Petr B., Author at Prague Morning

This year’s Christmas tree for Prague will come from the village of Semily (Liberec Region) in the north of the Czech Republic. The 24-meter spruce was selected by experts from some forty-two trees, suggested by the public.

The market organizing firm Taiko looks for trees that are in danger of being cut down in the near future. This way, the impact of cutting down the tree is minimal as it was already destined to come down. The tree is also disposed of in an ecological way after the holiday season is over, usually by being turned into mulch and reused.

“It is beautiful spruce that has grown in height in a private garden, so it has wonderful branches and is even,” said Petr Hozák of Taiko.

A poor quality tree fell in Old Town Square in 2003, leading to the serious injury of a British tourist. A different firm ran the holiday market at the time. The risk of a similar incident makes it important that experts agree on the health and stability of the tree.

The Prague Christmas markets are open every day from 30th November 2019 to 06th January 2020, including on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

The 2019/2020 Prague Christmas markets will take place in the following places:

Old Town Square: from 30 November 2019 to 5 January 2020
Wenceslas Square: dates to be confirmed
Náměstí Míru: dates to be confirmed
Tylovo Square: dates to be confirmed
Náměstí Republiky: dates to be confirmed

The Christmas markets are generally open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Náměstí Míru, Tylovo Square and Náměstí Republiky, and from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Wenceslas Square and Old Town Square.

Czech police have been put on high alert for the arrival of an estimated 6,000 English supporters for Friday’s Euro 2020 qualifier between England and the Czech Republic.

The fixture has been designated as high risk, with the Czech police ready to deploy an unprecedented number of officers, including English-speaking “anti-conflict units” and, if necessary, anti-riot units.

Prague’s surveillance camera system will be used to monitor fans’ behaviour away from the stadium, a city council spokesperson said.

When England played the Netherlands in a friendly on a Friday night in Amsterdam during March 2018, there were more than 100 arrests and condemnation for the appalling behaviour of the travelling fans.

“I wrote to Uefa asking them to reconsider the Friday night kick-off,” Roberts said. “That’s not something we’ve been able to do. It is harder when you’re dealing with them [Uefa] and, particularly, when you’re playing away. I think it’s unfortunate because you can foresee the risk. We’d much rather prevent a situation developing than try to manage it on the night and regret it afterwards,” said the English national police lead officer for football, Mark Roberts.

Having made a 100% winning start to the Euro 2020 qualifying campaign, England could even secure their place at the tournament this month if they win both games.

The Three Lions will face the Czech Republic, a side they beat 5-0 in March, in Prague on Friday 11 October, with the Bulgaria fixture to follow in Sofia on Monday 14 October – England prevailed 4-0 winners in the reverse game against Bulgaria last month.

The Czechs are second in the table with nine points and three games to play. England, which has a game in hand, tops the group with 12 points.

Bulgaria, Kosovo, and Montenegro are also in the group.

Following Karel’s Gott death on October 1st, Prague’s Petřín Tower will probably lit up in gold during the Signal Festival 2019.

The seventh edition of the festival will offer 18 light installations, six gallery zones and will take place from October 10 to 13.

The Czech public can say farewell Karel Gott in Prague’s Žofín Palace on Friday, October 11, and a commemorative mass will be celebrated for invited guests in St Vitus Cathedral one day later.

“We offered the family to light up the Petřín Tower in gold in memory of Karel Gott, and we are currently waiting for an answer,” said the Prague Mayor Hřib.

Mr. Hřib said that a street or other public area in the city could be named after the Czech singer. “It should be something in connection to music”, he added. The authorities in Prague 5, where Karel Gott lived, have also discussed honouring him in this manner.

The special lighting was not a first-time event. On public holidays and other important dates, the tower has also been lit up in red, white, and blue after the Czech Republic flag.

During the past two years, the tower has been lit in green to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

However, not everyone agrees with the lighting. The Prague Conservation Reserve issued a statement asserting that the illumination should only be granted for national holidays and “extraordinarily” important days.

