The Complete Guide To: Bohemia

IS THIS JUST FANTASY?

Bohemian artist; Bohemian lifestyle; "Bohemian Rhapsody" even - behind such references to the colourful, the romantic and the unconventional (not to say reckless) is, of course, a real place. The ancient land of Bohemia forms the western and middle parts of today's Czech Republic (the other component of which is Moravia, to the east). It is a place of medieval towns, rolling wooded countryside, baroque glories, and fairy-tale castles - as well as a few less attractive reminders of the more recent Soviet era. Austria lies to the south; Poland is across the north-eastern frontier; Germany borders the west and the north-west.

Today's Bohemians are of a very different stock from the people who effectively coined that name. Shooting back to the remote past, Bohemia was so called because it was home to the Boii, a Celtic tribe who settled in this central European area in about the 4th century BC. Roughly 300 years later the Boii were driven out by fierce Germanic tribes - Vandals, Goths and more. They in turn were absorbed by another ethnic group, a western arm of the Slavs who became known as the Cesky (or Czechs). So the region acquired this name, although it remained known to much of the rest of the world as Bohemia.

WILD AND FREE?

In the 15th century Gypsies arriving in France by way of Bohemia were referred to in sweeping terms as Bohemians. And subsequently the remit widened. "Bohemian" was gradually adopted as a byword for creativity and a free-and-easy lifestyle Yet for much of its existence the real Bohemia has been anything but free - often restrained, if not oppressed, by outside powers.

The kingdom of Bohemia/Cesky enjoyed a golden age during the 14th century when its king, Charles IV, became Holy Roman Emperor. As a consequence Bohemia's capital, Prague, also became the capital of much of Christendom. But Charles's successors lacked his political acumen. After faltering badly, Bohemia subsequently came under Habsburg and then Austro-Hungarian rule.

In 1918 it became a part of new, independent Czechoslovakia, which thrived during the 1920s. Yet after the Second World War and German occupation, Czechoslovakia came under Soviet influence and remained the wrong side of the Iron Curtain for 40 years. Czechoslovakia finally regained independence after the Velvet Revolution of November 1989. And in 1993 the country split into Slovakia and the Czech Republic - in which the people of Bohemia now form nearly two-thirds of the 10m population. The national capital, Prague, is also capital of Bohemia, and is arguably Europe's most beautiful big city.

WHY PRAGUE?

Despite the hordes of visitors, it would be almost impossible not to be charmed by this city of spires, turrets and glorious, onion-shaped domes. Simply wandering the streets to gaze at the stunning architecture is part of the pleasure of being in Prague, from the alleyways and evocative main square of the Old Town to the "New" Town founded about 650 years ago, and the expansive castle, complete with churches and palaces, high on the opposite banks of the river Vltava.

If it seems inconceivable that such a lively and glittering place should have been held in the drab grip of the Soviet Union until relatively recently, then a trip to the Communist Museum (daily 9am-9pm; adults Kr180/£4.50) will offer something of a reality check. Set incongruously above McDonald's and next to the Savarin Casino at Na Prikope 10, just off the Old Town, it displays - in grey rooms - appropriately shabby Communist-era exhibits and offers an insight into the work of the secret police as well as showing pictures of a very different, sad-looking city. But the museum is one of the few mementos of that cheerless period. Elsewhere there is an almost tangible sense of energy from the host of galleries, other museums and especially theatres and concert halls.

Prague is above all a place of music: this is the city of Dvorak, Smetana and Martinu, among other Czech composers. Today Prague's musical offerings range from traditional Czech marionettes "performing" Don Giovanni (daily at 5pm and 8pm at Karlova 12; adults Kr490/£12) to the Czech National Theatre's seasonal opera, ballet and drama (for the full programme see www.narodni-divadlo.cz).

Among the many UK companies arranging short breaks in Prague, Cox & Kings (020-7873 5000; www.coxandkings.co.uk) offers a four-night trip with accommodation at the Hotel Pariz, a lovely art nouveau building near the city centre, from £395 per person. The cost covers flights from Heathrow, accommodation with breakfast and transfers. Other operators include Specialtours (020-7730 2297; www.specialtours.co.uk) and Kirker Holidays (0870 112 3333; www.kirkerholidays.com).

Meanwhile, a range of music holidays to Prague is organised by Martin Randall Travel (020-8742 3355; www.martinrandall.com). These very popular trips tend to be snapped up quickly and all of this year's holidays are fully booked, but next year's April break to see opera in Prague and Brno (capital of the Czech Republic's region of Moravia) is only just going on sale.

AND OTHER PICTURESQUE PLACES?

Head to South Bohemia and Cesky Krumlov, an exquisite little town set in a tight bend of the river Vltava, about 90 miles from the capital. There is a great gothic church, a fine renaissance town hall, and an imposing castle perched on a rock. But apart from these landmarks the charm of Cesky Krumlov is the fact that it has remained almost unaltered for three centuries. As you wander the medieval streets, it really might feel as if time had stopped were it not for an ever-increasing number of guest houses, cafés and souvenir shops.

A little further east are the attractive medieval towns of Trebon and Jindrichuv Hradec, the latter with a magnificent castle and renaissance square. Both towns also contain ancient fish ponds where farming a type of carp, which is considered a great delicacy of the region, has been taking place since the 15th century.

