In the third quarter of 2020, house prices, as measured by the House Price Index, rose by 4.9% in the euro area and by 5.2% in the EU compared with the same quarter of the previous year. In the second quarter of 2020 house prices rose by the same annual rates, 4.9% and 5.2% respectively. These figures come from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. Year-on-year growth in house and apartment prices in the Czech Republic rose by 8.4 percent between July and September last year. Among the European Union countries, the Czech Republic shows the fifth-highest growth. Compared to the second quarter, prices increased by 2.6 percent. “If we calculate the average growth from 2017, apartments in the Czech Republic are growing at the second-fastest rate in the long run, by 9.7 percent per year. Only Hungary outperforms us with an average annual growth of 12.4 percent,” said analyst Petr Bartoň. “We will probably not see a significant cooling in the real estate market this year. Due to limited construction, it is unlikely that developers will overwhelm the market with new offers,” added ČSOB analyst Petr Dufek. Among the Member States for which data are available, the...
The undeveloped space at the Golden Prague Hotel, the former InterContinental Hotel, may take on a new look in the future. The current owner of the land plans to build a four-story building, although some civic initiatives do not agree with it. Architect Marek Tichý from the TaK Architects presented what the hotel and its surroundings could look like after the renovation. Hotel InterContinental was bought by the investment company R2G in 2019. Last year, the operation of the hotel was taken over by the luxury chain Fairmont – a part of Accor hospitality group. The landscape design of the hotel surroundings includes expanding the public space and creating a tunnel connecting the embankment with a pedestrian zone all the way to the Vltava river. The project authors also promise to calm the traffic and parking on the Miloš Forman square next to the hotel, where a smaller commercial building is to be built connecting the area with the nearby Pařížská street. “We welcome the openness of the investor, who understands the importance of the location surrounding the hotel. The transformation of the InterContinental Hotel is one of many other projects aimed at making the city centre a more pleasant place for all citizens and visitors,” says Ondřej Boháč, Director of the Institute of Planning...
British retailer Marks & Spencer said on Tuesday it plans to temporarily close its food shops in the Czech Republic because coronavirus restrictions had sapped foot traffic. The British chain is also having trouble with importing goods from the UK, citing difficulties with Brexit. Large signs adorned now the shelves saying, “We’re sorry that some of your favorite foods are not available. This situation is due to the new UK/EU import legislation. We are working hard to ensure that these missing products come back soon.” As Lidovky.cz reports, on Wednesday afternoon, a long queue formed in front of the M&S store in Nový Smíchov shopping center. “People are insane. As soon as it appeared in the media that we were closing, they started shopping like crazy,” says one store assistant. “Shelves with fresh food have been empty due to Brexit for several days, other food items are gradually selling out. But we still have something,” she added. Before closing all 18 domestic stores, the British company wants to sell as much as possible. Food with a shelf life until the end of January has therefore become cheaper by up to 70 percent, and the Christmas sale continues. Fresh food has...
A Prague clinic has launched a mobile team to give COVID-19 shots in senior and social care homes, where hundreds of residents will be among the first in the Czech Republic to escape the fear of infection. On Wednesday, the team vaccinated dozens of people with mental health and other conditions in Prague’s Holy Family Home, giving them hope they will be able to enjoy the full range of activities after months of restrictions. “We are extremely happy we got in among the priority groups,” said Jarmila Lomozova, deputy chief of the Caritas relief organization in the Archdiocese of Prague. She said the vaccine gave hope that some of the residents’ favorite activities, such as singing and dancing with a visiting accordion player, could resume. The home hosts about 70 people in apartments of up to 8 each. About three-quarters were vaccinated on Wednesday, although some were unable to receive the shot for health reasons or because of a recent COVID-19 infection. Dr. David Dolezil of the Prague Municipal Medical Centre said the mobile team of a doctor, two nurses, and a driver was necessary to reach people with impaired mobility. “We will vaccinate nine institutions in a week and...
