Discover Czech Rebublic

The Czech Rebublic is a landlocked country in central Europe. Before World War I part of Austria-Hungary, in 1918 the Czechs and neighbouring Slovaks joined together and formed the independent republic of Czechoslovakia. In World War II occupied by the Germans in 1939. After World War II, Czechoslovakia fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a member of the Warsaw Pact.

In 1968, an invasion by Warsaw Pact troops ended the efforts of the country's leaders to liberalize Communist Party rule and create "socialism with a human face" during the "Prague Spring". With the collapse of Soviet authority in 1989, Czechoslovakia regained its freedom through a peaceful "Velvet Revolution" and became a sovereign state.

On 1 January 1993, the country underwent a "velvet divorce" into its two national components, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In 2004 the Czech Republic became a member of the European Union and the NATO.

The majority of the 10.5 million inhabitants of the Czech Republic are ethnically and linguistically Czech (95%). Other ethnic groups include Germans, Roma, and Poles. After the 1993 division, some Slovaks remained in the Czech Republic and comprise roughly 3% of the current population. The border between the Czech Republic and Slovakia is open for citizens of the former Czechoslovakia. Laws establishing religious freedom were passed shortly after the revolution of 1989, lifting oppressive regulations enacted by the former communist regime. Major denominations and their estimated percentage populations are Roman Catholic (39%) and Protestant (3%). A large percentage of the Czech population claim to be atheists (40%), and 16% describe themselves as uncertain. The Jewish community numbers a few thousand today; a synagogue in Prague memorializes the names of more than 80,000 Czechoslovak Jews who perished in World War II.

Getting There

By Air
Whether you’re traveling across borders or from city to city to countryside, the Czech Republic has many public transportation options for you and lots of other people to get there. Many airlines, particularly European ones, serve the Czech Republic, including the national airline CSA that flies internationally and domestically between Prague, Brno, Ostrava and Karlovy Vary. Look for European discount airlines to start routes to Prague and other East European destinations in 2004.

Airports
Ruzyne Airport 10 km from Prague, is an international airport

By Train
Travel on Czech railways is cheap in comparison with western Europe. This coupled with the country's dense rail network makes the train an excellent travel option within the Czech Republic.The fastest trains are called Rychlík and require a small supplement, slightly slower are the spìzný trains. The slowest trains are the local osboní.