The capital of Czechia is Prague, but not every institution sits there

Ask a search engine for the capital of the Czech Republic and the answer is one word. Ask what that word means and it gets more interesting, because "capital" covers several jobs and Czechia hands them out to more than one city. Prague has most of them. Not all.

The short answer

The capital of Czechia is Prague, in Czech Praha. It is the country's largest city, with a population of about 1.4 million (Czech Statistical Office; check ČSÚ for the latest count), and it sits on the Vltava river in the historic region of Bohemia. The city has been the capital of the Czech lands for much of the last thousand years. The Přemyslid dukes ruled from Prague Castle, the kings of Bohemia followed, and Charles IV made it an imperial seat in the 14th century. When Czechoslovakia was created in 1918, Prague became its capital, and it kept the role when the Czech Republic became a separate state on 1 January 1993. The history is traced in the short history of Czechia and in the creation of Czechoslovakia in 1918.

Three roles in one place

Prague is unusual in that three levels of the state coincide on one territory. Under the law on the capital city (the Act on the Capital City of Prague), the city is a statutory city, a self-governing region, and the capital.

Because Prague is a region, it is counted in lists of Czech regions as one of fourteen, and Eurostat treats it as its own statistical region within the EU classification. For a plain explanation of the fourteen see Czech regions at a glance. How the city itself is run is covered in how Prague is governed, and how its numbered areas work in Prague city districts and numbered areas explained. For a feel of two very different districts, see our profiles of Nusle and Stodůlky.

One quirk shows how odd the arrangement is. The Central Bohemian Region wraps around Prague on almost every side, but its regional office is in Prague, not in a town inside the region. The capital is surrounded by a region it does not belong to.

What sits in Prague

Prague hosts the head of state, the cabinet and the legislature, and a few institutions that have little to do with Czech politics at all.

• President. The president's seat is Prague Castle, a working institution as well as a monument. See Prague Castle complex explained; for the wider story of Czech castles, read why Czechia has so many castles.
• Parliament. The Chamber of Deputies and the Senate both meet in the Lesser Town (Malá Strana), the Chamber in its own building and the Senate in the Wallenstein Palace. For how they divide their work, read Czech parliament explained.
• Government. The cabinet and the prime minister's office are in Prague. The process of forming a cabinet is explained in how a Czech government is formed.
• International bodies. Prague is the seat of the EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has had its headquarters in the city since the mid-1990s, which adds to the diplomatic and journalistic community.
• Central bank and ministries. The Czech National Bank and most ministries are in Prague, along with foreign embassies, as set out in embassies and consulates.

What does not sit in Prague

The surprise for many newcomers is that Prague is not the judicial capital. The Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court and the Supreme Administrative Court are all in Brno, the country's second city, and so is the office of the ombudsman. The split dates from the early 1990s and has not changed since. Our guides to the Czech Constitutional Court and how the courts are structured explain what each court decides.

The consequence is practical. If you need to follow a constitutional case, you go to Brno. If you need a ministry, an embassy or the national tax authority's headquarters, you go to Prague. Many everyday dealings are local anyway: your municipal office, your regional office and your trade or tax office are normally the ones nearest to you.

Is Prague a country?

No. Prague is a city, and Czechia is the country. The confusion is easy to understand. Prague is the face of the country abroad, many people know it better than they know Czechia, and a visitor can spend a week in Prague without leaving it. Prague also appears in other languages under its own variant of the name (Prag, Praga, Prague), which can read like a country to a map-glancing tourist.

Where it sits inside the country is simple. Prague lies in the centre of Bohemia, the western part of Czechia, and Czechia in turn lies in Central Europe, bordering Germany, Poland, Slovakia and Austria. For orientation, any map will do, and the naming question is dealt with in Czech Republic or Czechia. On the practical side, the clock in Prague is the clock for the whole country: Central European Time in winter and Central European Summer Time after the spring clock change, as explained in what time it is in Prague.

Why capital status matters to residents

Three consequences reach people who live here.

The job market. National institutions, embassies, head offices of large companies and international organisations are concentrated in the capital, which shapes the choice of jobs, particularly for English speakers. See how to find a job in Czechia as a foreigner.

Population and growth. The capital and its commuter belt are the most dynamic part of the country. Prague population: what the censuses show tells the story in numbers.

The Prague premium in prices. Housing in the capital is more expensive than elsewhere in the country, which is why many newcomers compare Prague with Brno and Plzeň before choosing. Prague, Brno or Plzeň: where a property budget goes furthest lays the comparison out.

If you are reading this as a first step towards moving, the next page to open is moving to Prague: a complete step-by-step plan.

Frequently asked questions

What is the capital of the Czech Republic?

Prague (Praha). It has been the capital of the independent Czech Republic since 1 January 1993 and was capital of Czechoslovakia before that.

Is Prague a country?

No. Prague is a city and a region within the country of Czechia, which is also known in English as the Czech Republic.

Is Prague the largest city in Czechia?

Yes, by a wide margin. Brno is the second-largest city. The Czech Statistical Office publishes current population figures.

Where are the Czech Constitutional Court and Supreme Court?

In Brno, not Prague. The Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, the Supreme Administrative Court and the ombudsman are all based there.