Given the popularity of Prague - and the number of companies offering trips there from the UK - as yet there are surprisingly few British tour operators arranging holidays further afield in the Czech Republic. Two, however, offer active tours in South Bohemia. Exodus (0870 240 5550; www.exodus.co.uk) has an eight-day "Prague and Castles of Bohemia" cycling trip that takes in Cesky Krumlov and Holasovice as well as Ceske Budejovice, home of the Budvar brewery. The holiday costs from £670 per person, which covers return flights from Heathrow to Prague; transfer to Telc where the bike tour starts; seven nights' B&B in three-star hotels; five lunches and guidance (bike hire is about £45 extra). Trips will operate between June and September next year.

Peregrine (01635 872 300; www.peregrineadventures.com) offers a 15-day "Bohemia and Beyond" holiday starting in Hungary's capital, Budapest, and proceeding overland by minibus to Prague. Along the way you take in Jindrichuv Hradec, Trebon (where you hike through the fish-farming region) and Cesky Krumlov. The trip departs in April and May 2007 and costs from £2,195 per person, which includes 14 nights' accommodation with breakfast, some lunches, transfers and guidance. Flights to Budapest and back from Prague need to be arranged separately.

HOW ABOUT NORTHERN SPLENDOURS?

Travel about 60 miles north-east of Prague and you'll reach Bohemian Paradise (an almost literal translation for the local name, Cesky raj). The scenery here is indeed stunning: deep canyons coated with pine forests; weird sandstone rock formations; spectacular castles. Trosky castle, a medieval ruin, is the region's most spectacular landmark. Kost castle, dating from the 14th century, is one of the best preserved of the Czech Republic's many old fortresses.

On Foot Holidays (01722 322 652; www.onfootholidays.co.uk) arranges independent, self-guided walking trips here. Its seven-night "Countryside of the Bohemian Borderlands" holiday costs from £425, which covers B&B hotel and guest house accommodation (including the final night in Prague), packed lunches and luggage transfers.

WHERE CAN I RELAX?

The thermal waters of Bohemia have been used for medicinal purposes since the early 1400s, while the late 18th century saw the development of therapeutic treatments and the construction of elegant spa towns. The most notable concentration of such resorts is in the rolling countryside of the west, with a triangle of spa towns formed by Karlovy Vary, Marianske Lazne and Frantiskoy Lazne near the German border.

Goethe and Chopin were among the first celebrity visitors to Marianske Lazne, which was specially constructed as a spa centre in the 1790s and which later became a favourite health retreat of Britain's King Edward VII. One of the most appealing hotels here is the Nove Lazne (00 420 354 644 111; www.marienbad.cz), a regal-looking building where treatments include hydrotherapy in a Roman-style bath complex, mud baths, peat packs and lymphatic massage. Spa Expressions (020-7433 2615; www.spaexpressions.co.uk) offers four-night breaks at the hotel from £677 per person in September. The cost includes flights from Heathrow to Prague, transfers, half-board accommodation and a three-day "mini-spa package". Other companies arranging spa breaks in Bohemia include Erna Low (020-7594 0290; www.bodyandsoulholidays.info).

HOW ABOUT A ROMANTIC JOURNEY?

Take the slow boat. Stylish river cruises operate from Germany to the Czech Republic along the river Elbe, or Labe as it is known in North Bohemia. River Cruise specialist Travel Renaissance (0870 850 1690; www.travelrenaissance.com) offers an 11-night trip, with seven nights spent on board MS Viking Schmann whose route takes you to Meissen and Dresden in Germany before you reach the lovely Bohemian town of Litomerice with its great baroque churches and its huge cobbled marketplace. From there you sail on to the Czech capital. The holiday starts with a guided tour of Berlin and ends with a guided tour of Prague. It costs from £1,795 per person including flights from Heathrow to Berlin and back from Prague, land transfers to the ship, full-board accommodation on the ship, accommodation for two nights in both Berlin and Prague with breakfast, and the guided tours.

Or travel by train in style. Great Rail Journeys (01904 521 936; www.greatrail.com) has devised an "Imperial Cities" tour that starts at Waterloo in London from where you travel by Eurostar to Brussels and then on to Vienna. After three days there you proceed to Budapest by rail and spend five days exploring Hungary before boarding a train that makes its way through Slovakia and the Czech Republic to Prague. Departures are between April and September next year, and the 12-day holiday costs from £1,690 per person. The price includes return rail travel to Waterloo; 12 nights' accommodation with breakfast in comfortable hotels; 12 meals (lunch or dinner) and sightseeing tours.

AND TO GET THERE MORE QUICKLY?

Prague is served from a good choice of UK airports: Czech Airlines (0870 444 3747; www.czechairlines.co.uk) flies from Heathrow, Stansted, Manchester and Edinburgh; British Airways (0870 850 9850; www.ba.com) from Heathrow; Bmibaby (0871 224 0224; www.bmibaby.com) from Cardiff, Birmingham, Nottingham and Manchester; easyJet (0871 244 2366; www.easyjet.com) from Gatwick, Stansted, Nottingham, Newcastle and Bristol; Jet2.com (0871 226 1737; www.jet2.com) from Belfast and Leeds/Bradford; and Flyglobespan (0870 556 1522; www.flyglobespan.com) from Glasgow.

WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE?

In Britain, the Czech Tourism office is at 13 Harley Street, London W1G 9QG (020-7631 0427; www.czechtourism.com).

WHY THE WILD REPUTATION?

Blame must rest to some extent with the Bohemians' historic practice of "defenestration" - the violent act of throwing someone from a window, often to their death. The first so-called Prague Defenestration took place in 1419 when a group of religious dissenters ejected a number of town councillors from the windows of the town hall. The last defenestration is thought to have occurred in March 1948: foreign minister Jan Masaryk was found dead beneath his bathroom window - pushed, the suspicion was, by members of the Communist party.

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