Czech Republic Travel Guide

The Czech Republic – Overview

Located in Central Europe, the Czech Republic offers great deals of facilities for its visitors from all over the world. Being a member of the European Union, the Czech Republic has an economy with a substantial income from tourism. Good accommodation, the low crime rate, many fascinating castles and chateaux, puppet festivals, the Pilsner beer and other outdoor pursuits make the country be the perfect holiday destination for everyone interested in spending the vacation of his lifetime, the best opportunity to meet Czech people and their impressive culture, customs and tradition.

The Czech Republic- Geography

The Czech relief is rather varied. To the west, Bohemia landscape consists of a basin surrounded by the low mountain range of the Sudetes. The basin is drained by two important rivers: the Elbe and the Vltava. To the east, Moravia is also a hilly landscape and it is drained by the Morava River.

The Czech Republic- Climate

Having a landlocked geographical position, the Czech Republic has a temperate continental climate with hot rainy summers and cold snowy winters. There is a relatively high difference of temperature between summer and winter. The temperatures also decrease at higher altitudes and precipitation increases as well. For instance, the average temperature in the lowlands is 10 degrees Celsius and at the highest peak of Sněžka (1,602 m), the average temperature is only – 0.4 degrees Celsius. It can’t be said when the best time to visit the country is. It depends on each visitor’s plans for his or her holiday here in the Czech Republic.

The Czech Republic- Capital city

The historic city of Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, is the primary tourist attraction. The city may be visited all over the year. It is also the most common point of entry for tourists visiting other parts of the country. Prague is the sixth most-visited European city. As the city suffered less damage during World War II, most of its historic architecture has been preserved. Varied collections of architecture make Prague the most fascinating city in Europe. The most popular sights include Old Town with its Old Town Square where The Astronomical Clock stands, Malá Strana with the Infant Jesus of Prague, Prague Castle that is the largest castle in the world and includes St. Vitus Cathedral, and the list continues.

For those interested in shopping, Anděl neighborhood, which is the busiest part of the city with a super modern shopping mall, will do.

Prague also offers a great deal of facilities and good accommodation in spite of its reputation as being an expensive city. However, the price level is significantly lower compared to other cities. Prague provides the best accommodation in its 284 hotels,

self catering apartments, serviced apartments, pensions and guest houses. Booking can be well done in advance as during Prague’s festivals there might be the possibility to find no vacancy.

There are hundreds of concert halls, cinemas, music clubs and galleries in Prague. It hosts important music festivals and film festivals, which include the Febiofest, the One World and Echoes of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival as well as plenty of fashion shows.

A great touristic attraction is the ‘nostalgic tram no. 91’, which runs through the city centre. It’s nothing but a nostalgic journey through time.

The Czech Republic- Cuisine

Czech cuisine, which mainly consists of meat, can be served in any restaurants all over the country. They serve pork, beef, chicken, goose, duck, rabbit and wild game, especially cooked. Aside from traditional Czech beer and wine, two uniquely liquors, Fernet Stock and Becherovska, are very popular as well as Kofola, which is a non-alcoholic Czech soft drink.

The Czech Republic- Winter resorts

If you choose to visit the Czech Republic in winter, the best choice for your destination would be the best-known ski areas in the Krkonoše Mountains, Bohemia. Being the highest mountains in the country, the Krkonošes offer the best conditions for skiing and snowboarding in winter resorts such as Pec pod Sněžkou, Harrachov, Špindlerův Mlýn and Rokytnice nad Jizerou.

All these ski areas offer a variety of services such as mountain pubs and restaurants, as well as rental shops that provide ski equipment and experienced ski instructors. Anyone interested in adrenaline sports is always welcomed. Great facilities such as cable cars, ski lifts and a ski bus and good accommodation in hotels which offer a large range of relaxing amenities, for instance, wellness centers and fitness halls as well, would make your stay there as being the best time of your lifetime.

The mountains of Šumava, Orlický Hory and Beskydy, with their small ski areas, moderate and easy runs, would also make an ideal winter destination for families with children.

The Czech Republic- Transport

The Czech Republic can be reached by land or by air. Czech Airlines and the low-cost airlines Sky Europe and Smart Wings operate throughout Europe.

The Czech Republic- Currency

The official currency is the Czech crown or Koruna. 1 crown consists of 100 hellers. Heller coins have not been in use since September 1, 2008. The final price is always rounded off to the nearest crown value. Although the Czech Republic is part of the EU, the euro is not accepted yet. But some stores, restaurants and hotels accept payments in Euros but the exchange rate might not be very good.

A country of undiscovered wildness, a land of medieval stories, a place to remember, the Czech Republic would always make the best destination for a great vacation.