A recent comprehensive study of 53 countries has revealed that the Czech Republic is one of the least welcoming places for expats globally. Foreigners cite a lack of tolerance among Czechs as a major issue, compounded by rigid authorities and a difficult language. But is the situation truly as bleak as it seems, or is there more to the story? The Expat Insider 2024 report, conducted by the InterNations community, which connects expats across 420 cities worldwide, evaluated various aspects of life abroad across five indices. These included factors such as Ease of Settlement, Quality of Life, and Essentials for Expats’ Lives. InterNations surveyed over 10,000 expats, ranging from young professionals to retirees, from diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. The goal was to gather their perspectives on life in their host countries. This year, the Czech Republic was ranked as the 15th worst country for expats. This marks a dramatic drop of 18 places from the previous year. According to InterNations, the Czech Republic is the seventh most difficult country for expats to settle in. The country performed particularly poorly in terms of cultural acceptance and how welcomed expats feel. Out of the 53 countries surveyed, the Czech Republic ranked...
The recent awareness campaign for the Prague Metro emergency button, initiated by the police and the media following an incident involving a blind man, has already proven its worth. On Saturday, alert passengers saved the life of a drunk woman who fell onto the tracks at the Nádraží Veleslavín metro station. Subsequent tests revealed that she had a blood alcohol level of 2.5 per mille. According to police spokeswoman Eva Kropáčová, the incident occurred on Saturday, August 17, shortly after 6 p.m. The metro station dispatcher reported to the emergency line 158 that a woman had fallen onto the tracks. Passengers on the platform immediately called for help, and one woman, after notifying another passenger, ran to the emergency button and pressed it, stopping the metro traffic. One witness ran to the control room, where they informed the dispatcher and called for paramedics and police. A doctor who was traveling on the metro also came to the woman’s aid, providing medical assistance until firefighters and police officers arrived and transported her to an ambulance. This incident follows a tragic event last week at the Křižíkova station, where a blind man was killed after falling onto the tracks. Passengers had attempted...
A memorial by sculptor Jiří Sozanský, dedicated to the victims of the 1968 and 1969 occupations, has been unveiled near the Kampa Museum in Prague. The sculpture commemorates the lives lost during the brutal invasion of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact forces and the subsequent crackdown by Czechoslovak authorities. The memorial, first revealed last year at the Army Museum to mark the 55th anniversary of the invasion, now stands on the embankment, bearing the names of 147 individuals who perished in 1968. The installation also includes the names of six people killed in 1969 during protests against the occupation. Sozanský, known for his focus on themes of war and oppression, has made significant contributions to public memory with works like the Memorial to the Victims of Communism and the Memorial to Political Prisoners in Valdice. The creation of this latest sculpture, titled “68/69,” was entirely self-funded by the artist. The invasion of Czechoslovakia began on the night of August 21, 1968, leading to the deaths of dozens of Czechoslovak citizens on the first day alone, either in clashes with soldiers or in traffic accidents caused by the occupying forces. A year later, from August 19 to 21, 1969, a wave of...
Prague is gearing up for the twelfth edition of the Prague Coffee Festival, set to take place over the weekend of October 12th and 13th, 2024. The event promises a rich experience for coffee lovers, offering a chance to sample more than one hundred varieties of coffee from around the globe. This year, the festival will be held at Holešovická Market (Holešovická tržnice, Bubenské nábřeží 306/13), with doors open from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM on both days. Visitors can expect a diverse selection of coffees from 50 Czech and international roasters. The festival will feature dozens of coffee types, brewed using both traditional espresso methods and alternative techniques such as siphon, French press, pour-over, and Aeropress, all in one location. In addition to tasting sessions, the festival will offer a packed schedule of events including lectures on coffee roasting and preparation, hands-on master classes, live musical performances, and more. Tickets are already on sale. A single-day pass costs 449 CZK, while a two-day pass is available for 619 CZK. With your ticket, you’ll enjoy unlimited tastings of the coffee varieties on offer and gain access to all festival activities. To purchase tickets, follow this link. Would you like us...
