Czech Republic - Tjeckien

Czech Republic[1] is a country in Central Europe.

Planning before the trip

To take with you to the Czech Republic

A Swedish-Czech dictionary as it will be easier to get around!

To bring with you from the Czech Republic

The Czechs are good at crafts such as puppets and large Christmas balls. Going to Prague's Christmas market is a pleasant experience. Carps are sold out of barrels that are a bit everywhere, and then large Christmas balls with various motifs are sold.

The Czechs are known for their beer. There are several large and numerous microbreweries that produce beer for most tastes. A popular stronger drink is Becherovka, a spice liqueur that tastes like gingerbread.

Facts about the Czech Republic

History

The predecessor of the Czech Republic was the Kingdom of Bohemia, which dates back to the 10th century and had its heyday under King Charles IV (Charles IV) of the House of Luxembourg in the 14th century. King Charles was emperor of the German-Roman Empire and, despite calls to move to Rome, made Prague the capital of the empire. During Charles' reign, Charles University (1348) was founded, which is Central Europe's oldest university, the famous Charles Bridge and large parts of Prague Castle. Charles IV is seen in the eyes of many Czechs as a very important person and something of a father of the country.

After the dissolution of the German-Roman Empire in the early 19th century, Bohemia was incorporated into Austria-Hungary. It was not until after the First World War that the area (Bohemia and the areas east of Moravia, Silesia and Slovakia) became a separate country - Czechoslovakia. The state experienced a period of prosperity during the interwar period and was considered a highly developed European state with a strong economy and industry. However, this changed in connection with the German occupation in the 1930s. The Nazi occupation was replaced after the war by communism, led by a puppet government ruled by the Soviets.

In 1968, the Czechoslovak people revolted against the Warsaw Pact and changed the policy pursued. The leaders developed "socialism with a human face", the mass media were released and there was no longer any censorship. In August 1968, the leaders of the Warsaw Pact chose to occupy Czechoslovakia in order to end the Prague Spring, the name given to the changes. The most important principle of the resistance movement was non-violence, the population tried to talk to the soldiers and not use force. In 1989 it was time again, this time the reform period came to be called the Velvet Revolution. Just as in 1968, there was little or no violence at all. In 1990, Czechoslovakia was divided into two parts: the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Today, the Czech Republic is a member of both NATO and the EU.

The locals

Climate

The Czech Republic has a continental climate with cold, dry winters and hot, humid summers. The country was hit by severe floods in 1997, 2002 and 2006. The average temperature is -4 to -2 degrees in January and 17 to 18 degrees in July. There is usually up to 500 and 700 mm of rain per year and it falls mostly during the summer.

Holidays

Catholic holidays.

Regions

Cities

• Prague The country's capital and a real attraction. Prague completely escaped destruction during World War II and the old town is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
• Terezin - A prison and concentration camp town, probably best known as Theresienstadt.
• Kutna Hora - This city is on the UNESCO list and is extremely worth seeing. Do not miss Benkyrkan, the mine and the pleasant urban environments.
• Brno - The country's second largest city.
• Olomouc - The city with 100,000 inhabitants feels smaller than it is, thanks to the park that surrounds the city center.
• Cesky KrumlowUNESCO-listed, very picturesque city in southern Bohemia

Getting to the Czech Republic

City Airline; from Gothenburg and Norwegian Airlines; from Copenhagen and Oslo, among others

Student Agency Busses

Relocation in the Czech Republic

Many flights depart from Sweden, but if you want to travel extra cheaply, you should fly from Norway to Prague.

Several bus companies run to Prague from Sweden, travel time varies from about 17 to 23 hours.

It is easy to get to Prague from Berlin by train, about 5 hours journey.

Payment

Czech Koruna and Euro.

ATMs in the Czech Republic work just like in Sweden, they even have the same name "ATM" and in some cases "Bank". You can easily withdraw the desired amount of Czech currency with your Swedish ATM card. A small fee is charged for the transaction, so it pays to withdraw a larger amount at once.

Accommodation

Food and drinks

The Czech food is quite strong with a lot of potatoes. Breaded cheese is a dish that should be tried. Oplatky is another Czech specialty, it is a type of biscuit. In shape they are round and they are made of vanilla or chocolate. They are very sweet and it can happen that there is a little crackling between the teeth when you eat them.

The Czech beer is well known. Each village has its own beer so there are a lot of varieties to try your hand at. Some of the more well-known beers are Staropramen, Pilsner Urquell and Zlatopramen. The Czech Republic has not been known as a wine country before, but if you are in the Czech Republic you should probably stick to beer, or pivo, as it is called in the Czech Republic.

To see

To do

In addition to all the good food and beer, there are many activities to do.

• There is a large bobsleigh a little outside Prague in connection with a restaurant, called "Bobsleigh track and restaurant in Prague"
• A huge bathing and spa facility just outside the city called "Aquapalace".
• A zoo that is open all year round, called "Zoo Praha".
• Two slightly different museums in Prague, "Sex Machines Museum" and "Museum of Medieval Torture"
• The "Bench Cathedral" in the village of Kutna Hora outside Prague, "Sedlec Ossuary".

In Prague you can also go on a guided tour of the old nuclear bunkers under the city, a memory from the Iron Curtain. called the "Prague Nuclear Bunker Tour".

Work

Scandinavians are often offered jobs in customer service, often in airlines. Czech language skills are rarely a requirement, but you should know good English and at least a fluent Scandinavian language.

Communication

Security

The Czech Republic is a safe country, spared from much violence and crime. According to The Global Peace Index (GPI), the Czech Republic is ranked No. 5 among the world's most peaceful and secure countries. Sweden is ranked No. 13.

Respect

The Czechs take littering seriously, expect at least one notice if you throw rubbish on the street. Outdoor urination is also seen as a fairly serious offense, especially if you are a tourist. For general grilling, there are a few permitted places, you can therefore not grill in any park with, for example, a disposable grill. Not picking up after the dog can cost 1000: - CZK. Do not steal in public transport, when checking it costs 800: -CZK. Never show money, it's extremely rude. If you buy bread in bulk at the store, use the disposable gloves that hang next to it. No one picks with just their hands. Always leave tips, on most restaurant receipts it clearly says "Service is not included".

Problem solver

Other

Charles Bridge in Prague: it is a short bridge that connects Stare mesto and Nove mesto. If you have been to, for example, Vaclaske namesti (Wenceslas Square) and are going to Hradcany (the castle), then you walk over to Charles Bridge. Along the entire bridge there are statues and at one end is the gunpowder tower. When the Swedes went to Prague during the Thirty Years' War, they never crossed the Charles Bridge. In summer, the bridge is full of vendors which means that it can take time to get over to the other side.