Things To Know About Prague

GENERAL INFORMATION ON PRAGUE

The capital of the Czech Republic, Prague, is located on the Vltava River and has a population of 1.3 million people and the historic centre of town has been listed as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites and attracts millions of tourists every year to this city to explore it's rich history.

Settlements date back several thousand years as the area was on a trade route connecting North and South Europe along the river and the first town is thought to have been established in 1306BCE as Boihaem (the region that Prague is located in is called Bohemia), Due to it's location on a trade route it changed hands many times and the town grew with each change of hands and the Czech tribes who took control in the 6th Century started building fortified settlements in the area, one of which would be the foundation of what is now Prague Castle which they started building in the 800s and the fort of Vysehrad 70 years later. As the city grew so did it's diverse population, including a large Jewish population and the Old Synagogue is one of the oldest religious buildings in Prague built in 1270, and a lot of the Jewish quarter still remains today. St. Vitus the cathedral that dominates the city began construction in 1344 but wasn't completed until the 20th Century.

The first bridge built to cross the River was in 1170 the Judith Bridge which was destroyed in 1342 and later rebuilt from the existing foundation stones and renamed the Charles Bridge which is one of the biggest tourist draw-cards in Prague today

During the 14th Century under the rule of Charles IV the city flourished and the 'New Town' was built alongside the "Old Town", however as the city grew so did the social unrest as the power of the craftsmen's guilds increased and poor people came in search of money and when his son Wenceslas IV, (not the Wenceslas who was canonized) came into power there was more turmoil and he lost a lot of his power to the clergy who instigated a pogrom against the Jews and nearly the entire population was murdered.

Despite the religious and political turmoil in Prague at the time with weak kings and the religious zealots the city continued to prosper and became a hub of culture and education, where even magic and astrologers were welcome. However by the early 1600s Prague was again involved in tumult with the start of the Thirty Years War and more religious upheaval and the power of Prague began to decline and what was once a thriving city of 60,000 was by the end of the war was at 20,000. At the end of the century the population had started to increase only to have part of the city destroyed by fire and a further loss of population from the Plague which killed nearly 13,000 (in 1713-14).

The city continued to grow as part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and once the Industrial Revolution hit the city expanded faster, taking advantage of the coal mines in the area. At the end of World War One, when the Austro-Hungarian Empire was split up the state of Czechoslovakia was created and Prague become it's capital and by the 1930s the population was at 850,000. In 1939 Hitler entered the city and it was claimed as a German Protectorate and once again the Jewish Population was decimated (however the Jewish Quarter is one of the finest left standing and although there is no documented evidence it is said that it was kept intact to be a Museum of an Extinct Race.) Two days before the war ended there was an uprising against the Germans and thousands of people were killed and when the Red Army took control there was very little resistance to repel them.

Ruled by the Communists for the next thirty years the city was still one of conflict as the students protested against communist rule and they were surpressed by an invasion of some of the Warsaw Pact countries in 1968, however this was just the beginning and two decades later the Velvet Revolution by students saw the beginning of the end of the Communist government. By 1993 the country was 'divorced' and the Czech Republic with Prague as it's capital was created (as well as Slovakia and Braistlava). The late 20th Century and early 21st have not been without issues in this city with riots and floods destroying many buildings but it has continued to grow and prosper and be a shining city in Central Europe which is well worth a visit.

Food

Food in Prague can be like most European cities be as expensive or as cheap as you want it to be from food stalls to 5star restaurants (be prepared in the 'touristy' areas you may pay a little more for food so be adventurous and take a turn or two and head away from the hot-spots and you may find a better meal at a fraction of the price. If you want real comfort food like dumplings and potato soup, sausages, gulas (the Czech version of goulash) pancakes and pastry treats you will find it all here (as well as sushi and pizza etc) so enjoy!!!

Language

The official language is Czech (Cestina) which is very similar to Slovakian

Currency

The currency is Czech Koruna consisting of banknotes for 2000Kc, 1000Kc, 500Kc, 200Kc, 100Kc and coins for 50Kc, 20Kc, 5Kc, 2Kc and 1Kc

ATM machines can be found on nearly every corner but make sure that you only have a 4-pin code as they will not accept longer pins. Credit and debit cards are widely accepted but remember that you may be charged conversion rates if you are using your usual bankcard instead of a travel money card.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN PRAGUE

There are a variety of options for heading into the city centre from Prague airport, taxi and transfer rides are relatively cheap in comparison to a lot of European cities as the airport is only 17kms north of the city.

One of the best options is the Airport Express which costs 60Kc ($3.80 Aus) which runs from the airport to Hlavni Nadrazi (Prague's main train station). The cheapest option is bus and metro costing 32Kc ($2) and there are a number of different routes depending on where your accommodation is, the most common is Bus No 119 which takes you to Dejvicka which is at the end or start of the Green Line or A line where you connect for your train into the city centre.

Like many countries in Europe there is a great public transport system with trams buses and metro stations that take you to every corner of this very walkable city. There are a variety of tickets you can use, a single-trip ticket lasting between 30-90mins costing 24-32Kc ($1.50-2Aus) or you can use a short term tourist card for 24-72hours costing 110-310Kc ($7-20Aus)

ELECTRICITY

You will need an adaptor to charge your electrical goods as Poland like most other European countries have two pin plugs.

TIPPING

Tipping is expected between 10-15% although do check your restaurant bill which may already have a 12.5% service charge on the bill so be aware and don't tip twice.

TOILETS

Make sure you carry tissues and wipes because toilet paper may not always be available. Be prepared though, that some public toilets will ask you for money to use them, so be prepared with 20Kc to use the toilet.

MOST IMPORTANTLY WHEN YOU ARE IN PRAGUE HAVE FUN AND SOAK UP EVERY EXPERIENCE THERE AND YOU WILL BE A BETTER PERSON BECAUSE OF IT!!!!

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