The Czech
Republic is an entirely landlocked
country that lies just to the east of Central Europe, bordered by Slovakia to the
east. The Czech Republic
also shares borders with Poland to
the north, Germany
to the west and Austria to
the South.
The Czech
Republic is divided into the two
ancient provinces of Bohemia and Moravia which are set
next to a mountainous border along Germany. The country has varied
terrain and is hilly across much of the land, building up to mountainous peaks
in parts. Because the country is landlocked, thus doesn’t have the moderating
affects of a sea or ocean, and the terrain (whilst varied across the country)
generally repeats its self from north to south and east to east, so there
same weather conditions tend to prevail across the country and also really vary
with varying elevation.
The climate across the Czech Republic
is largely continental and temperate. Temperatures vary quite significantly
across summer and winter, and this is mainly due to its landlocked position. The
summers are warm to hot, although extreme heat is very rare. Winters are
generally cloudy and cold, and at times can get bitterly cold when the cool
winds blow from Russia.
Winters generally play host to snow across the country, higher parts obviously
receive greater snowfall though there is often snow in the lowlands as well.
Bohemia
Bohemia, one of Czech’s ancient provinces,
lies in the western part of the country. Bohemia
consists of a large basin which is surrounded by low lying mountains. The basin
is drained predominately by two rivers- the Elbe and the Vltara River.
Bohemia
comprises about two thirds of the country, made up of 52,750 km² and home
to 10.3 million people. Within Bohemia
you will find many of Czech’s most popular tourist destinations, including the
lively, vibrant and historic capital of Prague. Prague, like Czech, hosts
a temperature continental climate. Winters in Prague are amazing as the historical old town
is covered in a blanket of white snow- a perfect Christmas getaway. Prague was built between
the 11th and 18th century so there is certainly not a
shortage of old and amazing architecture to check out.
Winters in Prague see temperatures
fall to an average minimum of -3 ºC in January and -1 ºC in February, while the
highs only reach 1 ºC and 2 ºC in December and January before reaching maximum highs
of 5 ºC in February. On average there is snowfall on
5 or 6 days each month throughout winter. Summers in Prague see average daily
temperatures of 16 ºC to 18 ºC, with July and August being the warmest
months. Minimums
sit at 11 ºC to 13 ºC and average maximums rarely rise above 26 ºC, though
the occasional heat wave does occur.
Lying south of Prague
is the quaint but popular town of Cesky Krumlov.
The picturesque fairytale town sits upon the Vltara River
that weaves around the tiny town like a mote. Sitting high upon a hill
overlooking the town is the Český Krumlov Castle, which is a castle
that is unusually large for the size of the town. Český Krumlov
Castle is the second largest castle in
the country, second only to the Hradčany castle complex of Prague. Cesky Krumlov
sees thousands
of visitors pass through the city in the peak of summer and it is increasing in
popularity as the word spreads about this hidden secret. There are some
fabulous places to stay and a vibrant nightlife, everything within walking
distance from everything else. One of the favourite pastimes is to get your on
rubber tire (or other floating device!) and float around the Vltara River
(the country’s longest river) taking in the lush greenery and historic
buildings as you leisurely drift around the town. The weather in the height of
summer is perfect for this, as temperatures sit in the high 20’s and
occasionally reach into the 30’s. Rain is expected throughout the entirety of
the year, including summer, but a rainy day is likely to be backed up by
several days of uninterrupted sun.
Lying between Prague
and Cesky Krumlov is the town of Cesky Budejovice,
which for you beer lovers is the home of Budweiser as in the sixteenth century
the Czech king, Fredinand I, ordered beer brewers in Ceske Budejovice to provide Budvar beer for
the royal household.
Moravia
The other province is Moravia which lies in
the east of the country. Moravia is also hilly
and is drained by the Moravia
River. Here the weather
is temperate though can be slightly colder as it is influenced by the cold
winds flowing from the east of Europe. In Moravia you will find
the highest peak which lies in the south of the region. At 5260 feet the
average temperature is only -.4 ºC. While in the lowlands of Moravia the average daily temperature sits
at about 10 ºC.
Lying in Moravia is the city of Ostrava which
s is the third largest city in the Czech
Republic. Ostrava lies in
the north-eastern tip of the Czech Republic with an average elevation of about 210
metres above sea level, sitting very close to the borders of Poland and Slovakia.
The city spreads over the northern part of the natural north-south valley
called the Moravian Gate. Because of its
easterly location the weather sees more extremes that cities that lie in the
west. The continental climate influences are more prominent and the yearly average
temperature is about 8.6°C, compared with 10°C in Prague. January sees and average of -2.4°C,
while July’s average daily temperature is July: 17.8 °C. Yearly rainfall in
Ostrava is around 600mm. January and February in
Ostrava sees an
average of 8 days of snow for
the month, and an average
minimum temperature of -4 ºC. While in summer, each month sees an average
of 9 ºC to 11 days of rain for the month and an average daily temperature of 18
ºC with maximums
reaching 23 ºC and minimums falling to about 12 ºC.
The best time of the year to visit
the Czech Republic is late spring (mid-May to
mid-June) and early autumn (September to mid-October) as this is when the
weather can be quite pleasant, although like any time of the year it is still
unpredictable. If you hold a particular hatred for rain then visit during July
as this is the best chance of warm and dry summer weather- keep in mind that
many people have hatched a similar plan and this is the busiest time of the
year across the country.
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