Timur I., Author at Prague Morning

May 17 marks another wave of lifting COVID-19 restrictions in the Czech Republic. Starting today, people will be able to work out in gyms or attend outdoor cultural events.

Catering establishments will be allowed to provide their services on terraces, albeit under rigid conditions. Only four people will be allowed to sit at a table, so long as they are not members of the same household.

Furthermore, one of the following documents will be required upon entering: a negative test, confirmation of vaccination, or an affidavit stating that the person concerned has been tested negative at work or school.

After all the formalities are settled, you can discover a world of Czech cuisine and beer! Here are seven establishments in the capital perfect for having a glass of beer or grabbing a bite:

1. Restaurant Záležitost

The establishment in the heart of Žižkov boasts a pleasant and well-kept garden. Guests can sit under the roof, where they can admire ornamental grass, trees and a pond.

Address: Biskupcova 19, Prague 3
Price: 41-49 CZK for a beer
Opening hours: Monday–Thursday 11:00 – 22:00, Saturday–Friday 12:00 – 20:00

2. T-Anker

The restaurant on the roof of Kotva department store, T-Anker offers its customers a stunning view of the capital, a variety of dishes and twelve kinds of beer, including restaurant’s own lager.

Address: Náměstí Republiky 656/8, Prague 1

Price: 55-95 CZK for a beer
Opening hours: Monday–Sunday 11:00 – 20:00

3. Žižkov BeerGarden

The largest outdoor seating area in Prague, Žižkov BeerGarden not only caters to guests, but also invites them to watch football or hockey matches as well as partake in sport activities, such as foosball, pétanque, or beach volleyball.

Address: Koněvova 1686/112, Prague 3
Price: 38-45 CZK for a beer
Opening hours: Monday–Sunday 14:00 – 22:00

4. Restaurant Pod Juliskou

Restaurant Pod Juliskou is located near the stadium of the same name. It has a spacious summer garden and a well-equipped playground for kids. Visitors can choose from six kinds of draft beers, one of which is renowned Gambrinus Premium.

Address: Podbabská 1589/ 1, Prague 6
Price: 37-52 CZK for a beer
Opening hours: Monday–Friday 11:00 – 20:00, Saturday 11:30 – 15:00

5. Kafé Kaple

Kafé Kaple is a quiet place right in the city centre. It provides customers with chilled Pilsen beer, good coffee, and a selection of fine wines. Medieval atmosphere and secluded location make it a perfect choice for small celebrations and private events.

Address: Na Zbořenci 10, Prague 2
Price: 45-49 CZK for a beer
Opening hours: Monday–Friday 14:00 – 20:00

6. Restaurant Podolka

If the weather favours you, in Podolka you will feel almost like by the sea since the restaurant is located right next to the Vltava river. Local team has prepared several innovations for Monday’s reopening, such as a new menu and brand-new desserts.

Address: Podolské nábřeží – Přístav 1, Prague 4
Price: around 250 CZK for the main course
Opening hours: Tuesday–Saturday 11:30 – 23:00, Sunday–Monday 11:30 – 22:00

7. Restaurant U Pinkasů

U Pinkasů is a legendary Prague pub. It was almost impossible to get there prior to the pandemic because of huge influxes of tourists, but now the experience should be completely different. The pub serves classic Czech cuisine and top-quality beer.

Address: Jungmannovo náměstí 15/16, Prague 1
Price: 55 CZK for a beer
Opening hours: Monday–Sunday 10:00 – 22:00

8. Beer Garden Karlín

Located not far from the banks of the Vltava in the trendy Karlín neighborhood, this establishment looks to reinvigorate the Beer Garden experience in Prague.

Run by the Hilton, Beer Garden Karlín officially reopened on May 17, with a special offer for the opening week: get any large beer on tap for the price of a small one!

Beer Garden Karlín has six beers on tap including familiar 10- and 11-degree options and more specialized beers like a wheat beer.

Address: Pobřežní 1, 186 00 Karlín
Price: 25-40 CZK for a beer
Opening hours: Monday–Sunday 16:00 – 22:00

The Irish fast-fashion retailer Primark has started recruiting staff for its three-floor store on Wenceslas Square against the background of the reopening of retail shops in the Czech Republic.