The Czech Republic spends more than the European Union average on the provision of sport and recreation, when it is considered as a percentage of the government budget, according to Eurostat data released September 23 to mark the European Week of Sport (23-30 September).

In 2017, the EU’s 28 Member States spent €51.3 billion of government expenditure on recreation and sport. Overall, in the EU, the general government expenditure on recreation and sport has remained stable as a percentage of total expenditure since the beginning of the time series in 2004.

Hungary spent 2.5% of its GDP on sport and recreation, followed by Estonia (1.4%) and Luxembourg (1.2%).

The lowest recreation and sport expenditure per head was recorded in Croatia (€13 per inhabitant) and Bulgaria (€16), followed by Slovakia (€23), Romania (€25), Lithuania (€31) and Malta (€32).

Despite having withdrawn its bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games, Budapest was named as the European Capital of Sport in 2019 by the European Capitals and Cities of Sport Federation (ACES Europe). Hungary’s capital has also hosted several high-profile international tournaments, including the 2017 FINA World Championships and the 2019 World Table Tennis Championships.

The total government expenditure on recreation and sport across all 28 EU member states in 2017 stood at €51.3 billion.

Overall, in the EU, the general government expenditure on recreation and sport has remained stable as a percentage of total expenditure since the beginning of the time series in 2004, Eurostat said.

According to the Czech Trade Inspection (CTI) discriminatory conduct was committed by Clock Cafè (inside the Illusionist Art Museum) in Old Town Square and at Café Restaurant on Střelecký Island.

In the Clock Cafè, the inspectors made two orders as guests. “For an order made in English, the waiter charged a so-called extra service of CZK 50 to the total amount of CZK 460, even though consumers were not familiar with this service in advance.

In the case of an order made in the Czech language, no “service” was charged to consumers”, said the Inspector’s spokesman Jiří Fröhlich. “We are very sorry about this situation, as our company does not identify with such practices”, said Clock Cafè manager Radek Sláma. “We have set up control mechanisms to prevent a similar event from happening again”, he added.

The situation practically repeated during the inspection at the Café Restaurant. An English-speaking guest was charged CZK 75 for a “recommended tip”. The Czech-speaking customer had no tips on the receipt.

The manager of Café Restaurant refused to comment.

IAMPrague (Clock café) and Trophono (Café Restaurant) have to pay CZK 60,000 each for violating the Consumer Protection Act. Inspectors carried out inspections at the beginning of this year.

However, since the offenses were dealt with in administrative proceedings, it was necessary to wait for the final decisions to be published. Similar controls took place again on 20 September. In these cases, inspectors found three violations of the law.

On Saturday, September 28, you can visit the Lobkovický palác, usually closed to tourists, for free.

From 14:00 to 19:00, guests will be able to explore the interior of the Baroque palace, built in 1702.

The event will commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution and is called the “Path to Freedom”. The German embassy organizes an exhibition and talks with witnesses of those events.

A detailed program can be found here.

Lobkowicz Palace is one of the most important High-Baroque buildings in Prague. It was projected by famous Baroque architect Giovanni Battista Alliprandi and there is a large decorative garden behind it.

It has been a seat of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Prague since 1973. It became an important place in 1989: thousands of citizens of the former GDR could move to the FRG from this palace at the time.

The palace was planned with two facades: those of street side and the more impressive garden front. The Lobkowicz family acquired the palace in 1753, and it was given its Late-baroque appearance by Ignác Johann Palliardi in 1769. The garden (partly open to the public), which stretch the Petín Hill, was restyled in the manner of English “natural” landscaping in 1793 by J. Skalník, who had been responsible for the landscaping of Marienbad Spa.

In the palace gardens, you’ll find a sculpture by David Cerný of a golden Trabant that pay tribute to the thousands of East Germans who slipped into West Germany via the German Embassy in Prague, leaving behind their East German cars.

