Basic facts on Prague and Czech Republic
Population: 10.3 million
Area: 78 866 km2
Capital: Prague 1.21 million inhabitants
Those who would like to get acquainted with one of the most beautiful countries in Europe should not miss the Czech Republic - a beautiful country situated in the very heart of Europe.
The number of foreign visitors to the Czech Republic has been increasing sharply over the last several years. Many come back after their first visit, to enjoy together with others all that the Czech Republic has to offer. The main advantage of the Czech Republic is the wealth, diversity and accessibility of cultural, historical and natural places of interest, all concentrated in a relatively small space that boast very serviceable standards of accommodation and dining facilities.
Complete information about Czech Republic is available at the official website of the Czech Republic at www.czech.cz or www.czechtourism.cz.
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. Prague, often called "Golden" or "Hundred-spired", belongs among 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 has 1,200,000 inhabitants and stretches over approximately 500 square kilometers. The dominant feature of the city is Prague Castle, which houses the gothic St. Vitus 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.
Prague has a designated UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage area of more than 8 sq km, over 100 theatres, concert halls, galleries etc.
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. Sklodowski - Curie etc...). 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 bring together scientists and business people from all over the world.
Complete information about Prague is available at the official website of Prague at www.cityofprague.cz.
The official currency of the Czech Republic is the Czech Crown = Česká koruna (CZK = Kč). Exchange of foreign currency is available at Prague international Airport and at most hotels, banks and exchange offices throughout the city. International credit cards are accepted for payments in hotels, restaurants and shops. Payment in cash in EUR is also available in some restaurants and shops, please ask for details on-site.
You can find the official exchange rates on the website of the Czech National Bank at www.cnb.cz.
The Czech Republic uses a 230 volt 50 Hz system, sockets have the European standard and plugs are three-prong grounded.
The organizers do not accept responsibility for individual medical, travel or personal insurance. All participants are strongly advised to make their own personal insurance before travelling to the congress.
Visitors from non-EU Countries must posses a passport valid for at least the next 3 months. Participants requiring a visa should apply immediately to a consular office or a diplomatic mission of the Czech Republic in their country in order to avoid a delayed arrival to the congress. If visa is required, please find the address of the Czech embassy in your country on the website: http://www.mzv.cz/wwwo/mzv/default.asp?id=25931&ido=7306&idj=2&amb=1. Please note that the visa application procedure can take approximately up to two months. It is not possible to obtain visa at the Prague Airport.
The Congress Secretariat will send you on request an invitation letter to be used for this purpose. An invitation letter can be sent also if your institution requires it.
For more information about traveling to the Czech Republic, please visit web site www.czech.cz or http://www.mzv.cz/wwwo/mzv/default.asp?id=25931&ido=7306&idj=2&amb=1.
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. More information about Prague public transport you can find on web pages www.dpp.cz.
The Czech Republic is on Central European Time – Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) plus 1 hour. From April to October is summer time, i.e. GMT + 2 hours.
Summer weather in Prague can be quite hot in at the beginning of August with temperatures above 25 °C with possibility of some thunderstoms and rains. The current weather conditions you can find at www.weather.com.
Free wi-fi connection will be available at the public and congress areas at the Clarion Congress Hotel for all registered participants.
The official language of ICMP Congress 2009 will be English, no simultaneous translation will be provided.
The organizers cannot assume liability for any changes in the programme due to external or unforeseen circumstances.
Even though at all hotels, most shops and restaurants in Prague English is frequently spoken, we include a few basic Czech words and sentences that can be useful during your stay in Prague.
| Slovník | Vocabulary | Kolik to stoji? | How much is it? |
| Ahoj! | Hello! | Nechces jit na pivo? | Would you like to go for a beer? |
| Dobry den! | Good day! | Pivo | beer |
| Dobry vecer! | Good evening! | Jeden | one |
| Dobrou noc! | Good night! | Dva | two |
| Jak se mate? | How are you? | Tri | three |
| Mam se dobre. | I am fine. | Deset | ten |
| Dekuji. | Thank you. |