Primark’s Prague branch will become the first one in the country, marking the company’s expansion into the Czech market.

In the new Flow Building, Primark will offer a full range of cheap women’s, men’s, and children’s clothing, shoes and accessories, cosmetics, as well as household goods and confectionery on a total area of 4,700 square meters.

Salespeople are invited to start working in the second half of May. Besides, Czech is gradually appearing on the official website of Primark. For example, this page informs viewers of the Prague branch opening soon and provides some information about the company.

“With the opening of retail, we can finally move forward with our plans to open the first branch in the Czech Republic. We believe that the COVID-19 pandemic will not cause further delays,” said Kateřina Outlá from Grayling Prague, which represents Primark. However, she did not specify the precise opening date.

Primark operates in 12 European countries and the United States, where it has over 380 stores. Last year, the chain entered the Slovenian and Polish markets; expansion into the Czech Republic was also announced.

However, the spring and winter lockdowns foiled the process, even though Primark was already beginning to recruit employees for the Prague branch.

Prior to the outbreak of the pandemic, Primark signed lease agreements for its second store in the Czech Republic, located in the Olympia shopping centre in Brno. The branch is scheduled to open in 2022.

Primark will face less competition in the Czech market than during pre-coronavirus times. A number of retail clothing companies left shopping galleries and stores of large Czech cities.

Among the first to withdraw from the market was the French brand Camaïeu, which planned the closure of stores even before the pandemic. In the following months, it was followed by the French chain Promod and the British retailer Next.

How did the first strip clubs in Prague appear? What were the sexual toys produced in Czechoslovakia?

An exhibition Decadent Prague (“Praha dekadentní”), which teeters on the edge of decency, provides uncensored answers to such questions. The exhibition will run in the Dancing House Gallery until March 31st next year and is only open to individuals over 18 years of age.

According to the organizers, this is the most controversial exhibition to date, which, as they promise, will outrage but also educate visitors.

“We made this exhibition censorship-free so that visitors could see what was really happening in Prague during the 20th century. No covered naked bodies, no censorship,” said Robert Vůjtek, Dancing House Gallery director, adding that for some visitors the exhibition might prove too bold.

Decadent Prague will take visitors to brothels of the First Republic, show the beginnings of striptease in the 1960s in the country or the history of erotic images that were created outside the supervision of state censorship.

“We also have a rarity here – medical books of prostitutes, which were preserved in Czechoslovakia in only two copies; we borrowed them from the Police Museum,” added Vůjtek.

In addition to themes related to prostitution, the exhibition deals with the life of sexual minorities from the times of Austria-Hungary to the Velvet Revolution. Expositions of women’s underwear from the entire 20th century or the first homemade sex toys in Czechoslovakia are also presented.

Most things related to eroticism were banned for most part of the 20th century, but people still managed to find ways to circumvent the prohibitions and get items they desired.

“For example, in the 1970s, so-called massagers were sold. They were intended for something completely different, but a lot of curious people knew that they could also be used as a sex toy,” said one of the witnesses of the pre-revolutionary erotic industry, Oldřich Widman, who was also involved in the preparation of Decadent Prague.

The exhibition is organized in alphabetical order (A to Ž) on 30 themes related to eroticism in the capital and occupies three floors of the exhibition complex. It was created in cooperation with the City of Prague Museum, Czech Police Museum, as well as the city districts of Prague 2 and Prague 3.

The price for a standard ticket is 190 CZK. Price is reduced to 110 CZK for seniors and students.

According to the Czech Chamber of Fitness, the government will allow the operation of indoor sports facilities under a special regime from May 17, affirmed Chamber president Jana Havrdová.

The information also follows from the directive of the Ministry of Health.

The ministers did not mention the fitness centres reopening at the press conference after the government meeting yesterday. It was stated, however, in the resolution published later

Gyms will open with a number of restrictions:

the presence of more sportsmen than 1 per 15 square meters of the indoor area of a sports ground is not allowed,
there must be no more than 2 people in a group and 10 people in total in a sports venue,
all individuals present have to submit a negative test for COVID-19 (PCR, antigen, or self-test) not older than 48 hours OR a certificate of vaccination OR confirmation that they have contracted the virus no longer than three months prior,
visitors must maintain a distance of at least 2 meters,
changing rooms and showers remain closed.

