For years, the Czech Republic was a hot destination for foreign movie production. As a result, new studios and soundstages were built and local crews and production companies gained considerable experience. The Czech Republic has proven a popular destination also for Christmas commercials. We have selected the best ones filmed in the country: Action-movie hero Chuck Norris, famous by tough-guy roles in 1980s films such as “Forced Vengeance” and “Missing in Action”—is starring in a series of TV commercials here for T-Mobile and its satellite-TV service. A commercial from Milka Fine Chocolates and titled ‘The Time Machine”. Look at this 2016 Coca-Cola commercial filmed in the towns of Loket, Nebušice and Louny. The commercial for the Chinese smartphone manufacturer Oppo was filmed in Prague and Cologne, Germany, using a panorama of Cesky-Krumlov. Apple promo video took place in Zatec, a town famous for its hops. In Frankie’s Holiday, a Frankenstein-like creature (played by Everybody Loves Raymond star Brad Garrett) finally receives the warm welcome he’s always yearned for to Perry Como’s song, Home for the Holidays. The 2017 Apple holiday commercial aka ode to the iPhone X was filmed in the Czech capital of Prague. Called “Sway”, the new...
Covid-19 travel restrictions forced many of us to appreciate the beauty in our neighborhood, as borders to other countries were shut off and the government told Czech people to stay at home. Alysa Yamada was one of many looking for inspiration while trapped in quarantine. The American expat from Hawaii has lived in the Czech Republic for seven years. But it was during Covid that she really began to focus on what she loves most about the country. ‘It was at this time that I was inspired to put together a collection of my Czech favorites into a deck of playing cards, called CzechDeck” she told Prague Morning. “And of course, Prague is entirely dedicated to the suit of hearts.” Each card has its own illustrated design and each suit serves its own purpose. “They were created for expats and anyone to use as Czech language learning flashcards, insights to Czech customs and traditions, tips to discover unique places in Prague, and day trip inspiration ideas throughout the entire Czech Republic.” The decks are 600 CZK each and can be purchased via the website or picked up personally at the pickup location near Palmovka metro station in Prague. “It’s a compact and...
Christmas is just around the corner and if you still didn’t manage to buy a gift for your loved ones here I come with a few handful tips for you. Forget fast fashion chains this year (or every year) and try to shop locally. In the current crisis, many have committed to keeping their gift money in their domestic economy. Shopping in local or small businesses can really help local businesses survive a difficult year, having many unfortunately being affected by an almost fatal kick in the second wave of a pandemic. Many small businesses hope that Christmas shopping for customers will help them stay afloat in this challenging year and allow them to offer quality local products or services in the future. It is easier to shop on large shopping aggregate platforms, but this year we should go to our Christmas shopping differently than ever and think hard about what gift our loved ones will really appreciate, but also where it was made and to whom we give our money. Book Therapy The most beautiful selection of books in one place for any book lover. You cannot go wrong with any book you pick, from design, architecture, cooking, fashion, etc....
Next year, a museum of Škoda cars will open in in Mrač u Čerčany, near Prague. It will feature, among other things, the largest collection of sports Škoda cars in the world. “First, we searched and renovated unique Škoda racing, prototype, and utility vehicles together. In the past, it was not yet fashionable to collect Skoda cars. We bought many of them at the end of their racing careers. We gradually tracked them down here and throughout Europe and created a collection of about a hundred unique cars,” says Tomáš Hervert, who is, among other things, the Vice-Chairman of Seznam. The World of Škoda Museum will open next spring. It is created in the former production area of Jawa and other motoring brands. “The area we discovered has been associated with motoring since 1945. Before Jawa, it was part of the national company Autobrzdy Jablonec and before that, the national company PAL. And this brings us to the first and most interesting owner, which was the company J. Kraucher et al, one of the first First Republic car racers and a very skillful designer,” added Hervert. At the same time, the museum can be supported at HitHit, where you can buy tickets...
