Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic. It covers a total area of 496 square kilometres with around 1 200 000 inhabitants. The historical centre with a unique panorama of the Prague Castle is an urban conservation area of UNESCO. Prague is situated in the heart of Europe, on a place that has been an interection of continental merchant routes since time immemorial. It was the seat of Czech princes and kings from the tenth century A.D. In the middle of the 14th.century, Prague was the centre of the Holy Roman Empire and Europe´s third largest city in terms of population.
Prague is a city of unusual beauty. It is a natural amphitheatre through which the Vltava River flows, filled with a thousand years' worth of manmade structures with aspirations greater than simply satisfying basic human needs. Its prime, yet sensitive, location in the heart of Europe is at the confluence of trade routes, political interests, and cultural influences. While this has never assured the city of a peaceful history, it has certainly guaranteed it an eventful one.

Language
The official language spoken in the Czech Republic is Czech, which belongs to the group of Slavic languages. With a lots of people you can speak English or German.

Currency, payment
The official currency in the Czech Republic is the Czech crown (Kč, CZK). Coins in circulation come in values of CZK 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and you can also receive a CZK 50 coin. Bank notes come in values of CZK 50, 100, 200, 500, 1,000, 2,000 and 5,000.
Exchange
In some places is possible to pay directly with EUR, mostly is better to change for CZK. There are many exchange bureaus in Prague. Exchange services are of course provided by banks and at most hotel receptions.
Never change money on the street !
Traveler's checks are also a safe way of transporting funds. If you are a customer of American Express, Thomas Cook or Visa, you will have no problems cashing your traveler's checks at banks.
Credit cards
In Prague, nearly every shop, restaurant and hotel accepts credit cards.(VISA, Mastercard, AMEX).

Traffic
The Prague Metro comprises three lines, each of which is represented by its own color on the maps and signs: Line A (green), Line B (yellow) and Line C (red). The metro service operates between 5 A.M. and midnight every day, with about two- to three-minute intervals between trains during rush hours.
Tram & Bus are working form 5 00 - till 24 00 (periods 5 - 15 min.) . After you can use a night tram or bus (periods 20 - 50 min.).
Tickets - the tickets are the same for all of transport in Prague. Basic single ticket costs 26 CZK and allows a 75 minutes ride (90 minutes during night and weekends and state holidays). There are also transferable season tickets valid for 24 hours or 3, 7, or 15 days.
Taxi in Prague - the maximum prices for taxi services in the district of the capital city of Prague are 25 CZK / 1 km, boarding fee 40 CZK

Parking in Prague
Parking Zones in the City Center The center of Prague district is divided into 3 parking zones - orange, green and blue.
The Orange Zone - maximum time of parking is 2 hours. Charges: Kc 40 per hour, Kc 10 per 15 minutes (the minimum time 15 minutes). Zone is effective from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Green Zone - maximum time of parking 6 hours. Charges: Kc 30 per hour, Kc 15 per 30 minutes. Zone is effective from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Monday - Friday) Both zones are equipped with coin-operated parking meters for coins of Kc 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 or 50. Operating instructions are attached to the parking meters.
The Blue Zone Long-term parking zone is designed exclusively for residents of Prague 1 or companies based in this district. Only vehicles with a parking card can park there.
Watched Car Parks ( parking places and garages) - prices are starting from 500 CZK - 800 CZK / 24 hours
P+R (Park and Ride) parking lots
The P+R parking lots suggest exactly, „park and ride by the city transport (underground - Metro). Thereby, the parking problems in the city center can be avoided. These parking lots are guarded and the fee is 10 CZK for the whole time of parking. The users of parking, who have not a season-ticket or right to free transport are obliged to buy a ticket for city public transport (at the advantageous price of 30 CZK for a transfer return ticket and 60 CZK for a day-ticket). The parking is practicable from 4 a.m. to 1 a.m. of the following day (termination of the operation time of Metro). The parking lots P + R are situated near the Metro stations.

Pragues monuments
Prague Castle (Pražský hrad) is the castle in Prague where the Czech kings, Holy Roman Emperors and presidents of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic have had their offices. The crown jewels of the Bohemian Kingdom are kept here. Prague Castle is one of the biggest castles in the world with a lots of monuments (chrám sv. Víta, Bazilika svatého Jiří, Letohrádek královny Anny, Prašná věž, Daliborka, Zlatá ulička).

