One of the most renowned stories associated with Prague’s Charles Bridge will be brought to life. The Vajíčkobraní, a medieval costumed parade of peasants handing over a cartload of boiled eggs from the municipality of Velvara to the Prague mayor, will take place there on April 13 at 13:00. According to tradition, the bridge’s architects chose to use eggs, milk, and wine in the mortar to increase the strength of the bridge (just like raw egg is added to meatballs to make them firmer). Since there were not enough eggs in Prague, all towns in Bohemia and Moravia had to contribute. The instructions gave rise to misunderstandings: some cities sent cheese and cottage cheese. The residents of Velvary sent the eggs hard-boiled, to ensure that the fragile cargo didn’t break on the way to Prague, thus earning a place in history for the shame and ridicule they had to endure from Prague residents. A recent carried out in the laboratory of the Institute of Biochemistry and Microbiology at the University of Chemical Technology showed that the legend about eggs being added to the Charles Bridge mortar was based on reality. Štepánka Kučková from the University of Chemistry and Technology said...
Former Czech Member of Parliament Lubomír Volný has sparked significant controversy in Ostrava. In his hometown, he put up several billboards featuring a photograph of himself shaking hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The accompanying message reads: “Russia is not an enemy, Russia is an opportunity.” Volný shared the move on his Facebook page on Tuesday, April 8. In his post, Volný elaborated on his reasoning, stating, “Russia is not an enemy; it is an opportunity to solve energy poverty. It is a chance for peace, and Russia is ready to discuss disarmament initiatives.” These comments reflect his long-standing admiration for Putin, with whom he has publicly expressed support for in the past. Volný’s pro-Russian stance is no secret. He has openly approved of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on social media, even labeling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a “mass murderer.” In March 2022, the Czech police investigated his statements but found no evidence of criminal activity. The former MP has continued to share his views on social media, recently writing on X, “Europe needs more Putins and Orbáns, and fewer criminals like the EU and NATO.” His pro-Russian sympathies were also evident when he participated in a pro-Russian rally...
A major new residential district is set to rise in Letňany, Prague, with the potential to deliver up to 50,000 apartments. The project, announced on Tuesday by Deputy Mayor Alexandra Udženija (ODS), is positioned as a key part of the city’s strategy to address its growing housing crisis. City officials insist that the city—not private developers—must take charge of the development. Prague faces a severe housing shortage, and according to Udženija, at least 9,000 new apartments should be constructed annually to meet demand. Yet progress remains slow, hampered by bureaucratic delays and a city administration still dependent on national government approval for housing initiatives. “We are trying to act as quickly as possible,” said Adam Zábranský (Pirates), the city’s housing councilor. He indicated that ongoing talks with the state could result in a conditional land transfer, with the expectation that a portion of the housing stock would be reserved for affordable and social rentals. Most of the land in Letňany targeted for this development is state-owned, but key private stakeholders, including major landholders like PPF and Kaprain, also control substantial plots. A deal between the city and the state is therefore critical to move the project forward. Deputy Mayor for...
Unemployment in Prague rose to 3% in March 2025, up from 2.9% in February, according to newly released data from the Czech Labour Office. The capital was the only region in the country to record a month-on-month increase in unemployment. However, it continues to hold the lowest jobless rate in the Czech Republic. A year ago, in March 2024, the unemployment rate in Prague stood at 2.8%. Despite the current slight increase, the city’s labor market remains the strongest nationwide. At the end of March, a total of 30,009 people were registered as job seekers at Prague’s labor offices—643 more than the previous month. During the same period, the number of job openings rose by 1,618, reaching 23,480 vacancies. Since January, Czech labor offices have been removing listings for positions that remain unfilled for over six months. In March, there were approximately 1.3 job seekers per open position in the capital. “In a regional comparison, unemployment increased only in Prague, by 0.1 percentage point,” said a spokesperson for the Czech Labour Office. Out of the 30,000 unemployed in Prague, 27,261 were immediately available for work, classified as “reachable unemployed.” This group excludes individuals on sick leave, undergoing retraining, on maternity...
