You land in Prague or Brno and everyone talks about beer. I understand that, because yes, the beer is world-class. But what about Czech wine? Walk one hour out of the city, or take a short train south, and you step into vineyards that feel like a secret someone forgot to tell the crowds about.
Czech wine is having a quiet moment. And in 2026 it will be right there, waiting for you.
How to Get to Real Czech Vineyards Without Driving
Public transport in Czechia works. Really works. Trains leave Prague or Brno every hour, and buses fill the gaps. Tickets cost less than a good coffee in London.
From Prague airport you reach the northern Bohemia vineyards in ninety minutes. From Brno you stand in South Moravia vines in sixty. Many stations now have e-bike rental right on the platform. New regional lines open in 2026. You arrive, unlock a bike with an app, and ride straight into the hills. You only need the desire for a weekend getaway, a train ticket and comfortable shoes.
South Moravia: Green Hills, Open Cellars and Amazing Czech Wines One Hour from Brno
South Moravia spreads out like a green blanket south of Brno. Mikulov castle sits on a hill above white limestone vineyards, Znojmo hides underground cellars painted blue. It’s quite picturesque. Velké Pavlovice grows the grapes that make the best local reds.
You ride a bike between villages on marked wine trails. Every few kilometres a small sign points to a family cellar. You knock. Someone opens. You taste five wines, eat homemade cheese, pay ten euro and leave smiling.
Bohemia North of Prague: Quiet Rivers and Small-Scale Magic
Head north from Prague and the land changes. The Elba and Vltava rivers cut through low hills planted with vines. Litoměřice and Mělník feel like forgotten corners, frozen in time, but it’s real.
Pinot Noir and Riesling grow here. Cellars are tiny, and families still do everything by hand. You taste in rooms that smell of oak and damp stone. The river flows thirty metres away. Hardly anyone else is there.
The New Wave of Natural and Skin-Contact Wines in Czechia
Young Czech producers are experimenting. And not gonna lie, they’re doing it very well, the results are amazing. The traditions are respected here, but the young and restless blood wants to establish its own way of doing things. They leave grapes on skins longer. They use old amphorae buried in the ground. They bottle without adding sulphur when it feels right.
Milan Nestarec, Krásná Hora, Dobrá Vinice, these names pop up in natural wine bars from Berlin to New York. You visit their cellars and taste cloudy orange wines that smell like apricot and hay. Prices at the door stay friendly, though these are internationally known, reputable wines and producers.
Czech Wine Trails in Moravia You Can Cycle or Walk in a Weekend
Moravia built more than 1200 kilometres of marked wine trails, and like in Oz, you just have to follow the road. Many start right at train stations. You rent a bike for twenty euro a day, then you ride from cellar to cellar. Signs show the way. Maps are on apps.
You stop when you want. Taste when you want. Sleep in a village guesthouse. Wake up and ride again.
You ride slowly on a warm afternoon. People still work in the gardens and fields, hands busy preparing food or rest for travellers. The air carries the smell of earth and distant rain.
You pause at a small sign. Taste. For a moment everything feels exactly right. Life moves at its own pace here, and you slow down just enough to become part of it.
The Young Czech Winemakers Shaping 2026
Watch these names, because they are changing how the world sees Czech wine:
– Milan Nestarec – playful natural wines
– Jaroslav Osička – elegant classics
– Krásná Hora – biodynamic pioneer
– Sonberk – modern Moravian icon
Most bottles at the cellar door cost 10–25 euro. Not the cheapest, but well worth it.
Where to Stay Like You Belong – Places Under €120/Night
– South Moravia: family pensions in Mikulov or Znojmo from €80
– Bohemia: riverside guesthouses in Litoměřice from €90
– Wine trail villages: rooms above cellars from €70
– Brno or Prague base: modern hostels with vineyard day-trip access from €60
48-hour weekend from Prague, from Friday evening to Sunday evening
Friday: landing in Prague, then evening train to Litoměřice (60 min). Check into riverside pension. Walk to local konoba for first tastes.
Saturday: rent e-bike at station. Cycle Bohemia trail (Mělník loop, 30 km, easy, scenic). Stop at three small cellars. Picnic lunch from local shop. Evening train back to Prague.
Sunday: recover with coffee and memories that last for life.
72-hour long weekend from Brno, from Friday afternoon to Monday morning
Friday: afternoon train to Mikulov (50 min). Walk to castle hill for sunset views. Dinner in town, wine, nightlife.
Saturday: rent bike. Ride to Velké Pavlovice and back (40 km). Taste at four-five family cellars. Overnight in a vineyard pension.
Sunday: slower day in Znojmo underground cellars. Evening train to Brno.
Monday: morning flight home, still smiling.
Quick-Fire Tips for Your 2026 Czech Wine Trip
Go in May–June or September–October for warm days and empty trails.
September brings burčák – lightly sparkling young wine you drink from plastic cups.
Say “degustace” when you want to taste. It opens doors.
Buy a reusable wine carrier for the train home.
Carry cash. Many cellars are cash-only.
One last thing
Most people visit Czechia for castles and beer, and that is fine. But if you take one extra train south or north, you find vineyards, open cellars, and people who still treat every visitor like a friend. Come taste that side in 2026.
Save this guide. Buy the ticket. And when you sit on a quiet hill with a glass of something crisp and local, remember, moments like this make life worth living.
