For just a few hundred crowns a month, you can borrow a piano for your home from the Czech Music Fund. The service is intended for those for whom the purchase of the instrument would be too expensive, for example for parents of piano players who had just begun practice. The fund also provides transport and tuning of instruments, it is possible to borrow the piano for your home, for school, for a celebration, a concert, or even for a cafe. The piano rental recently re-opened in Radlice (Prague 5) after some updates and reconstruction. The Czech Music Fund also has branches in Brno, Ostrava, and Lanškroun. The instruments are taken care of by professionals who provide all kinds of services. In the reopened Prague rental shop, you can test all pianos and choose the one that can stay in your home, school, or café for several years. There are 40 instruments available. Thanks to its long history, the Czech Music Fund has many assets at its disposal, which allow to renovate pianos and purchase new ones by buying from private sellers or orchestras. At a time when elementary art schools were closed due to government measures against the spread...
From July 2022, drivers will be required to overtake cyclists with an offset of at least 1.5 meters, otherwise they might be fined up to CZK 2,000. A CNN Prima News reporter decided to check just how feasible the new traffic rule is. For the experiment, the journalist attached a one-and-a-half meter length banner to his bicycle and drove onto a busy Prague street at morning rush hour. Almost immediately, a flurry of disgruntled beeps fell upon him, and the bus that went to overtake could not maintain the distance and hit the journalist, which led to his fall. Fortunately, he escaped injury with only a few bruises. The new bill was passed by the Chamber of Deputies last Thursday. The Senate, the upper house of parliament, pushed through a reduction of the maximum fine to one-fifth of the sum originally approved by the Chamber, and a postponement of the law’s validity by six months until next summer.
Smetana Hotel has a new name. The Ott Group, owner of the building, revealed that its new name is The Mozart Prague. “We are proud to have been given the opportunity to use the name of the famous Czech composer, Mr. Bedřich Smetana, but we decided to do something different. We still honour the musical legacy of classical music, but with the new name we pay tribute to an important figure of a former era who had the opportunity to stay and compose in the ambience of the palace that is the heart of our hotel,” says the hotel manager. The Mozart Prague 70 unique rooms and suites, two luxurious restaurants, two private courtyards, a wellness centre and meeting and event spaces, a wine cellar stocked with exclusive wines from their private winery in Provence. The hotel retains its majestic charm with ornate decor, crystal chandeliers and ceiling frescoes. Spacious and individually designed rooms and suites, many of which overlook the Vltava River and Prague Castle, are ideal for honeymooners and romantics, as well as groups of friends and families. History of the Building The hotel (originally Pachtuv Palace, built in 1628) is more than just a building. It...
On 17 September, the Ministry of the Interior in the Czech Republic assured citizens that the country is prepared to protect its borders in the case of crisis. Since 2015, the ministry has reportedly invested CZK 380.5 million in modern technology and new equipment for the Foreign Police. As TheMayor.eu reports, the government saw the need for such investments following the 2015 migrant crisis that overwhelmed Europe. According to the Minister of the Interior Jan Hamáček, Czechia was unprepared at the time. For this reason, it has now focused on the acquisition of equipment that will guarantee the protection of the country’s borders. In a press release, the ministry revealed that its investments have resulted in a total of nearly 100 new vehicles and thousands of other equipment. More specifically, the police force can now make use of buses equipped with internal mobile laboratories that detect forged travel documents. Furthermore, it has acquired heartbeat sensors that make it possible to detect illegal migrants that may be hiding in vehicles. Beyond this, the ministry has invested in various other technologies such as drones and thermal cameras. Commenting on the need for these modern devices, Hamáček shared: “In 2015, we had almost no modern technology and our...
A new memorial dedicated to the victims of the Armenian genocide was unveiled in Kralupy nad Vltavou. It was made by an Armenian native Telman Nersisjan, who lives in Kralupy. According to the author, the khachkar (cross-stone) will also stand as a symbol of solidarity and cooperation between peoples. The official unveiling was also attended by Armenian Ambassador Ashot Hovakimijan and Cardinal Dominik Duka, who blessed the monument. The deputy mayor of Kralupy Libor Lesák noted that Armenians settled in their city in the 1990s, showed their best, received higher education here and provided worthy services to the city. According to him, Armenians deserve to have their monument in this city. Armenian Ambassador to the Czech Republic Ashot Hovakimyan noted that this year Armenians around the world marked the 106th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, and in fact, the 6 million Armenian Diaspora are the descendants of Armenians scattered around the world as a result of that genocide. The Ambassador stressed that Armenians all over the world are fighting against the denial of the Armenian Genocide, which Turkey continues to deny, and thanked the countries that support the Armenian people in their struggle. In particular, Ambassador Hovakimyan expressed his gratitude to the...
The European Union’s top court on Monday ordered Poland to pay a daily fine of 500,000 euros until it complies with an earlier ruling to shut down a lignite mine near the border with the Czech Republic and Germany. The Court of Justice of the European Union said the daily fine was necessary to get Poland to comply with the court´s temporary injunction in May that called for the immediate closure of the Turow mine, in the southwest. Poland has refused to close the mine, arguing it supplies the key Turow power plant that generates around 7% of the country’s energy supply. The Polish government tried, but has so far failed to settle the dispute out of court in talks with Czech authorities who had sought the closure order. Prague had wanted the court to impose a 5 million euro daily fine on Poland. The Czech government welcomed the decision, saying that the open-cast mine is draining water from Czech villages in the area and doing other harm to the local environment. But Polish government spokesman Piotr Mueller said the fine is not commensurate with the circumstances and undermines efforts to achieve a settlement with Prague. Mueller said in a...
