Prague · Czech Republic · Central Europe
Current Time in Prague
Live NTP-synced clock · CET / CEST time zone · Weather, world city comparisons & complete guide
UTC Offset…
Daylight Saving…
vs London…
Population1.4 mil.
The exact current time in Prague is displayed live above, synchronized with international NTP servers.
The capital of the Czech Republic operates on the … time zone
(…), at an offset of … from UTC.
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Prague shares the same time zone as Berlin, Paris, Vienna, Warsaw and over 40 other European cities — all following the same Daylight Saving schedule under the IANA identifier Europe/Prague.
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Prague Time vs World Cities – Live Comparison
| City | Current Time | Time Zone | vs Prague |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇿 Prague | … | … | ±0 |
| 🇬🇧 London | … | … | … |
| 🇩🇪 Berlin | … | … | … |
| 🇺🇸 New York | … | … | … |
| 🇺🇸 Los Angeles | … | … | … |
| 🇦🇪 Dubai | … | GST UTC+4 | … |
| 🇮🇳 Mumbai | … | IST UTC+5:30 | … |
| 🇯🇵 Tokyo | … | JST UTC+9 | … |
| 🇦🇺 Sydney | … | … | … |
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Daylight Saving Time in Czech Republic – CET & CEST Explained
☀️ Summer Time (CEST)
UTC+2
CEST — Central European Summer Time
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❄️ Standard Time (CET)
UTC+1
CET — Central European Time
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💡 Important note: The Czech Republic, Germany, France, Austria and most of continental Europe all change their clocks on the same Sunday — the last Sunday in March (spring forward) and the last Sunday in October (fall back). The UK changes on the same dates, so Prague is always exactly 1 hour ahead of London, every single day of the year. Clocks spring forward at 02:00 local CET (becoming 03:00 CEST), and fall back at 03:00 local CEST (becoming 02:00 CET). For most of the year Prague is … ahead of New York, with a brief transition window in spring when the US and EU change clocks on different dates.
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Prague Time Zone Converter – Compare with World Cities
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Prague – Geography & Location Facts
LocationCentral BohemiaVltava river valley · heart of Central Europe
GPS Coordinates50.0755°N14.4378°E (east of Greenwich)
Elevation~200 m avgBohemian Basin — Vltava valley ~177 m, surrounding hills up to 400 m
Area (city)496 km²Prague is also its own administrative region; metro area ~5,200 km²
ClimateCfb (Köppen)Humid oceanic — warm summers (22–24°C), cold winters (−2 to 2°C), ~1,700 sun hrs/yr
Main RiverVltavaFlows north through the city · spanned by 35 bridges including Charles Bridge (1357)
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Population & Administrative Data
| Population (city of Prague) | ~1.4 million |
| Prague metropolitan area | ~2.7 million |
| Density | ~2,800 people/km² |
| Official language | Czech |
| Currency | Czech Koruna (Kč, CZK) |
| International dial code | +420 |
| Internet domain | .cz / .prague |
| Postcode format | 1xx xx (100 00–199 00) |
| Drives on | Right 🚗 |
| ISO code | CZ-10 |
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A Brief History of Prague
- c. 870Prague Castle is founded on the left bank of the Vltava by Prince Bořivoj of the Přemyslid dynasty — the seat of Bohemian princes and later Czech kings. The fortification commands the valley and establishes Prague as the political and spiritual heart of Bohemia for over a thousand years.
- 1348Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV transforms Prague into one of the grandest cities in medieval Europe. He founds Charles University — the oldest university in Central Europe — lays the cornerstone of Charles Bridge, and begins construction of the Gothic St Vitus Cathedral. Prague becomes the imperial capital and a centre of art, learning and commerce.
- 1415 – 1436The execution of religious reformer Jan Hus in 1415 ignites the Hussite Wars, making Prague a flashpoint of the European Reformation a century before Luther. The Hussite movement reshapes Czech religious identity and leaves a lasting legacy of intellectual independence.
- 1618The Defenestration of Prague — Protestant noblemen throwing Catholic royal governors from the windows of Prague Castle — triggers the Thirty Years’ War. The subsequent Battle of White Mountain (1620) ends Czech independence for nearly three centuries, placing Bohemia under Habsburg rule.
