Exploring the under appreciated city of Liberec, Czech Republic

You may have never heard of the city of Liberec. With a population of 103,853, it is the fifth largest city in the Czech Republic. Bordering Southern Eastern Germany, Liberec is a tranquil place, with warm and welcoming people, and you get to experience a taste of the original Czech Republic; without a huge mass of tourists. This hidden gem should definitely be explored while it still remains a hidden gem.

Liberec is the perfect short break if you are residing close to the border of the Czech Republic, with it being under two hours by car from Dresden. You will see the German influence from its buildings and streets. However, you will definitely realise that you have the city of German and entered the country of the Czech Republic once you try their cuisine in one of the many traditional restaurants in the main plaza.

The highlight of this city has to be its Town Hall. This beautiful Neo-Renaissance building stands tall over its plaza, illuminating the entire city. You can see some spectacular views of Liberec from the top of Town Hall for a small fare and at an allotted time. You can book your visit via the tourist office when you visit. It is something that I believe should be done by all visitors when they go to Liberec.

Liberec is also famously known for Ještěd which is a popular ski resort. If you are not visiting during the winter period, you can take a hike instead and witness the natural beauty, from high above. You will not miss the sight of the odd looking tower. The tower is a 94-metre-tall tower used to transmit television signals built on the top of Ještěd mountain near Liberec and was built during the years of 1963-1968 when the Czech Republic was still in a communist state and was still known as Czechoslovakia. It serves as a dominant attraction in the city and as a place to oversee much of Bohemia and areas of Poland as well as parts Germany. It is now a hotel and restaurant. The perfect place to relax.

The Liberec definitely accommodates to everybody. With a wide number of museums to visit, including the home of Ferdinand Porsche, and their regional gallery, Oblastni Galerie; it was once a public swimming pool during the communist era, but now it has been turned into an inspiring art gallery. Which also is home to the first automobile. Entrance to the Porsche museum is limited, and opening hours are only available on Sundays, while the Regional Art Gallery is open every day apart from Sunday for a reasonable fare of 80 CZK, the equivalent of However, on Thursdays admission is free for everybody.

I came across this city when trying to figure out a nice, obscure location l that I could take a trip which would be not too far from Germany. Liberec became the chosen location, and my first city to explore in the Czech Republic. It is the main reason why I am striving to visit more areas of the Czech Republic, because if they manage to live up to the greatness that my short trip to Liberec did then I will be more than satisfied. Luckily, I had no difficulty in communicating with the locals as the majority speak English, and also a large majority speak German due to the geographical location the city has in the Czech Republic.

If you have visited this beautiful city of Liberec already, please comment below your experience, and if you have not, then I do hope that I have given you enough inspiration to go and explore this city for yourself. As always, I wish you all very happy travels!