Alongside Prague, there are an impressive 11 other places on the UNESCO list of world cultural heritage sites, making the Czech Republic one of only a handful of countries in the world with such a high concentration within its borders.
They range from Brno, with the Villa Tugendhat acknowledged by international architects as a revolutionary work of modern design, to Trebic, with its large, uniquely-preserved Jewish quarter.
At the heart of this cultural superpower, though, is the historical jewel that is Prague, one of the first Czech sites to feature on the UNESCO list, with its unique collection of buildings charting the entire progression of architectural styles from Romanesque rotundas to Gothic towers, Jewish synagogues, cubism and functionalism.
Once described as “a symphony in stone”, Prague’s buildings in all their varied styles come together in a splendid mix of artistic and spiritual richness. Against a backdrop of the meandering River Vltava and the surrounding seven hills, it’s no wonder this energetic, living architectural gem has captivated poets, artists, writers and photographers for generations.
The historical centres of both Cesky Krumlov and Telc, included in the UNESCO list at the same time as Prague, also have an unforgettable magic about them. The picturesque river valley town of Cesky Krumlov is a wonderful example of a medieval settlement, whose architectural heritage has remained untouched for almost 500 years, and Telc is valued for its lovely Renaissance square with its many archways and late Gothic chateau.
Cesky Krumlov is situated 112 miles south of Prague, near the Austrian border, and the Italian Renaissance greatly influenced the appearance of the town and its castle. Today, visitors can take advantage of a network of long-distance bus lines connecting it to major cities and in summer there is a daily express train from Prague.
Telc, founded in the 13th century on the crossroads of busy trade routes, is easily reached from the Prague-Vienna highway.
A short drive from Telc there are two further heritage sites in the Czech highlands – the pilgrimage Church of St Jan Nepomucky at Zelena Hora and the Basilica of Saint Procopius and Jewish quarter and cemetery of Trebic. Outside of Israel, this is the only purely Jewish site on the UNESCO heritage list.
In 1995, the historical centre of Kutna Hora, with its Church of St Barbora, and the Cathedral of the Virgin Mary in Sedlec became UNESCO sites. The centre of Kutna Hora is an extraordinary collection of medieval buildings with a large number of well-preserved houses.
Major tourist attraction in the Czech Republic’s second city of Brno, in the southeast, is the Villa Tugendhat – built in 1930 – which is a masterpiece of design by the German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and has long been an icon of modern architecture. In 1992 the political leaders of Czechoslovakia met there to sign the document that divided the country into the present separate states of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and since 1994 the villa has been open to the public as a museum. It also featured in the 2007 horror movie film Hannibal Rising.
Southeast of Brno, in the wine-growing region, are the lovely little towns of Lednice and Valtice, where the Baroque and Gothic architectural styles of two romantic chateaux are set in beautiful natural parks, follies, ponds and woods.
The chateaux at Lednice and Valtice are not the only seats of the nobility in the land to achieve UNESCO status. In 1998 the Archbishop’s Chateau and gardens in Kromeriz, an exquisitely preserved example of a Baroque residence, were added to the world heritage list. A year later the Renaissance chateau in Litomysl, with its unique facades and gables decorated in 8,000 graffito was also included.
The town was settled as early as the turn of the 10th and 11th centuries and the castle complex includes its own brewery, known as the birthplace of composer Bedrich Smetana, the son of a brewer.
The common denominator shared by two other Czech UNESCO sites is their Baroque architectural style. The village of Holasovice, in south Bohemia, represents an exceedingly well-preserved traditional Central European village with buildings in the south Bohemian rural Baroque style dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, while Olomouc, once the site of a Roman fort, is proud of its 18th century Holy Trinity Column and six Baroque fountains.