There is no clarity with the mask regime in sports venues. Details will be announced soon.

Havrdová called this decision “light at the end of the tunnel”, which will at least allow small gyms to open. That being said, she is also going to clarify what government means by a “sports ground” and, if necessary, demand an increase in the limit for simultaneously present sportsmen on gyms premises.

“In the coming days, we will try to ask [the government] for an adjustment of the maximum capacity of 10 people at one sports ground and to clearly define what a sports ground is. In the case of large establishments with an area of several thousand square meters, this condition would logically make neither organizational nor economic sense, and for many gyms, it would still not mean opening. We believe that the government will reconsider its decision so that the presence of the public in our premises will only be limited by area,” Havrdová said.

Besides gyms, facilities like playgrounds, skating rinks, courts, boxing rings, bowling, billiard rooms, training facilities, and dance studios will be allowed to resume operating.

The directive does not apply to swimming pools, wellness centres, and saunas. They will remain closed to the general public.

President of the Czech Chamber of Fitness wants to change that, too. “Another change that we are discussing and which we perceive as completely risk-free from the point of view of the pandemic, is the opening of private wellness centres. These are spaces defined as a strictly closed and separate area (sauna or bath) with a maximum capacity of 2-4 people from one family or one social bubble, where clients never meet with each other during the entire period of service, including changing clothes,” Havrdová averred.

As part of the next step of loosening of restrictions, the government will abolish the obligation to wear mouth and nose protection when outside from Monday provided that there is no crowding and it is possible to observe a distance of at least 2 meters between people.

There is no change in the constraint to close the respiratory passages indoors.

“In outdoor areas, the obligation to wear mouth and nose protection will only apply where at least two persons less than two meters apart are present in the same place and at the same time, unless they are household members,” said Petr Arenberger, Minister of Health of the Czech Republic.

“It is the same practice as what we had here in autumn. When you are in an open area and there are no other people around, you do not have to wear mouth protection; but when you come to a tram or bus stop and there are more people, you put on a mask,” he added.

The exclusion from wearing a mask will also apply to the time required to consume food and beverages outside the premises of public catering establishments.

Since the beginning of March, people have to wear at least a surgical mask in areas of any municipality, but many people opt to wear a respirator.

Respirators with a protection class of at least FFP2 are still mandatory in public transport, shops, and other crowded places.

On Monday, all remaining shops and other service establishments that have been closed so far due to the pandemic will open across the Czech Republic.

Shoe repair shops, car dealerships, cableways, tanning salons, watch shops, jewellers, carpenters, and travel agencies will be able to reopen.

Last October, a pilot project that set up points of re-use was launched by the capital and Prague Services, an organization that deals with the management and disposal of household waste.

Prague citizens approach the recently established re-use centres with commendable enthusiasm as more than 14 tons of various items have been donated so far. Interested parties have already received 1,820 items.

Initially, the collection points were located at Pod Šancemi street in Prague 9 and Zakrýta street in Prague 4. Subsequently, the project was expanded, adding the third point at Horní Počernice in Prague 20.

In about six months, centres managed to save 14,372 kilograms of things that would usually be thrown away, and 1,820 items were given to people in need. The greatest interest was caused by household items, such as dishes, bed linen, or small furniture. Thanks to the project, various equipment and facilities came into use once again.

In recent months, not only non-profit companies that provide equipment to people in material need but also the people of Prague themselves, have been taking part in the project. The creators made a user-friendly website (nevyhazujto.cz) to make donations and delivery of items easier than before.

“The concept of re-use, where things find new uses rather than being thrown away, has already been successfully applied in practice abroad. Thanks to these centres, we are able to reduce the amount of waste in the metropolis and bring the circular economy into the consciousness of Prague citizens, which is the right step to change people’s thinking about what belongs to waste and what could be used by those in need,” said Petr Hlubuček, Deputy Mayor for Environment.

People donated a lot of books and seasonal items to the centres. For instance, a variety of tools for working in the garden were handed over in spring, whereas decorations and artificial trees were primarily received during the Christmas season.

