Last week, we took an American-style road trip (🚙) through the Czech Republic. Originally, we were considering Holland or Norway, but we procrastinated, and airfares shot up. So, we decided to drive north instead.

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On the Road

As with other vacations, this one began by dropping Leo (🐶) at his second home—a beautiful kennel ranch outside of Linz.

Nice place, right? Leo agrees. He waltzes in there with confidence, like the mayor of Dogville.

After dropping off Leo, we crossed the Czech border. Just thirty minutes later, we reached Český Krumlov—a fairy-tale town surrounded by bridges, accessible only by foot (no 🚗’s), and seemingly inhabited by elves.

Since we’ve been to Český Krumlov before and rarely revisit the same place, we drove straight to Prague.

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Vítejte na! (Welcome)

We arrived in Prague a few hours later and unloaded the luggage near the Powder Tower, next to our hotel.

The hotel was also a short walk from the Astronomy Clock, the oldest functioning clock of its kind (14 hundred and something).

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Sitting and Talking

Our friend Christie had recently visited Prague and recommended a restaurant called Maitrea. It was a fun place—but dining with teens is always a challenge. Conversations can feel like trying to pick a lock: I have no clue how to do either one.

Over dinner, Alison and I played Twenty Questions with the kids. This wasn’t a new thing—we used to play it back in California. But here in Europe, where people are generally quieter, we stood out. Add the fact that we were the only ones speaking English, and we definitely drew attention. Still, bridging the teenage dinner gap was worth the stares.

We played Twenty Questions a lot during this trip. It always started with some resistance—“Ugh, not this again”—but ended up being great fun.

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Prague Highlights

The next day, we visited Prague Castle, which includes a little 16th-century neighborhood called Golden Lane. It’s where castle workers once lived, drank, and made candles.

Golden Lane also has a fascinating armory filled with shiny coats of armor, some dating back to the 1400s.

Here’s the view from Prague Castle:

To get to the castle, we walked across the Charles Bridge. Despite its reputation for being wall-to-wall with tourists, it wasn’t crowded at all.

A band was playing Cab Calloway songs on the bridge.

Later, we visited the Jewish Quarter and its famous Jewish Cemetery. Thousands of Hebrew headstones are crammed into the small space, with the oldest dating back to the 1400s. Beneath them lie seven or eight layers of burials, stacked like a giant cake.

Next to the cemetery, we explored the Old New Synagogue, built in the 1200s. The synagogue is still in use. A kind woman showed us where circumcisions take place—done the same way as 800 years ago. She also explained that women must observe services from outside. Progress? Not so much. 🤬

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The Edge of Bohemia

After Prague, we headed north to Bohemian Switzerland—a national park near the German border. Despite the name, it has nothing to do with Switzerland.

The drive there wasn’t scenic. Google Maps routed us through Děčín, an industrial town. But 20 minutes later, we reached the Elbe River Valley and arrived at Hotel Kortus, a quiet spot overlooking the hills.

The next day, we hiked to Pravčická brána, a massive sandstone arch. After a few hours of hiking, we celebrated with French fries and Coke at the top.

The following day, we hiked near Rathen on the German side of the border. Our destination was Bastei, a rock formation with a 200-year-old bridge spanning it.

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Last Stop: Karlovy Vary

Our final destination was Karlovy Vary, a Czech spa town known for its mineral waters. Visitors come here to drink from the hot springs, supposedly for their healing properties.

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Making It Work

So, there you have it: an American-style road trip through the Czech Republic. It was a perfect mix of city adventures, natural beauty, and history—with a touch of metallic-tasting water.

Big thanks to Google Maps for keeping us on track, and even bigger thanks to Twenty Questions for keeping family dinners fun.

Here are some memorable answers from the game:

• Zoe: “I’m thinking of something related to money.”
  Answer: A sand dollar. 👍

• Alison: “I’m thinking of something with three parts.”
  Answer: A braid. 👏

• Matt (me👨‍🦲): “I’m thinking of something hollow.”
  Answer: A piñata. 🌮

• Max: “I’m thinking of something bad.”
  Answer: Communism. ⛔️

Max’s answer led to an interesting chat in front of Karel Marx’s statue:
“Marx wasn’t a bad guy,” Max said. “People just screwed up his ideas when they put them into practice.”

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Back to Reality

Yesterday, we left Karlovy Vary and returned to Vienna via Linz (🐶). On Highway A14, just 30 minutes from home, we saw a convoy of emergency vehicles with French license plates heading east to Ukraine—a stark reminder of the ongoing suffering just beyond the Slovakian border.

This was the second French convoy we’ve seen this month. Hopefully, Europe can keep its act together.