The story of Prague is no less turbulent than that of similarly large cities in Central Europe. It saw its first golden age under the rule of Charles IV in the 14th century. Prague was, at that time, the third largest city in Europe and witnessed something of an explosion in construction: the Charles University, the New Town, the Charles Bridge, and Saint Vitus Cathedral were all built during this period.

In the musical chairs of royal marriages and successions, the crown of Bohemia fell to the Habsburgs in 1526 and they ruled the country for another 400 years. Thanks to strong economic development at the beginning of the 20th century, Bohemia became the industrial hub of Austria-Hungary and factories such as Škoda hummed with activity. After WWI, the first Republic of Czechoslovakia was proclaimed on October 28, 1918 and Prague became its capital.

The good times didn’t last long, for war was brewing over the border. Hitler laid claim to the Sudetenland, in Bohemia, which had a strong German community and following the German army invaded the country. Still, Prague remained relatively unscathed during the German occupation but the Americans inadvertently bombed the city in 1945, killing hundreds of residents, after somehow mistaking it for the German city of Dresden (which lies some 83 miles away).

Prague suffered in much the same way as the rest of the country during harsh Soviet-imposed Communist rule, and it was here that the Velvet Revolution was born and completed in 1989. Today, Prague is indisputably a modern European city and is becoming the capital of Central Europe. Many large companies have their regional headquarters here and the city is an enticing investment location, despite being more wealthy (and therefore expensive) than many Western counterparts.

Facts and Figures

Population: 1,250,000 inhabitants (+ 6 million tourists come every year)
Area: 496 sqm
GPS coordinates: 50°05’19″N and 14°25’17” E
Language: Czech
Time zone: CET = GMT/ UCT + 1
Guiness Book of Records: The Prague Castle is the largest castle area in the world. Its three courtyards and a number of magnificent buildings cover over 7 hectares (18 acres).

 

Banking and Currency

The Czech monetary unit is the crown (Kč) and one Euro equals to ± 26 Czech Crowns. Banknotes range from 100 to 5 000 Kč, coins from 1 to 50 Kč. Majority of shops, restaurant and hotels accept payment by credit card or in Euro.

 

Climate

Prague has a continental climate: summers are very hot and winters bitterly cold.
• Average March temperature: 3ºC (37.4ºF)
• March average high: 7.8ºC (46ºF)
• March average low: -0.8ºC (30.56ºF)

 

Electricity

Electricity in the Czech Republic is 220 volts, 50 Hz AC. Plug sockets are round with two round-pin sockets. If you are coming from the UK, Ireland or US you will need a plug converter.

 

Insurance

The registration fees do not include the insurance of participants against personal accidents, sickness, cancellations by any party, theft, loss or damage to personal possessions. Participants are recommended to take out adequate personal insurance to cover travel, accommodation, cancellation but also theft and loss of personal belongings.

 

Safety

Prague is a very safe city both to visit and in which to reside. The recent Global Peace Index (GPI), ranked the country the 10th most peaceful destination in the world. Nevertheless, petty crime does exist, and travellers should be on guard against pickpockets – especially on public transit and in crowded streets.
Also, Prague taxi drivers are notorious for taking tourists for a ride – in more ways than one. Before setting off, you’d do well to check the fare, or – you simply phone a radio-operated taxi company (The AAA company number: 233 11 33 11).

 

Public Transportation

Advanced public transportation system includes swift and efficient metro, tram and bus connections. Tickets, valid for all means of transport, can be purchased from numerous automatic machines at all metro stations, major tram stops and newspaper kiosks. Do not forget to stamp your ticket in the yellow validator, inspections are frequent.

 

Did you know…

The apostle parade can be seen on the Prague Astronomical Clock every hour on the hour from 9 a.m. till 11 p.m.

 

Getting to Prague

By Air
Prague’s location in the heart of Europe makes the city easily accessible to travellers from almost all countries. The maximum flying time from all major European cities is 2.5 hours. 52 airlines fly to 110 destinations in 42 countries from Václav Havel Airport Prague, which is one of the busiest airport. There are also low cost providers. The Airport has two Terminals, Terminal 1 and 2.

By Train
Prague has several train stations, international trains are likely to arrive at the Main Railway Station (Hlavní Nádraží). There are also some international arrivals at Holešovice Station (Nádraží Holešovice). These stations are connected to the underground line C (red line) which leads directly to the Prague Congress Centre

By Car
You can reach Prague by highway from all directions:
• From the North – Highway E55
• From the South – Highway E50
• From the West – Highway E50
• From the East – Highway E67

The Prague Congress Centre is adjacent to the North-South Prague City Expressway – follow the road signs for Kongresové centrum Praha.

 

Getting from the airport to the Congress Venue

The Prague Congress Centre can be easily reached by metro line C (red line) to the station “Vyšehrad”, the PCC is located just in front of the metro station. Tickets can be purchased in automatic machines at each metro station. The ticket costs 32 Czech crowns (approx. 1,3 EURO) and is valid for 90 minutes. Please note that you need to mark the ticket when you enter the metro/tram/bus for the first time.

From the Airport
The distance from the Václav Havel Airport Prague is 15 kilometers. A taxi ride from the airport to the Prague Congress Centre will take approximately 30–45 minutes and costs about 25 EUR. You can also travel by public transport. Go by bus No. 119 to the underground station “Nádraží Veleslavín” and carry on to the station “Museum”. Then change to line C and go to the station “Vyšehrad”. The PCC is just next to this station.

From the city centre
There is a north-south highway just in front of the PCC and the PCC itself is very easily accessible by taking the underground to “Vyšehrad” station, metro line “C”.

Visit these sites for more information:

• Prague Public Transport (DPP): http://www.dpp.cz/en/
• Václav Havel Airport: http://www.prg.aero/en/
• Czech Railways (ČD): https://www.cd.cz/en/default.htm

 

Getting around Prague for free

Thanks to a generous support of the City of Prague all the registered participants will be able to use the public transportation for free.
Please collect your travel card at the Registration desk.