Prague’s city centre is among the hottest areas in the Czech Republic. Dense urban development, concrete pavements and asphalt surfaces have turned the capital into a heat island, where ground temperatures during summer can soar above 50°C—several dozen degrees higher than in areas where the soil can breathe and retain moisture. These extreme conditions, intensified by climate change, underline the need for urgent, long-term solutions. In response, the city has adopted the Strategy for Adaptation of the Capital City of Prague to Climate Change, a broad plan aimed at cooling the urban environment and strengthening resilience. As part of its public outreach, Prague will host a Climate Walk on Thursday, April 10, highlighting specific projects already in place. The event is free and open to the public. The programme begins at 1 p.m. at the European House (Národní 10), with an opening address followed by presentations from Prague City Hall officials. They will outline the goals of the Prague Climate Plan, provide updates on current initiatives, and share progress to date. The first stop on the walk is Smetanovo nábřeží, a recently redesigned riverside street transformed with climate adaptation in mind. The project focused on improving pedestrian comfort with a...
The city of Prague is set to modernize and expand its flood defense system along key embankments in the historic city center. The planned improvements will affect the Masaryk, Smetana, Alšov, and Dvořák embankments, all of which lie along the Vltava River and are vital parts of the capital’s flood management infrastructure. City councilors have awarded the project to Environmental Building, which won the public tender with a bid of CZK 47.7 million (excluding VAT). According to Michal Hroza (TOP 09), the city’s councilor for infrastructure, construction is expected to begin later this year and will take approximately 12 months to complete. The goal is to raise flood protection by 30 cm above the 2002 flood levels. That devastating flood remains the benchmark for all current water management systems in the capital. Some of the older defenses, including temporary sandbag barriers, will be replaced by mobile flood barriers, which offer more flexibility and stronger protection. The modernization effort follows concerns raised during last year’s elevated water levels, which exposed gaps in the current flood infrastructure. “Flood protection in the center works well, but we must not get complacent. We’re replacing older systems with more advanced components, and completing areas that...
PPF Real Estate, part of Renáta Kellnerová’s PPF Group, is acquiring the prestigious Four Seasons Hotel in Prague. Located on Veleslavínova Street in the Old Town, the hotel is one of the capital’s most exclusive addresses. The transaction is currently being reviewed by the Czech Office for the Protection of Competition, which disclosed the acquisition on its website. “The proposed merger primarily concerns hotel accommodation services. A final decision has not yet been issued,” the office stated. PPF Real Estate is purchasing FSHP, the company that operates the hotel. According to earlier reporting by Hospodářské noviny, the purchase price is expected to be close to CZK 3 billion. The Five-Star Hotel, which began operations in 2001, is a blend of Renaissance, Baroque, and Classicist buildings, with a modern addition. It offers 157 rooms, including 19 suites, and features 600 square meters of banquet space for both business and private events. Over the years, the hotel has hosted numerous high-profile guests, including Madonna, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sophia Loren, and Liverpool FC players. In its 2023 annual report, FSHP stated that the Prague Four Seasons had the highest average revenue per occupied room in the market. Despite that, the hotel posted...
On Wednesday, April 9, the Czech government will discuss the annual assessment of the country’s readiness to adopt the single European currency. A decision on when — or whether — Czechia will join the eurozone remains off the table, as the governing coalition remains split on the issue. The cabinet’s programme statement does not commit to adopting the euro. Instead, it pledges to meet the Maastricht criteria — the EU’s convergence benchmarks for euro adoption. Last year, the country fulfilled four of the five: price stability, interest rates on long-term government bonds, deficit levels, and public debt. The only outstanding requirement is exchange rate stability, as Czechia is not yet part of ERM II, the EU’s exchange rate mechanism. Economists have advised that the country should only join ERM II once a date for adopting the euro is set, and for the shortest possible period. Although Czechia formally committed to joining the eurozone when it entered the EU in 2004, no deadline was ever established. The Ministry of Finance maintains that the decision on when to adopt the euro lies with each member state — but should depend on economic readiness, not just formal criteria. Alignment with the eurozone’s broader...
