Wiki De Forex Tchecoslováquia

República Checa A República Checa foi a parte ocidental da República Federativa Checa e Eslovaca. Formado em um estado comum após a Primeira Guerra Mundial (28 de outubro de 1918), os checos, moravianos e eslovacos permaneceram unidos por quase 75 anos. Em 1º de janeiro de 1993, as duas repúblicas se separaram para formar dois estados separados. Os checos perderam sua independência nacional para o Império dos Habsóis em 1620 na Batalha da Montanha Branca e durante os próximos 300 anos foram governados pela monarquia austríaca. Com o colapso da monarquia no final da Primeira Guerra Mundial, o país independente da Checoslováquia foi formado, encorajado, entre outros, pelo presidente americano Woodrow Wilson. Apesar das diferenças culturais, os eslovacos compartilharam com os tchecos aspirações semelhantes para a independência do estado Habsburgo e voluntariamente unidas com os checos. Por razões históricas, os eslovacos não estavam no mesmo nível de desenvolvimento econômico e tecnológico que os checos, mas a liberdade e a oportunidade encontradas na Tchecoslováquia permitiram avançar para superar essas desigualdades. No entanto, a diferença nunca foi totalmente superada, e a discrepância desempenhou um papel contínuo ao longo dos 75 anos da união. Embora a Tchecoslováquia fosse o único país da Europa Oriental a permanecer uma democracia parlamentar de 1918 a 1938, estava atormentada por problemas minoritários, o mais importante dos quais dizia respeito à grande população alemã do país. Constituindo mais de 22 da população dos estados de entreguerras e concentrada em grande parte nas regiões fronteiriças da Bohemia e da Morávia (Sudetenland), os membros desta minoria, incluindo alguns que simpatizavam com a Alemanha nazista, prejudicaram o novo estado checoslovaco. As pressões internas e externas culminaram em setembro de 1938, quando a França e o Reino Unido cederam às pressões nazistas em Munique e concordaram em forçar a Checoslováquia a ceder os Sudetes à Alemanha. Cumprindo projetos agressivos de Hitler em toda a Tchecoslováquia, a Alemanha invadiu o que restava da Bohemia e da Morávia em março de 1939, estabelecendo um protetorado alemão. Por essa altura, a Eslováquia já havia declarado a independência e se tornara um fantoche dos alemães. A ocupação de Hitler das terras checas foi uma clara traição do Pacto de Munique e ainda suscita paixões na sociedade checa moderna, mas no momento em que foi enfrentada por resistência muda, o peso da agressão nazista foi sentida por judeus checos e outras minorias que eram Arredondado e deportado para campos de concentração em ondas sistemáticas. Mais de 100 mil judeus viveram nas terras checas em 1939. Apenas vários milhares permaneceram ou retornaram após o Holocausto em 1945. No final da Segunda Guerra Mundial, as tropas soviéticas invadiram toda a Eslováquia, Morávia e grande parte da Boêmia, incluindo Praga. Em maio de 1945, forças dos EUA liberaram a cidade de Plzen e a maior parte da Boêmia ocidental. Um levantamento civil contra a guarnição alemã ocorreu em Praga em maio de 1945. Após a entrega de Germanys, cerca de 2,9 milhões de alemães étnicos foram expulsos da Tchecoslováquia com a aprovação dos Aliados nos Decretos de Benes. Reunidos após a guerra, os tchecos e os eslovacos estabeleceram eleições nacionais para a primavera de 1946. Os elementos democráticos, liderados pelo presidente Eduard Benes, esperavam que a União Soviética permitisse à Checoslováquia a liberdade de escolher sua própria forma de governo e aspirou a uma Checoslováquia que Atuaria como uma ponte entre o Oriente eo Ocidente. O Partido Comunista Checoslovaco, que ganhou 38 votos, ocupou a maioria dos principais cargos no governo e gradualmente conseguiu neutralizar ou silenciar as forças anticomunistas. Embora o governo liderado por comunistas inicialmente pretendesse participar do Plano Marshall, foi forçado por Moscou a se afastar. Sob a cobertura da legalidade superficial, o Partido Comunista assumiu o poder em fevereiro de 1948. Após extensas purgações modeladas sobre o padrão stalinista em outros estados da Europa Oriental, o Partido Comunista tentou 14 de seus ex-líderes em novembro de 1952 e condenou a morte até a morte. Por mais de uma década depois, a estrutura política comunista checoslovaca caracterizou-se pela ortodoxia da liderança do chefe do partido, Antonin Novotny. A invasão soviética de 1968 A liderança comunista permitiu reformas totais no início da década de 1960, mas o descontentamento surgiu nas fileiras do comitê central do Partido Comunista, decorrente da insatisfação com o ritmo lento das reformas econômicas, a resistência à liberalização cultural e o desejo da Eslovacos dentro da liderança para maior autonomia para a sua república. Este descontentamento expressou-se com a remoção de Novotny da liderança do partido em janeiro de 1968 e da presidência em março. Ele foi substituído como líder do partido por um eslovaco, Alexander Dubcek. Depois de janeiro de 1968, a liderança de Dubcek deu passos práticos para reformas políticas, sociais e econômicas. Além disso, pediu mudanças politico-militares no Pacto de Varsóvia dominado pelos soviéticos e no Conselho de Assistência Econômica Mútua. A liderança afirmou sua lealdade ao socialismo e ao Pacto de Varsóvia, mas também expressou o desejo de melhorar as relações com todos os países do mundo, independentemente de seus sistemas sociais. Um programa adotado em abril de 1968 estabeleceu diretrizes para uma democracia socialista moderna e humanista que garantiria, entre outras coisas, liberdade de religião, imprensa, assembléia, discurso e viagem, um programa que, nas palavras de Dubceks, daria ao socialismo um rosto humano. Após 20 anos de pouca participação pública, a população começou gradualmente a se interessar pelo governo e Dubcek tornou-se uma figura nacional verdadeiramente popular. As reformas internas e as declarações de política externa da liderança de Dubcek criaram grande preocupação entre alguns outros governos do Pacto de Varsóvia. Na noite de 20 de agosto de 1968, tropas soviéticas, húngaras, búlgaras, alemãs e alemãs invadiram e ocuparam a Tchecoslováquia. O governo checoslovaco declarou imediatamente que as tropas não tinham sido convidadas para o país e que sua invasão era uma violação dos princípios socialistas, do direito internacional e da Carta das Nações Unidas. Os principais reformistas checoslovacos foram levados à força e secretamente para a União Soviética. Sob a óbvia coisão soviética, eles foram obrigados a assinar um tratado que prevê a colocação temporária de um número não especificado de tropas soviéticas na Tchecoslováquia. Dubcek foi removido como primeiro secretário do partido em 17 de abril de 1969 e substituído por outro eslovaco Gustav Husak. Mais tarde, Dubcek e muitos de seus aliados dentro da festa foram despojados de suas posições de partido em uma purga que durou até 1971 e reduziu a participação do partido em quase um terço. Os anos 70 e 80 tornaram-se conhecidos como o período de normalização, em que os apologistas da invasão soviética de 1968 impediram, da melhor forma possível, qualquer oposição ao seu regime conservador. A vida política, social e econômica estagnou. A população, intimidada pela normalização, ficou quieto. A Revolução de Veludo As raízes do movimento do Fórum Cívico de 1989 que chegou ao poder durante a Revolução de Veludo reside no ativismo dos direitos humanos. Em 1º de janeiro de 1977, mais de 250 ativistas de direitos humanos assinaram um manifesto chamado de Carta 77, que criticou o governo por não implementar disposições em matéria de direitos humanos de documentos que assinou, incluindo a constituição própria dos Estados, convênios internacionais em matéria política, civil e econômica. , Direitos sociais e culturais e o Acto Final da Conferência para a Segurança e Cooperação na Europa. Embora não tenham sido organizados em nenhum sentido real, os signatários da Carta 77 constituíram uma iniciativa de cidadania destinada a induzir o governo checoslovaco a observar obrigações formais de respeitar os direitos humanos de seus cidadãos. Em 17 de novembro de 1989, a polícia comunista rompeu violentamente uma demonstração pacifica pró-democracia e brutalmente bateu muitos participantes estudantis. Nos dias que se seguiram, a Carta 77 e outros grupos se uniram para se tornar o Fórum Cívico, um grupo de guarda-chuva que defende a reforma burocrática e as liberdades civis. Seu líder era o dramaturgo dissidente Vaclav Havel. Evitando intencionalmente a festa do rótulo, uma palavra com uma conotação negativa durante o regime anterior, o Fórum Cívico rapidamente ganhou o apoio de milhões de checos, assim como sua contraparte eslovaca, Public Against Violence. Diante de um repúdio popular avassalador, o Partido Comunista quase desabou. Os líderes, o Husak e o chefe do partido, Milos Jakes, renunciaram em dezembro de 1989 e Havel foi eleito presidente da Checoslováquia em 29 de dezembro. A rapidez surpreendente desses eventos foi em parte devido à impopularidade do regime comunista e às mudanças nas políticas de sua Garante soviético, bem como a organização rápida e eficaz dessas iniciativas públicas para uma oposição viável. Um governo de coalizão, no qual o Partido Comunista teve uma minoria de cargos ministeriais, foi formado em dezembro de 1989. As primeiras eleições livres na Checoslováquia desde 1946 ocorreram em junho de 1990 sem incidentes e com mais de 95 votos da população. Conforme previsto, o Fórum Cívico e o Public Against Violence ganharam vitórias esmagadoras em suas respectivas repúblicas e ganharam uma confortável maioria no parlamento federal. O parlamento realizou passos substanciais para garantir a evolução democrática da Tchecoslováquia. Mudou-se com sucesso para eleições locais justas em novembro de 1990, garantindo mudanças fundamentais no nível do município e da cidade. O Fórum cívico descobriu, no entanto, que, apesar de ter concluído com sucesso seu objetivo principal - o derrube do regime comunista - era ineficaz como um partido governante. O desaparecimento do Fórum Cívico foi visto pela maioria como necessário e inevitável. No final de 1990, os clubes parlamentares não oficiais evoluíram com agendas políticas distintas. O mais influente foi o Partido Democrata Cívico, liderado por Vaclav Klaus, que mais tarde se tornou Primeiro Ministro. Outros partidos notáveis ​​que surgiram após a divisão foram o Partido Social-Democrata checo, o Movimento Cívico e a Aliança Democrática Cívica. Em 1992, o eslovaco pede maior autonomia efetivamente bloqueou o funcionamento diário do governo federal. Na eleição de junho de 1992, o Partido Democrata Cívico de Klauss ganhou mão nas terras checas em uma plataforma de reforma econômica. O Movimento Vladimir Meciars para uma República Democrática da Eslováquia emergiu como o principal partido na Eslováquia, baseando o seu apelo à justiça para as demandas eslovacas de autonomia. Os federalistas, como Havel, não conseguiram conter a tendência para a divisão. Em julho de 1992, o presidente Havel renunciou. Na segunda metade de 1992, Klaus e Meciar estabeleceram um acordo de que as duas repúblicas seguiriam seus caminhos separados até o final do ano. Membros do parlamento federal, divididos em linhas nacionais, apenas cooperaram o suficiente para aprovar a lei separando oficialmente os dois países. A lei foi aprovada em 27 de dezembro de 1992. Em 1º de janeiro de 1993, a República Checa e a República da Eslováquia foram fundadas simultaneamente e pacificamente. Os relacionamentos entre os dois estados, apesar de disputas ocasionais sobre a divisão da propriedade federal e o governo da fronteira, foram pacíficos. Ambos os estados obtiveram o reconhecimento imediato dos EUA e seus vizinhos europeus. 