In Ostrava, huge piles of coal are stacked up ready to sell to eager buyers and smoke belches from coal-fired plants that are ramping up instead of winding down. The city has been working for decades to end its legacy as the most polluted area of the country, transitioning from an industrial working-class stronghold to a modern city with tourist sights. But Russia’s war in Ukraine has triggered an energy crisis in Europe that as paved the way for coal´s comeback, endangering climate goals and threatening health from increased pollution. Households and businesses are turning to the fuel once considered obsolete as they seek a cheaper option than natural gas, whose prices have surged as Russia slashed supplies to Europe. Demand for brown coal – the cheapest and most energy-inefficient form – used by Czech households jumped by almost 35% in the first nine months of 2022 over a year earlier. In the same period, production rose more than 20%, the first increase after an almost continuous, decadeslong decline, the Czech Industry and Trade Ministry said. Coal-fired power is not only disastrous for climate, it´s also a health hazard, releasing heavy particle emissions, nitrogen oxides and mercury, which contaminates fish in lakes and rivers. A 2021...
The Klínovec Ski Resort is opening the longest downhill slope in Czechia, and you can ski with the Gopass, valid all around Central Europe, at Ještěd and in other areas. The preparations for the upcoming winter season are in the spirit of modernisation with an accent on sustainability. Klínovec Boasts the Longest Czech Slope The slope is 3.5 km long, which makes it the longest downhill slope in the country! A modern covered four-seat chair lift will take you to the top. The slope at Klínovec in the Ore Mountains is quite gentle, perfect for beginners and families with children. The resort also offers a variety of food options, Après Ski Bar or a ski school with a magic carpet for the littlest ones. The car park is free with a ski pass. One Ski Pass/Seven Resorts, Including the Beskydy Valašsko Card! Starting this winter, the four-day ski pass will also let you explore the region of the Beskids. The ski pass can be used as the Beskydy Valašsko Card. The card offers about a hundred discounted services in the region, such as discounted admission to museums, water parks or sports equipment rental shops. The condition is to spend at least...
The Julius Meinl family celebrates its inaugural venture into the world of travel and hospitality with the grand opening of The Julius Prague. Founded by The House of Julius Meinl, The Julius is the newest addition to the family’s line of businesses committed to quality and service, dating back to 1862 and spanning six generations. The launch of The Julius Prague marks a continued commitment to luxury, high-quality services, now offered through a new hospitality experience designed to cater to ultimate flexibility and longer stays; and soon to expand internationally to new locations. Designed by Matteo Thun & Partners to reflect a new style of hospitality, The Julius Prague offers a ‘feeling of home’ for the modern traveller, with a range of 168 individual residences, many complete with living rooms and separate bedroom spaces, and featuring an open-plan kitchen. The Julius Prague is housed within a large-scale neo-renaissance building in the heart of the city, just steps away from Prague’s Old Town gates and Wenceslas Square. Custom furniture designed by Matteo Thun & Partners can be seen throughout the residences, communal areas and a restaurant and bar. The Emporium bistro and bar sits at the centre of the property offering the perfect setting for lunch or relaxed working during the day, before the lighting dims to a calming atmosphere, encouraging guests to enjoy...
The budget airline Ryanair is planning to increase its number of routes from Prague by two next year, adding the Polish city of Gdańsk and the Greek island of Skiathos in 2023. The Prague-Gdansk flight will start on 29 March. It will operate twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The city is located on the shores of the Baltic Sea, and its historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tickets are on sale now. Round-trip fares start at 2,800 crowns for a standard round-trip flight. Ryanair will launch its seasonal flight to Skiathos Island at the start of the holiday season on June 2. It will also operate twice a week – on Tuesdays and Fridays. Tickets for this destination are not yet available for sale. About Gdańsk and what to visit Located on the northern coast of Poland, almost 600km from Kraków, Gdańsk is famous for its shipyards and historical connections to water. It is here that the Vistula river merges with the Baltic. Somewhat similar to Kraków’s Market Square, Długi Targ (Long Market) is flanked by beautiful, historical houses, each with a story attached. Here you’ll find the Historical Museum of Gdańsk in the town hall,...