The Czech government coalition today agreed to raise all monthly base pays in the public sector by 1500 crowns next year and to cancel the lowest base pay level concerning the least paid professions such as cooks.

The pay decision, which covers about 290,000 state employees, will allow the government to complete its draft budget for next year.

“The last question of the 2020 budget is solved,” said Finance Minister Alena Schillerova on Twitter.

Prime Minister Andrej Babis (ANO) told journalists that teachers will be the only group with a percentage increase, while all the others will get a fixed sum.

The non-teaching staff of schools will have their salaries raised by more than 7 percent since the lowest base level will be cancelled, Babis said.

The government planned a pay rise of 10 percent for teachers and 7 percent for the non-teaching professions.

The Finance Ministry expects economic growth to slow to 2.2% in 2020 from 2.4% this year and it sees downside risks to the outlook.

The Czech economy, like others in central Europe, has held up amid a global slowdown thanks to strong domestic demand fuelled by low unemployment and rising wages.

Archaeologists have uncovered a mass grave at the site of a former Nazi concentration camp in the Czech Republic, the Museum of Romani Culture said Wednesday.

The remains of Romani adults and child Mass grave discovered dating back to 1943 were uncovered at the Lety concentration camp, where Roma people were incarcerated during World War II, the museum said.

A DNA sample taken from a woman buried at the site is being checked against relatives to confirm her identity, it added.

The Lety camp was set up by the Nazis in 1940 during their occupation of Czech territory and was operational for three years.

More than 300 members of the Roma community died there as a result of inhumane camp conditions, and hundreds of others were later deported to the Auschwitz death camp and murdered there.

During the 1970s, a large factory pig farm was constructed near the site of the Lety camp. It was closed in 2018 as the result of widespread protests.

Team USA advanced to the quarterfinals, gifting the Czech Republic a spot in the final eight after stifling Brazil 89-73 in the second round of FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Kemba Walker and Myles Turner scored 16 points apiece as the U.S. beat Brazil 89-73 in the final second-round game, setting up a quarterfinal clash with France in Dongguan on Wednesday.

Team USA also guaranteed qualification to the Tokyo Olympics. The U.S. men will be in the Olympics for the 19th time next summer, with 15 gold medals, one silver, and two bronze.

Earlier in the same group, Czech Republic lost to Greece 84-77, but a later USA win over Brazil gifted the Czechs a place in the final eight.

Apart from the Czechs and Americans, also already through to the quarterfinals in China are the French and Australians. Argentina, Serbia, Spain and Poland have all locked down their seeding.

The Czechs will encounter Australia in the quarterfinals, who squeezed out France 100-98 to top Group L and sent its opponent to the duel with Team USA.

In the classification round, Montenegro crushed Japan 80-65 and New Zealand edged Turkey 102-101 in Group O. Jordan overcame Senegal 79-77 while Germany beat Canada 82-76 in Group P.

Vienna has held off Melbourne to retain the top spot on the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index for 2019, further strengthening its reputation as the world’s most pleasant city, while the ‘gilets jaunes’ protests hurt Paris’ score.

Melbourne, Australia took the second-place spot, following close behind Vienna’s score. Vienna had taken the top spot from Melbourne last year after seven consecutive years at No. 1.

Sydney, Australia; Osaka, Japan; and Calgary, Canada make up the remaining top five on the annual Global Liveability Index of 140 cities around the world.

Not one U.S. city landed in the top 10 this year. Honolulu scored the highest among U.S. cities, ranking 22nd. Atlanta trailed at 33rd, followed by Pittsburgh at 34th and Seattle at 36th.

The EIU’s index ranks cities by five headline criteria. Stability and culture & environment are the two most important categories, weighted equally at 25% of the total. Healthcare and infrastructure are also matched at 20%, with education coming in last with a 10% weighting.

Damascus in war-torn Syria remained the worst-ranked city, below Lagos in Nigeria and the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, which swapped places.

