Czech It All Out

Senior Times

John Low rhapsodises about Bohemia.

Yes, Prague is stunning, interesting, inexpensive and more, but it’s a great pity that most people travelling to the Czech Republic do not take the trouble to travel beyond its boundaries. Make an effort -you’ll be glad you did. The country is divided into seven regions: Central Bohemia (which takes in Prague), Eastern Bohemia, Northern Bohemia, West Bohemia, South Bohemia, Southern Bohemia, North Moravia and Silesia. Each of these regions is peppered with historic, most attractive cities and small towns, many with curative spas.

On a recent trip to Prague, myself and the other half decided to spend a few days outside the capital. The nice people at CSA Airtours organised for us to visit two of the Czech Republic’s finest towns: Karlovy Vary, one of the country’s best-known spa centres in West Bohemia, and Cesky Krumlov in South Bohemia. They could not have been further away from each other - about 200 miles! - but at least our coach journey provided the opportunity to see a fair slice of the country. And while the coaches are not exactly luxurious, they are comfortable enough and it will cost you little or nothing to traverse the country.

Czech Republic

First stop Karlovy Vary, which is about a hundred miles west of Prague and is set in a picturesque valley on the river Tepla. Karlovy Vary is the country’s largest spa and has been renowned for almost two hundred years for the treatment of disorders of the metabolism and gastric diseases, and there are numerous opportunities here ’to take the waters’. It is a most attractive town, with many fine ornate buildings - now mostly hotels - flanking the river as it runs through the main thoroughfare. It is a town rich in culture and heritage and has been visited by some of Europe’s most outstanding figures over the years, including Beethoven, Schiller, Goethe, Chopin and Wagner. Dvorak premiered his New World Symphony here. There is a theatre, many galleries, casinos, and museums.

But it’s not all culture - there are many fine walks just beyond the town along well-kept forest paths, and an 18-hole golf course is nearby. Walking makes you thirsty, so we repaired to the bar of our hotel - the four-star Colonnade - for a few quick ones before dinner. The bill for two bloody Marys, with all the trimmings and beautifully presented, and two pints of fine Czech beer: less than €6 (And remember this is the palatial bar of a four-star hotel, with waiter service!). And so south, and about five hours later, to Cesky Krumlov.

Now I regard myself as reasonably well-travelled and not easily impressed, but nothing could have prepared me for the overwhelming beauty of Cesky Krumlov - not surprisingly UNESCO have declared it a World Heritage site. It is a medieval masterpiece, with the River Vltava - the same river which runs through Prague - snaking its way below its streets and alleyways, with hilltop points above the town offering magnificent rooftop vistas, dominated by the castle. Whereas Karlovy Vary is genteel, and largely attracting ’third agers’, Cesky Krumlov is much more hectic, and you can find yourself falling over back-packers in the narrow streets. But don’t let that put you off - it is well worth making the effort to visit. We stayed in the Ruze Hotel, which itself was a former monastery, and affords delightful views of the river from its elevated terrace.

Like everywhere in the Czech Republic, eating out is a surprisingly inexpensive business, and we found a good restaurant in the main square. I have bored for Ireland with this story, but it is worth repeating what we had and what it cost. We started with two G&Ts while we studied the menu, then had soup, a good-size steak each, with a selection of vegetables, followed by ice creams. All washed down with a bottle of local white wine, ending with coffees. The bill: €25. So to repeat, if you are going or Prague do try to allocate a day or two to visit other places, and there are many attractive towns and historic sites within easy each of the capital.

For further information on the Prague and the Czech Republic, contact your local travel agent or CSA Czech Airlines and Airtours at (01) 8144626.

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