West Bohemia - A symphony of experiences

West Bohemia boasts a number of beautiful locations and offers countless extraordinary experiences. Do not hesitate to visit Plzen, West Bohemia's main city, where you can wind up a tour of its monuments with a taste of the city's famous beer. www.turisturaj.cz

Enjoy the beautiful spa towns where you can easily forget your everyday troubles and lose yourself in a leisurely stroll along the colonnade... The best way to understand the magic of West Bohemia is to try it out for yourself!

West Bohemia has enjoyed a tradition of spas for several centuries, and has among the best in the world. The most renowned spas are located in the West Bohemian Spa Triangle, consisting of Karlovy Vary, Marianske Lazne and Frantiskovy Lazne.

Like many others, you will surely be enchanted and enticed by the hidden corners, the romantic views, the elegant spa buildings with their original architecture, the charm of the centers on the promenade, or the quiet parks lined with benches. What's more, there are kilometers of marked hiking and biking trails lining the area around each spa location. There are even several golf courses nearby the West Bohemian spas. Get rid of that stress and exhaustion!

Come visit Marianske Lazne in August and enjoy classical music concerts at the international festival honoring the genius Polish composer and pianist Frederic Chopin. You'll find out more about his life and his relationship to Bohemia at his monument, located in the Chopin House.

Touch a star! The International Film Festival in Karlovy Vary is a highly prestigious film festival with an excellent reputation. Each year at the beginning of July, you can see film stars and filmmakers strolling along the red carpet - and, of course, go see a few great films.

Insider Tip

Enjoy Karlovy Vary to the fullest and more cheaply with the Karlovy Vary City Card. Take advantage of great sales and discounts on dozens of services in town and nearby.

Looking for an unforgettable experience? Then an excursion to the magical world of luxurious crystal in the Moser glassworks in Karlovy Vary is for you!

Come catch the scent of the history of the 'thirteenth spring of Karlovy Vary', Becherovka, and discover the secrets that surround it. You can also enjoy a taste of this famous liqueur in the Jan Becher Museum in the centre of Karlovy Vary.

On the banks of the Tepla River, in the midst of the romantic Slavkovsky Forest, you will find the picturesque little town of Becov nad Teplou. There, is a cheateau of the smae name, lies a gem that experts consider the second greatest treasure in the Czech Republic, right after the crown jewels - the St. Maurus reliquary. The discovery of the reliquary comes with an unusual history and an exciting detective story. come listen, you won't regret it!

Plzen's location between Prague and the country's western border provided for rapid economic development; today, the area is associated with a traditionally rich cultural environment. Plzen is the site of cultural events and international festivals such as the Smetana Days music festival, Skipa's Plzen puppet festival, the Historic Weekend, the multi-genre festival Na ulici (On the Street), Pilsner Fest, the International Biennale of Drawing, and the Divadlo theatre festival.

When you say Plzen, what comes to the mind of every Czech is the classic bitter taste of the local beet. The city's own Plzensky Prazdroj (Plisner Urquell) is without exaggeration a world-renowned beverage with an unparalleled recipe. And it definitely tastes the best in its home town! We recommend a tour of the Pilsner Urquell brewery or a visit to the Brewery Museum located in the city centre. Experience the story of beer from the Middle Ages up to today!

Insider Tip

Have fun learning about the principles of mathematics and the physics in the modern interactive Techmania Science Center in Plzen's southern suburbs.

If you happen to visit the West Bohemian area known as Chodsko, you will mostly find yourself attracted by the traditional Chodsko ceramics, the rural architecture, and the local cuisine. Folk bagpipe music and dance are still alive, and the Chodsko Festival in Domazlice is one of the oldest folklore festivals in the Czech Republic. The only other place you would find so many bagpipers might be Scotland. The Chodsko Festival takes place every year in August on the name day of St. Lawrence or the first weekend after this day.

Insider Tip

You can learn about the culture of Chodsko all year round at the Chodsko Museum at the Domazlice Castle

Discover the largest Sumava Lakes, name Cerne and Certovo. One hiking trail to them leads from Zelezna Ruda. This village is on the German border and is a great place to start off other trips.

Visit one of several monuments of the region: the vast Rabi castle ruins near the town of Susice, Kasperk Castle with its lookout onto the forests of Sumava, or romantic Velhartice in one of the most beautiful of Sumava's valleys.