prague Archives – Page 9 of 28

The last playroom ended in Prague 7.

In October, the last gambling site at Milady Horákové street was closed. Prague 7 thus achieved zero tolerance to gambling, which the city district enforced due to the City of Prague’s decree in 2015.

“It’s great news. In 2015, we set a zero-tolerance against gambling and gaming machines through a decree of the City of Prague 7. Since then, we have been pushing the Treasury to speed up the lengthy process of licensing. It took longer than [expected], but in the end it [happened]. Prague 7 is now completely without gambling and gaming machines.

Shops filled with gambling sites and pawnshops. We are pleased that Prague 7 is no longer contributing to becoming a pathological player and destroying life,” said the Mayor of Prague 7, Jan Čižinský.

The local referendum on the abolition of gambling clubs in Prague 7 took place in 2014. Although ultimately, it was not due to lower participation than required by law, almost 92% of the more than seven thousand voting citizens voted in favor of zero tolerance.

“The signal from our citizens was absolutely clear. At the beginning of the last parliamentary term, 26 gambling venues were allowed in Prague 7, and we did everything we could to cancel them all. There are a number of negative phenomena associated with casinos and gambling, whether from security or social perspective. Also in Prague 7, there were several very problematic gambling houses, where public order and even criminal offenses were often violated. At the same time, the availability of gambling clubs has a very negative impact on the number of pathological players or people who, through gambling, found themselves in crisis situations,” said Prague 7 Councilor Ondřej Mirovský.

In Prague 7 there is currently only one license for a game room on Komunardů Street. However, this game room has been closed for some time and a café opens in November (in replacement of it). The license expires on December 31, 2019.

On November 8 & 9 the European GNSS Agency, GSA, located in Holešovice will be hosting its annual Open Days!.

This year, the GSA Open Days 2019 is an opportunity to experience first-hand the power of the Galileo and EGNOS satellites and to understand why Accuracy Matters through virtual reality games, workshops, and seminars by the GSA staff.

This is a unique opportunity to get an insider’s look at the European GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) services and the people behind them.

The GSA manages the Galileo navigation system. Galileo, since it is newer and based on more advanced technology, is more accurate and reliable than the rival American GPS system.

The EU having its own system ensures its independence if the rival systems block access for political reasons. It also allows the EU to customize its own projects and priorities. Galileo currently has 22 satellites in orbit and plans to add 30 more to increase the system’s accuracy.

The GSA will also oversee the Copernicus program for Earth observation, which monitors the environment and safety. It aims is to create high-quality Earth observation capacity that provides accurate, timely and easily accessible information to improve the management of the environment, understand and mitigate the effects of climate change, and ensure civil security.

Last year’s Open Days saw over 2,000 visitors visit the GSA to learn more about European space programs. This year’s exciting program, which includes seminars and space workshops (in both Czech and English), competitions and quizzes, and other fun educational activities, should again attract many visitors.

“End users are at the centre of the European space program, which was developed with the core aim of benefitting the lives of Europeans. Throwing open the doors of our Prague home to the public gives us at the GSA the opportunity to meet with the beneficiaries of Galileo and EGNOS while giving end-users the chance to learn more about the GSA and the benefits of Europe’s investment in space,” GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides said.

About the European GNSS Agency (GSA)

As an official European Union Regulatory Agency, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) manages public interests related to European GNSS programmes. The GSA’s mission is to support European Union objectives and achieve the highest return on European GNSS investment, in terms of benefits to users and economic growth and competitiveness. For more information, visit the GSA website.

Have a look at this year’s program here

Photo: GSA Communications Department

The battle at the White Hill was on 8 November 1620.

An army of 15,000 Bohemians and mercenaries under Christian of Anhalt was defeated by 27,000 men of the combined armies of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman emperor led by Charles Bonaventure de Longueval, Count of Bucquoy and the German Catholic League under Johann Tsercleas, Count of Tilly at Bílá Hora near Prague.

In the space of an hour, the Catholic Habsburg army routed the Czech Protestants on this hillock, deciding the fate of Bohemia for the next 300 years.

The new king, Ferdinand II, punished the Protestant leaders and took it upon himself to bring his country back to Catholicism. In 1627 he canceled religious tolerance and ordered that children be taught in Catholic schools only. German was put on the same level as the Czech language, and traces of Czech culture could only be found in provincial areas.

