Traveling to Prague by car. What you need to know when traveling by car to the Czech Republic. What documents are needed to travel to Prague by car?
One of the ways to get from Russia to Prague is by car. How to organize independent travel to Prague from Russia by car, I will tell you in detail in this article.
Since air tickets are becoming more expensive every day, and traveling by train to Prague is very long and also expensive, some travelers choose their personal car as a means of transport in which they can comfortably get to Prague.
With your car you can see many more places along the way, especially remote corners of Europe. No one will limit you in time anywhere. You can sleep as long as you want, sit in a restaurant, or as long as your heart desires, so you can spend as much time in a museum or other interesting place that you come across on your journey.
It is important to consider a few details when organizing your trip!
- You have to be a very good driver to go on such a long journey.
- You must have cash For unforeseen expenses related to the car, for example, your tire may burst or something may break, car repairs in Europe will cost you much more than in your home country.
- You must clearly plan your route and calculate exactly how many kilometers you can travel every day so that you don’t get so tired during the trip.
- Buy a good navigator with new maps. I saw how people on trips suffered with old, poorly working navigators or with maps on their phones that froze and constantly had to re-routine because of them, and this was a waste of time and nerves.
- Study in detail the features of each country and city in terms of parking, toll roads, and specific traffic rules.
But first things first.
What documents are needed to travel to Prague by car?
One of the most important questions that worries independent car travelers is: “How to get a Schengen visa if you travel to Prague and the Czech Republic in your own car?”
There's really nothing complicated. Before applying for a Schengen visa, you need to collect the following package of documents:
- Completed questionnaire to obtain a Schengen visa.
- Confirmation of stay(hotel reservations along the entire route). I recommend booking hotels on the Hotellook website, prices are often lower than on booking, and there are even more offers! For a visa, you can simply print out your hotel reservation. All consulates have been accepting printed hotel reservations for a long time; do not believe people who say that this method of confirming accommodation does not work.
- Cash guarantees(bank statement). Amounts vary depending on the length of your stay. But, in addition to funds to pay for the hotel, you must have at least 50 Euros per person.
- Documents for the car(copies of vehicle registration certificate).
- Driver's license(copy), an international driver's license is not required to travel to the Czech Republic.
- International passport.
- Medical insurance. I advise you to buy travel insurance for trips on a trusted website.
- Green card for car (car insurance).
- Route sheet.
The itinerary is drawn up in free form; you can make three columns: in the first we write the dates of the stop in a certain city, the second column is the name of the country, the third column is the hotel address.
After you have received your visa, you need to take the following documents for your trip:
- Foreign passport with visa
- Medical insurance
- International insurance vehicle(Green Card)
- Vehicle registration certificate
- Driver's license
- Printed hotel reservations
I would advise you to take a Russian passport and make copies of all visas and documents; you need to store them separately in a secluded place, you never know what will happen on the road.
Expenses
When planning the cost of a road trip to the Czech Republic, try to take into account all the costs during the trip. After all, in addition to the usual expenses: hotel, food, restaurants, souvenirs, shopping, you will have car expenses: toll roads, fuel, paid parking, car wash.
To travel by car to the Czech Republic, you must drive part of the way through Poland. In Poland, some highways are toll roads, and you pay for the distance traveled. When entering the highway, you take a ticket from a special machine (which you keep during the entire journey) and when leaving the highway you pay a certain amount. Payment can be made in Polish zlotys, euros, dollars or by bank card, change is issued only in zlotys.
Where to leave the car on a trip
I advise all travelers who conquer countries by car to always leave the car in guarded parking lots. It doesn’t matter whether this is a separate paid parking or guarded parking at the hotel, remember: only guarded parking. And it is advisable to travel in a car with an alarm.
At the same time, whenever you leave the car, always take valuables with you: money, all documents and expensive equipment.
Remember, when traveling, tourists are always a tasty morsel for thieves and swindlers. Even though you are in Europe, car thefts are rampant here. Thieves are especially interested in money, expensive navigators and, of course, documents that can be sold very profitably on the black market. From my own bitter experience and the experience of my friends, I can tell you at least 5-6 sad stories, when the side or rear window of a car was simply broken and people lost their iPhone, expensive navigation system, passports, all their money!
By the way, when booking hotels, choose hotels only with secure private parking. Some hotels use a trick and indicate that they have free parking, but upon arrival it turns out that free parking is on the street without security, and even it takes about 20 minutes to find a place. And when booking a hotel, always indicate that you will be by car and you need parking. This is all the information regarding long-term parking.
If you drive into the castle or the city center by car, I also advise you to leave your car only in the parking lot. The cost of an hour of parking in Europe costs from 0.5 to 6 Euros. There is paid parking on the street; you need to put money into a special machine, but such parking is unsafe. If you want to park your car for free, then in the center of European cities it is very difficult to do this; if you parked incorrectly or did not pay, then at a minimum they will put a shoe on your wheel and issue you a fine, at most they will drag your car away to a fine parking lot. When traveling, everything is expensive, stressful, and a lot of time, effort and money are spent on such problems. Therefore, remember, during your trip there are only paid guarded parking lots!
Traffic Laws
In addition to parking rules, it is worth studying the traffic rules and signs of the countries you are going to visit. Although the rules are almost the same, there are some differences. For example, in some countries radar detectors and video recorders are prohibited. The speed of traffic on highways and in cities is different, and there are differences in driving through intersections. On the trip, you must take equipment that must be in the car, for example: fuses, lamps, Reflective vest for all persons. The fine for any type of violation will be quite large, and excuses like: “I’m not local and didn’t know” will not help you.
Distance to Prague
Prague is located in the very center of Europe, and when traveling from Russia you will have to cover the following distance from Moscow 1921 km, from St. Petersburg 1840 km. If you are interested in the distance from Prague to other cities, then I will give some figures: to Munich 388 km, Dresden 147 km, to Krakow 533, to Vienna 331 km, to Karlovy Vary 125 km, to Berlin 349 km. If you are interested in distances from Prague to all European cities, go to the post ““.
Between major cities there are usually highways with 2 lanes in one direction, and occasionally there are two-lane roads. When planning your route, always check information about traffic jams and road repairs. After all, no one wants to drive on the highway at a speed of 30 km/h. It is also worth considering the fact that on Friday and Sunday evenings there are traffic jams on the highways, especially near major cities. After all, a lot of Europeans go somewhere to unwind for the weekend. Therefore, try to avoid traveling at this time or allow extra time into your route.
Route
The travel route should be approached with all responsibility. Calculate your route so that you arrive at the least busy time at customs. And according to estimates, it is comfortable to cover a distance of 200-500 km per day. If you try to drive more in a day, you may get very tired, see little and by the end of the trip you will be squeezed like lemon. Look at all the places you plan to visit on the map, choose where you will leave the car. Enter the main route points and hotels into the navigator. It is also worth considering how long you will rest and what time you will leave. It just seems that if you leave at 10 am, you will have time for everything; usually it is worth getting up early in order to have time to get to your destination before nightfall, explore the city and check into a new hotel.
Everything you need to know for traveling by car to the Czech Republic. In the article I will talk about paying for roads in the Czech Republic, where to buy a vignette, how to stick it correctly, about the equipment of the car, Czech traffic rules, the cost of gasoline, places to rest on the road. I will share my experience of buying a vignette. This knowledge and our practical advice will help you successfully travel by car in the Czech Republic.
Payment for roads in the Czech Republic
In the Czech Republic, only highways are toll roads. To pay for roads in the Czech Republic, you need to buy a vignette and stick it on the glass.
Map of toll roads in the Czech Republic
Cost of a vignette for the Czech Republic 2020
For vehicles weighing up to 3.5 t
10 days - 310 CZK (about 12 euros),
Monthly - 440 CZK (17 euros)
Annual – 1500 CZK (59 euros)
Motorcycles are exempt. Cars weighing over 3.5 pay the road using special electronic devices.
Vignette validity period
10 day - valid for 10 days after the marked date.
Monthly - valid until the end of the day with the same number of the next month. If such a number is not possible, then last day next month.
Annual - valid for almost 14 months. from December of the previous year to January 31 of the next year.
Fine for driving on motorways with an invalid or incorrectly attached vignette from CZK 5,000 (EUR 185) if paid on the spot. If through the court, the fine may increase to 100,000 crowns (3,700 euros).
Where to buy a vignette of the Czech Republic. How to pay for roads.
***An important nuance which we encountered on the trip:
When entering the Czech Republic, you can immediately go to toll road. This is a section of the autobahn from Bratislava (D2) and Germany (D5 and D8 from Dresden). You start to worry that the road was not paid and there was nowhere to buy a vignette to the border, because the fines are high. But! According to the rules, the highway becomes toll only after the first resting place, where it is possible to pay for the road.
A sign on this section of the Czech motorway informs that it will soon be possible to buy a vignette.
Czech vignette for sale in almost all gas stations, post offices or special points (open 24 hours a day) with the inscription “Vignette”. Via the Internet, payment for roads in the Czech Republic on this moment not provided.
A Czech Republic vignette can also be purchased upon departure from neighboring countries. Here, for example, is such a point at a gas station in Hungary, not far from the border with Slovakia. Although Hungary does not have common border with the Czech Republic, but you can buy a vignette. In Slovakia, we did not see points of sale of Czech vignettes.
A point of sale of a Czech vignette at a gas station in Hungary.
Here is one of the points for selling a vignette. Located at the entrance to the Czech Republic from Slovakia. This is a large parking lot for trucks and cars. The first one after crossing the border. Right at the entrance there is a special kiosk that sells Czech vignettes. 
*** Practical advice: at such parking lots on the border of the Czech Republic and Slovakia very unfavorable exchange rate. Much lower than banking. Therefore, it is better to pay for the vignette with a bank card.
Our experience of buying a Czech vignette- we hope you won’t repeat it))) Although we are experienced travelers, we sometimes make mistakes. Somehow we were confused, tired from the long journey (or maybe overjoyed that we were already in the Czech Republic))) - we bought a vignette, exchanging cash euros for crowns at this point. Therefore, the vignette cost us not 11 euros, but as much as 17 euros. Unpleasant. When we left the parking lot, we saw a little further on the same kiosks selling vignettes. Near them are signs with large inscriptions “Vignette - only 13 euros.” Officially, it costs 310 CZK for 10 days, but the price here increases due to the unfavorable exchange rate when exchanging cash in euros. This is the situation when buying a Czech vignette for cash at the first parking lot of the autobahn.
How to properly glue a vignette of the Czech Republic
I believe that in the Czech Republic the most inconvenient use of the vignette is. And there is something to compare with - in Hungary, Romania, Slovakia they are electronic, in Bulgaria, Austria - you need to buy them and stick them on the car glass.
And in the Czech Republic you need to buy a vignette. It consists of two parts: a tear-off coupon and a part that is glued to the glass. Fill out the tear-off coupon yourself (enter the car number), tear it off from the vignette and keep it for the entire period of validity of the vignette. And stick the vignette itself to the lower right corner windshield. But this is not enough - Without a tear-off coupon, the vignette is considered invalid!
In the photo there is my vignette on the glass and below I am holding a tear-off coupon for it in my hands.
Czech Republic Traffic Rules
The Czech traffic police were encountered only once along the way. At the first stop upon entering the Czech Republic, our visas were checked.
At the border of the Czech Republic there is an information sign with basic traffic rules.
- Speed limits on the roads.
It is fundamentally no different, for example, from or.
The permitted maximum speed within the city is 50 km/h. On highways— 110 km/h. On highways (autobahns - toll roads) - 130 km/h.
For speeding up to 19 km/h, the fine is 1000 CZK (approximately 38 euros)
for speeding from 20 to 29 km/h the fine is 2500 CZK (approximately 92 euros)
- Alcohol
The maximum permissible alcohol level is 0 ‰. If it is exceeded, the fine is from 2,500 CZK (approximately 92 EUR) to 20,000 CZK (740 EUR)
- dipped headlights
Mandatory around the clock and all year round. Fine - 2000 CZK (74 euros)
- Transportation of children
Children under 12 years of age and less than 150 cm tall are prohibited from being transported in the front seat. Only in the rear using special child restraint systems. Fine for violation - 2000 CZK (74 euros)
- Seat belts
The use of seat belts is mandatory for passengers in the front and rear seats. Fine - 2000 CZK (74 euros)
- Talking on the phone
While driving, it is prohibited to use a telephone that is not equipped with a device that allows hands-free use of the telephone. Fine - 1000 CZK (37 euros)
- Winter tires
From November 1 to March 31, the use of winter tires is mandatory. The use of studded tires is prohibited.
