Czechia

The land of castles, monasteries, mansion houses, beautiful countryside, home to Pilsner Beers, a place where Mozart performed aged just 12 years and marks the beginning of the stunning Sudeten Mountains and Carpathian Mountains over in the east. 

With neighbours as Germany, Austria, Poland and Slovakia, Czechia (formally the Czech Republic) has one foot in Western Europe, and one in the Slavic East: hence its rich and eventful cultural legacy. It has always been a melting pot of cultures, folk and religions, who have, over the centuries, called this home; including Czechs, Germans, Jews and Slovaks, as well as Italian stonemasons and stucco workers, French tradesmen and deserters from Napoleon’s army. Perhaps no wonder then that this country-member of the EU is famed for its UNESCO heritage buildings which span from the Medieval, to Gothic, to the Renaissance and Baroque and more recently, modernist statements from 40 years under the Soviet-Block. Since the famous Velvet Revolution of 1990, the Czech Republic quickly regained its independent status on the world stage and celebrates its rich, diverse cultural heritage. The heritage capital Prague is a treasure trove of winding streets, wonderful 14^thcentury architecture including the famous Charles Bridge and the landmark St Vitus Cathedral. But venture further afield across the lands of Czechia and explore the spa resorts, vineyards, beer producing Bohemia, and the vast national reserves of Moravian-Silesian covered in undisturbed continuous forests. The Czech Republic should be on your travel itinerary whether you are on the cultural trail, a foodie seeking the bourgeoning restaurant scene of new restaurants, wanting to get close to nature or you are a fellow Pilsner aficionado.