The advertising rickshaws promoting Thai massage parlors will soon disappear from the streets of Prague. The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIT) has upheld a decision by the city’s Department of Trades and Consumer Legislation, which ruled that these rickshaws must be removed as they constitute illegal advertising within a conservation area. This decision is final and cannot be appealed. For several years, the city has been fighting to remove these red and green rickshaws, which are equipped with LED lights, from key locations. Rickshaws Removed from Historic Locations The removal order specifically targets rickshaws located in high-traffic areas, including Wenceslas Square, Old Town Square, Celetná and Karlova streets. The municipality argues that these rickshaws not only represent unauthorized advertising but also create obstacles for pedestrians. The operator countered that the rickshaws are not advertisements but rather a means of transport for employees. However, the city imposed a fine on the operator for both the rickshaws and the use of tarpaulins on Karlova Street. Complaint Rejected The decision states, “The Ministry concludes that the contested decision was issued in accordance with the law and that the appeal should be dismissed as unfounded.” None of the operator’s arguments against the municipality’s...
Public transport in Žižkov will face significant disruptions over the next eight days due to a major water main failure. Starting tonight, eight tram lines that normally run through Seifertova Street will be diverted, with normal service expected to resume on Thursday, August 29. The issue arose from a water main breakdown at Sladkovského náměstí, affecting water supply to Vlkova and Seifertova streets. As a result, tram services on these streets will be suspended from 8 PM tonight to allow for necessary pipe repairs. The affected lines include 15, 24, 26, 29, 34, 35, 90, and 95. Here’s how the routes will be altered: Line 15: Will be rerouted from Náměstí Republiky, passing through Karlín, Palmovka, and Biskupcova, before reaching Želivského and Olšanské hřbitovy. Line 29: Will bypass its usual stops to head directly from Krejcárek to Palmovka and Kobylisy. Line 34: Will take a detour from Libeňský most to Bílá labuť, then proceed to Masaryk Railway Station and Viktoria Žižkov. Line 35: Will operate on a modified route passing through Václavské náměstí, Jindřišská, Masaryk Railway Station, and Bílá labuť. To help ease the disruption, the transport company is providing replacement bus services labeled X9, X15, and X95. Passengers are...
The journey of “The Fellowship of the Ring” is over, the decisive battle for Middle Earth begins! Enjoy the dramatic conclusion to the trilogy in a unique cinematic performance with live music by Oscar-winning composer Howard Shore, performed by a 230-piece symphony orchestra, choirs, and international soloists. The concert with a spectacular film screening will take place twice, on the 8th and 9th of November, 2024, in the modern concert hall O2 Universum Prague. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, based on the book by J. R. R. Tolkien, premiered in the Czech Republic on 15 January 2004. Its attendance reached three-quarters of a million spectators. Although more than 20 years have passed since its release, this groundbreaking work has lost none of its popularity. On the contrary, more and more new generations admire its excellence. Howard Shore, who won two Oscars for The Fellowship of the Ring and The Return of the King, composed the beautiful music for the trilogy. The third Oscar was awarded to the final song of the saga, Into the West, sung by the famous Annie Lennox. “The large scale of the music requires a symphony orchestra, a mixed choir, a...
The Signal Festival is set to return to Prague this October, offering a captivating blend of digital art and creative culture. This year, two of the city’s historic landmarks—the Archbishop’s Palace on Hradčanské Square and the City Library on Mariánské Square—will be transformed by mesmerizing video mappings. Internationally acclaimed digital artist Filip Hodas will breathe new life into the Archbishop’s Palace with his installation, Eternal Recurrence. Hodas, known for blurring the line between fiction and reality, will use video mapping to highlight the palace’s architectural details, weaving a digital narrative that spans the history and evolution of life forms. The palace, a late Baroque gem with a Rococo facade, has stood in Hradčany since the 16th century, and this new artwork will add a fresh dimension to its storied past. Meanwhile, the City Library on Mariánské Square will be the canvas for The Rhythm of the Ocean, a video mapping installation by the Spanish-Danish visual group Desilence. The creative duo behind Desilence, Tatiana Halbach and Søren Christensen, will transform the library’s neoclassical facade into a dynamic and powerful visual experience. Accompanied by the evocative soundscapes of Suzanne Ciani, a pioneer in electronic and synthetic music, the installation will plunge viewers...