According to a survey conducted by consulting company RSM, 39 percent of companies in Czechia are planning to further increase wages by the end of this year. Asked about how much the increase will be, 14 percent of respondents said around 2 to 5 percent. Archaeologists have discovered a Bronze Age burial ground from the period of the so-called Únětice culture near the construction site of the D35 highway in the Hradec Kralove Region, the Czech News Agency reported on Thursday. In addition to having one of the highest inflation rates, the Czech Republic has also long experienced high price growth in the clothing and footwear sectors. Since 2015, this section has become the most expensive in the Czech Republic out of the entire European Union. The prices of apples in Czech stores are the lowest in two years in a year-on-year comparison. This is entirely out of line with the significant rise in food prices over the past year. Czech real wages fell almost 10% in the second quarter, according to the latest data, and some central bankers see diminishing risks of a wage-inflation spiral. The central bank has forecast nominal wages to rise 6.3%...
Prague does not have emergency accommodation capacity for possible new refugees from Ukraine. At the same time, the city’s Security Council is asking the government to create rules for placing additional refugees equally among all regions. The outgoing mayor of the capital, Zdeněk Hřib (Pirates), says on his Twitter account. The Regional Assistance Centre for Ukraine (KACPU) in Prague handles several hundred refugees every day. More than 100,000 people have passed through it since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. “The Prague City Security Council met on Tuesday to discuss the current refugee situation and the city’s preparedness for a possible next wave of migration. It noted, among other things, that the emergency accommodation capacity in Prague has already been exhausted,” Hřib said. In this context, the mayor said, the Security Council is therefore appealing to the government to create a mechanism for evenly redistributing refugees among the Czech Republic’s regions in preparation for a possible new wave. “By the way, we have been calling for this since March this year. It is also necessary for the government to communicate to the regions a strategy in case of a new migration wave,” the mayor added. There were two tent...
The Czech government plans to provide training to as many as 4,000 Ukrainian troops over the next year, Czech Defence Minister Jana Cernochova said on Wednesday. The training would be done in five four-week cycles with up to 800 troops attending each, and cost 975 million crowns, the Defence Ministry said. NATO member Czech Republic has strongly backed Ukraine since Russia’s attack in February this year, and has sent it light and heavy weapons and ammunition. The training program would be started with the first batch of troops this year and eventually be folded under a planned European Union training scheme for Ukraine. European Union foreign ministers agreed to set up a mission to train some 15,000 Ukrainian troops and to provide an extra 500 million euros worth of funding for arms deliveries to Kyiv at a meeting in Luxembourg on Monday. Ukraine has shown interest in training of mainly mechanised battalions and also medics, engineering and chemical troops, Cernochova said. The Czech Republic will also send 55 troops as instructors or members of command structures of the planned EU training mission in other EU member states. Both parts of the plan require parliamentary approval.
State-regulated electricity prices will fall by 16.7 percent next year, the Energy Regulatory Office announced at a press conference on Wednesday. However, electricity will still be more expensive because of high electricity prices on the energy market. Gas prices, on the other hand, will rise by 1.7 percent. Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya visited Prague on Wednesday to mark the 33rd anniversary of the Velvet Revolution. Accompanied by the Speaker of the Lower House, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, she visited the grave of former president Václav Havel. The Czech government plans to provide training to as many as 4,000 Ukrainian troops over the next year, Czech Defence Minister Jana Cernochova said on Wednesday. The training would be done in five four-week cycles with up to 800 troops attending each, and cost 975 million crowns Russian oil continued flowing into the Czech Republic via the Druzhba pipeline on Wednesday despite a suspension of supplies from Ukraine to the Slovak section, as stocks from Slovakia were pumped in, Czech pipeline operator MERO said. Oil supply to parts of Eastern and Central Europe were temporarily suspended on Tuesday for technical reasons. From Thursday to Sunday, metro operation on line C...
