Exploring Czech Bavaria: A Cultural Fusion

Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a state in the southeast of Germany. It is the largest German state by land area and the second most populous. It shares an 815km border with the Czech Republic, with which it has had a tumultuous history. The two nations have sought to strengthen their relationship in recent years, with the German land of Bavaria announcing plans to build six German-Czech bilingual schools in the border areas. In addition, there are plans to almost double the number of trains between Munich and Prague, with aspirations to reduce the journey time from six hours to less than four hours by 2030.

Travel between Bavaria and the Czech Republic

Bavaria and the Czech Republic share a border, with the Bavarian Forest and the Bohemian Forest forming the vast majority of the frontier between the two regions. The distance between the two is approximately 380 km. There are several ways to travel between the two regions, including by bus, train, rideshare, car, plane, or subway.

By Car

The fastest way to travel between Bavaria and the Czech Republic is by car, which takes approximately 3 hours and 25 minutes and costs €60-€90.

By Bus

Taking the bus is the best way to travel between the two regions without a car. The journey takes approximately 5 hours and 55 minutes and costs €26-€55.

By Train

There is no direct train from Bavaria to the Czech Republic. However, there are services departing from Marienplatz and arriving at Praha Hlavni Nadrazi via Muenchen Hbf. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 6 hours and 42 minutes.

By Plane

You can also fly from Munich to Prague.

Other Options

Other options include travelling by rideshare or subway.

History of the two regions

The history of the two regions, Bavaria and the Czech lands, is long and complex, stretching back thousands of years.

Bohemia and the Czech Lands

The Czech lands, comprising Bohemia, Moravia, and Czech Silesia, have a long history dating back to the settlement of Celtic tribes, such as the Boii, as early as the 5th century BC. In the 1st century BC, Bohemia was conquered by the Romans and incorporated into the Roman Empire as the provinces of Raetia and Noricum. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Bohemia was settled by various Germanic tribes before the Slavs arrived in the 6th century CE.

In the 9th century, Bohemia was united under the rule of the Přemyslid dynasty, which established the Duchy of Bohemia. In the 11th century, Bohemia became a kingdom within the Holy Roman Empire, and in the 13th century, it became part of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown, which also included Moravia and Silesia. The region was ruled by various dynasties, including the Luxembourgs and the Habsburgs, until the early 20th century.

During the First World War, Bohemia was part of Austria-Hungary, and after the war, it became a part of the newly formed country of Czechoslovakia, which combined Bohemia, Moravia, Czech Silesia, Slovakia, and other regions. However, the German-speaking regions of Bohemia, known as the Sudetenland, were annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938, and the remainder of Bohemia was annexed in 1939. After the Second World War, Bohemia once again became part of Czechoslovakia until the peaceful split of the country in 1993, after which it became part of the Czech Republic.

Bavaria

Bavaria also has a rich history, beginning with the settlement of Celtic tribes in the Iron Age. In the 1st century BC, it was conquered by the Romans and incorporated into the Roman Empire. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Bavaria became a stem duchy in the 6th century CE and was later incorporated into the Holy Roman Empire.

Bavaria gained independence in 1806 and became the Kingdom of Bavaria. It joined the Prussian-led German Empire in 1871 but retained its title of kingdom. After the First World War, Bavaria became a state in the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949.

Throughout its history, Bavaria has been influenced by various cultures, including Celtic, Germanic, and Catholic traditions. It has a distinct culture, language, cuisine, and architecture and is known for its festivals and Alpine symbolism.

Language and dialects

Bavaria and the Czech Republic are neighbouring regions in Central Europe, with Bavaria forming the southeastern part of Germany and the Czech Republic lying to the east. The two regions share a border, with the Bohemian Forest and the Bavarian Forest forming the majority of the frontier.

The official language of Bavaria is German, with the region also home to three main dialects: Swabian, Franconian, and Bavarian. The Bavarian dialect is further divided into Upper, Middle, and Lower Bavarian, with the latter two sometimes being grouped together. The Franconian dialect is also split into Upper, Middle, and Lower Franconian.

The official language of the Czech Republic is Czech, a West Slavic language that is closely related to Slovak and, to a lesser degree, Polish. Czech is divided into several dialects, including Bohemian, Moravian, Moravian-Slovak, Czech Silesian, and Mixed. The Bohemian dialect is further divided into Central Bohemian, West Bohemian, and East Bohemian, among others. The Moravian dialect is split into Eastern Moravian, Central Moravian, and Silesian, with the latter also being referred to as Lach.

