35 facts about the Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is the birthplace of Franz Kafka and the country that elected the writer-playwright Vaclav Havel as its first president. As you can see, thinkers and masters of words are loved here. But these are not all interesting facts about the Czech Republic.

1. The Czech Republic is the birthplace of robots, but not because they live there. The fact is that the word "robot" was invented by the Czech writer Karl Czapek: he used it in his play to describe creatures that did not have a soul and were able to do all the work that people did not want to do themselves.

2. Prague is the only major city in Europe that was not bombed during the Second World War, so many buildings in the historic center have been preserved in the same form in which they were erected. Some of them were built during the Middle Ages!

3. The Czech Republic ranks seventh in the world ranking of the safest countries. When evaluating various factors were taken into account, such as social situation, tolerance, economic stability, psychological state of local residents, presence arts and cultural events; and quality of life.

4. Czechs are crazy about mushrooms. The only thing they love more than mushrooms is to pick them. If on St. Wenceslas Day (celebrated at the end of September) the city is empty, it is only because all its inhabitants are picking mushrooms in the forest.

5. Despite the abundance of churches in cities and small villages, the Czech Republic is one of the least religious countries in the world. About 80% of Czechs consider themselves atheists or have not decided on their religion.

6. The first major Hollywood blockbuster shot in Prague was a film starring Tom Cruise - Mission Impossible. Other famous films were also filmed in the Czech capital: The Illusionist, Yentl, Les Miserables (1998 version) and Casino Royale.

7. In Písek there is the oldest bridge in the Czech Republic - it is 900 years old!

8. Prague was the seat of the Roman emperor during the reign of Charles IV and one of the largest cities in the Holy Roman Empire.

9. In the Czech Republic, several ossuaries were found - chapels and caves, where skeletonized remains of people are kept. One of them is located in the Church of St. James, and it is the second largest ossuary in Europe after the catacombs in Paris.

10. In Krasno, you can visit the stone observation tower Spirálovitá Rozhledna with a spiral external staircase. It is one of the most unusual observation towers in the entire country, offering stunning views of the Czech countryside.

11. Prague Castle - the largest castle in the world: 570 m long and 128 m wide. That's more than seven soccer fields combined! Now in this castle is the residence of the President of the Czech Republic, and earlier it was inhabited by Czech kings and Roman emperors.

12. There is a strange but unique Museum of Hygiene in Prague. It houses an unusual collection of over 2,000 chamber pots and toilets, including a Titanic toilet seat.

13. In the Czech Republic, there is a Gothic church in the city of Most, which has been completely relocated almost 2 km from its original location so that brown coal can be mined freely.

14. The Czech Republic has the highest density of castles in the world. Experience medieval charm by visiting over 2,000 castles across the country.

15. Refined sugar was invented in Czech Moravia by Jakub Krishtof Rad (patented in 1843), to the delight of tea lovers all over the world.

16. The Czechs also invented the first grounded lightning rod, a screw propeller, a modern compass, photo prints and soft contact lenses.

17. The Prague Astronomical Clock was installed in 1410, making it the third oldest street clock in the world and the oldest still in operation. They are impressive! On the dial, you can find your zodiac sign, and at the same time watch the eerie statues that move every hour.

18. Czech handmade crystal is famous all over the world. Craftsmen today use the same techniques as their ancestors 600 years ago!

19. Jan Jansky, a Czech neurologist, was the first to divide human blood into four groups, thus paving the way for donation and typing.

20. There is a John Lennon wall in Prague. Graffiti is constantly changing on it, and it is located in the Mala Strana region. In the past, it was called the “wailing wall,” and protesters of the time used it to write political messages.

21. Founded at the end of the 9th century, the Czech state was first known as the Bohemian Duchy within the Great Moravian Empire. This state was at the peak of prosperity and power in the XIII-XIV centuries.

22. The Czech Republic is famous not only for its crystal, but also for its pomegranate. This gem is very common, because there are garnet mines in the country. Jewelry can be bought everywhere, including in city markets.

23. There is an architectural wonder in Prague - the Dancing House, designed by architects Vlad Milunich and Frank D. Gehry. This is an architectural metaphor for the famous dancing couple - Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. The building houses office space and a hotel.

24. Charles University in Prague, founded in 1348, is one of the oldest permanent educational institutions in the world. According to the 2006 World University Rankings, it is the leading university in Eastern Europe.

25. Czechs are the third nation that has been in space. In 1978, the first Czech cosmonaut Vladimir Remek flew aboard the Soviet Soyuz spacecraft.

26. Czech Republic is a country with one of the longest systems of marked footpaths. There are more than 80,000 kilometers of them, which is twice the circumference of the Earth.

27. Speaking of space, the first piece of music performed on the lunar surface was the Symphony of the New World by the Czech composer Antonín Dvořák.

28. There are over 250,000 words in the Czech language, more than in Russian, French or Arabic. And this language is the only one in the world that uses the letter "Ř" (pronounced as "rzh" or "rsh", depending on the location in the word).

29. The Czech Republic has the most extensive network of public libraries in the world. Globally, Czechs are also very avid readers: on average, every citizen of this country reads 13 books a year.

30. The national sport in the Czech Republic is hockey. The Czech national team is the only team to have won the ice hockey world championships three times: in 1999, 2000 and 2001. The Czech Republic also won the ice hockey tournament at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano.

31. The deepest underwater cave in the world - Hranická propast - is located in the Czech Republic, not far from the Moravian city of Hranice, in the Olomouc region. The cave is at least 473 meters deep, but some cavers claim that it is actually more than twice as deep!

32. Exhibitions of dolls and puppets are very popular in the Czech Republic both among children and adults, and doll festivals are held all over the country every year. The Puppet Museum in Prague hosts daily shows and has the largest collection in the world.

33. The Czech Republic is famous for its numerous resort towns, especially on the border with Saxony (Germany). The most famous of them are Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad), Frantiskovy Lazne (Franzensbad) and Teplitz.

34. Czech Republic is a real paradise for people who love parks and gardens. There are 25 protected landscape areas and four national parks, not to mention deciduous and coniferous forests.

35. The Czechs have a very interesting flag, symbolizing the national traits of the people: white indicates a peaceful Czech character, red symbolizes courage, valor and patriotism of the nation, and blue personifies truth, loyalty and perseverance.

36. The Czech Republic has an impressive architectural heritage: 12 UNESCO sites are located here, including the historical center of Prague, Telc and Cesky Krumlov, as well as the village of Holašovice.

37. The Czech capital is called the city of hundreds of spiers. If you look at the rooftops of Prague, you will understand why. Today there are about 500 spiers in the city, and the tallest of them (109 meters) is the City Tower.

38. The Czech Republic has a unique house numbering system in which it is easy for a foreigner to get confused. Each building has red and blue signs. The red ones are the numbers assigned by the administration to the houses (depending on the year of construction and the social significance of the house), and the blue ones (indicative and optional) are the numbering of houses on the street in order.

39. The Czech Republic is almost completely surrounded by mountains (with the exception of the south, towards Austria and Slovakia). The mountains are a natural border with Germany and Poland.

40. The Czech Republic has its own port in the German city of Hamburg. The Czechs have rented an area called Moldauhafen for 100 years, and this agreement expires in 2028.