1 Governo O Presidente da República Checa é Vaclav Klaus. Ele foi reeleito em 15 de fevereiro de 2008 e juramentou em 7 de março de 2008. Como chefe de Estado formal, o presidente recebe poderes específicos, como o direito de nomear juízes do Tribunal Constitucional, dissolver o parlamento sob certas condições e decretar Um veto na legislação. Os presidentes são eleitos pelo parlamento por períodos de cinco anos. A legislatura é bicameral, com uma Câmara dos Deputados (200 assentos) e um Senado (81 assentos). Com a separação da antiga Checoslováquia, os poderes e as responsabilidades do atual parlamento federal desaparecido foram transferidos para o Conselho Nacional da República Checa, que se renomeou a Câmara dos Deputados. Os delegados de câmara são eleitos de 14 regiões - incluindo a capital, Praga - por períodos de 4 anos, com base na representação proporcional. O Senado checo é padronizado após o Senado dos EUA e foi eleito pela primeira vez em 1996, seus membros servem por termos de 6 anos, sendo um terço eleito a cada 2 anos. O tribunal supremo do país é o Supremo Tribunal. O Tribunal Constitucional, que regula as questões constitucionais, é nomeado pelo presidente. Seus membros atendem termos de 10 anos. 2 As eleições gerais de 2-3 de junho de 2006 resultaram na Câmara dos Deputados 200 assentos divididos uniformemente 100-100 entre três partidos de centro-direita e duas partes à esquerda, sem nenhum dos lados capaz de formar um governo majoritário. O impasse levou a meses de negociações prolongadas durante as quais o primeiro-ministro Mirek Topolanek formou uma coalizão tripartida do Partido Democrático Cívico (ODS), dos Democratas Cristãos (KDU-CSL) e dos Verdes (SZ). A coalizão perdeu seu primeiro voto de confiança 96-99 em 4 de outubro de 2006. Mas, alguns sete meses após a eleição, em 19 de janeiro de 2007, a coalizão conseguiu sua segunda tentativa quando dois parlamentares renegados da oposição social-democrata (CSSD) Absteve-se. Em 24 de março de 2009, o governo da coalizão perdeu um voto de confiança e renunciou 2 dias depois, embora permaneça no poder até 8 de maio, quando um novo governo provisório e tecnocrático foi jurado. Janeiro Fischer, que serviu como Chefe do Escritório de Estatística checa, foi nomeado primeiro-ministro. As eleições parlamentares foram realizadas em maio de 2010. Embora a CSSD tenha perdido 18 lugares, os resultados das eleições o tornaram o maior partido no Parlamento. No entanto, uma coalizão de centro-direita foi formada pelo ODS estabelecido, o antigo Partido Popular de Praga (VV), e o recém-formado TOP 09. Petr Necas da ODS foi nomeado Primeiro-Ministro. A República Checa juntou-se à União Europeia em 2004 e realizou a Presidência do Conselho da União Europeia de 1 de janeiro a 30 de junho de 2009. 3 Política Externa De 1948 a 1989, a política externa da Checoslováquia seguiu a da União Soviética. Desde a independência, os checos tornaram a integração nas instituições ocidentais seu principal objetivo de política externa. A República Checa tornou-se membro da Organização do Tratado do Atlântico Norte (OTAN), juntamente com a Polônia e a Hungria, em 12 de março de 1999. O apoio público à OTAN continua alto. A República Checa tornou-se membro de pleno direito da União Européia em 1º de maio de 2004. Ambos os eventos são marcos na política externa e orientação de segurança do país. A República Checa completou com sucesso a sua primeira Presidência da UE durante o primeiro semestre de 2009. A República Checa é membro das Nações Unidas e participa de suas agências especializadas. É membro da Organização Mundial do Comércio. Mantém embaixadas residentes em 93 países e 82 países têm representação permanente em Praga. 4 A República Checa continua a fazer contribuições significativas para as alianças internacionais aliadas no Afeganistão, no Iraque e no Kosovo. No início de 2008, a República Tcheca estabeleceu uma Equipe Provincial de Reconstrução de 200 pessoas (PRT) na Província de Logar, no Afeganistão. Além disso, uma Equipe Operacional de Mentoramento e Ligação (OMLT) foi implantada para trabalhar ao lado do Corpo Aéreo do Afeganistão. A implantação deste OMLT checo complementa a doação de 12 excessos de helicópteros militares checos completamente revistos no Afeganistão. Este aumento do empenho das implementações de apoio ao Afeganistão não diminuiu a continuação do empenho da república checa em apoiar outros esforços da coalizão, incluindo o fornecimento de um batalhão de manobra ao Kosovo em apoio da Força do Kosovo (KFOR) em uma base rotacional contínua. Uma grande revisão das forças de defesa da Checoslováquia começou em 1990 e continua na República Tcheca. As forças checas foram baixadas com êxito de 200.000 para aproximadamente 30.000, e ao mesmo tempo reorientaram para uma força móvel mais móvel. Os checos fizeram bons progressos na reforma da estrutura do pessoal militar, e um forte compromisso com o treinamento em língua inglesa está dando frutos. O serviço militar obrigatório terminou em dezembro de 2004. O governo checo atualmente gasta um pouco menos de 1,4 de PIB em defesa. 5 Dos antigos países comunistas da Europa Central e Oriental, a República Tcheca possui uma das economias mais desenvolvidas e industrializadas. Sua forte tradição industrial data do século 19, quando Bohemia e Moravia eram o coração industrial do Império Austro-Húngaro. A República Checa tem uma população bem educada e uma infra-estrutura bem desenvolvida. A localização estratégica do país na Europa, estrutura de baixo custo e força de trabalho qualificada atraíram fortes entradas de investimento estrangeiro direto (IED). Este investimento está rapidamente modernizando sua base industrial e aumentando a produtividade. As principais indústrias são os veículos a motor, a construção de máquinas, a produção de ferro e aço, metalurgia, produtos químicos, eletrônicos, equipamentos de transporte, têxteis, vidro, fabricação de cerveja, porcelana, cerâmica e produtos farmacêuticos. Os principais produtos agrícolas são beterrabas açucaradas, raízes forrageiras, batatas, trigo e lúpulo. Como uma economia pequena e aberta no coração da Europa, o crescimento econômico é fortemente influenciado pela demanda por exportações checas e fluxos de investimento estrangeiro direto. Na época da aquisição comunista de 1948, a Tchecoslováquia tinha uma economia equilibrada e um dos níveis mais altos de industrialização no continente. Em 1948, no entanto, o governo começou a enfatizar a indústria pesada sobre os bens e serviços agrícolas e de consumo. Muitas indústrias básicas e comércio exterior, bem como o comércio por grosso doméstico, foram nacionalizados antes que os comunistas tomassem o poder. A nacionalização da maior parte do comércio varejista foi concluída em 1950-51. A indústria pesada recebeu grande apoio econômico na década de 1950, mas o planejamento central resultou em desperdício e uso ineficiente de recursos industriais. Embora a força de trabalho tenha sido tradicionalmente qualificada e eficiente, incentivos inadequados para o trabalho e a administração contribuíram para um alto volume de negócios, baixa produtividade e má qualidade do produto. As falhas econômicas atingiram um estágio crítico na década de 1960, após o que diversas medidas de reforma foram buscadas sem resultados satisfatórios. A esperança de uma ampla reforma econômica veio com Alexander Dubceks em janeiro de 1968. Apesar dos esforços renovados, a Checoslováquia não conseguiu enfrentar as forças inflacionistas, e muito menos começar a imensa tarefa de corrigir os problemas básicos da economia. A economia viu o crescimento durante a década de 1970, mas depois estagnou entre 1978-82. As tentativas de revitalizá-lo na década de 1980 com os programas de incentivos de gestão e trabalhadores foram em grande parte mal sucedidos. A economia cresceu após 1982, atingindo um crescimento médio anual de produção de mais de 3 entre 1983-85. As importações do Oeste foram reduzidas, as exportações aumentaram e a dívida de moeda forte reduziu substancialmente. Novos investimentos foram feitos nos setores eletrônico, químico e farmacêutico, que foram líderes da indústria na Europa Oriental em meados da década de 1980. A Revolução de veludo em 1989 ofereceu uma chance para uma reforma econômica profunda e sustentada. Os sinais de ressurgimento econômico começaram a aparecer na sequência da terapia de choque que o Fundo Monetário Internacional (FMI) chamou de "big bang" de janeiro de 1991. Desde então, uma gestão econômica astuta levou à eliminação de 95 de todos os controles de preços, grandes entradas De investimento estrangeiro, aumento do consumo doméstico e produção industrial, e uma taxa de câmbio estável. As exportações para os antigos mercados de blocos econômicos comunistas mudaram para a Europa Ocidental. Graças ao investimento estrangeiro, o país goza de uma posição positiva na balança de pagamentos. Apesar de uma tendência geral nos últimos 10 anos em relação ao aumento dos déficits orçamentários, o endividamento doméstico e externo do governo checo permanece relativamente baixo. A coroa checa (coroa) tornou-se totalmente conversível para a maioria dos fins comerciais no final de 1995. Após uma crise monetária e recessão em 1998-1999, a taxa de câmbio da coroa foi permitida a flutuar. Recentemente, fortes entradas de capital resultaram em um aumento constante no valor da coroa em relação ao euro e ao dólar. A coroa forte ajudou a manter a inflação baixa. Em 2004, a inflação foi de cerca de 2,8, principalmente devido aos aumentos nas taxas