Austria
Germany
Poland
SlovakiaCyril and Methodius arrive
Prince Rastislav of Great Moravia asked the Byzantine emperor for teachers. The brothers Cyril and Methodius came, bringing the Glagolitic alphabet and a church service in a Slavic language.
Central Europe
Czechia
A green, hilly land in the heart of Europe, with fairy-tale castles, a capital of a hundred spires, spa towns and the world's first golden lager.
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Overview
Czechia at a glance
Czechia, also called the Czech Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is made of three historical lands: Bohemia in the west, a basin drained by the Vltava and Elbe rivers and ringed by low mountains; Moravia in the east, hilly and known for its vineyards; and a small part of Silesia in the northeast. Rain that falls here flows to three different seas: the North Sea, the Baltic and the Black Sea.
Slavs settled the land in the early Middle Ages. The Přemyslid dukes built a Bohemian state that became a kingdom, and in the 14th century King Charles IV made Prague one of the great cities of Europe. For almost four centuries the Czech lands were ruled by the Habsburgs. In 1918 Czechs and Slovaks founded Czechoslovakia, which lived through Nazi occupation, four decades of communist rule and the peaceful Velvet Revolution of 1989. On 1 January 1993 the country split peacefully into Czechia and Slovakia.
Today Czechia is a parliamentary republic of about 10.9 million people. It joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004, but it still uses its own currency, the Czech koruna. As of September 2026 it has 17 places on the UNESCO World Heritage List, from the historic centre of Prague to Baroque gardens and a modernist villa.
CapitalPrague
PopulationAbout 10.9 million
Official languageCzech in practice; the constitution does not name an official language
CurrencyCzech koruna (Kč), since 1993
AreaAbout 78,900 km²
GovernmentParliamentary republic
Highest mountainSněžka, 1,603 m, in the Giant Mountains on the border with Poland
Longest river in CzechiaThe Vltava, about 430 km, flowing through Český Krumlov, České Budějovice and Prague
NeighboursGermany, Poland, Slovakia and Austria. Czechia is landlocked
Drives on theRight
Calling code+420
The story
A short history of Czechia
The Czech story runs from a Slavic realm that welcomed two Greek missionaries, through the kingdom of Bohemia and the golden age of Charles IV, the Hussite wars and almost four centuries of Habsburg rule, to Czechoslovakia, the Velvet Revolution and a peaceful split in 1993.
AD 863 AD 935 Saint Wenceslas is killed
Duke Wenceslas of Bohemia was killed, probably in 935, and legend says his younger brother Boleslaus was behind it. He became the patron saint of the Czech state and the 'Good King Wenceslas' of the English Christmas carol.
1212 Golden Bull of Sicily
Frederick II, then King of Sicily and later Holy Roman Emperor, granted Ottokar I and his heirs the hereditary title of King of Bohemia. The Kingdom of Bohemia lasted in law until the end of the First World War.
1348 Charles University founded
King Charles IV, who also became Holy Roman Emperor, founded a university in Prague. Today it is one of the oldest universities in the world still in continuous operation.
1415 Jan Hus burned at the stake
The Prague preacher and church reformer Jan Hus was burned as a heretic at the Council of Constance on 6 July 1415. His followers, the Hussites, soon rose up in Bohemia.
1419 Defenestration of 1419
On 30 July 1419 a crowd of Hussites threw town councillors out of the windows of Prague's New Town Hall. It started the Hussite Wars, in which the Hussites defeated five crusades sent against them.
1526 The Habsburgs take the throne
King Louis II died fighting the Ottomans at the Battle of Mohács, and the crown of Bohemia passed to Ferdinand I of Habsburg. The Habsburgs ruled the Czech lands until 1918.
1618 Defenestration of 1618
Protestant nobles threw two royal governors and their secretary out of a window of Prague Castle on 23 May 1618. All three survived, but the revolt that followed started the Thirty Years' War.
1620 Battle of White Mountain
On 8 November 1620, just outside Prague, the Bohemian rebels were crushed by the Catholic army of Emperor Ferdinand II. Protestants had to convert or leave, and Habsburg rule grew much stronger.
1918 Czechoslovakia is born
As Austria-Hungary collapsed at the end of the First World War, independence was proclaimed in Prague on 28 October 1918. Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk became the first president of Czechoslovakia.