Lots of holiday shoppers are buying gifts online to avoid the crowds this year, but what about buying a Christmas tree from the web? If you want to fill your home with a Christmas tree this year without having to push in queues and unnecessarily expose yourself to the risk of infection, you can visit chcistromek.cz. The site allows you to choose your dream tree from the comfort and safety of your home and have it delivered to your door anywhere in Prague. There’s an option to add goodies to your order, which will help fulfill the Christmas wishes of children from children’s homes. On their website, you will find a wide selection of premium Normandy fir trees from a family farm in Denmark, which are each carefully photographed and have their own name. A novel idea, but in a way magical. After all, Christmas should be full of stories. “It’s funny that some customers are buying trees according to the names of their partners or children because they also receive a kind of birth certificate of the tree with the name from us,” says one of Chcistromek’s representatives. Thanks to the cooperation with the non-profit organization Radost dětem, you...
Europe’s first ‘beer hotel’ will open early next year in the Czech Republic. The hotel in Nepomuk (Plzeň Region) features a beer tap in each room and a beer spa, where you can submerge yourself in baths of beer. This is the second of its kind, with the first one opening in Ohio, USA. The idea was pursued by the head of the Zlatá kráva brewery, Radovan Sochor, who also runs the hotel which operates above the beer cellars. “When inventing the name of our brewery, we were inspired by the farm that our family owns and where we raise cattle,” says Sochor. “The concept of the entire hotel, which combines farm and beer themes, is in a similar spirit. It has fourteen rooms and each of them is named after one of the beers in our menu. And all rooms have their own bar.” The Sochor family built this beer hotel for about ten million CZK in the building of a former brewery, which operated from 1870 to 1932. They received a 45 per cent subsidy from the Ministry of Agriculture for agritourism and business development. The official opening is planned on February 1. “Vouchers have already being bought,” said...
Saint Nicholas day took on some new twists for celebrating Czechs on Saturday, from drive-through visits to kitting his accompanying angels and devils out in gloves and masks so that they could hand out treats. The Czech version of the holiday includes Saint Nicholas visiting with an angel and devil to reward well-behaved children with sweets and less angelic ones with a lump of coal or a potato. But rules limiting social contact due to the COVID-19 pandemic meant the usual custom of costumed trios roaming Czech neighbourhoods to greet children was given a make-over. At one outdoor site on the top level of a shopping mall parking lot, horned devils danced around a car to scare the children inside before an angel swept with a bag of sweets. The Czech government advised families to scale back or even forego the holiday as social distancing rules require masks to be worn inside and no large gatherings outdoors. After curbing one of Europe’s fastest spreads of coronavirus, and despite fears the re-opening could lead to a surge of infections, Czechs cooped up for weeks headed eagerly out to shops, hairdressers, restaurants and pubs allowed to open with capacity requirements this week....
The exhibition Českoland, invented by graphic designer and satirist Tomáš Břínek, also known under pseudonym TMBK, is reopening in the underground of Hotel Pyramida in Prague after a 2-month break. Visitors can expect to see Andrej Babiš in a jail cell, listen to fortunes told by oracle Jolanda, or experience the iconic “bába pod kořenem” incident first-hand. The exhibition will be open to the public until the 31st of December. Preparation for the exhibition began in winter of last year when the internet’s comedy legend who goes by the pseudonym TMBK launched a fundraiser for its realization on Hithit.cz site, where he managed to raise almost 1.5 million CZK. The motto of the fundraising is “The more we raise, the nicer a prison we build for Andrej.” Not only did they fulfill every last word of this promise, but they also managed to create a number of other bizarre installations of the widest variety. “Look out for statues, reliefs, moving figurines, collages, videos, holograms, and naive silliness. Its featured personalities, including Zeman, could be both offended and flattered. It’s a big deal,” an enthusiastic TMBK describes. The exhibition is taking place in the underground spaces of the Orea Hotel Pyramida...
