Travel and Tourism Information

Travel - International

AIR

The national airline is Czech Airlines (OK) (website: www.csa.cz). There are also several small airlines. Information can be obtained from Czech Airlines, City Service Centre, V Celnici 5, 11000 Prague 1 (tel: (2) 3900 7007 (call centre); e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). The airline also has an office in London (tel: (0870) 444 3747 (reservations); e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). Other airlines include British Airways and EasyJet. From March 2005, Ryanair also offers a connection between London and Brno.

International Airports

Prague (PRG) (Ruzyne) is 20km (12 miles) northwest of the city. To/from the airport: Airport bus (Cedaz) every 30 minutes from 0600-2100 (travel time – 30 minutes); bus 119 runs approximately every 20-40 minutes, from 0430-2330 (travel time – 30 minutes) between the north terminal and the nearest metro station, Dejvická (there are also night-buses in operation); low floor bus 100 goes from Zlicin metro terminus to Ruzyne airport and back in 15 minutes (every 15 minutes on working days, 30 minutes at week ends); it is necessary to buy a ticket from a vending machines or newsagents before boarding the bus; minibuses are available for a maximum of six people between the airport and the city centre; taxis are also available to the city centre (24-hour service, surcharge at night); big hotels operate shuttle-bus services during the summer months to the major hotels in the city. Facilities: Duty-free shops, post office, banks/bureaux de change, restaurant and bar, car parking and car hire.

RAIL

The Czech Republic forms part of the European InterCity network. The most convenient routes to the Czech Republic from Western Europe are via Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt, Nuremburg, Munich, Vienna, Würzburg or Zurich to Prague. The Vindobona Express is a once-daily through train that travels from Vienna to Prague (main station) and on to Berlin. Rail travel information is available from Czech Railways (tel: 412 503 113; website: www.cdrail.cz).

ROAD

The Czech Republic can be entered via Germany, Poland, the Slovak Republic or Austria.

Bus

There is an international bus network covering most European cities. There are connections to Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Munich, Vienna and other main cities from the Florenc and Zelivskeho Bus Terminals (Metro stations). Kingscourt Express runs services Monday to Saturday between London Victoria to Prague and Brno (tel: (2) 6671 3032; website: www.eurobus.cz). Eurolines (4 Cardiff Road, Luton, Bedfordshire L41 1PP; tel: (08705) 143 219; website: www.eurolines.com or www.nationalexpress.com) also operate services between Prague and other European cities.

Travel - Internal

AIR

Czech Airlines (OK) operates an extensive domestic service. There are regular domestic flights from Prague to Ostrava, Brno and Karlovy Vary.

RIVER

Navigable waterways can be found in the country and the main river ports are located at Prague, Usti nad Labem and Decin.

RAIL

The rail network is operated by Czech Railways (Ceské Drahy, see above). There are several daily express trains between Prague and main cities and resorts. Reservations should be made in advance on major routes. Fares are low, but supplements are payable for travel by express trains.

ROAD

Traffic drives on the right. Speed limits are 31mph (50kph) in built-up areas, 55mph (90kph) outside built-up areas and 80mph (130kph) on motorways. Motorways run from Prague to Plzen, Podebrady to Bratislava (Slovak Republic) via Brno. Users of the Czech motorways have to buy a vignette (season ticket), which costs approximately Kc800 for each year. A 10-day vignette is now available at approximately Kc100. Many petrol stations open 24 hours. There is a road emergency breakdown service available by calling 1230 or 1240.

Car hire: Self-drive cars may be hired through Avis, Hertz and other companies.

Regulations: Seat belts are compulsory and drinking is absolutely prohibited. In Winter (October to May), lights must be switched on. Since January 2005, all private cars, including those of foreign visitors, must carry: one fluorescent green high visibility safety jacket, one first aid kit, one spare pair of prescription glasses (if necessary) kept in the glove compartment, one warning triangle and one complete set of spare bulbs.

Documentation: A valid national driving licence. If this has no photocard, an International Driving Permit is also required.

Bus: The extensive bus network mostly covers areas not accessible by rail and is efficient and comfortable. Buses are mostly run by the State Bus Company; see online for timetables (website: www.vlak-bus.cz).

URBAN

Public transport is excellent. See online (website: www.dp-praha.cz) for timetables and other information on transport in Prague. There is a metro service in Prague that runs from 0500-0000. Three flat fares are charged. There are also tram and bus services (for which tickets must be purchased in advance from tobacconist shops, newsagents, metro stations, information centres or travel agents). Night trams and buses run from 0000-0430 in Prague. Buses, trolleybuses and trams also exist in Brno, Ostrava, Plzen and several other towns. Most services run from 0430-0000. All the cities operate flat-fare systems and tourist passes can be purchased in advance that are valid for a number of journeys. Tickets should be validated in the appropriate machine on entering the tram or bus. A separate ticket is required when changing routes. There is a fine for fare evasion. Blue badges on tram and bus stops indicate an all-night service. Taxis are available in all the main towns and are metered, higher fares are charged at night. For further information about public transport in Prague, contact the Czech Tourist Authority (Prague Information Line); see Top Things To Do.

