Practical information

CZECH REPUBLIC

so called the heart of Europe
stable democratic country, member of NATO and EU
10,5 million of inhabitants
mild climate, typical for Central European region

Thanks to its long and rich history and the diversity of its natural environment, the Czech Republic is a great attraction for the millions of guests who visit it every year. Since the Czech lands lie exactly on the border of Eastern and Western Europe, the country has come under the influence of several different cultures throughout the course of history. Each of these influences indelibly marked the face of the country with architectural or artistic monuments. This accounts for the uniquely rich cultural heritage of this relatively small country. In addition, the Czech lands are extraordinary in Europe due to the fact that they are practically untouched by the large-scale destruction of war.

Over the centuries a whole number of Czech men and women have become famous throughout the world - Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, reformer John Huss (Jan Hus), the "Teacher of Nations" Comenius (Jan Amos Komensky), composers Bedrich Smetana, Antonin Dvorak and Leos Janacek, writers Jaroslav Hasek, Karel Capek and Franz Kafka, Nobel Prize winners Jaroslav Heyrovsky and Jaroslav Seifert, opera stars Emmy Destinn and Jarmila Novotna etc.

The Czech Republic is a country of great historical and cultural importance, a country where historical monuments and entire towns have been included in the World Heritage List. Of course, when discussing tourism in Czech Republic, one cannot overlook the overhelmingly popular tourist destination of Prague. The city is generaly considered to be one of the most beautiful world capitals with an exquisitely preserved historical center.

Many other towns and historic monuments in the Czech Republic are well-preserved and are noted in the UNESCO register as world cultural landmarks: Kutna Hora, Telc, Cesky Krumlov, the Church of St.John of Nepomuk on Zelena Hora, the Lednicko-Valticko area, monuments in Kromeriz, Holasovice village, the castle and historical center at Litomysl and some rare monuments and areas in Brno, Olomouc and Trebic. Some of the towns are also known as glowing assets of the Czech Republic due to the existence of curative mineral spring spas there. Spas like Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad) and Marianske Lazne (Marienbad) acquired their international eminence many years ago. Jachymov, another town in the countryside, is well known for its rare radioactive springs. Terezin is also often explored by tourists, but unfortunately its history is stained by war. Terezin was a fort town from the end of the 18th century which, during the war, was transformed into a Jewish ghetto by the Nazis.

CLIMATE

The Czech Republic lies in the temperate climate zone of Europe, which makes for pleasantly mild summers and winters with only moderate amounts of precipitation.
Lowland temperatures in July average 20°C, and in mountainous areas 8-11°C. Lowland temperatures in January average -1 to -2°C, -5 to -7°C in the mountains.

TIME ZONE

The Czech Republic is on central European Time - Greenwich Mean Time (GTM) plus 1 hour. From April to October is summer time, i.e. GTM +2 hours.

VISA REQUIREMENTS

All foreign visitors to the Czech republic must possess a passport, which validity finishes at least 3 months after the end of their stay in the country. Participants requiring a visa should apply immediately to consular Office of the Czech Republic or diplomatic missions in their country in order to ovoid delay in travel to Conference.

It is strongly recommended that all foreigners check the web site of the Czech Embassy since changes are often made.

http://www.mzv.cz/jnp/en/information_for_aliens/general_visa_information/

Invitation letter

In case you need an invitation letter, please send your application to the email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with following details:

Name:
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Passport number:
Date of issue:
Date of expiry:

CURRENCY AND EXCHANGE RATES

The official currency of the Czech Republic is the Czech Crown = Česká koruna (CZK = Kč)

The majority of hotels, shops, restaurants and other establishments’ accept credit card. Money can be withdrawn from Automatic Teller machines ATM´s or banks, which can be found in various locations around cities and the centres.

PRAGUE

more than 1000 years of history and culture, unique collection of historical monuments
good airway connection with all important cities in Europe (more than 6 mil. int. arrivals per year)
excellent railway, bus connection
dense and quality network of public transport
wide range of all kinds of the hotel accommodation (from the luxury ones to hostels); more than 300 hotels with 80.000 beds

The attractiveness of Prague lies in the breadth and diversity of its offerings. The tourist is fascinated and forever captivated by the unique atmosphere of the city, which has been called the "heart of Europe" for ages. Among the most fascinating places are the "genius loci" of the inner historical parts of Prague - Hradcany (the Prague Castle), the Lesser Town (Mala Strana) and the Old Town (Stare Mesto). These areas, which virtually amount to small unique cities within the larger city have their own particular features.

Hradcany, the large-scale, historically rich complex, has been the residence and symbol of Czech statehood for centuries. The grandiose Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral, dominates the Lesser Town roofs and offers a beautiful view of dozens of Old Town towers. Charles Bridge, the oldest stone bridge in Central Europe, connects the two historic sites of the city.

For more information, visit following websites:

PRICES IN PRAGUE

Here are some examples of Prague prices in 2017.

This, of course, is no overall picture of the prices here, but it includes some of the usual expenditures for conferences visitor.

*A beer at a local pub - 0,5 l € 2.00
*A glass of wine € 2.50 - 4.00
*A cup of coffee at a café in the city € 2.00 - 3.50
*Lunch in a city restaurant € 5.00 - 10.00
Taxi ride - short distance 10 km € 10.00 - 15.00

* The prices at restaurants vary strongly depending on the style and fame of the restaurant. There are numerous restaurants in all price categories in Prague city.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

The most recent information on Pragues' transportation system can be found on the official website: www.dpp.cz

Metro

The Prague Metro network consists of 3 lines designated by letters and differentiated in colour: A - green colour (Depo Hostivar station – Nemocnice Motol station), B - yellow colour (Cerny most station - Zlicin station), C - red colour (Letnany station - Haje station), with transfers possible at Museum station (lines A and C), Mustek station (lines A and B), Florenc station (lines B and C). Metro operates daily from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Trams

Daytime operation is from 4:30 a.m. to 24:00 a.m. Nighttime operation is from 00:30 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. and is provided by tram numbers 51 to 58 with traffic intervals 30 minutes. The central transfer-station for nighttime lines is Lazarska stop. Tram schedules are located at individual stops.

Bus

The daytime and nighttime operation of buses is similar to tram operation. Nighttime service is provided by bus numbers 501 to 514. Bus schedules are located at individual stops.

Prague City Transport Fares

Travelling by city transport is possible with a valid ticket only. Passengers have to obtain their tickets before boarding the vehicle or entering the Metro system. The ticket is valid only if marked in the validation appliance.

Fares

Detailed information on public transport fares can be found on http://www.dpp.cz/en/fares-in-prague/

Ticket Inspection

The validity of tickets can be checked by the ticket inspectors of Dopravni podnik at any time during travel or stay in the Metro system. The ticket inspector is entitled to ask the passenger to produce his or her valid ticket, to confiscate invalid tickets, and to collect a penalty (1500 CZK, if paid at once 800 CZK) in case of travel without a valid ticket. To prove their identity, inspectors produce yellow-and-red badges. They issue receipts for the penalty amounts.

TAXI

When taking a taxi, make sure the taxi is equipped with a permanently installed yellow roof lamp with the TAXI sign in black letters. The registration number, company name and price list including the base rate, rate per kilometre and one-minute-waiting rate must be displayed on both front doors of the cab. These prices must correspond with the prices set on the meter in the cab. Customers are recommended to order a taxi with non-stop dispatching offices where the information on fares is available in advance.

Recommended English speaking taxi services: