Pinsko

Questions & answers

Straight answers to what people ask before a trip around the Czech Republic: what things cost, when places are open, what to book, which of two places to choose – and how Pinsko works. Where something depends on the day, we say so.

What it costs

How much does a castle tour cost in Czechia?
At Karlštejn, Hluboká and Bouzov, run by the state heritage institute (NPÚ), a basic guided tour costs 300 CZK in 2026 for adults aged 25–64 (about €12), 240 CZK for 18–24s and over-65s, and 90 CZK for children aged 6–17; children under 6 go free. Other state castles charge similar prices, special routes cost more, and privately run castles set their own.
How much is a brewery tour?
The Pilsner Urquell tour in Plzeň costs 430 CZK for an adult in 2026 (345 CZK reduced) and ends with unfiltered beer in the old cellars. Other breweries set their own prices – each place's page links to its website. At a brewpub you only pay for what you drink, no tour needed. 17 of the 42 beer places on Pinsko run tours.
What can I see for free?
A lot: town squares and bridges (Charles Bridge, Telč, Tábor, Holy Trinity Column, Olomouc), the colonnades and springs in all 18 spa towns, the 14 mushroom woods, most of the nature spots, hills like Říp and Blaník, and the grounds of Prague Castle and Špilberk. You pay for interiors, tours, caves and museums. Among the nature spots, Adršpach, Prachov, Pravčická Gate, Tisá Rocks and SOOS charge entry, and the treetop and sky walks are ticketed.
Is Pinsko free? Who pays for it?
Pinsko is free, with no account, no ads and no paid listings. No place pays to be on the map or to be described more kindly, and we take no commission from any of them. If a place is on Pinsko, it's because we think it's worth the trip.

