The Czech Republic
Witness a great blend of the past and the present. Explore treasures that have been handed down from the darkness of ages, what remained from the era of first settlers, when almost all land had been at rest without a touch. See monuments from the glorious ages of kings and emperors, a time when the most reputable artists, architects, scientists and charlatans converged to the kingdom of Bohemia. Glorious as well as hard times passed over the Czech hollow in the very heart of Europe. All of them have left their testimony and contributions to the beautiful face of this country and endow it with a cultural wealth of a countless worth.
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The Czech Republic lies approximately in the geographical center of Europe. It is protected on all sides by mountains and mountain ranges. It was made up of three
historical lands of the Emperor's Crown: Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia. Thanks to its long and rich history and the diversity of its natural environment, the Czech Republic is a great attraction for millions of guests every year. People are fascinated by Prague's many gorgeous, rich architectural styles and unique atmosphere. There are also numerous picturesque ancient city centers, chateaux and castles in the country. Outside the urban areas, deep woods, rock formations and limestone caves are among the many interesting sites the Czech Republic has to offer. Since the Czech lands lie exactly on the border of Western and Eastern Europe, the country has come under the influence of several different cultures throughout its long history. All of these influences have marked the architectural and artistic monuments. This accounts for the uniquely rich cultural heritage of this relatively small country. In addition, the Czech Republic is extraordinary in Europe because it has been practically untouched by the large-scale destruction of war. |
CZECH CULTURE The Czech Republic ranks among the most attractive tourist destinations in Europe thanks to many artistic monuments which display a rich variety of artistic styles combined with high preservation standards. During the Renaissance era, numerous foreigners, mainly Italians, worked in Bohemia. The Emperor Rudolf II, a passionate collector and patron of the arts, brought many outstanding European artistic works to the country. The Byzantium, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Czech Art Nouveau as well as Cubism reached the high world level and are still present here till today. The Czech culture and its artists have attracted international attention over the centuries. Two great Czech music composers, Antonin Dvorak and Bedrich Smetana are well known all over the world. The most famous dissident playwright and also president of the republic is Vaclav Havel. Czech filmaking has attracted international attention thanks to the works of directors Milos Forman (won Oscar award for films One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Amadeus) and Jiri Menzel (Oscar award for Closely Watched Trains film). Some of the most famous Czech writers are German-Jewish writer Franz Kafka, Milan Kundera and Karel Capek, who introduced the world "Robot". |
CZECH HISTORY IN SHORT
4th century B.C. - Bohemia was populated by Celts
5th-6th century - arrival of Slavs
863 - arrival of Christian missionaries
1085 - Vratislav II became a king
1346-1378 - the peak in the power of the kingdom during the reign of Charles IV
1348 - founding of Prague Charles University
1415 - start of Hussite wars
1526 - the Habsburg dynasty succeeds to the throne of Bohemia
1914-1918 - the 1st World War
1918 - end of Habsburg multinational empire, foundation of an independent Czechoslovakia
1939-1945 - the 2nd World War
1948 - Communist takeover
1968 - Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia
1989 - fall of the Communism regime
1993 - foundation of the Czech Republic after the split of Czechoslovakia
DID YOU KNOW ?
The oldest Central European University is Charles University in Prague (1348), founded by emperor Charles IV. The second oldest university in the Czech Republic is in Olomouc (1573).
Contact lenses were invented by Czech chemist Otto Wichterle in 1956-1958.
The abundance and quality of mineral springs in the Czech Republic makes the country a world leader in this area.
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