Mladá Boleslav is one of the best examples of how an industrial story can become an experience even for people who are not especially technical. This is where the story of Laurin and Klement began in 1895, growing into one of the oldest car brands still in operation today.

The museum stands in former production halls where cars were built until 1928, so the visit does not feel like a standard exhibition, but like a walk through the space where the brand’s story actually began. The collection includes around 340 items, from production cars, rally cars, and prototypes to engines, motorcycles, and the oldest exhibit, a Slavia bicycle from 1899.

The visit opens up nicely on two levels: first you see the history of the brand, the development of design, and older models, and then you sense the closeness of modern production. The factory in Mladá Boleslav produced 575,000 vehicles in 2024, and its line is also special because it can produce conventional and electric models at the same time.

A place that moves Czech glassmaking tradition from a general idea into a concrete space, process, and works of art shaped by the hands of a small number of skilled craftspeople. On the roughly 45-minute tour, you see different stages of production, from blowing and cutting to grinding and decorating, so the glassworks does not feel like a random tourist stop, but like a living part of a long Czech craft story.

Rückl has roots going back to 1846, while the glassworks in Nižbor has been operating since 1903. Their current online selection includes almost 400 products, from glasses, carafes, and vases to decorative pieces and special collections, with the most expensive pieces reaching as much as 99,000 Czech crowns. That makes it clear this is not just about souvenirs, but about seriously designed and hand-crafted crystal.

An extra layer of charm is that Rückl also produces the Český lev crystal statuettes, the most important Czech film awards, and in their shop you can also see the Crown Crystal Bowl, which Václav Havel and Jiří Rückl presented to Queen Elizabeth II.

Kutná Hora stays with you. It is not only a town with a famous ossuary, but a former silver center that was important enough in the Middle Ages for its historical weight to still be very obvious today.

The town has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1995, mainly because of its historic center, St. Barbara’s Church, and Sedlec. Its power grew out of silver: rich silver veins turned Kutná Hora from the end of the 13th century into one of the key royal towns of the Czech lands.

The most unusual part of the visit is, of course, the Sedlec Ossuary, where the interior is not just a dark spectacle, but a carefully arranged space made from human bones. Among the most famous details are the chandelier, said to contain at least one bone from every part of the human body, and the Schwarzenberg family coat of arms, made from bones.

At the same time, Kutná Hora is not just “the ossuary town.” St. Barbara’s Church gives the visit a much more elegant Gothic counterpoint, while the Italian Court reminds you that the town was once the economic heart of silver-rich Bohemia.

Bohemian Switzerland moves the trip away from cities, squares, and breweries into rock walls, forests, gorges, and scenic trails. The most recognizable symbol of the region is Pravčická brána, the largest natural sandstone rock arch in Europe, most commonly reached from the direction of Hřensko or Mezní Louka.

The region works best as an active day: a bit of walking, a few viewpoints, and that feeling of escaping the urban side of the Czech Republic. Alongside Pravčická brána, the gorges of the Kamenice River are another major draw, where part of the route is traditionally combined with boats through narrow rocky canyons.

When planning, it is smart to check the current trail status. The area was partly affected by a major fire in 2022, so the opening of individual trails, gorges, and access points can change depending on the season, weather, and safety conditions.