Before you go

Do I need to book ahead?
Mostly not: 174 of the 238 places on Pinsko are walk-in. 39 need booking or reward it – above all Villa Tugendhat (often booked out weeks or months ahead), the best tour at Karlštejn, the Sedlec Ossuary's timed tickets, the boat ride through the Punkva caves at Macocha, Adršpach on summer weekends and most brewery tours. Another 25 are worth checking before you set off, mostly small breweries and wineries with irregular hours. Each place's page says which applies.
Are castles and other places open in winter?
Many close from November to March, but not all. Open through the winter, at least on some days: Prague Castle, Karlštejn (Friday to Sunday), Hluboká (a heated winter route), Loket (daily), Špilberk and the castle museum and tower in Český Krumlov. Closed for all or part of the winter (open months in brackets): Mikulov Chateau & Giant Barrel (April–November); Hustopeče Almond Orchard (March–October); Šobes Vineyard (May–September); Lednice Chateau (February–December); National Stud Farm, Kladruby nad Labem (April–October); Bouzov Castle (March–December); Pernštejn Castle (April–October); Trosky Castle Ruin (April–October); SOOS Nature Reserve (April–November); Koněprusy Caves (April–October); Kbely Aviation Museum (May–October); Czech Railways Museum, Lužná (April–October); Veselý Kopec Open-Air Museum (April–October); Konopiště Chateau (April–November); Žleby Chateau (April–October); Jindřichův Hradec Castle & Chateau (May–October); Červená Lhota Chateau (April–October); Orlík Chateau (April–October); Vranov nad Dyjí Chateau (April–October); Slavkov (Austerlitz) Chateau (March–December); Buchlovice Chateau (April–October); Opočno Chateau (April–December); Duchcov Chateau (April–October); Bečov Castle & Reliquary of St Maurus (April–October); Kozel Chateau (April–October); Velké Losiny Chateau (April–October); Hradec nad Moravicí Chateau (April–October); Náměšť nad Oslavou Chateau (April–October); Nelahozeves Chateau (April–October); Veltrusy Chateau (April–October); Kačina Chateau (April–December); Troja Chateau, Prague (April–October); Kratochvíle Chateau (April–October); Třeboň Chateau (March–November); Kynžvart Chateau (February–December); Ploskovice Chateau (April–October); Frýdlant Castle & Chateau (April–October); Ratibořice Chateau (April–October); Hrádek u Nechanic Chateau (April–October); Slatiňany Chateau (April–October); Jaroměřice nad Rokytnou Chateau (April–October); Lysice Chateau (April–October); Kunín Chateau (April–October); Kokořín Castle (April–October); Kost Castle (April–October); Bítov Castle (April–October); Helfštýn Castle (March–November); Bezděz Castle (April–October); Zvíkov Castle (April–October); Rabí Castle Ruin (April–October) and Střekov Castle (March–October). Spa towns, town squares and most nature spots are open all year.
Can I do these trips without a car?
Some easily: direct trains run from Prague to Karlštejn (then about 2 km on foot up to the castle), Kutná Hora and Plzeň, where Pilsner Urquell is a short walk from the main station. Spa towns and town squares are usually easy by train or bus. Countryside places – rock towns, hills, hilltop castles, the mushroom woods – often mean changing to a bus and a walk at the end. For a rough idea, switch Near me or the planner to By transport, and use the IDOS link on each place for real connections.
Can I have a beer or a glass of wine and drive?
No. Czech law has zero tolerance: drivers may have no alcohol in their blood at all (0.0‰), and even one small beer is an offence, with fines and a driving ban. At breweries and wineries, let one person stay sober, take bottles home, or go by train – most big breweries and wine towns have a station.
Do I need a motorway vignette?
Yes, on most motorways and expressways. The Czech vignette is electronic: it's linked to your number plate and sold for a day, 10 days, 30 days or a year. Buy it only at edalnice.cz, the official site – lookalike sites charge extra. Ordinary roads need no vignette.
How reliable are Pinsko's drive and transport times?
Drive times between places and from Prague and Brno come from OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM) and leave out traffic and parking, so allow a margin, especially on summer weekends. Near me estimates times from distance: for drives it lands on the right side of the chosen limit for about 95% of places, checked against real routes from Prague and Brno. Public transport times are rough estimates, not timetables.
Which places get too crowded?
Summer weekends at Adršpach (buy a ticket for a set arrival time online), Pravčická Gate and the car parks in Hřensko, Karlštejn, Český Krumlov, and the Sedlec Ossuary around midday. Go early, on a weekday or out of season – the colonnades of Karlovy Vary and the rock towns are lovely in autumn too.
Can I pick mushrooms in Czech forests?
Yes – picking for your own use is allowed and needs no permit, but not in national park core zones, nature reserves or fenced plantations. The season runs from about June to October and peaks in late summer and early autumn, after rain. Pick only what you can identify for certain. Pinsko lists 14 woods known for good picking.
How accurate is the information on Pinsko?
Every place is checked before it goes on the map, and in October 2026 we went through all of them again: every pin against OpenStreetMap, and seasons, booking and entry rules against the places' own websites wherever there was any doubt. Two breweries came off the map in that check because there was nothing left to visit. We don't list opening hours and prices for every place, because they change; each place's page links to its website and to directions instead.

Which is better?

Pilsner Urquell or Budvar – which brewery tour?
Pilsner Urquell in Plzeň is nearer Prague (1 h 10 min by car, against 1 h 45 min to Budvar) and the bigger show: the birthplace of pale lager, with a tour that ends in the cellars with unfiltered beer. Budvar in České Budějovice is the better pick if you're heading south anyway – Hluboká is about 7 km away and Český Krumlov 23 km – and it has its own story: 90-day lagering and a century-long fight over the name Budweiser.
Kutná Hora or Český Krumlov for a day trip from Prague?
Kutná Hora, if you have one day: it's 1 h 10 min by car (or a direct train), and St Barbara’s Church and the Sedlec Ossuary fill a day easily. Český Krumlov is 2 h 5 min each way – too good for a rushed day. Stay the night, or make a South Bohemia trip of it with Hluboká and Budvar.
Karlovy Vary or Mariánské Lázně?
Karlovy Vary is bigger and busier, with hot springs in the town centre – the Vřídlo geyser reaches about 73 °C – and grand colonnades along the river, 1 h 40 min from Prague. Mariánské Lázně (2 h 5 min) is quieter and greener: a town of parks with a cast-iron colonnade from 1889 and the Singing Fountain. Both are UNESCO-listed Great Spa Towns of Europe, and they're only about 31 km apart, so one day can take in both.
Which rock town should I visit?
Adršpach-Teplice is the most dramatic – sandstone towers up to 100 m and a boat ride on a lake – but it's 2 h 20 min from Prague and best booked online for a set arrival time in summer. Prachov (1 h 20 min) and the Hrubá Skála rock town (1 h 15 min) in Bohemian Paradise are nearer and calmer, and Prachov needs no booking. Tisá Rocks (1 h 15 min) suits small children best, with short, maze-like passages. And for one famous view, Pravčická Gate (1 h 50 min) is the largest natural sandstone arch in Europe.

