Discover Exciting New Exhibits, Museums, Landmarks, and Attractions
Say goodbye to boredom and get ready to explore with the latest travel news for 2025! Just like the previous years, we’re excited to share insights on new projects in development, renovations that are nearing completion, and attractions that should be on your travel wish list, including historic sites, technical and military monuments, spas, galleries, cycling experiences, or adrenaline-fueled activities.
1. Karel Gott’s Villa Opening in Prague
Expected to open around mid-2025 is the Villa Gott, the former home of the beloved Czech singer Karel Gott, where he resided for over half his life. “I aim to present our home just as Karel cherished it, featuring all the significant details and captivating stories that I want to share with you. Unfortunately, this project is taking longer than we had anticipated,” remarked Ivana Gottová, his wife. “We hope that VILLA GOTT will be a cherished spot for fans who loved him and continue to remember his legacy.”
2. Prague Again: Savarin Palace, New Digital Art Gallery, and Masaryk Station’s Makeover
The renowned Savarin Palace, located on Na Příkopě Street, has just completed nearly three years of renovation. However, this renovation is merely the beginning; plans are underway to enhance the surrounding courtyard areas, connecting Jindřišská, Panská, and Na Příkopě with Wenceslas Square. There will also be a new metro entrance at the palace, granting access to the grand interiors, which feature a preserved Dutch chandelier from the late 18th century, and once accommodated a famous social club during the First Republic. The new Mucha Museum is set to debut in February 2025.
After sitting vacant for several years, the Old Town Market Hall situated between 28. října and Rytířská streets will launch the Signal Space, a modern digital art gallery, as part of the Signal Festival initiative in 2025. Furthermore, the Museum of Prague will welcome visitors again in spring 2025 with a fresh high-tech exhibition, showcasing Langweil’s model of Prague. The Planetarium Prague will also reopen after its renovations, and there’s even the possibility of a new brewery coming to Libeň later in the year. Like the renovation of Karel Gott’s Villa, the reopening of the Petřín funicular has been postponed, likely starting mid-2026. The extensive redevelopment of Masaryk Station, the largest in its history, will still have a longer timeline, with a unique platform covering the tracks to facilitate quicker access from nearby districts and provide a new relaxation area. Additionally, a new branch of the National Technical Museum is set to open in Masaryčka by 2027.
3. Urban Changes: Sunny Island, Singing Fountain, and New Embankment
Changes are also taking place in other cities. Residents and visitors of České Budějovice will experience the new Sun Island, a fresh relaxation area on the Vltava River, opening during the summer of 2025. In Písek, a new walking route is set to open, which will not only highlight popular landmarks but also introduce new art installations and fascinating personalities tied to the city.
Meanwhile, in Mariánské Lázně, the Singing Fountain will make its comeback in spring 2025 following renovations, and in Brno, the new embankment along the Svratka River will finally open after numerous delays. This embankment honors architect Ivan Ruller, who designed the transformation. This is just the initial phase; the lengthy waterfront project, extending over three kilometers from the Riviera swimming pool all the way to Poříčí up to the Rondo Hall and the railway viaduct on Uhelná Street, is scheduled to be completed by 2028. The Winternitz Automatic Mills in Pardubice, partially open now, will also continue its transformation in the coming years.
4. Castles, Chateaux, and Monasteries: Český Krumlov, Zákupy, and Slavkov Chateau
Are you interested in visiting castles, chateaux, and religious sites? Then you can look forward to another exciting chapter from the National Heritage Institute in 2025. This year’s program invites visitors to trace the paths of Italian nobility, exploring the cultural impacts and artistic inspirations that arrived in our region from the 16th to the 18th centuries, along with insights into notable Italian noble families. One prime destination will be Český Krumlov, where the Bellarie Rococo Summerhouse in the castle garden has received a fresh coat of paint after its renovation. After several years of reconstruction, the Český Krumlov Chateau is set to provide entirely new tour routes, including the Bellarie Summer Palace and Castle Garden. Expect to see new spaces that haven’t been accessible to the public for many years.
The standout features of Bellaria include a magical table that delivers meals from the lower levels to the dining area, and an artificial grotto. Once, its walls were decorated with river pearls, and when illuminated by candlelight, created a fabulous light display. Nowadays, modern technology will utilize 3D printing to replicate the original protected pearl features.
Zákupy Castle is set to unveil its Imperial Stables, which have been on the endangered monuments list for decades, and part of which crumbled a few years back. Starting April 2025, visitors will be able to view a new exhibition on castles that are currently inaccessible. This exhibit will remind guests of Hrubá Skála Castle, which operates as a hotel, as well as Mimon Castle, which was demolished in 1985. A smaller section will showcase how the Baroque stable stood in disrepair before its restoration.
The highlights of the Slavkov Battlefield will feature an interactive model of the Austerlitz battle, allowing guests to ask questions of Napoleon himself using artificial intelligence. These are just a few examples of what will be available in the new exhibition of the Battle of the Three Emperors, located in the former stables of Slavkov Castle. They aim to open this exhibition in December 2025, coinciding with the 220th anniversary of the battle.
The Kinský Chateau in Žďár nad Sázavou is set to become a new cultural and creative center. Plans suggest it will be open by the end of 2025, serving as a collaborative space for artists, students, researchers, and the general public not just from the Highlands region. The Rosa Coeli Monastery in Dolní Kounice is also undergoing significant renovations. The goal is to not only maintain the cultural heritage but to draw in more tourists and provide locals with a new relaxation space. Tourists may first be able to tour the restored site in 2027.
