About Prague

THE CAPITAL OF CZECH REPUBLIC
Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic. It has an area of 496 km2 and is home to 1,200,000 people. The year 870, when Prague castle was established, is regarded as the beginning of the city’s existence. However, people inhabited the area in the early Stone Age. In 1918, at the end of World War I, Prague was declared the capital of a new country – the Czechoslovak Republic. In 1993 it became the capital of an independent Czech Republic.

WHERE IS IT
Prague is situated in the heart of Europe – approximately 600km from the Baltic, 700km from the North Sea and 700km from the Adriatic. Prague is not a huge distance from other central European cities. Vienna is 300km away, Bratislava 320km, Berlin 350km, Budapest 550km, Warsaw 630km and Copenhagen 750km.

UNESCO HERITAGE LISTED
Prague’s historical centre has an area of 866ha (Hradčany and Prague Castle, Malá Strana, the Old Town including Charles Bridge and Josefov, the New Town and Vyšehrad). Since 1992 it has been listed by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage site.

Typical for Prague city centre are its winding lanes and buildings in every possible architectural style: Romanesque rotundas, Gothic cathedrals, Baroque and Renaissance palaces, art nouveau, neo-classical, cubist and functionalist houses and contemporary structures.

EUROPE’S CITY OF CULTURE 2000
Prague is one of nine European cities to hold this prestigious title which it gained thanks to its numerous museums and galleries housing unique collections, tens of theatres and important concert halls which host performances by world famous artists.

LOCATED ON A RIVER AND 9 HILLS
Undulating topography gives Prague its inimitable beauty and its stunning panoramic views. Prague’s many hills provide some stunning vistas. The River Vltava flows through Prague for 31km, and at its widest measures 330m. The Vltava has created some interesting places in Prague – islands and meanders, providing many idyllic scenes.

ROMANTIC PRAGUE
A walk through the gas-lit narrow streets, a kiss under a tree in blossom in a Baroque garden, a cruise on a historical steamship, night time at a castle or chateau, a ride on a steam train, a wedding in a chateau park – all of these are ingredients in the cocktail that is Prague. And it’s up to every visitor which ingredients to add.

SHOPPING AND DINING
Famous Czech glass, costume jewellery, celebrated Czech beer, natural cosmetics, culinary specialties, world-famous brand names – all these come with a guarantee of quality and at a very reasonable price.

GOLDEN PRAGUE
This name was given to the city during the reign of Czech King and Holy Roman Emperor, Charles IV, when the towers of Prague Castle were covered in gold. Another theory is that Prague was called ‘Golden’ during the reign of Rudolf II who employed alchemists to turn ordinary metals into gold.

CITY OF A HUNDRED SPIRES
The city’s huge number of towers led to the city being called ‘the city of a hundred spires’ several centuries ago. At present there are around 500 towers in the city.

PRAGUE MAP

Czech Republic - A Symphony for the Senses

Prague & Czech Republic Visitor Information

CZECH REPUBLIC MAP

Time zone
The Czech Republic lies in the GMT +1 time zone, usually referred to as Central European Time (CET). The clocks are changed by one hour creating winter time and summer time (GTM + 2). The 24-hour clock is used in the Czech Republic. In the spoken language we would say we are going to meet at eight in the evening, but in official information this will always be 20:00.

Climate
Geographically speaking, the Czech Republic is situated in a temperate zone, and there are four seasons of approximately all the same length. Winters are relatively mild (the average January temperature is -2 °C, 28,4 °F) and summers are not too hot (the average July temperature is 20 °C, 68 °F), so you can travel to the Czech Republic at any time without being too concerned about the weather.

Electricity
AC in the Czech Republic is 230 volts. Neither current nor plug sizes are the same around the world. If you discover on arrival that an electrical device has a different plug to those used in this country, adapters are readily available.

Important telephone numbers
The most important emergency services have three-digit numbers which you should have with you at all times in case you should need them. These numbers can be called free of charge from mobiles even without a SIM card inserted.

