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CZECH REPUBLIC ESSENTIALS

PRAGUE

Prague is the Capital of the Czech Republic. It has always been considered the centre of political and cultural life during history. Its history has been recording since the 9th century when it was founded.

History cannot only be red from various documents and files, but you may also make a historical picture yourselves during a walk. The Prague historic centre has been on the UNESCO list of cultural and natural heritage since 1992.

Prague is called a city of a hundred spires. You may check that yourselves as there are several view points there, from which you might count a hundred of them. It is also called a heart of Europe. Perhaps it is not located at the very place where a hart should be, but once you come to visit Prague it will surely remain in your heart.

Prague influenced and inspired a number of notable writers and composers. Let’s name great composers like W.A.Mozart, L.van Beethoven, P.I.Tchaikovsky, B.Smetana, A.Dvorak, writers and painters like Jan Neruda, Jaroslav Seifert, Franz Kafka, G.Apollinaire, who stayed in Prague. It has also impressed some politicians, for example Her Majesty Elisabeth II.

Lovers of architecture, culture sport and shopping will be satisfied too.

You will see various building styles during your stay, from Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral via Renaissance Belvedere, Art Nouveau Municipal House to modern buildings as for example the Dancing House. Theatres, exhibitions and museums have prepared cultural experiences for you.

If you are fond of shopping you must not forget a walk along Wenceslas Square offering numerous shops. You may buy traditional Czech products as well as items of world leading brands there.

Prague is a place where several renowned events take place every year, e.g. The Prague Spring, Prague Marathon, Easter and Christmas markets etc.

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS

Payphones

There are two types of payphones to be found in the Czech Republic - those that accept coins and those that accept telephone cards. Both types of payphones can be found easily at many locations in any town or city.

You can purchase telephone cards at newsstands, tobacconists, post office, department stores, hotels or money exchange offices. Telephone cards are handy when you need to make longer and/or more expensive phone calls or if you do not want to keep your pockets full of coins needed for coin accepting payphones.

Mobile Phones

If you are going to stay in the Czech Republic for a longer period of time, it might make a sense to purchase a phone or SIM card here. There are three main operators with different offers – but no matter which one you choose, you will save a lot of money on calling.

Mobile phone operators

Eurotel	www.eurotel.cz
T-Mobil	www.t-mobile.cz
Vodafone	www.vodafone.cz

USEFUL PHRASES

WEATHER

The Czech Republic doesn’t have seashore – its climate is continental. Even though you might encounter very extreme weather in all parts of the year, mostly the weather conditions are very mild.

Spring

Spring season starts usually in March – by the half of March, temperatures mostly remain above zero and snow starts to melt in all but highland areas. April weather is unpredictable and can change from sunny to snowy in a matter of minutes. The temperature tends to rise steadily as the spring moths pass – May is usually a warm and pleasant month in the Czech Republic.

Summer

Summer is a warm and pleasant season in middle Europe – temperatures are mostly higher than 20 degrees but do not exceed 27. There might be spells of very hot weather in July or August (more than 35 degrees shade temperature), but they usually don’t last very long. You might encounter sudden showers and thunderstorms, so bring an umbrella.

Autumn

Typical Czech autumn is chilly, rainy and full of colors. Fall starts in October with days still warm. As the autumn months pass, the temperature slowly drops till the first frost comes in the end of the season. It might rain quite often, but autumn in Czech Republic has its unique charm because of its vivid colors.

Winter

Winter starts in late December and lasts till the end of March. Winters are very often cold, cloudy and wet. The temperatures might drop as deep as -15 degrees, but are mostly just few degrees below zero. Since January till late February most of the country is covered with snow, but you will not see much of it if you stay in large cities. Pack some warm clothes and shoes or boots that can handle snow and water, check weather on-line before you go. The days are very short, expect no more than 8 hours of daylight.