1938 Munich Agreement
On 30 September 1938 Germany, Britain, France and Italy agreed in Munich that Germany could take the Sudetenland, the border region where about three million mostly German-speaking people lived. Czechoslovakia was not at the table.
1948 Communist coup
In February 1948 the Communist Party, backed by the Soviet Union, took full power. One-party rule lasted for the next 41 years.
1968 Prague Spring crushed
Party leader Alexander Dubček tried to build 'socialism with a human face', with more freedom of speech and travel. On 21 August 1968 troops of the Soviet Union and four other Warsaw Pact countries invaded to stop the reforms.
1989 Velvet Revolution
Peaceful protests began on 17 November 1989 and ended 41 years of communist rule. On 29 December the playwright and dissident Václav Havel became president.
1993 Czech Republic is born
Czechoslovakia was peacefully dissolved at the end of 31 December 1992, a split often called the Velvet Divorce. On 1 January 1993 the Czech Republic and Slovakia became independent countries.
2004 Joins the European Union
After joining NATO in 1999, the Czech Republic became a member of the European Union in 2004 and joined the Schengen area in 2007.
At the table
What to eat in Czechia
Czech cooking is hearty Central European food built on pork, beef, duck and goose, rich sauces, cabbage and, above all, dumplings. A traditional lunch, the main meal of the day, starts with a hot soup and continues with a main course of meat, sauce and a side on the same plate. Sweet pastries filled with fruit, poppy seed or curd cheese are more often eaten with afternoon coffee than as a dessert. As of September 2026, Czechs drink more beer per person than any other nation, and the golden pilsner style was born in the city of Plzeň.
Main courseRecipe
Svíčková (beef in cream sauce)
svíčková na smetaně
All of Czechia, also Slovakia
Slices of slow-cooked beef in a smooth, golden sauce made from root vegetables (carrot, parsley root, celeriac and onion) blended with cream and spices. It is served with bread dumplings, a spoon of whipped cream, cranberry sauce and a slice of lemon.
Svíčková is the Czech word for tenderloin, but the dish is usually made with cheaper beef topside. The name is sometimes wrongly translated as 'candle sauce', because svíčka means candle.
See the recipe
Ingredients
- 1 kg beef topside or silverside, in one piece
- 2 carrots, 1 parsley root (or a small parsnip) and a quarter of a celeriac, all peeled and chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 5 allspice berries, 10 black peppercorns, 3 bay leaves and a sprig of thyme
- 50 g butter or 50 g diced bacon
- 250 ml double cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon sugar, salt
- To serve: bread dumplings, whipped cream, cranberry sauce and lemon slices
Method
- Heat the oven to 170°C. Season the beef with salt and brown it on all sides in the butter or bacon fat in a casserole dish.
- Add the vegetables, onion and spices around the meat and stir for 5 minutes. Pour in 500 ml of water, cover and cook in the oven for about 2 to 2½ hours, until the beef is tender.
- Lift out the beef. Remove the bay leaves, allspice and peppercorns, then blend the vegetables and cooking liquid until completely smooth.
- Stir in the cream and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Season with lemon juice, sugar and salt: the sauce should be gently sweet and sour.
- Slice the beef, pour the sauce over it and serve with dumplings, a spoon of whipped cream, cranberry sauce and a slice of lemon.
Main courseRecipe
Roast pork with dumplings and sauerkraut
vepřo knedlo zelo
All of Czechia
Roast pork seasoned with caraway and garlic, served with slices of dumpling and sweet-and-sour cabbage, with the meat juices poured over. It is often called the most typical Czech dish.
The nickname simply lists the three parts of the plate: pork, dumpling, cabbage.
See the recipe
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg boneless pork shoulder or neck
- 1 tablespoon caraway seeds, 4 garlic cloves, crushed, and salt
- 2 onions, sliced
- 500 g sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
- 1 tablespoon lard or oil, 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon flour
- To serve: bread dumplings or boiled potatoes
Method
- Heat the oven to 180°C. Rub the pork with salt, garlic and caraway, and lay it on one of the sliced onions in a roasting tin.
- Pour 250 ml of water into the tin and roast for about 2 hours, basting now and then and adding a little water when the tin gets dry.
- Meanwhile, soften the second onion in the lard, add the sauerkraut and 200 ml of water, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Stir the flour into the cabbage and cook for 5 more minutes. Season with sugar and salt so it is both sweet and sour.