Vehicle equipment, mandatory equipment
- First aid kit.
- Warning triangle; if you have a trailer, you must have two signs. Not required for motorcycles.
- Reflective vest. Needed by every person who steps outside of their vehicle while stopped on the freeway.
- Spare wheel
- Spare light bulbs - one of each type.
- A set of spare fuses.
The cost of gasoline in the Czech Republic
During our trips around Europe, we noticed such a pattern in the pricing policy for gasoline. It also works in the Czech Republic. The most expensive gasoline is at autobahn gas stations, the cheapest is on rural roads.
Average gasoline prices:
Natural 95 – 1.06 euro
Natural 98 – 1.12 euros
Disel – 1.00 euro
LPG (gas) – 0.43 euros
Gas stations are not located often. Every 30-50 km.
How to refuel. The system is the same as in Hungary - first you fill in gasoline, and then pay for it at the cash register.
Parking in Prague
Parking in the center of Prague is paid. Divided into three zones. They are indicated by colors: orange, green And blue zones.
Orange zone placed in historical center Prague. The maximum parking duration is up to two hours. Sometimes there is a fee on Saturdays and Sundays. Costs up to 40 CZK per hour.
Green Zone provides a parking duration of up to 6 hours. On weekdays from 18-00 to 8-00 and on weekends (Saturday, Sunday, holidays) parking is free. Costs up to CZK 30 per hour.
Blue zone indicated by a blue line on the road. Only people can park here local residents if you have a special parking card with the car number. This is a long-term parking lot. You can park for free behind the blue line from 18:00 to 8:00. At other times, the maximum parking duration is up to 3 minutes.
In Prague and most cities in the Czech Republic, parking machines (parkovacími automaty) are installed. Payment in these machines is made with coins. After payment, the received parking ticket must be placed under the windshield of the car so that it is clearly visible from the outside.
Parking costs in Prague depends on the location and its distance from the center. And it varies from 10 to 40 CZK per hour. The price, maximum duration and opening hours of parking are indicated on the board at the entrance or at the parking meter. Unless otherwise stated, parking is free from 18:00 to 8:00 on weekdays, as well as on weekends and holidays. The cities also have a well-developed network of underground parking lots.
In the center of Prague there is always a problem with the availability of parking spaces. Sometimes you need to “wind” several circles to find a free space.
On the outskirts of Prague there is parking network P + R (Park & Ride= park and go). There are always public transport stops near these parking lots. This is an opportunity to leave your car in an inexpensive guarded parking lot and continue your trip to the city center by public transport. The cost of parking P + R is from 100 CZK (3 - 4 euros) per day and from 10 CZK per hour.
How to get to the parking lot is indicated by a sign marked P + R. This is the sign at the entrance to Prague.
Rest areas on the highways.
There is no usual system of rest areas on autobahns, such as in Hungary and Austria. Rest areas are only available at gas stations. Most often, toilets at gas stations are paid. Price: 10 CZK.
We liked the place to relax at a gas station near Brno. The view of the city from here is beautiful.
Quality of roads in the Czech Republic
The road level is quite high. But in July 2016, the coverage on the Brno-Prague section was not of very good quality. The road seems to be smooth, but it shakes, as if you are driving on a washboard. But intensive highway repairs are underway.
From Germany to Prague the road is excellent. Picturesque surroundings. There are such original bridges.
Not far from the border with Germany there is a tunnel. Travel on it is free.
Country roads of the Czech Republic. We are driving from Prague towards Germany. The surrounding area is amazingly beautiful.
Traveling on these roads is a pleasure. 
Happy travels!
Road trip to the Czech Republic with a child and a dog for the New Year.
Deciding on a road trip with a child under one year old was definitely not easy. Emil is only 11 months old. This age is not easy: there are only 2 naps left during the day, active crawling (and even a little upright walking)), curiosity, and the inability to keep the child occupied with one thing for a long time. I wanted and was afraid of this journey. A kind of test of strength for all of us)
Having planned the route, we decided that we would leave very early (or is it still late?) at 4-5 in the morning. This will provide us with extra time when Emil is sleeping. We also changed the car seat for this trip. Britax (aka Romer for the European market) B - Safe for Cybex M-Fix car seat with a table instead of classic belts. In my ambulance bag there were new toys, books, nibblers with different fillings (vegetables, fruits), a bottle of water, teethers, baby cookies and a couple of favorite cartoons on my phone. There are cartoons in our family, we use them very rarely and a little, but often they help gain time on the road. If the child is tired of sitting in the car seat and wants to stretch, then the cartoons give an additional 10 minutes so that we can safely get to the parking lot, gas station or campsite. Emil never travels without a car seat. In our family this is a strict rule; we only had to watch a few crash tests and read accident statistics to understand that no amount of whining from a child will force us to seat him unprotected. We made stops during the daytime approximately every 3-4 hours, they were long (1-1.5 hours). Sometimes we spent this time in cafes at gas stations, sometimes in the car, sometimes walking. During this time, Emil managed to take a break from the car. This method greatly lengthened our journey, but made our way there simply fantastically easy. On the way to the Czech Republic, we stopped overnight in two different Polish cities (one on the border with Belarus, the second city - Krakow). Unfortunately, the road back was much more difficult, since all the children in our family fell ill in turn. My niece Tom came to New Year holidays with a cough, then my nephew Mark fell ill, and then Emil. Of course, traveling with a sick child is not the easiest thing, but I don’t think that flying by plane would be much easier in this circumstance. So, this is a small preface for those who are interested in some of the nuances of traveling by car with a child.
I decided to leave a map of our route here. In total, we traveled about 4,000 km; the road to Poland, including crossing the border, took us 19 hours.
We spent 7 thousand rubles on gasoline one way. Before you go to Czech Republic, at the gas station before the border you need to buy a vignette. If you don’t have one, and the navigator takes you to a toll road, then hello fine) The cost of a vignette for passenger cars for 2016 is: 11 euros for 10 days and 16 euros for a month. It is also important to note that you can drive into Poland and the Czech Republic only with winter tires with Velcro. For winter tires with studs, you can again get a fine, and a rather large one. If you have tires with spikes, then you can rent tires (my brother did this), you can buy used tires or buy new ones, and then sell them, say, on Avito. When we read about " winter travel to Europe by car” we even came across those who tore out the studs, then they can be inserted back) There were also those who drove around Russia and Belarus on winter tires with studs, and before the European border they changed them to summer ones, but for this they you must have a very large trunk. There are many options!
