There are countless wonderful places around Prague! If you don't know what to do with next weekend, we bring you inspiration for 5 short trips. As a bonus, we've added tips on good restaurants in the vicinity and other attractions that you can visit along the way. No need to wreck your brain anymore, skim through the article and start packing!
Less than an hour's drive from Prague, in Central Bohemia at the foot of the Brdy Mountains, lies Dobříš. The city, which attracts tourists mainly with its beautiful Rococo chateau surrounded with a French garden and an English park, is an ideal place for a day trip from Prague.
What's more, the French garden was ceremoniously opened after extensive reconstruction, so you can look forward to a wonderful spectacle. The chateau consists of three terraces and features water cascades, creatively cut hedges, beautiful flowers, statues or a rococo orangery. It is also home to the Toy Museum, which will delight your children.
As part of this trip, make a small detour to the Karel Čapek Memorial in Stará Huť, located less than 3 km from Dobříš.
It is said that every Czech should hike up the famous mountain Říp in the Elbe lowlands, from which Forefather Čech looked around, at least once in their life. The mountain is located 456 m above sea level and at its top stands the Romanesque rotunda of St. Jiří. Another interesting fact is that one of the cornerstones of the National Theater supposedly comes from this mountain.
Besides the Říp mountain, you can visit the nearby ruins of the Gothic castle Hazmburk, which is often called the "pearl of the Bohemian Central Mountains". Or head to the Zelčín Zoo not far from Mělník.
In Prague's surroundings, you can look at our most famous river from several beautiful viewpoints. Viewpoint Máj is considered to be the most amazing. You can find it near the village of Teletín, where the Vltava forms a meander in a rocky canyon. The place can be reached by turning off the yellow tourist trail leading from Teletín to Třebsín. The path is about a kilometer and a half long and it will reward you with a lovely view of the fascinating scenery below, which so often appears in various tourist materials.
Průhonice is located in the district of Prague - West in the Central Bohemian Region. In this small village with less than 3,000 inhabitants, you'll find a monument that has deservedly found a place on the UNESCO list - Průhonice Chateau Park, one of the most important chateau parks in our country. It has an area of an incredible 250 ha and its beauty is simply breathtaking.
The plants were selected with the greatest care, while their planting took into account the views of the castle. Through the park flows the river Botič, and you'll even find here multiple ponds and weirs. You'll be surprised by the lovely meadows and forests, featuring an incredible variety of plants. Both the park and the chateau belong to the Botanical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; you can also visit the local botanical garden. A landscaped English park stretches nearby.
If you feel like it and have plenty of time, visit the nearby aquapark in Čestlice, which is open until 22:00 for an even more pleasant day.
Not far from Karlštejn, about 20 kilometers southwest of Prague, lies a pilgrimage site and the small town of Svatý Jan pod Skalou. It is situated in the beautiful nature of the Bohemian Karst Protected Landscape Area and is considered one of the most charming villages in Central Bohemia. Take a trip to the viewpoint U Kříže on a massive rock not far away and enjoy the stunning views. The village was famous for its Midsummer pilgrimages, which used to take place here until the middle of the 20th century, when they were suppressed by the communist regime. Ordinary people, rulers and important personalities of their time alike flocked here. In the Church of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, you'll find the entrance to the cave of St. Ivan, named after a Croatian pilgrim who also has his grave here. There is also a well that bears his name, where you can refresh yourself with water full of minerals. It is a beautiful place to rest and relax.