10 Interesting Facts About Czech Republic

10. In the Czech Republic, there are over 1200 castles and chateauxs. Moreover, Prague castle is the largest castle complex in the world with an area of 70000 square meters.

9. Did you know that Czechs are Europe leaders in beer consumption since 1971? The most popular beer in the Czech Republic is Pilsner Urquell produced in Pilsen. Czech lagers are categorized in degrees 10 or 12. There are also some special beers which can contain up to 20 degrees or more.

8. According to Gallup International, 72 per cent of Czech People consider themselves atheists. It is a quite large number considering there is a population of 10 million people in the Czech Republic.

7. Do you wear contact lenses? Well, you can do that thanks to a Czech chemist Otto Wichterle who invented them in the year 1959. Wichterle came to be well-known beyond the frontiers of his country not only through his achievements but also because of his activities in international organizations too, including presentations at congresses of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry.

6. Charles University in Prague is the oldest university in Central Europe. It was founded in the year 1348. It is also one of the oldest universities in Europe that still provides education. Today, the university consists of 17 faculties located all over the country. The university also operates several museums and two botanical gardens.

5. Olomouc is a very beautiful city in the eastern province of Moravia in the Czech Republic and the town has it’s very own cheese. If you are a cheese lover then you must try it. Olomouc cheese isn’t just old regular cheese, it has a distinct taste. Some people like it, some do not like, and it is recommended to taste this cheese with beer. You can even find vending machines that sell them.

4. The Ossuary under St. James Church in Brno is the second largest underground ossuary in Europe, after the Catacombs of Paris. The ossuary, estimated to contain the bones of over 50000 people, was discovered during an underground survey of Brno in the year 2001. The bones date back to the 13th century when a cemetery was located adjacent to the church.

3. According to students globally, the second-largest city in the Czech Republic, Brno, ranked as the sixth-best student city while the Czech capital Prague came in eight. The ranking is annually announced by the British company Quacquarelli Symonds, also popular as QS which specializes in the quality of education around the world.

2. In Brno, you can find a mobile coffee shop called DobroKava where you do not pay for coffee with money, but with a good deed. How does it work? You can choose your own deed or you can get inspired by the ideas on the blackboard by the coffee stand. You can also write down what you did as an inspiration for others.

1. Name Day is very popular in the Czech Republic. Basically, in the Czech Republic, the name day of a person falls on the day when there is the person’s first name written in the calendar. On this day, people usually bring flowers and some presents for the person like a box of chocolates, books, some cosmetics, pictures, toys for children among other examples. However, the Czech Republic is not the only country who celebrates a name day. Also, people in France, Finland, Bulgaria or Latvia honour these specific days.

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