A huge public park will be developed in the south of Prague. It will cover an area equivalent to ten Stromovka.
The river floodplain on the confluence of the Berounka River and Vltava River on the southern edge of Prague covers an area of over 1300 hectares, which is almost 300 x Wenceslas Square side-by-side.
The area is divided between five Municipal Districts and the town of Černošice.
An international landscape-architectural competition was held by the Prague Institute of Planning and Development (IPR) to select a design team for this project. The winning team consists of three studios from Catalonia, France and the Czech Republic: EMF, Norma and Pareto.
IPR Prague has received funding from the Norwegian Funds grant call “Bergen” for the project “Periurban park – a Tool for Reducing the Impacts of Climate Change”.
This initiative will contribute to the planning of the Confluence Periurban Park, which will be the first of its kind in the Czech Republic.
“The whole area is quite unlucky as it squeezed in a vise between a motorway, a train line and the Prague ring road. At the same time, however, we believe that a big park is already there, we just needs a bit of magic to bring it to life,” says geobotanist Albert Šturma.
It should also act as flood protection, and secondly, it will be a drought-resistant place, creating a pleasant microclimate in the highest temperatures.
The condition of pubs in Czech villages is incredibly alarming as more than 1,300 pubs have vanished in the last four years, which accounts for nearly 15 percent of the original number.
In 2019 alone, over 250 rural pubs closed their doors, according to data provided by Plzeňský Prazdroj, which categorizes communities with less than 5,000 residents as rural.
Although there were 8,929 pubs in March 2019, the number has decreased to 7,604 this year.
These figures take into consideration only pubs and restaurants, excluding bistros and cafes. The reasons for the decline in rural pubs are diverse.
The significant rise in input prices has adversely affected the gastronomy sector, especially the rural pubs have to decrease the customers” prices because they are open to any increase.
Furthermore, many people in villages and smaller towns prefer drinking beer at home than go to the pubs, which has resulted in a difficulty attracting new customers for rural pub owners.
Luboš Kastner reiterated that the revenues are increasing only for Prague’s restaurants and pubs, with a 36 percent revenue surge while there is a reduction in business profitability in rural areas.
As many rural pubs are shutting down, people living in secluded areas are having a hard time finding a nearby spot for socializing. This may lead to migration from rural to urban areas for socialization.
The scenario seems unlikely to improve in the future.
Ukraine’s EU accession could begin soon if all EU member states can be persuaded, said Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky after President Petr Pavel vowed to push for accession talks to be opened by the end of this year.
Pavel previously said he would be pushing for this in line with the position of Czech diplomacy, which Kyiv also seeks.
“I can imagine it, but there must be consensus in the entire EU-27,” Lipavsky said. However, many EU member states are sceptical, and Czechia is trying to allay their fears. Ukraine would have to meet all the conditions and “cannot enjoy any reliefs” in this respect, Lipavsky said.
Ukraine was granted candidate status for EU membership in 2022.
It received seven recommendations from Brussels last year that it should follow to move closer to membership in the bloc.
European Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen said in January this year that Ukraine had made good progress in implementing those recommendations related to domestic politics and the judiciary, such as the fight against corruption and the procedure for approving judges of the Ukrainian Constitutional Court.
Czechia, in cooperation with other allies, will seek ways to increase the supply of ammunition to Ukraine, Czech President Petr Pavel said after returning from a two-day visit to Ukraine.
According to Mr. Pavel, Ukraine has a critical shortage of ammunition, which is essential for the country to launch a counter-offensive against Russia and regain control of its territory.
Get to know Israeli culture up close – the second year of the Israel on the River festival returns to Strelecky Island on Sunday, May 21
MINT Market, in cooperation with the Israeli Embassy, brings the second year of the Israel on the River event. On Sunday, May 21, Strelecky Island will come alive with Israeli music, great cuisine and lots of talsk, workshops and entertainment.
The entry to the event is free and four-legged pets are welcome.
Throughout the day, visitors will be accompanied by great music produced by live bands, DJs, or choirs. The headliner is the Israeli band Anna RF playing upbeat electro-trad reggae. They have already presented themselves to the Czech audience at the Colors of Ostrava festival. Singer and songwriter Ran Nir was born and raised in Jerusalem.
His musical journey began in the streets of the city, where he discovered a wide range of musical influences. He is known for his emotional and introspective music as well as his deep voice.
