This Safe European Country With Fairytale Castles, $4 Beers, And Medieval City Centers Is Breaking Tourism Records

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Tucked away in the heart of Central Europe, with stunning medieval castles galore, lively beer gardens slinging pocket-change pints, and timeless Old Towns, Czechia has officially emerged as Europe’s fastest-growing destination among its top markets.

Between May 2025 and April 2026, it saw an 18% year-on-year increase in air-travel bookings, outpacing well-established tourism hotspots like Iceland and Denmark.

Everyone’s headed for Prague, of course, but what if we told you there’s a whole other country to explore that’s so much more than simply braving the jam-packed Charles Bridge and waiting around to watch the Astronomical Clock chime?

Czechia Is Europe’s Next Tourism Hotspot

Prague is one of Europe’s most popular city breaks; if not for the great value you can still find here, in spite of rising costs, then for the picture-perfect Old Town that truly looks like a fairytale scene come to life.

We’re talking Gothic spires, a monumental castle perched on a hill overlooking the scenic Vltava River, and that unrivaled bohemian vibe, with riverside cafés, artsy districts splattered with colourful murals, and a killer beer scene.

But you know all that already. Maybe you’ve even been to Prague at this point.

It’s clearly the number one reason roughly 11 million international guests check into Czech accommodation every year, but could it be that we’ve been glossing over what’s transpiring in the rest of the country?

‘Cause, you know, Czechia is actually pretty big by Central European standards, roughly the size of South Carolina, and with a population of nearly 10.9 million.

Only 1.4 million of those live in Prague. This makes the capital the largest, and obviously most important destination, but it doesn’t make it the whole story.

Before we get into the meat of it, including all of the most beautiful cities and towns you’ve probably never heard of, let’s just establish part of the reason we love Czechia so much is how safe it feels.

Czechia as a whole is one of the safest countries in Europe, having attained a Level 1 classification by the overly strict U.S. Department of State—that’s how you know a country is truly low-risk for Americans—and scoring a certified ‘green’ 83 out of 100 on the Travel Off Path Traveler Safety Index.

In case you’re not familiar with our game, that’s our homegrown index for measuring safety metrics across different destinations worldwide, based entirely on incident reports from travelers on the ground, experiencing these countries live:

Low street-level crime, and a near-absence of extremist threats aside, what has this compact Central—or Eastern, depending on who you’re asking—European country got to offer other than, well, Europe’s prettiest medieval capital?

*cracks fingers*

This is where the actual fun begins.

Top 5 Epic Old World Czech Destinations You Should Consider Outside Just Prague

Brno

The Most Obvious Prague Rival

Brno, Czechia’s second-largest city, located in the vineyard-dotted region of South Moravia, attracted over 870,000 overnight visitors in 2025.

Home to around 404,000 residents, and serviced by its own international airport that hosts flights from a number of European destinations, Brno is Czechia’s official runner-up, but if you’ve read my piece on secondary Euro spots that are better than their capitals, you know by now I actually prefer it over Prague.

It, too, has a charming old centre, with cobbled lanes running along elegant Baroque and 19th-century façades, and a skyline dominated by the soaring, neo-Gothic twin spires of the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul. It just screams Gothic dreamland.

What sets Brno apart from your average Central European hub, however, is how authentically-Czech, and surprisingly uncrowded it still feels for a city of its size, growing cosmopolitan flair, and cultural value:

While it does get moderately busy in summer, a majority of overnight visitors are still domestic, while neighbouring Slovaks, Poles, and Germans lead the foreign contingent.

Regional, manageable European tourism hardly registers as ‘international’, if you know what we mean, compared to Prague’s staggering levels of overtourism. In other words, it still feels strangely ‘local’ despite being this major destination.

Brno can be a lot cheaper as well:

Whereas Prague has been increasingly getting closer to mirroring Western European prices, with beers in tourist-heavy downtown bars now often costing over $5, and the average hotel rate set at around $139—no different from Vienna or Budapest, mind—Brno is increasingly feeling like the better bargain.