The house we rented was an hour's drive from Prague, in a Czech village Holice . We filmed it, as always, on airbnb . Honestly, we are very lucky with our house. We decided to leave to meet New Year in Europe about a month before the holiday, and who has ever planned a trip to new year holidays, knows that this is catastrophically small. Just imagine 8 adults, 3 children, and 2 dogs in addition. It's not easy to accommodate such a company. In addition, parking for 3 cars is needed. The fact that we found such a big house turned out to be real luck for us. Price for New Year holidays 6 7 000 rubles for 1 week. Not to say that it’s cheap, but don’t forget that there were 3 families traveling with us, and for three of us everything is not so severe)
The house, of course, is fantastic: large, two-story, with a large plot, its own lake, gazebo, playground, sofas outside, balcony. To all this add a hospitable hostess who got us a Christmas tree (well, my enterprising sister brought with her a bunch of Christmas tree decorations and garlands). So we arrived from the road, meet the hostess to get the keys, open the door, and in the warm kitchen there is fresh bread and pastries, gingerbread, various juices and much more. Bed linen and fragrant white towels are laid out everywhere. In general, this is how our vacation began :) By the way, they cleaned our place several times a week and took out the garbage almost every day (in the Czech Republic, as in almost all of Europe, garbage is sorted for recycling).
The next day was New Year's. You can see photos of our impromptu photo shoot near the Christmas tree, but now I’ll tell you about the rest of the days in the Czech Republic.
Well, we decided to spend the first days after the new year calmly and went to see what is located not far from our Czech village. We visited the Ossuary in Sedlice (district of Kutna Hora).
A Gothic cathedral whose decoration is made from the bones of 40,000 people. Sound scary? Well, if you are an impressionable person, then you better not come here. Once upon a time, the cemetery in Sedlice was so popular (a strange adjective for this place, but nevertheless, it was so) that there was almost no space left on it for the cemetery to continue to exist, a tomb was built. Old burials were raised (usually of the poor and common people), the remains of people were boiled in large cauldrons of lye (so that the remaining flesh could be easily separated from the bones, and also to give the desired white shade), and the bones were piled into huge pyramids inside the vault. It is worth adding that the “material” for decorating the temple was also added by the plague raging in those centuries. Later, coats of arms, chandeliers and entire garlands began to be collected from the bones. Overhearing the guide tourist group, we heard that a blind monk was boiling and cleaning the bones. I don’t know if this is a legend or true.
As for me, I wasn’t scared (yes, this place hardly inspires fear). I was sad to think that all of these were once living people. They loved, gave birth to children, cooked food for themselves, thought about something. Among these mountains of bones there were also very small skulls, probably belonging to children.
On the other hand, this is a strange place, it tells about those distant times (and it all began in the distant 13th century) very clearly. People considered it an honor to be buried in this cemetery, because the holy land was brought there from Jerusalem. On the other hand, did these people expect that their skeletons would be used to make garlands to enter the chapel? There are opinions that people of that era thought differently, and therefore for him it was “normal.” It’s difficult for me to talk about this topic, because despite the fact that I am a certified art critic (I should have reminded you of this :), I consider myself incompetent in this matter, and that’s not what my blog is about at all. And it’s up to you to decide whether to see this “attraction” with your own eyes or not.
On the same day we went to see the city of Ku'tna - Go'ra. It was quite cool and we warmed ourselves with hot drinks, and some of us even with mulled wine.
Like almost any more or less large city, Kutna Hora has its own cathedral, and not just an ordinary one, but the second largest in the Czech Republic - the Cathedral of St. Barbara. A majestic Gothic cathedral that can easily compete with St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague. Entrance fee is 5 euros per person.
However, the interior disappointed me a little. I have seen many Gothic cathedrals (including such grandiose ones as Cologne, Ulm, Milan, Strasbourg, Vienna and others) and I expected a more “ornate” interior, but it turned out to be very restrained. True, the organ and altar are truly impressive. But this is my subjective opinion. Well, I was also upset by the paid entrance to the cathedral. Somehow this is wrong or something.
The old town with cozy narrow streets, a cobbled square, and a walking stone bridge is similar to hundreds of similar cities scattered throughout Europe. There is a feeling that you have already seen something similar somewhere, but in my opinion, this is the beauty of it. One trip brings back thoughts of the past, when “we weren’t married then” and other thoughts that spread warmth throughout the body.
Two years ago, at the beginning of January, we were already in the Czech Republic, only in the city of Brno. Then I walked around the city in a warm sweater; this year the weather turned out to be harsher. I had to wrap myself in my scarf, and ripped jeans didn't seem like such a good idea anymore. Fortunately, on every corner you can buy hot tea, coffee, mulled wine, and even a juicy sausage! Which was very tasty. Sausage 3 euros, which with the current exchange rate is not so cheap)
It gets dark early in winter. At 5 o'clock it was already really dark, so by this time, we would go somewhere to eat or go to the store to buy food and cook dinner at home. In addition, we had 3 children with us, two of whom are small and get tired quickly.
In the next 2 days we went to Prague. We visited the Prague Zoo (entrance for an adult is 200 CZK, for children from 3 years old and students 150), which is one of the ten best in the world (and it must be said that it ranks far from last place). Of course, this title is truly deserved, but I would not recommend going to the zoo in winter. Almost all animals are kept in winter enclosures. The Prague Zoo is very large, a lot of greenery, huge outdoor enclosures for animals, and in general it is not only a zoo, but also a park, but in winter you will not appreciate this.
You can bring your dog to the Prague Zoo! That's great rarity. Naturally, you cannot enter indoor enclosures with your dog, signs indicated this, but you can walk around the park. A lot of people were running around, some were playing with children in the children's area (it's just very big, with all sorts of places to climb). You can also go down cable car for a small fee of 30 CZK.
But there is also something that I frankly didn’t like. You can smoke in the Prague Zoo! It's not that I'm against smokers, but it seems wrong to me that people smoke where there are a lot of children. There is a cigarette bin next to almost every bench, and I personally think it’s terrible that a child can sit on a bench and someone will be smoking next to them. Still, people most often go to the zoo with children and this must be taken into account. Fortunately, in winter there were very few people, and we practically didn’t meet any smokers.