Resorts & Excursions

Prague

Although for most visitors, Prague is the Czech Republic, there is far more to see and do throughout the country. Tourism is still in its infancy but the strides forward since the Velvet Revolution in 1989 have been remarkable. There are over 3000 castles, palaces and other historic monuments throughout the country. Equally characteristic are the country's many important churches from the Gothic to the Baroque periods. Spas have been an important cultural phenomenon since the 19th century and, indeed, there are 176 spas in the country today. Considering that most have only been founded since 1990, the Czech Republic has three National Parks, 24 Protected Landscape Areas, 113 National Nature Reserves, 453 Nature Reserves, 99 National Nature Monuments, and 850 Nature Monuments. The country is divided into two provinces: Bohemia in the west and Moravia in the east

Picturesquely sited on the banks of the Vltava (Moldau) River, Prague has always played an important part in the history of Europe. It is noted for magnificent Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque, Belle Epoque/Art Nouveau and Cubist architecture as well as its cultural scene of elegance. Since the fall of Communism, Prague has rapidly regained its café culture and is again very much the 'Paris of the East'. The city's historical centre, never bombed in World War II, is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. This includes the Hradcany complex of Prazsky hrad (Prague Castle), including Palace rooms like the Vladislavsky sál (Vladislav Hall) which was once used by Bohemian knights for jousting, the Katedrála sv Víta (St Vitus Cathedral) and the Basilica of sv Jirí (St George Basilica). Views over the Vltava, spanned by many bridges including the famous medieval Karluv most (Charles Bridge), contribute to Prague's reputation as a 'fairy tale city'. The Lesser Town (Mala Strana) beneath the castle is a quarter of winding, narrow streets with palaces from the 17th and 18th centuries and small artisan houses. The Old Town (Stare Mesto) across the Charles Bridge includes important tourist sites like the Old Town Hall (Staromestska radnice) with its astronomical clock and the Gothic Tyn Church behind the square. The area around Vaclavske namesti (Wenceslas Square) is the principal shopping area of the city. To the south is Vysehrad with its Slavin Cemetary honouring the intellectuals and artists, and its Cubist villas

Excursions: Near to Prague is a grim reminder of the horrors of the World War II - the site of the 'show' concentration camp at Terezin, which is now a museum. Also in the area are the castles of Karlstejn, Krivoklat and Konopiste. Near Karlstejn is the Cesky kras (Bohemian Karst), a region of limestone caves, of which Konepruské jeskyne is open to the public. The historic silver mining town of Kutna Hora with the dominating Gothic cathedral of sv Barbora (St Barbara) is another UNESCO Cultural Heritage site. North of Prague at the confluence of the Vltava and the Labe rivers is Melník with its Zamek (Castle) built by the Lobkowitz family; this area is now returning to its former role as an important wine-making region

Bohemia

Heavy industrialisation in Northern Bohemia has taken its toll and many of the forests suffer greatly from the effects of acid rain. A start to correcting this situation has been made but it will be many years before significant results are shown. However, the north remains a popular destination with Czech and German tourists. Much of the area's interest lies in the sandstone 'rock-cities' (spectacular mini-canyons and steep bluffs of volcanic rocks in a densely forested area) of the Cesky Svycarsko (Bohemian Switzerland) especially around Tisa, the Cesky raj (Bohemian paradise) between Turnov and Jicin and the area around Broumov. The Krkonoše (Giant) Mountains National Park of northeast Bohemia offers superb scenery, excellent hiking and many downhill and cross-country ski and snowboarding facilities; Spindleruv Mlyn, on the banks of River Labe, is the most visited mountain town in the park.

Southwest of Prague, Plzen, the second largest city in Bohemia, boasts eclectic architecture from the Gothic to Art Nouveau, interesting museums and galleries like the Brewery Museum and the Západoceské Galérie (one of the best art galleries outside Prague), and the world famous Pilsner beer to which the town has given its name; beer had been brewed since the town's foundation in 1295 but it was only in 1842 that the Pilsner style was established. Guided tours of the Plzensky Prazdroj brewery are available.

The Trebonsko region of south Bohemia is made up of peat bogs and marshes, with linked fish-farming ponds dating from the 15th century; carp is the traditional Christmas Day dish in the Czech lands and fish farming still dominates the region. Trebon is a perfect medieval spa town right in the middle of the area of fish ponds. The enormous Zamek (Castle) was built by Peter Vok, the last Rozmberk heir, who was fond of alchemy, sex and drugs; its large 'English park' now provides walks for the spa patients.

