As a half Yemeni and half Czech student, I find myself craving traditional Arabic comfort food all the time. Growing up, dishes like Hulba (حلبة), a frothed fenugreek paste made from fenugreek powder, were a household staple. In a non diverse city not particularly known for middle eastern cuisine, I’ve hunted out small treasures that bring back a taste of home. Situated in Vinohrady, Layla is an authentic Lebanese restaurant. They offer traditional food like makloubeh (مقلوبة), a rice dish served with meat and fried vegetables, and Fatteh (فتّة ), toasted flatbread with a range of toppings from chickpeas to toasted nuts. Their Knafeh (كنافة), a dessert made with spun pastry called kataifi, cheese and rose water, is something I look forward to every time. In the summer, their outdoor seating adds to the experience of such a peaceful neighborhood. Every time I go something is always offered complimentary as a thank you for supporting their business, showing the generous Arab spirit I know and love. Habibi Cafe is a spot I love to get green tea and shisha. Their high quality, intricate design shishas and beautifully crafted silver tea pots are just like they would be in Morocco...
If the Czech Republic held a referendum on leaving the EU today, 63% of Czechs would vote to remain, a fresh survey conducted in one of the EU’s most eurosceptic countries found. The survey was conducted by the Europeum Institute and analytical agency STEM even though no such referendum is currently on the political agenda. Indeed, Czechs are generally optimistic about the EU, with 56% of respondents expressing this opinion. Still, they remain sceptical about introducing the common euro currency, as less than one in five said they favoured adoption, the Czech News Agency reported. Besides examining Czechs’ attitudes towards the EU, the survey also found that most Czechs still support welcoming Ukrainian refugees. According to Interior Ministry figures, there are currently some 325,000 in the country. Still, Jaromír Mazák, director of the STEM research agency, believes that while support for accepting Ukrainian refugees has been stable over time, it is quite fragile. “More than half of the public is concerned about the negative impact of migration from Ukraine on the quality of public services and the economy as a whole,” said Mazák, as quoted by the Czech News Agency. The survey found that 44% of Czechs are willing to help even at...
A new study conducted by language learning app Preply reveals the best European cities for raising children. Placing as Europe’s fifth-best city to raise children, Prague’s high score is largely down to its great leisure and lifestyle prospects. The city’s high score in this category is thanks to the combination of the country’s paid maternity leave (196 days), the eighth longest in Europe, and Prague’s wealth of leisure/sports centres (per capita), and lower cost of living (37th). The capital city also ranks in fifth place for the best ratio of museums to residents and its crime rates are among the twenty lowest (17th) among all cities analysed. Fellow Czech city of Brno also features in the study, however, doesn’t rank as highly, placing as the 49th best city in Europe to raise a family. The Czech Republic’s second-largest city suffers in comparison due to its poor choice of education attractions, parks and leisure facilities per capita. Compared to Prague’s glowing attributes in the health and safety category, Brno also falls victims to its higher crime rate and high air pollution levels. The capital of the Portuguese island Madeira, Funchal, ranks as the best city in Europe for raising a family....
Icelandair is launching a non-stop flight from Prague to Reykjavik. Now the volcanoes, geothermal waters, and Northern Lights that attract thousands of tourists each year are at your fingertips. If you travel this summer, you can even experience the midnight sun. Iceland lies over 2,500 kilometers from Prague but now you can travel there on a non-stop flight. Iceland’s national air carrier, Icelandair, will launch a direct service between Prague and Reykjavik on Thursday, June 1st. Flights from Václav Havel Airport will operate four times a week and will also make for speedier air connections to the United States. The route will be operated by a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft with a capacity of one hundred and sixty passengers. The new route to Iceland will fly from Prague every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. The line will also operate in autumn and winter after the summer schedule ends. The airline has yet to release the days of the week flights will run during the autumn and winter seasons. According to Jaroslav Filip, Director of Air Commerce at Prague Airport, the new direct connection will not only boost tourism to Iceland, but also provide an additional option to connect to other destinations in North America. Passengers will be able to reach...
