CHARLES

Charles University in Prague is one of the oldest in Europe in continuous operation. Founded in 1348, it was the first university in , east of France and north of the Alps. Yet it is also renowned as a modern, dynamic, cosmopolitan and prestigious institution of higher . It is the largest and most renowned Czech university, and is also the best-rated Czech university according to international rankings where it is ranked in the upper 1.5 percent of the world’s best universities. Its seal shows its protector Emperor Charles IV, with his coats of arms as and King of , kneeling in front of St. Wenceslas, the patron saint of Bohemia.

Facts and Figures about

- Staff: 8074 - Number of : 51,438 - Total accredited degree programs: 300 - Number of faculties : 17

Life in Prague:

Prague, the capital of the , is situated on the River Vltava in central Bohemia, and in the very heart of Europe. It is a city of great historical and cultural interest, and in recent years has become a major tourist attraction - rather too 'major', in the view of some of the residents! The centre of Prague is dominated by the Prague Castle and the magnificent St Vitus' Cathedra. Other historical attractions include the Square, one of the finest squares in Europe, and the old Jewish quarter. Every week there is usually a wide choice of concerts, operas and recitals. There is an increasing number of jazz clubs and dance/rock/indie clubs, though live concerts by well-known bands are few and far between. The many cinemas often show sub-titled British and American films. Theatres occasionally have productions in English. There are numerous museums and galleries, and frequent special and touring exhibitions. The best part about living in Prague is that it is incredibly cheap and still has quite high standards of living. Prague has four top league soccer clubs (Viktoria Zizkov, Slavia, Bohemians and Sparta) and two top league ice hockey teams (Sparta and Slavia). The games are perfect for a social evening outside and cost about 200-300 CZK.

Facts and Figures about Czech Republic:

- Capital City: Prague - Government: Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic - Population: 10.5 Million - Area: 78,866 km² - Official language: Czech

Fun Facts:

- Czech per capita consumption of beer is the highest in the world. Believe it or not, it is 50% more than Germany. - There are over 2,000 castles, keeps and castle ruins in the Czech Republic. It is regarded as the castle capital of the world. - The sugar cube was invented in Czech Republic in 1843. - Crystal trophies for the Tour de France comes from the Czech Republic. - The word ‘robot’ was lifted from the play and short novel written by Karl Capek, a Czech playwright. The 1920 story was entitled R.U.R., which means Rossum’s Universal Robots. - Czech etiquette requires a man to precede his female companion when entering a restaurant. If they are entering other buildings, he is expected to let her in first. - The ’ national passion is mushroom hunting. They are very serious about it and are quite competitive in finding these fungi. Thousands of Czech nationals gather yearly during the St. Václav Day, which happens during the weekend that is nearest to September 28, to head to the forest and participate in mushroom hunting

Check out this great link that shows wonderful ways of Prague living.

http://danielleortizgeis.studentsgoneglobal.com/blog/695/15-reasons- why-you-should-visit-prague/