Czech Republic

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The Czech Republic (also known as Czechia) is a small landlocked country in Central Europe, situated south-east of Germany and bordering with Austria to the south, Poland to the north and Slovakia (with which it used to form one country of Czechoslovakia) to the south-east.

Table of contents
	czech republic Travel Guide : 1 Regions 2 Cities 3 Other destinations 4 Understand 4.1 Habits and Customs 4.2 Tourist Traps in Prague 5 Get in 5.1 By air 5.2 By bus 5.3 By train 6 Get around 6.1 By bus 6.2 By train 6.3 By bicycle 6.4 By boat 6.5 By thumb 7 Talk 8 Buy 9 See 9.1 Panelaks 10 Eat 11 Drink 12 Sleep 13 Stay safe 14 External Links

Regions

• Bohemia - the western part of the Czech Republic
• Moravia - the eastern part of the country
• Silesia - the most eastern part of the Czech Republic

Cities

Cities in Bohemia

• Prague (Praha) - the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic
• ?eské Bud?jovice: Attractive main city of South Bohemia
• Plze?: Industrial city, birthplace of "Pilsner" beer
• ?eský Krumlov: Beautiful old town and castle
• Karlovy Vary aka "Carlsbad", historic spa resort
• Tábor: Historic Hussite capital
• T?ebo?: Cute old town
• Terezín: Old fortress, Jewish ghetto during WW2.
• Jí?in: Gateway to the "Czech Paradise"
• Kutná Hora: Historical town with famous St.Barabora cathedral and old silver mines

Cities in Moravia

• Brno: Largest city in Moravia
• Novosedly - Village in the moravian wine region, you can go on a great horseback trip through the vineyards

Other destinations

• Krkono?e: (Giant Mountains) The biggest mountains in the Czech Republic
• ?eský Ráj: (Czech Paradise) Towering rock formations located north of Prague
• Mut?nice Wine Region: Some of the best vineyards in the Czech Republic and totally off the well beaten tourist path.
• Karl?tejn Castle and the holy cave monastery: Hiking trip to the famous castle as well as an off the beaten track monastery.

Understand

Following the First World War, the closely related Czechs and Slovaks of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire merged to form Czechoslovakia. During the interwar years, the new country's leaders were frequently preoccupied with meeting the demands of other ethnic minorities within the republic, most notably the Sudeten Germans and the Ruthenians (Ukrainians). After World War II, Czechoslovakia fell within the Soviet sphere of influence. In 1968, an invasion by Warsaw Pact troops ended the efforts of the country's leaders to liberalize Communist party rule and create "socialism with a human face." Anti-Soviet demonstrations the following year ushered in a period of harsh repression. With the collapse of Soviet authority in 1989, Czechoslovakia regained its freedom through a peaceful "Velvet Revolution." On 1 January 1993, the country underwent a "velvet divorce" into its two national components, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Now a member of NATO, the Czech Republic has moved toward integration in world markets, a development that poses both opportunities and risks. In December 2002, the Czech Republic was invited to join the European Union (EU) and acceded in April 2004.

The Czech Republic is not a large country but however small, it has a rich and eventful history. From time immemorial Czechs, Germans, Jews and Slovaks, as well as Italian stonemasons and stuccoworkers, French tradesmen and deserters of Napoleon`s army, have all been living and working here, and all influencing one another. For centuries they have jointly cultivated their land, creating works, the majority of which still command our respect and admiration today. It is thanks to their inventiveness and skill that this small country is graced with hundreds of ancient castles, monasteries and stately chateaux, and even entire towns that give the impression of comprehensive artefacts.

Habits and Customs

• Easter: On Easter it is customary for boys to spank women with sticks, in hopes that the women will in turn give them coloured eggs, candy or drinks. Obvious tourists are often (but not always) exempt.
• Feast of St. Mikulá? (Nicolas), Dec. 6: On this day, St. Mikulá? roams about with his consorts, an angel and a devil. He gives small presents and candy to children to reward them for their good behavior throughout the year, while the devil chastizes children for their wrongdoings over the course of the year and gives them coal (or sometimes spankings) as a punishment. Old Town Square in Prague is a great place to watch the festivities.
• Christmas: Czechs begin celebrating this holiday on Christmas Eve and continue to celebrate until the 26th (the Feast of Stephen). Presents are given directly after dinner on Christmas Eve by Je?í?ek (the Baby Jesus). Potato salad and carp is a traditional Christmas meal, and for this reason one can see live carp being sold out of huge tanks throughout the streets of Prague.

