Ring out the old year and ring in the new with our curated selection of arts and entertainment offerings this Prague’s weekend. A number of Prague theatres are staging afternoon, early evening and evening performances on New Year’s Eve. For example, the National Theatre is organizing the ballet The Nutcracker in the afternoon, the drama Poe at 17:00 and the opera Ball at the Savoy Hotel at 18:00. Performances on the last day of the year have been prepared by the Prague City Theatre, Vinohrady Theatre, Theatre Na zábradlí, Theatre Na Fidlovačce and the Jára Cimrman Theatre in Žižkov. Cinemas will also be open, in addition to multiplexes and smaller ones. For example, Lucerna will broadcast live a concert by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra with tenor Jonas Kaufmann, featuring arias from Italian and Russian operas, Tchaikovsky’s Italian Capriccio and parts from Prokofiev’s ballet Romeo and Juliet. The New Year’s Eve program was also prepared by several music clubs such as Rock Café, Roxy, Vagon. Lucerna Music Bar and Jazz Dock. The zoo and a number of public ice-skating rinks will be open during the day. Steamboat trips are also among the options for spending the last day of the year....
Prague residents over the Christmas holidays donated five tonnes of cat and dog food, both dried and canned, plus snacks to a well-known animal shelter in Troja, the Municipal police confirmed on Tuesday. On Christmas Day alone, some 3,000 people visited, the police said in a press release. According to the shelter, several dogs were adopted. Around 3,000 dogs and 1,500 cats arrive at the shelter annually; most of the dogs are successfully returned to their owners, the shelter said. The canines are housed in Troja, while the felines are placed at a facility in Dolních Měcholupy across the city. People donated also warm bedspreads, bowls, leashes, toys and CZK 27,000 in cash.
Prague City Hall reminds people that a ban on fireworks in the city center, on waterways, and near hospitals remains in effect on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Police officers will be monitoring compliance with the measure and issue on-the-spot fines or refer the case for administrative action if it is breached. Fireworks and other pyrotechnic products can cause serious and sometimes fatal injuries. What is more, they can harm not only people but also wildlife, animals in zoos, and pets. Those who have animals at home know that the loud noise brought about by fireworks can result in intense feelings of fear and panic. These feelings are even more extreme for stray animals who do not have a safe place to hide indoors or a loving owner to offer comfort. In addition to this, the loud noise can further disturb patients in hospitals, the residents of nursing homes, and those who struggle with disabilities. For this reason, the Czech capital has selected several locations where the use of over-the-counter pyrotechnic products will no longer be permitted. The decree applies exclusively in sensitive parts of Prague, especially in the city centre, on the embankments, in parks and near hospitals and other facilities such as homes for...
The 75th edition of the oldest Czech winter swimming contest will be held near the National Theatre, between Slavonic Island and Střelecký Island. The event will start at 11 a.m. on Boxing Day and will be attended by hardy men and women. The memorial is called after Alfred Nikodém, who was a goldsmith in Prague and a proponent of Spartan lifestyle. His final Christmas ice swim in the Vltava was in 1945 and he died four years later. The year after his last dip in icy water, 1946, was reportedly so cold that it wasn’t possible to break the ice in the river to create a swimming channel without it freezing over again instantly, so the first Boxing Day ice swimming competition took place the following year, in 1947. The self-proclaimed goal of the “otužilci”, as they are known in Czech, is to increase resilience and toughness – to the cold, to temperature fluctuations, and to pain and general unpleasantness. According to Komárek, there are health benefits too. Winter swimming was first seen in Prague in 1923 when he and six other enthusiasts plunged into the freezing cold Vltava River watched by a crowd of stunned on-lookers. More info here
The Prague Transport Company has published a timetable for the city’s public transport services during the winter holidays. Like last year, it has undergone certain restrictions and changes. Christmas Eve, 24 December: public transport will operate according to the Saturday schedule, with the daytime schedule ending at 18:00. From then on, the underground will start running at extended intervals of 20 minutes. The last trains from terminal stations will leave as usual at midnight. Trams and buses will run at 30-minute intervals in the evening and nighttime (between 18:00 and 07:00), except for the 119 bus. The funicular will have its last departure at 17:00. On December 25, all transport will follow the Sunday schedule. Daytime buses and trams will hit the streets at 07:00 (the 119 route earlier – at 04:30). Routes 58, 143 and 187 will be canceled. December 26 – similar to the previous day. December 27-30 – transport will run according to the special “holiday” (prázdniny) schedule during school holidays. Tram No. 4 and 21 and bus No. 187 will not be operated. Tram 16 will only operate on the Kotlářka – Ústřední dílny DP segment. The extended timetable will be in effect on 31 December....
Uber becomes the new operator of the taxi service at Václav Havel Airport Prague from the spring of 2023, having won the concession procedure entered by two bidders. The winner of the tender guarantees a fixed fare price quoted in advance, 24/7 service availability, and a fleet of up to five-year-old mainly upper middle-class cars. “Taxi service is key for us. In the concession procedure, we emphasised the requirements of passengers, who above all want to know the price in advance. The new taxi operator will provide its services under the constant control of the airport. All rides, even those outside of Prague, must comply with the maximum price regulation,” Jakub Puchalský, Member of the Prague Airport Board of Directors, said. The current operators’ contracts terminate in January 2023. The new taxi operator will start preparations immediately after signing the agreement so that they can offer their services as soon as possible after the end of the existing cooperation. The operator will have the obligation to determine the final price before each ride, which will be calculated by their software. The resulting fare must not exceed the agreed price, even when changing the route or waiting in a traffic jam. Easy...
