The Jewish community in the Czech lands was never very numerous, but its cultural influence was enormous. Even today, we can walk through Jewish neighborhoods, bow our heads at Jewish cemeteries or explore one of about two hundred synagogues. More than 50 Jewish monuments around the country will open to the public free of charge on Sunday, August 14, as part of this year’s Day of Jewish Monuments. In Prague, the Jeruzalem Synagogue – built in the late 1860s in the Moorish – participates in the event. Visitors will be able to see synagogues, Jewish cemeteries and other buildings, some of which are normally not accessible. Among the biggest attractions this year are two newly reconstructed synagogues – the Great Synagogue in Pilsen and the synagogue in Čáslav. The Day of Jewish Monuments initiative is organized by Jewish community in Prague in collaboration with Matana, the administrative body for Jewish buildings and cemeteries; the Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic; the Jewish community in Brno; and the Jewish community in Teplice. Some 200 synagogues and 370 Jewish cemeteries have been preserved to this day in the Czech Republic. Around 70 synagogues were destroyed in the country during the Second World War and another...
In 2002, a flood struck Prague – as well as much of Europe – with equally harmful consequences. The Charles Bridge weathered it well, thanks to far more modern flood-protection measures. The rest of Prague suffered some rather extreme damage. On the morning of August 12th, Prague flood warnings were announced. Television showed public buildings and hospitals along the river Vltava being sand-bagged and towns north of Melnik were already becoming islands as the historic flood plains became saturated. The area around Karlin was full of buses and vans evacuating to safer areas for all who wanted to go. Many news outlets were showing interviews with residents refusing to move saying that in all their lives they had never seen a flood that was being predicted. Workers were busy filling sandbags and placing them in strategic locations. Prague’s metro was closed, but they left it too late – the metro stations also flooded, and in some areas, the floodwaters came up to the level of the street entrances to the stations. Hospitals had ambulances on standby to transport patients, and the Prague Zoo moved many animals to higher ground. The Charles Bridge was closed, as were the other bridges. Then-President...
If your day doesn’t start until you’re up to speed on the latest headlines, then let us introduce you to our new morning fix. Tourists will be banned from the Bohemian Switzerland National Park, recently hit by a disastrous fire, until August 31, Economy Minister Anna Hubackova said, adding that the evacuated locals can start returning to their homes on Saturday. . The Czech Republic has granted temporary protection visas to 410,459 Ukrainian refugees since the war in Ukraine started in February, with 1,096 visas issued on Wednesday, some 40 fewer than a week ago, the Interior Ministry wrote on Twitter today. The Supreme Court has confirmed the 20-year prison sentence for Martin Kantor, for fighting in the ranks of pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, Adam Wenig, the spokesman for the Prague Municipal Court, told journalists today. As expected, the Czech Senate yesterday approved NATO accession for Finland and Sweden almost unanimously. Finland and Sweden applied for NATO membership in early July in reaction to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Czech Banking Association (ČBA) has improved its forecast for the growth of the Czech economy from May’s previous estimate of 1.8 percent to 2.4 percent....
Prague’s high-end accommodation options get a serious upgrade. With new and not-yet open properties, often in well-preserved historic buildings, these accommodations attract locals and visitors who love the city’s new arts, cultural and fashion scene. Hyatt opened its first property in the Czech Republic with the unveiling of the 5-star Andaz Hyatt Prague. The 176 luxurious rooms are housed in a 1916 building known as the Sugar Palace on the edge of Old Town. Andaz Prague is one of the first “luxury lifestyle” hotels in the city. Located on Senovážné Square, within the magnificently restored Sugar Palace, the building was originally built for the city’s Sugar Industry Insurance Association. The hotel’s stand-alone MEZ bar delivers an exhilarating atmosphere with its signature cocktails, infused with local ingredients, each inspired by the historic figures of Prague. The Julius Meinl family, legendary European entrepreneurs of retail and dining, expands their hospitality influence with the launch of a new long-term stay concept. Dubbed the Julius, the brand draws upon the family’s 160-year legacy of quality and service to embody a timeless standard of European hospitality through a modern lens. The Julius Prague, with 168 residences, was beautifully designed by Milan-based studio Matteo Thun & Partners, and opened to long- and...
