Prague’s towers welcomed nearly 400,000 visitors from home and abroad in July and August, a 5% increase on the same period last year, with Petřín Observation Tower, the Mirror Maze on Petřín Hill, and the Old Town Hall leading the way. Prague City Tourism, the company in charge of Prague’s towers, saw 17% year-on-year growth at the Old Town Hall. This was driven in part by the tourist service and original souvenir shop that opened here last autumn. One of the most popular Prague towers is always Petřín Observation Tower, which welcomed more than 130,000 visitors from home and abroad during the holiday season. It ranks among the five most frequented monuments in Prague over the longer term. The Mirror Maze on Petřín (86,342) and the Old Town Hall (84,525) are the towers attracting the second and third most tourist traffic in Prague. The guided tour featuring the Astronomical Tower in the Clementinum also registered a year-on-year increase, with over 32,000 visitors in July and August. As for the stone towers, such as the bridge towers and the Powder Tower, visitor numbers were around the same level as they were during last year’s holidays. Scaffolding was put up at the...
For the first time in its history, Signal Festival will transform the Prague Castle District into a district full of art. Prague Castle District will become one of the two routes of the twelfth edition of the festival. This year’s festival will take place from the 10th to 13th of October. This year’s Signal Festival will present 22 installations, 7 of them exclusively in the Gallery Zone, for which you can already buy tickets. In the packed program of this year’s festival, you can look forward to Filip Hodas’ video mapping of the Archbishop’s Palace, Jiří Příhoda’s monumental objects at Sternberg Palace, a project by London-based studio United Visual Artists using kinetic pendulums at Kunsthalle Prague, or an audiovisual projection by Italian artist Quayola at the Centre for Architecture and Urban Planning (CAMP). Another thing to attract your attention will be The MERCEDES-BENZ AURA installation by Monument Office & Signal Creative. This year, Signal Festival is once again opening the Gallery Zone, which offers the opportunity to experience art in a unique atmosphere. With limited capacity, this paid part of the festival brings a diverse program that you won’t see at any other time. For four days, places...
A new statue of the iconic gymnast Věra Čáslavská, created by renowned artist David Černý, now stands in Prague. The statue, which originally made its debut at the Czech House during the Olympic Games in Paris, has been moved to the Czech Republic, where it was recently unveiled at the Tyrš House in Prague. The artwork was initially meant to be showcased at the Tokyo Olympics, but delays caused by unforeseen circumstances led to its unveiling three years later in Paris. “Věra was thrilled by the idea and said it was wonderful that there would finally be a piece of the Czech Republic in Tokyo,” Černý shared, recalling the gymnast’s words before her passing in 2016. Standing ten meters tall and painted in the colors of the Czech tricolour, the statue quickly caught the eye of both Czech and French spectators under the Eiffel Tower. Now, this remarkable tribute has found its way to Prague, where it was formally unveiled at Tyrš House in the city’s Újezd district, an area closely associated with Čáslavská, who trained there during her illustrious career. “The statue is fascinating because, depending on the angle, only one figure is visible while the other seems to...
The 17th annual Dvořák Prague International Music Festival will kick off on Friday, September 6, with a captivating performance of Antonín Dvořák’s Cello Concerto in B minor and the renowned New World Symphony. The opening concert will feature soloist Julian Steckel and the Bamberger Symphoniker, under the baton of conductor Jakub Hrůša. This year’s Artist in Residence, Julian Steckel, will perform four times throughout the festival, including an open-air concert titled “Connected by Mahler” at the Prague Exhibition Centre on September 11, as announced today by the festival director, Jan Simon. In celebration of the “Year of Czech Music,” the festival will honor not only Dvořák but also Bedřich Smetana and other prominent Czech composers. Every year ending in four is designated the Year of Czech Music, celebrating the anniversaries of famous Czech composers such as Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904), Leoš Janáček (1854-1928), Bohuslav Martinů (1890-1959), and Josef Suk (1874-1935). The central theme this year is the 200th anniversary of Bedřich Smetana’s birth. On September 7, the Czech Philharmonic will perform under principal guest conductor Jakub Hrůša, including Leoš Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass, which recently received acclaim at the BBC Proms. The festival will also see the world premiere of Peter Wajsar’s...
