Vienna To Prague By A Less Direct Route

Crossing into Znojmo

Znojmo sits just across the border from Austria and has historically functioned as a wine town, its cellars and vineyards feeding both Czech and Austrian markets long before either was a formal country in its current form. The old town, built above a network of underground cellars and tunnels, rewards an afternoon of wandering more than it does a checklist of sights.

It's a modest stop, admittedly, and some travelers skip it in favor of pushing straight to Telc. But as a first taste of the Czech Republic coming from Vienna, it sets a slower tone for the rest of the trip that's worth having.

Telc, small and almost too pretty

Telc's main square is one of those places that looks almost staged, a row of Renaissance and Baroque facades in pastel colors, each gabled slightly differently, ringing a long rectangular plaza with a chateau at one end. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site decades ago and has changed remarkably little since.

Getting there requires a bit more effort, usually a bus connection rather than a direct train, since Telc sits somewhat off the main rail corridors. That inconvenience is part of what's kept it from being overrun the way some equally photogenic towns have been.

• The main square, best photographed early morning or at dusk
• Telc Chateau, with guided tours through several furnished halls
• The small lakes flanking the old town, good for a short walk

Brno, the stop most itineraries skip

Brno gets overshadowed by Prague constantly, which is a little unfair given it has its own castle (Spilberk, which doubled as a prison for centuries and now houses a city museum), a functionalist villa (Villa Tugendhat) that's a landmark of modern architecture, and a food and coffee culture shaped by a large student population.

Two nights here is enough to get a real sense of the city without feeling rushed, and the contrast with Prague's medieval density makes Brno's mix of Gothic, functionalist and communist-era architecture feel like a genuinely different kind of Czech city rather than a smaller copy.

The final stretch to Prague

From Brno, Prague is a straightforward two and a half hour train ride, arriving with the benefit of several days of slower, smaller-town travel behind you. Prague itself needs no introduction, but arriving this way changes the rhythm of the visit: after Telc's stillness and Brno's low-key confidence, Prague's crowds and grandeur read a bit differently, less like the only reason for the trip and more like its culmination.

Travelers with extra time sometimes add a night in Kutna Hora on a day trip from Prague, though that's really a separate detour rather than part of this particular route.