Drivers working for Bolt and Uber have launched a new strike in the Czech capital, repeating a protest held just a week ago. On that occasion, hundreds of drivers refused to accept rides, causing longer wait times and leaving many users without available cars. This Monday, the protest has grown in scale and coordination, with two separate driver groups participating in different ways. The first group, organized by the Lucky Taxi Association, began their strike at 4:00 a.m., planning to end it at 12:00 noon. Their specific demands have been made available through their official channels. Meanwhile, a second group of drivers has launched a full 24-hour strike, starting at 6:00 a.m. Monday and running until 6:00 a.m. Tuesday. This protest includes a public demonstration officially registered with Prague City Hall. Organizers expect between 500 and 1,000 vehicles to gather in the parking lot outside the Tesco hypermarket in Letňany between 10:00 and 11:30 a.m. At 12:00 p.m., the group plans to drive in a slow-moving convoy through the city center, ending in Čestlice, a suburb southeast of Prague. Drivers Demand Fairer Conditions “We, taxi drivers in Prague, are dissatisfied with the current working conditions and demand immediate changes,” the...
Czech residents are about to enjoy the first long weekend of 2025, thanks to the upcoming Easter holidays. With Good Friday and Easter Monday both designated as official non-working days, people will have a four-day break, from April 18 to 21. But what about shopping? Here’s what you need to know: on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (April 18, 19, and 20), stores will operate as usual. However, on Monday, April 21, large supermarkets will be closed. Since October 2016, a law has been in place in the Czech Republic prohibiting stores larger than 200 square meters from opening on certain public holidays. This rule applies to all big shops, not just grocery stores. The law was introduced to allow supermarket employees, like others, to spend time with their families during these holidays. Good Friday, falling on April 18 in 2025, is not covered by this restriction, so all stores will be open as normal. However, Easter Monday is one of the holidays when the law mandates closures, meaning that on April 21, all large supermarkets must remain closed. Here’s a Quick Overview: Public holidays when stores remain open: Good Friday (April 18, 2025) Labor Day (May 1) Day of Slavic...
The META Modřany Housing project is in the construction phase of the first stage, which is a sensitive renovation of the original Chirana factory building and brings a completely new concept of compact urban housing. Under the name META Lofts Housing, 133 functional smart lofts in 1+kk and 2+kk layouts with high ceilings of up to 4.3 m will be created, supplemented by 50 standard 2+kk and 3+kk units on the last two floors of the building. The smallest lofts have a usable area of 26.6 m², which can be expanded to 39 m² thanks to the intermediate floor. The originality of the larger 2+kk lofts is underlined by the “L”-shaped floor plan. The project is being developed by COOPERA Development, a joint venture of experienced developers KKCG Real Estate Group and Alma Development. The general contractor for the construction is NOVECON, which is part of the KKCG group. The renowned QARTA Architektura studio is behind the architectural design. The completion of the first stage is planned for the end of 2026. Currently, more than 60% of the units from the first stage have been sold. Would you like us to write about your business? Find out more
The Czech Republic has taken a major step in railway innovation by launching its first autonomous train. On Saturday morning, a blue-and-white motor unit arrived in Dolní Bousov from Kopidlno, running about ten minutes behind schedule. At first glance, the journey seemed like any other — a single wagon, a quiet route through the countryside. But one crucial detail made this ride historic: there was no driver in the cab. The train, developed by Czech company AŽD, drew a crowd of railway professionals, journalists, and curious locals for its debut. Zdeněk Chrdle, CEO of AŽD, called the autonomous train a breakthrough in European rail transport. “Driverless trains exist abroad, but they usually run in fully enclosed environments — tunnels, fenced corridors, isolated systems. This is the first time an autonomous train will run in open terrain, on a regular line with level crossings and potential real-world challenges,” said Chrdle. The train is a refurbished 810 series locomotive, renamed Edita — an acronym for Experimental Railway Vehicle for Innovative Technologies of AŽD. It pulls a trailer wagon that seats passengers, and while the system is fully autonomous, Czech law still requires a human onboard who can intervene in emergencies. “During autonomous...
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