British toy retailer Hamleys has exited the Czech market as of January 2024, reports Hospodářské noviny. The former Hamleys megastore in Prague, located on Na příkopě, is still in operation. However, it was completely rebranded as The Playground in signage both outside and within the store shortly after the Christmas holidays. Hamleys-branded products, including the iconic teddy bear, have slowly disappeared from the store’s shelves, social media profiles have been updated to reflect the new brand, and the former web address at hamleys.cz now redirects to theplayground.cz. The reason for the change is that local operator Inexad, owned by Pavel Čmelík, did not reach a licensing agreement to continue operating under the Hamleys brand. The grand opening of the Hamleys store in 2016 marked a significant event, as it became the largest store in Europe, surpassing even its London counterpart. Spanning over six thousand square meters across three floors, it drew customers with attractions like a colossal slide winding through the atrium, a children’s carousel, a mechanical digger, a water channel, and lively staff showcasing toys. Those exhibits are still operating at The Playground, which also houses a laser tag arena and arcade games zone. The company representatives reassured customers...
Accessing healthcare as a foreigner in Prague can often be a complex process, marked with long wait times and language barriers. Fortunately, there’s a refreshing alternative in the healthcare landscape for expat communities – Medica Mente Clinic. This clinic is dedicated to providing a welcoming environment for its clients by offering specialized services and multilingual support. We had the chance to discuss with a clinic representative the range of services and advantages available to the expats community. Q: Could you provide an overview of the clinic’s concept? Certainly. Medica Mente Clinic is located near the Andel metro station, offering a comprehensive range of specialized medical services. Our team comprises skilled practitioners, including general practitioners, endocrinologists, urologists, orthopedists, and experts in ultrasound diagnostics, among others. Importantly, we have a team of English-speaking doctors, which greatly eases communication for our international clientele. We go the extra mile by extending our operating hours, from 9 am to 8 pm on weekdays, and we’re open for business on weekends as well. At the heart of our concept is a commitment to being a foreigner-friendly clinic, dedicated to providing tailored services and support for expatriates. It’s important to note that we are a private medical...
A Czech Republic man who earned a Guinness World Record for the largest collection of Lego sets turned his love into a museum with four locations. Miloš Křeček, who received his first Lego set as a Christmas present when he was 5 years old, was verified by Guinness World Records as owning 6,005 different Lego sets. Křeček said his collection became too large to store at his home, leasing him to open the first Museum of Bricks location in Prague. The museum now has three more branches in Kutná Hora, Poděbrady and Špindlerův Mlýn. The collector said his favorite set is the Statue of Liberty, which he received on a sightseeing boat tour to the real Statue of Liberty in New York. “I bought more than 90% of all Lego sets myself,” Křeček told Guinness World Records, “but sometimes I will receive a set for my collection from my customers or acquaintances, which makes me very happy.” Křeček is often asked how much time he has spent building the sets in his lifetime, but he cannot give a precise answer. “Unfortunately, this cannot be calculated in any way,” he says. “But on average, one set will take you about two...
For the third time, Prague Airport has recognized the best airlines for the past year. The most developing carrier was Ryanair. The Best Performing Airline in terms of traffic was Finnair. The title of the most sustainable carrier was awarded to easyJet. British Airways received the award for the best marketing campaign in cooperation with Prague Airport. Compared to last year, a new award category has been added, concretely it is the Most Developing Cargo Carrier. This title was presented to Korean Air. The fastest-growing and most efficient airlines The award recognising the greatest year-on-year increase in passenger numbers, “Fastest Growing Airline at Prague Airport 2023”, was presented by Prague Airport to the air carrier that achieved the highest year-on-year increase in the total number of transported passengers compared to 2022, and thus contributed the most to the development of flight connections at Václav Havel Airport Prague. The award was presented to Ryanair, the Irish low-cost carrier. The title of the most efficient carrier in terms of traffic, “Best Performing Airline at Prague Airport 2023”, factors in the key operational indicators, alongside the volume performance of carriers. Only carriers that completed at least 100 aircraft movements from July to December...
