We Found a Wonderful Hidden Gem in the Czech Republic (Only Locals Know About It)

Plus Fast Travel vs Slow Travel

Whew, we’re still catching our breath after a whirlwind tour of the Czech Republic and Austria. 

Our ambitious springtime itinerary had us landing in Prague for a quick jaunt around the old town — hopefully you caught the video of us fighting our way through the crowds — and then heading off into the Czech countryside for five glorious days of hiking. 

This was followed by a stint in Vienna during what set the record as our rainiest week ever and finally another week of hiking in Austria’s picturesque Wachau wine region (fortunately the sun finally came out). 

Three trains later…

And we were suddenly in our current location of Bratislava, Slovakia. If you’ve been following our journey for a while, you’ll know that this is travelling at lightning speed for us. 

Normally we’re slow travellers who stay in a city for a full month — especially when that city is rich with history, culture and delicious food. However, we’re keenly aware that Prague and Vienna get very crowded and expensive as the peak tourism season kicks in.  

Despite our breakneck schedule for packing and unpacking our way through Central Europe, we were delighted to have had a taste of each country — but only because we’re balancing the fast travel with a long, restful stay in Bratislava. 

Bratislava deserves more than a day

Most tourists take the one-hour train from Vienna, hit the main attractions in Bratislava, and get back to Austria in time for dinner. We booked a full month here and couldn’t be happier with that decision. 

Sure, the old town is relatively small and there are fewer attractions compared to heavy-weight cities like Vienna. 

But as a travel rest stop, this city has a lot to offer: a charming city centre, an appealing waterfront, friendly locals and a surprisingly bougie Saturday market. 

A hidden gem in the Czech Republic

Today’s video features a region of the Czech Republic that we’ve never seen on any top ten list or even heard of before. 

It’s a little-known nature reserve called the Bohemian Paradise and it is, indeed, a little piece of paradise. It features spectacular rock formations, fairytale castles and delightful little inns that serve up enormous plates of hearty Czech food (we’re talking dumplings just swimming in gravy).  

Naturally this “hidden gem” is very well known among locals who were always surprised to meet a couple of international travellers like us wandering the trails.

If you’re looking for more from our life on the road, check out our Instagram stories. We’ve got updates coming to you — practically in real time — from Bratislava, our new favourite city for a little R&R. 

And that’s it for this month’s newsletter.

See you on the road!

Stephanie & Gillian