Prague

About Prague and Czech Republic

Prague
Prague is the capital city of the relatively small Czech Republic which lies in the heart of Europe, neighbors with Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Poland. Czech Republic is a member of the European Union. The historical center of Prague covering an area of 866 hectares is listed in the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage Register.

Czech Republic
The official language is Czech, however Slovak is also widely understood. Most locals have a
basic or possibly intermediate knowledge of English or German. In most hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, historical monuments, shops and services, communication should be possible in English, German or perhaps French.

Basic data
Geographical situation: north latitude 50°05', east longitude 14°27', height above sea level 235 m (average)
The Vltava river flows through the city in the length of 30 km, its maximum width being 330 m.
Time: Central European, daylight saving time – (GMT+2)
Climate: average temperature in July: 19,0°C (66,2°F). Temperature may rise above 30°C (90°F) around midday in July.
Parts of the historical centre: Hradcany, Mala Strana (Lesser Town), Stare Mesto (Old Town) including Josefov, Nove Mesto (New Town) and Vysehrad.
Voltage: 230 V, 50 Hz. Sockets are two-forked.

How to get there
We recommend flying to Prague Ruzyne International Airport. You can also fly to Vienna and get to Prague by bus/train. The check-in and main venues are about 40 minutes from the Ruzyne airport by buses of public transportation.

VISA requirements
Citizens of the European economical area may use any valid machine-readable ID for traveling to Czech Republic. Visitors from other countries arriving in the Czech Republic must have a valid passport or other documentation issues by the state of which s/he is a citizen which proves his/her nationality. Please check whether you need a visa to travel to Czech Republic.

You might be requested an invitation letter from the WUCC2010 committee in order to get your visa, in that case, please contact at enjoy@wucc2010.com.

Customs requirements
Without permission foreign visitors are allowed to export goods from the Czech Republic for their personal use only or as a gift. If the exported goods require any special legal permission (e.g. protection of cultural monuments, objects of museum value etc.) they must be presented to customs officials on departure.

Phone
There are currently three mobile operators offering their services in the Czech Republic: Vodafone, T-Mobile and Telefonica O2. Their services are provided using the 900 and 1800 MHz frequencies.
To make a phone call to a number in the Czech Republic, you must first dial the country code 00420, followed by the particular numbers. To make a call from the Czech Republic to another country, first dial 00, then the relevant country code, followed by the particular number.

Currency
The official currency in the Czech Republic is the Czech crown (K_, CZK). One crown is divided into 100 hellers, but today no heller coins are used, and retailers round the total sum of your purchase to the nearest crown. Coins in circulation come in values of CZK 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 coin. Bank notes come in values of CZK 50, 100, 200, 500, 1,000, 2,000 and 5,000.
Larger shops, hotels and restaurants accept payment in euros. You can of course withdraw your money using your international payment card. There are many banks in the Czech Republic that operate ATMs. ATMs commonly recognize most card types (Visa, MasterCard, Plus, Cirrus and other). Nearly every shop, restaurant and hotel in Prague accepts cards.

Public holidays
Please mind that there are public holidays on July 5th and 6th. Smaller shops, post offices etc. might be closed.

What to see in Prague

Charles Bridge
Opening hours: accessible all day long
Entrance fee: free
How to get there: tram 17, 18 to Karlovy lazne

The Charles Bridge is the oldest of Prague’s bridges. It was built in 1357 as the only connection of the both river banks. There are thirty statues on the bridge, most of which were made between the years 1706 – 1714. In the nineteenth century a horse tramway was operating across the bridge. It is protected by three towers with beautiful view to the Prague Castle.

Prague Castle
Opening hours: 10:00 – 21:00
Entrance fee: free, there are fees to get to the palaces and exhibitions (70 - 350 CZK)
How to get there: tram 22, 23 to Prazsky hrad

The Prague castle was a seat of the Czech monarchs and presidents till present day. It was founded in the ninth century and comprises many unique historical buildings including the St. Vitus Cathedral where the Czech crown jewels are stored in. Please mind that the Golden Lane is closed due to an extensive reconstruction but there is much more to see in the Castle.

Old Town Hall Tower & Astronomical Clock
Opening hours: every day 10:00 - 23:00
Entrance fee: 50 - 100 CZK
How to get there: metro A or tram 17, 18 to Staromestska

Don’t miss the unique Prague Astronomical Clock (Orloj) from the WUCC 2010 disc design. The original clock from the 15th century is mounted on the southern wall of Old Town City Hall in the Old Town Square. Visit the neighboring Jewish quarter (Josefov) with jewish cemetery and synagogues.

Petrin Hill and Observation Tower
Opening hours: every day 10:00 – 22:00
Entrance fee: 50 - 100 CZK
How to get there: funicular from Ujezd to Petrin station or on foot from the Strahov playing area (approx. 15 min)

The Petrin Observation tower built in 1891 is a five times smaller Eiffel tower set in beautiful gardens of Petrin hill. Climbing the 299 steps on top is definitely worth the fascinating sights.

You can find all information about the Prague’s sights and tickets at www.pis.cz/en.

For more information on Czech Republic see Czech Republic official website

Here are some other useful links to find out about Prague & the Czech Republic:

Here is an offer for people interested in guided tours:
Silvie
My name is Silvie, I am 33 and I´ve been guide in Prague and CZ since 10 years (in ENG and FR). I´ll be happy to show you round my beautiful town, its hidden corners or any place you wish. You can contact me on 00420 776 632 441 or sjandova@centrum.cz. Reasonable prices.

Je m´appelle Silvie, j´ai 33 ans et je suis guide a Prague et CZ depuis 10 ans (en FR et ANGL). Je serai heureuse de vous montrer ma belle ville, ses coins cachés ou des endroits d´apres vos souhaits. Vous pouvez me contacter sur mon tél. 00420 776 632 441 ou mon e-mail sjandova@centrum.cz. Prix raisonnables

Martin
Martin is a chemist professionally, but he enjoys guiding people around Prague as his hobby. He has detailed and extensive knowledge of Prague and loves to take time out from his job to show people around and get them to enjoy Prague as much as he does. He specialize in private tours for small groups of people preferring personal contact with clients. He spent two years as a visiting professor in England so his english is fluent. is Martin's email: martinb@uochb.cas.cz, phone: +420 723 414 565, website: http://apartments-in-prague.org/additional-services/prague-guides/belohr....