de imposto sobre o valor agregado e ao aumento dos custos de combustível, e caiu para 1,9 em 2005. Ele passou em torno de 2,5 em 2006. O Ministério das Finanças registrou uma taxa de inflação de 2,8 para 2007 e de 6,3 Por todo o ano de 2008, devido a mudanças tributárias pontuais e ao aumento dos preços de energia e alimentos, essa tendência foi revertida em 2009, resultando em uma taxa de inflação de 1,0. A República Tcheca está gradualmente reduzindo sua dependência de castores de alto grau altamente poluentes O carvão como fonte de energia, em parte devido aos requisitos ambientais da União Européia (UE). O governo oferece incentivos ao investimento para aumentar as vantagens naturais da República Tcheca, atraindo parceiros estrangeiros e estimulando a economia. A mudança de ênfase do Oriente para o Oeste exigiu um ajuste das leis comerciais e práticas contábeis para atender aos padrões ocidentais. Anteriormente, os bancos estatais foram privatizados nas mãos dos bancos da Europa Ocidental e a supervisão pelo banco central melhorou. A infraestrutura de telecomunicações foi atualizada e o setor foi privatizado. A República Checa fez progressos significativos na criação de um clima estável e atraente para o investimento, embora os relatórios contínuos de corrupção sejam preocupantes para os investidores. Seu sucesso permitiu que a República Tcheca se tornasse o primeiro país pós-comunista a receber uma classificação de crédito de grau de investimento por instituições de crédito internacionais. Os sucessivos governos checos receberam o investimento dos EUA além da forte influência econômica da Europa Ocidental e do aumento dos investimentos dos fabricantes de automóveis asiáticos. Os fluxos de investimento estrangeiro direto em 2008 foram de aproximadamente 10,73 bilhões. Segundo as estimativas da Embaixada dos EUA, os Estados Unidos estão entre os cinco maiores investidores da República Tcheca desde a revolução. A República Tcheca possui um setor florescente de produção de consumo. No início da década de 1990, a maioria das indústrias estatais foram privatizadas através de um sistema de privatização de vouchers. Todo cidadão teve a oportunidade de comprar, por um preço moderado, um livro de vouchers que ele ou ela poderia trocar por ações em empresas estatais. A propriedade estatal das empresas foi estimada em cerca de 97 sob o comunismo. O setor não privado tem menos de 20 atualmente. O desemprego diminuiu para 5,0 em maio de 2008, mas aumentou para 8 até o final de junho de 2009, de acordo com a metodologia das Organizações Internacionais do Trabalho (6.1, quando mensurado usando a metodologia Eurostats). As taxas de desemprego são mais elevadas nas regiões produtoras de carvão e aço da Morávia do Norte e da Boêmia do Norte, e entre trabalhadores menos qualificados e mais velhos. A economia cresceu 3,2 em 2008, depois de crescer 6,0 em 2007, 6,8 em 2006 e 6,3 em 2005. Embora o sistema financeiro checo tenha permanecido relativamente saudável - a República Tcheca é um dos únicos quatro países da Organização para Cooperação e Desenvolvimento Econômico (OCDE) Para não ter tido que recapitalizar seus bancos - a economia checa, aberta, orientada para a exportação da República Checa tem lutado com uma queda significativa na demanda externa para exportações tchecas a partir do quarto trimestre de 2008. Como resultado, a produção industrial caiu 21 em No primeiro trimestre de 2009 e o PIB real caiu 3,4, em comparação com o primeiro trimestre de 2008. No seu conjunto, o PIB checo contraiu 4,3 para 2009. O governo checo trouxe bem o seu déficit orçamentário dentro dos 3 critérios de Maastricht para a adoção do euro, Atingindo 0,6 do PIB em 2007 e 1,4 em 2008. Devido à desaceleração econômica atual, no entanto, e à conseqüente queda significativa nas receitas fiscais, o déficit orçamentário deverá exceder 4 do PIB em 2010. O governo checo tem Ainda que estabeleça uma data-alvo para a adoção do euro. O início dos checos pode começar a usar o euro é 2013. A República Tcheca tornou-se membro da União Européia em 1º de maio de 2004. A maioria dos obstáculos ao comércio de bens industriais com a UE caiu durante o processo de adesão. O processo de adesão teve um impacto positivo na reforma na República Checa e as novas directivas e regulamentos da UE continuam a moldar o ambiente empresarial. O comércio livre de serviços e bens agrícolas, bem como uma maior regulação e aumento dos custos trabalhistas, significará uma competição mais forte para os produtores checos. Os níveis futuros dos fundos estruturais da UE e dos apoios agrícolas foram questões fundamentais nas negociações de adesão. Mesmo antes da adesão, a política estabelecida em Bruxelas teve uma forte influência na política doméstica e estrangeira checa, particularmente na área do comércio. A transformação econômica da República Tcheca ainda não está completa. O governo ainda enfrenta sérios desafios para completar a reestruturação industrial, aumentar a transparência nas transações do mercado de capitais, transformar o setor habitacional, reformar os sistemas de pensões e cuidados de saúde e resolver sérios problemas ambientais. 6 Demografia A maioria dos 10,5 milhões de habitantes da República Checa são étnicas e linguisticamente checa (94). Outros grupos étnicos incluem alemães, romaniches, japoneses e poloneses. As leis que estabelecem a liberdade religiosa foram aprovadas logo após a revolução de 1989, levantando regulamentos opressivos decretados pelo ex-regime comunista. As principais denominações e suas porcentagens estimadas são católicos romanos (39) e protestantes (3). Uma grande porcentagem da população checa afirma ser ateístas (40) e 16 descrever-se como incerto. A comunidade judaica faz números de alguns milhares hoje uma sinagoga em Praga memorializa os nomes de mais de 80 mil judeus checoslovacos que morreram na Segunda Guerra Mundial. 7 Primeiro-ministro Vclav Klaus 160 () (1 de janeiro de 1993 - 17 de dezembro de 1997) Josef Tosovsk 160 () (17 de dezembro de 1997 - 17 de julho de 1998) Milos Zeman 160 () (17 de julho de 1998 - 12 de julho de 2002 ) Vladimr Spidla 160 () (12 de julho de 2002 - 26 de julho de 2004) Stanislav Gross 160 (26 de julho de 2004 - 25 de abril de 2005) Jir Paroubek 160 () (25 de abril de 2005 - 4 de setembro de 2006) Mirek Topolnek 160 () (4 de setembro de 2006 - 8 de maio de 2009) Janeiro Fischer 160 () (8 de maio de 2009 - 13 de julho de 2010) Petr Necas 160 () (13 de julho de 2010 -) Políticas checas Neighbouring160NationsRepublica Czech Estas são apenas Nove das cidades mais interessantes selecionadas para representar a variedade de áreas urbanas checas. Para outros destinos interessantes, veja as regiões individuais. Praga, a capital e maior cidade da República Tcheca, com um grande e belo centro histórico, Brno, a maior cidade da Morávia e sua antiga capital, oferece vários museus excelentes, o Moto GP Grand Prix anual, o festival internacional internacional de fogos de artifício Ignis Brunensis, o segundo - O maior centro histórico da República Checa (depois de Praga), o segundo maior ossário da Europa (depois das Catacumbas de Paris), um dos maiores centros de exposições da Europa, o edifício de teatro mais antigo da Europa Central e muitas outras coisas. Esk Budjovice atraente cidade grande em Boémia do Sul esk Krumlov bela cidade velha na Boêmia do Sul com o segundo maior castelo do país Karlovy Vary histórico (e maior checo) resort de spa, especialmente popular com grupos turísticos alemães e russos Kutn Hora cidade histórica com a famosa catedral de Santa Barbora , Antigas minas de prata e a Capela de Todos os Santos, que está decorada com milhares de ossos humanos, cidade milionária do rio Olomouc, com mil anos de história e o segundo maior centro histórico da República Tcheca, Ostrava, uma vibrante subcultura local e longa história de mineração de carvão. E indústria pesada, Pilsen, casa da cerveja original Pilsner Urquell e a maior cidade do Bohemia Ocidental do Boémia. (Esk rj) Uma região de formações rochosas altas e castelos isolados localizados a nordeste de Praga. O gateway da cidade de Jin é um destino interessante por direito próprio, mas Turnov está mais próximo da maioria dos castelos e formações rochosas. As torres gêmeas do castelo arruinado Trosky são um símbolo da área e podem ser escaladas para as vistas Castelo de Karltejn e o mosteiro sagrado da caverna: Viagem de caminhada ao castelo famoso, bem como um mosteiro trilhas Krkonoe. (Montanhas dos Gigantes) As montanhas mais altas da República Tcheca ao longo da fronteira polonesa. Os resorts de esqui checos mais populares estão aqui, como o Pindlerv Mln, porém considerado caro pelos habitantes locais. Litomyl monastery gardens Litomyl. Uma bela cidade pequena em East Bohemia. A praça principal e o castelo do renascimento estão entre as repúblicas checas mais bonitas e a cidade abriga muitos artistas importantes e influentes, incluindo o compositor Bedich Smetana, o escultor Olbram Zoubek e o pintor Josef Vchal. Há dois festivais internacionais de ópera no castelo todos os anos. Marinsk Lzn. Uma cidade termal no Boémia ocidental. Região vinícola de Mutnice. Alguns dos melhores vinhedos da República Checa e totalmente fora do caminho turístico bem conhecido Nov Msto na Morav. Estância de esqui cross country. A corrida do Tour de Ski ocorre aqui. Terezn. Uma fortaleza barroca de tijolos vermelhos a 70 km ao norte de Praga, ao lado do rio Ohe. Foi usado durante a Segunda Guerra Mundial como gueto judeu e campo de concentração. Znojmo. A Rotunda da Virgem Maria e Santa Catarina com os mais antigos afrescos na República Tcheca. A República Checa não é um país grande, mas tem uma história rica e cheia de acontecimentos. Checos, alemães, eslovacos, pedreiros italianos e trabalhadores de estuque, comerciantes franceses e desertores do exército napoleão viveram e trabalharam aqui, todos influenciando uns aos outros. Durante séculos, cultivaram em conjunto suas terras, criando obras que enfeitam este pequeno país com centenas de castelos antigos, mosteiros e mansões majestrias e cidades inteiras que dão a impressão de serem artefatos abrangentes. A República Checa contém uma grande quantidade de tesouros arquitetônicos e tem belas florestas e montanhas para combinar. História Editar A região checa foi habitada pelas tribos celtas Boii durante os primeiros quatro séculos do primeiro milênio. Os celtas deram lugar a tribos germânicas pós-romanas. Mais tarde, os eslavos chegaram e, no século 9 fundaram o Império da Morava, que se estendeu da Alemanha para a Ucrânia. Após a queda da Grande Morávia, o Duque da Boêmia (Reino posterior) foi formado, criando uma unidade territorial