Due to the wars in Europe for hundreds of years, the names of the countries in the region change frequently. One of them is the Czech Republic. The country, which was called Czechoslovakia for many years, changed its name to Czech Republic and later to Czechia. The Czech Republic is an interesting country because it’s small, in Central Europe and doesn’t even have a coastline, but it’s still a popular tourist destination.
When the Czech Republic is mentioned, of course, we all think of Prague because this city is both the capital and the largest city in the country. Of course, the country does not only consist of the capital. For the curious traveller, every city in the country is filled with countless natural and cultural beauties waiting to be discovered. So it is more or less understandable why tourists love this place so much. Let’s take a closer look at interesting information about the Czech Republic and get to know this country a little better.
Information about the Czech Republic (Czech Republic):
- If you are asking why the name of the Czech Republic has changed, there is a simple answer.
- Wherever you turn your head in the country, you encounter a castle.
- You never need to be nervous while walking on the street.
- The narrowest street in the world is in the Czech Republic.
- If you want to learn a little Czech before you go, we say don’t bother.
- If you want to live in the Czech Republic, your first choice should not be Prague.
- One of the oldest traditions of the country is collecting mushrooms.
- The country’s sports habits are a little different.
- It would not be wrong to say that the Czech Republic does not have a food culture.
If you are asking why the name of the Czech Republic has changed, there is a simple answer:
The Czechs, a Slavic people who migrated to Central Europe in the 5th century, established their own kingdom in the 9th century. This state, called Bohemia, lived under the auspices of many different empires for hundreds of years. After the First World War, more than one country united and became Czechoslovakia.
Slovakia, which was part of Czechoslovakia during the Second World War, was first separated and then reunited. In 1993, the countries were separated and the Czech Republic was established. In 2016, the name of the country was changed to Czechia. According to a statement from the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the reason for this name change is to make the name easier to pronounce in every language. One is waiting for a bigger political crisis or something, right?
Wherever you turn your head in the country, you encounter a castle:
The Czech Republic is one of the countries with the most castles in Europe. There are more than 2,000 historical castles in the country. Orlik Castle, Hluboka castle and Karlstejn Castle are the most famous ones, but Prague Castle holds a world record. Prague Castle, which is used as a government building today, has the title of being the largest castle in the world with an area of 70,000 square meters. The castle is a building from the Bohemian Kingdom period.
You never need to be nervous while walking on the street:
Let’s face it, when we walk around a Central European country, they don’t have pockets, and we get nervous if someone has stolen something. If you are traveling in the Czech Republic, you do not need to experience such anxiety because this is one of the safest countries in the world. According to the Global Peace Index’s 2021 figures, the Czech Republic is the 9th safest country in the world. Of course, there are no refugees in the country, they are relieved.
The narrowest street in the world is in the Czech Republic:
Of course, we do not know if they have ever visited the side streets of Mardin, but Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, has the narrowest street in the world. The width of this 10-meter street is only 50 cm. Today this passage is used as the entrance staircase of a restaurant. The street is so narrow that a light has been put on. The person who will enter the street, presses the light button, signals that no one should pass from the other side and enters the street. If you accidentally bump into someone, there isn’t even enough room to give way. Our broad-shouldered brothers should think twice before entering.
If you want to learn a little Czech before you go, we say don’t bother:
The official language of the Czech Republic is Czech. Spoken by 12 million people around the world, this language is considered one of the most difficult languages in the world. It’s not us, but the instructors of the United States Foreign Service Institute, who are tasked with teaching foreign languages to diplomats. If you know Russian or Polish, your job is a little easier, but if we compare it with English, you need to eat forty ovens of bread to say I learned Czech.
If you want to live in the Czech Republic, your first choice should not be Prague:
Of course, if you are going to the Czech Republic as a tourist, you should definitely go to the capital Prague and visit there. However, as can be expected, Prague, which is a tourism city, is one of the most expensive cities not only in the country but also in the world. If your goal is to move and live in this country, your choice should be Havirov. Havirov, whose cost of living is about 750 dollars per month, is one of the youngest cities in the country, which was founded after the Second World War.
One of the country’s oldest traditions is collecting mushrooms:
The Czech Republic is a mushroom paradise. There are 35 types of edible mushrooms growing in the country. So much so that even if you go to a park to take a walk, you can come across delicious mushrooms on the right and left. It is even considered a tradition. The mushroom, called the meat of the poor, is collected by Czech families and used in many different dishes. Of course, let’s not mislead, there are countless poisonous mushrooms as well as edible ones. Don’t risk it if you’re not with someone who knows.
The country’s sports habits are a little different:
Football and basketball, the most popular sports in the world, are not very popular among Czechs. If you ask what are these people watching, the answer is ice hockey. The Czech Republic, which joined the International Ice Hockey Federation in 1908, has both a successful ice hockey team and this sport is loved by the people. Another favorite sport in the country is tennis. The Prague Open Tennis Tournament is one of the most watched events in the world. Many world-renowned female and male tennis players emerged from the country.
It would not be wrong to say that the Czech Republic does not have a food culture:
Of course, every country has some unique food traditions, but it would not be wrong to say that there is no special dish that you must go to the Czech Republic and eat. Czechs refer to a kind of menu called Vepřo Knedlo Zelo, consisting of pork, ravioli and sauerkraut. Considering that the Czech Republic is the most beer-drinking country in the world, we think that they prefer to have a snack with a drink rather than a meal.
We talked about the extraordinary information, some of which you have heard for the first time, about the Czech Republic, one of the countries that attract the most tourists in Central Europe. The fact that this not-so-characteristic country is one of the world’s largest tourism centers is a real marketing success.