NET WORTH >
Winter on the web
Written by: Jiří Vašek

Find out which mountains have sufficient powder snow, where there aren't any life lines, and where you can ski at night. Best of all, you can get all this info and more without getting without numb fingers.

http://www.snehulak.cz This site offers weather information from individual ski centers and related news reports. You can find out where cable-car lifts are being built or which centers are making artificial snow this year. The site maps out the Czech Republic and Slovakia - where the mountains are higher, and resorts are comparable to those in Austria and Switzerland. Both countries are broken down according to individual mountains, listing the small winter amusement centers unique to each. The snow base is listed, along with newly fallen snow, and whether the snow is powdery, icy, wet, or artificial. The last section ranks downhill conditions. The site also states lift prices and lodging facility addresses. @@@@

http://www.holidayinfo.cz This is the best source of information in several global languages on snow and operational conditions on Czech mountains. It addresses not only downhill skiers, but also cross-country skiers, snowboarders, and sledders. Information for 58 centers is updated daily, along with shots from cameras placed on the slopes. The rozcestník (directory) on the first page lists resorts, information on snow cover, temperatures, and other general conditions. Sub-categories include Lift Operations (showing lift type and capacities). Clicking on the next page gives you lift ticket prices and photographs of slopes. @@@@@

http://www.jesenik.net An example of a more in-depth conditions site, on which the Ski Center and Weather categories provide well laid-out information, including useful two-day weather forecasts. Other information includes lists of prepared cultural events, points of interest in the region's towns and villages, and traffic restrictions. Lodging and dining facility information is a matter of course, as are webcams at resorts. @@@@

http://www.snih.cz If you want to know where the best conditions for winter sports are in the Czech and Moravian mountains, look for a ski center in the TOP 7 offer, accompanied by the word "úžasný" ("amazing"). Snih.cz also shows other resorts, from the Jizerské Mountains, Krkonoše, Jeseníky, Beskydy, Orlické Mountains, Krušné Mountains, Šumava, and others. You can also find the temperatures in individual areas. The Aktuality (News) and Nejnovější články (Latest Articles) sections list current events in the mountains. This site is very well laid out, but unfortunately the information presented is not promptly updated. @@@

http://www.goski.com Skiers who alternate between Czech centers and larger, better equipped centers in other countries will appreciate this site, but only if you read English. The first page presents resorts in the US, but a simple move of the mouse will bring you to mountains in Asia, South America, Africa and Bolivia. Europe is also well represented, including Slovakia, but it completely ignores the Czech Republic. This site's strength is its active communication with its readers, who can enter their impressions from individual locations and submit comments, ideas, and tips. @@@@

www.seznampsc.cz
Are you confused about which ZIP codes the individual parts of Prague use, not to mention such small villages as Jíloviště or Gazdíkov? This site offers five-digit answers to a name-based search.

www.experts.cz
Auditors, tax consultants, expert witnesses, and authorized interpreters. If you need any of these and don't know where to find them, this site will give you the information you need.

www.stahuj.cz
No, this isn't one of the many Internet porno sites, but it will please all computer enthusiasts. You can find Czech and foreign freeware that you can download and install at no charge. It covers games, utilities, drivers, and screen savers, as well as improved or "Czechified" software for individual peripheral equipment.