Prague is beautiful and you can enjoy yourself for days. But the Czech Republic has so much more to offer. Just outside the capital, you will find yourself in a completely different world. From medieval towns, castles to hiking in the Bohemian paradise with towering sandstone rocks. In this article you will find my tips for a Czech Republic itinerary and 3 days road trip in the vicinity of Prague: Central Bohemia. Hopefully it inspires you to explore the Prague surroundings with this itinerary.
Czech Republic itinerary 3 days – tips for a road trip
Do you want to see more of the Prague surroundings? Then this is a perfect 3 days road trip to explore more of the Czech Republic, combining nature and history. Curious about what to do in Prague? Read more in my comprehensive Prague city guide.
Curious about what to do in Prague? Read more in my comprehensive Prague city guide.
Day 1 – Czech Republic itinerary and 3 days road trip
Start your Czech Republic Itinerary and 3 days road trip today early in the morning towards Kutna Hora in the Czech Republic. A perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of Prague. Especially during the early morning hours, when there is a good chance that there are only a few people around. Kutna Hora was once one of the most important silver cities in Europe, and the former wealth can still be seen in the architecture. You walk through medieval streets, past beautiful churches and buildings.
Discover Kutna Hora
Use the morning of this Czech Republic itinerary and 3 days road trip to discover Kutna Hora and its landmarks. Visit the Saint Barbara Cathedral, stroll through the center, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and learn more about the history of the city in the Italian Court. This complex served as the royal mint where the Prague groschen were minted and later as the royal palace for the kings of Bohemia.
You can also follow in the footsteps of the former miners and visit the underground mines and tunnels in the Hrádek mining complex. Are you looking for a Czech lunch in a beautiful setting? Book a table in V Ruthardce’s garden. You will find countless meat dishes and beers here, but vegetarians have also been thought of. The halloumi burger is really delicious.
Want to read more about Kutna Hora? Check out my article with tips and things to do in Kutna Hora here.
Visit Sedlec
You can use the afternoon to visit Sedlec, a small town just outside Kutna Hora. Sedlec is known The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption and St. John the Baptist, and the Sedlec Ossuary (Kostnice Sedlec). Part of the Cemetery of All Saints, this bone chapel is home to more than 60,000 human bones and skulls, which have been used in chandeliers, statues, altars, and other decorations.
Please note that it is forbidden to take photos inside the chapel. This is out of respect for the deceased. Sedlec Cathedral and Ossuary are within walking distance of each other. A visit is therefore easy to combine.
Interested in visiting The Bone Chapel? You can buy your ticket here.
Wine tasting
Do you like wine as much as I do? Then make sure you finish your first day of this Czech Republic itinerary and 3 days road trip with a wine tasting in Vinné Sklepy Kutna Hora. Kutna Hora is known for its wine production, a tradition that goes back to the Middle Ages. There are several vineyards where mainly white grape varieties are grown, such as Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, Müller-Thurgau and Silvaner. Make sure to book a wine tasting at their vineyard, overlooking Kutna Hora. You won’t get any better. Wines of Vinné Sklepy Kutna Hora have carried the BIO label since 2009.
You can either spend the night in Kutna Hora, recommended after your wine tasting. Or continue your way towards the Bohemian Paradise. Looking for hotels in and around Kutna Hora? This is an overview with prices and availability.
How to reach Kutna Hora
Kutna Hora is located in the Central Bohemia region, about seventy kilometers east of Prague in the Czech Republic. You can travel from Prague Central Station by train to Kutna Hora, but it is better to rent a car, so that you can stop along the way. If there is not a lot of traffic, you will be there within an hour and 15 minutes. Do you want to visit Kutna Hora from Prague? This is an interesting tour.
Day 2 – Czech Republic itinerary and 3 days road trip
Today it is time to go into nature during this Czech Republic itinerary and 3 days road trip. From Kutna Hora you drive in an hour and a half to Chateau Hruba Skala, a perfect starting point for a hike in the Bohemian Paradise.
The Bohemian Paradise
The Bohemian Paradise, Český ráj, consists of several rock cities, with impressive rocks, walls and towers, made of sandstone. Erosion by rain, wind and temperature differences, in combination with shifts in the earth’s crust, created, from what was once a seabed, a special landscape with bizarre rock formations.
Nowadays, the Bohemian Paradise in the Czech Republic is true hiking destination and paradise on earth for climbers. You can walk for days from village to village, through the lovely pine forests and visit castles. Given the duration of this road trip and itinerary of 3 days in the Czech Republic, I will focus on a day hike only in this article.
