Prague

Prague is a city of very high standards, offering both historical and modern conference venues, hotels, restaurants and places of interest. Prague – the capital of the Czech Republic situated on both banks of the Vltava river is a beautiful city with a rich history. Thanks to its location in the centre of Europe, Prague has always been an important crossroads of trade and culture. In the course of its thousand-year history, Prague has always been the political, cultural, and business centre of the country. Prague, often called “Golden” or “Hundred-spired”, belongs to the architecturally unique European towns, attractive for tourists from around the world. Visitors find themselves enjoying a living museum of European architecture from Romanesque time to the present.

Prague

Prague has 1,200,000 inhabitants and stretches over approximately 500 square kilometres. The dominant feature of the city is Prague Castle, which houses the gothic St. Vitus’s Cathedral. The castle had been the seat of Czech kings since 1087, until 1918 when it became the seat of presidents of the Czechoslovak Republic, and since 1993 it has been the seat of the president of the Czech Republic. Prague has one of the oldest universities in Europe; the Charles University which was founded in 1348.
With a widely opened pro-market economy, stable democratic government, stable currency and well-known working skills of the people, this country provides a great opportunity to host a conference in order to meet scientists and business people from all over the world.

Prague, as the venue for this congress, not only provides all the necessary facilities and services, but also helps to attract more participants than other venues with its cultural and architectural beauty as well as its central location.

Prague

  • Prague has a designated UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage area of more than 8 sq km.
  • More than 100 personalities famous world-wide have lived in Prague (e.g. King Charles IV, Rudolph II, J. A. Comenius (Komenský), W. A. Mozart, Franz Kafka, A. Einstein, A. Pick, M. Curie-Sklodowski etc…).
  • Over 100 theatres, concert halls, galleries etc.
  • All hotels are situated within 5 to 30 minutes drive from the city centre.
  • Prague Congress Centre is just a 5-minute ride on the underground railway (Metro) from the city centre.
  • Prague is a destination serviced by many airlines, with good ground connection.

Location, travel and transport

The capital city of the Czech Republic is often called the “Heart of Europe” for the central position it occupies both in terms of importance and geography. Looking at the map we can find that Prague is really a focal point, heart and centre of the continent. Thanks to its favourable geographical position, Prague is a suitable destination for conferences and congresses. The city can be reached from all European countries and cities very easily. Prague is accessible from two motorways – the D1 from the east (near the Austrian border) and the E50 from the west (near the German border). Prague is also accessible by train, bus or plane. The main railway station and the main coach station are right in the centre of the town. Nowadays the city of Prague plays an important role as one of the key traffic points in Europe, especially as a gate to access its eastern part.

Airport

Prague International Airport handles flights of most European carriers and also some overseas flights. It is located 30-45 minutes by car from the centre of Prague. There is a good connection between the airport and the city centre by public transport (buses, trams and metro) and taxis.

Currency & Banking

Czech crowns (CZK, Kč) are the official currency in the Czech Republic. Exchange of foreign currency is available at Prague International Airport and at lots of hotels, banks and exchange offices throughout the city. International credit cards are accepted for payments in hotels, restaurants as well as shops. Payment in cash in EUR is also available in some restaurants and shops.

Electricity

The Czech Republic uses a 220 volt and 50 Hz system, sockets have the European standard and plugs are three-prong grounded.

Entry Formalities

All foreign visitors to the Czech Republic have to possess a passport valid for at least the next three months after arriving. Participants requiring visa should apply in advance to consular offices of the Czech Republic or diplomatic missions in their countries in order to avoid delay in travel to the Conference.

Information about the Czech Republic

Complete information is available at the official website of the Czech Republic at www.czech.cz.

Weather

The weather in Prague in May is usually quite sunny with temperatures around 20°C. However, it can be rainy, so we suggest to bring a light coat and not to forget an umbrella.

Public Transportation

Prague has a very sophisticated subway, tram and bus transportation system. The Prague underground is quite new and efficient. In the peak hours trains run every 1 or 2 minutes, and during off-peak hours at least every 10 minutes. You can find more information about Prague public transport on the web pages www.dpp.cz.

Shopping

Most shops in Prague are open from 9:00 to 18:00, Monday through Saturday. Shops in the city centre are usually open from 9:00 to 20:00, Monday through Sunday.

Taxi Service

In the city centre, taxis are easy to hail from the street but we strongly recommend to use hotel taxis or to call taxi by phone through the radio taxi service.
Boarding charge: approx. 40 CZK/1 drive
Journeys within the city: approx. 30 CZK/1 kilometre
Waiting time: approx. 10 CZK/1 minute