quase idêntica à República Checa moderna. A ascensão dos Habsburgos levou as terras checas a se tornar uma parte do Império austríaco e depois da Áustria-Hungria. E um enorme afluxo de imigrantes alemães. Após a Primeira Guerra Mundial. Os tchecos e eslovacos intimamente relacionados do antigo Império Austro-Húngaro formaram a nova nação da Tchecoslováquia. Durante os anos de entreguerras, os novos líderes do país estavam freqüentemente preocupados em atender às demandas de outras minorias étnicas dentro da república, principalmente os alemães dos Sudetos e os húngaros. A poor relationship with the German minority (20 of the overall population) was a particular problem that was capitalized on by Adolf Hitler and used as rationale for the dismemberment of the nation before the outbreak of World War II. The country was annexed and brutally occupied by Germany during the war. After World War II, Czechoslovakia expelled most of its Germans by force and many of the ethnic Hungarians after the Potsdam Conference. However, the nation was very blessed in the fact that it emerged from the war more or less physically intact as it avoided the fate of the massive air bombardments and invasions that levelled most of the historic neighbouring cities in Germany, Austria, Poland and Belarus. The country fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and remained so by force of arms until 1989 (see Cold War Europe ). In 1968, an invasion by Warsaw Pact troops ended the efforts of the countrys leaders to liberalize Communist party rule and create socialism with a human face. Anti-Soviet demonstrations the following year ushered in a period of harsh repression and conservatism within the party ranks called normalisation. In November 1989, the communist government was deposed in a peaceful Velvet Revolution . On 1 January 1993, the country underwent a velvet divorce into its two national components, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. A member of NATO since 1999 and the EU since 2004, the Czech Republic has moved toward integration in world markets, a development that poses both opportunities and risks. The Czech flag is the same one that had been used by Czechoslovakia. It was readopted in 1993. Habits and customs Edit Easter (Velikonoce): On Easter Monday it is customary for guys to (slightly) spank girls and women with a wicker stick with colourful ribbons at the end ( pomlzka ), in the hope that the girls and women will in turn give them coloured eggs, candy or drinks. Obvious tourists are often (but not always) exempt. Witch Burning (Plen arodjnic) or Night of Witches (arodjnice): On the last April evening, bonfires are lit around the country. Witch figurines, as a symbol of evil, are made and burned in the fire. This is the reinterpretation of the old pagan festival (Beltane) influenced by Christian inquisition. Because probably most Czechs would prefer the witches over the inquisitors, in many fires no witches are burnt, and the feast is celebrated in a more original pagan way - witches are those who should celebrate the night, not be burnt. It doesnt stop jokes like Honey, hide or you will be burnt tonight Last Ringing (Posledn zvonn) is a traditional celebration of the end of the last year at a high school. It is celebrated usually in late April or early May, a week or more before the final exams (maturita in Czech) take place (the time may be different in different schools). Students get a free day and usually do silly things in silly costumes. They go to the streets and collect money from people passing by, sometimes threatening them with water, writing on their faces with a lipstick or spraying them with perfume. The collected money is used at a party after the exams, or maturita ball. Feast of St. Mikul (St. Nicolaus, Santa Claus), Dec. 5 . On this day, St. Mikul roams about with his consorts, an angel and a devil. He gives small presents and candy to children to reward them for their good behaviour throughout the year, while the devil chastises children for their wrongdoings over the course of the year and gives them potatoes, coal (or sometimes spankings) as a punishment. Old Town Square in Prague is a great place to watch the festivities. Christmas (Vnoce): Czechs begin celebrating this holiday on Christmas Eve and continue to celebrate until the 26th (the Feast of Stephen). Presents are placed under a Christmas tree (by Jeek (The Baby Jesus) as little children believe) and taken after dinner on Christmas Eve. Potato salad and carp is a traditional Christmas meal, and for this reason one can see live carp being sold out of huge tanks throughout the streets of Czech cities and towns just before Christmas. Historic regions Edit The Czech lands (esko tsk in Czech) consist of three historical lands: Bohemia (echy), Moravia (Morava) and Czech Silesia (Slezsko). Bohemia Edit Although the modern adjective bohemian refers to Bohemia, that usage was based on a broad stereotype and also a poor grasp of geography, so dont expect the Bohemians you meet to be nomadic or anti-conventional artisticliterary bohemians . or to see anything out of Puccinis La Bohme. And no, Bohemian Rhapsody (its lyrics sprinkled with Italian and Arabic) is not a local anthem So the word BohemiaBohemian came from the name of the Celtic tribe Boii. The term Bohemian had ended up meaning more or less Czech by the end of the 19th century with the awakening of Slavic nationalism. However, it was also used to refer to any inhabitant of Bohemia, including the vast number of Germans that used to inhabit the region until the closing months of World War II. Moravia and Czech Silesia Edit Moravia and Bohemia (the other half of the Czech Republic) were among the first regions of continental Europe to undergo an industrial revolution however Moravia did not experience the mass urbanisation of Bohemia. This region is, therefore, still home to gorgeous vineyards, orchards, fields full of organic produce, and filled with scenic mountain vistas and cute little villages. Even the regional capital, Brno, is renowned for its small town charm. There is an extremely extensive rail system, and the region contains historic factories such as Zbrojovka Brno (weapons) and the Baa factory in Zln (shoes). The dialects of Czech spoken in Moravia are slightly different from those spoken in Bohemia, particularly in Prague. Moravians pride themselves on their dialect and learning a few stereotypical regionalisms may go down well (or terribly, depending on just what it is you think youre saying and what you end up saying). The regions strategic location at the Moravian Gate (a pass through the imposing mountain ranges of Central Europe) has led to a confluence of a great amount of history. Visa requirements Edit Maximum length of stay on a visa exemption As a Schengen signatory state, in general . non-EUEFTA citizens who qualify for a visa exemption can only stay for a maximum of 90 days in a 180 day period in the Schengen zone (including the Czech Republic) as a whole . However . for non-EUEFTA citizens whose home countryterritory had an existing bi lateral visa exemption agreement with the Czech Republic before it fully implemented the Schengen acquis, the maximum length of stay on a visa exemption as stipulated in the bilateral agreement continues to apply, rather than the Schengen regulations. In effect, this means that for these non-EUEFTA citizens, they can spend up to 90 days in the Czech Republic visa-free and are not limited by the Schengen limit of 90 days in a 180 day period. Non-EUEFTA citizens whose home countryterritory had an existing bilateral visa exemption agreement with the Czech Republic before joining the EU are: Andorra, Argentina, Brazil, Brunei, Costa Rica, Chile, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong SAR, Israel, Japan, Macao SAR, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, Uruguay, the Vatican and Venezuela - but not Australia, Canada or the United States. More information about these bilateral visa exemption agreements is available at this webpage of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic (under the Conditions for a short-term stay section) as well as this article. This document also provides a comprehensive list of visa waiver agreements with the Czech Republic (some countries have unilateral, rather than bi lateral visa agreements). The Czech Republic is a member of the Schengen Agreement . There are normally no border controls between countries that have signed and implemented the treaty. This includes most of the European Union and a few other countries. There are usually identity checks before boarding international flights or boats. Sometimes there are temporary border controls at land borders. Likewise, a visa granted for any Schengen member is valid in all other countries that have signed and implemented the treaty. Please see Travelling around the Schengen Area for more information on how the scheme works, which countries are members and what the requirements are for your nationality . Travel document requirements Edit For EU, EEA and Swiss nationals, passports and national identity cards only need to be valid for the period of their stay in the Czech Republic. For all other nationals, passportstravel documents must be valid for a period of at least 90 days beyond the expected length of stay in the Czech RepublicSchengen Area. Foreign nationals whose stay in the Czech Republic will exceed 30 days are required to register within 30 days on their arrival in the Czech Republic with the Alien and Border Police. In case you stay in a hotel or similar institution, the provider of the accommodation should arrange this registration for you. Children inscribed in their parents passports are allowed to travel with their parents up to the age of 15. Once the child has reached the age of 15, a separate passport is necessary. Visit this webpage of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic for more information on what constitutes a valid and acceptable travel document for the purpose of entering the Czech Republic. By plane Edit Vclav Havel Airport located about 10 km west of the centre of Prague. ( Praha in Czech), is a hub of Czech national carrier Czech Airlines (SA), a SkyTeam member. There are several low-cost airlines going tofrom Prague (e. g. EasyJet from Lyon ). Ryanair flies to Brno from London and Bergamo. Other nearby airports are Nuremberg (200km) and Munich (320km) in Germany. Vienna having a bus shuttle to Brno city (260km to Prague, 110km to Brno) in Austria. Wroclaw (200km) in Poland (might be a good idea if you want to go to the Giant Mountains ) and Bratislava (280km to Prague, only 120km to Brno) in Slovakia . Airport transfers Edit In order to transfer from Ruzyn Airport to the centre of Prague and beyond, you can take: PragueTransfer Minibus service. Prices range from 25 for a party of 4, to 180 for a party of 49. AirportShuttle. cz dead link Minibus service. Prices range from 9 for an individual to 3 per person for a party of 15 (i. e. 45) Airport Express Czech railways public bus service. 