- Slice the pork and serve with the cabbage and dumplings, spooning the juices from the tin over the meat.
Main course
Czech goulash
guláš
All of Czechia, from Hungarian roots
A thick stew of beef or pork cooked with onions and spices, usually served with bread dumplings or bread.
Czech guláš is a stew. The Hungarian gulyás is closer to a soup, which Czechs call gulášovka.
Main course
Roast duck with red cabbage
pečená kachna
All of Czechia
A whole duck roasted until the skin is crisp, served with braised red cabbage and bread or potato dumplings.
Main courseRecipe
Fried cheese
smažený sýr
All of Czechia, also Slovakia
A thick slice of cheese, usually Edam, coated in flour, egg and breadcrumbs and fried until golden and melting inside. It comes with tartar sauce and potatoes or chips, and is a favourite street food and canteen lunch.
Made with Hermelín, a soft cheese like Camembert, the dish changes its name to smažený hermelín.
See the recipe
Ingredients
- 4 slices of Edam cheese, about 1.5 cm thick (about 500 g)
- 50 g plain flour
- 2 eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
- 100 g dry breadcrumbs
- Oil for shallow frying
- To serve: tartar sauce and boiled potatoes or chips
Method
- Coat each slice of cheese in flour, then in beaten egg, then in breadcrumbs, pressing them on well.
- Dip each slice in the egg and breadcrumbs a second time. The double coat stops the cheese from leaking out.
- Heat about 1 cm of oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Fry the slices for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until deep golden. Do not fry for too long, or the cheese will burst out.
- Drain on kitchen paper and serve at once with tartar sauce and potatoes.
StarterRecipe
Kulajda (creamy mushroom and dill soup)
kulajda
South Bohemia
A thick, white soup of potatoes, mushrooms, cream and plenty of fresh dill, often finished with a poached egg, sometimes a quail's egg.
See the recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g floury potatoes, peeled and diced
- 250 g fresh mushrooms, sliced, or 20 g dried mushrooms soaked in warm water
- 1 litre water or vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, 1 bay leaf and salt
- 250 ml sour cream mixed with 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 to 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar and a large bunch of fresh dill, chopped
- 4 eggs
Method
- Put the potatoes, mushrooms, caraway and bay leaf in a pot with the water or stock and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are soft.
- Whisk a ladle of the hot soup into the sour cream and flour, then pour it all back into the pot, stirring. Simmer gently for 5 minutes until it thickens.
- Season with vinegar and salt to taste and stir in most of the dill.
- Poach the eggs in simmering water for about 3 to 4 minutes. Poached eggs with a soft yolk are not fully cooked: use pasteurised eggs, or cook them until firm, if serving pregnant women, older people, young children or anyone with a weak immune system.
- Put an egg in each bowl, ladle the soup over it and sprinkle with the rest of the dill.
Starter
Garlic soup
česnečka
All of Czechia
A simple, strongly flavoured garlic soup served with fried croutons, and sometimes with sausage or cheese.
Side dish
Bread dumplings
houskové knedlíky
All of Czechia
Large dumplings of wheat flour, often mixed with cubes of stale bread rolls, steamed and then cut into slices like bread. They soak up the sauce of svíčková, goulash and roast pork.
Leftover dumpling slices are often fried the next day with eggs.
SnackRecipe
Potato pancakes
bramboráky
All of Czechia, with many local names
Crisp pancakes of grated raw potato, flour and egg, flavoured with garlic and marjoram and fried in fat. They are eaten on their own or as a side dish.
In the Plzeň area they are called vošouch, in South Bohemia cmunda, and in Těšín Silesia stryk.
See the recipe
Ingredients
- 1 kg floury potatoes, peeled
- 1 egg
- 3 to 4 tablespoons plain flour
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram, salt and black pepper
- Lard or oil for frying
Method
- Grate the potatoes finely, put them in a clean cloth and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
- Mix the potatoes with the egg, flour, garlic, marjoram, salt and pepper into a thick batter. Add a little more flour if it is too wet.
- Heat a thin layer of lard or oil in a frying pan. Spread spoonfuls of batter into thin pancakes.
- Fry for about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown and crisp.
- Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot, on their own or with meat and sauerkraut.