Twenty-seven noble leaders of the insurrection were executed at Prague’s Old Town Square, along with an untold number of common people.

The dark era began, and over thirty thousand people, mostly the intellectual elite, left the country and never returned.

Catholics all over Europe celebrated the victory. In Rome, Pope Paul V died while leading a victory parade, and his successor, Gregory XV, gave a new basilica by Italian architect Carlo Maderno the name Santa Maria della Vittoria (Saint Mary of Victory) in honor of the battle.

In Prague, Ferdinand laid the foundations of the monastery that still stands on the battleground, and he erected a victory column in the heart of the city, which Czech patriots saw as a symbol of Habsburg tyranny and tore down after 1918.

Today the only reminder of the battle is a small memorial cairn located on a mound in the middle of a field, and the Church of Our Lady of Victories (1704-14).

People attacked it, climbed over, demolished with all their power. Finally, they could breathe; they were free.

The fall of the Berlin Wall tore off an avalanche of events that led to the fall of communism in the Eastern Bloc. The 30th anniversary of the reunification of Berlin will be commemorated in Prague’s Holešovice.

“We decided to organize a cultural event dedicated to the fall of the Berlin Wall because we feel that in the context of commemorating the 30th anniversary this event reminds all of the fall of the Iron Curtain in Prague. As we have a personal relationship with East Germany, our event takes place in Holešovice, near the Little Berlin district. We also want to conceive this day as an unofficial opening of our new Kabelovna room and commemorate this anniversary every year,” said Lukáš Rychtařík from Championship Music.

Visitors can look forward to a busy schedule on Saturday, 9th of November, from 1 pm to 10 pm, with the Minister of Culture, Daniel Herman. During the event, the artistic installation of the Iron Curtain, designed by Vítek Škop, will be unveiled.

At the same time, an exhibition of three large-format period photographs will be revealed – a reprint of a photo with balloons from November 1989 by Jana Šilpocha, as well as two enlargements of the Berlin Wall by Jana Šibíka, which are also included in his new book, 1989. It will be for sale, and the author will personally sign it.

In the atmosphere of 1989 visitors will see a retro furnished room with secondhand, listen to hits directed by Vojtěcha Tkáče and Zdeňka Lichnovského (moderators of the program Reflector on Radio 1), and a ride through the legendary Trabant. A thematic screening by HBO will run throughout the afternoon.

Ben Cristovao and the singer of the band Mirai will also take part in this event, and together they will introduce the video clip for the new song “Come to me closer,” filmed in Berlin. There is also a vegan bistro in Kabelovna, and the menu includes vegan sausages, pickled sausages, currywurst, and solyanka.

More information here

Make a note in your diary: On November 16, 2019, you will have a unique chance to deepen the bond that already exists between you and artists, attend workshops, lectures, book signings or participate in discussions with directors or touring the backstage in small and big theatres.

The event has the potential to amplify the visibility of individual theatre venues and ensembles, but also to raise the profile of Czech theatre as a whole in the minds of the public.

This edition will commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, bearing a subtitle called Theatre and Freedom. In Czechoslovakia, theatre played an important role in the political changes in the 1990s.

The reminder of political changes in Central and Eastern Europe invites the audiences to look back on ideals and hopes in the 1990s. The coordinator of the event is the Arts and Theatre Institute.

Theatre Night is organized within the European Theatre Night project, which was launched in Croatia in 2008. Last year, 109 institutions from 30 Czech and Moravian towns and cities participated in the project which was visited by 40.000 visitors.

In Prague, 52 theatres and ensembles prepared a program for visitors.

A recent survey of the European theatre audiences has confirmed that for Czechs theatre is a social event in the first place. The main motivation for going to the theatre is the desire to spend time with family and friends.

Czech Theater Night is part of the international European Theater Night project. The idea of a universal theater festival came to Children’s Theater Dubrava (Slovakia) and was eventually supported by a dozen European countries.

Theater Night in the Czech Republic is considered to be the most visited among others in Europe.

A golden roasted goose and young St. Martin’s wine – neither can be missing at festivals held to celebrate St. Martin’s Day, i.e. 11 November, when, according to this country’s weather lore, this saint is supposed to bring the first snowflakes to us.

