Good country, exhausting tourist industry

Czech Republic is a genuinely beautiful and interesting place. Old Town Square is worth every superlative thrown at it. The trdelník is legitimately excellent. incredible Gothic architecture gave the trip real depth.

What I struggled with: the tourist infrastructure around the headline sites in Český Krumlov is relentlessly commercial and crowded Christmas markets is a genuine friction point. You can feel the gap between authentic Czech Republic and the packaged version sold to tourists. The authentic version wins, but you have to work to find it.