Czechia

Czechia packs an astonishing amount into a small map. Prague alone could fill a week, with a castle on the hill, a medieval bridge and a square that looks like a film set. But step out and you find a riverside town wrapped around a Renaissance castle, a spa where people sip warm mineral water from little porcelain cups, and sandstone rock cities begging to be hiked. Add the country that gave the world pilsner lager, hearty food, and prices that are friendly outside the capital, and you have a destination that rewards both a long weekend and a slow road trip.

Talking points

• Beer is part of the culture here: pilsner-style lager takes its name from the city of Plzen.
• Prague is famously one of Europe's best-preserved historic capitals, largely spared the worst of twentieth-century bombing.
• Czechia has a very large number of castles and chateaux for its size.
• Trains and buses make it easy to hop from Prague to towns like Kutna Hora and Cesky Krumlov.
• The country is known for spa towns where visitors drink mineral water from special cups.