• 112 – General emergency number
• 155 – Ambulance
• 158 – Police
• 156 – Municipal Police
• 150 – Fire brigade

Free phone numbers in the Czech Republic begin with 800. The numbers for directory enquiries are 1180 and 1181
(there is a charge for calls to these numbers).

Embassies and consulates
You can access assistance in difficult situations from your country’s embassy. Embassies are always located in the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague, and a complete list can be found on the Ministry for Foreign Affairs website. You can access assistance in difficult situations from your country’s embassy. Embassies are always located in the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague, and a complete list can be found on the Ministry for Foreign Affairs website (www.mzv.cz). Some countries do not have an embassy in the Czech Republic but are represented by a consulate (for instance Australia, Columbia, Malta, New Zealand and Sri Lanka).

Arriving in the Czech Republic
The Czech Republic became a member of the EU in 2004. There are different rules for citizens of other EU member countries than for tourists from other parts of the world. Everyone must carry ID at all times.

EU citizens
Citizens of EU member states need a passport or other ID document to enter the Czech Republic. The same is true for citizens of Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, who enjoy free movement around the EEA (European Economic Area).

Non-EU citizens
Visitors from other countries require a passport with at least six months’ validity on the day of arrival and in some cases a visa. Holders of Australian passports do not require a visa for a maximum stay of 90 days for touristic purposes. A list of states whose citizens require a visa to enter the Czech Republic can be found on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website (www.mzv.cz).

Travel with animals
In order to travel to the Czech Republic with an animal, all conditions set in the country from which the animal is being brought must be fulfilled, and further Czech rules must also be adhered to.

Requirements for travel with animals
passport (the so-called Pet Passport) or an export certificate from the relevant country, confirmed by a qualified vet

Customs quotas and regulations
When bringing goods into the Czech Republic there are limits set on certain commodities. If a certain amount is exceeded, duty must be paid, and the importer is required to inform customs of the amount of the commodity he or she is bringing in to the country.

Items for personal use
The amount differs according to the country from which the goods are being brought in. Greater amounts are allowed to pass between EU countries than to and from third countries. For more information on the amount of goods that can be brought into the country, visit the Czech Customs Service website (www.cs.mfcr.cz)

The law
Law No. 353/2003 Sb., which deals with consumer taxes

Bringing currency into the country
When bringing in currency, travelers cheques or credit notes worth more than 15,000 euros, the Czech Finance Ministry must be informed of the sum by filling in a form available at customs.

VAT refunds
Tourists from countries outside the EU may request VAT to be returned on purchases over 2,000 Kč. At the border they should produce a receipt bearing the retailer’s stamp and an export form and prove that they have the item with them to the customs officer. The money is returned to the customer on returning to the Czech Republic at the retailer or at Prague Ruzyně Airport through a special company. A purchaser loses the right to have VAT returned if he or she fails to do the above within six months of the purchase being made.

Public holidays
Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays mean most banks and offices will be closed. Ordinary shops also close on Sundays and public holidays, while supermarkets and shopping centres often stay open. It’s no problem on these days to visit a concert, exhibition, restaurant or bar.
more info about public holidays

Business hours
In small towns most shops are open Mon – Fri, from 8 or 9am until 6pm, and only in the morning on Saturdays. In big cities shops may stay open until 9pm. Only a few small shops have a lunch break, usually between 12 and 1pm.

Shopping centres
Shopping centres and department stores have longer opening hours, usually until 10pm even at weekends. Some large supermarkets are open 24 hours a day.

Tips for visitors
Should you find yourself in a place where there are no large shopping centres, there is sure to be a so-called „Večerka“ somewhere nearby, a small shop that stays open late and where you can buy basic foodstuffs.

Banks
Banks are only open Mon – Fri, usually from 9am until 5pm, though some days they may stay open until 7pm. Branch opening times differ from place to place. ATMs (cash machines) can be accessed 24 hours a day.

