# Cerca de Prague

Prague is surrounded by castles less than an hour away by train or bus, such as Karlštejn, Konopiště, Křivoklát and Mělník. To the east are Kutná Hora and the Bohemian Paradise; to the west, Plzeň and the spa towns, and to the north, along the Elbe, the rocks of the two Switzerlands.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/czechia/prague/getaways

## Planes de un día
- [From Hrabal's table to the bed above the brewery restaurant](https://www.geocalia.com/en/czechia/prague/itineraries/pub-night-and-tank-beer.md) (0 min en coche): Pilsner at Hrabal's pub when it opens, dinner with tank beer at Lokál, the dark beer of U Fleků and a last one at U Medvídků, with your room upstairs.
- [Lidice: the memorial](https://www.geocalia.com/en/czechia/lidice/itineraries/lidice-half-day-from-prague.md) (30 min en coche): Metro and bus to Lidice, the museum, the meadow where the village stood with the monument to the children, the rose garden and the new village's gallery.
- [Mělník: wine above two rivers](https://www.geocalia.com/en/czechia/melnik/itineraries/melnik-wine-and-confluence-from-prague.md) (40 min en coche): Bus from the Prague metro, the tower and ossuary of St Peter and St Paul, lunch with tank Pilsner, the Lobkowicz castle and a tasting in its Gothic cellar.
- [Karlštejn: castle and quarries](https://www.geocalia.com/en/czechia/karlstejn/itineraries/charles-iv-castle-and-amerika.md) (45 min en coche): Forty minutes by commuter train, the walk up to Charles IV's castle, the guided tour, a forest route to the flooded quarries and game dishes by the castle.
- [Konopiště: armoury, bears and roses](https://www.geocalia.com/en/czechia/konopiste/itineraries/archdukes-castle-and-rose-garden.md) (50 min en coche): Train to Benešov, a walk through the park to the castle, the armoury tour, a game lunch in the former gamekeeper's house, the bear in the moat and the rose garden.
- [Kokořín: castle, rocks and wine](https://www.geocalia.com/en/czechia/kokorin/itineraries/castle-sandstone-valley-and-melnik.md) (50 min en coche): Kokořín castle and its tower, lunch in the valley's old inn, the rocks with hats at Mšeno and, on the way back, the wine castle of Mělník.
- [Terezín: fortress and ghetto](https://www.geocalia.com/en/czechia/terezin/itineraries/small-fortress-and-former-ghetto.md) (55 min en coche): An hour by bus or car from Prague, the Small Fortress with a guide in the morning, a simple lunch and the Ghetto Museum and the crematorium in the afternoon.
- [Terezín and Litoměřice](https://www.geocalia.com/en/czechia/litomerice/itineraries/memorial-in-the-morning-from-prague.md) (1 h en coche): Bus from Prague, the Small Fortress of Terezín in the morning, lunch in a Gothic cellar on Litoměřice's square and, in the afternoon, the Kalich tower and the cathedral.
- [Křivoklát: castle and river train](https://www.geocalia.com/en/czechia/krivoklat/itineraries/royal-castle-and-berounka-train.md) (1 h en coche): Train to Beroun and along the Berounka valley, the castle's long tour with the chapel, dungeons and library, and Czech lunch at the foot of the castle.
- [Plzeň: beer, tunnels and a tower](https://www.geocalia.com/en/czechia/pilsen/itineraries/pilsner-urquell-and-tunnels-from-prague.md) (1 h 5 en coche): An hour and a half by train from Prague, the Pilsner Urquell brewery with a tasting in the cellars, lunch in the brewery's own restaurant, tunnels beneath the old town and the tallest church tower in the country.
- [Tábor: Hussites and tunnels](https://www.geocalia.com/en/czechia/tabor/itineraries/hussites-underground-and-kotnov-from-prague.md) (1 h 15 en coche): Train to Tábor, the Hussite museum and the underground beneath the square, lunch on Goldie's terrace, the Kotnov tower and a stroll through the crooked streets.
- [Kutná Hora: bones, silver and a cathedral](https://www.geocalia.com/en/czechia/kutna-hora/itineraries/sedlec-ossuary-and-silver-mine.md) (1 h 15 en coche): An hour by train from Prague main station, the Sedlec Ossuary on arrival, Bohemian lunch in the centre, a medieval mine with a helmet and St Barbara's at the end of the day.
- [Český ráj: rocks and castles](https://www.geocalia.com/en/czechia/bohemian-paradise/itineraries/rock-city-and-trosky.md) (1 h 20 en coche): An hour and a quarter by car, the Hrubá Skála rock city from viewpoint to viewpoint, Valdštejn castle, lunch at the castle hotel and the towers of Trosky at sunset.
- [Bastei and Königstein: rock and ramparts](https://www.geocalia.com/en/germany/saxony/saxon-switzerland/itineraries/bastei-koenigstein-day-from-prague.md) (1 h 40 en coche): A little over an hour and a half by car from Prague for Königstein fortress, lunch with a view of the Elbe at the Panoramarestaurant and the afternoon on the Bastei bridge.
- [Saxon Switzerland: tram, Kuhstall and thermal baths](https://www.geocalia.com/en/germany/saxony/saxon-switzerland/itineraries/kirnitzschtal-kuhstall-day-from-prague.md) (1 h 40 en coche): Direct train from Prague to Bad Schandau, the Kirnitzschtal tram, half an hour of forest to the Kuhstall arch, soup at the mountain inn and a bath at the Toskana Therme.
- [Karlovy Vary: springs and a hot pool](https://www.geocalia.com/en/czechia/karlovy-vary/itineraries/colonnades-funicular-and-thermal-bath.md) (1 h 50 en coche): Two hours by bus from Prague, a stroll along the colonnades with the spa cup, Becherovka, the funicular up to the forest and an hour in the open-air thermal pool before heading back.
- [Bohemian Switzerland: the arch and the gorge](https://www.geocalia.com/en/czechia/bohemian-switzerland/itineraries/pravcicka-gate-and-gorge-by-boat.md) (1 h 50 en coche): Train along the Elbe valley to Děčín, bus to Hřensko, the climb to the Pravčická brána, lunch in the little castle beside the arch and, in the afternoon, the Edmundova gorge by boat.
- [Marienbad: baths and springs](https://www.geocalia.com/en/czechia/marianske-lazne/itineraries/roman-baths-and-singing-fountain.md) (2 h en coche): Two hours by car, the colonnade and its springs, a bathe in the Roman Baths of 1896, lunch facing the Singing Fountain and the walk to the Forest spring.

