Friday, July 26, 2024
The monumental, almost ten metres high, dynamic statue of the legendary Czech athlete Věra Čáslavská will be an unmissable symbol for all visitors to the Czech House in La Villette Park in Paris.
The tribute to Věra Čáslavská will be on display from 26 July, when the Czech House in Paris opens.
It is a symbol of the gymnast’s movements and a reference to the sporting achievements and life attitudes of Věra Čáslavská, a seven-time Olympic champion.
“Věra was an amazing person. She was a great athlete, but most of all a wonderful person, with whom it was a pleasure to spend time, as she transferred her enthusiasm to everyone. She loved sport and cheered on all the athletes. That is why we want to remember her again – to our fans and to the whole world,” said Jiří Kejval, President of the Czech Olympic Committee.
The statue is made of stainless steel, weighs 7.5 tonnes and reaches a height of over 9 metres.
The individual parts travelled from the Czech Republic to Paris in three trucks and were built by a team of technicians on site for a week.
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“We have been working for a very long time on a rather complex movement technology,” comments David Černý on his work, which is set in motion by a system of electric drives and a complicated program.
“The movement of the sculpture uses the principle of the gimbal, where the central part has the freedom to rotate in all three axes of the Cartesian system. When the sculpture is set in motion, it will be impressive. It’s a beautiful mechanical game, in its own way as graceful as the figures Vera was able to conjure with her body,” described Černý.
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Visitors to Prague Zoo can now experience virtual reality (VR) starting this week.
This new feature allows guests to observe mountain gorillas and herds of wildebeest in their natural habitats.
Located in the lower part of the zoo, visitors will find six chairs equipped with VR glasses, available for a fee. This innovative initiative aims to bring people closer to wildlife.
In one VR film, viewers are transported to Rwanda, Africa, where they can watch mountain gorillas, including scenes of two alpha males vying for dominance.
Another film showcases the epic migration of a million wildebeest, zebras, and antelopes across the East African savannahs.
“These special goggles provide an immersive VR experience, completely surrounding the viewer. The seats are designed to tilt and shake, enhancing moments such as when a gorilla runs out of the forest,” explained zoo spokesperson Filip Mašek.
Mašek emphasized that this VR experience is intended to give people a glimpse of wildlife that they wouldn’t typically see in a zoo.
He also highlighted the zoo’s mission to support animals in the wild. Zoo Prague’s director, Miroslav Bobek, mentioned the possibility of adding more films in the future, potentially featuring whales.
The VR experience costs CZK 140, with a discounted rate of CZK 120 for online purchases through the zoo’s website.
The VR glasses and technology are provided by the American company Immotion. Prague Zoo is the first in the Czech Republic to offer this VR experience, similar to those available at Sydney Zoo in Australia.
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Crème de la Crème recently announced the opening of its new branch on Strossmayerovo náměstí in Prague 7.
The Letná branch offers a variety of 30 different flavors, catering to every ice cream lover.
Customers can enjoy both traditional and innovative flavors, all made with love and the finest ingredients.
“I am delighted to open our new branch in Letná and bring our unique ice cream experience to a wider audience. We believe our customers will appreciate the artisanal quality of our gelato and the pleasant environment we have created,” says Honza Hochsteiger, founder of Crème de la Crème.
During the summer months, customers can enjoy limited-edition “alcoholic gelato” flavors, including the refreshing Jägermeister Orange.
Other summer specials include Almond Amaretto, Apricot Prosecco, Orange Campari, Baileys, Piña Colada, Mojito, and Plum Plum.
Another popular summer option is the Affogato, made with espresso and their artisan vanilla ice cream.
You can also enjoy delicious coffee from domestic craft roasters, refreshing lemonade, and tickle your taste-buds with delicious tarts, pancakes, or sandwiches.
“All of our ice creams are gluten-free (except for Oreo and tiramisu) and are handmade using traditional Italian artisan ice cream makers in the original way, where each ice cream has its own unique recipe”, added Hochsteiger.
“Also, the pasteurization process that all cream ice creams go through is done separately for each type without cooking the so-called “white base” that is commonly produced by most even good ice cream makers. All of this ensures that Crème de la Crème ice creams have a perfect texture and a full, strong flavour that is unique and original to them.”
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Flydubai has announced an increase in flights from Prague to Dubai, adding three more weekly rotations to the existing seven.
Starting next year, the airline will offer two daily connections on Saturdays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. This increase is currently in a trial phase from February to April.