The Bavarian dialect is spoken by approximately 12 million people and covers an area of around 125,000 square kilometres, making it the largest of all German dialects. Bavarian is considered a dialect of German, but some classify it as a separate language due to its distinct features and the fact that it is prevalent in parts of Austria and Northern Italy.

Czech is spoken by about 10 million residents of the Czech Republic and is known for its complex grammar, with nouns, verbs, and adjectives inflected by phonological processes. The Moravian dialect, in particular, is quite different from the Bohemian dialect, with the Moravian territory being linguistically diversified, possibly due to the lack of a Moravian cultural and political centre.

While the Bavarian and Czech languages and their dialects have distinct features and differences, there is some mutual intelligibility, particularly between Czech and Slovak. Additionally, both regions have experienced influences from other languages, with Bavarian being influenced by Latin and Czech by German.

Food and drink

Czech Republic

Czech cuisine has been influenced by the cuisines of surrounding countries, and Czech food has, in turn, influenced the food of other nations. Czech meals typically consist of two or more courses, with the first course being soup, and the second being the main dish. If a third course is eaten, it is usually a sweet dessert or compote. Thick soups and sauces based on stewed or cooked vegetables and meats, often with cream, are popular dishes, and are usually accompanied by beer, especially Pilsner. Czech cuisine also features many sweet main courses, a unique feature in European cooking.

Meat consumption in the Czech Republic has increased in recent years, but traditionally, meat was reserved for once-weekly consumption, usually at weekends. Pork is the most common meat, making up over half of all meat consumption, with beef, veal and chicken also popular. Dumplings (knedlíky) are another mainstay of Czech cuisine and are typically served with meals. They can be made from wheat or potatoes, or a combination of both.

Other common foods include noodles, boiled rice, potatoes, and bread (chléb or chleba). Bread is traditionally sourdough, baked from rye and wheat, and flavoured with salt, caraway seeds, onion, garlic, seeds, or pork crackling. It is eaten as an accompaniment to soups and other dishes.

Beer is a huge part of Czech culture, and the country has the highest per-capita consumption of beer in the world. The most common style, which originated in the Czech Republic, is Pilsner.

Bavaria

Bavarian cuisine includes many meat and Knödel (dumpling) dishes, and often uses flour. Wheat, barley, potatoes, beets, carrots, onions and cabbage are staple crops in Bavaria. Bratwurst (Nürnberger Bratwurst) was first mentioned in a document in 1313, and beer has been brewed in the region since the Bronze Age. Beer is considered a national beverage in Bavaria, and is viewed as a type of liquid bread, or food. Bavarians consume an average of nearly 250 quarts of beer per person, per year.

Munich is considered the beer capital of the world, and the city's breweries produce distinctive brews that local connoisseurs can tell apart by taste, aroma and bouquet. Munich beer is considered the best in Germany, and the credit for this largely goes to Bavaria's Duke Wilhelm IV, who, in 1516, decreed that beer could only be brewed from malt, hops and water, with no additives or preservatives.

Bavarian specialties include Brotzeit, a savoury snack eaten between breakfast and lunch, and Weisswurst (white sausage).

Cultural exchange

Bavaria and the Czech Republic share a border and have a history of cultural exchange. The two regions have similar culinary traditions, such as a love of beer, dumplings, coffee, and cake. They also share a hilly landscape. In addition, Bohemia, the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic, was once part of Austria-Hungary and had a significant German-speaking population. After World War II, many ethnic Germans were expelled from Czechoslovakia, but some cultural connections remain, particularly in the areas that were once populated by these German communities.

Today, there is still some cultural exchange between the two regions. For example, many Czechs know German, and there are innovative Bavarian-Czech projects that contribute to mutual understanding and networking among citizens. Transport links also remain strong, with several ways to travel between the two regions, including by bus, train, car, and plane.

However, some sources suggest that there is now little cultural exchange between Bavaria and the Czech Republic. One source states that people tend to only cross the border for shopping or tourism. Another source notes that Bavarians tend to prioritise their own culture and traditions and look towards Austria and Italy rather than their Slavic neighbours.

Overall, while there are some similarities between Bavarian and Czech culture, and a history of cultural exchange, the level of contemporary cultural exchange appears to be limited.

Frequently asked questions