The Czech Technical University (ČVUT) campus in Prague opened a training and research centre for simulated space missions on Tuesday, which was also attended by Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli. The Little Moon City project will provide facilities and conditions for scientific, university and commercial research. The entire concept is to allow testing of instruments, materials, procedures, or human crews in conditions resembling space. Little Moon City consists of a deep-sea station called Deep Lab H03 by the Hydronaut project. It is designed for long-term stays of small diving crews underwater, as well as on land, and can also simulate a stay in the space shuttle. The station has been designed for a wide range of research, from the effects of isolation and extreme environments on the human psyche, to testing the functionality of technologies under extreme pressure. “Our goal, among other things, was to enable people who don’t have diving training to work in the habitat. We could observe how a biologist or zoologist, for example, would work in such an environment. Getting such people into the module when it is ten metres underwater is a problem,” said project leader Jiří Schneider. The module is less than ten cubic metres...
The Czech Republic has been elected to the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in Paris, and will serve from 2023 to 2027. “The Czech Republic has just been elected to the UNESCO Executive Board,” the Foreign Ministry said on the social network X. Adding that one of the topics the Czech Republic will focus on, during its mandate, will be the transformation of education, and the protection of cultural and natural heritage. The Executive Board, together with the General Conference, is UNESCO’s governing body and is made up of 58 member countries, elected by the Conference according to their respective electoral groups. The last time the Czech Republic was a member of the Executive Board, within the Central and Eastern European Group, was between 2012 and 2015. UNESCO was founded shortly after World War II to develop cooperation in education, science, and culture. In the latter area, it is best known for its World Heritage List, in which the organization includes the world’s most important sites. As for the Czech Republic, its first additions to the UNESCO World Heritage List were the Historic Centre of Prague, the Historic Centre of Český Krumlov, and...
The inaugural Christmas fair in Prague is set to start on Monday, 20 November 2023 at Náměstí Míru. The popular Christmas market in front of the picturesque Church of St Ludmila will once again include stalls offering a wide range of Christmas products such as mistletoe, Advent wreaths, candles, candle holders, toys, Christmas decorations, confectionery, Advent calendars, nativity scenes, and arts and crafts products. On offer will also be traditional Christmas goods such as Christmas punch, mead, mulled wine, roasted chestnuts, pancakes, BBQ specialties, and many more. Popular Czech foods on offer include: large hams roasted on spits (šunka); barbecued sausages (klobása); flatbread topped with garlic, cheese and ketchup (langoš); chips (hranolky); smoked meat dumplings (knedlíky plněné uzeným masem); sweet dumplings (sladké knedlíky); and pancakes or crêpes (palačinky). The imposing neo-Gothic Church of St. Ludmila overlooks the wintery Christmas market, complete with a massive Christmas tree and Nativity scene. Operating hours for this market are from 10:00 to 20:00 daily, concluding on Christmas Eve, 24 December. For details on the opening schedules of other Christmas markets in Prague, refer to the information available here.
Penta Real Estate, a top-tier development company, has secured a deal with Czech Railways, purchasing long-unused land near Prague’s magistral for a minimum of CZK 244 million. The price is expected to rise further following changes to the zoning plan. The funds from this deal will be utilized by Czech Railways for investments into new trains and services. The acquired land will see Penta continue its construction of a new district around its newly opened office building, Masaryčka. This move comes after Penta’s recent acquisition of ČSAD Praha Holding, which owns the Florenc bus station and adjacent plots. Pavel Streblov, Director of Commercial Construction for Penta Real Estate, explains, “We recently completed the first construction phase around Masaryčka. We want to continue building towards Florenc in the intentions of the urban competition from 2021 and thus connect the city center with Karlín. Thanks to the land purchase, we can now complete negotiations with the city about changing the zoning plan for this location.” A large part of the purchased land will become the city’s property once the streets and public spaces are built. Some of the plots currently house a commercial center designed by Iraqi-origin architect Zaha Hadid, which was...