A defence cooperation agreement between Czechia and the US was signed in Washington on Tuesday by the Czech minister of defence, Jana Černochová, and her American counterpart, Lloyd Austin. The defence cooperation agreement creates an overarching framework to codify already existing cooperation between the two countries’ militaries. The UK’s Prince Edward arrived in Czechia on Tuesday afternoon at the start of a visit that is due to last until Thursday. One of the main points of his stay will be meeting Czech students taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at Prague’s British Embassy. . From next year Czechia’s main public health insurer, VZP, will cover the costs of preventive examinations for the early detection of skin cancer. Until now, the insured had the option of paying for the examination themselves and then applying for financial compensation in return. The opposition ANO movement still leads in opinion polls, according to a Median election model released today. However, the party’s support dropped slightly in April to 31%, after several months of rising consistently. ANO, led by former PM Andrej Babis, is followed by the Civic Democrats (ODS) on 15%, similar to March. In the past six months, the...
There will be over 10,000 police officers drawn from all over Czech Republic to provide security during the Europa Conference League final in Prague on June 7. It follows the assault of unarmed West Ham supporters by AZ Alkmaar fans last week. The heavy police deployment is a proactive move to prevent violence in the highlight game between the Hammers and Fiorentina. UEFA has scheduled an emergency meeting in Prague on Friday. Scotland Yard, Italian, Czech and National Police Chief’s Councils of Great Britain will be in attendance. It will be a follow-up to strategies in place geared towards beefing up security as threats during such matches are imminent. The number of police and private security officers on duty in the city will outnumber the number of ticketed club supporters of West Ham and Fiorentina. UEFA gave these two clubs 4,890 legitimate tickets each. The seating capacity of West Ham’s London Stadium is roughly 66,000, whilst Fiorentina’s Stadio Artemio Franchi holds 43,147 people. Thus, there will be an estimated 25,000 fans in Prague who got tickets in the black market since the tickets were cheap. However, a steel ring will be thrown around the Fortuna Arena, and anyone without a ticket...
As the swimming season kicks off in Prague, residents and visitors can rest assured that the outdoor swimming pools in the city are suitable for swimming, as they undergo regular monitoring by hygienists. The Prague City Hygienic Station recently released the first results of this year’s water quality measurements, shedding light on the safety of various natural swimming pools. Among the monitored swimming pools, namely Motol, Šeberák, Hostivař, and Džbán, as well as the concrete reservoir Divoká Šárka and two Prague biotopes – Lhotka and Radotín – hygienists have discovered reduced transparency in the waters of Šeberák, Džbán, and Hostivař. The water quality assessments are conducted by taking water samples once every two weeks, except for the Divoká Šárka concrete reservoir, which is sampled once a month. While the first measurement results from May 15th are already available, the sampling for Radotín and Lhotka biotopes will take place at a later date. To evaluate the water quality, experts examine various indicators, including sensory observations of waste and natural pollution, as well as conducting microbiological, biological, and chemical laboratory analyses. A five-point scale is used, with a rating of one indicating water suitable for bathing, while a rating of five signifies...
Tempers ran hot in Bohemia on May 23, 1618. Then, the Defenestration of Prague saw three Catholic officials defenestrated, or tossed from a window, by local Protestants. Thanks to the grace of God or a pile of manure — depending on who you asked — the officials survived. But the aftermath was catastrophic. The Defenestration of Prague was more than a spat between two religious sects. It encapsulated long-held and mounting tensions between Catholics and Protestants in Europe. What’s more, its bloody aftermath would lead to the Thirty Years’ War, in which more than eight million people lost their lives to violence and famine. So what exactly led to the Defenestration of Prague in 1618? Long-Simmering Tension Between Catholics And Protestants The years leading up to the Defenestration of Prague were largely defined by tensions between Catholics and Protestants. The two sects had warred for much of the 16th-century, as Protestantism spread across the continent and fractured the religious unity of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1555, the Treaty of Augsburg established an uneasy peace between the two groups. It lay down the principle of cuius regio, eius religion, meaning a ruler could decide the religion for his land. And though rulers of...