Snack
Pickled sausages
utopenci
All of Czechia, a pub classic
Fat pork sausages pickled in a sweet-and-sour vinegar with onion, black pepper, bay leaf and chilli. They are a classic snack in many Czech pubs.
Utopenci literally means 'drowned men'.
Snack
Olomouc cheese
olomoucké tvarůžky
Loštice, near Olomouc in Moravia
Small, ripened cheeses made from low-fat curd cheese, with a yellowish skin, a very strong smell and a sharp taste. They are a classic snack with beer and can also be fried or marinated.
The cheese is first mentioned in writing in 1452, and it has only about 0.5% fat.
Dessert
Fruit dumplings
ovocné knedlíky
All of Czechia
Soft dumplings wrapped around whole plums, apricots or strawberries, boiled and served with melted butter, sugar and grated curd cheese or poppy seed.
Dessert
Koláče
koláče
All of Czechia, especially Moravia
Soft yeast pastries with a filling of poppy seed, curd cheese, plum jam or apricot showing in the middle. They take work to make and are baked for special occasions.
In some regions koláče are handed out to friends and family instead of wedding invitations. Czech immigrants took the tradition to Texas and the American Midwest.
Dessert
Trdelník (chimney cake)
trdelník
Skalica in Slovakia and nearby Moravia
A spiral of sweet dough wrapped around a stick, baked over heat and rolled in sugar and chopped walnuts. In Prague it is sold on every tourist street, often filled with ice cream.
Although it is often sold as an 'old Bohemian' treat, trdelník spread in Prague only from the early 2000s. Its traditional home is the Slovak town of Skalica, near the Moravian border.
Drink
Pilsner lager
plzeňské pivo
Plzeň, West Bohemia
A clear, golden, bottom-fermented beer with a thick foam and the bitter aroma of Saaz hops. The original, Pilsner Urquell, is still brewed in Plzeň.
The first pale lager was brewed in Plzeň by the Bavarian brewer Josef Groll and first served on 11 November 1842. Most of the beer drunk in the world today is a pale lager descended from it.
Table manners
- Before eating, people wish each other 'Dobrou chuť' (enjoy your meal).
- When glasses are raised, people say 'Na zdraví' (to your health).
- A traditional lunch begins with a hot soup. Many local restaurants offer a cheap 'daily menu' (denní menu) of two or three courses at lunchtime only, usually until about 13:00 or 14:00.
- When you visit a Czech home, take off your shoes at the door. Your hosts will often offer you slippers.
- On Christmas Eve the traditional dinner is fried carp with potato salad.
Cities
10 cities to know
Prague is by far the biggest city, but much of Czechia's charm lies in its smaller towns: Moravian Brno and Olomouc, the brewing cities of Plzeň and České Budějovice, the spa town of Karlovy Vary and the old silver town of Kutná Hora.
Prague Capital
Prague (capital city)
The capital and largest city, home to about 1.4 million people, on both banks of the Vltava. Nicknamed the 'City of a Hundred Spires', it has a historic centre on the UNESCO list since 1992.
- Prague Castle and Charles Bridge
- The astronomical clock on Old Town Square
- The Jewish Quarter and Petřín hill
Brno
South Moravian Region
The second-largest city, with about 404,000 people, and the capital of Moravia from the Middle Ages until 1948. Czechia's highest courts sit here.
- Villa Tugendhat
- Špilberk Castle
- Gregor Mendel, the founder of genetics, who spent most of his life here
Ostrava
Moravian-Silesian Region
The third-largest city, near the Polish border, which grew on a great coalfield and was called the 'steel heart' of Czechoslovakia. Since 1989 its economy has changed a great deal.
- Its coal-mining and steel history
- The Landek Park mining museum
- The Colours of Ostrava music festival
Plzeň
Plzeň Region
The fourth-largest city, about 78 km west of Prague, where four rivers meet. It is known worldwide as the home of pilsner beer and of the Škoda Works engineering company.
- The Pilsner Urquell brewery
- The Škoda Works, founded in 1869
- European Capital of Culture in 2015
Olomouc
Olomouc Region
A university and church city on the Morava river, once a co-capital of Moravia. Its well-kept old centre is full of Baroque fountains and churches.
- The Holy Trinity Column
- The town hall on the Upper Square
- Strong-smelling Olomouc cheese
Liberec
Liberec Region
The fifth-largest city, with about 108,000 people, in a basin surrounded by mountains. Its textile mills once earned it the nickname 'Manchester of Bohemia'.
