Russia may be behind an attempted arson attack on Prague city buses last week, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on Monday. Police said they arrested a 26-year-old man on Saturday in connection with the foiled plot and charged him with terrorism. “There is suspicion that the attack was organised and financed probably from Russia,” Fiala told a news conference. “It is part of a hybrid war waged against us by Russia against which we have to defend ourselves and which we must stop. Russia is repeatedly trying to sow unrest, and undermine citizens’ trust in our state.” The Russian embassy in Prague had no immediate comment. Police said before the arrest the suspect was a Spanish-speaking man from South America. They said he had been in the Czech Republic for five days before the attempted attack on Wednesday night. He failed to carry out the attack due to the alertness of staff at the Prague bus depot, police said. Poland, another NATO member, has accused Russia of attempting to destabilize the country, including through sabotage and arson, because of its role in supplying military aid to Ukraine. Last month, Poland’s Internal Security Agency said it had detained a Pole...
Following two years of reconstruction, the classic Prague department store Máj Národní, is reopening with a new rooftop restaurant and a bar on the highest terrace in Prague’s city center. Save the date: June 24. In the new Máj, customers will find a Tesco supermarket, pharmacies, drugstores, cafes, a cosmetics store and a wine store. The third and fourth floors will offer a multifunctional entertainment area with a focus on children over 12 years old, the fifth floor will be dedicated mainly to parents with small children, and the sixth floor will serve, among other things, schools and kindergartens and will be devoted to the history of Prague. “The view from the roof was the decisive impulse to change the original concept, which included a department store on the lower floors and offices in other areas,” explains Martin Klán, member of the management board of the AMADEUS Real Estate and owner of the building since 2019. The only roof higher than Máj Národní is above the Church of Our Lady of the Snows (Kostel Panny Marie Sněžné), which is unfortunately not accessible. This makes Máj Národní’s terrace the highest in the city center. Fly Vista, on the lower floor, will...
The Opera Nova Festival in Prague will bring together talented Czech and international artists. This year’s Opera Nova Festival, taking place from June 14 to 22, 2024, will not only feature exceptional opera productions but also introduce an innovative approach by blending opera with contemporary art forms. The festival will also present new works commissioned by the National Theatre and highlight the best current opera productions. The goal is to showcase opera as a vibrant and relevant art form that mirrors contemporary cultural and social issues. This year’s program will tackle themes such as social inequality, diversity, the role of women in society, and mental health in today’s fast-paced world. The festival also honors important historical events, including the centenary of Franz Kafka’s death and the tragic stories of children in the Theresienstadt concentration camp. A highlight of this year’s festival is the use of modern technologies, including video design, lighting effects, and virtual reality, to enhance the festival experience. Following the success of the Musica non grata project, several productions will be staged in new venues to attract opera and contemporary art enthusiasts. Performances will be held at the State Opera, the New Stage of the National Theatre, the...
Pivo Na Naplavce (Beer at Náplavka) festival combines two of our favorite things about Prague. Spend the weekend hanging out by the river and trying some of the Czech Republic’s best microbrews. The traditional festival of 50 micro and mini-breweries, which will take place this year on the Rašínovo embankment in Prague 2. This is the tenth anniversary of the event. The festival will take place on Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th of June. It will present also beer-pairing gastronomy and live music. Admission to the Pivo Na Naplavce festival and the accompanying cultural program will be free, but the condition for beer tasting will be the purchase of our 0.3L glass mug. “We expect around 4,000 people this year,” said Jiří Sedláček, director of the Pivo Na Naplavce festival. “Visitors can look forwarded to 15 food stalls which will serve different food. There will be burger stalls, various grilled meat delicacies, Belgian fries, Balkan specialties, artisanal pizza, quality Czech sausages, French sausages, burgundy snails, cheese balls and, in addition, quality coffee,” added Sedláček. Together with the festival tasting card and pencil, it will cost CZK 100. The mug can be reused on both days of the festival....
A new tactile model of the entire Old Town Square has been installed in a small park behind the Old Town Hall in the center of Prague. This model is designed with accurate proportions and key details, allowing blind residents and tourists to understand one of the city’s main landmarks by touch. The bronze model, built at a 1:330 scale, includes the Old Town Hall, three churches, and 200 houses from the surrounding streets. This initiative is part of the charity project “Touch Prague’s History” by the non-profit organization Rotary Club Praha City, with support from the Prague 1 district. The model was unveiled on June 6, with the Head of the Municipal District, Terezie Radoměřská, in attendance. “Our project’s goal is to provide visually impaired individuals the chance to explore Prague’s most important sights through touch, similar to initiatives in other world cities,” said Olga Rühle, President of Rotary Club Praha City. This is not the first tactile model in Prague. In 2021, a model of Prague Castle was unveiled on Slavic Island as part of the same project. Future plans include creating models of St. Ludmila’s Basilica and the entire Náměstí Míru. Would you like us to write...
Krásná samota means “beautiful solitude,” and once you visit this place, you understand why.
Twenty years after the Czech Republic joined the European Union, 1 May will now be a significant day on the national calendar. President Petr Pavel signed the relevant amendment into law on Friday. According to the proponents of the proposal, such as Minister for European Affairs Martin Dvořák, 12 March is already a significant day, marking the Czech Republic’s accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Membership in both NATO and the EU symbolizes the Czech Republic’s shift towards a pro-Western orientation after the post-Soviet era. “This is undeniably one of the most important days in modern Czech history. It deserves recognition as a significant day,” Kupka stated. The idea to celebrate 1 May as the Day of the Czech Republic’s Accession to the European Union, alongside Labour Day, was previously submitted by STAN MPs in the last parliamentary term but did not pass. Currently, the calendar commemorates 17 important days. Recent additions include renaming 17 November as the Day of the Struggle for Freedom and Democracy and International Student Day. History The largest enlargement of the European Union (EU), in terms of number of states and population, took place on 1 May 2004. The simultaneous accessions concerned the following...