Looking for a unique gift for that Czech (or non-Czech) beer drinker in Prague? How about a meter’s worth of beer? At Ambiente’s ever-popular chain of Lokal restaurants, a new meter-long gift voucher offers recipients exactly one meter of beer. How much beer is in a meter? The meter-long voucher holds markings for every centimeter, and counts off one beer for every 11 centimeters. Stood back-to-back, that comes out to exactly nine glasses of beer in Ambiente’s classic Pilsner mugs (well, technically, it comes out to .99 meters worth of beer). The voucher can be had for 531 crowns, and is valid for one year from the point of purchase. You can purchase the meter-long voucher from Ambiente’s e-shop, which also offers more traditional gift vouchers in amounts of your choosing to Lokal and other Ambiente restaurants. You can also book a spot at Lokal’s Beer Tapping school, where barman Lukáš Svoboda will teach you how to serve traditional pours like Hladinka (half brew and half foam), Šnyt (two-fifths beer, three-fifths foam), and Mlíko (almost all foam). One of the top-rated local restaurant chains often praised for their traditional Czech dishes and fresh Pilsner, Lokal has locations in Prague in Old Town, Malá Strana, Kunratice, Karlín,...
For the 15th year in a row, Prague is hosting a ‘free sports week’ from December 25th until December 31st. The purpose of this event is to offer everyone a chance to try out a new sport or explore new sports venues. It will be possible to make reservations to certain locations from December 23rd. During the last week of the year, residents and visitors of the Czech capital will have the opportunity to try out new sports and disciplines as badminton, squash, beach volley, floorball, martial arts and bowling. “This year, we again prepared a small Christmas present for all sports enthusiasts with a free week in all kinds of sports venues. This popular event is an ideal opportunity to try out a new sport, do something for your health and get back in shape after the Christmas feast,” says the City Councillor Vít Šimral. At the moment, more than 30 sports venues have registered for Free Sport Week, but more are still open for applications. Last year, 47 sports venues signed up and citizens could try 60 different sports. For some sports venues, due to their capacity, telephone or online reservations are required. There is a limited access during...
It’s been almost a year since Russian troops invaded Ukraine, began missile, drone and artillery attacks, hitting major cities like Kiev, and displaced millions of innocent civilians. Since their attack, which began on February 24, Russian forces have focussed their attention on striking Ukrainian power facilities, fuel storage depots and water works – one of the country’s most vital infrastructures. This winter, it’s now estimated that more than 10 million people will be forced to live without electricity, heat, and water. Worse still, temperatures are expected to fall to a bitter and frightening –20C degrees. Today, Wednesday, December 21, will mark the darkest day of the year around the world. And, to show support to Ukraine, organisations such as UNITED24, the global creative network 1 Granary, the alternative media organisation War Against War, and several members of the Parliament of Ukraine, are coming together to participate in the #LightUpUkraine appeal. The appeal invites people to come together in a symbolic act of support for Ukraine and turn off their Christmas lights for an hour. Supporters are also invited to encourage city landmarks (e.g. museums, theatres and, city halls) to join in and turn off non-essential lights, and spread awareness about the...
Many of the millions of Ukrainian refugees in central and eastern Europe plan to mark Christmas early this year in solidarity with their hosts, learning carols in new languages to generate holiday cheer despite fears for relatives back home. Ukrainians generally celebrate Christmas on January 7 in common with Russians, but the country’s Orthodox church has gradually shifted from Moscow’s orbit in recent years. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine this year, the church has said congregations can now also celebrate on Dec. 25 — something many refugees said they would embrace. Vasil, 45, and Marina, 36, Khymyshynets who fled their village near Kyiv in March with their two children after a missile or artillery round exploded near their house, now live in a two-room flat in Prague. The family — who could not afford a tree because they were saving to send gifts to relatives in Ukraine — baked Christmas cookies and taped pine branches and Christmas lights on the wall while the children practiced singing carols in Czech. “We decided to just use some pine branches for the decoration so that it looks good and makes the children happy,” Khymyshynets, who was allowed to leave Ukraine after the military...
The Museum of Senses is a one-of-a-kind experience. Located in the heart of Prague, within walking distance from Wenceslas Square, offers over 50 exhibitions that are intriguing to all generations from 3 to 90 years old! The idea of the museum is to awaken and play with your senses. Some of the exhibitions are illusion-based, but technology is not always required as the expertise in setting exhibitions is the main factor in providing such unique experiences. There are exhibitions for every sense: sight, smell, hearing, balance, and touch. Each exhibition has a different intention: stimulate or relax your senses. The Museum of Senses can also be seen in Bucharest, Romania, and soon in Valencia, Spain. Because there are three locations, each location has special features as an omen to the home country. The museum in Prague has one exhibition that is dedicated to sounds. A video of Golem plays on a big screen while you are required to make the sounds that animate the video. Several, non-technological features create the sounds of wind, thunder, horse hoofs, a fly buzzing, and many more. The idea is to not only animate the video but also to have fun. It is an interesting...
A 34-year-old man has been shot and killed by police officers after he stabbed two women on Novodvorská Street (Prague 4) on Saturday evening. “The perpetrator stabbed two women. Police officers and law enforcement agents were searching for the man and law enforcement agents, including a firearm, had to be used,” said police spokesman Richard Hrdina. Police officers shot the man while he was fleeing in the street. They began to resuscitate him and were replaced by paramedics. However, according to the spokeswoman Jana Poštová, the man died. “Paramedics at the scene took care of two women with stab wounds. One suffered serious injuries, was put into artificial sleep and taken to traumatology at Motol hospital. The second woman suffered minor injuries and was taken by paramedics to Thomayer Hospital,” Poštová added.
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