Soccer, the national sport
The Czech Republic is an excellent soccer nation. Founded on the ruins of the great Czechoslovakia in 1993, the national team started strong by reaching the final of Euro 1996. Since then, results have been more disappointing, despite a quarterfinal appearance at Euro 2012, with only one World Cup appearance in 2006 (defeat in the group stage). Nevertheless, the country has trained during all these years excellent soccer players who have made the happiness of major European clubs. Starting with Pavel Nedvěd, the Juventus legend and worthy successor of a certain Zinedine Zidane in the bianconero shirt. Also worth mentioning are Petr Čech, the iconic goalkeeper of London's Chelsea in particular, Vladimír Šmicer and Milan Baroš, winners of the Champions League in 2005 with Liverpool, Jan Koller, the powerful center forward of Borussia Dortmund and Monaco, Jaroslav Plašil, the talented former midfielder of Girondins de Bordeaux, Karel Poborský, English champion with Manchester United in 1997, or the new star of Bayer Leverkusen, striker Patrik Schick.
Panenka, a gesture for history. The word panenka is a casual way of taking a penalty kick, with a flick of the wrist in the middle of the goal, which will deceive the goalkeeper who has anticipated a strong shot by diving to the right or left. This gesture was named after Antonín Panenka, the first player to have done it in front of the cameras of the whole world to give the title of European champion to Czechoslovakia against the great team of West Germany in 1976.
Ice hockey, a passion shared by all
Along with soccer, it is the other national passion. The Czech Republic has achieved many feats, culminating in victory at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, when it beat Canada and Russia in succession. It must be said that even today, the Czechs cultivate a visceral sporting contempt against Canada and the former USSR, their eternal rivals on the ice. The national team (ranked 6th in the world in 2021) has also won numerous world championship titles (six titles, the last one in 2010). At the Olympics, after the frustrating4th place in Pyeongchang, South Korea in 2018, the Czech Republic could only manage a 9th place finish at the 2022 Beijing Games. At the national level, as in soccer, the leadership is contested between Sparta Prague and Slavia Prague.
A winter sports destination
As far as downhill skiing is concerned, the slopes are not steep enough to make it the reason for a trip. However, some resorts are very popular with locals and visitors alike. Naturally, we will head for the Krkonoše National Park (also called the Giant Mountains National Park), the highest mountain range in the country. This is where you will find Špindleruv Mlýn, a former small mountain village that has become the "capital" of Krkonoše and the best known and most popular ski resort in the Czech Republic. Although it has only 25 km of slopes, there is plenty of room for excitement. There are also other resorts where you can take your skis for a walk, such as Pec pod Sněžkou
, the "big" resort to the east of the national park. You can also put on your skis in Rokytnice, which ranges from 630 m to 1,312 m. The Czech mountains are not very steep and are therefore a natural paradise for cross-country skiing, which can be practiced all over the country. In the Krkonoše, therefore, where the great route of the Giant Mountains offers 90 km of perfectly marked trails to cross-country skiers who will set off fromHarrachov at the foot of Mount Čertova Hora (1,020 m). On the program: two days of skiing between valleys and peaks. You can also go to South Bohemia in the Šumava massif to enter mysterious forests or to the Ore Mountains on the German border. The ski season lasts from the end of November to the beginning of March, and as soon as the first snow falls, even the capital and its surroundings are transformed into a giant cross-country ski run!In summer, take on the trails
Hiking. As soon as the snow melts, the Czech Republic becomes a paradise for hikers, especially in its national parks. In the Krkonoše, cross-country ski trails become hiking trails and chairlifts are always in operation for hikers, watched by raptors. The Šumava mountain range offers many trails in the high wooded hills. Hikers regularly come across lynxes and birdwatchers will be delighted. To get a good workout, you can also hike in the Dyje River Park in South Moravia or in the forests of the Czech Switzerland National Park. In addition to the national parks, one will also put on their hiking boots in the many nature reserves such as the White Carpathians, Český Ráj, Pávala or Třeboň.
Cycling-Mountain Biking. Czechs also love cycling and mountain biking and, just like hiking, as soon as the weather is fine the roads in the most beautiful parts of the country are invaded by family cyclists, while the mountain trails are raced by thrill-seekers. Czechs do not hesitate to invest a lot of money for a beautiful bike. It is then transported by car or train to ride through the Třěbon region, the Šumava or other areas during the long summer days. Numerous bicycle paths have sprung up in recent years, allowing you to visit the entire country. Moravia and South Bohemia are very suitable for riding on two wheels
A country of thermalism
The Czech Republic is a country of geological treasures with beneficial properties. From the very beginning, the country has taken advantage of the many rivers that irrigate the territory. Thermal cures have attracted personalities such as Goethe, Tolstoy, Nietzsche, Ibsen, Twain, Clemenceau, Chopin or Chateaubriand (but also Philippe Noiret or Gérard Depardieu...). Take a look at the windows of the restaurants in Karlovy Vary. Thus, not only is the care in Karlovy Vary, Mariánské Lázně or Franntiškovy Lázně impressive, but the elegance of the architecture of these resorts has no equal in Central Europe. In fact, these three towns have been listed as "great European spa towns" by Unesco as a World Heritage Site in 2021, along with eight other European spa towns.
