Things to Do in Czech Republic in March

March's thin crowds make this the month to roam the world's largest ancient castle without the summer scrum. The 70,000 m² (753,000 sq ft) grounds cover St. Vitus Cathedral's stained glass, best caught when weak winter sun cuts through, the Romanesque Basilica of St. George, and the medieval alley of Golden Lane. Morning fog drifting off the Vltava often cloaks the Lesser Town below, delivering the moody shots that define Prague. The cold keeps you moving through the 3-hour circuit, far easier than under July's heat.

By late March the Mikulov and Znojmo wine regions wake up. Bud break appears on the vines and cellar doors reopen. The Pálava Hills UNESCO biosphere reserve lays out 200 km (124 miles) of marked cycling trails past limestone cliffs and abandoned medieval quarries, with daytime temperatures around 10 °C (50 °F) good for steady riding without overheating. The celebrated wine cellars in Valtice and Lednice, some carved 12 m (39 ft) into sandstone, start pouring Ryzlink rýnský (Riesling) and Veltlínské zelené (Grüner Veltliner) bottled the previous autumn.

This UNESCO-listed medieval town of 13,000 people is quietest in March. You can hear the Vltava rush beneath the Cloak Bridge and catch wood smoke from centuries-old chimneys without competing tour-guide loudspeakers. The castle's Baroque theatre, one of only two 18th-century theatres with original machinery, stages limited March shows lit by candles and driven by hand. Morning frost on terracotta roofs gives the classic postcard shot from the castle gardens, and restaurants like Krčma Šatlava (serving since 1541) dish up game stews in medieval cellars that feel right at home in the chill.

March is prime 'kur' season, Czechs and Germans arrive for prescribed 2-3-week spa stays, so the town feels lived-in rather than touristy. The thermal springs (12 main springs from 30-72 °C / 86-162 °F) hit the spot when outdoor air hovers near freezing. Hot mineral water meets cold air in rising steam columns that drift through the colonnades. The Becherovka herbal liqueur distillery runs tours where the 38-proof digestif, first sold as stomach medicine, warms from the inside. Fin-de-siècle architecture, including the Hotel Imperial's 1906 spa, looks sharper against grey March skies than under summer's flat light.

The medieval silver mines that once funded Prague's grandeur are best explored in March's cool, stable underground temperatures (10°C / 50°F year-round). The Hrádek mining museum lets visitors descend 33 m (108 ft) into original 15th-century shafts with leather aprons and candles, experiencing the claustrophobic conditions that killed thousands. Above ground, the Sedlec Ossuary - the bone church containing 40,000 skeletons arranged into chandeliers and coats of arms - draws smaller crowds than summer, and the damp cold somehow amplifies the solemn atmosphere. The Gothic St. Barbara's Church, with its flying buttresses visible against bare trees, photographs more dramatically than when leaf-hidden.