Czechia is planning to attract workers from southern EU countries like Spain and Portugal, which have a higher unemployment rate, in a bid to close its labour shortages. The plans have been revealed by the Minister of Labor Marian Jurečka, who noted that the country will target qualified and expert workers by establishing close cooperation with local institutions in some southern EU countries that mediate employment. “We are taking targeted steps to attract these people to our labor market. There are countries, especially in southern Europe, where the unemployment rate is significantly above the EU average. For young people, it can be as high as 10 to 15 percent. We want to bring in people with high competence, particularly in the fields of IT and research,” says Jurečka. The Minister has revealed his plans while presenting an interactive map of the necessary capacities of the workforce, together with the president of the Chamber of Commerce, Zdeněk Zajíček and the vice president of the Association of Industry and Transport, Milena Jabůrková. Through this model, the Czech authorities intend to identify the necessary measures that need to be taken in order to fill in labour shortages, in particular in key sectors like...
This year’s International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust will be commemorated in several places across the Czech Republic. From 10 a.m., the Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic and the Foundation for Holocaust Victims, in cooperation with the Office of the Czech Senate, will hold a commemorative meeting in the Main Hall of the Senate. Thanks to Czech TV, a live broadcast will be available on the Czech TV news channel, CT24. At 3 pm the Czernin Palace, belonging to the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will host a Czech-Israeli-American commemorative event focusing on murdered and persecuted Jewish diplomats during World War II. A candlelight procession will be held in Terezín, in the presence of the head of the Terezín Memorial Jan Roubínek Vice-President of the European Commission Director of the Terezín Memorial, and Věra Jourová, A public reading of the names of the Holocaust victims will take place at the castle in Mladá Boleslav, where Jews from the surrounding area were interned between 1940 and 1943. Between 1940 and 1945, 1.1 million people were murdered at Auschwitz, most of them Jewish. The prisoners at Auschwitz included 50,000 citizens of Czechoslovakia, about...
The Czech Parliament’s lower house on Friday approved an amendment to the country’s gun law that tightens requirements for owning a weapon more than a month after the worst mass killing in the nation’s history. The legislation now goes before the Senate and if approved there must then be signed by President Petr Pavel before becoming law. On Dec. 22, a lone shooter killed 14 people and wounded dozens before killing himself at a Charles University building in downtown Prague. The assailant was a 24-year-old student who had a proclivity for firearms, with a license to own eight guns, including two long guns. Authorities said he had no criminal record and therefore did not attract the attention of authorities. Parliamentary debate on the legislation had already begun before that shooting. Interior Minister Vit Rakusan has said it was hard to speculate whether the new rules would have prevented it if they had been in effect before it took place. In the 200-seat lower house, lawmakers approved the changes in a 151-0 vote. If approved by the Senate, where the ruling coalition government has a majority, and signed by President Petr Pavel, it would then be possible for authorities to seize...
In the third week of January, Kasárna Karlín was registered in the Land Registry of the capital city. Now Prague City is looking for the most suitable use of the building. Prague envisions a multifaceted role for Kasárna Karlín, considering it as a potential educational facility, a science and technology park, a cultural and social center, urban housing for university students, or a hub for innovative companies. The city plans to engage in a constructive dialogue with the current operator and conservationists to shape these plans collaboratively, as outlined in a recent press release. “Thanks to its location, the former military barracks building is of strategic importance for the development of the entire locality and the connection of Karlín to the center of Prague. Another important step towards the revitalization of the area is the restoration and glazing of the Negrelli Viaduct, where we are currently preparing a test run,” says Petr Hlaváček, First Deputy Mayor of the City of Prague for Territorial Development and Urban Planning. The Prague City Council approved a follow-up plan in which it ordered the city’s contributory organization, the Prague Development Company, to prepare an analysis of the site’s usability by the end of September 2024....
