About Czech Republic - General Information

Basic Data

• Name: Czech Republic
• Area: 78 864 km2
• Population: 10 300 000 inhabitants
• Capital: Prague  (1 200 000 inhabitants)
• Area of Prague: 497 km2
• Official Language: Czech
• Currency: Czech Crown
• Time zone: GMT + 1, GMT + 2 (April - September)
• Neighbouring countries: Germany,  Austria, Poland and Slovakia
• Other important cities: Brno, Ostrava, Plzen, Olomouc, Ceske Budejovice
• Climate: Continental, annual average temperature is 10°C, in summer 20°C,  in winter - 5°C
• Insurance: Visitors should take out insurance in their country before travelling to the Czech Republic. Czech insurance companies do not insure foreign visitors.  
• Public Hollidays:
  • January 1 : New Year‘s Day
  • April 16 : Easter Monday
  • May 1 :  Labour Day
  • May 8 : Day of Liberation from Fascism
  • July 5 : Day of Slavonic Apostles Cyril and Methodius
  • July 6 : Day of John Hus Dead at the Stake
  • September 28 : Czech Statehood Day (Day of St. Wenceslas)
  • October 28 : Day of the Foundation of Czechoslovakia
  • November 17 : Fight for Freedom and Democracy Day
  • December 24, 25 and 26 : Christmas
• Telephone: The dialing code for the Czech Republic from abroad is +420, Prague +420-2, for international calls from the Czech Republic : 00 + country code + area code + phone number              
• Voltage: 220 volts
• Typical products and souvenirs: Bohemia Crystal, jewellery (Czech garnets), ceramics, beer, Moravian wine, wafers, china and Becherovka liqueur
• Distances between  Prague and other  european cities:
  • Prague - Vienna (Austria): 300 km
  • Prague - Budapest (Hungary): 510 km
  • Prague - Berlín (Germany): 390 km
  • Prague - Dresden (Germany): 150 km
  • Prague - Nuremberg (Germany): 295 km
  • Prague - Salzburg (Austria): 390 km
  • Prague - Cracow (Poland): 550 km
  • Prague - Munich (Germany): 385 km
• Speed limits: In urban areas : 50 km/h, Outside of urban areas : 90 km/h, In motorways : 130 km/h
  
• The permissible blood alcohol level for drivers 0,00 %
• Passports and visas: A valid passport is needed when entering the Czech Republic. List of countries, whose citizens do not need visa to enter the Czech Republic for stays shorter than 90 days: ANDORRA, ANTIGUA Y BARBUDA, ARGENTINA, AUSTRALIA, BAHAMAS, BARBADOS, BRAZIL, BRUNEI, GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, CHILE, CROATIA , ISRAEL, JAPAN, SOUTH COREA , CANADA, COSTA RICA, MALAYSIA, MAURITIUS, MEXICO, MONACO, NICARAGUA, NEW ZEALAND , PANAMA , PARAGUAY, EL SALVADOR, SAN MARINO, SEYCHELLES, SINGAPORE, U.S.A., ST. KITTS, URUGUAY, VATICAN CITY, VENEZUELA.. 
• Public transport in Prague: The underground railway (metro) has three lines, A (green line), B (yellow line) and C (red line). There are also trams and buses. The public transport operates from 5:00 in the morning until 12:00 in the evening.

Museums in Prague

• National Museum (Vaclavske namesti 68, Praha 1)
  Primeval history of Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia. Mineralogical, petrological, zoological and palaeontological collections.
• Lapidarium (Holesovice, Vystaviste 422, Praha 7)
  Stonework sculptural monuments from Bohemia
• Naprstek Museum (Betlemske namestí 1, Praha 1)
  Indian cultures of  North and South America. Cultures of Australia and Oceania.
• Antonin Dvorak Museum (Ke Karlovu 20, Praha 1)
  Permanent exhibition with documents which commemorate the life journey and work of the famous Czech composer Antonin Dvorak
• Bedrich Smetana Museum (Novotneho lavka, Praha 1)
  Permanent exhibition offers an overview of the life and works of the famous Czech composer Bedrich Smetana
• Prague Municipal Museum  (Na Porici 52, Praha 1)
  The history of the city and its inhabitants to 1620. A three dimensional model of the city (Langwell‘s model 1826 - 1837) covering 20 sqm.
• Museum of Applied Arts (17. listopadu 2, Praha 1)
  European and Czech  handcrafts and applied arts from 16th to 19th century. Collections of glass, ceramic, china, textiles and books.
• National Technical Museum  (Kostelni 42, Praha 7)
  Permanent exhibition offers an overview of  transport (road, railway),.measuring of time, astronomy, mining (ore and coal mines), metallurgy and acoustic and noise ecology.
• Jewish Museum (Jachymova 3, Praha 1)
  Open daily except for saturdays and jewish holidays. The museum includes the Old Jewish Cemetery, the Pinkas Synagogue, the Maisel Synagogue, the Klaus Synagogue, the Ceremony Hall, the Spanish Synagogue and the Old New Synagogue.
• Mucha Museum (Panska 7, Praha 1)
  Works of Alfons Mucha (1860 - 1939) the most famous artist of art-nouveau style in Czech lands.
• Bertramka - Memorial to Mozart and Mrs and Mr Dusek (Mozartova 169, Praha 5)
  A villa from the 17th century where Mozart stayed during his visits to Prague in 1787 and 1791. There he finished the opera Don Giovanni.
• Toys Museum (Jirska 6, Praha 1)
  A large exhibition of toys including pieces from the ancient Greece up to the most popular toys of the present time.
• Puppets Museum (Karlova 12, Praha 1)
  Czech traditional and modern puppets including puppets of the collection of famous Czech craftsmen.
• Postal Museum (Nové mlyny 2/1239, Praha 1)
  Czechoslovak and European stamps, Czech stamps.
• Military History Museum (Hradcanske namesti 2, Praha 1)
  Military history of the region from primeval to 1918
• City Public Transport Museum (Patockova 4, Praha 6)
  A collection of historical vehicles and a unique collection of Prague city transport from 1886 to the present time.
• Museum of Czech literature (Strahovske nadvori 1, Praha 1)
• Troja Palace (U trojskeho zamku 1, Praha 7)
  A beautiful barroque summer palace with gardens built in the late 17th century. The palace houses a good collection of Czech art from the 19th century.

National Gallery

Permanent exhibitions and galleries of the municipal gallery of Prague

• Sternberk Palace (Sternbersky palac, Hradcanske namesti 15, Praha 1)
  European Art from the 15th to the 18th century (painting)
• St. George Convent (Klaster sv Jiri, Jirske namesti 33, Praha 1, Prague Castle)
  Czech Baroque Art (painting and carving)
• St Agnes of Bohemia Convent (Anezsky klaster, U Milosrdnych 17, Praha 1)
  Czech Medieval Art
• Trade Fair Palace - Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Veletrzni palac, Dukelskych hrdinu 47, Praha 7)
  Czech art 1960 - 1995, French art from 19th century to 20th century. European art of the 20th century.

Most of Prague museums are opened from Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 to 17:00. Usually they close on Monday.