The appearance of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra headed by Daniel Harding promises to be one of the highlights of the 78th edition of the Prague Spring. One of the world’s finest orchestras and its top-flight conductor will perform Gustav Mahler’s monumental Symphony No. 7, whose premiere was held in Prague in 1908. The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra first performed at the Prague Spring in 1987 under conductor Sir Colin Davis. Known for its supreme interpretations, the ensemble was shaped in the years 1961–1979 by Czech conductor in exile Rafael Kubelík, who recorded the complete Mahler symphonies with the orchestra, an achievement celebrated to this day. After Kubelík’s departure Sir Colin Davis stood at the helm for almost ten years, and in the period 1993–2002 they were led by Lorin Maazel. From 2003 until his death in December 2019 the orchestra was headed by Mariss Jansons. From the 2022/23 season onwards the post of Chief Conductor will be assumed by Sir Simon Rattle, who is already working closely with the orchestra at this time. Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 7 was premiered in 1908 at Prague’s Exhibition Grounds on the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee of Emperor Franz Joseph I; the Czech Philharmonic was...
An impressive sum of CZK 40 million has been earmarked for initiatives focused on public green spaces, environmental education, and the preservation of endangered animal species. “The program is a crucial pillar of support for initiatives that elevate the environmental well-being of our capital city, bolster its resilience against climate change, foster awareness and engagement with pertinent issues, and provide environmental education within Prague,” said Jana Komrsková, Deputy Mayor for Environment and Climate Plan Furthermore, the program actively encourages participation from diverse groups, civic organizations, associations, and other entities. The program facilitates individual applicants in securing grants for their environmental projects in Prague. The maximum amount granted is CZK 900,000 for educational endeavors, CZK 600,000 for climate change adaptation and mitigation measures, and CZK 450,000 for other initiatives. A total of 130 projects, submitted by 81 applicants, are poised to receive approval, cumulating to CZK 40 million in funding. The program aims to bolster public green spaces, green classrooms, nature conservation, and environmental education. It also encompasses educational and training programs catered to schools, climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts, as well as other specific projects. Prominent beneficiaries of the program include notable associations and organizations such as the Association of...
Prague City Council has agreed to provide funds for 130 projects to improve the environment in Prague. A total of CZK 40 million will go to public greenery, ecological education, or schemes to protect endangered species. The number of foreigners studying at universities in Czechia has been steadily increasing; 18% of students were foreign nationals in 2022, according to data released by the Czech Statistical Office (CSU) today. The share of foreign students at universities in the Czech Republic has increased by an average of 3% a year over the past decade. . Czech lower house head Marketa Pekarova Adamova (TOP 09) arrived in the United States yesterday, leading a delegation of representatives of the Chamber of Deputies and Czech businessmen. The trip will last until 26 May. The state budget expenditure for last year’s elections amounted to CZK 959 million, as voters chose their representatives to municipal authorities and one-third of the Senate. Political parties received another CZK 575 million from the budget. A year earlier, the elections cost the state budget CZK 672 million. Meteorologists have issued a storm and high wind warning for Tuesday. The warning of torrential rain, hailstones and high winds pertains to Southern Bohemia,...
The Metronome Festival has built a reputation as the veritable summer music happening in Prague by bringing internationally top-names along with the best of local talent across musical genres for four evenings and three full days in June. Beginning the 21st with two evening concerts, altogether there are 66 artists-groups on the program. Then from the 22-24th there is an accompanying program making it a Music & Arts Fair with art exhibits, installations, workshops, film and theatre productions, and special attractions. The music headliners are Jamiroquai, M83, Moderat, Zaz, Aurora, Tove Lo, and more. Jamiroquai has played Metronome before, and so their return is due to the nostalgia factor. The leader Jay Kay was a celebrity of the acid jazz scene, and their “chill out” vibe defines the 1990s post Velvet Revolution daze. From this perspective “Return of the Space Cowboy” their second album from 1994, and certainly their most popular recording, should be the motto for these London funksters’ return. In contrast, music for the millennials is best served by M83, a French electronic group (dream-pop, synth-pop meets alt-rock) who has been based in Los Angeles practically since their rise to stardom. M83 is the second-wave of French groups,...
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