The feast of St. Martin, whom the Czechs honor on 11 November, celebrates good food and drink.

The tradition on 11 November is to roast a corn-fed goose, and the first bottle of young wine is opened at precisely 11:11 a.m. St. Martin’s wines are fresh and young because they have only been fermenting for a few weeks. There was a time that the farming year ended on the feast of St. Martin – farmers paid their workers, and that is why it was a time of happiness and abundance.

This year, the festival of all wine lovers is starting unusually early (on Friday, 8 November) so that people can also celebrate over the weekend that precedes St. Martin’s Day on Monday.

The holiday has its roots in the Eastern Byzantine Church, where the fast before Christmas, the Quadragesima Sancti Martini, still measures up to 40 days. And begins the day after the feast of St. Martin.

Who was St. Martin?

St. Martin, or Martin of Tours, was a Roman soldier from present-day Hungary. He fought in the army, though reports vary about how long he served. He is known for a now-legendary encounter with a beggar. Having nothing to give the beggar, he cut his own coat into two and gave him half. Later, Jesus Christ came to him in a vision wearing the half of the coat that he had given the beggar. This was the event that made Martin devote the rest of his life to God.

He found military life incompatible with his beliefs, so he became a monk. He lived a modest and quiet life in France, where he was later named Bishop of Tours. He is the patron saint of beggars, winemakers, geese, and soldiers.

St. Martin’s Wine

St. Martin’s wine is taken from the first wine produced in the current growing year. It should be refreshing, a bit dry, fruity in nature and of relatively low alcohol content.

Traditionally, the new wine is seen as an indicator of the quality of the rest of the year’s wine production will possess. It is intended for immediate consumption and not to be aged.

St. Martin´s celebrations are particularly popular with children, who create colorful handmade lanterns. After darkness falls, kids participate in lantern processions and sing songs. The parades are organized in many Prague quarters and locations including Riegrovy sady and Vyšehrad fortress.

Lively celebrations take place on the Vltava riverbank, in Náplavka, and include music, and traditional culinary delights.

You can also become a part of the St. Martin’s processions as an accompanying magician or a peasant woman on the 11^th of November. These processions are free for all and anyone can join them.

How to recognize St. Martin

It is commonly depicted on a white horse, with his sword cutting his cloak in half. His patronages are straightforward: the poor, soldiers, tailors, conscientious objectors and winemakers.

How do we make the best line up for November even better? For the end of the month, Duplex is delighted to announce two big gigs!

On Thursday 28^th – Dutch DJ Jaap de Vries who is standing on the stage behind the project Zonderling and on Friday 29^th – young talent from Melbourne, Australia who will play in the Czech Republic for the very first time: Throttle!

Supporting DJs will be the cream of the Czech scene. For the Thursday with Zonderling it will be the resident DJs – Deep Deer, Tokátko, Namaas, and Nick Martino. Friday event with Throttle will have support by Denis Weisz, Tom Hart, YLLOW and Matis & Mirasso.

Zonderling has created their own version of today’s electronic dance music. Freaky sounds by a headstrong duo working on musical impulses, leading to a streak of powerful releases with a character of their own. In a world where genres and rule books aren’t part of the plan, you’ll find the Dutch duo Zonderling, comprised of producer Martijn van Sonderen and DJ Jaap de Vries.

Their sound could be described as unusual but gratifyingly captivating. Whether it’s Don Diablo’s edit of ‘Tunnel Vision’, numerous remixes for the likes of Martin Garrix, Zedd and Sam Feldt amongst others, the house banger collaboration ‘Lee’ with MOGUAI on Oliver Helden’s Heldeep Records, or their recent collaboration with Belgian producer Lost Frequencies on the hit single ‘Crazy’ (over 47 million Spotify plays at time of writing), Zonderling is getting support from every angle.

Although just 22 years of age, Australian producer Throttle has become one of the hottest names in dance music. Collaborating with the likes of Galantis and Oliver Heldens, officially remixing Ed Sheeran and performing at Tomorrowland all before his 21st birthday, it’s no wonder Throttle is regularly labeled the next big thing in electronic music.

