Today, Friday 26th, Prague residents can immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the Summer Olympic Games’ opening ceremony. The Czech-French Chamber of Commerce, along with the restaurant Petite Eiffel, has organized an exciting program at the site. The Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games will take place in Paris on Friday evening along the River Seine. Over 300,000 spectators will be present in the French capital, with hundreds of millions more watching on TV. During the ceremony in Paris, Prague’s Petřín Tower will shine in blue, white, and red—the colors of the French tricolor. The illumination will start at 8:55 p.m. and continue until 5:30 a.m. on Saturday. Additionally, the French House, known as Maison Francaise, will open next to the Petřín Lookout Tower as part of the La Petite Eiffel restaurant. The opening event at 6 p.m. will be hosted by the French Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Stéphane Crouzat, and Czech Olympian Zuzana Hejnová. The menu will feature delicacies like frog legs, cider from Normandy, and Provençal wine. The event is organized by the Czech-French Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with Petite Eiffel, under the patronage of Prague’s Mayor, Bohuslav Svoboda. At the Olympic Games’ opening ceremony, Czech...
Singapore edged past France, Germany, Italy and Spain to reclaim bragging rights as having the world’s most powerful passport. Having a Singapore passport means getting visa-free entry to a record 195 global destinations, putting the city-state at the top on the Henley Passport Index. The four European countries, which held the No. 1 spot earlier in the year, are now in second place along with Japan. The Henley Passport Index, compiled by London-based Henley & Partners, evaluates 227 countries and territories using data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The index ranks passports by the number of destinations their holders can visit without a visa. South Korea, Sweden, Finland, Austria, Ireland, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands are in third place, with visa-free access to 191 destinations. The United Kingdom, which was the top-ranked passport along with the United States until 2014, now shares fourth place with New Zealand, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, and Switzerland. Australia and Portugal hold fifth place. The United States dropped to eighth place, just behind the Czech Republic. The number 195 is a record for Singapore and the entire index. On the other end, Afghanistan remains the lowest-ranked, with its citizens having visa-free access to only 26...
For the second year in a row, the Czech Republic has allocated more than USD 21 million for humanitarian support, development and economic assistance to Ukraine. “In the first six months of this year, approximately half of this amount has already been spent. Czech firms will supply, for example, water treatment plants and equipment for surgical rooms or rehabilitation centres in the Dnipro region,” the Prime Minister Petr Fiala explained. He informed that last year, the same amount of 500 million CZK was allocated for projects within the framework of humanitarian and economic assistance and for the development of Ukraine. In particular, as part of this program, the Czech Republic contributed to the demining of war-affected agricultural areas in Kharkiv, Kherson and Sumy regions. Czech companies have been supporting Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion. Already in the first year, they began to establish contacts with new partners and travel to Ukraine on business missions. More and more Czech firms are getting involved in Ukraine’s recovery, thanks in part to government support. “They can impress foreign investors and financial institutions with their quality… When we visit Ukraine today, we see concrete results of their work,” the Prime...
In the first six months of this year, Václav Havel Airport Prague handled over seven million passengers, which represents a year-on-year increase of almost a quarter. The number of passengers in the first half of the year reached 92 percent of the 2019 record year. The most flights were operated to and from Great Britain, Italy, Spain, France, and Germany. Every eighth passenger handled at Václav Havel Airport Prague flew to or arrived from Great Britain. It is therefore no surprise that London ranked top among the operated destinations. Paris took the imaginary silver podium, Amsterdam ended third, Milan was fourth, and Rome completed the list of the TOP 5 champions. For some passengers, the listed places became the final destinations of their trip, while others used the respective airports as transfer points. From January to June, direct air connections to 13 new destinations were added to the network. Alongside the resumption of the long-haul route to Beijing, the flight schedule now also includes connections to Kazakhstan’s Astana, the Italian cities of Brindisi, Florence, and Verona, the Turkish resort of Izmir, the Moldovan capital of Chisinau, La Palma in the Canary Islands, Ponta Delgada in the Azores, Poznan in Poland,...