A new street in Prague 7 has been named after Nicholas Winton, who relentlessly cajoled and shamed immigration authorities to provide visas for 669 children, sparing them the horrors of the Holocaust. Jan Čižinský, the mayor of the Prague 7 district, spoke of Winton’s “heroism, courage, and humility”. When complete, the street will pass by the railway station and memorials to “the dark side of world history”. The naming of the street coincides with the 85th anniversary of the last planned Kindertransport from Prague, which was prevented from departing due to the outbreak of the second world war. The 250 children onboard the train were deported to Nazi concentration camps; two survived the war. Winton’s heroic actions were depicted in a recent film, One Life, starring Anthony Hopkins. The former stockbroker, who was knighted in 2003 and nominated for the Nobel peace prize in 2008, died in 2015 at the age of 106. Among those attending the naming ceremony in Prague on Tuesday were four surviving “Winton children”, members of Winton’s family, and a delegation from the Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR). Michael Newman, the chief executive of the AJR, said: “It is hugely symbolic that [Winton’s] endeavours are recognised...
Prague’s City Hall has approved a plan to explore the possible return of the statue of Johann Graf Radetzky von Radetz to Malostranské náměstí. The monument, which originally stood on the square from 1858 to 1919, would be a replica since the original statue is preserved in the Lapidarium of the National Museum. If restored, the statue would be positioned near the tram stop, as trams currently run through the original site. The proposal is controversial and did not receive unanimous support, particularly from the Pirate Party coalition members. The Prague City Council discussed the restoration proposal on Monday and agreed to collaborate with the Gallery of the Capital City of Prague to evaluate the technological and financial aspects of producing a replica of the Radetzky statue. “This step by the Council marks a crucial part of our efforts to return the statue of Marshal Radetzky to its rightful place,” said Jiří Pospíšil (TOP 09). “Restoring this monument will not only commemorate a significant historical figure but also honor the Czech soldiers who fought bravely under his command. We have taken great care to respect the site’s historical integrity and minimize any impact on the archaeological layers. The restoration will...
Prague’s famous FAMU Film School has once again been included in The Hollywood Reporter’s prestigious annual list of the 15 Best Global Film Schools, alongside institutions such as the London Film School and France’s La Fémis. The US weekly described FAMU as one of Europe’s top-tier film schools, which offers one-year intensive programs and two and three year master’s degrees in directing, cinematography and editing, including accredited programs in English. The Hollywood Reporter described the FAMU as one of Europe’s top-tier film schools, offering one-year intensive programs and two- and three-year master’s degrees in directing, cinematography and editing, including accredited programs in English. The magazine noted that the school’s alumni include Milos Forman, Vera Chytilová, Jirí Menzel and Jaromil Jires, “who created a new dark and funny take on life behind the Iron Curtain”. FAMU was founded in 1946 as one of three branches of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. In the 1960s and 1970s, several young directors from Yugoslavia were FAMU students (Rajko Grlić, Srđan Karanović, Emir Kusturica, Goran Marković, Goran Paskaljević and Lordan Zafranović). All of these directors would become very successful in the following decades, prompting the coinage of the term Praška filmska škola (“Prague...
A girl attacked her classmates with a knife at an elementary school in the western Czech town of Domazlice, injuring two, police said on Tuesday. “At the moment, our forces and resources are at the Komenskeho 17 elementary school in Domazlice, because according to initial information, one of the pupils there attacked her classmates with a knife. Two children were injured and their parents have already been informed. We apprehended the suspected girl within minutes,” the police said on social media X in the morning. The two injured children were not in life-threatening condition and were taken into care by paramedics, the police said, adding that one child who was in shock was also handed over to medics. “Currently there is no danger to anyone and a large number of police and criminal investigators are working on the scene,” the police added. The school said on its website that it suspended classes in the upper grades of the school due to “an extraordinary event.” “Students were instructed to leave school safely. All children are safe. Classes in the lower grades are continuing as scheduled,” it said. Responding to the incident, Education Minister Mikulas Bek said on X that violence in...