Tourist Traps in Prague

• Prague old downtown: there is a heavy-traffic path between the Charles Bridge and Old Town Square which is crowded and laden with tourist shops and traps. But if you turn off this path the congestion instantly eases and prices drop on everything.

• Opera and Black Light Theatre: There are several performance groups that cater to tourists. They aren't strictly to be avoided, but common sense should tell you that the Opera advertised by costumed pamphleters is not going to be up to truly professional standards.

• Restaurant overcharges: Many restaurants in heavily-touristed areas (along the river, or with views near the castle) will charge a cover or "kovert" in addition to your meal charge. If this is printed in the menu, you have no recourse. But a restaurant will often add this charge to your bill in a less up-front manner, sometimes after printing in the menu that there is no cover. Anything brought to your table will have a charge associated with it (bread, ketchup, etc.) If you are presented with a hand-scrawled bill at the end of the meal, it is suggested that you take a moment to clarify the charges with your server. This sort of questioning will usually shame the server into removing anything that was incorrectly added.

• Ticket inspectors: The most frequent unpleasant experience comes from the ticket inspectors of the Prague public transport (MHD). It is caused by the ticket system here: The commuter is obliged to enter the means of transport with a ticket and immediately mark it in a special machine for this purpose - this means the commuter has a valid ticket. However, the information system is weak and lots of tourists buy the ticket and do not mark it - and so the ticket inspector can charge them, because the unmarked ticket is not a valid ticket. The second problem is that a majority of ticket inspectors are weak in language skills - most frequetly are able only to repeat in English "five houndred or police", which obviously is not very pleasant and can not solve the problem. The third problem is that they profit from the lack of information about commuter rights. They are only employees of a public company and regarding this they should behave. The last problem is false inspectors - deceivers who can be detected by asking for the identity card which should be possessed by every inspector. When you use public transport in Prague, keep in mind that it is a habit to let a retired person sit down. However, they take it for granted and if you do not stand up from your seat immediately when they come next to you, they often start to be rude to you and shout at you. Apart from that, the public transport is classified as very good, the trains and buses arrive exactly on time (except disasters) and the maps of the lines through the city are simple and effective.

• Taxi drivers: Deceiving taxi drivers are another trap that can badly surprise a tourist. Mostly they charge more than they should. The municipal council has been trying to solve this problem since the Prague mayor masked as an English speaking tourist and was charged for 350% of the regular charge. The most cases of cheating happens on the way from the railway station or airport to the hotel. However, they know the city well and if you need to get somewhere fast, it is worth risking it.

Get in

Citizens of the EU, USA and Canada do not need a visa. The Czech Republic has not fully implemented the Schengen agreements yet, so there are still ID/passport controls on the EU borders. Specific details for all countries can be found at Ministry of Foreign Affairs (http://www.mzv.cz). Check czechembassy.org (http://www.czechembassy.org) for more current information.

By air

Ruzyne Airport - located about 10km west from the center of Prague. Other international airports are in Brno, Ostrava and Pardubice. There are dozens of lowcost airlines going to/from Prague. Ryanair is newly flying to Brno. Other nearby airports are Nurnberg (200 km) and Munich (320 km) in Germany, Vienna (260 km) in Austria and Bratislava (280 km) in Slovakia.

By bus

International bus service runs from many cities in Europe with direct connections from Germany, Holland, Slovakia, Switzerland, Austria etc. Good service offers Eurolines (http://www.bei.cz) and Student Agency (http://www.studentagency.cz).

By train

International train service runs from most points in Europe with direct connections from Slovakia, Poland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary. If you are in Bavaria, the cheapest way to go to Czech republic is to take a "Bayernticket" (up to 5 persons per ticket, which costs 22 EUR; only regional trains) to the border and then buy a Czech group ticket there.

Get around

The timetable for almost all intra-city and inter-city transport can be found at www.idos.cz (http://www.idos.cz/ConnForm.asp?tt=c&cl=E5) .