The world’s most liveable cities 2019

1. Vienna, Austria
2. Melbourne, Australia
3. Sydney, Australia
4. Osaka, Japan
5. Calgary, Canada
6. Vancouver, Canada
7. Toronto, Canada
7. Tokyo, Japan
9. Copenhagen, Denmark
10. Adelaide, Australia

The world’s least liveable cities 2019

1. Damascus, Syria
2. Lagos, Nigeria
3. Dhaka, Bangladesh
4. Tripoli, Libya
5. Karachi, Pakistan
6. Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
7. Harare, Zimbabwe
8. Douala, Cameroon
9. Algiers, Algeria
10. Caracas, Venezuela

Simply Clever and electric: ŠKODA AUTO DigiLab launches an eScooter sharing service, BeRider, in Prague. BeRider is now beginning its pilot phase.

The BeRider scooters’ electric drive system is powered by two lithium-ion batteries. Fitted with LED headlights as well as front and rear brake discs, BeRider enables users to make headway safely and efficiently in urban traffic. Being lightweight, the electric scooter is handy and easy to manoeuvre. Its large wheels and sturdy suspension guarantee a safe and comfortable ride. As is typical for an electric vehicle, it boasts powerful acceleration and can reach a top speed of 66 km/h. With a range of up to 70 km, the zero-emission electric scooters are ideal for short to mid-range distances.

Jarmila Plachá, Head of ŠKODA AUTO DigiLab, said, “Our BeRider service excellently complements the range of inner-city mobility options available in Prague. Whether for travelling to work or a sightseeing tour, BeRider electric scooters are practical, eco-friendly and user-friendly. At the same time, we are incorporating our digital expertise: every BeRider scooter is equipped with sensors that transfer data in real-time. Due to this level of transparency, we are able to improve our customers’ experience when they use scooters.”

The BeRider’s screen displays fundamental information such as the speed and range. A phone holder on the handlebars makes it easier to navigate using a mobile. This and other electronic devices can be charged on the go via the built-in USB port. Passengers can conveniently secure lightweight luggage using the bag holders. The lockable top case contains two helmets for riding with a partner.

The Mayor of Prague, Zdeněk Hřib, welcomed the new service to the capital, stating, “We see sharing services that provide zero-emission mobility and respect Prague’s local characteristics as a very positive addition to our city. ŠKODA AUTO DigiLab is offering a well-thought-out solution that I hope gets off to a successful start.”

In order to use the BeRider electric scooters, users must install the BeRider app (available for iOS and Android) onto their smartphones and sign up to the service. Following successful registration, they can then see available eScooters in the app and reserve as well as lock or unlock them without keys. Once their journey is finished, they simply place the associated helmets back in the top case. Their session ends after a brief confirmation via the app.

Payment is then made via credit card and is charged based on how long the scooter has been used for (CZK 5.00 per minute). A category B driving licence is required to ride the electric scooters.

General information and instructions can be found on the official BeRider website

Every seventh Prague inhabitant is a foreigner and a half of them have permanent residence in the Czech Republic, an analysis by the Prague Institute of Planning and Development (IPR) shows.

In 2018, the number of foreigners registered in Prague exceeded 200,000. Overall, foreigners make up more than 15% of all Prague residents.

The analysis also states that foreigners are becoming a stable part of Prague’s future population and are a perspective source of workforce for the local labor market.

The most numerous group of foreigners living in Prague are 51,000 Ukrainians, followed by 31,500 Slovaks and 24,000 Russians. Taken together, these three countries form more than half of the total number of foreigners in Prague.

Foreigners are also becoming a stable part of Prague’s future population. This stabilization is particularly necessary to meet the needs of the labor market, as unemployment in Prague is one of the lowest in EU.

The number of citizens from the European Union is 1/3 of all foreigners. The remaining two-thirds are citizens from the so-called third countries: Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein.

Almost 50% of foreigners have a permanent residence in Prague, which confirms the stability of this Prague population, especially in relation to the labor force potential.

The world’s most liveable cities 2019

The world’s least liveable cities 2019

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