The Czech Republic lies in the centre of Europe, completely landlocked and bordered by Austria, Germany, Poland and Slovakia. In its chequered history it has been part of the Hapsburg Empire, invaded by Nazi Germany and controlled by the former USSR. Once part of the state of Czechoslovakia, it split peacefully with its neighbour to form the separate countries of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It is now part of the European Union and its currency is the Czech koruna. The official language is Czech, but English and German are spoken by many. The older generation will often be able to speak Russian.

There is a magical central European quality to the Czech Republic that almost defies description. It's the land where the brothers Grimm could be at home, their native land having outgrown them. Roll Austria, Switzerland and Germany together, step back in time a little, take away the wealth, but keep the mountains and green valleys, add a certain national sense of levity and irony and you just about have it. Of course, the Czech Republic has moved forward in time considerably since it came out from behind the Iron Curtain and it is now quite developed and prosperous, but it still has a certain old world, old European charm. True, it's no longer possible to drink genuine Czech beer for pennies in backstreet bars in Prague, but the Czech Republic is still a unique experience within Europe.

The Czech landscape is varied, a combination of river basins, low mountains and hills. Summers are hot and winters generally cold.

Prague with its slightly ghostly, somewhat ethereal Medieval charm is undoubtedly a major draw for visitors, but it's all too easy to ignore the rest of the country. The spa towns of the west (Karlovy Vary, Marianske Lazny and Frantiskove Lazne) are peaceful green havens, snapshots of the leisure pursuits of the wealthy Europeans of the past. There are also historic towns (Olomouc Cesky Krumlov and Telc are examples), hundreds of castles and a number of interesting National Parks.

Accommodation in Prague will typically be in self catering apartments, often in historic buildings. Outside of the capital it is also possible to find private houses and cottages.