50 K per ticket. This bus stops at terminals 1 and 2. It connects to Metro line A (Dejvick station) and to Prague Main Train Station in 35 minutes. Public bus lines Tickets can be purchased at the arrivals halls of terminals 1 and 2, or from ticket machines placed at bus stops for 32 K. Tickets can also be purchased directly from the driver for 40 K. None of these services are direct to Prague centre but will take you to the nearest Metro station, where you can continue to the city centre. The ticket is valid for 90 minutes in all buses, trams and Metro and needs to be stamped after entering the bus. Routes servicing the airport are: 119 Terminates in at the Ndra Veleslavn Metro Station. Transfer to Metro line A for city. 100 Terminates in western Prague (Zlin Metro station) in 18 minutes. Transfer to Metro line B for city. 510 A night service every 30 minutes. Goes to the south of the city, but passes near the centre (Jirskovo nmst or I. P. Pavlova stops) which takes 42 minutes. Taxi Airport authorised service. Rates are 28 K per kilometre plus 40 K per journey. By bus Edit International bus service runs from many cities in Europe with direct connections from Germany. Poland. Netherlands. Slovakia. Switzerland. Austria. etc. Good service is offered by Eurolines and Student Agency. Cheap tickets from Poland are offered by PolskiBus. Almost all new long distance bus operators in Germany as well as Deutsche Bahn offer buses from various points in Germany or Austria to Prague for a overview of rates see this German website. As the market is very new and still very volatile companies might cease operations or newly emerge on short notice. By train Edit From Germany Edit EC trains operate every two hours from Berlin or Hamburg via Dresden and Bad Schandau in Saxon Switzerland to Prague and Brno. Direct overnight sleeper car serves Cologne Frankfurt. Karlsruhe. Copenhagen and Basel. Cheap tickets to Prague (and sometimes to Brno) are available at the website of German railways, if bought in advance. The price begin at 1939 for seat and 49 for couchette. German Railways operate express non-stop buses connecting Nuremberg. Munich and Mannheim with Prague. fully integrated to German railway tariff. If you have an InterRail or Eurail pass, consider that these buses require compulsory reservation. There are four daily trains from Munich to Prague. but they are slower than the abovementioned bus, because of slow and curvy (although picturesque) railway at southwestern Czech border. The cheapest way is a Bayern Ticket (21 for one person, 29 for group up to 5 people) to the Czech border combined with Czech domestic ticket (see Cheap ticket combinations ). If you cross the border in a local train (not EC or EN), consider taking advantage of the Bayern-Bhmen-Ticket or the Sachsen-Bhmen-Ticket . In the vicinity of the Czech-German-Polish three country border, you may profit from the unified fare of the transport system ZVON From Poland Edit There is one direct EC train from Warsaw to Prague and Ostrava and direct sleeper cars from Warsaw and Krakw. The ticket for the daytime train costs 1929, if bought at least three days in advance. For night trains, there is no such cheap offer, but you can use a tricky combination, see Cheap ticket combinations . Apart from the long-distance trains there are very few local trains. For long-distance travel a semi-fast train from Wroclaw to Pardubice can be useful. In local trains (not IC or EC), it is possible to buy a special cross-border ticket (Polish: bilet przechodowy ) which is valid between the Czech and Polish (or vice versa) border stations and costs only 15 K or PLN2. You can buy it from the conductor on the train (or completely ignore it if the conductor does not emerge before you reach the other border station, which happens) and combine it with domestic tickets of the two countries. In the vicinity of the Czech-German-Polish three country border, you may profit from the unified fare of the ZVON transport system . From Slovakia Edit As parts of former Czechoslovakia, the trains between Czechia and Slovakia are frequent. EC trains go every two hours from Bratislava to Prague and Brno. and from ilina to Prague and Ostrava. There is one daily train from Bansk Bystrica. Zvolen and Koice to Prague and Ostrava. All these cities have also a direct overnight sleeper car connection to Prague. Regular one-way ticket to Prague costs 27 from Bratislava and 42 from Koice. There is a return discount of (roughly) 30 called CityStar . Slovak railways also offer discounted online SparNight tickets in advance - e. g. the day train from Bratislava to Praha costs 15 and night train including couchette reservation from Koice to Prague 27. From Austria Edit Railjet trains from Graz and Vienna to Prague and Brno operate every two hours. From Linz to Prague there are two directs connections and two more connections with change in esk Budjovice . Cheap tickets to Prague, Brno and Ostrava are available at Austrian Railways website. if bought at least 3 days in advance. The price begins at 19 for Vienna-Brno, 29 for Vienna-Prague and Linz-Prague. If you cross the border in a local train (not IC, EC), you can take advantage of discounted return ticket EURegio . Cheap ticket combinations Edit Full-price international tickets are quite expensive so, if no commercial discount fits your needs, you can combine domestic tickets to save money: Buy a GermanAustrianSlovakPolish domestic ticket to the Czech border and then ask the Czech conductor for a Czech domestic ticket starting at the border point (the surcharge for buying the ticket in the train is 40 K). Remember there is a significant group discount starting from 2 passengers. According to the Czech Railways website, conductors on international trains should accept payments in euros 1 . On weekends, instead of the standard Czech domestic ticket, you can also buy online a network ticket called SONE for 600 K (valid up to 2 adults and 3 children for one weekend day). You have to print this ticket online or present it on the screen of your notebook. The border point names are: from Berlin: Schna Gr. from Vienna: Beclav Gr. from Linz: Summerau Gr. from Bratislava: Kty Gr. from NurembergMunich: Furth im Wald Gr. from Koice: Horn Lide Gr. (trains via Vsetn ) or adca Gr. (trains via Ostrava ) from Warszawa and Krakw: Zebrzydowice Gr. from Wroclaw: Lichkov Gr. The Gr. means a border point to distinguish them from stations with the same name. By bike Edit The Elbe Radweg crosses the German-Czech border. Czech Republic is served by the multimodal IDOS traveler router that covers all Czech trains, buses and city transport and many train and bus lines abroad. By plane Edit By bus Edit A cheap and excellent means of travelling between Prague and other major cities are the buses from Student Agency. These buses are usually a bit faster and cost less than the Czech trains (not considering discounts). On some routes (e. g. Prague to Brno) this is marginal, but on others such as Prague to Karlovy Vary or Liberec, there is no direct train connection so the buses are by far the best option. Usually, you do not have to book a seat but if you travel on Fridays or during holidays from or to Prague, it is recommended. You can reserve seats online at the Student Agency website. Apart from this operator there are many other bus companies that link Prague and other cities and towns, even remote villages, regularly. Most buses leave Prague from the central bus station at Florenc, but other major bus stations can be found at Na Knec (metro station Andl), ern Most, Zlin and Roztyly, all of which are located next to metro stations. Local bus travel between small towns and surrounding villages is usually operated by companies named SAD (district name) . a remnant of the nationwide state-run company esko s lovensk A utobusov D oprava from communist times. On local buses you simply tell the driver where youre going and pay him a fare as you get on. By car Edit Czech drivers may seem aggressive sometimes, especially in Prague, but it is far from the madness found in some southern European countries. The Czech Republic is a zero tolerance country for alcohol. Its illegal to drive a motor vehicle under the influence of any amount of alcohol, and violations are heavily punished. In order to drive on the well-kept motorways, however, you need to purchase a toll sticker unless youre riding a motorcycle. These stickers cost 310 K in 2014 for ten days (for vehicles lighter than 3.5 tonnes), but can be purchased for longer periods of time (1 month for 440 K or 1,500 K for a year). If you dont display a toll sticker on your car when you drive on the motorways, the fines can be very steep (5,000 K minimum). Make certain that you purchase the correct toll sticker: there are those for vehicles under 3.5 tonnes in weight and those for vehicles between 3.5 and 12 tonnes. Vehicles larger than 12 tonnes in weight must use an on-board unit (premid unit) to pay tolls based on distance. The condition of many roads is continually improving, but to be economical and fast, drive on the motorways as much as possible, although if you want to get to remote parts of the country you will not avoid side-roads that may be a little bumpy sometimes. Speed limits in the Czech Republic are usually 130kmh on motorways, 90kmh off the motorways, and 50kmh in towns. Petrol is cheaper than the rest of Europe (36 K1.40), but it is expensive compared to the United States, as it is heavily taxed. Traffic fines can usually be paid on the spot. The use of either daytime running lights (dlr) or dipped headlights is mandatory even during daytime all year. Failure to have your lights on while driving may result in a police fine. Compulsory equipment includes First-aid kit set of replacement bulbs set of replacement fuses warning triangle (not required for motorcycles) reflective jacket By train Edit Trains in Czech Republic are operated mostly by state-owned company esk Drhy (Czech Railways). In 2011 RegioJet (a subsidiary of Student Agency) began operating modernised trains between Prague and Ostrava. They were joined by LeoExpress in 2012 on Prague-Ostrava route. The trains go even to the most remote locations of the Czech Republic