Since time immemorial, the Czech lands have been the crossroads of European cultures.

Bohemia the official name of region is derived from Celtic tribe Boii; who were the first inhabitants of the place we are now call Bohemia. There is also definitive evidence that the area also was once occupied by the Slavs in the 6th century A.D. The long history of Bohemia and Moravia can be traced through Samo´s empire, the Great Moravian empire, the reign of the Premysl´s, the Luxemburg and Habsburg dynasties, the Catholic expansion leading to the Thirty year war, the decline of the Austro-Hungarian empire up to birth of the Czechoslovakia Republic led by the first president, Tomas Garigue Masaryk. After surviving German occupation and forty years of communist rule, the Czech Republic is now experiencing yet another stage of transition, this time to a completely restructured free-market. 

The Czech Republic, among the youngest in the family of European countries, was born on January 1st,  1993, when the Czechoslovak Federal Republic split into two independent states, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Since May, 2004, the Czech Republic has been a member of the European Union ; it has been a full-fledged NATO member since 2002.  (The country has not adopted the Euro yet, however, and still uses its national currency, the Czech crown.)

Besides Prague, which is a must for every tourist, the Czech Republic has eight other locations that are on the UNESCO list of the world cultural and natural heritage. The beautiful countryside is profoundly reflected in the soul of the nation. The border mountain regions are a paradise for those who enjoy summer hiking or winter sports, whereas the landscape of southern Bohemia, embroidered with a pattern of lakes, offers enchanting venues for long contemplative walks. The most valuable natural areas are protected in four national parks ( Krkonose, Sumava, Podyji and Ceske Svycarsko) and in many protected landscape areas and nature reserves. Most protected areas are open to visitors free of charge, no special permission is required. A special kind of landscape is presented by sandstone areas, where millions of years of action by frost, water and wind created deep canyons and imposing rock labyrinths. The Cesky Raj (Bohemian Paradise) is fitting name for one such area. Limestone formations offer a chance to see caves and vast underground spaces; the Moravsky kras (Moravian Karst) north of Brno is the largest of these territories. The highly characteristic Wallachian regions with its wealth of rural folk architecture and the wine-growing areas of southern Moravia have also been much-visited destinations. The people who live there are friendly, hospitable and endowed with a special sense of humour.

Czech music runs the gamut from classical to jazz & punk. Apprentice butcher Antonin Dvorak is generally regarded as the most popular Czech composer. He is noted for his symphony From the New World, composed in the USA while lecturing there. Czech jazz musicians were at the forefront of European jazz after WW II but this came to an end with the communist putsch. Keyboardist Jan Hamr, who escaped to the USA, became prominent in 1970s American jazz-rock under the name Jan Hammer. Since the Velvet Revolution, the jazz scene in Prague has been especially lively. The most famous Czech writer is undoubtedly Franz Kafka, who, with a circle of other German-speaking Jewish writers in Prague, played a major role in the literary scene at the beginning of this century. Internationally renowned modern' Czech novelists include Milan Kundera, Ivan Klima and Josef Skvorecky. Much less well known is the Czech poet Jaroslav Siefert, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1984.

Whether you are looking for a place to relax, for sport or entertainment, if you want to become acquainted with history, art and the beauties of nature or need a suitable venue for congresses, scientific symposia, or commercial and training meetings, then the Czech Republic can certainly offer you a wide choice and favourable conditions.