A skating rink will be opened under the Nusle Bridge in Prague’s Folimanka Park in the Jammertal sports and recreation area. It will open on 1 December and will be open until 29 February 2024. The area of the ice rink is 630 square metres. Next to it, visitors will find skate hire and a tent with warming drinks and snacks. The entrance ticket for the whole day will cost CZK 50, while children under six years old can enter free of charge. On the opening day of the ice rink, the organisers will launch a webcam aimed at the ice rink so that visitors can get an idea of how busy it is in advance. In spring, summer and autumn the park is open for roller sports, in winter there is an ice rink. There are also two Pétanque courts, a yoga space, ping pong tables and interactive water features for children. The area is also attractive for non-athletes, as there are picnic tables and barbecues. Address: Park Folimanka, Prague 2 Opening hours: 01.12.2023 – 29.02.2024 weekdays – from 14:00 to 20:00 weekends and holidays – from 09:00 to 20:00
Saying the words “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free” may be considered a criminal offence in certain circumstances, Czech authorities informed on Wednesday. The Czech Interior Ministry, police officers, prosecutors and the Prague city representatives discussed measures to fight anti-semitism during public gatherings at a meeting on Wednesday. “The conclusion of the discussion is that the use of the slogan From the River to the Sea Palestine will be free is problematic in the context of the Hamas attack against Israel on 7 October 2023 and could fulfil the elements of a criminal offence,” Czech Interior Ministry spokeswoman Klára Dlubalová informed. According to the ministry, anyone using such a slogan could potentially be guilty of supporting and promoting terrorism, inciting hatred against a group of people, or denying, questioning, condoning or justifying genocide. “The link to the Hamas movement and other organisations calling for the destruction of the State of Israel is unambiguous, according to the Interior Ministry, and the slogan has historically been used by the majority in conjunction with a clearly stated demand for the destruction of the existence of the State of Israel and the elimination of part of the population by any...
Six banks have launched a service that will enable clients to send payments using only a person’s phone number. The payment-to-contact service aims to simplify transactions and reduce errors. Clients who wish to use the service will have to register their phone number with the bank. Two more banks expect to launch the service within the next year. The banks which have already launched the service are Air Bank, Česká spořitelna, ČSOB, Fio banka, Komerční banka and Raiffeisenbank. “ČSOB enables these payments via the ČSOB Smart app, where it is possible to simply search for the recipient in the directory of mobile contacts. The ČSOB Smart application always first notifies the user whether the recipient is registered and therefore it is possible to make a payment to the contact,” explains Vladimír Vojtíšek, Executive Director for Daily Banking at ČSOB. “Probably few people remember their bank account number off the top of their head, but almost everyone recalls their mobile number. That’s why we believe in its expansion,” says Jiří Suchý, Director of Products and Innovations at Air Bank. “In the modern banking world, it’s crucial to move with the times. Raiffeisenbank is among the first banks to make Payment on...
On Wednesday, 15 November, a vending machine offering filtered tap water was installed at Prague Main Station. This marks the beginning of the “Plastic-free railway” (Železnice bez plastů) ecological project started by the Czech Railway Transport Authority. In the coming weeks, similar machines will be introduced at Kolín, Praha-Smíchov, Hradec Králové hl. n., Náchod, Děčín hl. n., Plzeň hl. n., České Budějovice, and Břeclav railway stations. The water stations will be conveniently placed in halls or main corridors and will use carbon filtration in combination with UV-C LED technology to ensure water quality. The primary aim of the project is to encourage passengers to minimize waste in public spaces and provide them with an alternative to bottled water. Jiří Svoboda, the director general of the Railway Administration, explained that the project’s goal is to provide passengers with a more sustainable alternative to buying bottled water. “In the current situation, people don’t really have a choice, and when they decide on their drinking regime while traveling by train, they usually end up buying bottled water. In addition, our long-term surveys and experience show that classic public drinking fountains are not among the preferred sources of drinking water, mainly because of their...