and unlike buses, they usually operate regularly during off-peak hours and during weekends. However, outside the modernised main corridors, the standard of travelling is often the same as it was in the 1970s, and therefore it is quite time consuming to get to the provincial towns or villages, the trains tending to meander around the countryside. Train categories Edit Osobn (Os) slow local trains, stop everywhere. Includes suburban trains near the largest cities. Spn (Sp) faster than osobn, usually skip little villages Rychlk (R) fast trains, stop in major towns, commonly used trains for longer distances Expres (Ex) faster and usually a bit cleaner kind of Rychlk Eurocity (EC) pretty modern international (though perfectly useable also on intra-state journeys) trains coming up to European standards, fast and stop in major cities only. Supercity (SC) the fastest trains run by Czech Railways, offering free Wi-Fi connection in addition to other services, operate only on the router Prague - Ostrava, requires either a special ticket or a 200 K seat reservation in addition to a normal one. Competes with privately-owned LeoExpress (LE) and InterCity (IC) Regiojet trains with a similar or better level of service. Train tickets Edit Tickets should be bought online in advance - 2 for Czech Railways, which run on all national and international long-distance routes as well as on the vast majority (99) of local railways, or 3 (Czech only) and 4 for the privately-held companies, operating trains only on the Prague-Ostrava long-distance route. In each case, there are many advantages compared to buying at the ticket office: tickets are cheaper when bought in advance and the system automatically recommends the cheapest variant (sparing you the trouble of going through the, often byzantine, tariffs). Visiting the ticket office is only necessary when paying with cash or when needing some special kinds of fares (for example, sleeping car reservations) unavailable online. Ticket purchased online dont have to be printed: Its usually enough to show the pdf file to the conductor on a laptop or tablet screen. The main disadvantage when buying tickets on-line is the need to supply the travellers name and the number of a government-issued photo ID, such as a drivers license or a passport. The normal train ticket price on the D trains, always available even immediately prior to the departure, can be discouraging (roughly 1.40 K per km), but Czech Railways (D) offer plenty of discounts. Return tickets give you a 5 discount, and a group of travellers (even two travellers are considered as a group) is treated roughly as first person pays full price, others pay half price. Therefore, ask for skupinov sleva (group discount) andor zpten sleva (return discount). Regular travellers can use a D loyalty card . called In-karta IN25 5. for 150 K (3 months), 550 K (1 year) or 990 K (3 years). It offers a 25 discount for normal and return train tickets and 525 for the online tickets. Its price will pay for itself quickly. You have to fill in an application form at the ticket counter and provide a photograph. You will get a temporary paper card immediately and start using the discount. After three weeks you will get a plastic chip card. The complete list of discounts can be found at the D website . Note that on the route between Prague and Ostrava. you can choose between three competing railroad carriers: The national Czech Railways (operating both standard Ex and premium SC trains) and privately-held IC RegioJet and LeoExpress (LE) trains. Considering price, LE, Ex and IC trains are equivalent (about 295 K), while the SC trains cost usually about 100 K more. Speed-wise, SC is the fastest, followed closely by LE, while IC and Ex lag behind. The on-board service is better on the LE and IC trains. Travel tips Edit If you travel in a group on weekends, you can buy a Group weekend ticket 6 for unlimited travelling on Saturday or Sunday. It is valid for group up to 2 adults and 3 children. The pass is valid in all trains including IC and EC, but in SC you need to buy a seat reservation for additional 200 K (or less, for less-frequented times). The whole-network variant costs 600 K and regional variant costs 200 to 275 K. Buying online and printing the ticket yourself gives you a small discount of 3 and youll avoid the queue at the station. Although many train stations were repaired and modernized, the rest is still like a trip back in time to the communist era. There is no need to be afraid but try to avoid them in the late night hours. Trains are generally safe (there are regular police guards assigned for fast trains) and very popular mean of transport and they are widely used both by students and commuters. Therefore especially the principal rail axis Praha-Pardubice-Olomouc-Ostrava is crowded during peak times (Friday and Sunday afternoon) and seat reservation is recommended. Prague has a pretty good network of local trains connecting it with suburbs and surrounding cities called Esko (S-Bahn). The Prague public transport tickets (e. g. 32 K for 90 minutes) are valid on these trains ( Os and Sp category) for travel within the area of Prague. If you want to visit the dining car in the Czech Railways (esk drhy) train (the blue one), try to do so while the train is inside of the Czech Republic. While the train is in the Czech Republic, you can get some good and tasty meals (even traditional ones like Svkov) for around 150 K. If you order while the train is outside of the Czech Republic, you will be charged almost double the price. This is not scam, it is official policy of the company. Taking bikes or pets on the train Edit The basic ticket for bike costs 25 K for one train or 50 K for whole day. You load and unload your bike by yourself. Long-distance trains (with suitcase symbol in timetable) have a luggage wagon, where the train staff will care of your bike, but the ticket costs 30 K for one train or 60 K for a whole day. Some trains (with squared bike or suitcase symbol in timetable) require compulsory reservation for bikes for 15 K at counter or 100 K from train staff. Smaller pets in cages or bags may travel for free. Bigger dogs must have a muzzle and must be on a leash. Prices are 15 K one train or 30 K for whole day. By bicycle Edit The Czech Republic is an excellent place for cycling. There are lots of pleasant country lanes, cycling marked paths and picturesque villages along these paths (always with a pub. ), its easy to find the way, and the trains have bicycle racks in the baggage section for when you get tired. Try cycling in South Moravia region (close to Austrian borders) where you can find dozens of well-marked paths that will lead you through beautiful countryside full of vineyards, vine cellars and colourful villages. Also border mountains (Krkonoe, umava, Jesenky, etc.) are more and more popular among mountain-bikers. There are usually no fences along the trails but always keep to the roads or marked cycling paths here as these mountains are National ParksReserves and you can be fined if you cycle off the beaten track. CzechCycling. info 7 dead link is a non-profit website with cycling information for Prague and surrounding areas. Good source is also Mapy. cz 8 - switch the map (via Zmnit mapu - Turistick ) to see cycling routes in violet color. We Bike Prague offers different options of guided and self-guided bike in the Czech Republic. On foot Edit In addition to walking in the cities, there are a great number of hiking paths and scenery-rich trails going through the Czech Republics forests and natural areas, and the Czech Tourist Club (Klub eskch turist) 9 has mapped and marked these trails so that walkers can easily locate and navigate thousands of kilometres of scenic paths, in fact it is probably the best maintained system of marking in Europe. You can buy maps of their paths on their website 10. or in the Czech Republic in most bookstores, tobacco shops or museums (green maps, marked with the organizations symbol and the words EDICE TURISTICKCH MAP KT 1:50000 11 at the top). These maps are based on military maps and very accurate. Its also possible to go by train to a small village at the edge of a forest and find the on-site map of the surrounding area, and four possible paths will be visible, marked in red, yellow, green, and blue nice tourist maps 12. Nearby such a map will be a set of directing signs, usually posted to a tree, pointing the initial direction on any of the coloured paths. The paths colour will be marked on trees throughout the path: three short horizontal bars, the outer two white and the innermost the colour of the path youre on. This symbol at times will appear as an arrow, indicating a turn. Bus and train stops will also be indicated on signs. You can also register to become a member 13 of the Czech Tourist Club, where you can camp for 3050 K a night in cottages 14 around the Czech Republic. By thumb Edit Hitchhiking is very common and some drivers stop even on places where they shouldnt. Take care to use very a clear gesture with the thumb pointing upwards. A gesture looking like you are pointing to the ground may be mistaken for prostitution solicitation. As a word of advice, if you are hitch-hiking through the Czech Republic from the south to the German town of Dresden, never go to or past Prague unless you are in a ride going all the way to Dresden. Prague itself has no major and continuous beltway, so residents of the area must maneuver a ring of major and local roads to get around the city from south to north. Therefore the great majority of traffic you will encounter is going into the city. Past Prague, the major highway turns into a two-lane mountain road through local villages, in which again, the great majority of traffic is local and international travelers are hesitant to stop. Try a letter-sized (A4) piece of paper with the destination written on it so it is clearly visible where you would like to go. See some other Tips for hitchhiking . By thumb with pet Edit It is possible to hitch-hike with smaller dog, although waiting time will be longer. Expect another dog in the car. The main language spoken is, not surprisingly, Czech . The Slovak language can often be heard, as there is a sizable Slovak minority and both languages are mutually intelligible up to a certain point. Czech people are very proud of their language, and thus, even in Prague you will not find many signs written in English (outside of the main tourist areas). Many older people, especially outside the large cities, are also unable to converse in English, so its good to learn some Czech or Slovak before your arrival. However, most young people