Previously, Flydubai operated one daily flight from Prague, departing in the evening and arriving in Dubai early in the morning.
The new flights will depart from Prague at 7:00 a.m., arriving in Dubai at 4:20 p.m. The return flight will depart at 1:55 a.m. and arrive in Prague at 5:55 a.m. A Boeing 737 MAX 8 will serve this route.
The additional flights coincide with the start of the spring break, increasing the frequency to ten flights a week until April.
This expansion aims to enhance the airline’s offer on the Prague-Dubai route and reduce connection times for other flights from Dubai.
Emirates also operates flights from Prague to Dubai, sharing codes with Flydubai on this route.
Additionally, Smartwings will return to the route with its winter schedule.
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Today, Friday 26th, Prague residents can immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the Summer Olympic Games’ opening ceremony.
The Czech-French Chamber of Commerce, along with the restaurant Petite Eiffel, has organized an exciting program at the site.
The Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games will take place in Paris on Friday evening along the River Seine. Over 300,000 spectators will be present in the French capital, with hundreds of millions more watching on TV.
During the ceremony in Paris, Prague’s Petřín Tower will shine in blue, white, and red—the colors of the French tricolor. The illumination will start at 8:55 p.m. and continue until 5:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Additionally, the French House, known as Maison Francaise, will open next to the Petřín Lookout Tower as part of the La Petite Eiffel restaurant.
The opening event at 6 p.m. will be hosted by the French Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Stéphane Crouzat, and Czech Olympian Zuzana Hejnová. The menu will feature delicacies like frog legs, cider from Normandy, and Provençal wine.
The event is organized by the Czech-French Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with Petite Eiffel, under the patronage of Prague’s Mayor, Bohuslav Svoboda.
At the Olympic Games’ opening ceremony, Czech flag bearers will be judoka Lukáš Krpálek and archer Marie Horáčková. The opening ceremony of this year’s Olympic Festival in Prague will commence at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
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Singapore edged past France, Germany, Italy and Spain to reclaim bragging rights as having the world’s most powerful passport.
Having a Singapore passport means getting visa-free entry to a record 195 global destinations, putting the city-state at the top on the Henley Passport Index. The four European countries, which held the No. 1 spot earlier in the year, are now in second place along with Japan.
The Henley Passport Index, compiled by London-based Henley & Partners, evaluates 227 countries and territories using data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
The index ranks passports by the number of destinations their holders can visit without a visa.
South Korea, Sweden, Finland, Austria, Ireland, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands are in third place, with visa-free access to 191 destinations.
The United Kingdom, which was the top-ranked passport along with the United States until 2014, now shares fourth place with New Zealand, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, and Switzerland. Australia and Portugal hold fifth place. The United States dropped to eighth place, just behind the Czech Republic.
The number 195 is a record for Singapore and the entire index. On the other end, Afghanistan remains the lowest-ranked, with its citizens having visa-free access to only 26 countries.
“The global average number of destinations travelers can reach without a visa has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024. However, the gap between the top and bottom ranks is now wider than ever,” said Christian Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners, in a press release.
The ranking, published by London-based immigration consultancy Henley & Partners, uses data from the International Air Transport Association to rank 199 passports’ access to 227 travel destinations.
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For the second year in a row, the Czech Republic has allocated more than USD 21 million for humanitarian support, development and economic assistance to Ukraine.
“In the first six months of this year, approximately half of this amount has already been spent. Czech firms will supply, for example, water treatment plants and equipment for surgical rooms or rehabilitation centres in the Dnipro region,” the Prime Minister Petr Fiala explained.
He informed that last year, the same amount of 500 million CZK was allocated for projects within the framework of humanitarian and economic assistance and for the development of Ukraine.
In particular, as part of this program, the Czech Republic contributed to the demining of war-affected agricultural areas in Kharkiv, Kherson and Sumy regions.
Czech companies have been supporting Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion. Already in the first year, they began to establish contacts with new partners and travel to Ukraine on business missions. More and more Czech firms are getting involved in Ukraine’s recovery, thanks in part to government support.
“They can impress foreign investors and financial institutions with their quality… When we visit Ukraine today, we see concrete results of their work,” the Prime Minister stressed, acknowledging that the Czech economy also benefits from such cooperation.
He recalled Czech humanitarian organisations and volunteers who have raised “several billion crowns” to help Ukraine.
In addition, on 16 July, during the visit of Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal to Prague, agreements were signed under which the Czech company Sellier & Bellot will build a cartridge factory in Ukraine.
