Visit Ostrava

Philips' company town turned design city: Dutch Design Week, Strijp-S and the Van Abbemuseum.

The Ars Electronica Center on the Danube, Linzer torte and a steel city turned culture capital.

Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center and the most diverse food scene in the country.

Visit Brno, the second-largest city in the Czech Republic. Explore Špilberk Castle (a historic fortress with underground casemates and city views), see the functionalist Villa Tugendhat (a UNESCO World Heritage site designed by Mies van der Rohe), and stroll through the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul (known for its Gothic spires and daily noon bell ringing tradition).

Visit Karlovy Vary, a historic spa town in the Czech Republic. Sample the thermal mineral waters from the 13 main springs, such as the Vřídlo geyser (shooting up to 12 meters high), stroll along the colonnades like the Mill Colonnade (a neo-Renaissance structure with five springs), and try the local Becherovka herbal liqueur. Don't miss the Moser Glass Museum to see exquisite Bohemian crystal craftsmanship.

The Holy Trinity Column, six baroque fountains and an astronomical clock rebuilt in socialist realism.

The Sedlec Ossuary decorated with 40,000 skeletons and the silver-mining cathedral of St Barbara.

A square of pastel Renaissance houses between two fishponds, unchanged since the 16th century.