Czech
AREA and LOCATION
The Czech Republic extends over an area of 79,000 square km in total and is located in Central Europe. It has approximately the same size as Austria or Ireland. The Czech Republic is divided into three parts: Bohemia in the west, Moravia in the east and Silesia in the north-east. The country is divided into 14 regions, the largest being the Central Bohemian Region.
BORDERING COUNTRIES
Germany (646 km), Poland (658 km), Slovakia (215 km) and Austria (362 km).
THE CAPITAL CITY and MAJOR CITIES
Praha (Prague) is the capital city with a population of 1,188,126 inhabitants. The other big cities include Brno (400,000 inhabitants) which is the capital of Moravia, Ostrava (319,000 inhabitants), Pilsen (170,000 inhabitants), Olomouc (about 101,000 inhabitants) and Liberec (98,000 inhabitants).
CLIMATE
The Czech Republic has a mild climate and has four seasons. The climactic conditions vary in the lowlands and highlands. The highest mountain is Sněžka (1,602 m AMSL), situated in Krkonoše and with an average yearly temperature of 0.4 degrees Centigrade, while in the lowlands in Moravia, the average yearly temperature is about 10 degrees Centigrade. During summer, the average temperature reaches around 23 degrees Centigrade, while in winter (December, January, February), it is approximately 5 degrees Centigrade below zero.
AREA CODE
+420
CURRENCY
The Czech Crown (CZK), in Czech “koruna”.
DISTANCES
Prague is situated 340 km from Berlin, 290 km from Vienna,
336 km from Bratislava and 535 km from Budapest.
IMPORTANT TELEPHONE NUMBERS
General emergency line 112
Police 158
Municipal Police 156
Ambulance 155
Fire Service 150
Free phone numbers in the Czech Republic begin with 800. The numbers for directory enquiries are 1180 and 1181 (calls to these numbers are charged for).
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS
Prague Ruzyně Airport www.prg.aero
Brno Airport www.airport-brno.cz
Carlsbad Airport (Karlovy Vary) www.airport-k-vary.cz
Ostrava Airport www.airport-ostrava.cz
Pardubice Airport www.airport-pardubice.cz
LANGUAGE
The official language is Czech, which is a part of the Slavonic group of languages, such as Russian, Polish, Slovak and Ukrainian. Especially in the bigger cities, however, people understand English. The older generation speaks Russian or German.
MOBILE OPERATORS
T-Mobile, Vodafone, Telefónica O2. The mobile connection is available almost everywhere except for remote mountain areas.
NATIONAL HOLIDAYS
1st January: Czech Independence Day, 8th May: Liberation Day, 5th July: Day of the Slavic Apostles Cyril and Methodius, 6th July: Jan Hus Day, 28th September: Day of Czech Statehood, 28th October: Independent Czechoslovak State Day, 17th November: Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day.
Other holidays: New Year´s Day (1st January), Easter Monday (March/April, changes each year), Labour Day (1st May), Christmas Eve (24th December), Christmas Day (25th December), St. Stephen´s Day (26th December).
Most banks and offices are closed on Saturdays, Sundays and during public holidays,
VACCINATION
No special vaccination is necessary prior to visiting the Czech Republic.
POLITICAL SYSTEM
Parliamentary democracy.
POPULATION
10,200,000 inhabitants.
POWER NETWORK
230 V/50 Hz, two-pronged plug with safety pin.
PRESIDENT
Petr Pavel
RAIL TRANSPORT
The international and national rail network:
ROAD TRANSPORT
BUS: www.studentagency.cz, www.eurolines.cz
RENT A CAR: www.hertz.cz, www.holidayautos.cz
SMOKING
Smoking is prohibited in all public places, such as bus stops, sports facilities, stadiums, trains, offices or schools. In restaurants, smoking is prohibited since July 1, 2017. Tobacco is sold to customers over the age of 18.
TAXIS
Taxis can be hailed in the street or booked over the phone. However, especially in Prague, it is advisable to order taxis in advance. For instance, the AAA taxi company provides a very reliable service: 221102211, 14014 (from Prague). Since January 2007 the following fares apply on routes in Prague: the basic tariff is 40 CZK (1.20 EUR), 28 CZK (1 EUR) per kilometre travelled, and 6 CZK per minute of waiting time. Of course, you can use UBER as well.
TIME
Central European Time (GMT + 1 hour), Summer Time applies from March to November: GMT + 2 hours.
READ ARTICLES ABOUT THE CZECH REPUBLIC:
www.mice-cee.com/go-czech-republic
