The TOP 5 movie heroes and heroines in the Czech Republic: Retrace their footsteps!

Amadeus, Mission: Impossible, The Illusionist, Casino Royale. These are just a few of the many cinematic gems on the list of movies that have been filmed in the Czech Republic. In recent years this country has become a paradise for film crews from around the world, who have fallen in love with the diversified landscape here. You too can experience a movie-like adventurein the Czech Republic by setting off in the footsteps of popular film heroes to the places that appear onscreen as Paris, Moscow or the fairytale land of Narnia.

Every year film crews from all over the world come to the Czech Republic. Following in their footsteps you too can explore this country situated in the very heart of Europe. With the Czech Film Trips mobile application, which can be downloadedfree for iOS and Android, youcan peek behind the secret curtain of film making,takea look through some unique photographs from these movies and their filming or play sequences from the filmsright on the spot where they were made. Which movie heroes can you go in search of in the Czech Republic?

1. Amadeus – To Prague for the music of Mozart’s opera

Prague played the part of Vienna in the American epic Amadeus, winner of eight Oscars. This movie about the music composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was fortunately filmed primarily in authentic locations such as the Estates Theatre, which in fact hosted the premiere of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, as well as in Lesser Town, Wallenstein Palace and Vyšehrad, from where the remains of the musical genius make their final journey in the film. If you decide to follow the trail taken by Amadeus in the film, you must also visit the Archbishop’s Palace in Kroměříž, a listed UNESCO World Heritage site, where in the movie Mozart meets his great rival Salieri for the first time.

2. The Illusionist charmed Český Krumlov and Konopiště Castle

The romantic drama The Illusionist, a tale about love, magic and politics, with the beguiling Edward Norton in the lead role, will also take you back to the same period and, above all, the same locations so popular among filmmakers. To retrace the steps of the heroes in this story about magic and forbidden love, set out for Český Krumlov, a town in South Bohemia also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, where the illusionist first encounters the noblewoman Sophie. The movie application will then lead you to Konopiště Chateau, where the successor to the Austro-Hungarian throne Franz Ferdinand d’Este lived for many years, and to Vinohrady in Prague, where the illusionist performs incredible tricks directly in the local theater, as well asto the Krkonoše (Giant) Mountains, where not far from the highest mountain in the Czech Republic the hero hides the love of his life.

3. Edith Piaf will guide you through Prague and Kutná Hora

If you prefer France in the golden era of chanson to the Austrian monarchy, take a look at the locations from the movie Edith Piaf,starring Marion Contillard who won an Oscar for Best Actress in 2008 for her portrayal of this French diva. In addition to the famous singer’s homeland, this successful French movie was filmed in Žatec, a place famed for its beer brewing tradition, and in the mining town ofKutná Hora, where in the film Edith sang the French national anthem La Marseillaise. The local Barborská Street is very popular among filmmakers, with other great films to its credit – Les Miserables, Joan of Arc and Jack the Ripper.

4. To Loket Castle or to a famous spa with an agent licensed to kill

If you’re a fan of the action genre, let Daniel Craig as James Bond take you to the locations where one of the most successful of the modern Bond films, Casino Royale, was shot. In the film, however, the Czech Republic plays the part of Montenegro. The characters portrayed by Daniel Craig and Eva Green are accommodated at the Grandhotel Puppin the spa town of Karlovy Vary, where the famous poker game, which nearly costs James Bond his life,takes place.The Grandhotel Pupp also appears in the movie Last Holiday with Gerard Depardieu. In addition, James Bond will reveal to you the secrets of the Romanesque Castle of LoketandtheNational Museum in Prague.

5. The fairytale land of Narnia in Czech “Switzerland”

Lovers of fairytale scenery can seize the chance to travel to the locations of Narnia. The first episode of The Chronicles of Narnia entitled The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe includes breathtaking shots of the rocky area of Adršpach Rocks. Most of the scenes in the forest take place in the Bohemian Switzerland National Park, famous for its Pravčická brána (Pravčice Sandstone Gate), whose span of 26.5 meters and height of 16 meters make it the largest natural rocky gate in Europe.

The Czech Republic is a country frequently seen in films. The Czech Film Trips application, which in addition to Czech is also available in English, German and Polish, will allow movie fans to trace the footsteps of the knight played by Heath Ledger, who shines in a jousting tournament filmed in Lipnice nad Sázavou, and will take them to the South Moravian Baroque castle of Vranov nad Dyjí– the headquarters of the terrorists in the action movie xXxstarring Vin Diesel.

CzechTourism is a state-funded agency of the Ministry for Regional Development. Its main activity is to promote the Czech Republic as an attractive tourist destination. More information is available at http://www.czechtourism.com.