Our picks

What are the best day trips from Prague?
Our picks for a first visit: Karlštejn (40 min), Kutná Hora with St Barbara’s and the Sedlec Ossuary (1 h 10 min), Plzeň and the Pilsner Urquell brewery (1 h 10 min), the rock towns of Bohemian Paradise (1 h 15 min) and, for a long day or a night away, Český Krumlov (2 h 5 min). Pinsko lists 146 places within 2½ hours of Prague by car, sorted by driving time: Day trips from Prague.
What can I do on a rainy day?
Go indoors: Škoda Museum, Mladá Boleslav; National Technical Museum; Kbely Aviation Museum; Czech Railways Museum, Lužná; Tatra Technical Museum, Kopřivnice; Příbram Mining Museum; Moser Glassworks, Karlovy Vary; Harrachov Glassworks; Wallachian Open-Air Museum, Rožnov; Veselý Kopec Open-Air Museum; Třebechovice Nativity Museum; Museum of Puppetry Cultures, Chrudim; Mendel Museum, Brno and 14|15 Baťa Institute, Zlín. Caves don't mind the weather either – Koněprusy Caves and Macocha Abyss – and the spa colonnades are covered.
What's good to do with children?
Children usually love the treetop and sky walks (Lipno Treetop Walk and Sky Walk, Dolní Morava), the caves (Koněprusy Caves and Macocha Abyss), the open-air museums (Wallachian Open-Air Museum, Rožnov and Veselý Kopec Open-Air Museum), the trains, planes and cars at National Technical Museum; Kbely Aviation Museum; Czech Railways Museum, Lužná and Tatra Technical Museum, Kopřivnice, the maze of Tisá Rocks and Bouzov, the fairy-tale castle. Most castles and museums sell children's and family tickets, and young children often go free.

Using Pinsko

How do I find places near me?
Tap ➤ on the map – Near me on a phone. Allow your location or choose one of 13 cities, pick By car or By transport and a time from 30 minutes to 3 hours: the map shows only the places you can reach, nearest first, with the range drawn around you. Your location stays on your device.
How does the trip planner work?
Add places with + and press Plan your trip. Pinsko splits them into days of up to five stops in one or two neighbouring areas, in driving order, with time on site and booking rules built in. Spread them over more or fewer days, swap stops between days, switch to public transport, and keep the plan in your browser or share it as a link.
Do I need an account? Where are my saved places kept?
No account. Your trip, favourites and marks are saved only in this browser – nothing goes to a server. Back up, in any of your lists, makes a link that brings them back in another browser or on another device.
What's in season this month?
The strip at the top of the map's list shows what's in season in the month you pick – blossom, harvest, mushroom season – with a button to show only those places, and how many places are closed that month.
Why isn't my favourite place on Pinsko? Can I suggest one?
Either we haven't got to it yet, or it doesn't meet the bar: every place must be open to visitors in some way – a tour, a tasting room, a walk – and be worth the trip. Places with nothing left to visit come off, like the Lobkowicz brewery after brewing stopped there in 2021. Send a tip with Suggest a place: every one is checked, and the form asks for no name or email.
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