Visiting the Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a spectacular vacation destination offering volumes of reasons for visiting. The country's rich history and culture in addition to its natural beauty makes it a very desirable destination for visitors from around the globe. People come to experience the charm of well-preserved towns, romantic castles, chateaus, palaces and parks, and to simply enjoy the delectable cuisine.
Please click on this link to see the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Czech Republic: https://en.czech-unesco.org/
A FEW HIGHLIGHTS
PRAGUE CASTLE
The history of Prague begins with its Castle. Situated high above the Vltava River, the buildings enclosed by the Castle include a palace, a monastery and three churches. Prague Castle is the most popular sight visited in Prague. It is the largest ancient castle in the world being 570 meters long, on average 128 meters wide covering an area of 7.28 hectares.
NATIONAL GALLERY
The vast collection of the National Gallery contains a large number of Czech and Slovak paintings and sculptures, including works by Gutfreund, Kupka, Fila, Benes and Bohumil Kubišta. The international collection includes numerous works by artists such as Picasso, Rodin, Gauguin, Cézanne, Monet, Van Gogh, Renoir and Klimt.
KARLOVY VARY
The incarnation of spa elegance, imposing colonnades, exclusive spa buildings and a wonderful layout in the heart of a forested valley. That is Karlovy Vary. A world renowned spa town, in which some of the most famous figures in European artistic and cultural life have enjoyed treatment, is today the second most visited spot in the Czech Republic. Thanks to its unique architecture, it is one of Europe’s most beautiful spas.
Why Visit the Czech Republic?
The Czech Republic offers vacations for every budget with an excellent exchange rate for many currencies. The country is easily accessed from many European countries, enjoying an ideal location in the heart of Europe. The Czech Republic has colorful, festive traditions and folk customs and boasts world-famous beer and delightful wines from the Bohemian and Moravian regions.
There are over 2000 castles in the Czech Republic and a plethora of churches, monasteries, religious sites and medieval towns. Various times of the year, the cities hold cultural and film festivals, and dynamic music and art activities. Czech spas and wellness programs offer unique venues and the Czech people are vivacious and enthusiastic to their visitors. The country offers a safe environment and promises to please lovers of stunning art and unique and elaborate architecture.
Although the Czech Republic is relatively small in size, it is endowed with abundant natural beauty and a rich and intriguing culture. Even entire towns can give the impression of being comprehensive artifacts.
There is nowhere in the world where you will find so many sights entered in the UNESCO World Heritage List as in the Czech Republic. Today you can find 12 sites, two intangible cultural heritage traditions and one geopark – all on World Heritage List.
Please click on this link to see the 12 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Czech Republic: http://www.czechtourism.com/what-to-see/unesco.aspx
Studying in the CR
The Czech Republic has seen a huge surge in popularity as a place to study abroad. Students who look for an opportunity to study abroad in Europe are frequently attracted by the Czech Republic and its educational programs thanks to the diversity in academic programs, rich culture, and history, as well as the relatively low cost of living. There are also a number of English speaking universities that have campuses in Prague, including New York University, Anglo-American University, Prague College and University of New York in Prague. Students from all around the world go to Prague, the Czech Republic’s capital to pursue higher education. Some other popular locations for studying in the Czech Republic are Brno, Liberec, and Olomouc.
Many university programs offer semester or longer programs, varying from short 3-week language courses, to Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate degree programs at some of the most prestigious institutions in Europe. The Czech Republic is famous for its science, medicine, and engineering programs, but your choice goes much further than this. There are special courses unique in the Czech Republic such as those offered through the award-winning Film and TV School, part of The Czech Academy of Performing Arts, which was founded in 1947 and is the fifth oldest film school in the world.
For more information visit: https://www.studyin.cz/
U.S. - Czech Relations
The United States of America stood by the establishment of the independent and democratic state of Czechoslovakia in the year 1918. President Woodrow Wilson supported Tomas G. Masaryk and other patriots in its creation. Tomas G. Masaryk announced the creation of the Czechoslovak Republic in the so called Washington Declaration of October 18, 1918, which was inspired by the founding ideas and documents of the United States.
During World War II, American soldiers also fought for the liberation of Czech lands from Nazi occupation and reestablishment of the sovereignty and independence of Czechoslovakia. Many of them gave their life during the liberation of the Czechoslovakian territory in the spring of 1945.
During the Cold War, the United States led the free world in its efforts to return freedom, independence and democracy to countries in Central and Eastern Europe, including Czechoslovakia. Tens of thousands of Czechs and Slovaks who left their communist country found a new home in the United States, from where they continued to struggle for the return of democracy to their homeland.
Thus, the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia in 1989 could rely on inspirational and strong heritage in Czech-US relations. Vaclav Havel inaugurated the new era during his first visit to the United States in February of 1990 in his new function as the then President of the newly free Czechoslovakia when he delivered the famous speech to the joint session of the US Congress (the speech can be found here).
Today, through the hard work and dedication of The American Friends of the Czech Republic and our Congressional allies, Václav Havel is immortalized in the Capitol by a bust unveiled in 2014.
In the 1990s, the strong friendly relations between the US and Czechoslovakia and then the independent Czech Republic since 1993 peaked in the Czech Republic’s integration into NATO in 1999. The Czech Republic’s membership in this Alliance which includes the US is its basic guarantee of security.
After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the Czech Republic proved that it is capable of fulfilling its allied commitments. In accordance with Article 5 of the Washington Treaty on creation of NATO, the Czech Republic partook in the NATO operations in Kosovo, Iraq Afghanistan. There is also a close collaboration of Czech and U.S. armed forces on the state level, Army of the Czech Republic partnering with the National Guards of Nebraska and Texas.
In November 2008, the US Congress placed the Czech Republic on its list of countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program, which establishes a visa free travel between the US and the respective countries, and, thus, removed the last unnecessary barrier to Czech-US relations. The Congressional Czech Caucus, first established in 2008 proved a valuable instrument in promoting the inclusion of the Czech Republic in the Visa Waiver Program.
The Czech Republic has been a member of the European Union since 2004 and held the EU Presidency in the first half of 2009. During the Presidency, the Czech Republic hosted an informal EU-US summit in Prague. A year later, in April 2010, the Czech capital hosted President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev for the signing of the New START agreement on significant reductions of the nuclear arsenals of both the US and Russia.
The bilateral relations are based on three main pillars: cooperation in the field of security and defense, economic cooperation, and shared values. Recent meetings of the leaders of the two countries have proved the strength and the potential for further cooperation, in particular in the fields of defense, civil nuclear research and other areas where Czech and U.S. interests meet. One of the current examples is the fight against terrorism and extremism. Both the Czech Republic and the U.S. work closely together as members of the international coalition against the so called Islamic State. Since 2012, the Czech Republic has also served as the U.S. protecting power in Syria.
https://www.mzv.cz/washington/en/czech_u_s_relations/index.html