This summer was the third hottest on record at Prague’s Klementinum observatory since measurements began in 1775. The average temperature from the start of June to the end of August was 22.6 degrees Celsius. Only the summers of 2018 and 2019 were hotter during this period. Compared to the historical average from 1775 to 2014, this summer was 3.6 degrees Celsius warmer in central Prague. The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (ČHMÚ) reported this on Monday via the X social media platform. August alone saw an average temperature of 23.5 degrees Celsius at Klementinum. Compared to the average from 1991 to 2020, this represents an increase of 2.5 degrees, placing this August as the fourth warmest out of 250 recorded since 1775. When compared to the average from the beginning of measurements to 2014, August was even 4.3 degrees Celsius warmer. Meteorologists have noted that six of the warmest summers in Klementinum’s recorded history have occurred in this century, with five of those in the past decade. The hottest summer at Klementinum since 1775 occurred five years ago, with an average temperature of 22.9 degrees Celsius. The summer of 2018 was slightly cooler, by just two-tenths of a degree. This summer ranks...
The Czech Republic is making a bold move into space exploration, with plans to invest billions of crowns into projects aimed at launching its own satellites and even sending a Czech astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS). Aleš Svoboda, a seasoned military pilot, is poised to become the first Czech to reach the ISS. In just a few years, he will gaze down on Earth from an altitude of 350 kilometers. “Aside from being a childhood dream, this mission is a natural progression in my career,” Svoboda shared. Before reaching orbit, Svoboda will undergo intense endurance training in Germany, including survival courses designed for emergency landings in harsh environments like deserts or mountains. This rigorous preparation will cover everything from winter survival tactics to advanced diving skills. Svoboda’s mission is set to take place within the next five years. Currently, scientists are selecting the research projects he will participate in, which could range from 3D printing to pioneering cancer treatment methods, according to Václav Kobera, the coordinator of the Czech Space Journey project. The cost of sending a Czech astronaut to the ISS is estimated at around two billion crowns. However, Transport Minister Martin Kupka (ODS) argues that the...
Looking for a fun and affordable way to enjoy the apple season? We’ve got the best spots for you to pick your own apples this year! With the apple-picking season in full swing, many are looking for the perfect orchard to visit. Some of the most popular destinations include Libčany in East Bohemia, Starý Lískovec in the South Moravian region, and Skrbeň in the Olomouc region. At these orchards, you can expect to pay around CZK 19 per kilogram, a great deal compared to supermarket prices. Prices may vary depending on the specific orchard, but you can be sure of getting fresher, higher-quality apples directly from a local grower. Plus, you’ll enjoy the unique experience of picking the apples yourself. When to Go Apple Picking The apple harvest in the Czech Republic typically begins in August, peaks in September, and concludes in October. This makes right now the perfect time to head out and enjoy apple picking. Before you go, it’s a good idea to contact the orchard for the most accurate information on prices and to check the weather, which can affect picking conditions. Here are some of the top orchards for self-picking apples: Central Bohemia and Prague: Bílé...
The Czech opposition party, ANO, is the favorite to win local elections across the country later this month, new polling has found. According to a survey by the Kantar CZ and Data Collect polling agencies for Czech Television (ČT), the party of former Czech prime minister, Andrej Babiš, is expected to amass up to nearly half of the vote in some regions. In second place in several regions is Prime Minister Petr Fiala’s “Spolu” coalition comprising his Civic Democratic Party (ODS), KDU-ČSL, and TOP 09. Support for the ANO movement is strongest in the Moravian-Silesian region in the east of the country where 49.5 percent are expected to vote for the party. Similarly, in neighboring Olomouc, the ANO garnered 45 percent, while in the northwest region of Ústí, Babis’ party enjoys support of 47 percent. Other regions with high opposition support include Zlín at 43.5 percent and Central Bohemian and Vysočina, both at 41.5 percent. The party’s support is weakest in the South Bohemian region, with just 13.5 percent of decided voters backing it. Regional elections in Czechia are due to be held on Sept. 20-21 when all 675 seats in the country’s 13 regional councils are to be contested....
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