The Czech government said on Wednesday it froze Russian state-owned properties in the Czech Republic, expanding a sanctions list set up in retaliation for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The government press office said the EU country widened its national sanctions list to include a Russian company, which is controlled by the Russian presidential administration, and is in charge of managing Russian assets abroad. It did not name the company in the statement. “Its income from operations serves directly for financing of the Putin regime,” the government said in a statement. “The company’s commercial activities are as of today illegal, as well as circumventing and violating this sanction, and its entire assets in the Czech Republic have been frozen,” it said. In the Czech Republic, the Russian company manages a number of real estate properties, the Czech government said. Diplomatic missions are excluded from the sanctions, news agency CTK quoted Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky as saying. The Czech sanctions list goes beyond the EU’s sanctions packages and includes six other entities or persons. The Czech Republic has been among the strongest backers of Ukraine since the February 2022 full invasion by Russia. Russia has said it acted in Ukraine to remove...
The Prague Transport Company (DPP) will acquire up to 200 unidirectional articulated trams, specifically the Škoda ForCity Plus, for a total of 16.6 billion CZK. Initially, DPP will place a firm order for 40 trams, with the first batch of 20 expected to arrive in the capital by 2025. Daniel Šabík, the head of DPP’s press department stated that the agreement with the supplier would be formalized after a 15-day objection period for bidders has concluded. The company will announce the exact appearance of the trams after the objection above period has passed. DPP evaluated the vehicles on various parameters, including the presence of electromagnetic brakes, eco-friendly coolant in the air conditioning, a wheel diameter of no less than 640 millimeters, and the vehicle’s capacity and weight. The transport company received two final bids in the tendering process. In addition to the tender winner, Stadler also applied with a vehicle codenamed Stadler Tango NG Prague, raising a proposal for approximately CZK 17.77 billion. Currently, DPP has around 800 trams, with approximately half of the vehicles being low-floor. With nearly 11,000 employees, DPP is the largest city company responsible for operating public transport. The trams serve 35 lines. In the past,...
The shape of the Dvorecký bridge, which is currently under construction, will be complemented by neo-cubist sculptures with water features and special lighting. The completion of the connection between Podolí and Zlíchov for public transport, cyclists and pedestrians is expected in November 2025. On Monday, councillors approved the purchase of sculptural objects for the Dvorecký bridge for a price of CZK 8.5 million. “I’m glad that Prague is investing in culture again,” said Jiří Pospíšil, deputy mayor for culture and heritage preservation. “The so-called botanical garden of light will grow under the newly emerging Dvorecký bridge. The selected works come from artists from all over the world. The botanical garden will offer another link between public space and culture. I see it as a great use of open space for artistic activity.” Five works of art will be created, including a neo-cubist concrete sculpture called Heavy Head Boy with an electronically controlled water system. The shape of the sculptures is part of the winning design that emerged from a two-round architectural competition. “In addition to completing the decoration of the bridge, we want the sculptures to complement the newly emerging public space with valuable artistic elements and functional furniture,” added...
Batman, Alice in Wonderland, and the Nightmare Before Christmas. What do all these films have in common? They all belong to the world of renowned filmmaker Tim Burton, who entertained the imaginations of children and adults alike for decades. Luckily, Burton will bring his fantasy world to Prague next year! From the first of May until the end of September 2024, an exhibition will be displayed in Prague’s Municipal House at Namesti Republiky, as part of a world tour where Burton’s work has featured in places such as Germany, Japan, South Korea, and Mexico. If you’re a fan of Burton’s work, this is the place to be next year. “The exhibition features over 530 works, including storyboards, sketches, scene designs, puppets, and photographs from timeless film classics such as Beetlejuice, Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Mars Attacks! and Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas to contemporary films like Dumbo and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children,” reads the website. Burton’s 50-year artistic career is nothing short of extraordinary, and attendees will be able to experience it for themselves, everything from the Corpse Bride to Willy Wonka. The exhibition in fact had already visited Prague in 2014, at...
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