Thanks to the success of the pilot project, Prague plans to expand the network to other places in the capital.

“The positive feedback from the operation of the re-use centres encouraged us to widen the system by building more of them in the future, helping reduce the amount of waste produced in the territory of Prague,” Hlubuček concluded.

The summer stage of the Lucerna Music Bar in Prague will move from Prague Exhibition Grounds to the territory of the new complex in Braník.

The concert series starts on June 15^th with the band Chinaski, tickets for their first two performances have already sold out.

Throughout the summer season bands Mirai, J.A.R., Mig 21, Pražský Výběr, Jelen and Monkey Business, as well as singers such as Barbora Poláková, David Koller and Paulie Garand, will perform on the stage.

The safety and hygiene regulations will be adapted to the current regulations established by the Ministry of Health and the local sanitary station. The organizers will publish and update additional information on their website throughout the summer season.

The band Chinaski will also perform pro bono at the concert Chance for Culture (“Šance pro kulturu”), which will be held on Tuesday next week. The concert is organized with the official support of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Up to 2,500 people will be able to attend the event, which main goal is to show that concerts are a safe place if all the recommended precautions are followed.

LUCERNA MUSIC BAR OPEN AIR 2021

15. 6. Chinaski – sold out
16. 6. Chinaski – sold out
18. 6. Rest & DJ Herby
22. 6. J.A.R.
23. 6. J.A.R.
24. 6. J.A.R.
29. 6. Mig 21
30. 6. Mig 21
13. 7. Jelen
14. 7. Monkey Business
15. 7. Monkey Business
16. 7. Paulie Garand & Kenny Rough
19. 7. Xavier Baumaxa
20. 7. N.O.H.A.
21. 7. BSP
22. 7. Sto zvířat
26. 7. Trautenberk
28. 7. David Koller
29. 7. Vypsaná fiXa
3. 8. Poletíme?
4. 8. Barbora Poláková
5. 8. Mňága a Žďorp
11. 8. Mirai
12. 8. UDG
17. 8. Xindl X
18. 8. Horkýže Slíže
19. 8. Gaia Mesiah
24. 8. Michal Hrůza & Kapela Hrůzy
26. 8. Pražský výběr
31. 8. Tomáš Klus
2. 9. Skyline
4. 9. Ty Nikdy Label
8. 9. Ben Cristovao
9. 9. Krucipüsk
13. 9. MTO Universal Praha

The Ministry of Health has published a plan for the return of cultural events for this year, with entertainment fully resumed by August 1^st.

The plan is being heavily criticized by Lubomír Zaorálek, Minister of Culture of the Czech Republic, who considers the proposal to be discriminatory against the cultural sphere.

In particular, Zaorálek is not satisfied with the fact PCR tests will be required to enter concerts and other events, whereas antigen tests will suffice when going to a barber, for example.

According to the Minister, many people, especially of young age, will be discouraged to attend cultural actions due to the cost of the PCR test, which averages at CZK 1,500.

“I don’t want culture to be just for the rich or older people who are inoculated, nor do I want young people to not being able to go to cultural events because they can’t afford it,” Zaorálek said. He added: “I want a single system in all areas, not a tougher regime for culture.”

Minister also noted that the cultural sphere had suffered greatly and required the resumption of the entire field as quickly as possible. Many countries where the coronavirus situation is similar to that in the Czech Republic have already begun to resume cultural activity, he affirms.

Plán @ZdravkoOnline rozvolnění opatření v kultuře není přijatelný. Stupně rozvol. dle incidence jsou přísné.Země s horší epid. situací jsou ke kultuře vstřícnější.Nadto PCR testy učiní akce dostupné jen VIP. Plán @MinKultury konzultovaný epidemiology dává kultuře více prostoru 👇 pic.twitter.com/yp9s2G8Ucs

— Lubomír Zaorálek (@ZaoralekL) May 4, 2021

The Ministry of Health insists that from May 17^th, provided that the situation stays under control, cultural events of up to 500 people in the open air and up to 200 people indoors may resume.

Confirmation of a negative PCR test or a vaccination will be obligatory in order to attend such events.