Offices
Offices in the Czech Republic have set opening days. (Monday and Wednesday), and are usually open until 5pm at the very least. On other days some offices are closed to the public.

Tips for visitors
Find out in advance whether an office is open or not. By doing so, you’ll avoid an unpleasant wait or a pointless journey.

Post offices
Post Offices are usually open on weekdays from around 8am until 5pm and on Saturday mornings.

Restaurants
Restaurants, beer halls and cafes are normally open daily from 10am until 11pm. However, there are exceptions to this rule.

Tips for visitors (restaurants):
In the summer months eating and drinking outside is particularly popular. Outdoor seating at restaurants is usually open until 10pm when a period of quiet lasting until 6am comes into force.

Bars and clubs
Bars and clubs usually open in the afternoon. They normally stay open until 2am, in some cases until 3 or 5am. This depends on the number of guests at these times.

Tips for visitors
Hit the town on Friday or Saturday night when bars and discos are often open until the early hours.

Language
The only official language in the Czech Republic is Czech, which is spoken by 96 % of the population. However, have no fear, as especially in larger cities you can make yourself understood in English relatively easily.
Crash Course in Czech here ( give it a go ! )

Telephones
The international dialing code for the Czech Republic is +420 (or 00 420). When calling from abroad this must be dialed first, followed by the 9-digit number.

Mobile telephones
Three mobile phone operators provide mobile services in the Czech Republic. Almost 100% of the country is covered by the mobile signal. The network uses the GSM 900 and 1800 system. This is compatible with the rest of Europe and Australia. Problems can arise with handsets from North America and Japan.

Tips for visitors (telephones):
Find out before you leave home what type of telephone you have and activate the roaming service provided by your operator.

Mobile telephone operators in the Czech Republic
O2 (www.cz.o2.com) - info line 800 02 02 02
T-Mobile (www.t-mobile.cz) - info line 603 603 603
Vodafone (www.vodafone.cz) - info line 800 777 777

All these operators sell pay-as-you-go SIM cards charged with a certain amount of prepaid credit (300–2000 Kč). These are useful on medium length visits. In order to use a Czech SIM card you will need to have a telephone which has not been blocked by your operator.

Public telephone boxes
The Czech Republic has one of the densest networks of public telephone boxes in central Europe. The majority of these take telephone cards (150, 200 and 300 Kč) or Czech coins (though there are less of these).

Internet
The Czech Republic enjoys good internet connections, so you will have few problems getting online. In recent years slow dial-up modems have been replaced by quicker broadband lines and Wi-Fi networks.
more info about the net in CR

Postal services
Postal services are officially provided by the Czech Post Office. It has exclusive right to operate the service for post up to 50 g in weight. Should you need to send anything heavier, you can choose from tens of Czech and international couriers operating in the Czech Republic.

Money
The official currency used in the Czech Republic is the Czech crown which has the international abbreviation CZK. The Czech Republic has been a member of the EU since May 1 2004, but will only enter the Euro Zone around 2010.
more info about money in CR

Tipping
Tips aren’t usually left by guests on the table. Should you wish to tip staff, add around 10% onto the bill or round it up. It’s up to you what sum you tell the waiter you wish to pay when he brings the bill.

Smoking
The Czech Republic has adopted a law limiting smoking. One of the main points is a ban on smoking in public places (on platforms, at stops, at the railway station, on public transport and in places of entertainment).

Healthcare
Private and state healthcare facilities operate in the Czech Republic. The majority of them have agreements with the State Health Insurance Company on the provision and payment of healthcare.
more info about health care in CR

Health insurance
Since mid 2004 citizens from the individual EU member states, who travel temporarily to another EU member state and hold a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), are automatically insured. If you are not a holder of an EU member state passport we strongly recommend Travel Insurance - please contact us or your favourite travel agent for a travel insurance policy appropriate for your needs.

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