Petr B., Author at Prague Morning

Soup festival will take place at Smíchovská náplavka on March 2nd.

“Polívkování” (the name comes from Polívka = a soup) offers a huge variety of soups from around the world.

You can taste Czech soups such as potato cream, kulajda or tripe soup but mainly soups from all over the world such as Russian borscht, Mexican chipotle and menudo, Malaysian laksa, French bouillabaisse, Vietnamese pho, Japanese ramen.

Veggie lovers can look forward to vegetable soups and other vegetarian recipes. There will be an option to buy some freshly baked pastry and something to drink like hot ciders, wines, and Czech beers.

And if the soup is not enough by itself, you can taste crispy rolls, fresh homemade bread, and other savory pastries. Drinks include warm cider, apple juice, mulled wine, and draft beer. To finish your experience, you can choose from a variety of sweet treats and delicious coffees.

‘Kuchařky bez domova’ (The homeless cooks) will also prepare a fantastic meal at the festival. These women may not have a home, but they enjoy cooking and want to share their art with others.

This project aims to raise awareness of the issue of female homelessness by employing and supporting women in social distress, connecting those with and without homes to create a more equal space, and finally, using up fruit and vegetables that would otherwise be thrown away.

More info here

Korean cuisine is not well known in the Czech Republic, but it deserves to be explored. With three locations around Prague, Bab Ryze offers a great cross-section of Korean dishes that are worth trying.

Bab Ryze Restaurant is totally authentic, staffed by Koreans who clearly have a positive relationship with food.

Everything I tried was very tasty, and without compromising Czech flavors.

I placed my order through Dáme jídlo and the courier arrived as planned. The food was packaged well, nothing leaked, and the trick with the portions wrapped in foil ensured that the dishes were really hot.

But let’s get back to Korean gastronomy itself. You’ll find influences from other Asian countries, so there’s no shortage of fried dumplings for example on the appetizer menu.

The Gun-mandu dumplings stuffed with mushrooms and leeks were pleasantly crispy, very well seasoned, and accompanied by a dipping sauce (6 pieces for 119 CZK).

I wanted to taste as many dishes as possible, so I ordered 3 dishes from the main menu. In Korea, rice bowls topped with various vegetables, meat, and egg yolk are very popular. I opted for a slightly unconventional version without meat.

Kimchi Al-bab (189 CZK) is a rice bowl with homemade kimchi, pickled radish, Tobiko caviar, nori seaweed, and egg yolk.

A cold dish that’s great for hot days, you’ll appreciate it if you like the distinct taste of kimchi and fermented vegetables. I liked it a lot, and all the flavors worked beautifully together.

The kimchi itself is a fermented Chinese cabbage salad with chili. It’s an absolute staple of Korean cuisine, and at Bab Ryze, you can buy it not only as a side dish, but also to take home in half-pound or one-pound packages.

From the hot main courses, I tasted the Jjagle-i (269 CZK), which is pork stewed in a spicy sauce with rice. Don’t let the sharp red color fool you, this dish is not nearly as spicy as it looks.

In Korea, dishes are seasoned with gochugaru chili spice, which has a very rich color but tolerable spiciness. This dish also features fermented gochujang chili paste, which adds a nice smoky flavor.

Of course, I also had to order another typical Korean dish – Ttuk-bae-gi Bulgogi (269 CZK). Chunks of beef in a slightly sweet sauce with onions, carrots, and glass noodles made of sweet potatoes are also served with a bowl of rice. This dish was not spicy and very nicely seasoned.

I was generally surprised by the portion sizes – there was plenty of it and for a home test feast it was perfect, there’s enough for everyone.

I know this is just the beginning for me, Korean cuisine is interesting and there is still a lot to taste,
but I was excited about this “preview”!

I can definitely recommend going on a gastro trip to Korea, which you can do at home in your dining room thanks to Bab Ryze and Dáme jídlo!

October 28 is Independent Czechoslovak State Day, and most large stores over 200 square meters will close due to the law passed in 2016.

Pharmacies, gas stations, and stores in airports, hospitals and train stations are not included in the law. Stores under 200 square meters, such as local grocery stores, can also remain open.

Legally, all retail spaces over 200m², except wholesale, will have to be closed on this day, as during most other national holidays.

Thus, many brands including Globus, Kaufland or Lidl, are warning their customers to make sure that all their shopping is done ahead of time. Billa will also have to close all their large locations, but their smaller Billa stop&shop stores at gas stations will stay open.

Many shopping centres will also experience a forced day-off, such as Arkády Pankrác or Novo Plaza in Prague. Others chose to leave some of their retail spaces open, and have usually released a list of individual closed stores on their websites.