- 1918With the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Prague becomes the capital of the newly formed Czechoslovak Republic on 28 October 1918. The interwar period brings a democratic golden age — Prague flourishes as a cosmopolitan cultural hub home to Franz Kafka, Alfons Mucha and a vibrant Bohemian avant-garde.
- 1968The Prague Spring — Alexander Dubček’s programme of “socialism with a human face” — offers brief liberalisation before Soviet-led Warsaw Pact forces invade in August 1968. The crushing of the reform movement defines a generation and cements Prague in the global consciousness as a symbol of resistance.
- 1989The Velvet Revolution of November 1989 peacefully ends forty years of Communist rule. Led by dissident playwright Václav Havel, peaceful demonstrations on Wenceslas Square grow within days into a mass movement that topples the regime without a shot fired. Havel becomes president; Czechoslovakia splits peacefully into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993.
- TodayPrague is a thriving EU capital, one of Europe’s most visited cities and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992. Its exceptionally well-preserved medieval, Baroque and Art Nouveau architecture — largely undamaged by World War II — draws over 7 million visitors per year. The city is also a growing tech and start-up hub within Central and Eastern Europe.
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Top Tourist Attractions in Prague
🏰
Prague CastleThe largest ancient castle complex in the world by area (~7 hectares of buildings within a 570 × 130 m perimeter, recognized by Guinness World Records). Contains St Vitus Cathedral, the Royal Palace and Golden Lane. Official residence and office of the Czech president, with sweeping views over the city.
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Charles BridgeGothic stone bridge completed in 1402, crossing the Vltava river. Lined with 30 Baroque statues of saints and one of Prague’s most iconic landmarks, especially atmospheric at dawn before the tourist crowds arrive.
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Old Town Square & Astronomical ClockThe medieval heart of Prague dominated by the Church of Our Lady before Týn and the Astronomical Clock (Orloj), installed in 1410 and among the oldest working astronomical clocks in the world.
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Josefov — Jewish QuarterOne of the best-preserved Jewish quarters in Europe, with six historic synagogues, the Old Jewish Cemetery dating to the 15th century and the Jewish Museum — a profound memorial to Central European Jewish heritage.
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Wenceslas SquareA grand 750-metre boulevard — the historic scene of the 1989 Velvet Revolution demonstrations. Today Prague’s commercial heart, lined with Art Nouveau and interwar modernist façades and vibrant restaurants.
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Vyšehrad & VinohradyThe clifftop Vyšehrad fortress offers sweeping river views and houses the national cemetery where Dvořák and Smetana are buried. Vinohrady below is Prague’s most elegant 19th-century residential district.
✈️ Prague Airport
| Airport | IATA Code | Distance | Transport | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Václav Havel Airport Prague | PRG | ~17 km north-west | ~30–40 min (Airport Express bus + metro Line A) | 🌍 Main international hub |
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Czech & Prague Food Culture
SvíčkováPrague’s signature dish — beef sirloin in a creamy root-vegetable sauce served with bread dumplings, a slice of lemon and whipped cream. A Sunday classic in Czech households and a staple of traditional Prague restaurants.
Czech BeerThe Czech Republic has the world’s highest beer consumption per capita. Prague’s pubs pour iconic lagers including Pilsner Urquell (from Plzeň), Budvar (from České Budějovice) and local Prague brews like Staropramen and Kozel.
Trdlo (Chimney Cake)A spiral pastry grilled over charcoal, rolled in sugar and walnuts — now a ubiquitous tourist treat on Old Town Square. Authentic versions come from Slovakia and Hungary; Prague offers countless sweet and savoury filling variations.
Pečená KachnaRoast duck with red and white cabbage and bread or potato dumplings — a pillar of Czech festive cooking. Found in the traditional restaurant cellars (pivnice) that populate Prague’s Old Town and Lesser Quarter.
Czech Bread & PastriesCzech bakeries produce dense sourdough žitný chleba (rye bread), sweet koláče (pastry rounds filled with poppy seed, cottage cheese or plum jam) and the iconic rohlík roll — a Czech breakfast staple.
Utopenec & HermélínClassic Czech pub snacks: utopenec (pickled sausage in vinegar brine with onion) and hermélín (marinated Camembert-style cheese in spiced oil). Ordered alongside a cold pint at any traditional Prague hospoda.