If maintaining healthy, radiant skin has been an uphill battle for you – then you might be interested in a cozy skin clinic just a few streets away from Jiřího z Poděbrad. Established in 2022, Face Place is a subsidiary of the wildly popular Hollywood facial clinic which bears the same name. Face Place was opened by Ladana Edwards, who’s been a Prague resident for over 20 years. Dealing with acne, both her own and her son’s, led her down a unique journey, specialising in skin health. “My son battled acne from an early age, just like I did. We’d take him for a facial here in town and it didn’t help at all. They’d torture him with painful extractions, resulting in infections and scarring and his acne would be even worse.” Ladana got the idea to dip into her own past for a solution, “When I had my own troubles with acne, as a young woman, the one treatment that really worked was a galvanic facial offered in my home town. It worked so well, in fact, that I’ve continued to use it for another 30 years, long after my acne had cleared up.” This galvanic facial technique, now...
Soviet tanks led the way as more than 200,000 Warsaw Pact troops marched into the Czechoslovak capital during the night of August 20, 1968, ending the Prague Spring at the behest of the rulers in Moscow. The number of occupying troops would total more than 500,000, and the invasion would put an end to the dream of a European socialism based on freedom — above all freedom of expression. When he took office as the first secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia at the beginning of 1968, Alexander Dubcek began allowing journalists to ignore the official censorship orders. He supported free and democratic socialism in the hope that Soviet leaders in Moscow would allow the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (CSSR) to forge its own way in the Kremlin-dominated Eastern bloc. But, ultimately, there was a greater fear that more freedom in the CSSR could lead to upheaval in neighboring Soviet-aligned countries. “Operation Danube” was the largest military mobilisation in Europe since the end of World War II. Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev’s official reason for the 1968 invasion was to protect Czechoslovakia from corrupt Western influences attempting to interfere with socialism by “creating a counterrevolution.” The Soviets claimed that Czechoslovak politicians...
An emergency button installed at every Prague metro station can stop an oncoming train immediately if someone falls onto the tracks. However, many passengers are unaware of its existence, leading to tragic incidents. Last week, a blind man tragically lost his life at Křižíkova station when he fell onto the tracks and the train could not be stopped in time. The police are now urging the public to familiarize themselves with these emergency buttons, which are a crucial safety feature. Eva Kropáčová, a spokesperson for the police, emphasized the importance of knowing about them: “Right now, our goal is to raise awareness about the emergency button so that in case of an accident, people can act quickly and prevent a tragedy.” The emergency buttons are located on the platform near the tracks and are usually positioned at both ends of the platform, either mounted on walls or poles. They are protected by glass that needs to be broken to activate the system. When pressed, the button sends a signal to the train’s safety system, either stopping the train or preventing it from starting. In the recent Křižíkova incident, bystanders noticed the man falling but did not realize there was a...
More than half of Prague’s 1,189 buses and just 127 out of 771 trams currently have air conditioning. Ongoing fleet upgrades and new purchases are gradually increasing these numbers, according to the latest updates from the Prague Public Transit Company (DPP). Prague Integrated Transport (PID) guidelines require air conditioning to be activated when outdoor temperatures reach 22 degrees Celsius. At present, around 60% of the city’s buses are equipped with air conditioning. DPP purchases 100 to 120 new buses annually, which steadily increases the proportion of climate-controlled vehicles. Among trams, only some of the Škoda 15T ForCity models are air-conditioned. Although a previous city council approved the installation of air conditioning in the remaining 124 trams of this type, the plan was later scrapped due to technical and legal hurdles. Instead, DPP signed a framework agreement for 200 Škoda ForCity Plus 52T trams, valued at CZK 16.6 billion. These new trams will come equipped with air conditioning, but so far, DPP has committed to purchasing just 40 of them. How to Identify Air-Conditioned Trams in Prague All Škoda 15T4 trams come with onboard climate control. These trams are easily recognized by the yellow plastic inserts in the front section. Another...
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