A well-preserved kitchen thought to date to the early fifteenth century has been found near the historic town walls of Nový Jičín, which is located in the Moravian-Silesian region of the eastern Czech Republic. Based on this location, Pavel Stabrava of the Novojičín Museum suggests the site may have been the home of a burgher family, although wealthier members of the same class were likely to have lived around the town square. The kitchen was part of a house built of logs on a stone foundation, he added and was equipped with a brick oven and a hearth. Archaeologists also uncovered intact ceramic pots with their lids and a wooden cooking spoon. Burn marks suggest the house’s inhabitants may have been forced to leave, perhaps during an attack by the Hussites in 1427. “Since the house was located near the town walls, this would have been a less wealthy burgher family. The richest burghers would have lived in so-called ‘beer court’ houses around the town square.” Most likely founded in the 1300s by the Lords of Kravaře, Nový Jičín seems to have gradually evolved from an earlier settlement around the castle of Starý Jičín which protected the nearby Amber Road...
Wave. Avalanche. Volcano. You might think there’s nothing remotely sexy about these words, but a new study is set to change that. The research from Charles University in Prague found that female orgasms fall into three categories: a wave, an avalanche and a volcano. A “wave” is as it sounds – a short burst of pelvic contractions and release of tension. A “volcano” is so called because these types of orgasms feel like more of an explosion, as the pelvic floor tension swiftly releases. An “avalanche” refers to higher pelvic floor contractions, which decrease during and after orgasm. The study asked 54 women to use a Bluetooth-connected vibrator, the Lioness. This particular vibrator has two sensors which detect the force of pelvic floor contractions, so that these patterns can then be analysed. The three types of orgasms relate to the different patterns of pelvic floor contractions at orgasm that these women experienced. The women who did the study were asked to masturbate at home using the device over a few days (sounds like our kind of science experiment, tbh). “Wave” orgasms were most common in those who took part in the study, with 26 women experiencing this type, while 17 had an...
Unemployment in the Czech Republic rose to 3.3 percent in July from 3.1 percent in June. At the end of the seventh calendar month, over 240,000 people were looking for a job. On average, there are 0.8 applicants per vacant position in the Czech Republic. The Labor Office of the Czech Republic published the data on Monday, according to which the July increase in unemployment is an expected seasonal fluctuation. At the end of July, there were 240,706 applicants for employment in the records of employment offices. It was 9,397 more than in June and about 31,500 less than last July. At the end of this year’s first holiday month, there were 313,250 vacancies offered by employment offices. This is 6,150 fewer than there were available in June. This comes after pre-summer hiring in hospitality and tourist-focused jobs naturally slowed once the season started. In a year-on-year comparison, the number of vacant positions fell by almost 45,000. According to the Labor Office, the increased unemployment in July is due to slowed hiring during company-wide summer holidays as well as the arrival of school graduates into the labor market. “The development in the coming months will depend on the course of the war conflict in...
If your day doesn’t start until you’re up to speed on the latest headlines, then let us introduce you to our new morning fix. Up to 1,200 Czech troops may be deployed at the NATO eastern flank in the next two years, under the plan of foreign army missions until 2024 approved by the Senate today. The Chamber of Deputies is yet to give the go-ahead to the missions. . The Czech Senate approved yesterday the bill to restrict the impact of selected plastic products on the environment, banning single-use plastic cutlery, plates and drinking straws in harmony with EU regulations. The bill was supported by 49 of the 69 senators present. Now, President Milos Zeman is to assess it and sign it into law. The President of the Senate Milos Vystrcil handed the Silver Medal to the outgoing Ukrainian ambassador to the Czech Republic Yevhen Perebyinis. Vystrcil said Perebyinis was a man who had rendered a tremendous work for Ukraine and, thereby, also for the Czech Republic. Czech diplomacy fully supports a possible establishment of a Belarusian office in Prague, which should be open to all democratically thinking Belarusians in Czechia. Opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said...