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Practical Travel Information
| 💧 Tap water | Safe to drink ✅ — Prague tap water meets EU quality standards and is supplied from local reservoirs. Restaurants will provide it on request; bottled water is not necessary. |
| 🚌 Public transport | Prague has an excellent integrated metro (3 lines: A, B, C), trams (24-hour service including night trams) and buses. A 90-minute single ticket covers all modes. Validate tickets before boarding — plain-clothes inspectors issue on-the-spot fines. |
| ⚡ Power outlets | Type E (CEE 7/5) — 230V / 50 Hz. UK/US visitors need an adaptor. |
| 🗣️ Language | Czech — English widely spoken in the city centre, tourist areas, hotels and most restaurants. Prague has a large international community and English signage is common. |
| 💰 Currency | Czech Koruna (CZK, Kč) — not the Euro, despite EU membership. Exchange at banks or licensed bureaux; avoid tourist-area exchange booths. ATMs (bankomaty) are widely available throughout Prague. |
| 🛂 Tipping | Round up the bill or add ~10% in restaurants. Say the total amount you wish to pay when settling — change will not automatically be left as a tip. Do not leave cash on the table. |
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Frequently Asked Questions – Prague Time Zone & CET/CEST
Prague uses CET (Central European Time, UTC+1) in winter and CEST (Central European Summer Time, UTC+2) in summer. The IANA timezone identifier is
Europe/Prague. Prague shares its time zone with Berlin, Paris, Vienna, Warsaw, Budapest and over 40 other European cities, all following the same clock-change schedule set by EU Directive 2000/84/EC.
Yes. The Czech Republic observes Daylight Saving Time. Clocks advance 1 hour on the last Sunday of March at 02:00 local CET (becoming 03:00 CEST), and fall back 1 hour on the last Sunday of October at 03:00 local CEST (becoming 02:00 CET). The Czech Republic follows EU-wide DST rules, identical to Germany, France, Austria, Poland and the majority of EU member states. The EU has repeatedly discussed abolishing seasonal clock changes, but as of 2026 the practice continues.
Prague is always exactly 1 hour ahead of London, every single day of the year. Both the Czech Republic and the UK change their clocks on the same last Sunday of March and October, so the 1-hour gap never changes regardless of the season, the month, or Daylight Saving transitions. London 09:00 = Prague 10:00, any time of year.
For most of the year, Prague is 6 hours ahead of New York (CET vs EST in winter; CEST vs EDT in summer). However, the US changes its clocks roughly 3 weeks before Europe in spring, and Europe falls back roughly 1 week before the US in autumn. During these brief transition windows, the difference temporarily shifts to 5 hours. Specifically: in spring, after the US switches to EDT but before Europe switches to CEST, Prague is only 5 hours ahead. Outside these windows, the difference is reliably 6 hours.
Yes. Prague, Berlin, Vienna, Warsaw, Budapest, Paris, Madrid, Rome and Amsterdam are all on CET/CEST — the same UTC+1/UTC+2 offset, switching on exactly the same dates each year. The time is identical between all these cities at every moment of the year. Geographically, Prague lies at 14.4°E longitude, which is well-aligned with the “correct” solar time for UTC+1, making it one of the most accurately placed capitals on the Central European timezone.
CET (Central European Time) is UTC+1, used from late October to late March — the winter period. CEST (Central European Summer Time) is UTC+2, used from late March to late October — the summer period. The difference between the two is exactly 1 hour. When CEST is active, clocks are 1 hour ahead of where solar noon would suggest — giving longer, brighter evenings. Both names refer to the same geographic timezone, simply at different offsets depending on the time of year.
No. Despite being an EU member since 2004, the Czech Republic has not adopted the Euro and continues to use the Czech Koruna (CZK, Kč). There is no fixed date for Euro adoption. Visitors should exchange currency or withdraw CZK from ATMs. Many tourist-area businesses accept Euros, but usually at unfavourable exchange rates, so paying in CZK is strongly recommended for fair pricing.
Prague is served by Václav Havel Airport Prague (IATA: PRG), located approximately 17 km north-west of the city centre. It is Central Europe’s third busiest airport, handling around 17–19 million passengers per year. The recommended route is the Airport Express (AE) bus to Dejvická station (metro Line A, ~25 minutes). Because the Czech Republic is in the Schengen Area, EU and Schengen travellers do not face passport checks when arriving from other Schengen countries.
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