The Czech Republic will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2018. On the occasion of this anniversary, we invite you to rediscover this country that visitors too often tend to limit themselves to Prague and its great classics. Here is a summary of the many hidden treasures of the Czech Republic and there is something for everyone!
Prague differently
Prague is rightly renowned for its magnificent historic centre, rich in picturesque alleys, baroque churches, beautiful gardens and emblematic squares such as the Old Town, known for its astronomical clock. It is also famous for its castle, the largest castle in the world according to the Guiness of Records, its old Jewish quarter, particularly well preserved, and its charming Mala Strana district where it is pleasant to stroll. However, Prague is not limited to these must-see visits and is therefore a particularly surprising city.
Prague has many hidden treasures, most of which date back to the "First Republic" from 1918 to 1938, a very prosperous period for the country in economic and cultural terms, particularly in the arts and architecture. This rich heritage of the First Republic is still present today through many buildings, starting with several Prague cafés born at the beginning of the century and frequented at that time by the bourgeoisie and intellectuals, including the famous Franz Kafka. Located on Ovocný trh Square, in the heart of Prague, the Grand Café Orient is the most original of them. It is the only and first cubist coffee in history. Beautifully restored, it offers a delightfully retro setting for a break between two visits to Prague. It is located on the first floor of the Black Madonna House, a jewel of the Cubist style, which today houses a small museum on Czech Cubism. Through a permanent exhibition, we discover a unique movement on a world scale developed by a group of young Czech architects and artists who then decide to apply the principles of Braque or Picasso's cubist paintings to architecture and applied arts.
Beyond the Grand Café Orient, other cafés from the First Republic era are real institutions in Prague, such as the Art Deco style Café Slavia, located just opposite the National Theatre, or the Savoy Café, on the other side of the Vltava, with its elegant interior and pretty neo-Renaissance ceiling. Apart from the cafés, other historic buildings built at the beginning of the century are among the unsuspected charms of Prague, including the Villa Bilek, a stone's throw from Prague Castle. This villa, built by the sculptor František Bílek himself in the Hradčany district, was also his studio. The building symbolizes a field of wheat and testifies to the artist's conviction that there are analogies between natural and artistic creation. Villa Rothmayer is also one of the jewels of modern architecture at the beginning of the 20th century. Built by the architect Otto Rothmayer and well restored, it is inspired by the Mediterranean tradition introduced in Prague by the architect Jože Plečnik.
Superb spa towns
After this bath in Prague culture, nothing beats a little thermal stay to take care of your body after feeding your brains! West Bohemia is only a two-hour drive from Prague and is rich in a triangle of thermal towns with beneficial springs. The most popular of them is Mariánské Lázně, better known by the German name of Marienbad, it is a wonderful seaside town born in the early nineteenth century that many famous people have frequented. Richard Wagner wrote several of his compositions, Sigmund Freud took mud baths and Alfred Nobel followed a cure. Among these celebrities of the time, the biggest fan of the Marienbad Baths remains Edward VII. The English king loved this spa town so much that he visited it nine times in all from 1897, sometimes even turning it into the epicentre of politics in Europe.
Nowadays, the city of Marienbad perfectly combines this ancestral thermal tradition with the latest technology of the best spas in the world. But what makes the reputation of the resort is above all the great variety of minerals that compose its waters and their high level of carbon monoxide, all qualities that give the Baths of Marienbad exceptional healing properties. In the Health Spa Resort complex in the heart of the city, it is easy to understand why King Edward VII loved Marienbad so much. It is even possible to take a bath in the Royal Cabin that the king used during his stays! The other spa town to relax in a royal way in Bohemia is Karlovy Vary, also known as Karsbad. Here again, it is a crowned head that made this spa famous, since it was the Czech king Charles IV himself who noticed the healing properties of the region's waters in the 14th century. Since then, the resort has continued to attract visitors concerned about taking care of their bodies, including some famous personalities such as Beethoven, who stayed there twice, or more recently Robert Redford.
Moravia, a region between vineyards, folklore and modernity
For an immersion in Czech folk culture, Moravia, located in eastern Bohemia, is a prime destination. This region, renowned for its fertile wine-growing soil and its good wines, also has a very lively folklore, some of whose customs are even registered with UNESCO. Thus, every year in September during the harvest, multicoloured processions take place in the city of Znojmo. The main character is King John I of Luxembourg, who came to Znojmo in 1327 to celebrate successful negotiations. During these festivities, Znojmo residents participate in horseback tournaments, fencing matches, fireworks and street theatre, while enjoying wine and period dishes prepared according to traditional recipes.
Moravia is also famous for hosting the city of Zlin, the birthplace of the famous shoe brand Bata. Tomáš Bat'a, born more than 140 years ago, first worked as a shoemaker before becoming an ingenious industrialist. He succeeded in propelling the city to the global level by launching into large-scale shoe manufacturing. Its international success is due to effective management techniques inspired by Americans. In Zlin, it is now possible to visit the 21 Bata skyscraper which, at the time of its creation, was the second tallest building in Europe. In order to better manage his teams, Bata, concerned about maximum profitability, had his office installed in the elevator of this tower and was even equipped with a sink and air conditioning! This allowed him to closely monitor the manufacture of shoes from floor to floor, without ever wasting time on unnecessary travel.
Finally, Moravia is also famous for hosting one of the jewels of modern architecture. This is the Tugendhat villa which is located in Brno, the second largest city in the country. Built in the early 1930s, this villa is a major architectural work of the 20th century as it embodies a new aesthetic of space, developed to meet the housing needs of modern life. In a functionalist style, Villa Tughendhat is the only monument of modern Czech architecture to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Smart info
When? When? The Czech Republic has a continental climate. Summers are very hot (up to 35°C in July)
and cold winters (up to -10 °C in Prague in January/February). Prague and the spa towns can be visited all year round. Moravia is an ideal destination for summer holidays or in September/October at harvest time.
Getting there. Direct flights to Prague from Paris, Nantes, Toulouse, Marseille, Nice, Bordeaux, Strasbourg, Basel-Mulhouse or Lyon. Duration: about 2 hours. For a long stay, the car is recommended (possible rentals at Prague airport). Travel within the country can also be done by train/bus from Prague. Also flights from Vienna (Austria) and Krakow (Poland) airports.
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