The Shiran choir is a representative choir of the conservatory in Akko, which has been operating for 30 years. During his existence, he performed at many concerts not only in Israel, but also in the USA and Europe. The members of the choir are young Jewish and Arab women, led by conductor Luba Alexandrovič. At the end of the day, DJs Avi&Lir and DJ DubTazer will perform.
In addition to the musical production, visitors can look forward to a variety of talsk and workshops that will present Israeli culture from all possible angles. Comic Book Guide So here we are, Moses!!! tells the story of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt in such a way that it will captivate even the biggest atheist.
On the occasion of the Israel on the River festival, the authors will also prepare a fun educational game for the whole family, in the style of a comic book. Moshe Kepten is one of Israel’s most respected directors and currently also the artistic director of Israel’s National Theater “HaBima”.
During the discussion, Moshe Kepten will reveal when and in which theater performance you can see star actors from Israel in Brno. Alžběta Glancová, who translated it into Czech, will present the book by the Israeli author Shemi Zarchin One Beautiful Day.
For the second year already, Omer Tal – a music and dance director with more than 10 years of experience on the Israeli scene – leads the children’s dance group of the Lauder School in Prague. Visitors can therefore look forward to a performance full of various dance techniques and special choreographies.
They will then be able to try out some traditional Israeli dances at a workshop organized by the Besamim dance group.
They will also be able to participate in a workshop that will introduce the typical Israeli martial art of Krav Maga, play backgammon also known as Shesh Besh in Hebrew, learn the basics of Hebrew and watch short films that will be screened in collaboration with the Israeli Kolnoa Film Festival.
In cooperation with the MINT Market, there will be stalls with great food and drinks, which visitors will be able to enjoy right on the island in the middle of the Vltava, full of greenery, as if it were made for family picnics. In addition to authentic food, there will also be booths featuring fashion, jewelry, books by Israeli authors and with Jewish themes, and other accessories from creators with Israeli roots.
The 23rd International Tattoo Convention Prague will take place from May 19 to May 21, 2023, at the Prague Exhibition Centre in the Small Sports Hall.
This is the first and only official international tattoo convention in the Czech Republic, and there are not many tattoo shows in Europe that can boast such a long history as our Prague convention.
It is an event where tattoo enthusiasts, both tattooed and non-tattooed, come together and enjoy the buzz of tattoo machines for three days.
More than 170 tattoo artists from all over the world, along with Miss Tattoo, bondage shows, freak shows, DJs, and a food zone.
The program of the convention includes many interesting performances on the stage, but most importantly, there is the TATTOO CONTEST, in which individual tattooists from each studio compete for trophies in each tattoo category.
The tattoo competition categories this year are the small, black and white, the most crazy, old school and new school, the large, the color, the New Black, the realistic, the best of day, and the best of show.
Apart from the TATTOO CONTEST, there will also be the second most watched part of the program, namely MISS TATTOO 2023, open to ladies over 18 years of age who have tattoos.
Tickets for the convention are already available for purchase. The one-day ticket costs 350 CZK during pre-sale and 400 CZK at the door.
The three-day ticket costs 650 CZK during pre-sale and 800 CZK on-site. Due to the nature of the event and hygiene standards, dogs and other animals are not allowed.
Expat-friendly services in Prague: peer-to-peer carsharing company, HoppyGo, provides expats with effortless car rentals.
Since 2017, the peer-to-peer car sharing platform, HoppyGo, has been providing expats in the Czech Republic with access to vehicles without the hassle typical of other car rental companies. Unlike the latter, HoppyGo connects those looking to rent a car directly with the owners, fostering a sense of community while promoting an environmentally friendly way to share unused vehicles.
In 2022, HoppyGo was added to Deloitte Technology’s Fast 50 list as the 4th fastest growing tech company in the Czech Republic, and the 11th fastest growing tech company in all of Central Europe. “[We’re] pro-utilisation, pro-expat”, explained Brian Koslowski, HoppyGo’s Chief Operating Officer. “Our company represents true car-sharing. We encourage sharing vehicles that already exist, instead of offering a fleet”.
The HoppyGo team presented its service to the expat community at this year’s Jobspin Job Fair, proving to be especially useful for them; providing the community with the convenience of driving, without the commitment or difficulties associated with car ownership.
Whether needing a vehicle for moving flats, going on vacation, or simply to try a new type of car, HoppyGo makes life as an expat far easier. Koslowski spoke on how HoppyGo’s pure P2P model assists with the varied needs of the diverse expat community.