The anti-epidemic risk index (PES) in the country decreased to 75 points, which corresponds to the fourth level of risk. The only exception is Prague, which switched to the third level since the risk score has been stable at 60 points. The third level in the PES anti-epidemic system would allow: All stores and services may reopen. Stores may be open on Sundays. All restaurants may reopen from 06:00 until 23:00. A maximum of 4 people can sit at one table. The nighttime curfew will be lifted. Alcohol may be consumed in public. Museums and galleries may reopen with one-quarter of their capacity. Libraries may reopen. It is now possible to play amateur sports indoors with a maximum of 10 people in the room. It is necessary to wear a face mask. Church services may be attended by a larger number of people, depending on the capacity of the church (15 m2/person). The gradual decline of the score has started on January 9, moving from 89 to the current 75 points in the last five days. It is currently higher in only four regions. The worst situation is registered in the Karlovy Vary region, where the index remains at 81. In the Liberec, Hradec Králové and Olomouc regions, the risk score is stable at 76 points. The share of...
Prague is undoubtedly a city with a very rich historical background. Simultaneously, it also has a wonderful and vibrant artistic and cultural scene. The city’s general attractiveness has been a magnet for many world-renowned artists and musicians to come flocking and to use the city’s spots and impressive facilities. Prague’s metros, club scenes, and diverse aesthetically-pleasing spots have been shot on video and utilized by many different household names over the past decades. Here are some noteworthy examples: Radiohead, the famous British rock-band hailing from the 1980s, used Prague’s metro announcement, in the opening of their song A Reminder, released in 1998. The song comes from their ‘EP Airbag/How Am I Driving?’, and was reportedly recorded from Jiřího z Poděbrad. Additionally, their main vocalist Thom Yorke, shot a short film partly in Prague, while riding an underground train. The film is available on Netflix, featuring three of Yorke’s songs from a new album named ANIMA, and was directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. On top of that, the wildly successful and iconic Rihanna, also shot two music videos in Prague. Her single Don’t Stop the Music was filmed in Radost Fx. On the other hand, her single Shut up...
The Prague Municipality opened today a so-called “municipal furniture bank” (Nábytkové banky), which collects furniture for socially disadvantaged segments of the population and those who suddenly find themselves in a difficult situation financially. “The basic function of a furniture bank is to provide furniture and other necessary home furnishings to people living in need who do not have the necessary home furnishings, funds for its acquisition and are in social distress in their situation,” the document approved by the representative. People will be able to donate to the bank functional furniture and appliances they want to get rid of. The city will then provide them to people who cannot afford to buy their own. The furniture bank includes a small workshop and has four employees – a manager, one technician, and two drivers. Wage costs will exceed 2 million CZK. Operating costs are calculated at 480,000 CZK per year. The largest amount of this will cost energy. In addition, the CSSP will pay for materials for repairs, cleaning, or fuel. These input costs include, for example, a shelving system, repair tools or instruments, and computers and office furniture. “The plan we have would be based on the fact that many...
Amid rising case numbers, Austria is closing its 42 border crossings with the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Smaller border crossings will be closed completely from Thursday, January 14, while fixed controls will be put in place at larger border crossings. Interior Minister Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) described the situation in Slovakia and the Czech Republic as “extremely tense”. The country is concerned about the situation in both countries, which are currently one of the most affected by coronavirus infection. Ongoing checks took place at the Austrian border before the Christmas holidays. Austria has carried out more than 770,000 checks since the mandatory quarantine regulation came into effect on December 19th. The conditions for a trip to Austria do not change. Upon arrival, a ten-day quarantine is required. After five days, it is possible to undergo a test and in case of a negative result, terminate the isolation. In addition, at the border, passengers must fill in a form and specify the reason why they are coming to Austria. Cross-border commuters will be allowed to enter and to avoid the quarantine requirement, however all cross-border workers will need to show evidence that they have an employer in Austria. ❗️9. ledna obnovilo...
