Central Bohemian Region: 26 places worth a day trip
Pinsko lists 26 places in the Central Bohemian Region: 11 historic sites, 6 beer stops, 3 nature spots, 3 mushroom areas, 2 wine stops and 1 spa town.
Highlights include Karlštejn Castle, Velké Popovice Brewery (Kozel) and Velká Amerika Quarry.
Quick answers
- Which places in the Central Bohemian Region need booking?
- Book ahead for Velké Popovice Brewery (Kozel), Krušovice Royal Brewery, Lobkowicz Brewery, Mělník Chateau Winery, Karlštejn Castle, Sedlec Ossuary and Koněprusy Caves. The rest are walk-in or worth a quick check of opening times.
- What's seasonal in the Central Bohemian Region?
- Seasonal: Karlštejn Castle (Apr–Oct); Koněprusy Caves (Apr–Oct); Brdy Highlands (Jun–Oct); Křivoklát Forests (Jun–Oct); Kokořínsko Pine Woods (Jun–Oct) and Czech Railways Museum, Lužná (Apr–Oct). The others aren't seasonal, but check opening hours before you go.
- How far is the Central Bohemian Region from Prague and Brno?
- By car, Pinsko's places here are 15 min–1 h 20 min from Prague and 1 h 55 min–3 h 10 min from Brno, without traffic.
Beer6
- Velké Popovice Brewery (Kozel)
Home of Kozel beer and its live goat mascot, a fixture of the brewery yard for decades. Founded by industrialist Franz Ringhoffer in 1874.
- Únětice Brewery
A village brewery just north of Prague, closed in 1949 and brought back to life by locals in 2011. Its unpasteurised 10° and 12° lagers have a loyal Prague following.
- Krušovice Royal Brewery
Emperor Rudolf II bought this brewery in 1583, giving it the royal title it still carries. It lies in the hop-growing Rakovník region.
- Lobkowicz Brewery
Below Vysoký Chlumec castle, brewing has been recorded since 1466, and the brewery has been tied to the Lobkowicz family since the 16th century.
- Zichovec Brewery
A village microbrewery near Slaný that grew into one of the busiest craft producers in the country, from classic lagers to barrel-aged specials.
- Antoš Brewery
A family microbrewery in Slaný with its own taproom, known for hoppy pale lagers and seasonal specials.
Wine2
- Mělník Chateau Winery
Above the confluence of the Vltava and Elbe, the Lobkowicz chateau has made wine for centuries; tradition credits Charles IV with bringing Burgundy vines here.
- Kutná Hora Wine Cellars
A Bohemian winery working vineyards around the silver town, with tastings in cellars above the Vrchlice valley.
History11
- Karlštejn Castle
Founded by Charles IV in 1348 to guard the imperial regalia and holy relics. The Chapel of the Holy Cross is inlaid with semi-precious stones and 129 panel paintings.
- St. Barbara's Church, Kutná Hora
A cathedral-scale Gothic church funded by silver miners and begun in 1388. Silver once made Kutná Hora the second town of the kingdom (UNESCO).
- Sedlec Ossuary
A small chapel decorated with the bones of some 40,000 people, arranged into a chandelier and a coat of arms by woodcarver František Rint in 1870.
- Lidice Memorial
The village razed by the Nazis in June 1942 in revenge for the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich. The memorial includes a bronze sculpture of 82 children.
- Svatá Hora, Příbram
One of the most important Marian pilgrimage sites in Bohemia: a Baroque complex on a hill above Příbram, built around a medieval statue of the Virgin and reached by a long covered stairway from the town.
- Svatý Jan pod Skalou
A Baroque church built against a limestone cliff in the Bohemian Karst, over the cave where, legend says, Ivan, the first Czech hermit, lived in the 9th century. A steep path climbs to the cross on top of the rock for a view down the valley.
- Blaník Hill
Legend says an army of knights led by St Wenceslas sleeps inside the hill and will ride out when the Czech lands are in their greatest need. A short climb through beech woods leads to a wooden lookout tower on the summit of Velký Blaník.
- Stone Shepherd Menhir, Klobuky
The tallest menhir in Czechia, about three and a half metres of stone standing alone in the fields near Klobuky. Local legend says it moves one step closer to the village church with every ring of the bell – and when it gets there, the world will end.
- Škoda Museum, Mladá Boleslav
The car maker's museum on the site where Laurin & Klement started out building bicycles in 1895: cars from the first voiturettes to rally Fabias, and a restoration workshop you can look into. Tours of the plant next door can be booked.
- Czech Railways Museum, Lužná
The Czech Railways museum in a former engine shed of the Buštěhrad Railway, with the country's largest collection of steam locomotives, rides on a narrow-gauge line and steam trains on some weekends.
- Příbram Mining Museum
Příbram mined silver for centuries and uranium after the war. In Březové Hory you ride a mine train into the Ševčin adit and walk through headframes, engine houses and miners' cottages.
Spas1
Nature3
- Velká Amerika Quarry
A flooded limestone quarry in the Bohemian Karst, nicknamed the Czech Grand Canyon.
- Koněprusy Caves
The largest cave system in Bohemia, where counterfeiters minted coins in the 15th century.
- Pokličky Rocks, Kokořínsko
Mushroom-shaped sandstone pillars topped with 'lids' in the Kokořínsko protected landscape, near Kokořín castle.
Mushrooms3
- Brdy Highlands
A military zone closed to the public until 2016, now the best-known mushroom ground within an hour of Prague. Boletes and bay boletes from late June, peak in September.
- Křivoklát Forests
Oak and beech woods in a UNESCO biosphere reserve. Penny buns and oak boletes after warm rain, July to October.
- Kokořínsko Pine Woods
Sandy pine forest between the sandstone rocks — slippery jacks and pine boletes, often the first flush of the season in June.