The Czech Republic is often associated with Prague’s medieval skyline, but the country’s cultural and historical footprint extends far beyond its capital. One of the clearest ways to see that broader picture is through the UNESCO World Heritage List, which highlights towns, landscapes, and monuments across the country.
Below are 14 Czech UNESCO sites outside Prague that are officially recognized and worth planning a trip around, ordered by their proximity to the capital.
Kutná Hora
Image Credit: Veronika Primm
UNESCO lists Kutná Hora for its compact medieval town center and monuments tied to its former wealth from silver mining. Key landmarks include the Gothic Church of St. Barbara and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec.
The cathedral complex also includes the Sedlec Ossuary, where human bones are arranged into elaborate decorative forms. Easily visited as a day trip from Prague, Kutná Hora offers a striking mix of history and the unexpected.
Žatec
Žatec is a compact town where hops shape both the streetscape and local identity. Historic hop warehouses, drying houses, and former merchant buildings cluster close to the center, making it easy to explore on foot. Located in the heart of the Saaz hop-growing region, Žatec is known among brewers for its highly sought-after hops.
It offers a quieter, less touristy alternative to better-known Czech destinations and works well as a relaxed day trip from Prague.
ŽÄár nad Sázavou
Image Credit: Veronika Primm
ŽÄár nad Sázavou is home to one of the most unusual churches in Central Europe, the Pilgrimage Church of St. John of Nepomuk, which sits on a hill known as Zelená Hora, or “Green Hill.” Built on a star-shaped plan, the church combines Gothic and Baroque elements into a highly symbolic design defined by precise geometry and intentional sightlines.
Even visitors with limited interest in religious architecture often find the site memorable. Its hilltop setting, balanced proportions, and quiet surroundings make it an easy and rewarding stop on a road trip through Czechia.
TelÄ
TelÄ is one of the most picturesque towns in the Czech Republic, centered on a perfectly preserved square lined with colorful Renaissance and Baroque houses. Uniform facades, arcades, and decorative gables create a cohesive and striking streetscape. Surrounded by ponds and anchored by a Renaissance chateau, TelÄ is compact and easy to explore.
Litomyšl
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Litomyšl is best known for its Renaissance chateau, whose elegant proportions and richly decorated facades make it a standout in eastern Bohemia. The chateau dominates the town and defines its refined character. Once a year, Litomyšl also hosts a major classical music festival held in and around the chateau, briefly transforming the quiet town into a national cultural hub.
Holašovice
Holašovice is a tiny village defined by a single, well-preserved row of traditional South Bohemian farmhouses surrounding a small village green. The appeal lies in simplicity rather than scale. Because of its size, Holašovice works best as a short stop rather than a full-day destination and is often paired with Äeský Krumlov.
TÅebíÄ
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TÅebíÄ is a small town best known for its well-preserved Jewish Quarter, one of the few in Europe to survive intact. Narrow streets and modest houses offer a grounded look at centuries of shared Jewish and Christian life.
There is no single headline attraction, but paired with the Romanesque Basilica of St. Procopius above the quarter, TÅebíÄ rewards visitors interested in quieter history.
Kladruby nad Labem
In Kladruby nad Labem, UNESCO recognized the Landscape for Breeding and Training of Ceremonial Carriage Horses, a rare working cultural landscape created specifically for breeding ceremonial carriage horses. The site centers on the Kladruber, the oldest indigenous Czech horse breed.
Developed to pull ceremonial coaches for emperors and kings, the Kladruber horse is still bred for ceremonial use, with surrounding stud farms and pastures unchanged for centuries.
Äeský Krumlov
Image Credit: Veronika Primm
Äeský Krumlov is among the most visually striking towns in the Czech Republic, with a historic center wrapped tightly around a bend in the Vltava River. A castle complex rises above red-roofed houses and narrow streets, creating one of the country’s most recognizable views.
The town draws heavy day-trip crowds, especially in peak season. Staying overnight allows visitors to experience early mornings and evenings when the streets are quieter, and the atmosphere shifts noticeably.
Brno
Image Credit: Veronika Primm
The second-largest Czech city is home to the Tugendhat Villa, one of Europe’s most important works of modern architecture. Designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the villa is a landmark of functionalist design and early modernism. While it is Brno’s only UNESCO-listed site, the city itself is lively and layered, with a strong café culture, contemporary food scene, and a historic center.
Lednice–Valtice
Lednice–Valtice is defined by two grand chateaux connected by a designed landscape of gardens, lakes, and tree-lined avenues. The Lednice and Valtice castles anchor the area with formal grounds and richly decorated interiors. Set in South Moravia, the region around Lednice–Valtice is also known for its vineyard-dotted countryside, making the area appealing beyond the castles themselves.
Olomouc
Image Credit: Veronika Primm
Olomouc is a handsome city with a large historic center, elegant squares, and a strong student presence. Baroque fountains, churches, and pastel facades give the city a distinctly grand look. Its UNESCO-listed Holy Trinity Column dominates the main square, though it is undergoing an extensive renovation scheduled to finish at the end of 2026.
Even so, Olomouc remains well worth visiting for its architecture and atmosphere.
KromÄÅíž
KromÄÅíž is best known for its archbishop’s castle and exceptionally well-preserved gardens. While the chateau interiors are impressive, the gardens are the main draw. The formal Flower Garden contrasts with the nearby, more relaxed castle park.
Czech Spa Towns
Historic Spa Section of Karlovy Vary, Bohemia, Czech Republic. Image Credit: Robert Harding Video / Shutterstock
The Czech Republic is also home to three historic spa towns, Františkovy LáznÄ, Karlovy Vary, and Mariánské LáznÄ, all part of the UNESCO-listed Great Spa Towns of Europe. Located in western Bohemia near the German border, they were developed around mineral springs, colonnades, and grand hotels. Karlovy Vary is the most famous, known for its dramatic valley setting and its annual international film festival.
Mariánské LáznÄ offers a calmer, park-focused atmosphere, while Františkovy LáznÄ is smaller and more intimate, retaining a strong 19th-century spa-town character.
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