“We’re there for you when you need a vehicle. But we’re also there for you when you need to use another vehicle”. Budget cars can be rented from as low as 200 CZK a day, but the service extends far beyond just these models. High end sports cars, EV’s, and luxury vehicles are all available to rent. Unlike fleet cars, there is an abundance of flexibility for both owners and renters.
Owners can flag a car as being usable abroad and not abroad, pet friendly or not, whether additional equipment is included or if it’s smoke-friendly or non-smoking, and can choose where to meet to hand over the keys. This flexibility, going beyond just benefiting the owners, makes the experience for users frictionless, with expats being able to choose a car that specifically fits the needs of their current situation.
HoppyGo also allows for drivers to search for exclusively English speaking owners, assisting with potential language barriers. With more than 1500 cars listed on their platform in the Czech Republic and around 1000 cars available to rent in Prague alone, there is a variety of different vehicles to choose from to suit any purpose.
The flexibility of the platform and dealing directly with the owner of the vehicle – rather than a corporation – ensures that the rental experience is tailored specifically to the needs of the customer. Whether needing to rent a car for just an afternoon or a year, HoppyGo boasts an impressive range of choices that will be able to help. Among expats, the most rented models in the last 12 months are Škoda Octavia and Fabia, Ford Transit and Fiat Ducato.
Additionally, expats are quite interested in caravans, vans, sedans and cabriolets; a wide variety of which can be found on HoppyGo. These types of vehicles are often prohibitively expensive if rented from corporate car-rental companies, and typically unavailable on other car-sharing services.
Anyone can register their vehicle on the platform, choosing which dates their vehicle will be available to rent. Complete discretion is given to the owner: they make the final decision regarding whether they will rent the car. Every make and model of car is able to generate passive income for the owners, with HoppyGo paying owners a total of 32 million CZK in 2022 alone.
Koslowski explained what makes HoppyGo unique. “There is no direct competition. We are the only peer-to-peer car sharing company in Central Eastern Europe.” Few other car rental companies can guarantee the flexibility and ease of use provided by HoppyGo: with free cancellation up to 5 days prior to the rental date, and complete control to find a car that matches the needs of a specific purpose, HoppyGo provides a pure P2P experience that is unrivalled by traditional rental companies.
HoppyGo also vets every owner and registered vehicle, ensuring that the users get exactly what they selected. With easy and free registration, HoppyGo encourages people to sign up early.
“The approval process is quite quick, and we encourage people to register even if they do not have a need for a car at that moment. You don’t always have the use case for a car, but being in the system is better for when a use-case or emergency may come up,” explained Koslowski.
Users can register for free and explore their options here
Prague’s public transport enthusiasts can now ride on a historic bus line.
For the first time ever, the transport company is putting buses on the streets under the “K” designation that are no longer commonly seen in service.
The buses are now complementing the special retro tram lines 41 and 42.
So far, six buses from the turn of the millennium, which most passengers will remember from the regular lines, will be running on the historic “K” line. These include the high-floor red and white Karosa, which went on its first test run.
“At the moment, we have two 12-metre high-floor Karosas, two articulated ones, and two low-floor buses to complete the fleet,” says Jan Šurovský, the technical director of the Transport Company of Prague.
The circular route starts and ends at the Strahov turning point, partly following the route used by the first-ever trolleybus in Prague.
The connections will run past the Museum of Public Transport at the Střešovice carriage or through the U Matěje stop, where the trolleybus ended from the 1930s to the 1950s.
“Our aim was not to confuse it with the regular lines because it will have a special tariff. The letter K was the first trolleybus line that went to that terminus at Matěj, and even that first trolleybus line was preceded by a bus line, which had been going to Hanspaulka since the first of July 1930,” he adds.
In some places, it will also be possible to change from the historic bus to the retro tram line.
The Public Transport Museum plans to expand its fleet of buses in the future, says its director Petr Malík.
“We are planning to have some older buses, not only those from the beginning of the 21st century or its first decade. We would also like some from the 1980s and 1990s. It depends on what we can get. Of course, the oldest buses will also be on show, for example, the RO bus from the 1950s,” added Malík.
According to the plan, the construction of a new hall in the Public Transport Museum should start this year, where the historic buses should also be displayed.
The museum is already one of the most visited places in Prague, says Zdeněk Hřib (Piráti), deputy transport minister.
- Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský left for a diplomatic trip to the USA on Monday. He plans to meet with his American counterpart Antony J. Blinken to discuss further aid to Ukraine, energy security, as well as going to NASA headquarters to sign the Artemis Accords, a US initiative for international cooperation in space exploration.
- Around 200 people took part in a so-called “Peace March” on Monday, organised by the ‘Zachraňme náš stát’ (Let’s Save Our Country) protest movement. The participants gathered on Náměstí Republiky and set off at around 2 p.m. for the memorial in Vítkov, where they held a demonstration by the statue of Jan Žižka.
- The Ministry of Health has proposed that donors’ blood be tested more thoroughly for diseases such as HIV and hepatitis B and C, in order to widen the pool of who is allowed to donate blood. The health ministry says that these tests are standard in Western European countries and would bring Czechia more in line with other EU countries.
- Some 32 people died in traffic accidents in April, which is eight fewer than last year, according to the preliminary data of the traffic police released on Sunday. The overall number of traffic accidents in April dropped by around 1,000 year-on-year to 6,745.
- After two years of losses, Prague airport reported a profit of 283 million CZK last year, and the financial result is almost 2 billion CZK better compared to 2021. The airport handled 10.7 million passengers in 2020, more than double the previous year, and is expected to continue its gradual return to previous occupancy and profits.
51,282 crimes were recorded across Czechia up to April, up considerably on the 46,940 registered in the same period last year.
Crime across the Czech Republic increased by more than 9 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2023, according to the latest police statistics.
By March, a total of 51,282 crimes had been recorded across the country, up considerably on the 46,940 registered in the same period last year. While economic crimes such as fraud and drug-related crimes are down, violent crime including murder rose significantly.
In the first quarter of the year, Czech police recorded 47 murders or attempted murders, 12 more than in the same period last year. Authorities confirmed the majority of incidents, some 28 of the cases, involved domestic relationships.
The rise in reported murders and attempted murders is a concerning trend across Czechia. Last year, 150 cases were recorded in the country, up considerably on the 105 cases registered in 2021. In January, Czech Police President Martin Vondrášek attributed the increase to the noticeably higher social tension brought by the Covid-19 pandemic, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and the difficult economic climate.
Czech authorities also recorded a far higher number of property crimes in the first quarter of 2023 — such crimes include burglary, theft, and vandalism. A total of 27,261 cases of property crime were recorded by police up to the end of March, 4,089 more than the same period last year.
Moral crimes, however, have decreased by 81 to 946 cases so far this year, while economic crimes also fell by 282 to 3,979 cases.
Despite the rise in crime over the past two years, the total number of recorded cases remains lower than figures registered in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Treaty of Accession regulated the EU’s enlargement to allow 10 eastern and southern European countries to become members of the European Union on 1 May 2004.
The countries joining the European Union on 1 May 2004 were Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia,
This largest round of enlargement in the EU’s history was marked by public celebrations at many border crossings and in the European capitals.
The “eastern enlargement project” had begun a long time before: in the early 1990s, after the end of the Cold War, the EU concluded Association Agreements with many central and eastern European states with the aim of liberalising trade, developing guidelines for political dialogue and harmonising national laws and regulations with EU law.
“We are bringing into the EU family 10 new member states and 75 million new EU citizens,” said on that day European Commission President Romano Prodi.
“Five decades after our great project of European integration began, we are celebrating the fact that Europeans are no longer kept apart by artificial ideological barriers.
“We share the same destiny and we are stronger when we act together. I urge all Europeans to join in celebrations of this astonishing achievement.”
The moves towards accession were supported by a broad-based EU financing programme. The negotiations on accession which were launched with 10 states in 1997 were completed in 2002.
The Treaty of Accession was finally signed in Athens on 16 April 2003.
The EU began with six member states, becoming nine in 1973 with the arrival of the UK, Ireland and Denmark.
Greece followed in 1981, and Portugal and Spain in 1986. Austria, Sweden and Finland made in 15 in 1995.
Czech Republic announces new measures to ban CBD and other hemp-derived cannabinoid products from the market.
Although the country announced plans last year to legalize recreational cannabis, it is now planning to ban hemp-derived cannabinoid products that do not produce psychoactive effects.
The Ministry of Agriculture announced on April 25 its intention to set up new measures to remove products containing CBD and other hemp-derived cannabinoids from the Czech market, claiming that foodstuffs containing CBD cannot be placed on the market in any EU country due to the lack of scientific studies on their effects on human health.
