Oct. 28 Independent Czechoslovak State Day Nov. 17 Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day Dec. 24 Christmas Eve Dec. 25 Christmas Day Dec. 26 St. Stephen’s Day
Tips and Advice The language skills of Czechs are slowly improving, in cities you can converse at least at a basic level in English, German and Russian, minimally in French. Czechs will appreciate it if you try to speak Czech, often just a greeting or a courtesy phrase is enough: Dobrý den / Hello Dobrý večer / Good evening Ahoj / Hi (only among friends) Jak se máte? / How are you? Prosím / Please Děkuji / Thank you Ano / Yes Ne / No Ztratil jsem se / I am lost Můžete mi pomoci? / Can you help me? Promiňte, nerozumím česky / Sorry, I don’t understand Czech Czechs love stories and anecdotes and like to tell them even to complete strangers. If you listen to them, you will be thought well of. Good Advice: Czechs consider themselves to be part of Central Europe; if you include them in Eastern Europe they may become offended.
Typical Czech Dishes: • Dumplings as a side-dish with many meals • Sirloin in cream sauce with dumplings • Roast pork with dumplings and cabbage • Fruit dumplings • Roast duck with dumplings • Beef goulash with dumplings • Tomato sauce or dill cream sauce with beef and dumplings • Fried cheese with potatoes • Steak tartar with toast • Thick and substantial soups Ask about traditional foods – for example in Chodsko and Wallachia you will be treated to great cakes, in Olomouc to strong ripened soft cheese – every area has some unusual traditional food. Beer is the liquid bread of the Czech nation and Czechs are convinced that it is the best in the world. The most famous brands are Pilsner Urquell, Budvar and Staropramen. But it is worth trying different tastes. The Czech Republic is seeing a huge boom in local breweries and microbreweries, so every now and then you come across a new brand. Typically they produce bottom fermented lagers. South Moravia is however an area far more interested in wine. The countryside is peppered with villages that have wine cycle paths leading through them, charming wine cellars and grape harvest celebrations.
Accommodation
North Bohemia
Czech Currency Czech currency contains the banknotes – CZK 100, 200, 500, 1,000, 2,000, 5,000. Coins are in denominations of – CZK 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50. Tips are not usually included in a price, the normal amount expected is 10 %. If you pay by card, it is good manners to leave a tip in cash.
Prague West Bohemia
Central Bohemia South Bohemia
East Bohemia Moravia and Silesia
Hiking Hiking is very popular in the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic has the densest and most elaborate network of marked hiking trails in the world. The marked trails begin in the centres of towns and villages or at railway stations. Information on guideposts is given in kilometres.
Number of collective accommodation establishments in the regions Hotels ***** Prague
Hotels ****
Hotels ***
46
218
210
Central Bohemia
1
35
121
South Bohemia
2
39
132
West Bohemia
9
124
144
Gastronomy
North Bohemia
—
44
144
East Bohemia
1
49
234
Czech cuisine is permanently evolving; it adopts the current trends of preparation and presentation of dishes. However, you can expect, particularly in restaurants in smaller towns and villages that the side dish will be larger than you imagined. They also offer less vegetables and vegetable dishes. Simple guide: look for the Czech Specials symbol. In restaurants marked with this symbol, the Czech cuisine is of excellent quality.
Moravia and Silesia
2
144
400
Practical information for travelling in the Czech Republic is available also at www.czechtourism.com www.visitczechrepublic.com 65