Introduction
A fairytale land rushing headlong to modernity. The Czech Republic is still all things to all people. From the pulsing capital Prague to the back-in-time villages of Moravia, from toiling up mountains to lounging in spas, from the world-famous Pilsner to the strains of Smetana and Dvo ř á k, there's an experience to suit every taste.
Stunning architecture is not limited to Prague; there are plenty of beautiful structures in other towns, and significantly fewer tourists. Among the richest are Kutn á Hora, Cheb, Loket and Doma ž lice in Bohemia, and Olomouc, Tel č and Krom ê ř í ž in Moravia.
Geography:
Adjoining Austria, Germany, Poland and the Slovak Republic, the Czech Republic consists of Bohemia in the west and Moravia in the east. Within Moravia is a small southern part of the historical region called Silesia, the rest of which is in present-day Poland. Prague, the capital of both the Czech Republic and Bohemia, sits astride the Vltava River about 30km (19mi) above its junction with the Labe River. The Czech Republic has a beautiful and diverse landscape with plenty of mountains, gentle highlands, lowlands, caves, canyons, broad fields, bogs, lakes, ponds and dams. Unfortunately, the further north you go, the worse the appalling air pollution and high-altitude acid-rain damage gets - belated pay-back for unregulated industrialisation since the 19th century. Despite the significant environmental damage, the north includes some of the Czech Republic's most sublime landscapes including the stunning Sandstone Rocks of Labe, and the bizarre 'rock towns' of Č esk ý r á j and the Adr š pach-Teplice region.
Destination Facts
Capital: Prague (pop 1.2 million )
President: V á clav Klaus
Prime Minister: Mirek Topol á nek
Government: parliamentary democracy
Time zone: GMT +1
Area: 78866
Population: 10235455
People: Czech with minorities of Slovaks, Poles, Germans, Romanies and Hungarians
Languages: 26.8% Roman Catholic, 2.1% Protestant, 3.3% Other, 8.89% Unspecified
Currency: Czech Koruna (K č )
Major industries: Machinery, transport, steel, armaments, vehicles, cement, ceramics, cotton, beer
Major Trading Partners: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Russia, Italy
Daylight Saving: From last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October
Country Dialing Code: 420
Getting There
The high season and the best time to go is in May or September, when weather is mild and crowds fewer. Many museums, galleries, castles and the like are only open at this time. April and October are chillier but you'll benefit from smaller crowds and cheaper rooms. In July and August hostels are chock-a-block with students, especially in Prague. In winter, you'll likely get to see it all under a blanket of snow; camping grounds are closed, as are attractions in smaller towns but the time is right for skiing and other winter pursuits. Most Czechs and Slovaks, like the rest. of Europe, take their holidays in July and August, and then again over the Easter and Christmas-New Year holiday period. Accommodation facilities are often booked; crowds, particularly in Prague and the mountain resort areas, can be unbearable; and prices spike to their highest. On the other hand, most festivals take place during summer months and the supply of cheap sleeps in university towns increases as student dorms are thrown open to visitors. High in the mountains, November through March is an additional high season.
Getting there and away
International rail crossings outnumber international airports by 18 to one (the airport in question being Prague), but both are outscored by the 30-plus international road crossings.
There are regular flights between Prague and other reasonably sized Czech cities, even more regular (and reasonably cheap) train services courtesy of Czech Railways, and a low-cost but highly dependable long-distance bus network. The road network is good, but drive defensively to counter the local addiction to excessive speeding.
Visa:
Nationals of all western European countries, Japan, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand can visit the Czech Republic for up to 90 days, and UK citizens for up to 180 days, without a visa. Nationals of South Africa and many other countries must obtain a visa, which is good for a stay of between 30 and 90 days depending on your nationality. Note that although the Czech Republic is now part of the EU, the visas issued by the Czech Republic are national and not Schengen visas. When the Czech Republic joined the European Union they did not become part of the Schengen area. Therefore valid Schengen visas cannot be used for entering the Czech Republic. Note also that Czech visas do not allow aliens to enter the territories of other EU member states. All aliens who require a visa when travelling to the Czech Republic must therefore have a valid Czech visa, corresponding to the purpose and length of their stay in the country.
