Presentation of Prague

Why choosing Prague as a tourism destination?

Much has been written about this truly beautiful city and the reasons why Prague remains so popular are quite simple. You will understand simply by strolling along the cobblestone streets of the old town, observing the fantastic architecture of the buildings, the churches and the magnificent Castle. You can have a relatively cheap lunch or dinner in a pub, accompanied by a world famous Czech beer. Later on, get a half price entrance ticket to enjoy a classical music concert, or for the younger crowd there is a great clubbing scene.

About Prague

Prague, also known as Zlata Praha in the past, is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. In 1992 the historical core of the city, covering 866 hectares, was listed in the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage Register. Prague represents a unique collection of historical monuments dominated by the Prague Castle which towers high above the city. It is a display of all artistic styles and movements. The historical core of the city is situated on both banks of the Vltava river and consists of 6 parts - formerly independent urban units unified in the 18th century. They are as follows: Stare Mesto (Old Town), Josefov (the preserved part of the former Jewish Town - today a part of the Old Town), Nove Mesto (New Town), Mala Strana (Lesser Town), Hradcany and Vysehrad. Naturally, most of the historical monuments, museums and galleries are concentrated right there.

Location

Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the beautiful city of Prague is rich in history and lies in the heart of Europe.

Climate

Prague is a beautiful city to visit at any time of the year. The climate is temperate, a mixture of oceanic and continental. The average winter temperature is 5 degrees C, average summer temperature is 20 Celsius degrees.

Transport to and from the city

Visitors can reach/leave Prague using various types of transport: by plane, train, coach, car and even by boat. Getting there by air. Prague's Ruzyne International Airport is a major airport of the Czech Republic. It is situated 20km northwest of the city centre and can be reached within 30 minutes by car. This Airport has daily flights from several European and few North American cities on national and budget carriers. The national carrier, Czech Airlines offers its services to many European and some international destinations, including New York and Toronto. The airport is well connected with the city by buses, shuttles and taxies. By rail. Prices for rail travel are generally far more expensive than air travel and journeys may take much longer than by plane or car. Prague is connected with Berlin, Vienna and Budapest by Eurocity trains. The city has two international stations namely Hlavni Nadrazi - the central station, and Praha Holesovice. Both the stations are linked with metro line C. It takes 4 - 4.5 hours from Vienna, 6.5 hours from Budapest and 5 hours from Berlin to reach the city. The city also has some Super City Pendolino trains that offer faster options of travel. By Road: The city is connected with surrounding countries by highway connections from five major directions. You can reach Prague city by bus or car. Florenc - Krizikova is the main bus station for international buses in Prague, and is located to the east of the city. Major European cities are connected to Prague by Eurolines. However, the highway network is not well established and some highways are still under development.

Transportation in Prague

The public transport in Prague is well organized and efficient. It perfectly covers even the furthest hidden corner of Prague almost non-stop. By “non-stop” we mean the fact that in Prague they have the so called “noční doprava” (night transport), that means buses and trams that run also during the night. The night transport system works in intervals of 15 minutes (around the centre) and 30 minutes or more (towards the suburbs of Prague). At peak hours (that is from 7 am – 9 am and 4 pm – 6 pm) the number of public vehicles is increased, so there is no reason to be afraid of crowding. Maps of the public transport system can be found all over the city, especially in underground stations or in their vicinity. Prague Metro – a speedy way to get around Prague, the Prague Metro or underground is clean and efficient. Metro operates daily from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m, on Fridays and Saturdays one hour longer. The time interval between train departures is approximately 3 minutes during the workday rush hours and 5-10 minutes during off-peak hours. The Prague Metro network consists of 3 lines designated by letters and differentiated in colour (Green colour – line A, Yellow -colour line B, Red colour – ine C). Prague Trams may be a little slower but are a marvellous way to get around – you can see much more. Each tram stop gives a list of stops for each tram route and a timetable for it (which is absolutely accurate). Night operation is provided by tram numbers 51 to 59 in 30 minutes intervals. The central interchange station for night lines is Lazarska stop. Prague buses – as Prague’s Metro and tram service are so good, buses are not used that often. The Prague bus service mainly covers the outskirts of the city. Prague’s bus service is quite regular during the day with buses running from 5am until around midnight every day. Bus fares are also very cheap. Prague also has night buses which run when the day buses stop, from midnight to 5am, and the buses run every half hour or so. Night service is provided by bus numbers 501 to 513. Taxis – unfortunately for Prague, its taxi drivers have become a scar on its reputation but getting around Prague by public transportation is so easy and convenient that you may be able to simply forget about taxis. Taxi fares in Prague are regulated by the city authorities. Since 1 January 2007 the following fares have been in operation in Prague: basic tariff – 40 CZK; per kilometre travelled -28 CZK; per minute waiting time – 6 CZK. Walking: Prague is renowned as a very "walkable" city. For those who enjoy seeing the old and new city by foot, one can easily walk from Wenceslas Square to the Old Town Square, or from the Old Town to Charles Bridge and the Castle District.

Accommodation Prague offers a wide range of accommodation possibilities in various price levels and quality from hotels of all the categories in new built modern buildings also in ancient listed palaces and objects up to pensions, hostels, private apartments and camps.