Czechia — the most castles per km² in Europe, birthplace of lager beer, Prague UNESCO. 12 facts.
- Czechia has 2000+ castles and palaces — most per km² in the world. Karlštejn, Hluboká, Český Krumlov (UNESCO).
- Pilsner Urquell — world's first 'pilsner' (1842) Plzeň. 70% of world beers today are derivatives of this style. Czechs drink 142 L beer/person/year (world record).
- Prague's Charles Bridge has 30 saints (Baroque sculptures, 18th c.). Built 1357-1402, the only bridge over the Vltava until 1841.
- Prague has the world's oldest astronomical clock running non-stop (1410). Every hour 12 apostles appear + Death rings a bell.
- Skoda — Central Europe's oldest car manufacturer (1895, Mladá Boleslav). Today owned by Volkswagen Group, producing 1.2 million cars annually.
- Český Krumlov — 600-year-old UNESCO town practically unchanged since the Middle Ages. 25,000 residents, 2 million tourists annually.
- Czech inventions: bayonet, sugar cube, contact lens Plus polariscope, Semtex (plastic explosive), and Vltavin (meteorite stone).
- Prague has the youngest average age of all European capitals. 30% of residents under 30. 6× more bars per resident than Vienna.
- Czech koruna (CZK) — the only EU currency (besides euro) with chemical names for denominations: 'koruna' (crown) and 'haléř' (heller).
- Czechia has 16 UNESCO sites — more than Poland. Krumlov, Prague, Telč, Kutná Hora, Třebíč Jewish heritage.
- Charles IV (14th c.) — founder of Central Europe's first university (Charles University in Prague, 1348). Earlier than all Polish and German universities.
- Czech hockey — 12 World Championship titles the world's second-best result after USSR/Russia. Prague has 4 of Europe's largest hockey stadiums.
Sources: Czech Tourism, UNESCO, ČSÚ (Czech Statistical Office).