The long-awaited Barbie movie has finally arrived, bringing great success to the Czech glass industry! The hand-blown glass jugs of Klimchi from the Crystal Valley were commissioned by Warner Brothers, the American production company, for their movie of the year. You can find these iconic pink jugs in Barbie’s house, portrayed by actress Margot Robbie in the film adaptation of the famous doll. The beautiful pink hobnail jugs by the designer brand Klimchi were made by Czech glassmakers in the northern Bohemian Crystal Valley. Klimchi represents a collective of Czech designers and glassmakers who create exceptional glass products in the heart of the Crystal Valley in Kamenický Šenov. However, this is not the first time Czech glass decorations have made it to Hollywood. A couple of years ago, Czech crystal sculptures appeared in the Netflix film Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery starring Daniel Craig. These were also created in the Crystal Valley of the Liberec Region, this time under the Czech glass company Pačinek Glass. And the best part – at the end of the summer, you will be able to see Czech glass jewels with your own eyes. From 28 August to 2 September, you can visit the...
Smichov railway station, located on the left bank of the Vltava River in Prague, is notorious among regular travelers as the city’s worst transport hub. Its bad reputation remains unchanged, and recent visits confirm its decline. Several months ago, we had already identified Smichov railway station as the worst among Prague’s metro stations. Unfortunately, little progress has been made since then, and if anything, the situation has worsened. Even with the ongoing development in the surrounding area, the station itself remains neglected, surrounded by old tenement houses, some of which house pubs and restaurants on the ground floor. The area adjacent park still exudes an air of insecurity and anarchy. Many benches are occupied by homeless individuals and littered with trash. Drug paraphernalia, such as syringe wrappers and empty vials, further add to the grim atmosphere. The overall condition of the main station building clearly deteriorated in the last few years. Both the interior and exterior require significant renovation, and the general disorder is quite disheartening. The bus waiting area is an absolute nightmare, deterring most people from using the benches due to the appalling mess and filth. Such scenes are reminiscent of the neglected areas found in former Eastern...
Summer is a fantastic time for cyclists, particularly when new cycling routes are being created throughout the Czech Republic. These paths lead to picturesque places and are gaining popularity, encouraging more people to ride their bikes. Among the many favorite cycling paths, we have carefully selected seven well-tested and popular ones for you to explore. The Elbe River Trail: Consistently ranked among the most popular cycling routes, the Elbe River Trail is a diverse long-distance path in Europe. It forms a part of the EuroVelo 4 and EuroVelo 7 European cycling routes and spans 1300 kilometers from the source of the Elbe River to the North Sea. If you prefer to stay within the Czech borders, there is a 370-kilometer section of the trail passing through Hradec Králové, Pardubice, Central Bohemia, and Ústí nad Labem. The entire Elbe River Trail offers countless sections to explore. One of the most beloved segments is the 150-kilometer route from Prague to Českosaské Švýcarsko (Czech-Saxon Switzerland), taking you through Mělník, Litoměřice, Ústí nad Labem, and concluding in Děčín. It’s an ideal option for an extended weekend trip. Along the way, you’ll have the opportunity to explore various landmarks and points of interest, such as...
The Czech Foreign Ministry said it filed a lawsuit against Russia for compensation of 53 million crowns over lease payments on land in Prague and other cities used by the country’s embassy. In May, the Czech centre-right government rescinded orders from the 1970s and 1980s, made by the country’s then Communist rulers, that granted Russia the use of dozens of plots of lands free of charge. Russia would henceforth have to pay leases on the plots, the foreign ministry said after the orders were cancelled in May. That decision move marked a further deterioration of bilateral diplomatic relations that have been frosty since before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said on Wednesday the lawsuit, filed in a Prague court, was for “unjust enrichment” by Russia over the past three years. “We took this step because we did not receive any response (from Russian authorities) during pre-court calls,” he said in a statement, adding the ministry would not give further details. Czech European Affairs Minister Martin Dvorak said in May that unauthorised profits from the land could not be allowed to support the “occupation of Ukraine”. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said that retroactive demands for rent looked “like a...
