Whole historic towns, a gothic cathedral of bones, a modernist villa and a hop-growing landscape.
The Czech Republic is unusually rich in UNESCO World Heritage sites for its size, and the range is odd in a good way: entire preserved towns, a single villa, a landscaped park the size of a district and a working agricultural landscape.
The historic towns
Praga’s historic centre was listed in 1992. Český Krumlov is an almost untouched medieval town wrapped in a river bend beneath an enormous castle. Telč has one of the most beautiful squares in Europe, arcaded and pastel-coloured. Kutná Hora was a silver-mining rival to Prague, and its Sedlec Ossuary — decorated with the bones of forty thousand people — is the single most unsettling place in the country.
Villages and landscapes
Holašovice is a preserved village of South Bohemian folk baroque farmhouses. The Lednice–Valtice complex is a vast landscaped park of chateaux, follies and avenues laid out by the Liechtensteins — one of the largest designed landscapes in Europe. The Žatec hop-growing landscape was added recently, recognising centuries of hop cultivation.
Single buildings
Villa Tugendhat in Brno, built by Mies van der Rohe in 1930, is one of the founding works of modern architecture. The Archbishop’s Chateau and Gardens at Kroměříž is baroque garden design at its most complete. Litomyšl chateau is Renaissance; Trebíč preserves a Jewish quarter and basilica together; Ołomuniec has an extraordinary Holy Trinity column.
Which are worth the trip
From Prague: Kutná Hora is an hour and doable in a day. Český Krumlov is three hours and deserves an overnight. Telč I Holašovice suit a car or a longer Moravian loop.
Intangible heritage too
Czech and Slovak marionette theatre, Ride of the Kings folk ritual in Moravia, and Czech blueprint fabric dyeing all appear on UNESCO’s intangible heritage lists.
Często Zadawane Pytania
Which UNESCO site is easiest from Prague?
Kutná Hora — an hour by train, with the cathedral and the ossuary in one visit.
Is the Bone Church really made of bones?
Yes. The Sedlec Ossuary is decorated with the remains of an estimated 40,000 people, arranged in the 19th century.
Is Prague itself a UNESCO site?
Yes, the historic centre has been listed since 1992.
Read more: Kutná Hora, Český Krumlov I day trips from Prague.
Last reviewed in August 2026.