By bus

A cheap and excellent mean of travelling between Prague, Brno, Plze? nebo Liberec are the busses from Student Agency (http://www.studentagency.cz/). They leave in Prague from Florenc Bus Station.

By train

The Czech rail network is very good, going to even the most remote locations. ?eské dráhy (http://www.cdrail.cz/) operates the Czech Republic's train services.

By bicycle

The Czech Republic is an exccelent place for cycle touring. There are lots of plesant country lanes, picturesque villages (always with a pub), it's easy to find the way, and the trains have bicycle racks in the bagage section for when you get tired.

By boat

Traveling by boat is an interesting way to get between Budapest and Prague. (but prepare to take it some time because you have go around the whole Europe, Vltava (Elbe) mouths into the North sea, Danube mouths to the Black Sea)

By thumb

Take care to use very clear gesture with the thumb pointing up. A gesture looking like you were pointing to the ground may be mistaken for prostitution solicitation.

Talk

The main language spoken is, not surprisingly, Czech. Czech people are very proud of their language, and thus, even in Prague you will not find many signs written in English (outside of the super-tourist areas). Many older people are also unable to converse in English, so it's good to learn some Czech before heading off. However, most young people speak at least some English, as it is tought in almost all schools since 1990.

Most Czechs speak a second and often a third language. German is probably the most widely spoken second language among older people. People born before 1980 speak some Russian, although the ocupation of the Czech Republic by Russia has given this language strong negitive conotations. Younger people often speak English, and sometimes French. Other languages are not so common, although people understand Slovak and may understand other Slavic languages.

Buy

The currency of the Czech republic is the koruna (crown), plural koruny. The currency code CZK is often used internationally, but the local symbol is K? (for Koruna ?eská). 1 koruna is made up of 100 halé?, abbreviated to hal.. The exchange rate is approximately 30K? = ?1, 42K? = Ł1 GBP, or 25K? = $1 (US).

Coins are issued in 50hal, 1K?, 2K?, 5K?, 10K?, 20K? and 50 K?. Notes are issued in 20K?, 50K?, 100K?, 200K?, 500K?, 1000K?, 2000K? and 5000K?. Coins 50K? and notes 20K? are valid but their occurence in circulation is rare. See some banknote samples (http://www.cnb.cz/en/czech_legal_tender/banknotes/index.html).

Some major stores will accept Euros, and it's also fairly common for accommodation providers to quote the price in Euros.

Never exchange money on the street. There is no "black market" with better rates, but there is a good chance you'll end up with a roll of worthless paper. Be very careful when you are exchanging money at a small exchange kiosk. They try to use tricks in order to give you a bad exchange rate. Ask for the total amount you will get and recompute it by yourself. Do not trust "0% commission" in big letters signs (usually there is "only on CZK buy" amendment in small letters). Here www.kurzy.fin.cz (http://kurzy.fin.cz/kurzy/kurzy.asp?A=P) you can get good overview of reliable exchange places and rates.

Major stores throughout the country accept Visa and EC/MC, as do all the tourist stores in Prague.

See

• See the Moravian wine region by horseback in Novosedly
• See ?eský Krumlov - beautiful city with castle. Member of UNESCO.
• CzechTek, the yearly freetekno party somewhere in Czech Republic.

Panelaks

Entering Prague on the train, particularly from the southeast, one sees the infamous panelaks, or giant concrete housing blocks. Czech and Slovak housing blocks have a very surreal quality to them - driving past the Brno suburbs late at night is visually reminiscent of the movie Blade Runner. Petrzalka in the Slovak capital of Bratislava is the biggest panelak complex. Czech writer Iva Pekarkova?s novel Truck Stop Rainbows (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0679746757/) does an amazing job of expressing the particular sort of inhumanity panelaks are known for breeding. If someone lives in a building that is an exact copy of all the others for miles around, so alike that even residents get lost, what does that bode for the community living there? In a particularly ironic twist, the real-life panelaks are crumbling as quickly as the communist regime that built them: literally falling apart at the seams.

