Western Bohemia: Places to Explore

Known for centuries by its German name of Eger, the old town of Cheb tickles the German border in the far west of the Czech Republic. The town has been a fixture of Bohemia since 1322 (when it was handed... Read more

Frantiskovy Lázne, or Franzensbad, is the smallest of the three main Bohemian spas. It isn't really in the same league as Karlovy Vary. The main spa area is only a few blocks, and aside from a dozen... Read more

Karlovy Vary—often known outside the Czech Republic by its German name, Karlsbad—is the most famous of the Bohemian spas. It's named for the omnipresent Emperor Charles IV, who allegedly happened... Read more

Once Bohemia's star spa town, Mariánské Lázne now plays second fiddle to Karlovy Vary. Whereas the latter, with its glitzy international film festival and wealthy "New Russian" residents... Read more

Plzen—or Pilsen in German, as it's better known abroad—is the industrial heart of Western Bohemia and the region's biggest city. To most visitors the city is known as a beer mecca. Anyone who... Read more