The Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a democratic state. Its government is divided into three branches – the legislative, represented by the Parliament, the executive, represented by the president and the government, and the judicial, represented by courts at various levels. The parliament consists of two chambers – the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. The head of state is the President, elected every five years. The Czech Republic is member of many important world organizations such as OSN and NATO.

Our territory has been inhabited by Slavonic tribes since the 5th century AD. The first Slavonic state was Sámo’s Empire. The Great Moravian Empire was formed in the 9th century. After the fall of the Empire in 907, the centre of power was transferred from Moravia to Bohemia, under the Přemyslids. Since 1002 it was formally recognized as part of Holy Roman Empire. In 1212 the duchy was raised to a kingdom and during the rule of Přemyslid dukes/kings and their successors, the Luxembourgs, the country reached its greatest territorial extent (13th –14th century). The first part of 15th century is marked by the Hussite Movement. Following the Battle of Mohács in 1526, the Kingdom of Bohemia was gradually integrated into the Habsburg monarchy as one of its three principal parts, alongside the Archduchy of Austria and the Kingdom of Hungary. The Bohemian Revolt (1618–20) defeated in the Battle of White Mountain, led to the further centralization of the monarchy including forced recatholization and Germanization. With the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the Bohemian kingdom became part of the Austrian Empire. In the 19th century the Czech lands became the industrial powerhouse of the monarchy and the core of the Republic of Czechoslovakia which was formed in 1918, following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after WWI. After the Munich Agreement and German occupation of Czechoslovakia during WWII, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia won the majority in the 1946 elections. In the 1948 coup d'état, Czechoslovakia became a communist-ruled state. In 1968, the increasing dissatisfaction culminated in attempts to reform the communist regime. The events, known as the Prague Spring of 1968, ended with an invasion by the armies of the Warsaw Pact countries; the troops remained in the country until the 1989 Velvet Revolution, when the communist regime collapsed. On 1 January 1993, Czechoslovakia peacefully dissolved into its constituent states, the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic.

Because of the state’s long and eventful history, there are numerous castles, palaces and places of interest presenting different architectural styles. Some of them have been listed as UNESCO sights and are under the protection of this international organisation.

The Historical centre of Prague (listed in 1992). The top Czech destination, Prague, leads the list with monuments such as Prague Castle, St. Vitus Cathedral and Charles Bridge.

The Historical centre of Český Krumlov (1992). This popular tourist attraction boasts a castle and chateauxcomplex and a well‑preserved historical centre. The aristocratic families of Vítkovci and Rožmberkové are connected to the town’s history and its Rennaissance look. The town