Czech Republic Is A Delightful Combination Of Pilsner, Golf And Spa

Pilsner, golf and spa makes a visit to the Czech Republic a delightful combination that can be experienced over and over again.

- David J. Whyte

There seems to be a general confusion about the term, “Bohemian”. In modern parlance, it refers to an unconventional lifestyle followed by artists, writers, poets or just plain vagabonds unwilling to settle for the prosaic lifestyle. The term first appeared in the 19th century to describe such groups in major European cities but has little to do with the Bohemian region of the Czech Republic.

The term was first applied in France in the early 19th century to artistic types who were living in low-rent districts of Paris otherwise occupied by Romani people. It was the Romanis who were mistakenly thought to have reached France via Bohemia (the western part of modern Czech Republic) when in fact they had nothing to do with the region.

The first time I visited Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, I was in raptures. It’s that kind of place; that combination of beauty and charm that’s completely irresistible.

Take a stroll down St Wenceslas Square towards the Old Town or across the dark, Gothic spans of 15th century Charles Bridge and you too will soon be captivated. This is a very easy place to fall for.

I was staying at The Icon, a simple, efficient sort of boutique hotel close to the centre of things yet far enough away to lay your head down in peace. And now that the free market economy is clearly here to stay, there are ritzy fashion shops, flash software companies and swanky BMWs intermingling with the Baroque splendour of Prague’s Old Town.