## For almost everything, Czech trains and buses are enough

There are direct flights to Prague airport from Madrid, Barcelona, Alicante, Málaga, Seville, Bilbao and Palma de Mallorca, and from Gran Canaria, Tenerife South, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. For most of the outings you do not need a car: Czech trains and buses reach almost all the castles and towns on this page.

From the main station, Praha hlavní nádraží, trains leave for [Kutná Hora](/en/czechia/kutna-hora), for [Plzeň](/en/czechia/pilsen), for [Tábor](/en/czechia/tabor), on the way to České Budějovice, and for Benešov, for [Konopiště](/en/czechia/konopiste). The commuter train towards Beroun, also from Smíchov, stops at [Karlštejn](/en/czechia/karlstejn), and at Beroun you change to the Berounka valley train towards [Křivoklát](/en/czechia/krivoklat). Along the Elbe valley, a train goes to Děčín, gateway to [Bohemian Switzerland](/en/czechia/bohemian-switzerland), and the direct EC carries on to Bad Schandau, already in [Saxon Switzerland](/en/germany/saxony/saxon-switzerland). By bus you go to [Karlovy Vary](/en/czechia/karlovy-vary); to [Mělník](/en/czechia/melnik), from Holešovice or Ládví, on metro line C; to [Terezín](/en/czechia/terezin) and [Litoměřice](/en/czechia/litomerice), from Holešovice, and to [Lidice](/en/czechia/lidice), by metro A and a bus.