Alternatively though the Panelaks in contrast to what one finds in Western European or American housing projects, are relatively safe and friendly places albeit it bland. The dark external shell hides a generally quite nice internal environment that is usually well maintained by the inhabitants living inside. The majority of people who live there are a cross section of the lower to middle classes of Czech society (including a large number of students and retired elderly people). Haje in Prague at the end of the red metro line is well worth the half hour metro trip to experience a real live communist 'settlement.'

Eat

Try knedlíky. (It's very hard to translate it, usually it is translated as dumplings but it has only little common with them. Sometimes you can hear a German variation knodel but I wouldn't recommend using it.) Knedlo-vep?o-zelo, the combination of knedlíky, pork and sauerkraut, is very tasty. Do not forget to drink Czech beer with it.

Other Czech dishes include roast duck, carp at Christmastime, pala?inky, thin crępes, usually filled with fruit and topped with whipped cream; bramborák, garlicky potato pancakes); sma?ený sýr, fried cheese - like a giant mozzarella stick, except made of Edam - served with boiled potatoes; párek v rohlíku, long, thin hot dogs with crusty rolls and mustard; sví?ková na smetan?, beef sirloin with a creamy root vegetable sauce, served with a tablespoon of cranberry-like sauce and whipped cream, usually with the infamous Czech bread dumplings; and gulá?, like Hungarian goulash, but thinner and served with knedlíky.

Spa wafers from Marianske Lazne and Karlovy Vary (major spa towns in Western Bohemia better known by their German names of Marienbad and Karlsbad) are meant to be eaten while "taking the waters" at a spa, but they're good on their own, too.

Don't expect many fresh vegetables unless in the countryside - peppers, tomatoes and cabbage are the most commonly seen side dishes, usually pickled.

US-citizens may be surprised when they find "American potatoes" in the menu. These are like fried potatoes.

Drink

Czech Republic is the country where modern lager beer was invented (in Plzen). Czechs are the heaviest beer (pivo in Czech) drinkers in the world, drinking about 160 litres of it per capita per year. Going to a cosy Czech pub for a dinner and few beers is a must!

The best-known export brands are Pilsner Urquell (Plzensky Prazdroj), Budweiser (different from American, lawsuits concerning the brand are being held for years) and Kozel. Other major brands include Gambrinus, Staropramen, Radegast, Starobrno. Although many Czechs tend to be very selective on beer brands, tourists usually do not find significant difference. And remember, the only Czech beer is on a tap - bottled beer is a completely different experience.

Beers are sometimes listed by their sugar content, which is measured in degrees. The difference is mainly in the contents of alcohol. Normal beer is 10 degrees, lager 12 degrees with alcohol level between 4-5%.

Wine (víno in Czech) is another popular drink, particularly wine from the south-eastern part of the country - Moravia. Try Veltlinské, Rulandské or red wine Frankovka.

From liquors, try Tuzemsky rum (different from cuban rum), Becherovka (similiar to Jagermeister) and Slivovice (plum brandy). Be carefull all are about 40%.

From non-alcoholic drinks, popular are mineral waters, however most of them are of very strong mineral taste. Try Mattoni or Magnesia, both of them taste like normal water and still claim to be good for your health. Mineral water can be bought even with several flavors, but do not expect miracles.

Restaurants and pubs do not offer water for free. Surprisingly, beer as a national drink is usually the cheapest drink you can buy, with prices from 15 K? - 60 K? (0,80 - 2 EUR) per half litre, depending on the attractivity of the pub for tourists.

Sleep

It's very hard to get any sleep in Czech Republic as there are too many drinking and pub going opportunities.

Stay safe

• Taxidrivers: warning - negotiate the price before you use taxi or use reputable call-taxi company (eg AAA taxi). Public transportation is also very cheap, fast and reliable.
• Pickpockets: Watch your pockets, especially if there is a crowd (sights, subway,...)

External Links

• Official site for tourists (http://www.czechtourism.com)
• Official site of the Czech Republic (http://www.czech.cz)
• Timetables for all trains and buses (both intercity and public transport) (http://www.vlak.cz/JRCis.asp?tt=c&cl=E5)
• Discover Czech (http://www.discoverczech.com/) - tourism czech: travel in the Czech Republic, main sights, historical towns...
• Prague-Tourism.com (http://www.prague-tourism.com/) - Prague Tourist Informations
• Forum about Czech Republic(not only travel) (http://www.czechforum.net)

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