In 1992 the historical centre of Prague covering an area of 866 hectares was listed in the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage Register.

Prague is the capital city of the relatively small Czech Republic which lies in the heart of Europe, neighbouring with Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Poland. There is a number of non-stop border crossings available with an excellent connection by car, bus, train or plane. A valid passport, which does not expire at least for 90 days, is required in order to enter the Czech Republic. There is no need of an entry visa for most European countries and USA. In case of necessity you can obtain visa at the Czech Embassy in your country. Two kinds of visas are available; a short-term visa for 90 days or a transit one for 5 days. The official language is Czech, Slovak language being understandable. Most local people have basic or possibly intermediate knowledge of English or German language. In majority of hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, historical monuments, shops and services the communication is possible in English, German or perhaps French.

Basic data

Area: 496 sqkm
Population: 1,173,000
Geographical situation: north latitude 50° 05', east longitude 14° 27', height above sea level 235 m (average)
Time: Central European (GMT+1), summer time - Central European +1 (GMT+2)
Climate: average temperature 9,0°C
summer season - July 19,0°C
winter season - January -0,9°C
The Vltava river flows through the city in the length of 30 km, its maximum width being 330 m
Parts of the historical centre: Hradcany, Mala Strana (Lesser Town), Stare Mesto (Old Town) including Josefov, Nove Mesto (New Town) and Vysehrad
Administrative division: 22 administrative areas
Voltage: 230 V

Important Telephone Numbers and Addresses:

Emergency call 112
Ambulance service phone 155
Police phone 158
Fire emergency phone 150
Municipal police phone 156
Emergency road service phone 1230, 1240
General information phone 12 444
Directory inquiries (Prague and the whole Czech Republic) phone 1180
Directory inquiries (international) - both telephone and fax numbers, call services and prices phone 1181

International Dialing Codes

Australia 0061
Austria 0043
Belgium 0032
Canada 001
Denmark 0045
France 0033
Germany 0049
Great Britain 0044
Greece 0030
Italy 0039
Japan 0081
Netherlands 0031
Norway 0047
Poland 0048
Russia 007
Slovakia 00421
Sweden 0046
Spain 0034
Switzerland 0041
USA 001
Czech Republic 00420

Customs requirements

Without permission foreign visitors are allowed to export goods from the Czech Republic for their personal use only or as a gift. If the exported goods require any special legal permission (e.g. protection of cultural monuments, objects of museum value etc.) they must be presented to customs officials on departure.

Tax free:

Visitors purchasing in CR separately goods having value more than 2500 Kc, which carries out abroad within 60 days, can apply in the conventional time after presenting the confirmation of customs office for reimbursement of the value added tax.

Important customs offices

- Celni urad Praha (Prague Customs Office)- Praha 8, Sokolovska 22, phone 224 816 256
- Celnice Hlavni nadrazi (Main Railway Station Customs Office) - Praha 2, Wilsonova 80, phone 224 221 905
- Celnice Ruzyne (Ruzyne Customs Office) - Praha 6, Ruzyne Airport, phone 220 113 100
- Vyclivaci posta (Customs Clearance Post Office) - Praha 5, Plzenska 139, phone 257 019 102

Postal services

Main Post Office - Praha 1, Jindrisska 14, open nonstop except break 12 p.m. - 02 a.m.

Postage in the Czech Republic (in Kc):
letter up to 20 g 6,50
letter up to 50 g 10,-
postcard 6,40

International postage (in Kc):

Europe Overseas
airmail landroute
letter up to 20 g 9,- 14,- 9,-
postcard 9,- 12,- 9,-

Phone

Local phone calls from public telephones 4,- Kc
Telephone cards in the value of 150,- Kc and 320,- Kc are available at newsagents' and tobacconists', post offices, department stores, hotels, travel agencies, etc.

Currency

Legal tenders - Crown (Kc) = 100 Hellers
Coins:
Kc: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50
banknotes: Kc 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000

Ticket Agencies

Ticketpro - Prague Information Service
- Old Town Hall, Staromestske nam. 1, Praha 1, phone 224 223 613
- Na Prikope 20, Praha, phone 224 226 088
- Lesser Town Bridge Tower, Praha 1 (during summer season), phone 257 531 591
Ticketpro - reservations by phone - phone 296 329 999
Ticketpro - reservations by mail - 110 00 Praha 1, Salvatorska 10, fax 296 328 888
http://www.ticketpro.cz, e-mail: etix@ticketpro.cz, info@ticketpro.cz

Transport

See Transport section

Medical Emergencies

Praha 1 - Palackeho 5, phone 224 949 181
Praha 2 - Sokolska 27, phone 224 266 150
Praha 3 - Konevova 205, phone 284 862 149
Praha 4 - Pacovska 31, phone 241 733 917
Praha 5 - Kartouzska 6, phone 257 323 219
Praha 6 - Vitezne namesti 13, phone233 340 912
Praha 7 - Dukelskych hrdinu 1, phone 233 370 391
Praha 8 - Budinova 2 (the Bulovka hospital), phone 283 843 222
Praha 9 - Sokolovska 304, phone 266 310 372
Praha 10 - Nad Olsinami 4, phone 274 812 509

Dental Emergencies:

Mon to Fri 7 p.m.-7 a.m., Sat + Sun non-stop
Praha 1- Palackeho 5, phone 224 946 981
Praha 4 - Pacovska 31, phone 241 733 918

Pharmacies offering non-stop service:

