A fascination with the days of Rome only seems to be growing in prominence. Increasingly, people are looking to indulge their love of the history, heroes, and conquests they’ve experienced in books and media by going to ancient sites. Luckily for those looking for Roman remains, they were pretty widespread.

Czechia may not be among the first handful of countries that come to mind to find some Roman history, but there are some key points of interest here. In fact, not only can you find an Ancient Roman site in the country, but Prague is also heavily tied to the Roman Empire that came later.

Roman Fortresses around Mušov

When thinking about the Romans, most focus on the days of Ancient Rome. In the centuries leading up to and beyond the turn from BC and AD, the Roman Empire spread from modern Italy across Europe, the Mediterranean, and into Western Asia.

It’s a combination of their sprawling empire, the artefacts left behind, strong record-keeping, and the tales of their figureheads and heroes that keep them so prominent. You can see this reflected in modern media. Gladiator’s Rising, Shields of Rome, Spartacus, and Emperor of Rome just show the selection of slot games in the theme.

Each of these games leans into the strength of Rome, from the gladiators who’d fight to the death to the all-conquering emperors. In film and TV, gladiators are of constant appeal. The 2000 film Gladiator and the original run of Spartacus over four seasons captured the setting with superb storytelling and bombastic action scenes.

The days of conquest of this slice of Roman history can be found close to Mušov. In the South Moravia Region, in Hradisko, you can find a Visitors Centre run by the Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences. It is dedicated to researching the ancient legions and the fortress found in Hradisko.

Prague and the Roman Empire that Followed

The western side of the Ancient Roman Empire fell in the 400s AD, while the eastern side of the empire continued to thrive for a millennium, becoming known as the Byzantine Empire. Hundreds of years later, Charlemagne created a new empire in Western Europe that stretched to Italy, and the Pope seemingly wanted to earn favour.

So, in the late 700s, he named Charlemagne the Emperor of the Romans, forming what would become known as the Holy Roman Empire. The Holy Roman Emperor title passed down despite it essentially being made up by the Pope at that time. Jump forward into the 1300s, and Prague earns its strong ties to the empire.

Charles IV became the Holy Roman Emperor and was the ruling Bohemian King when he decided to make Prague his capital and the capital of the empire. From 1346 to 1378, he helped to develop the city. One such development was what we now call New Town. He designed it himself on farmland, expanding the original city east and south.

So, if you want to explore either period of the empires of old Rome, head to Hradisko or Prague when you explore Czechia next.