Czech Republic Vacation
Situated in Central Europe, the Czech Republic borders Slovakia in the East, Austria in the South, Germany in the Northwest & West and Poland in the North. Although landlocked country, Czech Republic is located strategically and is connected by land routes to different European countries. Prague is the capital city and also the biggest city as well as a popular and most visited tourist destination. It was in May 2004 that this country became an European Union member.
Previously, The Czech Republic was part of Czechoslovakia that got dissolved and split in January 1993 into Slovak and Czech Republics. Some of the important cities here are Ostrava, Brno, Olomouc, Plzen, Zl n, Cesk Budejovice, st nad Labem, Kr lov, Karlovy Vary and Pardubice. Based upon cultural and geographical classification, this country has been divided in two parts, namely, Moravia and Bohemia. The towns and cities of Bohemia are well known for their wine vineyards and spas. It also houses numerous castles open to visitors to explore it. The other popular tourist attraction is the easy availability of hundreds of marked trails for cycling, hiking and skiing.
Population & languages spoken
The country’s population is approximately around 10.2 million, while Czech is the official language spoken here.
Climate
It experiences temperate climate with cold overcast winters accompanied by snow and hot summers. It is during the summer reason that the region witnesses maximum rain. The temperature variation is also quite diverse because of varying altitudes. There is more precipitation and relatively low temperature at high altitudes. The average temperature at high altitude areas are -0.4 C and at low altitude areas is 10 C.
Local customs
The people here dress conservatively and mostly in casual except when visiting restaurants, good hotels or attending formal dinners. Tipping is customary for taxis, hotels and restaurants at usually 5% to 10%.
Places to Visit in Czech Republic
- Castle District boasts having some of the best museums & churches, state apartments, fortifications & beautiful gardens.
- Charles Bridge (Karluv-Most) is among the popular tourist destinations that is a must visit place.
- St. Vitus Cathedral is located in Castle District. The soaring spires are regarded to be a prominent feature. It also is the largest church having amazing architecture.
- Old Town Square (Staromestsk –N- mest) is considered to be a vibrant square in Prague, boasting of several interesting historical structures. Annual markets are also hosted here such as the Christmas market.
- Vy ehrad is a wonderful hill fort constructed above the river on a rock.
- Central Europe’s largest Jewish museum is located here displaying Judaic art works.
Travel
By Air:
Czech Airlines is the national airliner. Other popular international airlines also operate from Czech republic airport. PRG (Prague Ruzyne Intl. Airport is the major airport of the country, located about 10 miles north-west of Prague city.
By Rail:
European cities are well connected through extensive train network. If traveling from Western Europe, then the convenient connections are through Frankfurt, Berlin, Vienna, Zurich, Munich to Prague.