5. Museums and Galleries.
The Regional Gallery of the Highlands in Jihlava plans major updates, including a rooftop terrace, a new lecture hall, a learning center, revamped museum laboratories, updated lighting, and redesigned exhibition spaces. They aim to reopen these facilities in autumn 2025.
If all goes well, a brand-new museum will open in Chotěboř in 2025. Originally located in a castle, it has now moved to be set up in the former post office building for museum use. The hope is to feature attractions like virtual reality experiences, allowing visitors to see T. G. Masaryk Square as it appeared in the 1970s. The existing castle, known as Zwicker’s villa, situated opposite the gymnasium on Zlatá stezka Street in Prachatice, is also undergoing renovations, with plans to relocate the complete Golden Trail exhibition there.
6. Lookout Towers and Nature: The Quarry beneath Jezeří Chateau, Hněvín, and the Lookout Tower near Kroměříž
The National Park Bohemian Switzerland will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2025, hosting various events. Before the main tourist season kicks off, there will be a new observation deck on Mlýnská cesta, located along the path from Mezná to the beautiful Three Springs and the famed Pravčická Gate.
This summer, the CSA quarry between Most and Chomutov, where lignite mining operations wrapped up in 2024, may be opened to the public. Visitors will be introduced to the Biosafari, which will display the mining remnants, from technical marvels to the reclamation efforts, showcasing the area’s future development and plans for a large lake—offering virtual reality experiences. Additionally, the Hněvín castle rising above Most is set to unveil a new cruise restaurant in 2025, with a hotel expected to follow a year later. There will also be a new lookout tower established at the Centre for Environmental Education in the Kurovický quarry near Kroměříž, which, despite being built previously, will open to the public for the first time in 2025.
7. Family-Friendly Experiences: Labyrinth, Rope Park, and Archaeopark
The Mirror Labyrinth in Mariánské Lázně plans to re-open in spring 2025. The Archaeopark in Všestary has also seen upgrades, promising a more engaging experience that helps visitors learn about prehistoric life come spring 2025. New features included will be a foyer, a lecture hall, workshops, a gallery to showcase exhibitions, social facilities, and smart screens providing insights into both prehistoric life and the work of archaeologists today, displaying findings from research conducted beneath the D11 motorway. Meanwhile, the Planetarium in Stromovka, Prague, is expected to resume operations post-renovation while an adrenaline-fueled journey awaits at the Landek Rope Maze in Ostrava.
8. Unique Attractions: Dentist, Medieval Shafts, and a Shining Altar
In 2025, repairs will take place on the popular cog railway, the only one in the Czech Republic, linking Tanvald with Harrachov. While the line stays operational, the nostalgic train rides from Kořenov to Szklarske Poręby in Poland will continue using vintage replacement trains until the reconstruction is finalized.
In Jihlava, the St. George Shaft, relics from medieval mining located near Šacberk, could be opened up for public viewing as early as 2025. Archaeological digs have uncovered remnants of extraordinary medieval technologies and the entrances to original 14th-century tunnels. In Kutná Hora, plans are in motion to celebrate the town’s thirtieth anniversary of UNESCO recognition in 2025 with the unveiling of the Bylanka historical mining tunnel as an adventure tourism destination in spring 2025.
By Easter 2025, spectators at the church of St. Sebastian in Třemešná, located in Osoblažsko, will have the opportunity to see a luminescent glass altar. It has not shone since 1929 when it was concealed in a side chapel, but now it may become a fascinating tourist highlight.
9. New Hotels.
After undergoing a significant multi-million euro renovation, the Fairmont Golden Prague, a distinguished brutalist architectural gem that has acted as a luxury hotel for 50 years, is set to reopen in spring 2025. Formerly known as the Intercontinental, it is situated in Prague’s Old Town, at the start of Pařížská Street beside the Vltava River.
The iconic Dvoračky lodge in the western Giant Mountains, or rather a newly built mountain cabin that stands on the original site, is also anticipated to open its doors in 2025. The previous structure was severely damaged by woodworm, and this new lodge will closely resemble the original from the outside while retaining the original layout, foundations, and one retaining wall.
The landmark from architect Josef Gočár, originally a hotel and now the Grand department store in central Pardubice, is expected to be completed by September 2025.
10. Swimming and Biking: Bata Canal Expansion to Hodonín
The Bike Buky Trail Centre and Bikepark in Deštné v Orlických horách are set to expand with new biking trails and thrilling features in 2025. Additionally, the Moss and Gingerbread Trail connecting Hradec Králové and Pardubice hopes to be completed soon. After a preliminary summer season in 2024, the Cihelna swimming pool in Pardubice will be completely accessible following renovations, and the Kalis Lake near Bohumín plans to enhance visitor experience with piers, leisure zones, and a new access walkway during the summer of 2025.
The port at Veselí nad Moravou on the Bata Canal will see further improvements, highlighted by the construction of a new lock in Rohatec—the fourteenth lock on this waterway and the first new lock built since the Bata Canal’s establishment in the late 1930s. This extensive development includes repairs to the weir and altering the riverbed of the Radějovka stream to boost navigability. Upon completion, the canal’s accessibility will be extended by seven kilometers reaching Hodonín, with expectations of readiness in 2025, followed by tourist usage during the 2026 navigation season.