Using a unique blend of organic and electronic sounds, he puts his own unique stamp on every production. Throttle isn’t about what’s trending now, but what’s cool indefinitely.

Tickets available here

Břevnov is one of the traditional districts of Prague in which you can find the beautiful and oldest male Monastery in the Czech Republic.

Located in Prague 6, precisely in Markétská 1/28, the closest public transport stop is the Břevnovský klášter tram stop. Situated between the White Mountain (Bílá Hora) and Prague Castle, the Břevnov Monastery is still active, and Benedictine monks are living in it. Founded by Prince Boleslav II and the second Archbishop of Prague St Adalbert, the present appearance of the Benedictine complex represents a masterpiece of the Baroque.

The Monastery runs a hotel and a traditional Czech restaurant with an open fireplace. The restaurant Klášterní šenk, located in the grounds of the Monastery, has a beautiful beer garden opened in the summer that offers most of the beers produced there. Therefore, Břevnov Monastery is also associated with a brewery whose production can still be tasted today, Břevnovský Benedict beer.

The entrance to the complex, including the garden, is free. The extensive garden adjoining the Monastery is where the abbot’s summer house named Vojtěška is located. The guided tour of Břevnov Monastery includes the visit to the Baroque church of St Margaret and the Romanesque crypt, Prelate’s residence (the representative house of the abbot) and the convent with the enclosure.

The admission fee in the Czech language is 100 CZK for adults, 60 CZK for seniors (65+) and students, 50 CZK for children (7–14 years) and free for children up to 6. You can also visit the Monastery in English both on weekends and on weekdays only after prior arrangement. Admission fee for guided tours in English are 150 CZK for adults, 90 CZK for seniors (65+) and students, 75 CZK for children (7–14 years) and free for children up to 6.

If you need more information about the admission and opening hours of the Břevnov Monastery you can visit the official website.

The Břevnov Monastery (Břevnovský Klášter) is in the heart of the neighborhood, and when visiting, you can go to plenty of other interesting sights nearby. The grounds of the Monastery are well worth exploring with charming gardens, and a restored Orangery converted into a contemporary art gallery.

This Monastery is a place that impresses the visitor with its historical atmosphere and open spaces, making it a perfect spot for escaping the hustle and bustle of the busy tourist centre of Prague.

Prague Public Transit Company (DPP) will install air conditioning to all the trams Škoda 15T ForCity.

The air conditioning in the Škoda 15T ForCity will work in an almost automatic mode due to the manufacturer’s settings. The driver can only increase or decrease the passenger compartment temperature. Tram windows can be opened, but this will affect efficiency.

The total cost will exceed 400 million crowns.

In 2011, during the administration of then-mayor Tomáš Hudeček (TOP 09), the DPP started negotiations regarding the installation of air conditioning in the passenger compartment.

The tram, which is 31.4 m long and almost 2.5 m wide, has the capacity of 180 passengers – of which 61 are seated. Thanks to its ability to ride in arcs smoothly, the tram cuts travel time and speeds up traffic. This is also helped by six wide double-leaf doors which enable passengers to get on and off very quickly.

They are also 100% low-floor, offering problem-free transport for passengers with reduced mobility. This is in line with Prague’s strategic priority to ensure barrier-free access throughout the city’s public transport network by 2025.

At the moment, DPP is gradually launching the EMA system, which shall automatically, without the driver’s intervention, control selected functions of the vehicle, such as e.g. stops announcements, wheel and rail lubrication, reduction of speed to the prescribed value when riding in arcs or over crossings, display of the tram’s position at the underlying maps on an internal monitor for passengers, etc.

The very first tram line in Prague dates back to 1875 when a Belgian businessman built tracks for a horse-drawn tram. The line went from today’s Náměstí Republiky to the National Theatre. Horse-drawn trams were operating until 1925 when they were completely replaced by electric trams.

Severka is a pub located in Metodějova, street near the final metro station Háje (line C) and owned by David Salomon. Its building is one of the oldest in the Southern Town and is the place where workers ate or drank while working to build the surrounding apartment blocks. After 40 years, the second generation continues with this business.

This pub will make you feel the atmosphere of the 70s and 80s, and the idea is to enjoy and get to know each other. Experience a real pub as we remember it.

