Czechia has long been one of the most sought-after cultural destinations in Europe. Castles, chateaus, galleries and museums attract millions of visitors a year and statistics confirm that cultural tourism is one of the main reasons why people come to our country. This trend is now being reinforced by a unique event - an exhibition of the skeletal remains of the famous Lucy and the baby Selam is about to start at the National Museum in Prague. This is the first ever display of these iconic finds in Europe.
Cultural tourism on the rise
According to the latest data from the Institute of Tourism, interest in domestic culture is growing steadily. In 2023 (data for a full year after the lifting of all anti-poverty measures), 40.8% of visitors chose visiting local cultural sites as one of their activities during their stay. In the first half of this year, this share has already exceeded 45.3%. The trend is evident among both domestic and foreign travellers, who are increasingly setting off in search of history, architecture and cultural institutions. For foreigners, the share of these activities has increased by more than 5 percentage points over the last 2.5 years (H1 2025 - 48.5 %), and for residents by 3.5 percentage points (H1 2025 - 48 %).
Visitors from distant countries are most interested in culture in Czechia. Sights, including museums and galleries, are most frequently visited by tourists from Japan (93.6 % of all their activities), Portugal (91.9 %), Belgium (90.6 %), South Korea (87.9 %) and Spain (82.2 %).
Lucy and Selam – a world unique in Prague
The growing popularity of cultural events is followed by an extraordinary display of the skeletal remains of the famous Lucy (Australopithecus afarensis, 3.2 million years old) and the 100-year-old fossil of the child of the same species, Selam. These are some of the most valuable paleoanthropological finds in the world and Czechia is the only country in Europe where Ethiopia has loaned them. Thanks to this, not only the metropolis but the whole country is among the world's cultural centres. And the attractiveness of Czechia for visitors looking for exceptional experiences is growing again.
„The exhibition of the skeletal remains of Lucy and Selam at the National Museum is a truly unique event – for the first time ever these iconic remains are on display in Europe. It confirms the image of a cultural country that the Czech Republic has worldwide. The presence of such unique exhibits proves that we can offer not only architectural and historical gems, but also extraordinary international cultural events,“ says Director of the Czech Tourist Authority – CzechTourism František Reismüller.
Cultural heritage as a draw for visitors
The exhibition is also a strong impetus for the promotion of the country not only at home but also abroad. The huge interest in cultural monuments across all regions is confirmed by the annual Tourist Destinations List. Its results show that people are constantly discovering new places and therefore the ranking changes regularly. Last year, for example, the Covozoo in the Old Town, with its life-size metal sculptures of animals, was the clear winner among visitors to more than 430 domestic museums and galleries, with more than 181,000 people heading there. Further details are available on the Institute of Tourism's website Tourdata.cz.
„Cultural tourism is one of the pillars on which we build our presentation of Czechia abroad. Thanks to the „Lucy and Selam“ exhibition, we can rank among the top cultural destinations and show the world that we offer experiences not found elsewhere in Europe,“ adds František Reismüller.
Czechia – a destination that connects history and the present
Modern exhibitions and unique historical monuments make Czechia a cultural superpower. The exhibition „Lucy and Selam“ is more than a scientific sensation – it also becomes a powerful promotional tool and confirms that the country can offer events of global significance. The CzechTourism agency informs about this and other cultural events through the Kudy z nudy portal, websites and social networks, the VisitCzechia website, which mainly targets foreign tourists, and also through its foreign representations.
Museum and Gallery Visitation in 2024
According to the latest data from the Institute of Tourism, interest in domestic culture is growing steadily. In 2023 (data for a full year after the lifting of all anti-poverty measures), 40.8% of visitors chose visiting local cultural sites as one of their activities during their stay. In the first half of this year, this share has already exceeded 45.3%. The trend is evident among both domestic and foreign travellers, who are increasingly setting off in search of history, architecture and cultural institutions. For foreigners, the share of these activities has increased by more than 5 percentage points over the last 2.5 years (H1 2025 - 48.5 %), and for residents by 3.5 percentage points (H1 2025 - 48 %).
Visitors from distant countries are most interested in culture in Czechia. Sights, including museums and galleries, are most frequently visited by tourists from Japan (93.6 % of all their activities), Portugal (91.9 %), Belgium (90.6 %), South Korea (87.9 %) and Spain (82.2 %).
Lucy and Selam – a world unique in Prague
The growing popularity of cultural events is followed by an extraordinary display of the skeletal remains of the famous Lucy (Australopithecus afarensis, 3.2 million years old) and the 100-year-old fossil of the child of the same species, Selam. These are some of the most valuable paleoanthropological finds in the world and Czechia is the only country in Europe where Ethiopia has loaned them. Thanks to this, not only the metropolis but the whole country is among the world's cultural centres. And the attractiveness of Czechia for visitors looking for exceptional experiences is growing again.
„The exhibition of the skeletal remains of Lucy and Selam at the National Museum is a truly unique event – for the first time ever these iconic remains are on display in Europe. It confirms the image of a cultural country that the Czech Republic has worldwide. The presence of such unique exhibits proves that we can offer not only architectural and historical gems, but also extraordinary international cultural events,“ says Director of the Czech Tourist Authority – CzechTourism František Reismüller.
Cultural heritage as a draw for visitors
The exhibition is also a strong impetus for the promotion of the country not only at home but also abroad. The huge interest in cultural monuments across all regions is confirmed by the annual Tourist Destinations List. Its results show that people are constantly discovering new places and therefore the ranking changes regularly. Last year, for example, the Covozoo in the Old Town, with its life-size metal sculptures of animals, was the clear winner among visitors to more than 430 domestic museums and galleries, with more than 181,000 people heading there. Further details are available on the Institute of Tourism's website Tourdata.cz.
„Cultural tourism is one of the pillars on which we build our presentation of Czechia abroad. Thanks to the „Lucy and Selam“ exhibition, we can rank among the top cultural destinations and show the world that we offer experiences not found elsewhere in Europe,“ adds František Reismüller.
Czechia – a destination that connects history and the present
Modern exhibitions and unique historical monuments make Czechia a cultural superpower. The exhibition „Lucy and Selam“ is more than a scientific sensation – it also becomes a powerful promotional tool and confirms that the country can offer events of global significance. The CzechTourism agency informs about this and other cultural events through the Kudy z nudy portal, websites and social networks, the VisitCzechia website, which mainly targets foreign tourists, and also through its foreign representations.
Museum and Gallery Visitation in 2024
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