The Czech Republic Awaits You

What is Czech Youth Hostel Association?

Czech Youth Hostel Association (CzYHA) is one of the national members of Hostelling International and a youth organisation that manages 19 hostels across the Czech Republic. The organisation was registered in 2003 as a non-profit organisation responsible for the promotion of travelling in the Czech Republic. Its founding member is JSC Travel, an agency that specialises in accommodation across all of Czech Republic, as well as in travel, excursion and conference arrangement, and car rental.

Where to stay while travelling

Czech hostels are evenly spread across the country. In each hostel, HI members get 10% off. There are three hostels in the country’s capital. Hostel Downtown is located in a renovated building in Prague’s historical old town. It offers its guests great daily activities. There’s a piano and a guitar in the lobby. Two hostels can be found in Brno, a city listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site. Of these two hostels, Hostel Fleda is open year-round. You’ll get all the information about interesting cultural events at the reception. You can relax with a glass of wine in the hostel’s bar. A city that is famous for its architecture and beautiful castle is Český Krumlov where we recommend staying at Travel hostel. If you stay for six nights, the seventh night is free. There’s a wonderful view of the fairy-tale castle from the balcony. Plus, the hostel also offers book exchange. Another interesting hostel, Hostel YMCA in Litomyšl offers accommodation in a modern Scandinavian-style building. You can already notice it standing out as a modern palace from the outside. It even has a fitness and a sauna, as well as bike rental. The city boasts a main square that is five hundred metres long, and is dotted with Romanesque and baroque houses. In a charming pink houses you’ll find the Hostel & Pension Neco. It’s located in Malá Skala in a true Czech paradise. You can stay in a holiday apartment or in ordinary rooms. Children can play in the playground, while grown-ups can safely store their bicycles and canoes in a designated space. The canoes can also be rented. In the summer you can have a barbecue outside the hostel or relax in a pool. But don’t forget to explore Malá Skala, which offers plenty of cultural and sports activities. What stands out the most, though, are the unusual rock formations with fairy-tale castles on top. Right underneath the castle in Jindřichův Hradec is where you’ll find the Pension U Tkadlen. The Nežarka river flows right next to it. The hostel staff cook fish specially for you and offer you local wines of superior quality. Another hostel with excellent location is the Hostel Sport, situated by Lake Lipno in a small picturesque town of Flymburk. It’s an ideal place for all kinds of sports enthusiasts, families and fishermen. The large garden is equipped with barbecue and trampolines. The lake beach is not far away. In the winter, ski runs and racetracks welcome people.

Things to do in the Czech Republic

CzYHA offers members a discount on more than 100 attractions. There are 2,000 preserved castles in the country, which is more per country area than anywhere else in the world. Since castles and mansions are an important part of the Czech spirit, CzYHA offers you, in cooperation with the National Heritage Institute, a minimum discount of 30% on admission to more than 100 castles, mansions and other landmarks. You can look at the complete list here.

Explore Prague, the Czech capital, in a single guided tour by three different means. First, you’ll be visiting the old town by bus, then walk to the castle, upon which you’ll finally be sailing down Vltava river. To see other interesting parts of Prague take a bike tour of the city’s hidden places. After you’re done with the tour, you can enjoy a true full-course medieval dinner accompanied with some appropriate music and unlimited drinks. Head from the city to Karlštejn, a beautiful 14-century Gothic castle in the heart of the Czech countryside. You can go down the Vltava on a wooden raft as part of the Český Krumlov tour. North of Prague, you can also visit a small fortress, military posts and the Terezín Memorial’s Ghetto Museum in Terezín. There you can learn about the conditions in the ghetto and the camp during World War II. The Czech Republic is famous for its great beer. Get a taste of it in the western part of the country in Plzeň while visiting the local Pilsner Urquell brewery where you’ll learn about many local legends. The Czech Republic also has wonderful nature. See for yourself on a guided walking tour across Bohemia and Saxon Switzerland. You can explore the Pravčická Canyon, go down the Kamenica river by boat, and take a tour of the filming location of the Chronicles of Narnia. One of Prague’s major attractions is Prague Castle. Buy your ticket online and avoid the long queues. You can also go on a trip from Prague to Karlovy Vary, the famous spa city. The ticket will give you free admission to the Becher Palace.

Which travel guides to buy

The Czech Republic is a popular tourist destination. No wonder then that there are plenty of Lonely Planet guide books available for the Czech Republic. You can choose between the guides that will tell the story of the whole country or just of Prague. You can also buy a travel phrasebook and city maps.