Czech Village, a stretch of 16th Avenue SW on the west bank of the Cedar River, is the most characterful neighbourhood in Cedar Rapids and one of the few in the Midwest to preserve a genuine Central European immigrant identity. The storefronts are low and old-fashioned, the bakeries sell koláče (Czech filled pastries) and houska bread, and the neighbourhood feels unhurried in a way that the rest of the city does not.
The area was badly flooded in 2008 and a number of businesses did not return, but Czech Village has rebuilt and now includes restaurants, antique shops, and the National Czech & Slovak Museum at its western end. On Fridays in summer the neighbourhood holds a weekly farmers' market. It is compact enough to explore in an hour on foot and is best combined with a visit to the museum.