Trip in Czech Republic in a van

We’re happy to give you here our 2 weeks itinerary for a road trip in Czech Republic in a van.

Beautiful parks for outdoor addicts, lovely towns for architecture lovers, and cheap beer for everybody…

We unfortunately had a bad weather (especially when we had planned hikes and parks), so we changed our itinerary during the trip and canceled some places. Like the National park of Bohemian Switzerland and the National park of Adrspach rocks – Teplice, 2 parks that look crazy.

Visit Czech Republic by van

(when: mid – end of september)

1/ 2 weeks itinerary in Czech Republic

You’ll find some of our spots on the map above…

1.1/ Arrival from Dresde in Germany

1^st night in Czech Republic after we crossed the Greman border. Close to a lake, really nice. People during the morning (joggers, fishermen…) but very quite by night.

No service.

1.2/ On the way to the capital, Prague

We stay a couple of days in Prague. Visits, nights out, museums, restaurants…
Czech Republic and its lovely districts are a charming capital.

We really liked:

• Cross the Charles Brige and its and its Gothic towers above the Vltava river, while enjoying a trdlo / trdlenik (soooo good)!

• Enjoy the last summer days drinking a good beer with a superb view of Prague at Letensky zamecek, a beergarden in Letna park.

• Have a walk in the royal castle’s garden in the Hradcany district and visit the Saint Nicolas church.
• Experience the re-inauguration of the astronomical clock on the old town square on the day of our departure (it was hidden for work for months) .

• Stroll on the old town and in the Josefov streets (jew district, former guetto).
• Discover the David Cerny’s subversive works (like the Saint Wenceslas statue on his horse overturned in the Lucerna path).

• Everywhere look up to admire an architectural melting pot that is both surprising and harmonious …

• Taste the local liquid specialties: absinthe, becherovka, pivo – beer, yes, but almost cheaper than water … And solids: gulas (goulash), svícková na smetane (beef roasted in sauce + cranberry sauce) , smažený sýr (breaded cheese + fries) and so on … By the way, if you are on a diet, try to avoid Central Europe!

I think you get it, Prague has not betrayed its reputation. It’s a very beautiful European capital which is worth the detour.

Spot to sleep with a van in Prague:

We were parked in the south of the city in a small street which leads to the nice cultural place, the Meet Factory (a former slaughterhouse). Today it’s a social place with bar, exhibition, music … toilets and trash cans, which is very useful. Busy street during the day (but we never stayed there) and quiet at night … perfect. Other vans are reassuring.
On foot, a bit far from the city center, but 5 mins from a metro station (Smichovske Nadrazi).

1.3/ Pilsen brewery…

Czech Republic is a beer country… so we stoped to visit the Pilsener Urquell brewery, in the so called town. Not allowed to take pictures inside. The visit is nice, lasts about 1h30 and ends of course with a beer tasting … who would have thought it!

If you have never visited one before, it’s always impressive to see the giant copper vats used for the beer fermentation, the setting in barrels … 250 crowns, or about 9/10 € per person. A lot of english tours, no worry (here the brewery website).

1.4/ Our little Airbnb break

As we travel in a van for over a year and a half already, and as “winter is coming”, we sometimes pay a little Air BNB break (6 over the entire trip), when a hot shower becomes a too old memory.

This time we stop at Ujezdec at Marketa and Yan. They are charming, we spend 2 days / 2 great nights. Marketa grows organic fruits and vegetables and sells them on the market in Prague. We are lucky to taste it … hummm, a delight.

We enjoy our evenings by the fireside and the surrounding area to go for a walk in the countryside, especially with our doggie.

1.5/ Great Sumava park

The largest forest in Europe it seems … and yet so little known. We only spent 2 days there (due to chaotic weather), but would have liked to spend at least double that. When you are a nature lover you can discover it by hiking, by bicycle…

You can for example: visit the small Horská Kvilda village and its pretty little wooden houses. There are several hiking departures from this hamlet. Like walking in the Vydra valley following a small river, canyon, some waterfalls, it’s very beautiful. Or even towards the Jezeni slat bog.

A little further south, there is the famous Vltava river source, the largest in the Czech Republic (the one in Prague). From Kvilda (not Horska Kvilda), it takes 12 km way and back and little elevation. Personally we took the opportunity to go hunting mushrooms … and we made the most amazing discoveries, like this smoke-spitting mushroom.

There are many other things to discover in Sumava, Černé jezero and Čertovo jezero lakes for example, but the weather was clearly not with us.

1.6/ Cesky Krumlov, the medieval beauty

Small medieval town and yet 2nd largest castle in the Czech Republic after Prague… We stopped there for a day and clearly, Cesky Krumlov is worth the detour.

Même si, gros bémol, la ville est très touristique (ah oui, elle est classée au patrimoine mondial de l’Unesco) et des bus arrivent toute la journée pour remplir ses jolies petites ruelles de touristes en soif de découverte… En somme, tout comme nous, mais nous, on ne débarque pas à 50 !

Even if, drawback, the city is very touristic (indeed, it is classified in the Unesco world heritage) and buses arrive all day long to fill its pretty little alleys of tourists … In short , just like us, but we do not land at 50!

In short, surrounded by large walls, but also by the Vltava river, its architecture is really very pretty. We enjoyed walking there, visiting the castle and enjoying the high view of the city. The streets of Cesky Krumlov are romantic and it’s nice to walk around. So if you travel to the Czech Republic in a van, don’t hesitate to stop by.

It’s possible to park for free outside, but you’ll have to walk 10/15 minutes to arrive in the village.

1.7/ Cesky Budejovice, Krumlov sister

Going up to Brno, it was on our way, so we stopped one afternoon at Cesky Budejovice. We had no trouble parking not far from the city center for free.

We walk 5, 10 minutes to the center crossing the Vltava and the Malse! And we arrive directly in the city center. Přemysl Otakar II square, with the pretty town hall, the Baroque fountain of Samson, the “Black Tower” or Černá věž belfry.

Going down a little, you will see the South Bohemian Museum and the Palace of Justice (you have to cross Malse again, but not in the same place.

In short, it’s worth walking around the city even if we only stay there for a few hours.

1.8/ Hluboka Nad Vltavou castel

Not being very far from Ceske Budejovice, we decided to take a ride to Hluboka Nad Vlatou castle during our road trip in the Czech Republic in a van. We really liked it, and yet, we saw so many castles, that we sometimes begin to be bored (there are so many in Central Europe).

It is very nice to stroll in its large garden (Huaca is delighted) and the castle is very beautiful. We do not visit the interior (except through the interior courtyard but not the rooms) because not possible with our doggie. But the garden and what we can see from the castle suits us very well.

Spot to sleep with a van in Czech Republic:

We park to the south of the castle, in a small car park that doesn’t look like much but with a few skateboard modules. It’s free, there is no service and we are 20, 25 minutes walk from the castle from behind.

1.9/ Brno just be Slovakia…

Last stop in Czech Republic. Brno, the 2nd largest city of the country. We stay there for 2 days and 2 nights. Like everywhere (except Prague), we did everything on foot. Even though we were parked far north of the city.

Even if we largely prefer nature (and we missed it a bit during this trip in Czech Republic in a van because of the bad weather), Brno is a city which is nice to visit if you have some time.

Its market in the middle of a large town square, where you can find fruits, vegetables, flowers and others. But also its restaurants where you can taste the local gastronomy. Its basements (we knew it too late) … in short, and we are not far from Prague in the end, nor from Bratislava and Vienna for that matter.

And you, have you ever visited Czech Republic in a van? What places could you advise us? Feel free to write us a message if you like this article or have a question.

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