The Highjump event, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, will take place at the Hřiměždice quarry near Příbram on August 2 and 3. Visitors will enjoy performances by water jumpers from around the world, a rich music program, and plenty of entertainment. Tickets are still available here. Highjump stands out for its unique atmosphere and venue. As always, there will be several categories to compete in. Participants will dive from 12- and 16-meter high towers. A major highlight will be the splash-diving competition, where the winner is determined by who creates the biggest splash. The organizers have prepared a captivating musical lineup across several stages. The main acts include rapper Yzomandias, rising star Rohony, rapper Rest with the band Champion Sound, legends PSH, singer 7krát3 with a live band, and DJs Matamar, TK27, Magenta, Roxtar, and many others. On Friday and Saturday, visitors can look forward to performances by Yzomandias from the Milion+ label and the popular Rohony. PSH, consisting of Orion, Vladimir 518, and DJ Mike Trafik, will deliver their usual outstanding performance. Rapper Rest, a hit last year, returns this year with the live band Champion Sound, fresh from their victory at the Red Bull Soundclash. Also performing...
The ongoing reconstruction of the Holešovice Market will gradually transform it into an attractive, modern space. Renovations will impact all the halls, including the historic former slaughterhouse exchange building, which will regain its original Neo-Renaissance appearance. The site will be completely revitalized, ready to welcome visitors and new tenants. Built between 1893 and 1895 by architect Josef Srdínek, the market served as the Central Slaughterhouse of the Royal City of Prague until 1983. It then became a general market and was declared a cultural monument after ten years. However, it was in poor condition, necessitating a reconstruction. “The Holešovice Market is entering a new phase, but we’re still at the beginning. Renovating the halls, which are mostly in disrepair, will require billions. We can’t change everything at once, though the entire area deserves it. All halls will be fully reconstructed gradually. Current modifications include replacing the boiler in Halls 7, 8, and 9, home to Jatka78 and Alza, and modernizing the technical infrastructure,” says municipal councillor Adam Zábranský. The former Slaughterhouse Exchange building has been undergoing extensive reconstruction since last year to restore its Neo-Renaissance look. The work, expected to be completed in spring 2025 at a cost of up...
The Czech Education Minister, Mikuláš Bek (STAN) proposed that all children start learning the English language from the first grade. This reform has been three years in the making and is now approaching its final stage, with both the Education Ministry leadership and coalition politicians focusing on it. The main goal of this reform is to shift from rote memorization to understanding context and the practical application of knowledge and skills. English from Kindergarten? Minister Bek has confirmed that primary school children will still be required to learn two foreign languages. He shared on social network X that English might become compulsory from the last year of kindergarten. “English compulsory from Grade 1, maybe from the last year of kindergarten,” Bek stated. “A second language compulsory from Grade 6, schools would have to offer at least one of a choice of German, French, and Spanish.” This marks a change from the original plan, which proposed only one compulsory foreign language in primary schools, with the second language being optional. Currently, schools must start teaching the first foreign language by third grade at the latest, and the second by eighth grade or earlier. Decision Process “We are clarifying our views and...
The Prague City Council has approved the Programme of Support for the Activities of National Minorities and Integration of Foreigners in the Capital City for 2025. A total of CZK 28 million will be allocated to the program, with applications open to non-profit organisations and municipal districts from September 30 to October 14 this year. This new program aims to support activities related to national minorities from late September to mid-October. Non-profit organisations and city districts can apply to implement projects that help preserve cultural traditions and languages of national minorities. These projects also aim to raise awareness among the general public by showcasing minority cultures. Many initiatives focus on educational activities for children, young people, and adults. These include cultural events like concerts, exhibitions, theatre performances, festivals, lectures, conferences, seminars, and round table discussions. Deputy Mayor Jiří Pospíšil expressed his enthusiasm for the program, stating, “I am glad that Prague will continue to support national minorities and the integration of foreigners living in our city. We have allocated 28 million crowns for these activities for 2025. We have also unified the programs to support these areas, which will simplify their administration and increase their efficiency. The program includes cultural,...