- The Ještěd Tower on the mountain above the city
- Its textile-industry past
České Budějovice
South Bohemian Region
The main city of South Bohemia, known for its long brewing tradition. Its central square, named after King Přemysl Otakar II, is one of the largest town squares in the country.
- Budweiser Budvar beer
- The Black Tower
- Koh-i-Noor pencils
Český Krumlov
South Bohemian Region
A small town of about 13,000 people in a tight bend of the Vltava, below a huge castle. Its Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque centre has been on the UNESCO list since 1992.
- Český Krumlov Castle and its Baroque theatre
- Its Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque old town
Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary Region
The most visited spa town in Czechia, built around hot springs and named after its founder, Charles IV. It is part of the UNESCO site 'Great Spa Towns of Europe'.
- Hot mineral springs and spa houses
- Becherovka herbal liqueur, made here since 1807
- The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
Kutná Hora
Central Bohemian Region
A town of about 22,000 people in Central Bohemia that grew rich from its medieval silver mines. Its historic centre, with St Barbara's Church and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec, has been on the UNESCO list since 1995.
- St Barbara's Church
- The Sedlec Ossuary, decorated with human bones
- Its silver-mining history
Landmarks
Places everyone should see once
Prague
Prague Castle
A vast complex of palaces, churches and courtyards on a hill above the Vltava, first built in the 9th century. Kings of Bohemia, emperors and presidents have ruled from here, and it is still the office of the Czech president. It covers almost 70,000 square metres and is the most visited sight in the country.
UNESCO World Heritage
Prague
Charles Bridge
A stone bridge over the Vltava begun in 1357 under King Charles IV. It is 516 metres long, rests on 16 arches, has a tower at each end and is lined with 30 statues, most of them Baroque.
UNESCO World Heritage
Prague
Prague Astronomical Clock
A medieval clock on the wall of the Old Town Hall, first recorded in 1410. Its dial shows the positions of the Sun and Moon, and every hour a skeleton representing Death strikes the time while figures of the Apostles parade past.
UNESCO World Heritage
Near Prague
Karlštejn Castle
A large Gothic castle southwest of Prague, founded by Charles IV in 1348 to keep the imperial regalia, the Bohemian crown jewels and holy relics safe. It is one of the most visited castles in the country.
Český Krumlov
Český Krumlov Castle
The second-largest castle complex in the country after Prague Castle, rising on a rock above the Vltava. It dates back to 1253 and was rebuilt by the Rosenberg family. Its Baroque theatre from 1767 is one of the best preserved in the world.
UNESCO World Heritage
Kutná Hora
St Barbara's Church
One of the most famous Gothic churches in Central Europe, dedicated to the patron saint of miners in a town that lived from silver. Building began in 1388 but stopped for decades during the Hussite Wars, and the church was only completed in 1905.
UNESCO World Heritage
Olomouc
Holy Trinity Column
A towering Baroque monument on Olomouc's Upper Square, built between 1716 and 1754. It was added to the UNESCO list in 2000 as an outstanding example of Central European Baroque.
UNESCO World Heritage
Brno
Villa Tugendhat
A modernist family home designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich and built between 1928 and 1930. Its steel frame allowed an open living space with huge windows, two of which can be lowered into the floor.
UNESCO World Heritage
Near Brno
Lednice–Valtice Cultural Landscape
About 283 square kilometres of castles, parks, ponds and small pavilions in South Moravia, designed on purpose by one family, the Liechtensteins. It lies south of Brno.
UNESCO World Heritage
Karlovy Vary
Spa of Karlovy Vary
Hot springs and grand spa buildings from the 18th to the 20th century, where European aristocrats once came to take the waters. Since 2021 the town has been part of the UNESCO site 'Great Spa Towns of Europe'.
UNESCO World HeritageFun facts
Things you might not know
- 01
The word 'robot' comes from Czech. It first appeared in Karel Čapek's 1920 play R.U.R., and Čapek said his brother Josef had invented it. In Czech, 'robota' means the forced labour that serfs once had to do for their lords.
- 02
Modern soft contact lenses go back to the Czech chemists Otto Wichterle and Drahoslav Lím, who developed the soft gel material for them around 1960.
