One of the most enchanting secular buildings of the Prague Baroque, this red and ochre villa now houses the Antonín Dvorák Museum. On display are Dvorák scores and editions of his works, plus photographs and memorabilia of the great 19th century Czech composer, including his piano, his viola and his desk. The location of this Museum is in the New Town (Nové Mesto) in Ke Karlovu Street 20.
Though slightly off the beaten track, the museum is well signposted because of Prague's reverence for Mozart. Bertramka is a 17th century farmhouse, enlarged in the second half of the 18th century to convert it into a comfortable suburban villa. Mozart and his wife Constanze stayed here as guests of the composer Frantisek Dusek and his wife Josefina in 1787, when Mozart was working on Don Giovanni. The villa is best visited in the late afternoon when it is at its most tranquil. During summer recitals take place on the terrace. The Museum is located in the Little Quarter (Malá Strana) in Mozartova Street 169.
Opened in 1998, it is the unique museum dedicated to the famous Art Nouveau painter Alfons Mucha, showing a comprehensive cross-section of his work. The Museum is located in Panska Street in the Old Town.
Though it tries to keep abreast of all scientific developments, the museum's strength is in its collection of machines from the Industrial Revolution to the present day, the largest of its kind in Europe. The section that attracts the most visitors is the History of Transportation in the vast central hall. This is filled with locomotives, railway carriages, bicycles, veteran motorcars and motorcycles, with aeroplanes and a hot-air ballon suspended overhead. The Photography and Cinematography section is well worth a visit, as is the collection of astronomical instruments. A little bit outside of the city center, in Holesovice in Kostelni street, Prague 7, is the location of the National Technical Museum.
The collection records the history of Prague from primeval times. Its Renaissance facade is rich with stucco and sculptures, and the interior walls are painted with historic views of the city. On display are examples of Prague china and furniture, relics of the medieval guilds and paintings of Prague through the ages. The Museum is located in Na Porící 1554 in the Old Town (Staré Mesto).
On a spit of land beside the Vltava, a former Neo-Renaissance water-works has been turned into a memorial to Bedrich Smetana, the father of Czech music. The museum contains documents, letters, scores and musical instruments detailing the composer's life and work. Smetana was a fervent patriot and his music helped inspire the Czech national revival. The museum is in Novotneho lavka Street in the Old Town.
A more dominant site could hardly have been found for the National Museum; its architecture, an overpowering monument to 19th century Czech nationalism with its equally grand interior. A setting for extensive archaeological, natural, historical and cultural collections. Located at one end of Wenceslas Square, this vast Neo-Renaissance building was completed in 1890.
Scenic day trips The town and castle of Ceský Krumlov, located on a meander of the river Vltava, are true jewels of architecture concentrated in a small space and are living witnesses to the magnificence of Czech history. The town was first mentioned in historical annals in 1253 and has been added to the UNESCO List of World Cultural Heritage.
Karlovy Vary is a spa, nesting deep in a beautiful wooded valley. This world-famous health resort has been in existence for over 600 years. Twelve thermal springs appear from a depth of over 2,000 meters. Also found here is Moser, the makers of elegant glassware and china, and the famous Becherovka, a liqueur produced from 100 herbs - often referred to as ''the 13th healthy spring'' of Karlovy Vary. The 18-hole golf club here is the oldest in the Czech Republic, established in 1904.
Theatre/Performing arts Frantisek Kratochvil, a man of many talents and professions -- sculptor, painter and graphic artist, actor, film director and clown -- is best known for his theatre work. He has enriched the Czech theatre by bringing painting on the stage. He uses this unique form of expression to tell stories from his life, to talk about his observations and opinions, and to make people think. There are no language barriers in these kinds of performances.
The Municipal House (Obecní Dum) is one of the best venues for classical music in Prague. Built at the beginning of the 20th century, it has excellent acoustics and is filled with local art.
The Estates Theatre (Stavovské divadlo) is one of the finest examples of Neo-Classical elegance in Prague. It is a Mecca for Mozart fans. In 1787 Mozart's opera, Don Giovanni had its debut here with Mozart at the piano conducting the orchestra.
The opulent National Theatre built in the 19th century in the Neo-Renaissance fashion, is a symbol of the revival of the Czech national identity. It was built to nurture the Czech National Revival Movement, a drive to replace the dominant German culture with home-grown Czech works.
The Rudolfinum, now home of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, is an outstanding example of Czech neo-Renaissance style. The curving balustrade is decorated with statues of distinguished Czech, Austrian and German composers and artists. Many of the major concerts of the
Prague Spring Music Festival are held here.
In 1885 the New Town Theatre was pulled down to make way for the present building. Originally it was known as the New German Theatre, built to rival the Czech National Theatre. In 1945 the theatre became the city's main opera house under the name of State Opera.
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