Prague Airport’s Terminals 1 and 2 are set for a culinary transformation as Lagardère Travel Retail introduces 14 new food and beverage outlets spanning a total area of 1,300 m2. Undergoing structural modifications and redesign, the retail units are evolving into a modern and stylish environment. Additions to Prague’s Airport offerings include the fresh bistro Natoo and the Italian concept, Bottega Prosecco Bar & Restaurant. Among the array of new units, the popular Czech brand, Bageterie Boulevard, stands out. This expansion brings the total number of business units at Prague Airport to 85, with 36 dedicated to the gastronomy sector. Looking ahead, Prague Airport plans to unveil a new walk-through duty-free zone in Terminal 2, positioned immediately behind the security checkpoint. Jiří Pos, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Prague Airport, emphasizes the significance of the new food and beverage zones at the airport in advancing their long-term strategy in non-airline trade. These additions aim to meet passenger demands, diversify offerings with fresh and engaging concepts, and enhance the overall pre-departure experience. “The new food and beverage zones at Václav Havel Airport Prague are one of the important steps in our long-term strategy in the area of non-airline trade....
The Czech Republic asks the EU to consider restrictions on the movement of Russian diplomats across the Schengen area. Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavsky offered to include the restriction in the next package of EU sanctions targeting Russia. “Czechia proposes to establish the restriction of the movement of Russian diplomatic mission staff and their family members only to the territory of the state where they are accredited. It is not right for Russian diplomats to take advantage of Schengen area. We will do our utmost to ensure that our proposal is included in the 13th sanctions package,” Lipavsky stated. He added that Ukraine’s security is “linked” to Czechia’s security and providing military and financial support to Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression is “a must”. The Czech Republic has proposed that Russian diplomats be issued visas and residence permits that only allow travel within their host country and not the rest of the Schengen area. Prague also proposed only accepting biometric passports, which are more difficult to forge. The ministers also endorsed the decision made by the European Commission to launch legislation screening in Ukraine and Moldova and prepare the framework for negotiations regarding the states’ accession to...
The first stage of the long-awaited reconstruction of Jiřího z Poděbrad Square has started in Prague. The renovation will last 33 months (until September 2026). Cultural events and the traditional farmers’ market will not be affected – they will continue to be held in different parts of the square, which will not be affected by the works at the moment. The city plans to plant over 140 new trees and install an irrigation system that will ensure the preservation of the square’s greenery. Children will also benefit from the upcoming renovation as the architects seek to expand the current playground and create new opportunities for play. The square’s fountain will also be revitalised and new pedestrian crossings will make the use of underpasses unnecessary. Finally, the city will also establish barrier-free access to the metro and renovate the entire station. The overall revitalization will also build on some completed smaller modifications – new pedestrian crossings, expanded tram islands and other modifications around the intersection of Vinohradská and U Vodárny streets. These improvements will be reinforced by additional pedestrian connections during the revitalization process. Jiřího z Poděbrad is one of the busiest squares in the capital city, yet it has long...
The Canary Islands have always been a hotspot for tourists, and this summer, there’s a new gem waiting to be discovered—La Palma. Čedok, in collaboration with Smartwings, is introducing direct flights from Prague Airport to Santa Cruz de La Palma. Departing once a week from June to October, this exciting addition aims to cater to Czech travelers seeking fresh experiences. Miroslav Kubáč, Product Director of Čedok, expressed excitement about this new venture, stating, “For the summer season, we have decided to add another novelty missing in the Czech market. Therefore, starting this June, we will start direct flights to the island of La Palma, a part of the Canary Islands. We plan to fly to this new destination weekly in cooperation with Smartwings.” Affectionately known as “La Isla Bonita” or “The Beautiful Island,” La Palma stands out as one of the greenest among the Canary Islands, according to Lonely Planet. It offers a paradise for hiking enthusiasts with trails along the caldera’s edge and the opportunity to conquer the highest peak, Roque de los Muchachos. The Volcano Trail, showcasing the most beautiful southern volcanoes, is a popular choice, as are boat trips to spot whales and dolphins. For astronomy enthusiasts,...
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