Prague

The capital of the Czech Republic, which is a part of the European Union since 1st May 2004, is our most valuable urban conservation area. In 1992, the historical core of the city covering 866 hectares was listed in the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage Register.

"Praga caput regni" has been inscribed in Prague´s coat of arms. And rightly so, since the very beginning, Prague has always played an important role in the history of the nation, country and Europe. Since the Middle Ages, Prague has been known as one of the most beautiful cities of the world, and has been attributed adjectives such as "golden", "city of hundred spires", "the crown of the world", "a stone dream".
Throughout centuries, prominent personalities paid homage to it.

W. A. Mozart, L. van Beethoven, F. M. Dostoyevsky, A. Rodin, G. Apollinaire, P. I. Tchaikovsky, O. Kokoschka as well as the British Queen Elizabeth II and Pope John Paul II professed their beguilement by its attraction and architectural beauty. Writers and poets, such as Jan Neruda, Jaroslav Hašek, Jaroslav Seifert, Franz Kafka, Max Brody and Egon Erwin Kisch featured their hometown in their works.

Prague represents a unique collection of historical monuments dominated by Prague Castle, which towers high above the city. It merges all artistic and architectonic 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 18^th century. Naturally, most of the historical monuments, museums and galleries are concentrated there.

Basic data

Area: 496 square kilometres
Population: 1,184,000 inhabitants
Geographical situation: north latitude 500 05´, east longitude 140 27´, height above sea level 235 m (average)
Time: Central European (GMT+1), summer time – Central European +1 (GMT+2)
Climate: average temperature 6oC
Summer season – July 19oC
Winter season – January -0.9oC
The Vltava river flows through the city in the length of 30 km, its maximum width being 330 m
Parts of the historical centre: Hradčany, Malá Strana (Lesser Town), Staré Město (Old Town) including Josefov, Nové Město (New Town) and Vyšehrad
Voltage: 230 V