With a hire car, and with the electronic motorway vignette, the D10 climbs towards Turnov and the [Bohemian Paradise](/en/czechia/bohemian-paradise); the D5 goes west, towards Plzeň and [Mariánské Lázně](/en/czechia/marianske-lazne); the D8 crosses into Germany towards the Bastei, and via Mělník you reach the [Kokořín](/en/czechia/kokorin) valley.

## Karlštejn, Charles IV's castle, and central Bohemia

**Less than an hour away** is central Bohemia. Lidice, 30 minutes away, is a half day; Mělník, 40, combines a castle, wine and the confluence of the Vltava and the Elbe; Karlštejn, 45, Charles IV's castle; Konopiště and Kokořín, 50, and Terezín, 55.

The fan opens out **between an hour and an hour and a half**. Křivoklát and Litoměřice with Terezín are 60 minutes away; Plzeň, 65, with the Pilsner Urquell brewery and the tunnels under the city; Tábor and Kutná Hora, 75, and the Bohemian Paradise, 80, with the rock town of Hrubá Skála and the towers of Trosky. This last has [a night](/en/czechia/bohemian-paradise/itineraries/one-night-at-hruba-skala) for sleeping in the castle and adding Prachovské skály the next day.

**Between an hour and a half and two hours** are the longer outings: the Bastei, Königstein and the Kirnitzschtal in Saxon Switzerland, 100 minutes away; Karlovy Vary and Bohemian Switzerland, 110, and Mariánské Lázně and [Hluboká](/en/czechia/hluboka), 120. Hluboká is best done as [a night with Budějovice](/en/czechia/hluboka/itineraries/one-night-with-budvar-from-prague), with the Budvar brewery and the boat on the Vltava.

## Karlovy Vary and its open-air thermal pool

In winter, choose what does not depend on the castles' opening hours, which are open few days or only by appointment. [Karlovy Vary](/en/czechia/karlovy-vary/itineraries/colonnades-funicular-and-thermal-bath) is better than ever, with the open-air thermal pool; Plzeň opens the brewery, the underground and the tower, and Mariánské Lázně works all year round. Terezín closes at 16:00: you need to set out early. In Kutná Hora, from December to February, the Hrádek mine is closed.

In spring, from April to June, the castles return: Konopiště opens its tours and greenhouses, Kokořín is open from Tuesday to Sunday from May and the Bohemian Paradise is at its best in May and June. In June and July the Lidice rose garden blooms.

In summer, [Bohemian Switzerland](/en/czechia/bohemian-switzerland/itineraries/pravcicka-gate-and-gorge-by-boat) has boats through the Edmundova gorge every day and the Pravčická brána arch open, and in July and August Tábor opens every day. It is the season for Hluboká and for the three tours of Křivoklát. In Karlovy Vary, it is best to avoid the days of the July film festival.

In autumn, September brings the grape harvest festival at [Mělník](/en/czechia/melnik/itineraries/melnik-wine-and-confluence-from-prague), and in October the forest of the [Kirnitzschtal](/en/germany/saxony/saxon-switzerland/itineraries/kirnitzschtal-kuhstall-day-from-prague) changes colour. In the Bohemian Paradise, September and October are as good as spring.

## The Sedlec ossuary as you step off the train

- **Without a car, in a day:** [Kutná Hora](/en/czechia/kutna-hora/itineraries/sedlec-ossuary-and-silver-mine). Train from the main station, the Sedlec ossuary as you get off, a medieval mine with a helmet and St Barbara's at the end of the day.
- **With a car, in a day:** [Bohemian Paradise](/en/czechia/bohemian-paradise/itineraries/rock-city-and-trosky). 80 minutes on the D10, the rock town from viewpoint to viewpoint, Valdštejn castle and the towers of Trosky at dusk.
- **With one night:** [Hluboká and Budějovice](/en/czechia/hluboka/itineraries/one-night-with-budvar-from-prague). The neo-Gothic castle at Hluboká, the tasting at Budvar, a night on the square and the boat on the Vltava.