Average Prices In Brno, Czechia In 2026

• Takeaway snack, such as a koláč or chlebíček: $1.50–4
• Casual lunch special: $9–13
• Three-course meal in a mid-range restaurant: $28–45 per person, excluding drinks
• Half-liter draught beer: $2.50–3.75
• 60-minute public transport ticket: around $1.15
• Simple guesthouse or hotel: $80–115 per night for two
• 4-star hotel: $135–190 per night

If you’re flying to an EES-participating European country this season and you hold a U.S. passport, travel rules for Americans have changed drastically since 2025.

Non-EU visitors are now digitally registered on entry and exit, including fingerprints and a facial image, and ETIAS is expected to follow, though applications are not open yet.

Don’t get turned away at the border: use the Entry Requirement Checker to stay up to date with the fast-changing regulations.

Olomouc

The Fastest-Rising Destination

Then there’s Olomouc, yet another sizable, 102,000-people-strong city in the eastern province of Moravia.

Even more offbeat, this one features six ceremonial Baroque fountains, a landmark Holy Trinity Column topped by gilded copper sculptures, rising in the center of a picturesque Old Town square, and a monumental St. Wenceslas Cathedral.

The historic Přemyslid Castle complex, centered on a rare 12th-century Romanesque palace, is one of the most fascinating historical sites in Czechia, and it’s right in the centre of Olomouc.

And if you’re checking off Astronomical Clocks in every Czech city you go to, Olomouc has its own, more socialist-realist version of Prague’s in the Town Hall. Dare I say, it’s even more impressive and visually-striking.

Last year, the Olomouc Region recorded the fastest growth in tourist arrivals of any Czech region: 8.4% year-on-year, which translated to over 816,500 overnight guests. When you break it down to foreign arrivals, they grew even faster, at 10.8%.

Meanwhile, Prague grew only 2.6%.

That doesn’t mean Olomouc is more popular, of course, but Prague’s room for manoeuvre and further expansion as a destination is narrowing when the stone parapets of Charles Bridge are already groaning under the weight of millions of annual tourists, leaving room for other destinations to shine.

Average Prices In Olomouc, Czechia In 2026

• Takeaway snack, such as a koláč or chlebíček: $1.75–4.25
• Casual lunch special: $8.50–11.50
• Three-course meal in a mid-range restaurant: $28–42 per person, excluding drinks
• Half-liter draught beer: $2.75–4.25
• Single public transport ticket, valid for 40 minutes on weekdays: around $1.15
• Simple guesthouse or hotel: $80–110 per night for two
• 4-star hotel: $115–165 per night

Plzeň

The Place For Beer Buffs

Pro tip? If you’re craving svíčková and cold beer, make a beeline for Plzeň, a mid-sized city a short 75-minute train ride from the capital.

It’s the crown jewel of Western Czechia, as well as its undisputed beer capital. Need help figuring out how to pronounce the seemingly impenetrable Slavic name? Well, how about the better-known German version… Pilsen?

Yep, other than its landmark 13th-century Cathedral of St. Bartholomew, which towers above a sprawling town square, and a compact Old Town ringed by lush parks, Plzeň | Pilsen is, of course, the proud birthplace of Pilsner Urquell.

The world’s first-ever pale lager was brewed here all the way back in 1842, and the brewery’s bottom-fermented beer is a staple on tap in bars across the entire Czech Republic.

Needless to say, the best breweries and beer halls in the country aren’t in Prague—or Brno—but in Plzeň.

If that sounds like your idea of a good time, Na Spilce is a cavernous landmark beer hall right inside the brewery complex, where you can get half-liter pours of Pilsner Urquell for a dirt-cheap $3.20.

Average Prices In Plzeň, Czechia In 2026

• Bakery snack or chlebíček: $1.50–4.50
• Czech main in a local restaurant: $13–20
• Three-course meal in a mid-range restaurant: $25–42 per person, excluding drinks
• Half-liter draught beer: $2.75–3.50
• Pilsner Urquell Brewery tour: around $20
• 60-minute public transport ticket: around $1.30
• Simple guesthouse or hotel: $55–90 per night for two
• 4-star hotel: $120–165 per night

Karlovy Vary

The Elegant Spa Capital

Keen on a little old-school, 19th-century spa break?

