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!
One of the Highest-Rated Zoos in the World If you are an avid animal lover, a wildlife enthusiast, or just looking for a great family getaway, you should include the ...
St Vitus Cathedral is a Roman Catholic shrine located within the premises of Prague Castle, towering above Prague’s Lesser Town. By its full name, it’s referred to as the Metropolitan ...
Strahov Monastery (Strahovský klášter in Czech) is among the most enchanting sights of Prague and one of the architectural gems in all of Czechia. It’s located just a stone’s throw away from ...
The Dancing House (Tančící dům in Czech) is a building situated on the corner of Rašínovo Embankment (Rašínovo nábřeží) and Jiráskovo Square (Jiráskovo náměstí) in the New Town of Prague. ...
Wenceslas Square, in Czech called Václavské náměstí, or colloquially Václavák, is a large square in the New Town district of Prague. As a matter of fact, it doesn’t resemble a ...
Sloup Castle is a small castle in the village of the same name in northern Bohemia. Its unique feature is its location: it is situated inside of a freestanding sandstone ...
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, along with Charles Bridge ...
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 not belong ...
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 Stream of Devil‘s Channel. ...
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 Town (Staré Město) with ...
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 with ...
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 fourth largest city ...
České Budějovice is the capital city of the South Bohemian Region. It is internationally famous for its beer, known in other countries as Budweiser, after the German name of the ...
Velhartice is a large village and a municipality in the Plzeň Region in western Bohemia, not far from Šumava National Park. The village was first mentioned in 1318. It used ...
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 “the Lord’s Rock”. Due ...
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 very picturesque. The unique ...
Český Krumlov is a stunningly beautiful town in southern Bohemia, and after Prague, Czechia's second most visited tourist attraction. The historic center of the town was inscribed on UNESCO's World ...
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 the Stone Bridge ...
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 surroundings, the ...
Radošov Bridge (Radošovský most) is a wooden covered bridge over the Ohře river in the village of Radošov, which belongs to Kyselka municipality. The Ohře is the same river which ...
The Pravčická brána is the largest natural arch in Europe. It is located in the Bohemian Switzerland National Park (Národní park České Švýcarsko), in the Ústí nad Labem Region, in northwestern ...
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 of 2017) ...
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 it is mounted on ...
Šumava National Park, called in Czech: Národní park Šumava), is one of four national parks in Czechia. It is located in two southern regions bordering Germany and Austria: the Plzeň ...
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 confluence of ...
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. Due to its ...
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 it is very ...
This great view of the Vltava river was taken from the place called in Czech Vyhlídka Máj, meaning more or less "the Máj Lookout". Wonderful, isn't it? It is located near ...
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 very popular among tourists and ...
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 of Prague and it absolutely ...
Karlštejn is a small market town in the Central Bohemian Region, named after the famous castle located there. The castle is obviously the most important landmark in the town, but there are ...
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 very famous ...
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 most popular tourist destinations ...
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 owes this name to the ...
Prague, called in Czech Praha, is the capital of Czechia and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe and worldwide. Many people consider it to be one of the ...