The creators of this store revisit the great Czech classics of wooden toys by bringing them up to date with more contemporary colours, shapes, or options. Some parts of Prague are untouched by globalization. You need a sharp eye if you’re walking on Milady Horákové street in art district Letná (Prague 7). Among the varied mixture of shops, stop at the toy shop with the catchy name Hugo Chodí Bos (Hugo walks barefoot). The local brand offers toys as they were designed before 1989. The toys are authentic copies of originals and have a very strong Czechoslovak visual identity. The color combination, the unique shape, and the choice of material capture the aesthetic of the past exactly. Most of these popular toys were in every household. Generations of adults are usually really excited to see them again. They are made by the most talented designers are timeless and could serve as interesting objects to own. The variety you can find there includes but is not limited to classic wooden toys (pull toys, stacking toys, puzzles, etc.), tin toys (wind-up toys, cars, mountain cable cars), lovely illustrated books, paper toys including decorative mobiles, children’s suitcases, and collectable toys (e.g. Frida and Vincent Van Gogh...
The coronavirus pandemic forced to close Primark’s stores and branches across Europe and postponed the opening in Prague in the fall. On Thursday, the Irish chain confirmed the opening of its first store on Wenceslas Square will take place “early next year”. “We will publish more information next week, including a specific opening date,” said Kateřina Outlá from the Grayling agency, which represents Primark in the Czech Republic. Czechs have long been waiting for the store to open. There was even a bus tour devoted to transporting Czech shoppers to the nearest Primark in Dresden, Germany. “The business that originates in Prague will be the flagship of Central and Eastern Europe. Customers from Bohemia and Moravia, who have been going to Dresden, Linz, and Vienna until now, will start going to Prague because it will be a huge branch, which will be located in an interesting place and in a new building in the very center of Prague,” Jan Kotrbáček from the real estate consultancy Cushman & Wakefield, a partner of Primark in the Czech Republic, said. Primark sells everything from baby and kids clothes to women and men’s apparel, homewares, accessories, beauty products, and confectionery. Much of what they sell is...
Pierpaolo Riccio loves the doors of Prague. So much so, that he set up an Instagram account to start sharing their exquisite designs and rich history with the world. Two years after its launch, Riccio has released Best Prague Door’s 2021 calendar; a selection of 12 unique doors which have survived from the Romanesque to Modernist era. The door that inspired Riccio to start his small business is nestled in Nusle, Prague 4. It borders the entrance to a palace built-in 1904-1904, a few years after Nusle become an independent town. Building similar to this one, mostly made in a Neo-Renaissance style, were demolished at the end of the nineteenth century to give way to the construction of apartments, but this one survived. Its design is a grand as the history; two giant statues guard the entrances with Ukeles in hand. “These are typical of Neo-classicism because the classical style represents two musicians,” Riccio explains. The shapes covering their outfits are reminiscent of alchemy, masonry and secret societies. Many citizens of Nusle belonged to secrets society and that fact is visible in the building facades.” To celebrate the inspiration it gave, this door now adorns the month of June, Riccio’s birth...
Argentinian restaurant Gran Fierro initially opened its doors in 2014 in the centre of Prague in Voršilská Street. After relocating this year to Myslikova Street in Prague, the owner, Juan Cruz, is on a mission to bring sustainability to the heart of the restaurant. “We came out of the quarantine with a fresh and more conscious approach. We can proudly say that we are transforming Gran Fierro into a Circular Restaurant.” The new interior of Gran Fierro, inspired by Juan’s Argentinian roots, was designed by the award-winning studio Forma Fatal. Among many original details, there is an impressive wall with hanging coals that showcases their commitment to sustainability. “It’s a magnificent looking statement. Our kitchen is based on fire, so charcoal is at the centre of it. It’s important to reflect on the negative impact of the charcoal industry, to avoid deforestation. And as well to gain knowledge on the sustainable alternatives. Our wall has a mix of charcoal and biochar, they look the same, but they are not. Knowing the difference between them is vital for sustainability.” Gran Fierro is known for its premium steaks prepared on a charcoal grill that adds a unique and authentic flavour and moisture....
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