After the zoo we had lunch at a wonderful restaurant serving traditional Czech cuisine – U Mlunare (Nerudova 213/18). Of course, you can order other dishes European country. For example, I ordered Hungarian goulash in bread and Caesar salad. We liked this restaurant so much that we returned there the next day.If we are already talking about Czech food, then being in the Czech Republic will not try trdelnik ( trdelnik ) is simply a crime! Trdelnik is a pastry product made from yeast dough in the form of a tube, sprinkled with sugar, cinnamon, and sometimes nuts. The variety of fillings is also amazing: whipped cream, chocolate, plum or apple jam and cream.
They are baked on special “skewers” (they are called “trndlo”), thanks to which they acquire their tube shape. We couldn’t even count how many of them we ate during the week in the Czech Republic! But be careful, these twisted buns contain a lot of calories! The price varies from 40-70 CZK depending on the location.
We spent the remaining time in a measured walk around the so-called “old place” of Prague, i.e. main square of the old town. The New Year's fair was still running on the square.
Bright stalls sold everything from crispy pastries to cute little things that are so nice to bring back from trips. I really love souvenirs from the Czech Republic, Poland and Lithuania, because in these countries souvenirs are made in the countries you are visiting, and not imported in tons from China. The Czech Republic is famous for its glass (do you remember grandma’s vases with the “Bohemia” sticker?), and since we arrived there on New Year’s Eve, I bought glass Christmas decorations, which are hand-painted!
And if your family has children, then bring them wooden toys! In Moscow, such products labeled “environmentally friendly” cost as much as an airplane wing, and in the Czech Republic (as well as Poland) they have a very reasonable price.
On the second day we walked from the very morning and had a good walk around the center of Prague. We went to the famous St. Vitus, which is the pearl of the Czech Republic. I will not resort to the help of Wikipedia and guidebooks to tell you the history of the construction of the cathedral - you can do this without me. Let me just say that this is one of the most beautiful cathedrals I have seen.
Below I will leave photos from our walk. We went up to the observation deck, walked to the Charles Bridge, walked along the canals, looked at the main square again, got very cold and went to warm up in the cafe) It was a great pleasure to sit on the veranda of the cafe overlooking the famous Prague Astronomical Clock (Orloj). They bring you a cozy fleece blanket, a heater warms your feet, and the snow falls so quietly in huge flakes. True, of course, in such a tourist place the check is twice as high as in cafes that are located further from the old city.
The next day we went to see the Kuneticka Gora castle ( Hrad Kuneticka Hora ), located in the suburbs of Pardubice. We didn’t get into the fortress itself, since it is closed in winter (season April-October), but we walked around the vast territory.
But despite the fact that the visit to the castle never took place, this day turned out to be my favorite of the entire trip. I’ve already written on this blog that I love animals, but I’ll say it again) Near the fortress, in the forest part of the park, there are huge pens with animals! Deer, elk, bison, sheep, some huge birds I have never seen before - and all of them are at arm's length! This despite the fact that there are almost no people! Next to us was a young family who fed carrots and apples to the deer directly from their hands. Unfortunately, I didn’t have anything with me, but the animals stillthey came very close to the fence and allowed themselves to be petted. I don’t know if you share my joy, but you can believe it - it was really cool) Even my 11-month-old son was delighted with what he saw, pointed at the animals and exclaimed his children’s words in surprise)
So, if you are somewhere near these places, do not be lazy and come (especially e if you are traveling with children). The main thing is not to forget to grab carrots for the animals)
On this day, before dark, we managed to walk around the main square of the city of Pardubice. Pordubice beautiful city, whose number does not exceed 90 thousand people. This city has interesting story, which begins back in the 14th century. Main cultural monument is Pardubice Castle. This time we did not get inside the castle for other reasons. Our son woke up and demanded food and diaper changes)
We needed to find some warm place. Well, then we discovered that almost all the cafes are closed! Pardubitze is not the best tourist town, especially in winter, and unlike huge Prague, which works day and night for its guests, in Pardubitz everything is closed during the New Year holidays. Fortunately, we found a small cafeteria at the Castle - Zamecka Kavarna . Cubby with ridiculous prices (which came in handy for us, since crowns were running short and we didn’t know where to change money), smiling staff who don’t understand English at all. Well, in addition, the menu is in Czech) I am attaching a photo of a tiny menu with prices in CZK.
We ordered at random, since the waiter and I could not understand each other. The only thing he managed to explain to us was that polevka harchova - This is a soup that turned out to be pea soup. It’s hard to say, we were very cold and terribly hungry, or it really was the most delicious pea soup of my life) Everything that they brought us next was an absolute surprise for us. For example, nakladany hermelin is such a hefty piece of white soft blue cheese in butter with pieces of onion and bell pepper! We were mistakenly brought 3 servings of this strange dish, but there was nowhere to go, even with a strong desire we would not have been able to explain it to the waiter) Honestly, I admit it is very specific, but in the process of compiling this post, I learned that many people like this dish taste. In Russian it sounds almost the same as “Nakladany hermelin”) Well, and the third, final dish, which we ordered kureci rizek - chicken cutlet with potatoes as a side dish. I don’t remember the score, but it was the smallest of all during our trip. So if you find yourself in the distant city of Pardubice and you are hungry and cold, and there are very few crowns in your pocket, then welcome to Zamecka Kavarna)
We spent the final day in the Czech Republic getting ready. The journey back home awaited us, which was another 2 days on the road. True, we managed to do something on the last day. We enjoyed the fascinating nature of the Czech Republic.
Not far from our house, in the same village Holice There is a stable where anyone can order a horse ride around the area.
A 1-hour trip per adult costs 100 CZK (which in rubles is only 600 rubles). Unfortunately, the riders and stable staff do not speak English, so again we had to explain ourselves in sign language, but we almost regretted it.
The day of departure arrived, and on the way home we decided to see another natural attraction - the Adrspa Rocks. These rocks are located on the border of the Czech Republic and Poland and represent a large park with an area of almost 18 square kilometers. Adrspa rocks are a whole system of mountain formations: caves, canyons, gorges and even entire labyrinths. Many rocks have their own interesting names. For example, in the photo below, the “Devil’s Bridge” is 21m high.
