Reach scholarship level 18 for the explorer perk to automatically reveal all locations even unvisited ones - this is your primary goal. While working towards that, follow main quests through tachov which naturally guides you to key areas and provides your first horse. Pay 200 groschen at border carriages to access both trosky and kuttenberg regions, the main carriage points are southeast and west respectively.

Build your fast travel network early by discovering blue wheel settlements, but avoid nighttime travel due to bandits. Read every book and exhaust npc conversations you find, as both boost scholarship xp towards that crucial explorer perk. Keep marigold decoctions handy when exploring unmarked areas, since random encounters are common especially near abandoned camps and unmarked graves. Once you discover places like rocktower pond, they'll serve as unofficial checkpoints even before fully revealed.

Tip: focus on the main quest initially, as it naturally guides you through major settlements while providing essential tools. When switching regions remember that trosky's carriage is southeast while kuttenberg's sits on the western border.