Weather
Czech seasons are distinct. Summer (June through August), receives the highest temperatures and also the heaviest rainfall. The cold, bitter winter months of December, January and February often have temperatures reaching as low as -5 ° C (23 ° F) in the cities and -10 ° C (14 ° F) to -15 ° C (5 ° F) or even -30 ° C (-22 ° F) in the mountainous areas. They are tailor-made for skiing and other winter pursuits; the mountains receive about 130 days of snow a year, but other areas get coverage as well. Spring (late March to May) brings changeable, rainy weather and sometimes flooding. Autumn is also variable but temperatures can be as high as 20 ° C (68 ° F) in September.
Places of Interest
The Czech Republic is still all things to all people. From the pulsing capital Prague to the back-in-time villages of Moravia, from toiling up mountains to lounging in spas, from the world-famous Pilsner to the strains of Smetana and Dvo ř á k, there's an experience to suit every taste.
Stunning architecture is not limited to Prague; there are plenty of beautiful structures in other towns, and significantly fewer tourists. Among the richest are Kutn á Hora, Cheb, Loket and Doma ž lice in Bohemia, and Olomouc, Tel č and Krom ê ř í ž in Moravia.
Events
Practically every day is a saint's day in the Czech Republic, and 'special days', festivals and public holidays are widely acknowledged. On 30 April in Prague, the Czech version of Walpurgisnacht, Paleni Carodejnic(Burning of the Witches) is a pre-Christian festival for warding off evil. Politically incorrect witch burning is now replaced by all-night bonfire parties on Kampa Island and in suburban backyards. Growing more politically incorrect on Easter Monday each year is the old pagan tradition of Poml á zka where Czech men wander through their village swatting their favourite women on the legs with decorated willow switches. High culture follows for the remainder of the year with the Prazske jaro(Prague Spring) International Music Festival in May and June, the Prague International Book Fair also in May and the Mozart Festival in September. The Christmas and New Year season closes the year quietly for most of the Czech Republic, but Prague is overcome with tourist revelry during a fast and furious holiday season. Worth checking out also is Č esk ý Krumlov's International Music Festival which is held every August in the stunning river town.
A fairytale land rushing headlong to modernity. The Czech Republic is still all things to all people. From the pulsing capital Prague to the back-in-time villages of Moravia, from toiling up mountains to lounging in spas, from the world-famous Pilsner to the strains of Smetana and Dvo ř á k, there's an experience to suit every taste.
Stunning architecture is not limited to Prague; there are plenty of beautiful structures in other towns, and significantly fewer tourists. Among the richest are Kutn á Hora, Cheb, Loket and Doma ž lice in Bohemia, and Olomouc, Tel č and Krom ê ř í ž in Moravia.
Geography:
Adjoining Austria, Germany, Poland and the Slovak Republic, the Czech Republic consists of Bohemia in the west and Moravia in the east. Within Moravia is a small southern part of the historical region called Silesia, the rest of which is in present-day Poland. Prague, the capital of both the Czech Republic and Bohemia, sits astride the Vltava River about 30km (19mi) above its junction with the Labe River. The Czech Republic has a beautiful and diverse landscape with plenty of mountains, gentle highlands, lowlands, caves, canyons, broad fields, bogs, lakes, ponds and dams. Unfortunately, the further north you go, the worse the appalling air pollution and high-altitude acid-rain damage gets - belated pay-back for unregulated industrialisation since the 19th century. Despite the significant environmental damage, the north includes some of the Czech Republic's most sublime landscapes including the stunning Sandstone Rocks of Labe, and the bizarre 'rock towns' of Č esk ý r á j and the Adr š pach-Teplice region.
