When the Czech Republic arrived Monday at its European Championship base, it was a sort of homecoming.

Seefeld, a resort town in the western province of Tirol which is surrounded by the rocky peaks of the Alps, has been a reliable safe haven for Czech teams in the past.

The Czechs were based in Seefeld ahead of Euro 2000, and they returned under coach Karel Bruckner when he took over from Josef Chovanec after the Czech Republic failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup.

"It’s an ideal place for us," Bruckner has said.

Ahead of Euro 2004, Bruckner brought the team to Seefeld and the team went on to reach the semifinals in Portugal, losing to eventual champion Greece in extra time. After the Czech Republic qualified for its first World Cup as an independent nation, Seefeld was again selected to host the team’s preparation for the 2006 tournament in Germany.

The last time they came, Bruckner was seeking quiet refuge to ready his squad before a decisive Euro 2008 qualifier against Germany in October 2007. The Czechs went on to beat the Germans 3-0 in Munich to secure a spot at the tournament in Austria and Switzerland.

"I’m here for the fourth time," Czech Republic striker Jan Koller said ahead of the team’s first training session later Monday. "I like the place very much. The conditions in the hotel and the pitch are fine. … We’ve gotten used to it."

Goalkeeper Petr Cech agreed.

"We find ourselves in the environment we know very well," Cech said. "We’ve got good memories of being here."

At Euro 2008, Seefeld has a new significance for the Czechs. The training camp was upgraded to be a base for the event — even though the Czech Republic will play all three of its Group A matches in neighboring Switzerland. The Czechs, who beat Lithuania 2-0 and Scotland 3-1 in warm-up matches last week, will open its Euro 2008 campaign on Saturday against co-host Switzerland in Basel before facing Turkey and Portugal in Geneva.

"It’s an honor for us to open the tournament," Koller said.