Tourism in the Czech Republic

Charles Bridge in the historic center of Prague

The Czech Republic has become one of the major tourist destinations in Europe. The capital, Prague, is the most popular destination. Other highly visited destinations include Karlštejn Castle, Kutná Hora, Brno, Český Krumlov, České Budějovice, Olomouc and the Lednice–Valtice Cultural Landscape. Prague attracts large numbers of foreign tourists, mostly from Germany, Russia, Poland, the United States, Israel and the United Kingdom.[1]

Statistics

Most non-residents arriving to the Czech Republic and staying overnight are from the following countries:

Top 10 nationalities by number of visitors
Rank Country 2015[2] 2016[3] 2017[4]
Total8,686,7269,288,01310,175,963
1 Germany1,749,2761,879,7541,954,833
2 Slovakia564,496645,788688,490
3 Poland467,285543,247578,465
4 Russia432,768406,410551,191
5 United States507,376511,629539,023
6 China285,404354,799491,648
7 United Kingdom441,516470,643470,576
8 South KoreaN/A322,108417,438
9 Italy371,686368,851392,861
10 Austria268,961283,608292,420

Tourist attractions

Cultural heritage

As of 2018, the Czech Republic has twelve UNESCO World Heritage Sites. All of them are in the cultural category and they are not shared with other countries. The Historic Centre of Prague and the Historic Centre of Český Krumlov are popular among tourists from all over the world.

Nightlife

Prague attracts large numbers of tourists because of low costs associated with nightlife. The large number of bars and clubs, located close together and often open late, serves as additional attraction for certain types of tourists.

Hiking and skiing

The Czech countryside offers protected areas such as Bohemian Paradise (Český ráj), Bohemian Karst (Český kras) and Šumava National Park. The countryside features castles, caves and other landmarks. In South Bohemia, the Šumava Mountains, also in Vysočina, Jizerské hory and Beskydy contain many hiking and cross-country skiing possibilities. The nature reserve Rejvíz is a popular destination in the Jeseníky Mountains.

Skiing resorts are located from Northern East to Northern West Czech Republic. The most famous and popular resorts lie in the Krkonoše Mountains. Krkonoše includes the tourist centre of Harrachov.

Vineyards and wine tourism

Moravia is famous for its wine. Wine production and wine tourism are centered around the towns of Mikulov, Velké Pavlovice, Znojmo and the Slovácko region.

Transport

Prague is served by Prague Václav Havel Airport. For travel within the Czech Republic it is common to use Inter-City trains or buses. Roads are in good condition and include a highway network. There is good tourism infrastructure in every big city and most tourist resorts.

References

  1. ↑ Czech Statistical Office
  2. ↑ Table 5 Guests, overnight stays (non-residents by country, numbers, indices)
  3. ↑ Tourism - 4. quarter of 2016 - Table 5 Guests, overnight stays (non-residents by country, numbers, indices)
  4. ↑ - 4. quarter of 2017 - Table 5 Guests, overnight stays (non-residents by country, numbers, indices)
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