Agriculture Minister Zdeněk Nekula said in a press statement that food products containing CBB and other cannabinoids derived from hemp cannot be sold unless they are certified as safe by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which provides independent scientific advice on food-related risks. He also admitted that the ban will impact some food business operators.
The Czech Republic is the only EU country to allow a THC limit of 1% in industrial hemp, whereas other member states have set the limit at 0.2%, although the EU has recently announced that it will increase the THC limit to 0.3%.
The Czech Republic’s food market offers a diverse range of CBD products, including those derived from hemp seed or produced synthetically, as well as other hemp-derived cannabinoids.
These products come in various forms, such as oils, tinctures, jellies, confectionery, candies, and capsules.
Despite being a non-intoxicating cannabinoid, the use of CBD in the food market has been challenged by the EU’s legal framework.
On the one hand, the European Commission ruled in December 2020 that CBD is not a narcotic and can be classified as food if it meets relevant provisions in EU food legislation.
The Commission also stated that CBD products should have the same free movement of goods between member states as other legal products.
But on the other hand, the EU considers food products containing CBD as ‘novel foods’ under the Novel Food Regulation, arguing that these products were not consumed significantly in EU countries before May 15, 1997.
Such foods may not be placed on the market unless they have been verified for safety by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and are authorized for marketing in the EU.
However, the EFSA halted in June 2022 the evaluation of European novel food applications for CBD products due to significant data gaps.
As a result, no new CBD products can be approved for sale in the EU until the necessary research is completed.
The EFSA identified several areas that need investigation, including the effects of CBD on the liver, gastrointestinal tract, endocrine system, nervous system, and psychological functions. These studies are crucial to ensure that the consumption of CBD products does not pose a risk to human health.
Czech Republic’s State Agricultural and Food Inspectorate has the authority to restrict or prohibit the sale of products in the market. If a marketing ban is imposed, CBD-containing products cannot be sold again. However, the Ministry has yet to give a schedule for when the ban will take effect.
The Czech Hemp Association criticized the government’s decision, deeming it illogical and unnecessary for companies operating in the sector.
The association said in a press statement that the EU regulation on novel foods is not legally binding but merely a recommendation and that individual EU member states can determine what constitutes a novel food.
Furthermore, the association announced that it is working with the European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA) to prepare evidence supporting their claim that CBD and other cannabinoids should not be classified as a novel food, given that cannabinoids have been a part of the human diet for centuries.
The Presidents of the Czech Republic and Slovakia – Petr Pavel and Zuzana Čaputová – are in Ukraine.
They witnessed the devastating effects of the Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Czech President Petr Pavel stressed that – as a former military man – he did not expect to see evidence of planned and massive attacks on civilian targets in Europe.
Shocked by the visit to Borodianka Slovakian President Zuzana Čaputová wrote on Facebook that “the shameful attack on Ukrainian cities, including Uman and Dnieper, which resulted in the deaths of innocent people, reminds us that we cannot look away”.
Czech media point out that Pavel’s and Čaputová’s visit takes place right after the night Russian rocket attacks on Ukrainian cities, in which at least a dozen people were killed.
In Borodianka, the Czech President said that the sight of the ruined city reminded him of what he had seen as a military man during the war in former Yugoslavia.
“I thought I would never see it again – so close and especially in Europe. The number of attacks on civilian objects shows that they are intentional. A navigation error can happen from time to time, but with this number, it’s not a bug. Clearly, this is the plan. This plan is quite clear – to cause chaos and fear among the civilian population, and thus put pressure on the government to resign,” said Pavel.
He emphasized that the Russians failed to break the Ukrainians and the countries supporting Ukraine.
Both Presidents reached Kyiv by train in the early hours of Friday morning. They are to meet, among others, with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The detailed program of the visit has not been published for security reasons, but the media suggest that both leaders will also talk to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
“Zuzana Čaputová and I share the values of freedom and justice. Ukrainians pay the highest price for this with the blood and lives of their citizens. In the fight against the aggressor, they defend what unites us,” Pavel wrote on Twitter.
Čaputová called the joint visit to Ukraine “a new stage in relations” between Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
“This is our first joint foreign visit and I am glad that we have just arrived in Ukraine. Our message is clear: we are connected with Ukraine not only by borders and a common past but also by a common future,” said Slovakian President.