Praha 1 - Palackeho 5, phone 224 946 982
Praha 2 - Belgicka 37, phone 222 519 731
Praha 4 - Soukalova 3355, phone 241 770 498br> Praha 5 - Stefanikova 6, phone 257 320 918
Praha 6 - Pod Marjankou 12, phone 220 514 473
Praha 7 - Milady Horakove 18, phone 233 375 599
Praha 8 - Budinova 2 (the Bulovka hospital), phone 266 082 017

Foreign Medical Clinics

Unicare - Praha 6, Na Dlouhem lanu 11, phone 235 356 553
Medicover Clinic - Praha 2, Vysehradska 35, phone 224 921 884
Canadian Medical Care - Praha 6, Veleslavinska 30, phone 235 360 133
American Medical Centers - Praha 7, Janovskeho 48, phone 220 807 756
General Health Care Corporation - Praha 1, Krakovska 8, phone 222 211 206
Health Centre Prague - Praha 1, Vodickova 28, phone 224 220 040

In case of emergency or an accident use any hospital, health clinic or the Nemocnice na Homolce Hospital (foreign pavilion) - Praha 5, Roentgenova 2, phone 257 272 144; 257 272 146.

Lost and Found Office

Praha 1, Karoliny Svetle 5, phone 224 235 085
Lost credit cards: - American Express - phone 222 800 222
Visa, MasterCard/Eurocard - phone 272 771 111
Diners Club - phone 267 197 450

Czech Republic Red-Letter Days

- 1 January - New Year, Day of Renovation of the Independent Czech State
- Easter Monday
- 1 May - Labour Day
- 8 May - Liberation Day (1945)
- 5 July - Cyril and Methodius Day - the Slavic Christianity Prophets
- 6 July - Master John Hus burning at the stake (1415)
- 28 September - Day of the Czech Statehood
- 28 October - Independent Czechoslovak State Proclamation Day (1918)
- 17 November - Day of a Struggle for Liberty and Democracy
- 24 December - Christmas Eve
- 25 December - Christmas Day
- 26 December - St. Stephen's Day

Embassies

- Austria - Victora Huga 10, 151 15 Praha 5, phone 257 090 511, fax 257 316 045
- Belgium - Valdstejnska 6, 118 01 Praha 1, phone 257 533 283 - 287, fax 257 533 750
- Brazil - Susicka 12, 160 41 Praha 6, phone 224 324 965, fax 224 312 901
- Canada - Muchova 6, 160 00 Praha 6, phone 272 101 800, fax 272 101 890
- Denmark - Maltezske nam. 5, 118 01 Praha 1, phone 257 531 600, fax 257 531 410
- Finland - Hellichova 1, 118 00 Praha 1, phone 257 007 130, fax 257 007 132
- France - Velkoprevorske nam. 2, 118 01 Praha 1, phone 251 171 711, fax 251 171 720
- Germany - Vlasska 19, 118 01 Praha 1, phone 527 531 481, fax 257 534 056
- Great Britain - Thunovska 14, 118 00 Praha 1, phone 257 402 111, fax 257 402 296
- Greece - Spanelska 14, 120 00 Praha 2, phone 222 250 955, fax 222 253 686
- Hungary - Ceskomalinska 20, 160 00 Praha 6, phone 233 324 454, fax 233 322 104
- Italy - Nerudova 20, 118 00 Praha 1, phone 233 080 111, fax 257 531 522
- Ireland - Trziste 13, 118 00 Praha 1, phone 257 530 061, fax 257 531 387
- Izrael - Badeniho 2, 170 01 Praha 7, phone 233 097 500, fax 233 097 519
- Japan - Maltezske nam. 6, 118 01 Praha 1, phone 257 533 546, fax 257 532 377
- Netherlands - Gotthardska 6, 160 00 Praha 6, phone 224 312 190, fax 224 312 160
- Norway - Hellichova 1, 118 00 Praha 1, phone 257 323 737, fax 257 326 827
- Poland - Valdstejska 8, 118 01 Praha 1, phone 257 530 388, fax 257 530 135
- Russia - Pod Kastany 1, 160 00 Praha 6, phone 233 374 100, fax 233 377 235
- Slovakia - Pod Hradbami 1, 160 00 Praha 6, phone 233 113 051 - 2, fax 233 113 054
- Spain - Pevnostni 9, 162 00 Praha 6, phone 224 311 441, fax 233 341 770
- Sweden - Uvoz 13, 118 01 Praha 1, phone 220 313 200, fax 220 313 240
- Switzerland - Pevnostni 7, 162 01 Praha 6, phone 220 400 611, fax 224 311 312
- Ukraine - Charlese de Gaulla 29, 160 00 Praha 6, phone 233 342 000, fax 233 344 366
- USA - Trziste 15, 118 01 Praha 1, phone 257 530 663, fax 257 530 583

Tourist information and services

In the city centre the tourist information offices of the Prague Information Service offer, all under one roof, the following information

- all necessary details concerning Prague (culture, tourism, orientation, traffic, accommodation and gastronomy, trade and services, nature, sports, important addresses etc.)
- basic information for tourists concerning the whole Czech Republic (historical monuments, castles and chateaux, museums, etc.)
- accommodation on spot in different price categories
- survey of Prague cultural events in Czech and in English
- tickets for concerts, theatres and other cultural events
- several kinds of city tours including Vltava steamboat cruises
- one-day and half-day excursions to castles and other interesting places in the Prague surroundings
- booklets in foreign languages providing essential information on Prague, city guides, street maps, etc.
- tourist tickets for the city transport
- telephone cards

Tourist information centres
- Staromestske namesti (the Old Town Hall) - Staromestska radnice
- Na Prikope 20
- The Main Railway Station lobby
- Lesser Town Bridge Tower (summer season only)

- General information in Czech, English and German languages - phone 12 444 - Mo - Fr 8 p.m. - 7 a.m.