- 03
The first sugar cube factory was set up in the Czech town of Dačice by Jakub Kryštof Rad, who patented his sugar cubes in 1843. A monument with a sugar cube on top stands in the town today.
- 04
Although Czechia is landlocked, its rivers flow to three different seas: the North Sea (through the Elbe), the Baltic (through the Oder) and the Black Sea (through the Morava and the Danube).
- 05
Czechia even rents a piece of port in Hamburg, Germany, called the Moldauhafen. It was given to Czechoslovakia by the Treaty of Versailles, and the lease runs out in 2028.
- 06
As of September 2026, Czechs drink more beer per person than the people of any other country, although consumption has fallen in recent years.
- 07
Prague Castle is listed by Guinness World Records as the largest ancient castle in the world. It is about 570 metres long and about 130 metres wide.
- 08
A legend says Charles IV laid the first stone of Charles Bridge at 5:31 in the morning on 9 July 1357. Written as 1357 9 7 5 3 1, the time reads the same backwards and forwards.
- 09
The short English name 'Czechia' was made official by the Czech government in 2016. Both 'Czechia' and 'Czech Republic' are still used.
- 10
The carol 'Good King Wenceslas' is about a real Czech ruler: Wenceslas, Duke of Bohemia in the 10th century, who became the patron saint of the Czech state.
- 11
Czech hikers follow a system of painted trail markers in red, blue, green and yellow that the Czech Tourist Club began in 1889. Slovakia uses the same system, and it has been copied in mountains as far away as Romania, Albania and Mongolia.
- 12
The Czech letter ř stands for a rare sound, a trilled r said together with a 'zh' sound. It is found as a separate sound in only a few languages in the world, and the composer Antonín Dvořák has it in his name.
- 13
Czech words can have long clusters of consonants and a few have no vowels at all, because the letters r and l can act as vowels. 'Čtvrt', meaning a quarter, is one example.
Czech words
20 words to start with
Pronunciation is written the way it sounds; the capital letters show where the stress goes. Audio is coming soon.
Basics
- anoAH-nohyes
- nenehno
- prosímPROH-seemplease (also 'here you are')
- děkujiDYEH-koo-yihthank you
- ahojAH-hoyhi, bye (informal)
Food and drink
- pivoPIH-vohbeer
- vodaVOH-dahwater
- chlebaKHLEH-bahbread
- sýrseercheese
- snídaněSNEE-dah-nyehbreakfast
- obědOH-byehdlunch
- večeřeVEH-cheh-rzhehdinner, supper
Numbers
- jedenYEH-dehnone
- dvadvahtwo
- třitrzheethree
Getting around
- vlakvlahktrain
- tramvajTRAHM-vaitram
- nádražíNAH-drah-zheestation
Signs
- otevřenoOH-teh-vrzheh-nohopen
- zavřenoZAH-vrzheh-nohclosed
Say it like a local
Useful phrases
Dobrý den
DOH-bree dehn
Hello, good day
The polite greeting for most of the day, in shops and with strangers
Dobré ráno
DOH-breh RAH-noh
Good morning
Early in the morning
Dobrý večer
DOH-bree VEH-chehr
Good evening
Greeting someone in the evening
Dobrou noc
DOH-broh nohts
Good night
When going to bed or leaving late at night
Na shledanou
NAHS-kleh-dah-noh
Goodbye
The polite way to say goodbye, for example when leaving a shop
Jak se máte?
yahk seh MAH-teh
How are you? (polite)
Asking someone you know how they are. Czechs expect a real answer
Dobře, děkuji
DOH-brzheh, DYEH-koo-yih
Fine, thank you
Answering 'How are you?'
Těší mě
TYEH-shee myeh
Nice to meet you
When you are introduced to someone
Promiňte
PROH-mihn-yteh
Excuse me
Getting someone's attention or squeezing past on a tram
Mluvíte anglicky?
MLOO-vee-teh AHN-glits-kee
Do you speak English?
Before asking for help
Nerozumím
NEH-roh-zoo-meem
I don't understand
When someone speaks too fast
Kde je záchod?
gdeh yeh ZAH-khoht
Where is the toilet?
In a restaurant, museum or station
Kolik stojí tohle?
KOH-lihk STOH-yee TOH-leh
How much is this?
