Where to sleep
Accommodation atlas
Before you choose a particular bed, choose a type. Each has different rules, a different atmosphere and different questions worth asking in advance.
Guides
- Chata or chalupa?Stay Atlas · Types – Even native Czech speakers mix these two words up. But for choosing a stay the difference is real: a chalupa is a house in a village, a chata is a building put up for recreation – often in the woods, by the water and without neighbours.
- Guesthouse, hotel, apartmentStay Atlas · Types – A penzion is not just a “smaller hotel”. It has its own definition: 5 to 20 rooms and services comparable to a hotel, but no restaurant. And the stars? They are voluntary.
- Log house (roubenka)Stay Atlas · Types – A roubenka is a house of timber beams laid horizontally on top of each other and joined at the corners with carpentry joints. It smells of wood, crackles with the stove, and in winter it can be the cosiest place in the mountains.
- Spa accommodationStay Atlas · Types – Czechia has dozens of officially designated spa towns providing spa care. But staying at a spa does not only mean being treated. Here is how to find your way around the system.
- Glamping and tiny housesStay Atlas · Types – Glamping is camping where you do not have to put anything up or carry anything in. You sleep in nature, but in a bed. You pay for the experience – so it is worth knowing exactly what you are buying.
- Staying with a dogStay Atlas · With a dog – “Dogs welcome” means something different everywhere. In some places the dog may sleep on the bed, in others only in the hall. And national parks have their own rules.
- Staying with childrenStay Atlas · Family – With children you don’t worry about stars, but about stairs, a kitchenette and whether there is somewhere to run around. Here is a list that will save you a first evening of improvising.
- Private sauna and hot tubStay Atlas · Wellness – “Private wellness” is one of the most common wishes today. In practice, though, it can mean a sauna just for you, a shared hot tub in the yard, or an hour a day for an extra charge.
- Farm staysStay Atlas · Types – Morning milking, eggs from the henhouse, horses over the fence. A farm is the shortest way to show children (and yourself) where food comes from.
Key to the types
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Chalupa (country cottage)
A village house adapted for holidays. Often an original house in a village, with neighbours and a garden.
Good for: Families, a group of friends, a week in the countryside. Check: Heating outside summer, cleaning and linen at the end of your stay.
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Chata (holiday cabin)
A building put up purely for recreation, often in a cabin settlement by the water or in the woods.
Good for: Forest, water, a weekend with no plans. Check: Whether the water is drinkable, how it is heated and how far you can drive.
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Guesthouse (penzion)
Under the official classification, 5 to 20 rooms with services comparable to a hotel, but no restaurant.
Good for: Short stays, couples, cyclists. Check: Whether breakfast is served and until when reception is staffed.
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Apartment
A self-contained unit with a kitchenette. Anything from a flat in town to an apartment building in the mountains.
Good for: Families, longer stays, your own routine. Check: Whether cleaning is included, where to park and how keys are handed over.
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Hotel
At least 10 rooms and services including meals. Five star classes under Hotelstars.
Good for: Cities, business trips, guaranteed service. Check: Stars are voluntary – check the certificate.
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Glamping
Camping with comfort: furnished tents, shepherd’s huts, treehouses or houses on the water.
Good for: Couples, an experience, a short stay in nature. Check: Toilets and showers, heating and what to do when it rains.
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Farm stay
A stay on a working farm with animals, sometimes helping out. Also known as agritourism.
Good for: Families with children, a rural rhythm. Check: How much contact with the animals there is, and what about allergies.
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Wellness hotel
A hotel with a pool, saunas and treatments. Unlike a spa: no doctor and no treatment plan.
Good for: Rest, couples, a winter weekend. Check: Whether the wellness area is included and when it is open.
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Log house (roubenka)
A house built of horizontal timber beams joined at the corners. Typical of the mountains and foothills.
Good for: Winter, mountains, a group round the stove. Check: Sound insulation between floors and the heating.
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Tiny house
A small, fully equipped house of roughly 10–20 m². Often on its own in the landscape.
Good for: Two people, silence, a digital detox. Check: Room for luggage, the shower and arriving after dark.
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Spa house
Accommodation inside a spa, where people both receive treatment and rest. Paid by health insurance or by yourself.
Good for: Back, joints, a quiet week. Check: The difference between a treatment stay and a wellness stay.
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Private room
A room or apartment with a host, often in a family house (ubytování v soukromí).
Good for: Small towns, personal tips, a low budget. Check: How the local tourist tax is paid and whether the host lives on site.
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Mountain hut (bouda)
The Krkonoše word for a mountain chalet – accommodation right on the ridges and slopes.
Good for: Mountains, hiking, winter. Check: Winter access: how far a car can go and where only a snowcat gets through.
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Campsite
Tent, caravan or cabin. Cabin groups and campsites have their own four-class classification.
Good for: Summer, water, a low budget. Check: The opening season and quiet hours at night.
Individual places to stay
We do not list any individual accommodation providers yet. When we do, they will have verified information, clear labelling and direct contact details for the host. What it will look like.