And in the photo on the left is the Sugarloaf rock, 51 meters high! This rock narrows several times at the base, which gives the impression that it is not very reliable. In this regard, tourists have developed a funny custom of placing sticks at the base in order to support the “Sugarloaf” and prevent it from falling) True, we were almost the only tourists in the winter park, but we read about this tradition at home)
There are many more intricate rocks with no less interesting names: Lovers, Tooth, Headman and many others. In addition, in the Adrspa Rocks park there are two waterfalls: large and small. But in winter they freeze) Just like a large artificial lake.
It’s hard for me to say what this park looks like in “season,” but I really liked it with the snow-covered trees. I was also pleased by the absence of tourists, but on the other hand, we did not see the lake and waterfalls, as they were covered with a thick crust of ice. In any case, if you love nature, then you should definitely come here. The price of one adult ticket is 70 CZK, dogs are allowed, but only on a leash.
The road home lay ahead of us. We only stayed overnight in Warsaw and a day and a half later we were in Moscow. My story has come to an end. I hope that you found it interesting and maybe even take note of something)
An article about traveling by car to the Czech Republic - what you need to do before traveling, paperwork, traffic rules in the Czech Republic. At the end of the article there is a video about a road trip to the Czech Republic.
The content of the article:
The Czech Republic is very popular among Russian tourists, some of whom prefer to get there by personal car. This method allows you to be independent from public transport and plan the route yourself, but it requires some preparation and a more careful study of Czech laws. Things to remember when traveling to the Czech Republic own car?
What to do before leaving
Apply for a Schengen visa at the Czech embassy or visa center
The difference between the two organizations, by and large, is only in the monetary and time expenses of the applicant. To receive an appointment at the embassy, you must first register on the website and then stand in line at the entrance to the building. There is no need to pre-register at the visa centers; instead, service is provided on a first-come, first-served basis, and in addition to visa processing, there are also Additional services, such as travel insurance and delivery of completed documents. The processing time for applications at the visa center is 3 or 5 working days, depending on the price.
You can use a Schengen visa to enter any country of the agreement, but you need to obtain it from the representative office of the state where you plan to stay the longest.
However, it is worth noting that travel within the Schengen zone is free and there is no total control over tourists and the time of their stay in a particular country.
When applying for a visa from a tourist with his own car, you will most likely need a compiled itinerary, a “Green Card” - an international vehicle insurance policy, a vehicle registration certificate and a driver’s license (it is best to obtain an international one in advance). Everything else is the same as for ordinary travelers, but it is better to check by phone or on the website of the nearest visa center.
Equip the car with everything necessary to comply with Czech traffic regulations
This list includes: a first aid kit, a reflective vest for each passenger (it is unacceptable to be on the highways without this vest at any time of the day, so it must be stored in the vehicle), a warning triangle, a set of spare fuses, headlight bulbs, a jack and a wheel wrench for changing the wheel and the spare tire itself, which does not apply to cars with run-flat tires. This kit is checked by the Czech police and can impose a fine of up to 77 euros if the kit is incomplete.
You can transport up to ten liters of fuel in a canister into the Czech Republic, which is important for Russian travelers, given that the cost of gasoline in European countries is twice as high as in Russia and Belarus - 1.25 euros per liter 95 (usually the lowest octane number at Czech gas stations) as of May 2018.
You should also remember that the use of “radar detectors” is prohibited, so if you have such a device, you need to turn it off or leave it at home, while the rules for using radar detectors are not yet enshrined in the country’s legislation.
Prepare for winter if you travel to the Czech Republic at this time of year
Studded tires are prohibited by Czech traffic regulations, so the car must be equipped with winter wheels marked with the “M.S” / “M+S” sign and a tread depth of at least 4 millimeters. This is necessary for all vehicles weighing up to 3.5 tons from November to March inclusive when there is ice or a layer of snow on the road.
If the weather is good and the asphalt is not covered with ice and snow, then the Czech police will not fine the driver for summer tires.
Between Moscow and Prague there are a little less than 2000 kilometers, that is, you will have to travel for at least a day, not taking into account stops and passage across the border. Let's consider the option of crossing the minimum number of borders, that is, the route through Belarus and Poland.
In general, the process of passing through a border checkpoint should not take more than an hour, especially if you are not transporting alcohol and tobacco products, which, in large quantities, are subject to duty on the border with Poland and the Czech Republic.
Belarus can be crossed along the M1 highway, which will take about six or seven hours. When crossing the border, you must pay a transport fee, after which you will be issued a receipt, which will be collected when leaving the country. The fee can be paid at the transport inspection building located near the border. Tolls on the highway must be paid only if the vehicle weighs more than 3.5 tons and/or is registered outside the EAEU countries (including Kazakhstan, Russia, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, and Belarus). To pay for travel, use the website beltoll.by.
The fee, only environmental, will have to be paid at the Polish border - this can be done behind the barrier at the exit from the border checkpoint. It should be said right away that Poland, like Hungary and the Czech Republic, refused to switch to using the single European currency, so it is best to think in advance about exchanging money for Polish zloty and Czech crowns (they can be purchased, for example, in Moscow) or look for exchange offices inside the countries themselves.
Toll roads
When entering the Czech Republic, you need to purchase a vignette, which is necessary to pay for highway tolls.(which are marked with the corresponding “motorway” and “road for cars” signs). This is a sticker that needs to be placed on the windshield after indicating the number of your vehicle in the appropriate field.
According to the rules, it must be placed in the lower right corner, be clearly visible outside the car and not interfere with the driver’s view. The cost varies depending on the period for which the vignette is purchased - about 12 euros for 10 days and about 17 euros for 30 days.
The vignette consists of two parts, one of them is a control coupon, which Czech law requires to be kept throughout the entire trip within the country. You can buy it at most gas stations, at special points near the border or at post offices.
Parking
Parking is quite expensive in the Czech Republic, so major cities It makes sense to leave your car in park-and-ride parking lots (usually located near bus stops or metro stations, called P+R parking) and explore the city on foot and by public transport.
When paying, you can also purchase a subscription for the metro and other public transport for a day or a round trip. In Prague, the cost of parking in such parking lots until 01:00 is 0.7 euros, overnight – 3.9 euros, which is definitely cheaper than parking on city roads in the center. There it can reach up to 1.5 euros per hour. Near bus stops and metro stations there are K+R parking lots intended for dropping off and picking up passengers, but you cannot leave your car there.
Closer to the outskirts of the city you can also find free parking. You can park your car for free on weekends or holidays, as well as at night, from 20:00 to 08:00 (applies to all parking zones).
It is important to know about the three parking zones present in Prague:
- Blue- for city residents with parking cards or official vehicles, you can find such a place by the blue stripe on the road surface.