At a market or in a shop
Jedno pivo, prosím
YEHD-noh PIH-voh, PROH-seem
One beer, please
Ordering in a pub
Na zdraví!
nah ZDRAH-vee
Cheers! (to your health)
When raising glasses
Dobrou chuť
DOH-broh khootch
Enjoy your meal
Before starting to eat
Bylo to výborné
BIH-loh toh VEE-bohr-neh
It was delicious
Thanking the cook or the waiter
Zaplatím, prosím
ZAH-plah-teem, PROH-seem
The bill, please (literally 'I will pay, please')
Asking for the bill in a restaurant or pub
Pomoc!
POH-mohts
Help!
In an emergency
Local tips
Before you go
Bring korunas, not euros
Czechia is in the European Union but uses its own money, the Czech koruna (Kč). Some shops take euros, usually at a poor rate. Use cash machines or exchange offices away from the main tourist streets, and never change money with people on the street.
Tipping
Rounding up the bill is normal. In restaurants used to visitors, about 10% is usual if you were happy, and it is not added to the bill. Give the tip to the waiter before you leave the table.
Emergency numbers
The number for all emergencies is 112. There are also direct numbers: 155 for an ambulance, 158 for the police and 150 for the fire brigade.
Driving: vignette, lights and no alcohol
To drive on motorways you need a vignette (dálniční známka), bought online at edalnice.cz. Headlights or daytime running lights must be on all day, all year. The alcohol limit for drivers is zero: not even one beer.
Lunch is the best deal
Look for the 'denní menu', a two- or three-course lunch at a low price. It is often written only in Czech and usually ends by about 13:00 or 14:00.
Shoes off at home
If you are invited into a Czech home, take off your shoes at the door. Hosts usually offer slippers.
Watch your pockets in Prague
Czechia is a safe country, but pickpockets work in crowds at the famous sights and on busy trams. In Prague, use a reputable taxi company or an app, or simply take the cheap and reliable public transport.
Sources (58)
- Czech Republic (Wikipedia)
- History of the Czech lands (Wikipedia)
- Sněžka (Wikipedia)
- Vltava (Wikipedia)
- Telephone numbers in the Czech Republic (Wikipedia)
- Czech koruna (Wikipedia)
- Czech language (Wikipedia)
- Great Moravia (Wikipedia)
- Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia (Wikipedia)
- Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor (Wikipedia)
- Charles University (Wikipedia)
- Jan Hus (Wikipedia)
- Defenestrations of Prague (Wikipedia)
- Battle of White Mountain (Wikipedia)
- Czechoslovakia (Wikipedia)
- Munich Agreement (Wikipedia)
- Prague Spring (Wikipedia)
- Velvet Revolution (Wikipedia)
- Dissolution of Czechoslovakia (Wikipedia)
- Czech cuisine (Wikipedia)
- Svíčková (Wikipedia)
- Vepřo knedlo zelo (Wikipedia)
- Trdelník (Wikipedia)
- Smažený sýr (Wikipedia)
- Kulajda (Wikipedia)
- Olomoucké tvarůžky (Wikipedia)
- Pilsner Urquell (Wikipedia)
- Beer in the Czech Republic (Wikipedia)
- Prague (Wikipedia)
- Brno (Wikipedia)
- Ostrava (Wikipedia)
- Plzeň (Wikipedia)
- Olomouc (Wikipedia)
- Liberec (Wikipedia)
- České Budějovice (Wikipedia)
- Český Krumlov (Wikipedia)
- Karlovy Vary (Wikipedia)
- Kutná Hora (Wikipedia)
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Czechia
- Prague Castle (Wikipedia)
- Charles Bridge (Wikipedia)
- Prague astronomical clock (Wikipedia)
- Karlštejn Castle (Wikipedia)
- Český Krumlov Castle (Wikipedia)
- St. Barbara's Church, Kutná Hora (Wikipedia)
- Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc (Wikipedia)
- Lednice–Valtice Cultural Landscape (Wikipedia)
- Villa Tugendhat (Wikipedia)
- R.U.R. (Wikipedia)
- Contact lens (Wikipedia)
- Sugar cube (Wikipedia)
- Czech Republic (Wikivoyage)
- Czech phrasebook (Wikivoyage)
- dobrou chuť (Wiktionary)
- na zdraví (Wiktionary)
- Bramborák (Czech Wikipedia)
- Turistická značka (Czech Wikipedia)
- 112 (emergency telephone number) (Wikipedia)