Destination Facts
Capital: Prague (pop 1.2 million )
President: V á clav Klaus
Prime Minister: Mirek Topol á nek
Government: parliamentary democracy
Time zone: GMT +1
Area: 78866
Population: 10235455
People: Czech with minorities of Slovaks, Poles, Germans, Romanies and Hungarians
Languages: 26.8% Roman Catholic, 2.1% Protestant, 3.3% Other, 8.89% Unspecified
Currency: Czech Koruna (K č )
Major industries: Machinery, transport, steel, armaments, vehicles, cement, ceramics, cotton, beer
Major Trading Partners: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Russia, Italy
Daylight Saving: From last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October
Country Dialing Code: 420
Getting There
The high season and the best time to go is in May or September, when weather is mild and crowds fewer. Many museums, galleries, castles and the like are only open at this time. April and October are chillier but you'll benefit from smaller crowds and cheaper rooms. In July and August hostels are chock-a-block with students, especially in Prague. In winter, you'll likely get to see it all under a blanket of snow; camping grounds are closed, as are attractions in smaller towns but the time is right for skiing and other winter pursuits. Most Czechs and Slovaks, like the rest. of Europe, take their holidays in July and August, and then again over the Easter and Christmas-New Year holiday period. Accommodation facilities are often booked; crowds, particularly in Prague and the mountain resort areas, can be unbearable; and prices spike to their highest. On the other hand, most festivals take place during summer months and the supply of cheap sleeps in university towns increases as student dorms are thrown open to visitors. High in the mountains, November through March is an additional high season.
Getting there and away
International rail crossings outnumber international airports by 18 to one (the airport in question being Prague), but both are outscored by the 30-plus international road crossings.
There are regular flights between Prague and other reasonably sized Czech cities, even more regular (and reasonably cheap) train services courtesy of Czech Railways, and a low-cost but highly dependable long-distance bus network. The road network is good, but drive defensively to counter the local addiction to excessive speeding.
Visa:
Nationals of all western European countries, Japan, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand can visit the Czech Republic for up to 90 days, and UK citizens for up to 180 days, without a visa. Nationals of South Africa and many other countries must obtain a visa, which is good for a stay of between 30 and 90 days depending on your nationality. Note that although the Czech Republic is now part of the EU, the visas issued by the Czech Republic are national and not Schengen visas. When the Czech Republic joined the European Union they did not become part of the Schengen area. Therefore valid Schengen visas cannot be used for entering the Czech Republic. Note also that Czech visas do not allow aliens to enter the territories of other EU member states. All aliens who require a visa when travelling to the Czech Republic must therefore have a valid Czech visa, corresponding to the purpose and length of their stay in the country.
Weather
Czech seasons are distinct. Summer (June through August), receives the highest temperatures and also the heaviest rainfall. The cold, bitter winter months of December, January and February often have temperatures reaching as low as -5 ° C (23 ° F) in the cities and -10 ° C (14 ° F) to -15 ° C (5 ° F) or even -30 ° C (-22 ° F) in the mountainous areas. They are tailor-made for skiing and other winter pursuits; the mountains receive about 130 days of snow a year, but other areas get coverage as well. Spring (late March to May) brings changeable, rainy weather and sometimes flooding. Autumn is also variable but temperatures can be as high as 20 ° C (68 ° F) in September.
Places of Interest
The Czech Republic is still all things to all people. From the pulsing capital Prague to the back-in-time villages of Moravia, from toiling up mountains to lounging in spas, from the world-famous Pilsner to the strains of Smetana and Dvo ř á k, there's an experience to suit every taste.
Stunning architecture is not limited to Prague; there are plenty of beautiful structures in other towns, and significantly fewer tourists. Among the richest are Kutn á Hora, Cheb, Loket and Doma ž lice in Bohemia, and Olomouc, Tel č and Krom ê ř í ž in Moravia.
Events
Practically every day is a saint's day in the Czech Republic, and 'special days', festivals and public holidays are widely acknowledged. On 30 April in Prague, the Czech version of Walpurgisnacht, Paleni Carodejnic(Burning of the Witches) is a pre-Christian festival for warding off evil. Politically incorrect witch burning is now replaced by all-night bonfire parties on Kampa Island and in suburban backyards. Growing more politically incorrect on Easter Monday each year is the old pagan tradition of Poml á zka where Czech men wander through their village swatting their favourite women on the legs with decorated willow switches. High culture follows for the remainder of the year with the Prazske jaro(Prague Spring) International Music Festival in May and June, the Prague International Book Fair also in May and the Mozart Festival in September. The Christmas and New Year season closes the year quietly for most of the Czech Republic, but Prague is overcome with tourist revelry during a fast and furious holiday season. Worth checking out also is Č esk ý Krumlov's International Music Festival which is held every August in the stunning river town.
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