Ring out the old year and ring in the new with our curated selection of arts and entertainment offerings this Prague’s weekend. A number of Prague theatres are staging afternoon, early evening and evening performances on New Year’s Eve. For example, the National Theatre is organizing the ballet The Nutcracker in the afternoon, the drama Poe at 17:00 and the opera Ball at the Savoy Hotel at 18:00. Performances on the last day of the year have been prepared by the Prague City Theatre, Vinohrady Theatre, Theatre Na zábradlí, Theatre Na Fidlovačce and the Jára Cimrman Theatre in Žižkov. Cinemas will also be open, in addition to multiplexes and smaller ones. For example, Lucerna will broadcast live a concert by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra with tenor Jonas Kaufmann, featuring arias from Italian and Russian operas, Tchaikovsky’s Italian Capriccio and parts from Prokofiev’s ballet Romeo and Juliet. The New Year’s Eve program was also prepared by several music clubs such as Rock Café, Roxy, Vagon. Lucerna Music Bar and Jazz Dock. The zoo and a number of public ice-skating rinks will be open during the day. Steamboat trips are also among the options for spending the last day of the year....
Prague residents over the Christmas holidays donated five tonnes of cat and dog food, both dried and canned, plus snacks to a well-known animal shelter in Troja, the Municipal police confirmed on Tuesday. On Christmas Day alone, some 3,000 people visited, the police said in a press release. According to the shelter, several dogs were adopted. Around 3,000 dogs and 1,500 cats arrive at the shelter annually; most of the dogs are successfully returned to their owners, the shelter said. The canines are housed in Troja, while the felines are placed at a facility in Dolních Měcholupy across the city. People donated also warm bedspreads, bowls, leashes, toys and CZK 27,000 in cash.
“The Fourth Reich will be created, encompassing the territory of Germany and its satellites, i.e., Poland, the Baltic states, Czechia, Slovakia, the Kyiv Republic, and other outcasts,” said Dmitry Medvedev, former president of Russia and a staunch supporter of the war in Ukraine. This was the fourth of a list of 10 predictions Medvedev made for 2023, which he shared on Twitter. Medvedev’s economic predictions Several of his other predictions related to economic and financial concerns, including that “Oil price[s] will rise to $150 a barrel, and gas price will top $5.000 per 1.000 cubic meters.” He also claimed that “all the largest stock markets and financial activity will leave the US and Europe and move to Asia.” He further stated, “The Bretton Woods system of monetary management will collapse, leading to the IMF and World Bank crash. Euro and Dollar will stop circulating as the global reserve currencies. Digital fiat currencies will be actively used instead.” Medvedev’s predictions for Europe When it comes to European relations, Medvedev claimed that the UK will rejoin the European Union, leading to its downfall. “The EU will collapse after the UK’s return,” he said. “Euro will drop out of use as the former EU currency.” He...
Czech President Milos Zeman has called for further support for Ukraine, including military assistance, and expressed confidence that Russia would eventually have to pull from Ukraine. The president announced this in his traditional televised Christmas address, Ukrinform reports. “I am convinced that sooner or later the pressure of free countries will force Russia to leave the territory of Ukraine,” said the head of state in a greeting that was broadcast on Czech TV channels. “The president called the Russian aggression against Ukraine “the most significant event of the passing year.” Zeman admitted that he personally has always been a supporter of “correct” economic relations with the Russian Federation, especially through the supply of relatively cheap energy. “But there are situations where economic interests have to give way to security interests. And this aggression threatens global security, and thus the security of the Czech Republic. Therefore, I fully support the assistance of the Czech Republic to Ukraine, which is fighting, and I believe that sooner or later the pressure of free countries will force Russia to leave the territory of Ukraine,” Zeman said. He mentioned among the challenges energy crisis and inflation, which are also a result of Russian aggression. This...