Charles Bridge (Karlův most) - is a famous historical bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague, Czech Republic. Its construction started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV, and finished in the beginning of 15th century. As the only means of crossing the river in Prague, Charles Bridge used to be the most important connection between the Old Town, Prague Castle and adjacent areas until 1841.

Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí) - is located between Wenceslas Square and the Charles Bridge. Prague's Old Town Square is often bursting at the seams with tourists in the summer. Featuring various architectural styles including the gothic Týn Cathedral and baroque St. Nicholas' Church, the square is an oasis for travelers wearied by Prague's narrow streets. Among many churches, tourists may find the Astronomical Clock on this square, while the tower at the Old Town Hall offers a panoramic view of Old Town.
The Prague Astronomical Clock or Prague Orloj (Pražský orloj) is a medieval astronomical clock located in Prague. The Orloj is mounted on the southern wall of Old Town City Hall in the Old Town Square and is a popular tourist attraction. The Orloj is composed of three main components: the astronomical dial, representing the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky and displaying various astronomical details; The Walk of the Apostles, a clockwork hourly show of figures of the Apostles and other moving sculptures; and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months.

Lesser Town (Malá Strana) - was originally a popular and nowadays also the official name for the former Menší město pražské, one of Prague's historical and oldest boroughs. Its name comes from its position on the left (west) bank of the river Vltava, on the slopes just below the Prague Castle, in opposition to the larger towns of Prague on the right bank, to which it is conjoined by the Charles Bridge.

Jewish Quarter (Židovská čtvrť - Josefov) - is a town quarter and the smallest cadastral area of Prague, today Czech Republic, formerly the Jewish ghetto of the town. It is completely surrounded by Old Town. The quarter is often represented by the flag of Prague's Jewish community, a yellow Magen David (Star of David) on a red field.

National Theatre (Národní divadlo) - is known as the Alma Mater of Czech Opera, and as the national monument of Czech history and art. The National Theatre belongs to the most important Czech cultural institutions with a rich artistic tradition which was created and maintained by the most distinguished personalities in Czech society.

Wenceslas Square (Václavské náměstí) - less a square than a boulevard, Wenceslas Square has a shape of a very long rectangle, in a northwest-southeast direction. The street slopes upward to the southeast side. On that end, the street is bordered by the grand neoclassical Czech National Museum. The northwest end runs up against the border between the New Town and the Old Town.

Dancing House (Tančící dům) - is the nickname (another nickname is Drunk House) given to an office building in downtown Prague, Czech Republic at Rašínovo nábřeží 80, 120 00 Praha 2. It was designed by Croatian-born Czech architect Vlado Milunić in co-operation with Canadian architect Frank Gehry on a vacant riverfront plot (where the previous building had been destroyed during the Bombing of Prague in 1945).

New Town Hall (Novoměstská radnice) - is the administrative centre of Prague's (medieval) New Town Quarter, or Nové Město. In 1419 it was the site of the first of the three defenestrations of Prague.

Vyšehrad - is a castle located in the Czech Republic, built in the 10th century, on a hill over the Vltava River. Situated within the castle is the Cathedral of Saint Paul and Peter, as well as the Vyšehrad cemetery, containing the remains of many famous people from Czech history. Vyšehrad and the area around it became part of the capital city, Prague, in 1883.

Municipal House (Obecní dům) - is a major civic landmark and concert hall in Prague, and an important building in architectural and political history in the Czech Republic. It stands on the Náměstí Republiky.

Powder Tower (Prašná brána) - a monumental entrance to the Old Town built by Matej Rejsek in the gothic style in 1475. Once it served as a gunpowder depot. In the late 19th century it was rebuilt by J. Mocker. The King's Court - life in medieval Prague (1st floor), the history of the city - market place, festivities, fashion, trades, punishments, prison, city seizure, the medieval family (2nd floor), the history of the Powder Gate - reproductions of historical graphic sheets on loan from the Prague City Archives (3rd floor).

Troja Castle - is a baroque castle located in Troja, Prague's north-west borough. It was built for the Counts of Sternberg from 1679 to 1691. The castle is owned by the city of Prague and hosts the 19th century Czech art collections of the City Gallery. The stairs between the castle and the gardens are the work of two sculptors from Dresde: Johann Georg and Paul Heermann. They sculpted statues représenting the fight of Gods and giants. The terrace is decorated with a rare collection of vases made by Bombelli, also active in Slavkov u Brna, at Slavkov-Austerlitz castle (close to Brno).

More pictures of Prague