Southern Bohemia, with its lakes and woods, has for a long time been a favourite holiday place for families, since it has many recreation facilities and points of historic interest. The country is also famed for its caves: the rock formation of the mountain ranges form underground rivers and chambers decorated above and below with stalactites and stalagmites. Ceske Budejovice (Budweis) whose wealth was founded on silver mines and the salt route from Linz to Prague boasts one of Europe's largest town squares. However, it is the local beer, Budvar (Budweiser) which is the town's main claim to fame. The medieval town of Cesky Krumlov (a UNESCO Cultural Heritage site) has its enormous castle perched on a ridge above the young River Vltava, and the region to the border is full of castles, monasteries and churches. The Sumava/Bohemian Forest towards the German border is the country's largest National Park, and with the Bavarian Forest across the border forms the largest forest complex in Europe. The park includes glacial lakes, many areas of virgin forest and important historic monuments. Good winter sports centres include Zelezna Ruda, Spicak, Zadov, Churanov and Kramolin. The northern shore of Lake Lipno has many small popular summer resorts and is a good location for exploring the Sumava.

In western Bohemia, the health resorts or spas remain one of the country's primary attractions, with their many springs, graceful colonnades and parks, spectacular houses and hotels. By the 19th century, the combination of their cures and their position at the meeting point of the two German-speaking empires made them the focal point of central Europe. Beethoven, Wagner, Edward VII and Goethe all admired the resort of Marianske Lazne (Marienbad), whilst the town of Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad), the king of the spas, has attracted the crowned heads of Europe to bathe in its sulphurous waters. Frantiskovy Lazne, however, is the most typical spa town, laid out in perfect symmetry with delightful parks and 24 springs used to cure heart disease and infertility. There is also a nature reserve near the town

Moravia

Brno, the capital of Moravia, dates from the 13th century and has the fine Moravian Museum, an important Augustinian Monastery where the great geneticist, Mendel, was Abbot, the Capuchin Church with its mummies, and the Gothic Špilberk Castle. A large number of international trade fairs take place in the Brno Exhibition Centre. To the northeast is the Moravsky krás, the area of great limestone caves around Blansko. To the northwest the Gothic castle of Pernstejn is probably closest to most people's idea of what a medieval castle should look like; the hour-long train journey to it up the Svratka Valley is an attractive trip. Southwest of Brno, three towns in particular stand out as tourist locations: Moravsky Krumlov with its Mucha Gallery including great pictures, such as 'Slovanska epopej' (The Slav Epic), Slavkov (Austerlitz), near the Napoleonic battlefield, and Bucovice, whose castle features the remarkable zajeci sal (The Hall of Hares) with murals of hares revenging themselves on men and dogs.

In the Vysocina (Bohemian-Moravian Uplands) to the east, the towns of Telc (a UNESCO Cultural Heritage site) and Slavonice are two of the most perfect examples of Renaissance towns in Europe. Telc, including the Zamec (Castle), was completely rebuilt after the fire of 1530; medieval arcades surround the town square with its gabled and pedimented houses. Slavonice is another old town founded on silver mining. In Zdar nad Sazavou about 40 km (25 miles) northeast of Jihlava, the Cistercian monastery and pilgrimage church dedicated to sv Jan Nepomucky (St John of Nepomuk) was designed by Prague-born Giovanni Santini, one of the greatest artists of the Czech Counter-Reformation, who married Gothic and Baroque forms, often with a humour lacking in other architects. Nearby in Ostrov nad Oslavou he designed a hostinec (pub) shaped like the letter 'W' to honour a fellow architect, and the village church at Obyctov, shaped like a turtle, one of the Virgin Mary's more obscure symbols.

The area between the small wine-making towns of Lednice and Valtice was once a possession of the Grand Dukes of Liechtenstein. Several impressive castles, landscaped parks and structural follies are dotted over an area of 250 sq km (96 sq miles) broken up by numerous ponds and forests. To the west, the area between Znojmo and Vranov on the River Dyji (Thaya in German) is an area of untouched river valley, now a joint National Park on both sides of the Austrian border.

Northeast of Brno, Kromeriz (also accessible as a daytrip from Prague) is a beautifully preserved Baroque town; its great Bishop's Palace includes an important art collection (including paintings from the auction after the execution of the English Charles I), and superb water gardens which run down to the banks of the Morava river.

Despite many ecological disaster zones and the great - and unpleasant - industrial centre of Ostrava, northern Moravia has much to offer the independent traveller. Olomouc, now happily recovered from its era as a Soviet garrison, is once again an attractive university town noted as much for its parks as for its Baroque churches, sculptures and fountains. The surrounding Haná region is strongly agricultural, with many villages having attractive harvest festivals in late September. In the extreme north, the Jeseniky Mountains are an eastern extension of the Bohemian Krkonose. Lazne Jesenik is one of the many famous Czech Silesian spas founded in the 19th century; this area is excellent for hiking, with rocky outcrops, cave systems and monuments. To the east of Ostrava, the hilly Beskydy region (which extends through Poland into the Ukraine) is the area of the Vlachs (Wallachs), whose culture still survives in folklore and architecture. This area is excellent for hiking and winter sports. The excellent open-air skansen (Folk Museum) at Roznov pod Radhostem, begun in 1925, is the largest in the country; another good skansen is at Velke Karlovice. Valchs architecture in situ can be found to the south in the villages in the Vsetinska Becva valley, including Bzove, Jezerne and Ratkov