Zaorálek published an alternative plan on his Twitter account, in which up to 1,000 people in the open air and up to 500 people indoors will be allowed to participate. Besides, according to the plan, antigen tests will be accepted as well.

Both of the proposals heed of the condition of 100 or fewer infected per 100,000 people per week.

According to Eurobarometer, a survey conducted by the European Commission, the share of Czech citizens who trust the national government plunged from 40 to 19 percent in year-on-year terms, which constitutes the lowest rate in the entire Union.

The survey, which was published in May, also illustrates that Czech confidence in the European Union rose from 39 to 48 percent year-on-year, the highest level since 2013.

Czechs do not favour the parliament, either. The share of people who trust that legislative body dipped from 25 to 15 percent. Conversely, confidence in international organizations, such as the UN, increased dramatically, reaching 57 percent compared with 45 percent trust last year.

The average confidence in national governments and parliaments of all the EU countries is approximately 36 percent. Public trust in the Union averaged at 49 percent, which is similar to the level of trust Czechs maintain.

That being said, the Czech Republic remains one of the countries with the least confidence in the EU. Trust in a Union is the highest in Portugal with 78 percent and the lowest in Finland with 37 percent.

Distrust of the Czech government is also reflected in the respondents’ views on the level of democracy in the country. Whereas in the previous survey, 66 percent of Czechs were satisfied with the functioning of democracy in the Czech Republic, now it is only 45 percent. In the EU, average satisfaction with how national democracies operate reached 55 percent.

Poll results also showcase Czechs do not confide in their government when it comes to tackling the COVID-19 pandemic; they mostly believe the medical staff in that respect.

The European Union also enjoys greater public confidence than the national government, including the issues concerning the vaccination process. What people expect most from the EU is to secure vaccines as quickly as possible, which, according to the vast majority of Czechs, are the key to stall the pandemic.

The measures implemented in the Czech Republic against the spread of the coronavirus are considered justified by 68 percent of Czechs.

However, a mere 24 percent of respondents are satisfied with the way the Czech government applies the restrictions. By contrast, 48 percent of those surveyed approve of the measures implemented by regional authorities, and 40 percent of people are satisfied with the measures implemented by the EU.

Compared to last year, the Czech population’s confidence in the economy also plummeted. 30 percent of respondents deem the current economic situation decent, whilst in the previous Eurobarometer it was positively assessed by 71 percent of Czechs.

Nonetheless, a large part of the population still has a positive view of the financial situation of individual households and employment in the Czech Republic.

MEPs on Wednesday approved a new European Space programme with a seven-year budget of €14.8 billion uniting all EU space activities in one place and expanding the scope and strengthening the competencies of Prague-based European GNSS Agency (GSA).

The decision needs to be confirmed by member states.

As a part of the change, the GSA will be transformed into the EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) in the coming years. The agency’s 200 current staff will also be tripled in the process.

The body has also approved the seven-year EU Space Programme with an unprecedented budget of €14.8 billion, which will be primarily allocated to construction, maintenance and operating of satellite systems.

“The bulk of the €14.8 billion budget will be allocated to Galileo and EGNOS, the EU’s global and regional satellite navigation systems, as well as Copernicus, the EU’s Earth Observation programme,” is stated in a press release of the European Parliament. The lion’s share of the budget – around two-thirds – will go to programmes managed from Prague.

GSA is already preparing for the changes. Rodrigo da Costa, executive director of the agency, said: “EUSPA is ready to implement the EU Space Programme and join hands with our partners to make the EU space ambitions a reality. We will boost our support to reinforce the dynamic and innovative downstream sector because we want society to benefit even more from space-based services.”

“We will continue delivering and enhancing safe and secure navigation services for the EU citizens and the Member States. We are committed to getting the best out of the EU Space Programme components, in particular Galileo, EGNOS, Copernicus and the upcoming GOVSATCOM, and are ready to contribute to new initiatives such as space-based secure connectivity,” he adds.

Evžen Tošenovský, MEP from ODS, claimed that despite not having a priority in the selection of suppliers or workers, the Czech Republic will still benefit immensely from the expansion of the GSA since it might bring new opportunities for Czech companies and universities.

The aforementioned decisions were made at a plenary session of the European Parliament last Tuesday. Once formally confirmed by the member states, the changes will enter into force retroactively from 1 January this year.