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. CZECH REPUBLIC Poland has been ordered to pay a daily penalty of €500,000 to the European Commission over its failure to respect a court ruling to halt operations at its Turow lignite mine, the EU’s top court said on Monday. The US Molson Coors is probably going to sell Pivovary Staropramen. Four sources familiar with the situation independently confirmed to Hospodářské noviny that the brewery is to be for sale soon. As early as 2020, the global brewing group hired Bank of America to develop a plan to sell Staropramen by the end of 2020 or early 2021. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the deal was delayed. The Czech Republic ranked fifth globally in the list of 47 countries most suitable for manufacturing. Within Europe, it is first. This is according to the Manufacturing Risk Index by Cushman & Wakefield (C&W). WORLD The United States in November will re-open for air travelers from 33 countries including China, India, Brazil and most of Europe who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the White House said on Monday, easing...
Employee engagement is one of the most important aspects of any company that ensures great performance and boosts profits. However, in the COVID-19 era, most businesses struggle to keep their workers motivated. Having focused and excited workers is what makes any company and business successful. However, it is not always easy for businesses to keep their workers content and committed. Any group environment can sometimes lead to un-cooperation, demotivation, or even conflicts between its members, and such situations directly affect the performance of a business. Especially during the global pandemic and the experiences of isolated home-office, many have found themselves struggling to stay involved and interested in their jobs. Unfortunately, it has been a major challenge for companies around the world to keep the team spirits high. Research shows that employee engagement at companies should not be overlooked. Partially because ⅓ of employees is constantly looking for new opportunities, both intentionally and casually. Mainly because 85% of the global workforce is not engaged at their work. As a result, businesses with highly engaged workers are 22% more profitable and can retain top talent for longer. Going on business trips, developing friendships at work, and having offline team-building activities can significantly boost employee engagement rates. At the time of the global pandemic, wellness programs for employees have been deprived of these usual interactions...
Plans have commenced for a project which will see the neglected river transform into a clean outdoor sports ground. The Ministry of Defence had previously indicated that the wild water track in Štvanice, which he had once used for an exhibition race along with the Czech army, was set to be destroyed due to its lack of use. Martin Leskovjan, founder of the Vlna Stvanice association, has since negotiated with the Ministry of Defence to hand over the lease of the Vltava River Basin on new lease conditions. The thought of the destruction of Štvanice, which is unique in the world as one of two artificial tracks with wild water, is behind Martin’s motivation to bring a new lease of life to the abandoned area. “The longer I deal with Štvanice, the more possibilities, and potential I see,” said Leskovjan. “The strong positive response and support of the project is concentrated from all sides and confirms to me that the project can bring together many paddlers and surfers, but also the city and its inhabitants.” As an active paddler himself, Martin plans to bring the first river surfing wave to the centre of Prague, where it will be possible to...
The Czech Republic is expanding its vaccination program to offer a third dose of a vaccine amid rising infections. The Health Ministry has recommended the booster shot for anyone older than 60, health workers, and other vulnerable groups. On Monday, the first 8,000 people received a text message from the authorities that they are eligible for the third shot. They can be given it no earlier than eight months after receiving their second dose of vaccine. Those whose immune systems are compromised and others who are seriously ill can get the booster shot as soon as four weeks after the second shot. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccine will be administered at vaccination centers in hospitals and by general practitioners as most mass vaccination centers are being closed due to falling interest. “The general rule says that all people who completed the first vaccination at least eight months ago can get the third jab,” said Health Minister Adam Vojtěch, noting that a booster shot is “strongly recommended” for people with weak immune systems. Only mRNA vaccines will be used, even for those who were previously vaccinated with AstraZeneca or the Johnson & Johnson jab. EU countries currently have no common approach...
Prague Castle is hosting a two-day festival of mini-breweries this weekend. The festival, which starts on Friday afternoon, will offer the production of 66 Czech and Moravian breweries and four foreign brewers. Altogether, visitors can taste 140 different sorts of beer. Now in its 10th year, the Microbrewery Festival has become one of Prague Castle’s most popular events, filling the Castle’s Royal Garden with some of the Czech Republic’s most popular microbreweries. The festival is organized by the Czech-Moravian Union of Minibreweries. Last year, visitors consumed around 7,000 liters of beer. This year, the festival will take place on Friday, September 24 from 14:00 – 20:00 and on Saturday, September 25 from 12:00 – 20:00. The number of visitors is limited by the event’s venue. Every day, 1.200 visitors can attend the event; 600 tickets will be sold at the venue. Participating breweries include favorites like Clock, Purkmistr, U Medvídků, Hoppy Dog, Joe’s Garage, Faltus, Permon, Kocour, and countless others. Brewers and owners from each brewery will be on hand to provide detailed information about their beer. You can buy the tickets online. The basic ticket costs CZK 600 a person and it includes a degustation glass, a catalogue, and...
It once seemed relatively uncontroversial: a 25-page document meant to reduce violence against women across Europe. But a decade later, the initiative, known as the Istanbul Convention, has unexpectedly become a proxy fight for the larger culture wars brewing between East and Western Europe. One by one, Eastern European countries are turning their back on the document, claiming it will erode their version of “family values.” Turkey, which hosted the convention that produced the document, will withdraw from the convention on July 1. Poland has signaled it is questioning the agreement. The Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria, signed the document, but haven’t translated its provisions into law. Czech opposition to ratification has grown due to concerns that it aims to undermine “traditional family values”: for example, that is promoting same-sex marriage, or would legally-recognise “third sex” status, or automatically grant “refugee” status to transgender or intersex people. “When [the Czech Republic] put its signature to the Convention, a few years ago, there was no such discussion here. But in between, many things happened and now the society is divided. Many people when they hear ‘Istanbul Convention’ directly think it has something to do with migration or the effort to legalise homosexual marriages...
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