Karlovy Vary, historically known by its German name Carlsbad, is a pastel-hued town in West Bohemia known for its UNESCO-listed spa heritage, with the winding Teplá River lined with ornate, candy-coloured buildings, and a whole riverside ‘spa district’ centered around natural thermal springs.

Czechia has no sea access, and if they’re not flying somewhere sunny and warm like the Canary Islands in winter, Karlovy Vary is where locals will go for their thermal-bath and wellness fix.

Sunlight is limited as we move into winter, of course, but you get a modernist Hot Spring Colonnade housing a geyser that spouts water up to 12 meters high, landmark historic spa hotels with opulent interiors, and full-service wellness centers that look like palatial bathhouses.

Oh, and sure, the usual sprinkling of big Baroque churches and fountains.

Hotel Thermal is a 4-star listing in Karlovy Vary offering short wellness getaways from only $126 per night for two, with breakfast and thermal-pool access included—basically a fraction of the rate you’d get in similar spa towns in Austria or Germany.

Alternatively, Elisabeth Spa is a public bathhouse where 90 minutes in the pool costs only around $6.25, with massages, mineral baths, and other treatments available as add-ons.

Average Prices In Karlovy Vary, Czechia In 2026

• Spa wafer or bakery snack: $1.50–5
• Casual lunch special: $10–13
• Czech main in a local restaurant: $14–23
• Three-course meal in a mid-range restaurant: $30–50 per person, excluding drinks
• Half-liter draught beer: $2.75–4.50
• 60-minute public transport ticket: around $1.40
• 90-minute pool entry at Elisabeth Spa: around $6.25
• Simple guesthouse or hotel: $65–110 per night for two
• 4-star spa hotel: $130–200 per night
• 5-star hotel: $230–350 per night

Český Krumlov

The Prettiest Medieval Town

Of course, I couldn’t leave out what’s perhaps my all-time favourite Czech gem:

The pocket-sized dreamland of a town that is Český Krumlov.

Czechia’s true unspoiled charm simmers to the surface away from the large urban centers, and there’s nowhere better to soak up that medieval atmosphere, sample every variation of beef stew there is, and go for riverside strolls with a huge hilltop castle looming above your head than here.

Located a short 2.5-hour bus hop from Prague, in the South Bohemia region—which, pun intended, can feel every bit as bohemian—Český is home to a landmark 13th-century castle, with a three-storey arched bridge, five courtyards, and lofty lookouts that are free to explore.

If you fancy climbing the frescoed Castle Tower, that’s only $13, or 280 Czech korunas, but you get equally sweeping views of the gabled roofs, church spires, and maze-like townscape from the open terraces down at Cloak Bridge-level.

It’s bucolic, incredibly peaceful after dark when the crowds of Prague day-trippers dissipate, and it’s actually pretty affordable for a place that’s probably Czechia’s most-visited medieval town.

Average Prices In Český Krumlov, Czechia In 2026

• Takeaway snack, such as a pastry or chlebíček: $2–5
• Czech main in a local restaurant: $13–21
• Three-course meal in a mid-range restaurant: $28–48 per person, excluding drinks
• Half-litre draught beer: $2.75–4
• Local public transport ticket: around $0.70 (though this is a fully-walkable town)
• Castle Museum and Tower admission: around $13
• Simple guesthouse or B&B: $62–90 per night for two
• 4-star hotel: $160–240 per night

Czechia Actually Wants More Tourists

…if you’re willing to look beyond Prague’s touristy sights

Czechia is safe, getting around the country to hit up all these amazing cities and towns is pretty straightforward and affordable, with trains and buses going virtually anywhere and tickets from Prague to these destinations typically ranging from $6 to $22.

And believe ir or not, most of these places, with the exception of Prague, of course, actually want more tourists.

If that, plus the $4 beer, and all the Old World charm isn’t enough to convince you to book the next flight out, we don’t know what will.

Americans can still fly nonstop to Prague this month from New York–JFK with Delta through October 23, with remaining nonstop round-trip fares starting at around $1,850 at the time of writing.

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