Zažít Město Jinak – or ‘Different City Experience’ – celebrates different neighborhoods of cities and their unique inhabitants and traditions. The festival is planned by actual residents of the featured districts and it is based upon the idea that public places should be shared. With the aid of mutual help and volunteers, the festival pops up in different neighborhoods around Prague and even beyond, letting you and others glimpse into different quarters of Prague, Brno, and more! This year’s edition will take place on September 16, as part of European Mobility Week. Several streets and areas in Prague, typically filled with cars, will be transformed into pedestrian zones featuring creative workshops, game tables, market stalls, and improvised terraces. Passersby will have the chance to enjoy coffee, snacks, fun activities, and socialize with fellow citizens. The festival will also present various cultural and sports events, including street theatre performances, a dance school, and exciting sports competitions. Supported by nearly all of Prague’s municipalities, each one has prepared its own accompanying program, which can be found on the official event website. The “European Mobility Week” is an international annual event taking place from 16 to 22 September, aimed at promoting environmental support....
The Russian Foreign Ministry has accused the Czech Republic of committing human rights violations in an extensive report titled “On the situation with human rights in individual countries.” The report examines the human rights situation in 43 countries, with a particular focus on the Czech Republic. According to the document’s authors, the Czech authorities have shown reluctance to address “chronic human rights problems” and instead appear to be adopting a “Russophobic course.” The report states: “The Czech Republic harbors ongoing issues that its authorities seem unwilling to resolve, as they actively engage in actions detrimental to foreign policy, particularly in their dealings with Russia. In recent years, Prague has notably taken a systematic slide towards a Russophobic stance, making human rights a key domestic and foreign policy priority. This slide has taken aggressive forms, including waging a ‘war’ against monuments commemorating Soviet soldiers, and whitewashing Nazi collaborators openly.” “Furthermore, there are increasing attempts to push the concept of ‘equal responsibility of totalitarian regimes’ for the outbreak of the Second World War in Czech socio-political discourse. This campaign seeks to equate symbols of the USSR and the Red Army with the Nazi swastika, leading to their prohibition, while also attempting to...
Niall Horan, the former member of the renowned boy band One Direction, released his third solo album, The Show, in June earlier this year. As part of the tour to support the album, he will grace the stage at the Sportovní hala Fortuna in Prague on March 17, 2024. “For me, there’s nothing better than witnessing the crowd sing along and connect each song to something significant in their own lives,” says the singer and songwriter. “It’s always the best outcome that can come from writing songs,” he adds. Horan has sold over 80 million records and has performed multiple times worldwide during his time with One Direction. His full-length solo debut, Flicker, topped the Billboard 200 chart in October 2017 and included the triple-platinum single Slow Hands and the double-platinum single “This Town.” The album reached the Top 10 in twenty countries, amassing over eight billion global streams and achieving platinum status in five countries, including the USA, and gold status in seven others. In 2020, he followed up with the album Heartbreak Weather, which topped the UK’s Official Albums chart and the Billboard Top Album Sales chart. “Performing live is my favorite thing to do.” says Niall Horan,...
In a bold move, the Czech government is set to allow drivers to reach speeds of up to 150 km/h on specific stretches of its highways. The decision, slated to take effect within the next two years, will initially be limited to a few carefully chosen sections, each spanning several dozen kilometers. Safety experts may advise against raising the speed limit, but surprisingly, there are few opponents among the senators. This marks a significant departure from eight years ago when the same proposal was flatly rejected by the Senate. In Europe, the prevailing trend leans towards reducing highway speed limits to address safety, emissions, and noise concerns. The forthcoming weeks will see Senators engaging in discussions about the new law, which will also entail modifications to the point system, fines, and regulations regarding 17-year-olds with mentors and driver’s licenses. The selected high-speed segments of the highway will be subjected to stringent safety standards and equipped with variable traffic signs to adjust speeds when necessary. While the Czech Republic is not the pioneer in increasing highway speed limits, it joins Germany, where drivers are permitted to reach up to 130 km/h on the autobahn, and Poland and Slovakia, with speed limits...