Tapas, or small plates, are a Spanish delicacy best enjoyed with a group of people. They are a great way to try lots of new foods in a low-stakes environment–getting out of your comfort zone really pays off. If you’re looking for a taste of the Iberian peninsula in Prague, here are five places worth checking out. Casa de Andalucía, Šaldova 9, Prague 8 In Karlín, there is a shop and a bistro with food imported directly from Andalusian family farmers. It was founded by Dana and Christian, who fell in love with the cuisine while on a trip to Andalusia. After returning to Prague, they missed fine Iberian ham, chorizo with olives, aged sheep’s cheese, and the traditional sherry so much that they decided to open an authentic tapas bistro. Oliveira, Čermákova 1231, Prague 10 After wandering through Grébovka in Prague 10, you can end up at the nearby bistro and shop Oliveira. It is focused exclusively on Portuguese cuisine, wines and ingredients. For example, order portobello with sheep’s cheese and pear in port wine or go for a tasting of Portuguese wines. Visualizza questo post su Instagram Un post condiviso da Oliveira – Wine Tapas Market...
Inflation in Czechia reached 17.5 percent year-on-year in July, up from 17.2 percent the previous month, according to official data published on Wednesday. The price of foodstuffs and energy increased the most. Compared to June, prices rose 1.3 percent, which was the mildest month-on-month increase since February. Prices of electricity and natural gas rose by 33.6 percent and 59.8 percent, respectively. In the housing section, prices of electricity rose by about a third, natural gas by 59.8 percent and solid fuels by 41.1 percent. The annual growth of fuel and oil prices was lower than in June, rising by 43.6 percent. Prices of rents rose by almost five percent, water by 5.3 percent and sewage by 6.4 percent. Heat and hot water rose by almost a fifth. The Czech economy is facing a combination of exceptionally strong inflation pressures causing escalating broad-based price growth. Inflation in the domestic economy continues to hit new long-term highs in rapid succession. Consumer prices are being pushed up by rising costs, reflecting domestic and foreign factors, including higher energy prices, and growth in the margins of domestic producers, retailers and service providers amid a still solid income situation of households. Inflation will peak at...
Traveling has been a little difficult in the past year but here are some movies that explain life in the Czech Republic, including its previous eras. These Czech movies have been organized according the time period they depict and there’s a link at each movie where you can watch/buy/rent it. Musíme si pomáhat / Divided We Fall (2000) The first movie I want to tell you about is set in German-occupied Czechoslovakia in the 1940ies and tells the story of the life of people in a small village during these dark times. This Oscar-nominated movie shows perfectly that even in the worst of times the Czechs maintain their specific humor. It also explains some of the characteristics the older generation of Czechs have in common, except for the general distrust of the Germans – the always-present need to look over one’s shoulder. Watch this movie: Amazon Anthropoid (2016) Anthropoid is a film based on a true story of the planned assault on the SS Obergrupenführer Reinhard Heydrich. The movie is of Czech-British production and was shot in Prague. Just like Divided We Fall it shows the horrible reality the Czechs had to endure during the German occupation. Watch this movie: Amazon Želary...
According to official statistics, roughly 300,000 Ukrainians fleeing Russian aggression found a home in the Czech Republic this year. Almost half of them use state-paid housing, but that could soon change. By the end of the summer, the interior ministry wants to decide how long it will pay for housing for refugees. After this date, they would have to look for their own accommodation and pay for it themselves. The state hopes this will also free up accommodation capacity for Ukrainians who arrive in the Czech Republic to escape the country’s bitter winter. “We would like to declare how long refugees should stay in temporary accommodation,” said firefighter chief Vladimír Vlček. “The decision must be made ahead of time so that they have time to find something. It should be in August,” he added. Firefighters are part of the interior ministry’s strategic group. This group decides on matters surrounding the refugee crisis and passes on its outputs to Interior Minister Vít Rakušan. According to Vlček, Ukrainians must stand on their own two feet and seek longer-term accommodation. “We have not figured it out yet, but I imagine it would be a given time from registration. For example, half a year after the person was registered, he would...
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