Czechia may produce much of its own food, but that has not stopped the country from seeing a dramatic increase in food prices. On top of the usual suspects such as rising energy prices, part of the problem for Czechs is that a substantial amount of domestically produced food is exported abroad. Food prices rose by more than a quarter in the Czech Republic in October. This was not only due to soaring energy prices but also partly because Czech stores copy prices in Germany, which has also seen an explosive growth in food prices this year. The data shows just how bad food inflation in Czechia has become. The country experienced the largest percentage rise in sugar prices in Europe; the second-largest in vegetable oils; and the third-largest price increase in butter, milk, and bread. Part of the problem is that Czech producers continued to export many of these commodities abroad, creating a shortage at home and keeping prices high. The situation the country finds itself in reveals some of the downsides of free trade and globalization, in which companies and producers can often profit more by selling key products abroad rather than selling domestically. The increase in the price of sugar...
Winter brings many things. Short days and long nights. The holiday season. Winter sports. Remaining indoors as much as possible. And increased consumption of that divine beverage, hot chocolate. Here are just a few places where you can have your cup of edible paradise. Also, if you prefer to make your own, you will find a store that carries hot chocolate mix. Café Savoy Three types of chocolate drinks are listed on the menu. The first is made with steamed milk and chocolate from the Dominican Republic. The second uses cream and Valrhona chocolate. The third, for those who want it a little less intense, uses cocoa powder rather than solid chocolate. The website is in Czech and English. Choco Café Although the website seems to have an English option, only one thing on it is in English. The link given here takes you to it, and it’s the part that really matters: The menu. The hot chocolate on offer is impressive. You can order hot chocolate with chili powder, with ice cream, with berries, with bananas, with brandy, with rum, and a whole lot more. The café has a white hot chocolate option, as well as two sugar-free (sweetened...
As the days grow shorter and colder, winter sports enthusiasts will bring out their skis and snowboards, ready for a weekend in the snow. What are some popular resorts in the Czech Republic? Lipno Ski Resort Located in South Bohemia, not far from the Austrian border. It has a range of activities available summer and winter. These include activities for the handicapped: Monoskis for wheelchair users, and instructors for blind or otherwise handicapped skiers. Certain accommodations and restaurants are also barrier-free. Skiing (downhill and cross-country) and snowboarding are available in the winter, as is ice skating on a lake. Lessons are offered for children and adults. The website is in Czech, English, and German. Špindlerův mlýn Several lodging places in the area of the ski resort offer rooms during Christmas and the New Year, from two-star pensions to hotels with a whopping eight stars. Like Lipno, the resort is open all year. Downhill and cross-country skiing, tubing, sledding, snowmobiling, and bobsled rides are all on offer. After a long day on the slopes, you can relax with a massage at a wellness center. The website is in Czech, English, German, Dutch, Danish, and Polish. SkiResort Černá Hora – Pec The...
Prague City Hall reminds people that a ban on fireworks in the city center, on waterways, and near hospitals remains in effect on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Police officers will be monitoring compliance with the measure and issue on-the-spot fines or refer the case for administrative action if it is breached. Fireworks and other pyrotechnic products can cause serious and sometimes fatal injuries. What is more, they can harm not only people but also wildlife, animals in zoos, and pets. Those who have animals at home know that the loud noise brought about by fireworks can result in intense feelings of fear and panic. These feelings are even more extreme for stray animals who do not have a safe place to hide indoors or a loving owner to offer comfort. In addition to this, the loud noise can further disturb patients in hospitals, the residents of nursing homes, and those who struggle with disabilities. For this reason, the Czech capital has selected several locations where the use of over-the-counter pyrotechnic products will no longer be permitted. The decree applies exclusively in sensitive parts of Prague, especially in the city centre, on the embankments, in parks and near hospitals and other facilities such as homes for...
