CZECH REPUBLIC

The Czech Republicgeography

The Czech Republic spreads over a total area of 79,000 square kilometers.

Geography of the Czech Republic is marked by a terrain, which is very diverse and includes plateaus, highlands, as well as lowlands. The highest mountains of it are the Krkonoše (the Giant Mountains) with the highest peak of Sněžka (Snowmount or Snowdon, 1,602 m=5,256 ft).

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Germany to the West,

Poland to the North, Austria to the South and Slovakia to the East. Its capital and largest city, with 1.3 million inhabitants,

is Prague.

The Czech landscape is exceedingly varied. Bohemia, to the west, consists of a basin

drained by the Elbe and the Vltava (or Moldau) rivers, surrounded by mostly low mountains, such as the Krkonoše (the Giant Mountains).

There the highest point in the country, Sněžka (1,602 m=5,256 ft) is located . Moravia, the

eastern part of the country, is also quite hilly. It is drained mainly by the Morava River.

The Czech Republic has the continental climate, with relatively hot summers and

cold, cloudy and snowy winters.

Population of the citiesPraha (capital city) - 1 272 690

Brno - 384 277Ostrava - 302 456

Plzeň - 169 688Liberec - 102 247

Olomouc - 100 043Ústí nad Labem - 95 003Hradec Králové - 94 242

České Budějovice - 93 883Pardubice - 91 073

Ethnic groups Czechs – 63.7%

Moravians – 4.9%Slovaks – 1.4%others – 29.9%

PRAGUE (PRAHA)

• Prague is the capital and the largest city of the Czech Republic and the 14th largest city in the European Union. It is situated slightly North of Central Bohemia on the Vltava river.

Transportation • Metro:• Metro is the main means of transport for the

whole city. There are currently three lines in operation. The first line C was commissioned in 1974 and then there were gradually put into operation lines A and B. The total length of all the Metro lines is nearly 50 km and it has a total of 51 stations. In 1997, Metro transported 407 010 000  passengers, which corresponds to 38 per cent of them in public transport.

• Tram: • Tram service remains an important element in the

outlook of public transport. It is the second most significant part of the public transport network.

• Buses:• Prague is an important national

and international crossroads of bus services.Bus service is a very important part of the public transport. It mainly provides connections to the Metro, rail and tram transport.

• Air transportation:• Perspective international and

domestic air passenger and freight transport will continuously be  implemented at Prague-Ruzyne Airport. Due to the growth of transport volumes and expanding qualitative demands on airport transportation it will be further modernized . Its completion will increase traffic volume to 7 million passengers per year. It will increase capacity for freight space by constructing new buildings.

Monuments of Prague´s Historical Reserve

• Churches and chapels:

• St. Vitus, St. Wenceslas and St. Adalbert´s Cathedral

• St. George´s Basilica• Chapel of the Holy Cross• All Saints´ Church• Church of Our Lady before

Tyn• St. Nicholas´ Church (in the

Lesser Town)• Church of Our Lady Victorious (Prague´s Infant Jesus)• Bethlehem chapel• St. Peter and Paul´s Church• St. Martin´s Rotunda

• Palace: • Kinsky Palace• Czernin Palace• Wallenstein Palace

• Monasteries:• Strahov Monastery• Emmaus Monastery• St. Agnes Convent• Monastery of the • Augustinians 

• Buildings for Educa-tion and Culture:

• Carolinum (Charles University)• The National Theatre• The National Museum• Clementinum (University

Library)• Rudolphinum (The House of

Artists)

• Other structures:• Charles Bridge• The Old Town Town Hall• The Municipal House

• Prague Castle Prague Castle was founded in 870 by Prince Borivoj of the

Přemyslids. Since the days of wooden palisades, however, it has changed its face many times. The castle grew, lived to see great alterations especially in the times of Emperor Charles IV (in the 14th ct) who also started the construction of St. Vitus´s which has become one of Prague's dominants (though it was being completed until the 20th century). 

• The cathedral is also the resting place of Czech kings including the Czech patron - St. Wenceslas. It was also the site of royal coronations. Prague Castle is now the biggest castle complex in Europe, that represents all architectural styles of the

previous millennium.

• Charles Bridge • Charles Bridge is one of the most beautiful bridges in the

world and the oldest Prague´s one. It´s  almost 10 meters wide and 516 m long resting on 16 arches. On its both sides there are the fortified towers - the Old Town Tower  and on the other side two Lesser Town Towers.The bridge is decorated with 30 baroque statues mostly from the early 18th century, depicting saints, historical and biblical figures.

• Astronomical Clock • From the 15th century  the Astronomical Clock is one of the

rarest and most famous sights. It is located in the Gothic tower of the Old Town Townhall. The clock is a masterpiece of  the Czech Gothic science and technology and a magnificent artistic monument.

• Every hour from 9.00 am to 7pm in its two windows 12 statues of the Apostles  reveal.  According to legend, Prague councilors made the master who built the  clock blind so that he could not make a copy of the astronomical clock anywhere else.

• Petrin • Petrin Hill is the highest one in Prague.

It is renowned for its gardens and orchards and is a popular place for lovers. The dominant feature is its Look-out Tower.There is also a Mirror Maze and Observatory.

• The funicular rail rides there - from Újezd to the summit (elevation difference is 130.5 meters). Train cars have the same slope as is the slope of the track,  i.e. 45 grades.  

• Vyšehrad • Vysehrad, according to a legend is the oldest seat of

Czech princes. At the turn of the 11th and 12 century it was the headquarters of the Czech ruler. There is a precious Romanesque rotunda of St. Martin from the 11th century and a neo-Gothic St Peter and Paul´s church, Vysehrad Cemetery and Casemates.

• The cemetery and the tomb Slavin (www.slavin.cz) is the place where  more than 600 prominent reprezentatives of the Czech nation are buried.

• Currently, there is an exhibition hall, called Gorlice, where original statues from Charles Bridge are on display.

• The National Theatre • The theatre was first opened in 1881. There was a total of

12 performances only. • On 12th August 1881 there was a fire, which destroyed the

copper dome, the auditorium, the curtain by Francis Zenisek and the stage of the  theatre.The fire was seen as a "national catastrophe" and caused a huge commitment to the new collection: within 47 days one million guilders was collected.  The building was completed after the fire by prof. architect Josef Schulz. The restored theatre was opened on 18th November 1883 by the performance of Smetana's Libuse again. 

• The National Museum • The museum was founded in 1818 under the name of the

Patriotic Museum in Bohemia. Since 1848 it was named Czech museum, in the period 1854-1919 the Museum of Czech kingdom. Before building a new museum building it was temporarily housed in the Sternberg (1821-1846) and Nostic Palaces (1846-1892)

• In 1968 its front was damaged by missiles of the Soviet Army. In the 1970s the walls of the  Museum hall had to be better reinforced due to the construction of Prague´s Metro then.

We hope you have enjoyed the presentation!