While business owner associations have repeatedly criticized the law, trade unionists are campaigning to extend this regulation to all 13 Czech national holidays.

The law covers the following public holidays:

1st January,
Easter Monday,
8th May (the Victory Day),
28th September (Day of St. Vaclav / Czech Statehood Day),
28th October (Independent Czechoslovak State Day),
25th and 26th December (Christmas Holidays).

Violators of the law can face fines up to Kč 1 million, and some fines have been levied in the past.

Students in the Czech Republic are asked to return home and limit their social contacts, announced on Tuesday the Minister of Education Robert Plaga (ANO). Those students who cannot return home are allowed to stay in the dormitories.

It is an amendment to the measure presented on Monday whereby all students, who were not called to work by the government – such as medics, were forbidden to stay in the dormitories.

“We have been able to agree with the Ministry of Health that students who cannot return home can stay on the campus,” Plaga said to the iROZHLAS.cz and later on Twitter.

S MZd se nám podařilo dohodnout, že studenti, kteří se nemohou vrátit domů, mohou zůstat na kolejích. Stejně tak na nich zůstávají studenti v karanténě. S rektory jsme ve spojeni. Přesto, pokud je to možné, prosím všechny, aby se vrátili domů a omezili sociální kontakty.

— Robert Plaga (@RobertPlaga) October 13, 2020

Read: Restaurants, Bars and Clubs to Close Until November 3rd

The restriction originally required all students who live in dormitories and reside elsewhere in the Czech Republic to temporarily leave their accommodation.

However, Plaga still recommends students to leave the dormitories. “If possible, I ask everyone to return home and reduce social contacts,” he added.

If you are not planning to visit Slovakia during your traveling through Europe, you may at least taste something typical Slovak – Halušky s bryndzou.

Restaurant “U Skřetů” can be easily missed when you walk by it, but once you locate the entrance (on the picture above it is the small door on the left) and brave the steep spiral staircase down to the cellar, you will have a chance to dine as if you were in Bratislava in Slovakia.

Halušky are perfectly accompanied by beer and here again, you will have a choice of beer produced in Slovakia. And you will see that, even though Slovakia is better known for its wine, they can make a decent beer as well.

One curiosity about this restaurant is also the fact that you can ask for the menu in Esperanto, and if you are lucky you can meet also some people speaking that language since the local Esperanto club is sometimes meeting right here.

Halušky s bryndzou

Ask any Slovak and they will tell you that bryndzové halušky is the national dish. Potato ‘dumplings’ are smothered in a sheep cheese, rather like soft feta, and topped with a good dose of bacon (don’t forget the drippings!).

Halušky are made of raw potatoes grated small, flour, and egg. The dough is pressed through a contraption with holes so that the dough drops into the boiling water.

In 1968, during a period called the “Prague Spring,” Alexander Dubček, the newly elected leader of Czechoslovakia, enacted pro-democracy reforms that loosened state control and expanded individual rights, giving hope to citizens and angering the Soviet Union.

Soviet leaders in Moscow believed that Czechoslovakia, a member of the Warsaw Pact, had gone too far, and summoned the country’s leaders for discussions. By late summer, the talks were not going the way the Kremlin had wanted, so more than 2,000 tanks and thousands more Warsaw Pact troops were sent to invade and occupy the country on August 21.

In the first weeks, occupying soldiers were met with protests and limited resistance, and more than 70 civilians were killed in the conflicts.

File photo taken in August 1968 in Prague during confrontations between demonstrators and the Warsaw Pact troops and tanks.
/ AFP PHOTO / – (Photo credit should read -/AFP/Getty Images)

Prague residents ride on top of a Soviet Army tank rolling down the Wenceslas Square in central Prague during the first day of Soviet-led invasion to then Czechoslovakia on August 21, 1968. Banner reads:” Entry forbidden to unauthorized personnel”. REUTERS/Libor Hajsky

People throw Molotov cocktails and stones at Soviet Army tanks in front of Czechoslovak Radio station building in central Prague during the first day of Soviet-led invasion to then Czechoslovakia August 21, 1968. AP REUTERS/Libor Hajsky (CZECH REPUBLIC) – GF2E45J1BUZ01

Karlovy Vary, Czechoslovakia: Czech youths with the national colors pinned to their chests demonstrate in the streets here following the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia. The banner they are carrying reads: “Never Again with the Soviet Union.”

A Red Army tank is out of action 8/21 after a bridge it was crossing gave way here. One witness said the bridge had been dynamited, but the span may have collapsed due to heavy weight of tanks crossing it.