The Czech government approved the reopening of museums and galleries in seven regions of the country.

The facilities can resume operating starting from May 3^rdand under strict hygiene conditions, was decided at a cabinet meeting on Thursday.

On Monday, the government announced that aforementioned cultural institutions would be able to open in three regions with a favorable pandemic situation: Karlovy Vary Region, Hradec Králové Region, and Plzeň Region.

Four more administrative units were added to the list during the Thursday meeting. Those include Prague, as well as Pardubice, Central Bohemian, and Liberec Regions.

In addition to the mentioned institutions, no other area of culture will become accessible to the audience in the nearest future. Lubomír Zaorálek (ČSSD), Minister of Culture, said that the outdoor performances might be made available to the audience at the end of May or in June.

According to Zaorálek, the interior of the theaters are unlikely to open until the end of June, which marks the end of the theater season. It is inconceivable to him that all spectators would always undergo tests before a given cultural event. Minister also mentioned that the state would not be able to reimburse the organizers of performances for the tests.

Zaorálek noted that the concert of the Czech Philharmonic scheduled on May 10^th would be a pilot project. It might shed light on how cultural events with a presence of an audience should be organized and whether the prospect as such is feasible.

Thanks to a sponsor, the leading Czech musical ensemble will receive PCR tests for the concert participants. The entire event will be held under strict pre-given sanitary conditions and only for a limited number of spectators.

Zaorálek elaborated, saying that similar pilot projects must remain exceptional and should not become the rule. This is due, among other things, to the price of PCR tests, which would hamper the relaunch of cultural activities.

On Monday, the government issued a statement according to which people in the mentioned regions will be able to visit museums, galleries, and monuments provided that each individual inside has at least fifteen square meters of space at their disposal. Visitors will be required to maintain a distance of at least two meters unless they are members of a common household; they will also have to use respirators. Group tours will remain prohibited.

The reopening of museums and galleries corresponds to the second easing package out of six presented by the government last week as a system of loosening anti-epidemic measures. No easing concerning culture is mentioned in the third package.

In the fourth one, theatrical presentations and musical performances in the open air will be permitted so long as the number of newly infected permanently falls below 75 people per 100,000 inhabitants per week.

The Chamber of Deputies is considering legalizing same-sex marriage at an extraordinary session.

The lower house began negotiations on the matter in March 2019 but did not even finish the opening round of the debate. If the situation turns out differently today, the Czech Republic will get a chance to become the seventeenth European country and twenty-ninth country in the world to allow gay marriages.

Deputies were given red tulips on the way to work today. “We want to mark the anniversary of twenty years since the approval of marriage for all in the first country in the world, the Netherlands,” said Filip Milde of Jsme Fér initiative.

Currently, gays or lesbians can only enter into a registered partnership in the Czech Republic, which does not give them the same rights as spouses. For example, registered partners are not entitled to a widow’s pension, and by entering into a partnership they do not have joint property nor can they adopt a child.

The proposal to allow same-sex couples to marry is being discussed at an extraordinary session convened by Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Radek Vondráček of ANO.

The approval of its program will show whether or not members want to deal with the agenda. Before the vote, only lawmakers with a preferential right will be able to deliver a speech and express their opinion on the issue.

More than four dozen deputies from different parties supported the initiative. That being said, many Deputies are fiercely opposed to the project.

“I personally respect the value of marriage, which for me is a union of a man and a woman, and I perceive the possible change of this institution to a two-person relationship as a denial of the laws of nature and a destructive intervention into the cornerstone of society,” claimed Ivana Nevludová, Deputy of party Unified – Alternative for Patriots.

During the debate, Nevludová declared that people could not and should not think of anything better than a marriage of a man and a woman.

Tomio Okamura, leader of SPD party, said that he would rather “jump out the window” than be adopted by a couple of the same sex.

Counter-proposal will also be discussed during the session. More than three dozen other Deputies have signed a motion to enshrine in the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms that only a man and a woman have the right to marry.

Hundred and twenty votes of Deputies and a three-fifths majority in the Senate are needed for the motion to pass, which will virtually ban same-sex marriage in the country.

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