Hiking in the Bohemian Paradise
If you spend the night in Hruba Skala Castle, something I highly recommend, you can walk straight into the national park from your room. Hruba Skala consists of 400 towers of up to 55 meters high. There are several hiking trails that run along the rocks or allow you to enjoy beautiful views via the upper route. A nice walk is the yellow route towards Valdštejn castle (5 km), one of the oldest castles in the region, and return via the red route (3 km). In total you will be on the trail for 4 hours, doable for everyone. Make sure you have enough water and a picnic lunch, so you have all the time.
Hruba Skala Castle
Have you ever spent the night in a real castle? This mini-road trip and itinerary through the Czech Republic offers you the ultimate opportunity. Perched high on a massive sandstone rock, the 14th-century Hruba Skala Castle, has been converted into a hotel and restaurant. The castle is beautiful and exudes history on all sides. There are several comfortable rooms, furnished in an authentic way and most of them offer stunning views of the surroundings. You also have a view of the rock formations from the restaurant, which serves traditional dishes. The tower offers 360 views. And the best part is that you can walk straight into nature. Do you also want to spend the night in Hruba Skala Castle? Check out prices and availability here.
Do you also want to spend the night in Hruba Skala Castle? Check out prices and availability here.
Climbing
Everywhere you look in the Bohemian Paradise you see climbers on top of the rocks. Do you have more time to spend in Central Bohemia? Book a climbing excursion. Something I would like to do during my next visit.
About the The Bohemian Paradise
The Bohemian Paradise covers more than 833 km2 and is located between the towns of Jičín and Železný Brod. It consists of Hrubá Skála, Malá Skála and Prachov and is the first UNESCO Geopark in the Czech Republic. One of the most famous hiking areas of the Bohemian Paradise is the Prachov Rock Park, near the town of Jičín, but therefore also the busiest. Do you have more time for yourr Czech Republic itinerary and road trip in Central Bohemia? A long-distance hiking trail is the Golden Path, the Zlatá stezka Českého, which connects the most important places of the Bohemian Paradise. The hike is 119 kilometers long and starts in the town of Mladá Boleslav, then leads towards Hrubá Skála, through the town of Turnov, Malá Skála and ends in Jičín, near the Prachov rocks.
Do you want to visit the Bohemian Paradise as a day trip from Prague? This is an interesting tour.
Day 3 – Czech Republic itinerary and 3 days road trip
Kokořín Castle
On day 3 of this Czech Republic itinerary and 3 days road trip, it is nice to visit Kokořín Castle in the morning. This castle, which dates back to the 14th century, is located high on a limestone rock, surrounded by green forests.
It is known for its beautiful Gothic architecture. You can take a tour of this truly perfect little castle and enjoy a wide view of the surroundings.
Visit Mělník
Continue towards Mělník. Mělník is a town in the Central Bohemian region, idyllically located at the confluence of the rivers Elbe and Vltava. Mělník is small but a nice destination to include in your Czech Republic itinerary and 3 days road trip. Walk around the central square Námestí Míru and admire the architecture of the houses and the town hall with its beautiful facade. Also take a look at one of the oldest churches in the Czech Republic, St. Peter and St. Paul. In the crypt of the cathedral is an ossuary with bones of up to 15,000 people. Behind the cathedral you have a great view of the confluent rivers and the surroundings of Melnik.
Explore undergound Mělník
What is special is that Mělník has an extensive tunnel system, with floors that are located 8 to 25 meters underground. In earlier times, all the buildings of the city were connected in this way. The system was developed in the 13th century and served both as storage space and as a shelter against attacks from the outside. And still every building in the city has one or more underground floors.
Nowadays you can visit the tunnels, located under the main square, where you also have a view of a medieval well from the 13th century. With a width of 4.54 meters and a depth of 54 meters, this source is even one of the largest in the Czech Republic. With a helmet on and accompanied by a guide, you enter the underground area from the Tourist Information Center. Recommended.
Visit Mělník chateau
Interested in the history of Melnik? Then take a tour of the Mělník chateau, consisting of a mix of Gothic and Baroque architecture. You will be taken through the different palace halls, art collections and learn more about Melnik and the role of the Lobkowicz family, who own the palace to this day.
The palace offers the best view of Central Bohemia, including Mount Říp. You can also visit the wine cellars, where wine tastings take place on a regular base.
Taste local wines
Mělník is known for its vineyards and great wine, a tradition that dates back to the 9th century. The favorable location on the Elbe ensures quality wine production, especially white wines, including Müller-Thurgau, Riesling and Grüner Veltliner.