Soviet Army soldiers sit on their tanks in front of the Czechoslovak Radio station building in central Prague during the first day of Soviet-led invasion to then Czechoslovakia on August 21, 1968. REUTERS/Libor Hajsky

Lone car passing dozens of Russian tanks during Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia during Prague Spring. (Photo by Bill Ray/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images)

Prague residents surround Soviet tanks in front of the Czechoslovak Radio station building in central Prague during the first day of Soviet-led invasion to then Czechoslovakia August 21, 1968. REUTERS/Libor Hajsky

A barricade made from trucks and buses burns in front of the Czechoslovak Radio Station building in central Prague during the first day of Soviet-led invasion to then Czechoslovakia on August 21, 1968. REUTERS/Libor Hajsky

A Soviet Army tank goes over a barricade made from trucks and buses in front of the Czechoslovak Radio Station building in central Prague during the first day of Soviet-led invasion to then Czechoslovakia on August 21, 1968. REUTERS/Libor Hajsky

These shots show Czechoslovakia army trucks taking youngsters around the city as Soviet tanks halted on the outskirts and began siege of Czech army barracks. The youngsters wave Czechoslovakian National flags and chant national song and patriotic slogans.

Prague, Czechoslovakia: Czechs jeer a Soviet tank here as invading troops from the U.S.S.R. and four allied nations overthrew the liberal government. Defiant Czechs abandoned any major attempt to resist the takeover by force of arms. The occupation forces seized the nations reform leaders.

Prague has a new lookout, located between the Hanava Pavilion and the former Stalin monument at Letná.

The wooden platform cost CZK 800,000, City Hall spokesman Vit Hofman said.

For the lookout itself, a stone field has been used to reinforce the slope, creating a step that visitors can use to sit on and enjoy the views. The lookout is lighted using warm, ambient LED light. It was also supplemented with new waste bins and benches.

“As part of Prague’s efforts to retain rainwater as much as possible, the original asphalt surface – which was already in poor technical condition – was replaced by permeable granite paving,” said Deputy Mayor Petr Hlubuček (STAN).

The current City Hall administration also counts on building a water tank at Letná for irrigating trees. The city is preparing project documentation and seeking permits.

Letná used to be covered with vineyards because of its south-facing slopes. It was not until the nineteenth century that it became a park.

Until 1989, military parades and Moscow-style May Day parades took place in the vast expanse of Letná Park and thousands of Czechs marched along with the Sparta Stadium on the side of the Milady Horakova Street to honor their communist leaders to get to parade grounds.

Photo: MHMP

Photo: MHMP

Photo: MHMP

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The Baba ruins on a hill on the left bank of the Vltava River is a place of unclear origin with a unique and far view of Prague.

There are several theories about the origin of the ruins. Supposedly it is the remains of a vineyard press from the 17th century from the vineyard that was located here. However, according to other sources, it is a ruin of a chapel, or a newer Romanesque building from the beginning of the 19th century, which was completed with Gothic-style windows.

Baba is a part of city district Dejvice in Prague 6. It is situated on a rocky hill of the same name, some 264 – 267 m above the sea on the left bank of the Vltava River and next to the neighboring Hanspaulka.

The name Baba has already been documented in the 15th century. The area was settled as early as in the Younger Stone Age, which is documented by numerous archaeological findings from the 1970’s. In the medieval era, the local area belonged to the settlement named Horní Šárka and there were vineyards here.

In the 1740s, the summer-house was demolished and burnt out by the Bavarian and French soldiers during the War of the Austrian Succession, and in 1748, the land was annexed to the Šárka farmyard.

In 1858, when the railway from Prague to Podmokly was built, the national railway company had the palace-like remains of the summer-house adapted to resemble a castle ruin and transformed it into a romantic ruin with massive walls and vaulted Windows. It soon became a popular destination among Prague folks for hiking trips.

Graffiti artists have controversially made the ruins into a canvas for their art over the past few years, but you can make up your mind about whether this adds to or detracts from the undeniable beauty of these ruins.

The Baba ruins are around a 30-minute uphill hike from the tram stop Nadrazi Podbaba.

At night, both the ruins and the access road are lighted, so you can plan your visit also in the evenings.

Ruins of Baba

The steady sounds of clip-clopping hooves pulling creaking carriages could be absent from the streets in Prague starting next year.

“Prague City Hall may prohibit the use of horse-drawn carriages in the city center,” says Councillor Jiří Pospíšil from TOP 09.

According to Pospíšil, “horses are forced to toil in all weather extremes, dodge traffic, and pound the pavement all day long. They may develop respiratory ailments because they breathe in exhaust fumes, and they can suffer debilitating leg problems from walking on hard surfaces.”

The city said the coaches no longer fit in with the council’s vision of “quality tourism”. They are also a problem given the number of tourists in the city center, and the council raised the issue of animal welfare.