speak at least some English, as it has been taught in most schools since 1990. Most Czechs speak a second and often a third language. English is the most widely known, especially among younger people. German is probably the most widely spoken second language among older people. Russian was compulsory in all schools under communist rule, so most people born before c. 1975 speak at least some Russian (and often pretty well). However the connection with the communist era and the Soviet-led invasion in 1968 (and todays Russian-speaking criminal gangs) has given this language some negative connotations. It is also not very useful with younger people, as it is not, despite the common misconception, mutually intelligible with Czech (beyond some similar words and simple sentences), and has largely been supplanted by English as the foreign language of choice. Other languages, like French or Spanish, are also taught in some schools, but you should not count on it. People may also understand some basic words or simple sentences in other Slavic languages (Polish, Bulgarian, Serbo-Croatian, etc.) The Czech and Slovak languages are very difficult for English-speakers to grasp, as they, like their sisters, can be tongue-twisting languages to learn (especially Czech) and take time and practice to master, especially if youre not really familiar with the other Slavic languages, including Russian. However, if you can learn the alphabet (and the corresponding letters with accents), then pronunciation is easy as it is always the same - Czechs and Slovaks pronounce every letter of a word, with the stress falling on the first syllable. The combination of consonants in some words may seem mind-bogglingly hard, but it is worth the effort The Czech language has many local dialects, especially in Moravia. Some dialects are so different that they can sometimes be misunderstood even by a native Czech speaker from a different region. However all Czech people understand the standard Czech (as spoken in TV, written in newspapers and taught in schools) and should be able to speak it (but some are too proud to stop using their local dialect). Some of them are even unable to speak standard Czech but write it correctly. The vocabularies of Czech and Slovak are similar, with occasional words not understood. The younger generation born after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia is growing apart in the two separate countries, and they have problems understanding one another. Money Edit Exchange rates for Czech koruny (K) As of January 2017: Exchange rates fluctuate. Current rates for these and other currencies are available from XE Czech koruna banknotes The currency of the Czech republic is the koruna (crown), plural koruny or korun . denoted by the symbol K (ISO code: CZK ). THe ISO code is often used internationally and locally, but the local symbol is K (for Koruna esk ). However, you will more often see amounts just chalked up like 37,- without K added at all. One koruna is made up of 100 hal (hal) . but coins have only been issued in whole koruna values since October 2008. Coins are issued in 1 K, 2 K, 5 K (all stainless steel), 10 K (copper-coloured), 20 K (brass-coluored) and 50 K (copper-coloured ring, brass-coloured centre) denominations. Notes are issued in 100 K (aqua), 200 K (orange), 500 K (red), 1000 K (purple), 2000 K (olive green) and 5000 K (green-purple). See some banknote samples 15. Be aware that all 20 K and 50 K banknotes, hal coins, and older-style 1000 K and 5000 K banknotes from 1993 are not legal tender. Some major stores (mainly bigger chains) will accept euros, and its also fairly common for accommodation providers to quote the price in euros. At shopping areas along the Austrian border and petrol stations in the whole country change is given in euros, but supermarkets and similar stores in downtown Prague (and probably other cities) return only K, even though they accept euros. Currency exchange Edit Never exchange money on the street. Also, if youre in Prague, dont exchange it in the tourist-oriented exchange offices. The real exchange rate you should be looking for can be found here 16. There is no black market with better rates, but there is a good chance youll end up with a roll of worthless paper. Be very careful when you are exchanging money at a small exchange kiosk. They try to use tricks in order to give you a bad exchange rate. Ask for the total amount you will get and recompute it by yourself. Do not trust 0 commission in big letter signs (often there is an only when selling CZK amendment in small letters, and buying koruny still includes a commission). On this 17 website you can get good overview of reliable exchange places and rates. Generally, exchange offices at airports, rail stations and main tourist streets do not offer a good rate. Local people exchange money in exchange offices in less frequented areas, such as around the Politickch vz, Opletalova or Kaprova streets. In some cases, one can get a better rate by using ATMs instead of changing cash. In a pinch, you can also try a bank such as esk spoitelna - there will be a small commission but the rates are much better than those in the tourist trap exchange offices. Major stores throughout the country accept Visa and ECMC, as do all the tourist stores in Prague. Tipping Edit Although it is customary to tip in the Czech Republic, it has very little to do with the size of the bill, and more to do with a sign of appreciation. It is common to round up the bill by a few crowns to make it even. Away from places regularly visited by foreigners, leaving a tip on a table after a meal at a restaurant is not the usual practice locals may even object to it. Tipping in tourist restaurants is a standard 10, and is not normally added to the bill. Dont be confused by the percentage figures listed at the bottom of the bill - by Czech law, a receipt must show the VAT paid (21 in most cases) - the VAT is already included in the final amount, and you should add 10 to this. It is normal practice to give the waiter the tip before you leave the table. Tipping is not obligatory - if you werent satisfied with services offered, dont bother tipping. UNESCO sites Edit Krkonoe NP umava NP Bohemian Switzerland NP Podyj NP Protected Landscape Areas Edit Others Edit The Macocha Caves . north of Brno, are definitely worth a visit. You can take a guided tour into the caves, which will take you through a myriad of winding tunnels, with close up views of stalactites and stalagmites. The tour ends with a boat ride on an underground river. The Battle of Austerlitz - Slavkovsk bojit is one of the most important events in the history of Europe in the 19th century. Technical museum in Brno (nice and modern) Lakes under Palava (mountains). This lakes are actually river dams but good for sailing and fishing (you must have fishing license) its full of big fishes. Mikulice archaeological site, site of the former capital of the Great Moravian Empire (c. 900 AD). Hiking Edit Czech Republic has an excellent and sophisticated system of trail blazing, marked trails are about everywhere. Choose an area, buy a hiking map for the area (best brand is Klub eskch turist, 1:50000 military based maps covering the whole country, available in most large bookstores) and go. Marked trails can also be seen on online maps 18 . Swimming Edit Many places in the Czech Republic are great for swimming, and there are many designated public swimming areas (called koupalit). A list of places suitable for swimming is available here: 19. However, be aware that in hot weather the quality of the water in some places can fall below EU standard regulations. Nudismnaturism Edit Although the Czech Republic is a land-locked country, it does have a lot of nudistnaturist beaches near lakes. A full list is available here: 20. Full nudity on other beaches is legal, but rare, and usually only happens in non-crowded places. In a vast majority of better restaurants located in major cities you can pay by credit card (ECMC, VISA), but dont be surprised if a few will not accept them. Make sure to check the door for respective card logos when entering the restaurant or ask the waiter before ordering. Czechs sometimes use special meal tickets ( stravenky ) to pay in some restaurants - these are tax-preferred and subsidised by employers. You wont get these tickets unless you get a job in the Czech Republic, just dont be surprised when you see them. Traditional local food Edit Traditional Czech food is hearty and suitable after a hard day in the fields. It is heavy and quite fatty, and is excellent in the winter. In the recent time there was a tendency towards more light food with more vegetables, now the traditional heavy and fatty Czech food is usually not eaten everyday and some people avoid it entirely. However nothing goes as well with the excellent Czech beer as some of the best examples of the traditional Czech cuisine, like pork, duck, or goose with knedlky (dumplings) and sauerkraut. A traditional main meal of a day (usually lunch) consists of two or three dishes. The first dish is hot soup (polvka). The second dish is the most important part, very often based on some meat and side-dish (both served on the same plate). The third, optional part is either something sweet (and coffee) or small vegetable salad or something similar. Czech cuisine knows many different kinds of soup (polvka) . The most common are bramboraka - potato soup (sometimes with forest mushrooms), hovz vvar - clear beef soup (sometimes s jtrovmi knedlky - with liver dumplings), gulovka - thick goulash soup, zelaka - thick and sour cabbage soup, esneka (strong garlic soup, very healthy and tasty, but do not eat this before kissing), kulajda - thick soup with forest mushrooms and milk, hrkov polvka from young green peas, okov polvka from lentils, fazolaka from beans, rajsk polvka - tomato soup, and many others. A special case not to everyones tastes is drkov polvka (tripe soup). Ryb polvka - thick fish soup made from carps (including its head, some innards, roe and sperm) is the traditional soup of the Christmas Dinner. Some soups are eaten with bread, sometimes small croutons are put inside the soup just before eating. Soup can be also eaten as the only dish, especially for a smaller dinner. The second dish (main course, hlavn jdlo) of a meal is (in the traditional cuisine) often the famous heavy and fatty part, very often based on pork . but also beef . chicken . duck . or other meat. Important part of most main courses is side-dish (the whole dish including the side-dish is served on one plate) - usually cooked or baked potatoes, fries, rice, pasta or the most