The end of the year is almost here. Few people can imagine a New Year’s Eve party without a glass of bubbly. If you’re planning to celebrate in Prague or somewhere else in Czechia, you’ll appreciate a few tips for the best sparkling wine produced by Bohemian and Moravian winemakers. Bohemia Sekt is the most famous and most popular Czech sparkling winemaker. Paradoxically, it is made in Starý Plzenec, near Plzeň, the mecca of all beer lovers. The delicious sparkling wine can be purchased in almost every Czech shop or restaurant. Did you know that? One glass of Bohemia Sekt contains about a million and half fine bubbles The plastic stopper for sparkling wine bottles was invented in Czechia You’ll find a giant stopper in front of the Bohemia Sekt building, a popular place to take photos In 2021, over five million bottles sold during Christmas and New Year’s Eve in Czechia The American soldiers and happy citizens drank about 37,000 bottles of this sparkling wine when celebrating the liberation of Plzeň at the end of WWII Our Tip Take a tour of the factory to uncover the secret of the production of sparkling wine, see the original cellars from...
The 75th edition of the oldest Czech winter swimming contest will be held near the National Theatre, between Slavonic Island and Střelecký Island. The event will start at 11 a.m. on Boxing Day and will be attended by hardy men and women. The memorial is called after Alfred Nikodém, who was a goldsmith in Prague and a proponent of Spartan lifestyle. His final Christmas ice swim in the Vltava was in 1945 and he died four years later. The year after his last dip in icy water, 1946, was reportedly so cold that it wasn’t possible to break the ice in the river to create a swimming channel without it freezing over again instantly, so the first Boxing Day ice swimming competition took place the following year, in 1947. The self-proclaimed goal of the “otužilci”, as they are known in Czech, is to increase resilience and toughness – to the cold, to temperature fluctuations, and to pain and general unpleasantness. According to Komárek, there are health benefits too. Winter swimming was first seen in Prague in 1923 when he and six other enthusiasts plunged into the freezing cold Vltava River watched by a crowd of stunned on-lookers. More info here
The Prague Transport Company has published a timetable for the city’s public transport services during the winter holidays. Like last year, it has undergone certain restrictions and changes. Christmas Eve, 24 December: public transport will operate according to the Saturday schedule, with the daytime schedule ending at 18:00. From then on, the underground will start running at extended intervals of 20 minutes. The last trains from terminal stations will leave as usual at midnight. Trams and buses will run at 30-minute intervals in the evening and nighttime (between 18:00 and 07:00), except for the 119 bus. The funicular will have its last departure at 17:00. On December 25, all transport will follow the Sunday schedule. Daytime buses and trams will hit the streets at 07:00 (the 119 route earlier – at 04:30). Routes 58, 143 and 187 will be canceled. December 26 – similar to the previous day. December 27-30 – transport will run according to the special “holiday” (prázdniny) schedule during school holidays. Tram No. 4 and 21 and bus No. 187 will not be operated. Tram 16 will only operate on the Kotlářka – Ústřední dílny DP segment. The extended timetable will be in effect on 31 December....
Despite a drop in temperatures across Czechia last week, gas reserves in the country remained at the second-highest level since 2014, the country’s Minister of Industry and Trade Jozef Síkela announced on Twitter on Tuesday. The Czech government is trying to reduce gas consumption due to supply problems linked to Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine; it is aiming to save 15 percent of gas this winter, equivalent to 800 million cubic meters. So far, more than 180 million cubic meters have been saved. As of Tuesday, domestic reservoirs across the country are holding 2.9 billion cubic meters of gas and are at 84 percent total capacity. “According to our data, last week was the second coldest in the last four years,” Síkela said. Gas consumption was thus about 7 percent higher than in previous years. “However, it corresponded to weeks when the average temperature was approximately five degrees higher,” the minister noted. Czechia was covered in snow last week, with temperatures falling well below zero, especially in the second half of the week. “The fact that we passed the first difficult test is also reflected in the price of gas, which fell below €110 per megawatt hour (MWh),” the minister...
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