- Orange- for all other drivers, limited to three hours of vehicle idle time, indicated by a white stripe on the road and a road sign.
- Purple– mixed parking, which is marked with a white dotted stripe and a sign with a purple line; you can leave your car in such a parking space for a day, but only after payment.
Parking on yellow lines is prohibited - this color indicates spaces for taxis, public transport, etc. The fine for parking in disabled spaces can be up to 80 euros; you will have to pay extra for tow truck services. The “cost” of incorrect parking in other places is three times lower – up to 32 euros.
Parking is paid through the appropriate machines, which can be found throughout the city, and it is also possible to pay for parking online. Payment is verified using the vehicle registration number.
Unfortunately, parking systems differ in different Czech cities, so when entering new town(or in advance when planning a route) you should look on the Internet for information about a specific locality. On the websites of large cities you can also find a map of parking lots with data on their congestion in real time. You can also use the parkme.com service, which allows you to find and book parking spaces online in many European cities.
Traffic Laws
In addition to all of the above, it is worth mentioning the permitted speed - 50 km/h inside populated areas and 90 km/h between them, unless otherwise dictated by road signs.
For motorways, the threshold is set at 130 km/h (highways inside populated areas - 80 km/h), the speed is recorded by automatic devices located along all types of roads.
Another important point is the speed at which a vehicle can drive closer than 50 meters to a railway crossing - 30 km/h. Also, every car must have low beams on while driving at any time of the day; the same requirement exists in Poland.
In the Czech Republic, you cannot turn around at an intersection with a traffic light - the fine for such a maneuver will be about 20 euros. It is also prohibited to contain any amount of alcohol in the blood; the punishment if it is detected will depend on the size of the ppm - if it is less than 0.3, then you can only get by with a fine of 96 euros, but there is the possibility of deprivation of rights for any amount of alcohol.
Of course, it is also prohibited to use the phone while driving; the driver and passengers (including those in the rear seats) must be wearing seat belts. The permissible percentage of light transmission for the windshield and side windows is 75% and 70%, respectively; there are no restrictions on tinting the rear windows of a car in the Czech Republic.
Payment of the fine, as a rule, is made on the spot to police officers, but if the violation is so serious that the driver’s license is confiscated and the vehicle is sent to the impound lot, then you will have to pay through the court.
Conclusion
The Czech Republic is a fairly comfortable country for traveling by private car, with clear navigation on the roads, developed infrastructure, including intercepting parking lots, online payment services, etc.
Gasoline in the country is inexpensive, compared to its western neighbors, although compared to Russia it costs twice as much.
Violation of traffic rules is punishable by fairly large fines, but preliminary familiarization with them (the main differences were listed above) will greatly reduce the likelihood of receiving them. We wish you a pleasant trip!
Video about traveling by car to the Czech Republic:
Traveling by car to the EU countries is a special type of vacation. If you are adventurous and have a thirst for adventure, then this trip is exactly what you need. It will bring you complete satisfaction and joy from your journey. Of course, for a trip to be successful, you need to carefully prepare for it, like for any important event. If you plan to travel the Moscow-Prague route by car, it is worth collecting as much material as possible about the cities and countries you will be traveling through. Find out what rules, procedures, customs and traditions are established there so that no unforeseen situations arise. Before the trip, you need to carefully prepare your car, documents, and think through your route inside and out.
Preparation of documents
If you are planning a trip by car to Prague from Moscow, then, first of all, you need to contact the Czech embassy to obtain a Schengen visa. Another option is to visit a visa center. In order for the Czechs to be calm that you will not be left in the country without a roof over your head, they will definitely require fax confirmation from you that a room in any of the hotels has been booked. By the way, confirmation by email will not suit them, so book a room in advance and wait for confirmation of the operation from there. This is quite easy to do on any of the sites, then contact the hotel and discuss the timing of receiving the fax. Your account statements will also be required. You must prove your solvency; at least 50 euros per person per day.
To travel the Moscow - Prague route by car, you also need the following documents:
- International passports.
- Technical passport for the vehicle.
- Driver's license - better, of course, international.
- Issued green card.
- Car insurance.
- Insurance for all passengers, covering at least 30 thousand euros for each.
Preparing the car
Before starting a trip Moscow - Prague by car, you must take care of the technical condition of your vehicle. Go through parts, electricians, and refit your car according to the season. Check the expiration dates of all medications in the first aid kit and whether the fire extinguisher is in order. It is mandatory to have emergency stop signs and a tow rope; repair kits and additional splitter cords may be needed. The spare wheel must be in good working order. Reflective vests and a RUS sticker will come in handy.
Route selection
Be aware that if you choose the Moscow - Prague route, the distance by car will in any case have to be covered through Belarus and Poland. Many people use the Google maps service when preparing their route. Once the starting and ending points are included in the route selection, and this is Moscow - Prague, the service will offer you several routes to choose from. How long does it take to travel from Moscow to Prague by car? If you don’t stop to rest in Poland, you can cover the route in about a day.
So, you can choose two ways:
- Moscow - Brest - Warsaw - Wroclaw - Prague. This route is about 1950 kilometers, but in fact it takes longer to get there, since the road is laid through many settlements, where the speed limit is 50 km/h, and even less in the mountainous section.
- Moscow - Brest - Warsaw - Katowice - Brno - Prague. If you decide to take this route, there is only one minus - you will not admire the beauty of the mountain landscapes. In general, this road is longer, the distance will be two thousand kilometers. But throughout the entire journey you can drive at an average speed of 100 km/h, and at an ideal speed. Many sections of the road here are toll.
So, before deciding on a route, study which cities you will be moving through, what interesting things you can see there, where to relax and eat.
Passing the border and customs
So, having set off along the Moscow - Prague route by car, you need to get out and boldly drive straight ahead. The track is quite good, and in some places it is simply excellent. After leaving Moscow, about five hours later you will arrive at the border with the Republic of Belarus. You must pay the transport fee and keep the receipt until the end of the journey. Travel around the territory of the republic for about 600 km; by evening you will find yourself in Brest. It’s better to stay overnight here and cross the border with Poland in the morning. From here it's a five-minute walk.