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In the first six months of this year, Václav Havel Airport Prague handled over seven million passengers, which represents a year-on-year increase of almost a quarter.
The number of passengers in the first half of the year reached 92 percent of the 2019 record year. The most flights were operated to and from Great Britain, Italy, Spain, France, and Germany.
Every eighth passenger handled at Václav Havel Airport Prague flew to or arrived from Great Britain. It is therefore no surprise that London ranked top among the operated destinations.
Paris took the imaginary silver podium, Amsterdam ended third, Milan was fourth, and Rome completed the list of the TOP 5 champions. For some passengers, the listed places became the final destinations of their trip, while others used the respective airports as transfer points.
From January to June, direct air connections to 13 new destinations were added to the network.
Alongside the resumption of the long-haul route to Beijing, the flight schedule now also includes connections to Kazakhstan’s Astana, the Italian cities of Brindisi, Florence, and Verona, the Turkish resort of Izmir, the Moldovan capital of Chisinau, La Palma in the Canary Islands, Ponta Delgada in the Azores, Poznan in Poland, Tallinn in Estonia, Tashkent in Uzbekistan, and Tbilisi in Georgia.
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When it comes to responding positively to gluttony, it doesn’t matter what anyone says: (almost) everyone loves fried desserts.
That’s why we’re sharing the ranking from the Taste Atlas platform.
In the ranking of the well-known “Taste Atlas” platform, there are two Czech desserts that stand out in the world’s top 20. Is your mouth watering? So let’s find out what they are.
Sharing the 7th spot with several other countries, the Czech Republic’s fluffy doughnuts (koblihy), are traditionally filled with various types of jam.
Additionally, Czech muffins (vdolky) secured the 20th spot. These typical sweets are round with a small hole in the center for the filling, which can include jam, cottage cheese, or whipped cream. Although they can be baked, they are more commonly fried in oil.
According to Taste Atlas, which published a list of a hundred fried desserts, this is the top 20:
- Polish donuts (Pączki)
- Bomboloni (Tuscany, Italy)
- Pisang goreng (Indonesia)
- Graffe Napoletane (Naples, Italy)
- Aborrajados (Colombia)
- Fouskakia (Alonissos, Greece)
- Krapfen (Austria) – Koblihy in Czechia
- Malassadas (Azores, Portugal)
- Bola de Berlim (Portugal)
- Nonnevot (Limburg, Netherlands)
- Papanasi (Romania)
- Sfenj (Morocco)
- Bambalouni (Tunisia)
- Quarkkeulchen (Germany)
- Odading (Indonesia)
- Beignets (France)
- Quarklchen (Germany)
- Turon (Philippines)
- Zeppole (Italy)
- Vdolky (Czechia)
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The historic town centre with its numerous churches, all surrounded by medieval city walls, has preserved its Renaissance look and is full of crooked lanes, romantic views and picturesque nooks and crannies.
Znojmo is also the centre of a well-known wine region, so why not take the time to sample some of the local produce?
Nestled between Austria and Slovakia, this region boasts grand castles, distinctive cuisine, and sprawling vineyards that have earned it the moniker “Moravian Tuscany.”
Despite the convenience of an international airport in Brno, South Moravia welcomed just over 690,300 overseas tourists last year, compared to Prague’s 5.8 million. The crowd-free charm of Znojmo, founded around 1226 by King Ottokar I of Bohemia, is home to 34,000 residents and is a mere two-and-a-half-hour drive from the capital.
Znojmo’s affordability adds to its appeal. Four-star hotel rooms are available for less than 1,500 CZK a night, and attractions are reasonably priced – adult entry to the tunnels starts from 100 CZK.
Dating back to the 14th century, the labyrinthine tunnels of Znojmo offered refuge during wars and unrest, later serving as storage space. Over centuries, these passageways and cellars expanded to span 27 kilometers. Largely forgotten or kept secret until the Second World War, they were exposed after bombing raids and subsequently rebuilt.
Today, these tunnels are a major tourist attraction, offering classic sightseeing routes and “adrenaline trails” of varying difficulty. Above ground, a journey through Znojmo’s history and modern culture is incomplete without sampling local cuisine.
ReZtaurace, a microbrewery in the grounds of Znojmo Castle, serves as an ideal venue. Here, you can enjoy fragrant beef broth and wild garlic soup for 60 CZK, followed by beef tenderloin with dumplings for 200 CZK. The venue is a local favorite, with a bustling beer garden offering views of the lush valley below.
