Prague is the capital city of the Czech Republic, which is situated in the heart of Europe and shares borders with Germany, Poland, Slovakia and Austria. Thanks to its position Prague is easily accessible by a variety of means of transport - plane, train, coach or car.

  Prague is the most important Czech heritage site. Since 1992 the historic centre of the city, with an area of 866 hectares, has been registered in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Prague was one of the nine cities that were awarded the title European City of Culture for the year 2000.

  Today Prague is an important European city. Many well-known international festivals, congresses, meetings and trade fairs are held here. There are a wide range of accommodation and catering facilities as well as cultural opportunities. Eleven centuries of historical events, building, artistic creation and city life along with its beautiful natural setting have created a unique atmosphere. It is an atmosphere that is grand and mysterious as well as being friendly and intimate and has always attracted tourists from all over the world. Over the centuries scores of important individuals have paid their tribute to Prague. Its beauty and imposing architecture has enchanted the likes of W. A. Mozart, L. van Beethoven, G. Apollinaire, P. I. Tchaikovsky, F. M. Dostojevski, A. Rodin, O. Kokoschka as well as Queen Elizibeth II of Great Britain, Pope John Paul II and others. Prague is also the birthplace and major inspiration for a host of writers - Jan Neruda, Jaroslav Hašek, Jaroslav Seifert, Franz Kafka, Max Brod, Egon Erwin Kisch and others.

Basic information

  Prague occupies an area of 496 km2 and has a population of 1 156 000. It lies on the 50th parallel north and approximately 14 degrees east of the prime meridian. The city is spread out over nine hills between which the river Vltava flows for 30km within the city. The greatest width of the Vltava in the city is 330 m. The difference between the lowest and highest height above sea level is roughly 200m, the average is 235m above sea level. The time is Central European (GMT + 1), a summer time is used in the same way as in the other European countries and the USA (GMT + 2). Electrical supply is 230 V.

  Czech is the official language but Slovak is also commonly understood. The majority of Czechs are agnostic or Catholic. Foreign language services are conducted in some churches for visitors to the city.

___________________________________________________