Global deliveries by Volkswagen’s Škoda Auto fell 19.1% to 1.005 million vehicles in 2020, hit by the COVID-19 pandemic which caused production outages and closures of dealerships, the Czech carmaker said on Tuesday. The carmaker delivered more than 1 million vehicles for the seventh year running but suffered like many peers as the pandemic hit output and sales, largely in the second quarter. The company saw its biggest drop in China, its largest single market, where deliveries fell 38.7% in 2020, shrinking for a second straight year. Škoda said the second half of the year saw improvement and its board member responsible for sales, Alain Favey, said he viewed the coming months with moderate optimism, despite a surge in COVID-19 infections. While the Czech Republic and other countries in Europe have been hit harder by a growing number of infections, factories have kept their gates open, unlike near the outset of the pandemic. Czech industrial output grew on a year-on-year basis in October and November, according to the latest data available, after crashing in April and May. Škoda is the country’s biggest exporter, shipping the vast majority of its cars abroad. In Europe, Škoda said its market share increased to...
The Covid-19 pandemic measures have forced a big decline in rent prices in Prague. This is due to a few factors, namely because of a lack of tourism, and an absence of university students. In pre-lockdown times, thousands of university students were usually expected at the end of summer to come looking for accommodation, but distance-learning has been obliged by governments globally, eradicating the need for students to show up physically. A significant decrease has been documented since August 2020, substantially peaking around that time when it was clear that universities were not going to be open again, and that learning would stay online. Rent prices have been decreasing since then, affecting all parts of Prague. Notably, Prague 1 encountered a huge decrease of 11.5% during August of last year, followed by Prague 7, with a documented decrease of 5.8%. The estimated rent price for 1+KK dropped by 12%, at about 11,000 CZK since December 2020. On the other hand, 3+KK apartment rents plunged to a decrease of 14.6%. What this has come to signify for the market, is a decline in short-term rentals. Mainly correlated with the fact that there aren’t enough tourists to rent out flats for a...
The European Medicines Agency said Tuesday that AstraZeneca and Oxford University have submitted an application for their COVID-19 vaccine to be licensed across the European Union. The Czech Republic is therefore expecting the delivery of 200,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in February, and 3 million by the end of the year. “Thanks to the easier handling and storage, vaccination will become more accessible. It is another step so that we can return to normal life,“ said State Institute for Drug Control (SÚKL) director Irena Storová. The EMA, the drugs agency for the 27-nation EU, has already approved two other coronavirus vaccines, one made by American drugmaker Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech and another made by U.S. biotechnology company Moderna. The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is expected to be a key vaccine for many countries because of its low cost, availability, and ease of use. It can be kept in refrigerators rather than the ultra-cold storage that the Pfizer vaccine requires. From January 15, people of 80 years and older will be able to register themselves for COVID-19 vaccination, for the rest of the Czech population, it will open from February 1. Latest statistics The number of deaths related to COVID-19 rose by...
Entering the 2021 EU Year of Railway, the European Commission has approved today an investment of over €160 million (more than 4 billion CZK) from the Cohesion Fund to replace the single line between Sudoměřice u Tábora and Votice with a new 17 km-long double-track railway. This will enable the passage of long-distance, high-speed trains, and more freight and regional trains. Cohesion and Reforms Commissioner Elisa Ferreira said: “This project will modernize rail transport in the Czech Republic making its railway network more competitive and attractive compared to other more polluting and dangerous transport modes.” “This will greatly benefit people and businesses not only in the Czech Republic but also in the rest of Central Europe,” she adds. The project will contribute to the greater capacity and competitiveness of railway transport. This should encourage a shift from road to rail transport, which will bring environmental benefits, in the form of less noise and air pollution, while contributing to socio-economic development in the south and central Bohemia. The new line on Prague-České Budějovice railway corridor will facilitate access to the cities of České Budějovice and Prague and the town of Tábor, making it easier for people to meet the demand for...
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