Residents and visitors to Prague will soon have a new point to admire the city center. The roof of the main building in the newly constructed Masaryčka office complex, designed by renowned architect Zaha Hadid, will open to the public in the summer of 2024. The terrace will feature a café with a green seating area and accessible restrooms. The entrance will be completely barrier-free, ensuring everyone can enjoy the view. While the exact opening date of the café is yet to be announced, the rooftop has already been landscaped. Trees, shrubs, and flowers have been planted, wooden paths laid, and benches installed. A 3,000-square-meter green garden spans the roofs of both buildings in the complex. However, the public will only have access to the terrace on the main building, designated as Building ‘A’, where the café will be located. The roof of Building ‘B’ will be reserved for employees of the offices there. Visitors to the café can look forward to enjoying snacks and drinks alongside a stunning panoramic view of the Old Town, the Vinohrady neighborhood, and Vitkov Hill. The Masaryčka complex is part of a broader revitalization project near the Masaryk railway station. Initially, Prague...
Data from POS system operator Dotykačka reveals that draft beer prices in the Czech Republic have increased from an average of CZK 36 in 2019 to CZK 53 this year. This represents a nearly 50% rise in five years, significantly impacting consumers in restaurants and pubs. Prices of popular 12-strength beers have seen even sharper increases. In April, the average price of a pint in gastronomic establishments was CZK 58.90, which is CZK 5.60 more than the previous year. Petr Menclík, director of Dotykačka, notes that prices have risen by 10% in the past year alone. Further increases are expected as many pubs have not fully accounted for the January increase of the value-added tax on beer from 10% to 21%. Lubos Kastner from the Czech Beer and Malt Association (CSPS) explains that only 20% of operators had adjusted their prices to reflect the higher VAT by January. Kastner attributes the price hikes to several factors. The industry relies heavily on labor, and as wages have increased, so have operational costs. Despite the national inflation rate being 2.9%, the hospitality sector experiences inflation at around 8%. Additionally, building owners have raised rents by almost 11% due to inflation. High energy costs also contribute...
The first concert of Dutch Eurovision star Joost Klein in the Czech Republic sold out within minutes. Joost Klein, the 26-year-old Dutch Eurovision sensation, quickly sold out his first show in the Czech Republic. Due to overwhelming demand, the concert has been moved to a larger venue: Prague’s Forum Karlín. Klein is renowned for his energetic style, blending mainstream pop with hardcore and punk elements. His poetic lyrics and catchy beats capture the spirit of youth. Klein represented the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest with his song “Europapa,” a tribute to his father. The song mixes nostalgia, melancholy, and joy, featuring the poetic lyrics and catchy beats that have made Klein famous. “‘Europapa’ is about an orphan traveling through Europe to find himself and tell his story,” Klein explains. “At first, people don’t recognize him, but he seizes every opportunity to make himself known. ‘Europapa’ is a tribute to my father, who gave me a broad perspective on the world.” Klein is celebrated in Dutch and Belgian concert circles for his legendary performances at festivals like Lowlands, Pinkpop, and Pukkelpop. Last November, he played two sold-out shows at Amsterdam’s AFAS Live, drawing 6,000 fans each night. He recently received...
Experts are preparing a proposal to reduce alcohol consumption in the Czech Republic, which would restrict sales and advertising. National drug coordinator Jindřich Vobořil plans to present the proposal in early autumn. “We could come up with concrete proposals in early autumn. We need to put them into the form of a substantive bill. It remains to be seen how long it will take and whether something can be done in this chamber before the elections,” Vobořil said. The restrictions might include limiting sales and broadcasting advertisements only after 10 p.m. Labels on alcoholic beverages may also carry warnings about their harmful effects. Vobořil mentioned that excise duties and prices could also be adjusted. “These will be rather partial changes. Let’s be realistic. What is not prepared in an advanced form has no hope,” said ODS MP Renata Zajíčková. She described the topic of limiting alcohol availability as “explosive” and considered it a success that the debate on alcohol’s harmfulness has been initiated. The Czech Republic has one of the highest alcohol consumption rates in the world. Up to 1.3 million people over 15 years of age drink in a risky and harmful manner, and each inhabitant drank an average...
At least four people were killed and more than 20 others injured when a passenger train collided with a freight train in the Czech Republic on Wednesday night, international news agencies reported, citing authorities. Some 20 people suffered light injuries and another three were more seriously hurt in the crash in the city of Pardubice, along the country’s main rail corridor from Prague to the east, Interior Minister Vit Rakusan said. Martin Kavka, a spokesperson for the country’s rail operator, said the number of casualties may increase, Agence France-Presse reported. The passenger train, operated by RegioJet, was traveling overnight from Prague to Chop in western Ukraine, according to the operator’s website. It was carrying more than 300 passengers, citing Fire Rescue Services. Footage after the crash on news website idnes.cz showed at least one carriage off the track, while police showed a line of emergency service vehicles and a helicopter in a post on X. Informace k železniční nehodě v Pardubicích zde: https://t.co/2kxR2gA4nR pic.twitter.com/AplVdmtilS — HZS Pardubický kraj (@HZS_Pardubice) June 6, 2024 Public broadcaster Czech Television cited a fire brigade spokesperson saying the freight train was carrying calcium carbide – a hazardous industrial chemical – although the first two wagons...
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