From 19 November, you can once again enjoy the Čapadlo ice rink with a beautiful view of Prague Castle. Bring your own skates or rent them on-site! The summer open-air embankment will be soon turned into an ice rink right in the center of Prague on the Smetana embankment. “We fought hard to keep cultural life on Čapadlo. A year-round activity is necessary and thus we keep the premises clean and, most importantly, alive,” says Prague 1 councilors. In July 2021, this exceptional space was created for leisure and cultural activities. The vaulted passage in the embankment wall, called a “čapadlo”, or mooring point, is located under the Hollar Gallery on the Smetana Embankment right at river level. During the summer period, Čapadlo offers non-alcoholic and low-alcohol drinks, Pilsner on tap, and the best Neopolitan pizzas. Info: Free admission Gloves and a helmet are mandatory for children under 12 years Rental: skates CZK 100, helmet CZK 50, walker CZK 50, deposit for skates CZK 500
Czech lower house lawmakers approved a resolution on Tuesday to designate “the current Russian regime as terrorist”. They condemned attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure and refusing to recognise Russia’s claims to have annexed regions of eastern and southern Ukraine. The vote was taken before a report of a blast in NATO member Poland. Western allies said they were investigating but could not confirm a report it resulted from stray Russian missiles. Russia’s defence ministry denied Russian weapons were involved. “If someone behaves like a terrorist, he is a terrorist,” commented TOP 09 party spokesman Jan Jakob on the decision. CTK news agency reported 129 of 156 lawmakers present supported the resolution. Ukraine’s parliament chief Russian Stefanchuk thanked the Czech house after the vote. The Czech Republic has been a strong backer of Ukraine in its fight against the invasion by Russian forces that began in February. “If Poland confirms that the missiles also hit its territory, this will be a further escalation by Russia,” Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on Twitter. “We stand firmly behind our EU and NATO ally.” In the United States, senators introduced legislation calling on the US Congress to do the same and add Russia to its...
Korzo Národní is the annual celebration of Velvet Revolution in 1989 with a varied programme on National Avenue (Národní třída). The organisers from Thanks That We Can association promise a variety of cultural experiences, including author installations, theatre performances and concerts. People can look forward to almost 90 program parts. In addition to commemorating the revolutionary period, event focuses on current topics and social challenges. There are debates on upcoming presidential elections, European issues and Russian war aggression in Ukraine. As in previous years, attention draws to the memorial site and people will also be able to light an online candle thanks to the organizers. The ninth-year celebration of freedom is marked by motto “We must take care of freedom“. The organisers want to commemorate the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution with dignity while taking into account current social challenges in the program. “Korzo Národní this year brings almost 90 program parts that will fill the scene of the Velvet Revolution. We have designed the celebrations to remain primarily civic. Visitors who want to quietly commemorate 17th November, but also those who plan to use festive day to reflect on the current state of our society and democratic values, will...
The salaries of Czech soldiers are due to increase by 10 percent from the start of next year, under a Ministry of Defence proposal that has just been submitted for comments. There were just under 27,000 soldiers in the Czech Army at the start of this year. Shops will open normally on 17 November. The law restricting sales on certain holidays in large stores has been in force since 2016, yet some customers are still unsure about opening hours before national holidays. 17 November is the Day for Freedom and Democracy in the Czech Republic, but stores can open without restrictions, regardless of the area of the shop floor. From Thursday to Sunday, metro operation on line C between Pražského povstání and Florenc stations will be interrupted due to line repairs. An alternative XC bus service will be introduced in the affected section. Passengers on the A-line will also have to consider a partial service interruption. The Ministry of Health plans to change the function of the Tečka application, which originally served as proof of vaccination against Covid-19. Officials want to turn the app, which has been downloaded by over six million people, into an electronic ID...
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