Premium and luxury brands, primarily targeting Prague’s high street, lead the way. Health and Beauty and F&B come to the fore this year. Twenty brands debuted on the Czech retail market between January and the end of June, the highest ever recorded in the first six months of a year. The biggest categories were Health and Beauty (six brands) and F&B (five brands). All but one of the new brands opened in Prague, the other setting up shop in an outlet centre in the Moravian town of Hatě. Balmain Hair Couture, Parfums Christian Dior, and Le Labo – the only new entrants in the luxury segment – were the most noteworthy arrivals on the Czech market in the first half of the year. They were joined in the cosmetics section by Sister’s Aroma from Ukraine and Spa Ceylon from Sri Lanka. F&B chains opening here were Slovak fast food company Amerikanos, Ukraine’s fine-dining Nai, The Box Donut from Hungary, Turkish confectioner Malatya Pazari, and bubble tea vendor Makamaka, which replaced Taiwan’s Chatime on the local market. The most eagerly awaited F&B launch this year is undeniably the US fast food brand Five Guys, which is expected to open its first...
Prague residents seeking peace and quiet at night will soon get their wish. A ban on cars and taxis at night in parts of Prague’s Old Town district will come into force on Wednesday or Thursday, Prague 1 city councillor Vojtěch Ryvola told the Czech News Agency. This comes after a previous attempt to implement a similar ban last November was overturned by the city’s Department of Roads. Last year’s attempt involved the installation of signs prohibiting non-essential traffic entry between 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM in an area bordered by Dvořák Embankment, Pařížská Street, Old Town Square, and Revoluční Street. The goal was to address long-standing noise complaints from residents, particularly those living on Dlouhá Street, known for its concentration of late-night establishments. Ryvola confirmed that the new proposal has been discussed with the city’s transportation director and adjusted based on their feedback. He said the ban mainly targets the young people who like to drive around the Old Town in powerful cars at night, or hold races in the vicinity of Dlouha. The measure gives the city police a tool to launch systematic checks and start issuing fines to those who see night trips to the historic centre as...
Prague has been named the best region to live in the Czech Republic for 2024, while the Karlovy Vary Region is the worst. This conclusion comes from the Místo pro život study, conducted annually by the Datank analytical agency. The ranking was compiled using statistics from official agencies and ministries, and the results of a survey of 1,600 residents in each region. Indicators such as unemployment, salary levels, purchasing power, security, environment, access to medical and social assistance, educational opportunities, infrastructure, and tourism were considered. A total of 75 criteria were evaluated, divided into 8 key areas of life. Prague emerged as the winner for the third consecutive year, boasting the highest average salary, the highest concentration of doctors and dentists, and the highest life expectancy for both men and women. The capital also excels in infrastructure, with the highest per capita capacity of sewage treatment plants, the largest proportion of households with Internet access, and the most public electric vehicle charging stations per 1,000 kilometers of road. Prague has the highest proportion of foreigners and a very high voter turnout. However, the study notes a need for improvement in environmental areas, specifically the low amount of recycled waste per...
The St. Nicholas City Bell Tower stands right next to the Church of St. Nicholas in Malostranské náměstí and has played an irreplaceable role in Prague. It was from it that the loud bell that announced fires rang out into the wide surroundings. Today, it offers visitors information from ancient history and a magnificent view of the wide surroundings of old Prague. The construction of the St. Nicholas Town Bell Tower began in 1739, as did the adjacent St. Nicholas Church. Although many visitors associate the bell tower with the Baroque church next door, it never belonged to that church and has always been a town property, not a church property. It takes a while to climb the stairs. After all, there are almost 300 steps, which are variously arched, curved and high. You can rest on the individual floors where there are interesting exhibitions, such as the tower master’s apartment, which remains authentic. “When a tourist comes here, he has the whole city in the palm of his hand – there’s a view of the Petřín lookout tower on one side, a little bit of Prague Castle, but there’s also an unprecedented view of Charles Bridge and the two...
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