typical side-dish of the Czech cuisine - knedlky . Knedlky (usually translated as dumplings ) come in many different kinds. Most kinds are used as side-dish, however some kinds with filling are used as dish by itself. The most common type, always used as side-dish, are houskov knedlky ( bread dumplings ). These are cooked in a shape of a cylinder, which is then cut into round slices about 8 cm in diameter remotely resembling white bread. Houskov knedlky are served with Czech classics such as gul . similar to Hungarian goulash but with a thinner sauce and less spicy Svkov na smetan . beef sirloin with a creamy root vegetable (carrot, celeriac, parsnip) sauce, served with a tablespoon of cranberry sauce, a slice of orange and whipped cream Vepov peen se zelm a knedlkem locally named as Vepo-knedlo-zelo . the combination of roast pork, knedlky and sauerkraut. The latter combines very well with the world-famous Czech beer, the major brands being Pilsner Urquell, Gambrinus, Budvar, Staropramen, Velkopopovick Kozel and Kruovice. If you are lucky enough to enter a pub serving Svijany, you should definitely order it, as it is believed to be one of the most delicious brands worldwide. Another common kind is bramborov knedlky ( potato dumplings ), the slices are smaller, more yellow in color, and are also always served as a side-dish. A typical combination is roasted meet (pork or lamb for example) with spinach and bramborov knedlky or duck with sauerkraut and bramborov knedlky (or combination of bramborov and houskov knedlky). Less common are chlupat knedlky ( hairy dumplings . but there are no hairs, dont panic), which are not sliced but cooked in shape of balls. They are also usually served with roasted meat and either sauerkraut or spinach. Other Czech dishes include peen kachna . roast duck again served with bread or potato dumplings, and red and white sauerkraut moravsk vrabec . known as Moravian Sparrow, but which is in fact pork cooked in garlic and onions smaen kapr . fried carp breaded and served with a very rich potato salad and eaten on Christmas Eve peen vepov koleno . roast pork knee, served with mustard and fresh horseradish brambork . garlicky potato pancakes smaen sr . breaded deep-fried edam (the most popular cheese in the Czech Republic) served with boiled potatoes or french fries and tartar sauce prek v rohlku . long, thin hot dogs with crusty rolls and mustard or ketchup. If you must, you can always get hranolky - french fries. And of course, the ubiquitous zel (raw cabbage), which is served with absolutely everything. Game is also very good, and includes dishes such as kan . wild boar, baant . pheasant and jelen or da . both types of venison. These are almost always served either with dumplings and red and white cabbage, or as gul. Dont expect a wide selection of zelenina . vegetables, unless in the countryside - peppers, tomatoes and cabbage are the most commonly-seen side dishes, often served as a small garnish. Visitors may be surprised when they find American potatoes on the menu. These are actually potato wedges, usually spiced. Meals you usually dont get in restaurants Edit Generally, probably the best place to really try the Czech cuisine is to be invited for such a meal to somebodys home. However, it is not so easy, because people today tend to prepare simpler and more international foods. Traditional Czech cuisine is often reserved to Sundays or some holidays or prepared by old grandma when her children visit her. This is not a rule, but it is a common situation. In common restaurants, even the better ones, the traditional Czech food usually does not match what the old granny serves. This does not mean that the food is bad or not tasty, but it is missing something that the home preparation can provide. In luxurious restaurants specialized in Czech cuisine, the food can be excellent, but the luxurious style and creative improvements by the chef often do not match the style of the old granny. Again, this is not a hard rule. Sometimes you can compliment the food in a restaurant as if my grandma prepared it. There are some dishes that are usually not served in any restaurants or pubs, are usually made at home and are worth trying if you have the opportunity. Brambory na loupaku (potatoes to be peeled) is a cheap and simple meal usually made in the countryside. Whole unpeeled potatoes are cooked in a big pot and put in the pot itself or a bowl on the table. You just take a hot potato from the pot, peel it yourself, put some salt, butter, andor curd (tvaroh) on it and eat it. Drink it down with lot of cold milk. For such a simply meal it can be incredibly tasty, especially when eaten in the countryside after a day spent outside and chatting over it. Picking mushrooms in forests is a very popular activity in the Czech Republic. Probably not surprisingly, collected mushrooms are eaten then. In restaurants, usually only cultivated mushrooms are used. If forest mushrooms are served in a restaurant, then usually only as a minor addition to a meal. Homemade mushroom meals are a completely different story. A classic example is Smaenice (the name is based on the verb smait - to fry), also known as mchanice (to mix) - forest mushrooms, the more kinds the better, are sliced to small pieces, mixed and stewed (with some fat, onion, and caraway). Later, eggs are added to the mixture. Smaenice is served with bread. Smaen bedly are whole caps of parasol mushrooms coated in breadcrumbs and fried. ern kuba (literally black jimmy ) is a traditional Christmas fasting meal made from dried mushrooms and peeled barley. Houbov omka (mushroom sauce), served with meat and bread dumplings is also popular. Fresh or dried mushrooms make also a nice addition to bramboraka s houbami (potato soup with mushrooms). Kulajda is a soup from mushrooms and cream. Soups and sauces are the most likely forest mushroom meals to find in a restaurant, because they contain relatively small amount of mushrooms. If you want to pick mushrooms by yourself, be careful. There are hundreds of species, some of them very tasty, some merely edible, but some poisonous or even deadly. There is also a species used as a hallucinogenic drug. A tasty and edible species may look very similar to a deadly species. If you do not know mushrooms very well, you should be accompanied by an experienced mushroom-picker. Beer snacks Edit Also try traditional beer snacks, often the only food served in some pubs (hospoda, pivnice), and designed to be washed down by a good beer: Utopenec - (means drowned man in Czech) a pickled sausage with onion, garlic and other vegetables and spices. Zavin - (rollmop) a slice of pickled fish, most often herring or mackerel, rolled-up and filled with various pickled vegetables (sauerkraut, onion, sometimes carrot or pepper). Tlaenka s cibul - (brawn with onion) a slice of haggis-like meat pudding, sprinkled with vinegar and garnished with fresh onion slices. Beware, can be rather acidic due to vinegar. Nakldan Hermeln - pickled Brie-like cheese. often marinated with garlic and chilli. Pivn sr - beer cheese - a soft cheese, with a strong, Cheddar-like flavour. You should add a splash of beer to the cheese, and then mash it all together, and serve it on traditional Czech bread - umava (the name of a region in South Bohemia) is the most common bread, a very tasty dense loaf made from rye and carroway seeds. Tvarky or Syreky - traditional cheese with a very strong aroma, and very much an acquired taste. Often served deep-fried, but can be eaten alone, just with some chopped onion, mustard and bread. Sometimes also marinated in beer (syreky v pivu). This cheese naturally contains almost no fat (less than 1). Romadur - traditional cheese with strong aroma. Aroma is similar to Tvarky, but Romadur is different type of cheese. Matesy s cibul - (soused herring) cold fish served with onions. If you want a warm, bigger, and more complicated meal which goes excellently with beer, get some of the typical Czech meals based on fatty meat (pork, duck, or goose) with sauerkraut and knedlky (dumplings). Another excellent option is a whole pork knee with horseradish and bread ( ovarov koleno s kenem ). Sweets Edit Czechs like sweets but consumer patterns are different compared to France, USA or the UK. As everywhere some traditional treats have become a mass-market production for tourists, others are pretty difficult to find. On the street Edit Lzesk oplatky - spa wafers from Marinsk Lzn and Karlovy Vary (major spa towns in Western Bohemia, better known by their German names of Marienbad and Karlsbad) are meant to be eaten while taking the waters at a spa, but theyre good on their own, too. Other major spas are Karlova Studnka (favourite destination of Vclav Havel - former Czechoslovakian president), Frantikovy Lzn, Jnsk Lzn, Karvin, Teplice and Luhaovice. You will find them most easily not only in spa resorts but also in Prague. Have them either out of the box on your own or heated and iced with sugar, cinnamon, etc.. Trdlo or trdelnk - is available in dedicated sell-points in the streets of Prague. It is a mediaeval style sweet roll made from eggs and flour. In restaurants Edit Jablkov zvin or trdl . apple strudel, often served warm with whipped cream. Medovnk - a newcomer having quickly spread in most restaurants. A brown high cake made of gingerbread, honey and walnuts. Ovocn knedlky - fruit stuffed dumplings served either as main course or a filling dessert. The smaller ones (tvarohov) come with plum, apple or apricot filling, the bigger ones (kynut) come with strawberries, blueberries, povidla (plum jam) or toher fruits. Knedlky are served with melted butter, iced with tvaroh (curd cheese) and sugar, and topped with whipped cream. Palainka - not much in common with French crepes, these pancakes are usually thicker and served with a wide choice of fillings including chocolate, ice-cream, fruit and whipped cream. Cukrrna Edit Also try the wide variety of rich cream cakes usually found in a Kavrna (a cafe), or a Cukrrna (a shop which sells all things sweet together with ice cream and drinks, found throughout the Czech Republic and often the only place open in small towns and villages on Sundays). Czech cakes are similar to their Viennese cousins due to the shared history of both countries under the Austro-Hungarian empire. Also sample Vdesk kva (Viennese coffee), coffee served with a mountain of whipped cream. Rakvika (literally a little coffin ) is a light crispy biscuit with cream, Vtrnk is a round French clair style cream cake, Punk is a rum soaked yellowpink biscuit sugar-glazed cake, Laskonka is a coconut and cream based sandwich cake, and many more Home made Edit