Czech Republic: Travel information

About the Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is situated in the heart of Europe, in the area where the cultural influences of East and West were meeting from time immemorial. Most travellers are impressed by the Czech Republic's architectural splendours, which include some of the finest Baroque, Art Nouveau and Cubist buildings in Europe, but Czechs have also excelled at less noticeable art forms, such as illuminated manuscripts, religious sculpture, and marionette & puppet theatre.

At present time, the political, economic and cultural relations are focused on West European countries, and on historically close neighbours - Slovakia, Austria and Poland. The Czech Republic is a full member of NATO. The tourist trade is an important branch of the Czech economy. Visitors from abroad appreciate the wealth, diversity and accessibility of cultural and historical monuments, which are concentrated on a relatively cheap in comparison with most European countries.

Besides Prague, which is a must for every tourist, the Czech Republic has eight other locations that are on the UNESCO list of the world cultural and natural heritage. The beautiful countryside is profoundly reflected in the soul of the nation. The border mountain regions are a paradise for those who enjoy summer hiking or winter sports, whereas the landscape of southern Bohemia, embroidered with a pattern of lakes, offers enchanting venues for long contemplative walks. The most valuable natural areas are protected in four national parks (Krkonose, Sumava, Podyji and Ceske Svycarsko) and in many protected landscape areas and nature reserves. Most protected areas are open to visitors free of charge, no special permission is required. A special kind of landscape is presented by sandstone areas, where millions of years of action by frost, water and wind created deep canyons and imposing rock labyrinths. The Cesky Raj (Bohemian Paradise) is fitting name for one such area. Limestone formations offer a chance to see caves and vast underground spaces; the Moravsky kras (Moravian Karst) north of Brno is the largest of these territories. The highly characteristic Wallachian regions with its wealth of rural folk architecture and the wine-growing areas of southern Moravia have also been much-visited destinations. The people who live there are friendly, hospitable and endowed with a special sense of humour.

Czech music runs the gamut from classical to jazz & punk. Apprentice butcher Antonin Dvorak is generally regarded as the most popular Czech composer. He is noted for his symphony From the New World, composed in the USA while lecturing there. Czech jazz musicians were at the forefront of European jazz after WW II but this came to an end with the communist putsch. Keyboardist Jan Hamr, who escaped to the USA, became prominent in 1970s American jazz-rock under the name Jan Hammer. Since the Velvet Revolution, the jazz scene in Prague has been especially lively. The most famous Czech writer is undoubtedly Franz Kafka, who, with a circle of other German-speaking Jewish writers in Prague, played a major role in the literary scene at the beginning of this century. Internationally renowned modern' Czech novelists include Milan Kundera, Ivan Klima and Josef Skvorecky. Much less well known is the Czech poet Jaroslav Siefert, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1984.

Whether you are looking for a place to relax, for sport or entertainment, if you want to become acquainted with history, art and the beauties of nature or need a suitable venue for congresses, scientific symposia, or commercial and training meetings, then the Czech Republic can certainly offer you a wide choice and favourable conditions.

Czech Republic: Travel information

About the Czech Republic

Czech Republic

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