Fifteen years after the recognition of Kosovo’s independence, the Czech Republic is appointing an ambassador to Kosovo for the first time. Namely, Bohumil Mazánek, a career diplomat, former ambassador to Lithuania, consul general in Shanghai and Katowice, and chargé d’affaires in Thailand will be the first Czech ambassador to Kosovo. The announcement was made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic in a press release. The President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, at the proposal of the Government, has appointed 26 new ambassadors of the Czech Republic to the world, including Bohumil Mazánek in Kosovo, announced the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. “The Ministry wants diplomatic relations with Kosovo to be at the highest level because it is necessary to correct the absurd issue that the Czech Republic recognizes the independence of Kosovo, has an embassy in the country but does not have an ambassador”, said the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Daniel Drake. Until now, the Czech Republic only had a charge d’affaires at its embassy in Kosovo, because presidents Vaclav Klaus and then Miloš Zeman were opponents of the decision of the government of the...
In response to DPP Director Petr Witowski’s statement to Hospodářské noviny, in which he called the current public transport fares “unaffordable in the long term”, Deputy Mayor Zdeněk Hřib (Piráti) clarified that the pricing decisions for Prague’s public transport do not lie with the transport company (DPP) director but with the city’s management. Hřib previously stated that the municipality has no intentions to increase fares. However, Finance Councillor Zdeněk Kovářík (ODS) countered this stance, arguing that considering the substantial financial support the city provides to DPP, a debate on fare levels would be necessary. Notably, the last increase in individual ticket prices in Prague occurred in 2021, and the cost of an annual voucher has remained unchanged since 2015 when the previous city administration lowered it to CZK 3,650. In the previous year, DPP amassed approximately CZK 3.5 billion in fare revenues, while the city contributed CZK 16.2 billion to support the company’s operations. In an interview with Hospodářské noviny, Director Witowski acknowledged that politicians set the fares, but he emphasized that the portion of costs covered by DPP from fare sales is remarkably low even when compared internationally. Before the pandemic, the company’s fare revenue covered about 21 percent...
The moment Nicholas Winton comes face to face with just a few of the Jewish children he saved from the Nazis on That’s Life, in 1988, is one of the most iconic clips in British television history. Now the first photographs from an eagerly awaited film about the story leading up to that moment have been released. Starring Anthony Hopkins and Johnny Flynn as older and younger versions of Winton, the man who saved 669 Jewish children from the Nazis through the Kindertransport project, and Helena Bonham Carter as his mother Babi, One Life will cement the Jewish stockbroker’s reputation as one of the heroes of the war effort. Billed as the ‘British Schindler’, the descendants of the Jewish children he saved are believed to number as high as 6000. The stockbroker had been on his way to a skiing holiday when a friend, Martin Blake, called him from Prague in December 1938 and asked for his help to get Jewish refugees out of the country. Winton became a key member of the Kindertransport story – eventually giving up his job to help in the effort to get desperate Jews out of occupied Europe – but, as the film shows,...
Prague is set to embrace the spirit of inclusivity and support the LGBTQ+ community by flying rainbow flags on prominent city buildings during the upcoming Prague Pride festival. The New Town Hall on Mariánské náměstí and Škodovo Palace on Jungmannova Street will proudly display the colorful emblem from 7 to 13 August, as approved by the city council on Monday. The annual Prague Pride festival, dedicated to celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals, will also receive financial backing from the city, as has been the tradition in previous years. Organizers, however, had voiced their concerns when the city initially indicated no plans for street flag displays and illuminating the Petřín Tower in rainbow colors. Addressing these concerns, Councillor Adam Zábranský (Pirates) revealed that the council’s approval ensures the support will remain on par with previous editions. Under the auspices of the metropolitan authority, the Prague Pride event has been bolstered by a contribution of CZK 700,000 from the municipality. An additional CZK 123,000 was allocated for the Fun&Run charity run, which supports the fight against homophobia and HIV prevention, according to Prague spokesman Tadeáš Provazník. Despite some recent criticism about the level of support from the capital city,...
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