Before crossing the Polish border, you must pay. The move is carried out either at the Brest - Terespol point, or further south, to Domachevo. The car must be changed to any studless shoes, even in winter. Under no circumstances take radar detectors with you, they are prohibited in the European Union! If they are discovered, serious problems can arise. Goods are allowed to be transported in an amount not exceeding one and a half thousand euros. If there is no problem with this, then you will be directed to the CD corridor, the line there moves quickly.
Traveling around Poland
The route from the Polish border to Prague will be no more than three hundred kilometers. You definitely need to purchase a vignette; it gives you the right to move freely on local highways. You will no longer see any border post; only signs will tell you that you are already in the Czech Republic. When driving through Poland, do not miss the opportunity to visit local attractions, because this country is considered one of the most beautiful in Europe. When planning a trip Moscow - Prague by car, include Warsaw in the route. The hotel room can be booked in advance via the Internet. Take a day and visit the most interesting places here.
Sights of Warsaw
Warsaw has been the capital of Poland since 1596. Many compare the city to the Phoenix bird, because after the defeat by the Nazis there was practically nothing valuable left here. But through the efforts of the people, the main historical architectural monuments were restored using the surviving drawings, fragments, drawings. Now Warsaw is one of the ten most beautiful European cities.
It is considered a historical place Old city- locals call it Stare Miasto. Each house here has its own pedigree. On Castle Square you can take a unique photo near the column. This king ruled the country for 44 years. All coronations took place in St. John's Cathedral. The Royal Castle was restored until 1970; even today, art historians are buying up valuables that were taken from it during the war. Nowe Miasto, located to the north, presents a whole string of palaces that compete with each other in beauty. The Presidential Palace is located in Krakow Przedmieście, which connects the Center and the Old Town. It has been in operation since the seventeenth century. Nearby you can admire the Church of St. Anne and the Basilica of the Holy Cross.
Czech
We return to the route Moscow - Prague. The distance by car from Warsaw can be covered in just a few hours. You will only know that you are already in the Czech Republic, in Prague, by reading the signs. Czech is spoken in the country, and young people speak English quite well. The quality of the roads here varies, there are places with ideal coverage, and there are also emergency ones. Don’t forget to buy a vignette; there is a toll on highways here. The vignette must be properly attached to the windshield, otherwise you may receive a fine. At gas stations you can quickly pay with a card, only after you have filled up with gasoline.
Parking
So, we covered all the kilometers from Moscow to Prague by car, and we ended up in the city. How is parking here? Parking spaces are quite expensive, but violating them will be even more expensive. The cost per seat varies depending on the zone. There are several of them, they differ in colors. The blue zone is especially for city residents, the green zone is 6-hour, the orange zone is 2-hour. Saw a parking sign and white line- there is a parking meter nearby. Read the parking conditions carefully; very often it is free. It is much more difficult to park in the center, so many people choose places near hotels or shopping centers. If you come to Prague for a long time, it is better to leave your car in the P+R parking lot and travel by public transport.
Main telephone numbers in Prague
In case of emergency, you should call the telephone numbers below, be sure to save them before your trip.
- Police - 158.
- Ambulance - 155.
- Firefighters - 150.
- Emergency technical assistance - 1230 or 124.
- Russian Embassy - (2) 333-741-00 or 333-715-48 or 333-715-49.
Traffic rules in the Czech Republic
- At all pedestrian crossings, the pedestrian has the right of way, so be extremely careful.
- Speed. In a populated area, the speed limit is 50 km/h, outside - 90 km/h; if you are on the highway, the speed limit is 130 km/h. There are radars installed everywhere, invisible to the eye, so if after speeding you suddenly find a car overtaking you with the sign “follow me”, expect a fine.
- Alcohol is strictly prohibited.
- Low beam is required both at night and during the day. Fog lights are allowed only in poor visibility and fog.
- Seat belts must be fastened, including in the rear seats. Children under 12 years of age and persons shorter than 150 centimeters in height are prohibited from sitting in the front.
- It is prohibited to use mobile phones without a Handsfree device.
- Payment of the fine can be made directly from the police; almost any card is accepted.
The main attractions of Prague
What did those who traveled by car to Prague from Moscow remember? 2016 is coming to an end, everyone who visited there this year received a lot of indelible impressions and dreams of returning here again next year. What places do tourists most like to visit in Prague?
An amazing city where modernity combines with history. In the distant 8th century, the construction of the Vysehrad and Prague Castle. The latter is still the main relic of Prague. Everyone who arrives in the city must visit this place.
This main fortress ensemble houses the residences of kings, former emperors and modern presidents. The guard of honor is posted at the main gate, which is located on the side of Hradcan Square. The shift changes hourly, and hundreds of tourists gather at this time to look at this magnificent spectacle.
Inside the fortress ensemble there are Prague Castle, a gorgeous fountain, the “Court of Honor”, the Church of All Saints, the Church of St. George, and St. Peter’s Chapel. Where once there were stables, an art gallery has now been built, where the rarest exhibits of fine art are located. The singing fountain adorns the entrance to the Royal Palace.
A special attraction here is Cathedral St. Vitus. Its construction began back in 1344, continued intermittently for several centuries, and was completed only in 1929. Now the Archbishop of Prague resides here. The palace gardens, located on the slopes, are also an attractive attraction.
Features of the trip
Considering the route Moscow - Prague, how long it takes to travel by car, we found out. About a day, if without overnight rest, the distance is approximately 2000 km. What features of this trip would you like to note?
- Complete independence and freedom of movement.
- Excellent quality of European roads.
- Be careful, follow traffic rules, otherwise you will not avoid fines!
- Don’t forget to purchase a vignette in the Czech Republic.
- Along the route you can see many beautiful places, stop at any point.
- You can spend a day in Poland and enjoy its architecture.
Moscow - Prague by car (2016): traveler reviews
Prague fascinates all lovers of antiquity with its unique architecture, which is why hundreds of people flock here. Some fly by plane, others travel by train. Those who have traveled the route Moscow - Prague by car leave the most enthusiastic reviews.
Newlyweds heading to Honeymoon in your car, spending time like in a fairy tale. They settle in hotels whose windows overlook the ancient castle; they will tell their children and grandchildren about their impressions.
Young families with children who visited Prague dream of returning here again, because not only adults, but also children of any age can find a lot of entertainment here. Many cafes are equipped with children's playrooms, there are animators, this gives parents the opportunity to relax and the kids to have fun at the same time.
Active pensioners also find a lot of surprising and fascinating things to see in Prague and, when returning home, they advise all their friends to visit this historical center.