In the evening, Enoteka, a former brewery turned wine bar, offers a relaxed setting to explore over 120 wines. Prices range from 12 CZK per small sample to 80 CZK for a glass.
Nature enthusiasts will find South Moravia’s greatest splendor in Podyjí National Park. Spanning 63 square kilometers, the park includes flood plains, the river Dyje, and forests that provide a habitat for species such as otters, beavers, wild boars, and the black stork.
An e-bike ride through the park, reveals landscapes reminiscent of the Alps in summer, dotted with poppies and fragrant elderflowers.
Along the route, former Soviet watchtowers have been transformed into viewing platforms overlooking vineyards. A stop at Šobes Vineyard in the heart of the park offers a taste of its produce, benefiting from a unique microclimate. A glass of dry Riesling costs about 20 CZK, a refreshing reward after a four-hour cycle.
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The Highjump event, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, will take place at the Hřiměždice quarry near Příbram on August 2 and 3.
Visitors will enjoy performances by water jumpers from around the world, a rich music program, and plenty of entertainment. Tickets are still available here.
Highjump stands out for its unique atmosphere and venue. As always, there will be several categories to compete in. Participants will dive from 12- and 16-meter high towers. A major highlight will be the splash-diving competition, where the winner is determined by who creates the biggest splash.
The organizers have prepared a captivating musical lineup across several stages.
The main acts include rapper Yzomandias, rising star Rohony, rapper Rest with the band Champion Sound, legends PSH, singer 7krát3 with a live band, and DJs Matamar, TK27, Magenta, Roxtar, and many others.
On Friday and Saturday, visitors can look forward to performances by Yzomandias from the Milion+ label and the popular Rohony.
PSH, consisting of Orion, Vladimir 518, and DJ Mike Trafik, will deliver their usual outstanding performance. Rapper Rest, a hit last year, returns this year with the live band Champion Sound, fresh from their victory at the Red Bull Soundclash. Also performing will be singer 7krát3 with a live band, and ska-punk fans can enjoy the band Sticks.
The Desperados Dance Stage will feature top domestic DJs.
Located right behind the jump tower and a zone where visitors can enjoy Desperados tequila-infused beer, this stage will showcase acts such as the duo Matamar, DJ Roxtar, Chris Sadler, previous Desperados DJ competition winners Viiito and Saxofrancis, and the current winner Theresia.
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The ongoing reconstruction of the Holešovice Market will gradually transform it into an attractive, modern space.
Renovations will impact all the halls, including the historic former slaughterhouse exchange building, which will regain its original Neo-Renaissance appearance. The site will be completely revitalized, ready to welcome visitors and new tenants.
Built between 1893 and 1895 by architect Josef Srdínek, the market served as the Central Slaughterhouse of the Royal City of Prague until 1983. It then became a general market and was declared a cultural monument after ten years. However, it was in poor condition, necessitating a reconstruction.
“The Holešovice Market is entering a new phase, but we’re still at the beginning. Renovating the halls, which are mostly in disrepair, will require billions. We can’t change everything at once, though the entire area deserves it. All halls will be fully reconstructed gradually. Current modifications include replacing the boiler in Halls 7, 8, and 9, home to Jatka78 and Alza, and modernizing the technical infrastructure,” says municipal councillor Adam Zábranský.
The former Slaughterhouse Exchange building has been undergoing extensive reconstruction since last year to restore its Neo-Renaissance look.
The work, expected to be completed in spring 2025 at a cost of up to CZK 200 million, includes repairs to the roof, electrical and water systems, air conditioning, and underfloor heating.
“The exchange building revealed a unique feature of its time—underfloor heating, which is surprising given the technology in 1895,” says Tomáš Hübl, chairman of the board of directors of Výstaviště Praha. “The building hides many historical elements, which are being preserved. One significant element is the statue of Mercury, which will be visible to the public.”
Since May, Halls 27 and 28 have been under reconstruction. Visitors can expect new businesses from the well-known company Ambiente. Halls 7, 8, and 9, housing Jatka78 and Alza, are still awaiting their transformation.
These halls are undergoing regular repairs and maintenance, with plans to modernize the boiler rooms at a cost of CZK 35 million. Additionally, the intermediate area of the market will be improved according to the Perspektiv studio’s winning concept, enhancing surfaces and technical infrastructure.
Next year, the Holešovice Market, a cultural landmark, will celebrate 130 years. If all goes according to plan, it will open two new halls and the former slaughterhouse exchange building to visitors.