For years, animal rights activists have called the carriage-horse industry abusive and cruel but supporters have argued that the horses are treated humanely and the carriages are a romantic link to history, provide jobs and appeal to tourists.

Prague 7’s mayor Jan Čižinský supports the idea: “Horses have been seriously hurt and there have also been a few incidents in which carriages have been hit by impatient or careless drivers.”

Prague Mayor Zdenek Hrib fears that “if we act quickly, entrepreneurs can sell horses that have become unnecessary to a slaughterhouse. Therefore, we are considering the option of a gradual ban and drivers will no longer be able to buy new animals to replace the old ones”.

Football stadiums in the Czech Republic will fully open to the public only from the beginning of the next season.

However, epidemiologist Rastislav Maďar said during an interview for Seznam Spravy that “as part of the gradual relaxation of measures, in a few weeks, up to several thousand fans could go to football matches under special conditions.”

The rest of the current campaign will be played behind closed doors due to the coronavirus crisis, with every match shown live on TV in a bid to prevent supporters from missing out.

The top two leagues in the Czech Republic resumed on May 23. The plan is for two games to be played per week and the season to be completed by July 18 this year.

The restart made the Czech league one of the first in Europe to take to the pitch again, following the Bundesliga in Germany which began matches on May 16.

Public health officers are monitoring matches and any individual who tests positive for COVID-19 will have to serve a period in quarantine. An entire team could also be quarantined in such instances.

Drive-in football fans

Meanwhile, fans in the Czech Republic, where the league has resumed behind closed doors, have been treated to a novel way to gather to show support for their team and watch live matches.

When Sparta Prague entertained second-placed Viktoria Plzen Wednesday, supporters were able to watch the game on big screens from inside their cars at drive-in movie theaters in Plzen and Prague.

The smart quarantine project will be extended to the whole country from Monday.

The project involves tracing past contacts of people who test positive for the virus five days back by creating “maps of their movements” with the help of banks and mobile phone operators.

The solution offered by the Covid19cz group of computer experts. “It generates a memory map showing… for instance that a man spent half an hour at the corner of two streets,” sais Covid19cz spokeswoman Irena Zatloukalova.

“The public health officer can ask if the person visited or met someone to identify other people who may be infected. People won´t have to merely rely on their memory when they recall what they were doing over the last two weeks.”

All those who they came into contact with are tested and quarantined until cleared. The plan is being implemented with the help of the army in order to speed up testing.

The smart quarantine will contribute to the acceleration of activities ensuring population testing and identify new coronavirus cases.

Those who test positive will then describe who they met and where to the Regional Hygiene Authority, and a map will be drawn from this information.

Within three days, everyone who was in contact with the infected person will be contacted. “They will be ordered into a short-term quarantine and the army will arrive within a few hours,” explained Prymula.

“During the first stage of the fight against Coronavirus, across-the-board measures were adopted to stop the virus from spreading unchecked. Fortunately, we did this quickly. It looks as though we have high a chance of levelling out the growth and the curve. We have now moved on to the second stage, which entails replacing the across-the-board measures with the smart-quarantine concept that has been used with success in Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and other countries,” said Prime Minister Andrej Babiš noted.

On the orders of the government, all data must be permanently deleted after the research has been completed, according to Ondřej Tomáš, one of the system developers. Only epidemiologists will be allowed to access the data.

According to Deputy Prime Minister Karel Havlíček, the government will release scenarios of easing restrictions for shops and services after Tuesday’s (April 14) meeting.

“We will introduce release scenarios. Three waves are expected and there could be weekly or ten-day intervals. In the first weeks of May, almost everything could be open, but of course, given the development of the spread of the disease,” he added.

The government also wants to allow hospitals to carry out planned operations and not to neglect the care of people with other diseases.

Havlíček added that the government “will not solve the economic situation caused by coronavirus by raising taxes. It will be necessary to restructure the state administration budget.”

According to him, direct support to enterprises will be 100 billion crowns, indirect support in the form of guarantees of 900 billion.

Kurzarbeit will last longer

On March 19, 2020, the Czech government has approved a proposal of the Czech Minister of Labor and Social Affairs (MSPV) to help Czech workers and employers mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Kurzarbeit is a measure for the Czech Labour Offices to compensate wages. This measure will help employers to manage better the current situation so that employers do not have to do layoffs.

Companies that have been forced to suspend operations as a result of the quarantine, or which have recorded a significant drop in demand for their products or services, may have their payrolls co-financed from between 60% to 100%, for the period from 12 March to the end of April in the first instance.

The Confederation of Industry called for an extension of Kurzarbeit to six months, which, however, would be very costly for the state. At the same time, however, the Minister admitted that two months of Kurzarbeit would not be enough and so it would have to be extended.

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