Bohemia

Bohemia

Bohemia is the largest and most populous of the three historical Czech lands, the other two being Moravia and Czech Silesia. Nowadays, these regions no longer exist as administrative entities, but they are mentioned in the Czech constitution and their symbols appear in the Czech coat-of-arms. The symbol of Bohemia is a white lion on red background.

The region of Bohemia has nothing to do with the song Bohemian Rhapsody nor with bohemianism and Bohemians in the sense: “socially unconventional persons”. Nothing. Really. The name is derived from the name of the ancient Celtic tribe Boii, who once inhabited the area, and the Proto-Germanic word haimaz, meaning “home”. Thus, Bohemia originally meant “the home of the Boii”. Modern-day population of Bohemia doesn’t have much in common with the ancient Celtic Boii, as the Czech language belongs to the Slavic family. However, it is believed that West Slavic tribes settling in that area assimilated the remaining Celtic and Germanic populations.

In the Czech language, Bohemia is called simply Čechy. This name should not be confused with Česko, which is the short name of the whole country, known as the Czech Republic or Czechia. In other words: Česko = Čechy + Morava + České Slezsko. The same in English: Czechia = Bohemia + Moravia + Czech Silesia.

There are many amazing places in Bohemia. Below we present some of them!

Bohemian Paradise, known in Czech as Český ráj, is a region and a protected landscape area about 90 kilometers north-east of Prague. It belongs to the…
The Čertovka is a very picturesque man-made channel on the western side of the Vltava river in Prague. The name can be translated as the Devil‘s Strea…
Červená Lhota is a Renaissance chateau in the small village of the same name in southern Bohemia, near the town of Jindřichův Hradec. The location is…
České Budějovice is the capital city of the South Bohemian Region. It is internationally famous for its beer, known in other countries as Budweiser, a…
Český Krumlov is a stunningly beautiful town in southern Bohemia, and after Prague, Czechia’s second most visited tourist attraction. The historic cen…
Charles Bridge (in Czech: Karlův most) is an iconic landmark in the very centre of Prague. The bridge crosses the Vltava river and connects the Old To…
Golden Lane, known in Czech as Zlatá ulička, is an iconic, tiny street located in Prague Castle. The colorful small houses give it a unique charm and…
Házmburk is the name of a ruined medieval castle and the hill on top of which it is situated. Thanks to its elevated location and the relatively flat…
Hradec Králové is a city in north-eastern Bohemia and the capital of the region with the same name. It belongs to the oldest cities in Czechia. At the…
Karlovy Vary is a town in Bohemia, in the west of Czechia. In English, it is sometimes called also Carlsbad (after the German name Karlsbad). It is a…
Karlštejn is a small market town in the Central Bohemian Region, named after the famous castle located there. The castle is obviously the most importa…
Karlštejn Castle (hrad Karlštejn) is a large medieval castle located in the town of the same name near the capital city Prague. Karlštejn Castle is ve…
Kutná Hora is a small town in Central Bohemia, about 70 km east of Prague. It may be a small town today, but centuries ago it competed for importance…
Litomyšl Castle is the most important landmark in the small town of the same name in the Pardubice Region, in eastern Bohemia. It is one of twelve (as…
Loket is an extremely picturesque small town in Karlovy Vary region in western Bohemia. The word loket means “elbow” in the Czech language. The town o…
Old Town Square is the central square of the historic part of Prague. The square is one of the greatest tourist attractions of the Czech capital, alon…
Panská Skála is a natural landmark situated near the town of Kamenický Šenov in the Liberec Region, in northern Bohemia. The name can be translated as…
Pardubice is a city in eastern Bohemia and the capital of the region of the same name. Industry plays an important role in the city and Pardubice may…
The Petřín Lookout Tower, known in Czech as Petřínská rozhledna, is a tower situated on Petřín hill on the left bank of the Vltava river in Prague. Du…
Písek is a medium-sized town on the Otava river in the South Bohemian Region, about 44 km northwest of České Budějovice. The town is most famous for t…
Plzeň, in English known also as Pilsen, is a city in western Bohemia, in the southwestern part of Czechia. After Prague, Brno and Ostrava, it is the f…
Prague, called in Czech Praha, is the capital of Czechia and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe and worldwide. Many people conside…
The Prague Astronomical Clock, commonly known as the Orloj, is one of the most popular sights in the Czech capital. It is very easy to find, because i…
Prague Castle (in Czech: Pražský hrad) is the largest ancient castle in the world. It is perhaps the most important landmark in the magnificent city o…