Severka offers its guests many surprises. The film Národní třída, now on cinemas, was shot in this pub and the scenery is still the same, according to the design of the architect Honza Novotný, and remaining as faithful and functional as possible. You will also find an exhibition of photographs by Jaromír Čejka or the original film posters from Czechoslovak movies from the 70s and 80s, among other “attractions” worth seeing like a beautiful living room.

Unlike regular pubs, there are ashtrays on the tables, and that is because this local is a smoker´s club (with its rules that allow it) where you pay a monthly membership fee of 10 crowns. For this reason, smoking is possible if you have your member card with you.

Guests can enjoy Kozel 11 °, Pilsner Urquell, True Czech mixers, Hermelín or Utopenci. It is open every day from 4 pm to 2 pm, and entry is allowed for people over 18 years old. There is a ban on the admission of children and teenagers under 18 without exception and even in the presence of parents.

Visit this pub, where everything comes together in order to bring you the spirit of the suburbs. Discover yourself how it was like to have a beer in the ’80s.

Source: Facebook Severka – Kuřácká hospoda

Source: Facebook Severka – Kuřácká hospoda

Source: Facebook Severka – Kuřácká hospoda

Shared services thrive in the capital. The same is true of so-called carsharing. The number of cars in this segment could almost double in the coming months.

The first foreign player entered the market this past spring. The Anytime multinational service first deployed a hundred cars to Prague’s streets. Now it intends to expand its fleet by another two hundred vehicles.

Next year, the German Volkswagen is considering entering the Prague market with the WeShare service, whose electric car has already proved its worth in Berlin. The Hungarian GreenGo is also planning to expand this year, which will also offer around a hundred electric vehicles in the capital.

According to experts, carsharing services, along with well-functioning public transport and taxis, can make part of society decide not to own a car. “In a large Prague-like agglomeration, one shared car can replace up to ten parked cars in the streets,” explains Kryštof Kruliš, Chairman of the Consumer Forum Board.

Car sharing will soon find a use for small entrepreneurs, as well. At least the director of the Institute of Circular Economy Soňa Jonášová thinks so. “It is important not to try to apply these new concepts in every area and field. We need to analyze the needs of the car,” she adds.

Universities also involved

So far, five companies registered in the Czech Carsharing Association have offered their services in the capital. Among them is Uniqway University, which was established in cooperation with three Prague universities. It celebrated its founding day a few days ago and is now going to launch seven more cars into the streets.

In addition to students, cars and people from partner universities can rent cars as part of carsharing. “One of our main goals is to meet students becoming mobile and learning to take advantage of a shared economy,” says Uniqway manager Dominika Svárovská. Most often, students use cars in Prague. “Or for weekend trips and trips home but sometimes also abroad,” adds Svárovská.

Interest mainly in men

Anytime plans to expand its services by two hundred cars these days. “The inhabitants of Prague and its surroundings enjoy our service. That is why we decided to triple our offer,” says Milan Beutl, the company’s director.

One hundred Volkswagen e-ups will be brought to the capital by the Hungarian company GreenGo, which started its operations in Budapest three years ago. Volkswagen, which wants to enter the Prague car-sharing market next year, has not yet provided details.

Those who care most about car sharing are “the younger age group, and significantly more men than women have the closest approach to it,” Beutl explains.

The advantage of shared cars is that drivers can park in blue zones for free in Prague. Cars are mostly equipped with automatic transmission and parking camera.

Saunas, steam baths and massages are clearly a part of the modern style of life, but mental and physical relaxation and therapy has actually been helping people since time immemorial. The warm dry air warms and cleanses the body and soul while a massage loosens up tired muscles.

Where can you find the best and most interesting sauna complexes in Prague?

Lázně na Lodi

A sauna on a boat with a view of the river and the Prague castle. Seriously, can it get any better? It is a very small place though and fits only 15 people at the same time, so reservations via their website are highly recommended, maybe even a few days in advance. Open daily 18-23, 70 CZK per person for half an hour.

Biotop Radotin

Radotin is quite far from the city center and not really interesting from a traveler’s point of view, however, it is on the way to Karlštejn, which is definitely worth a day trip. Stroll through the picturesque village and visit one of Emperor Charles IV.’s masterpieces: the castle, dating back to the 14th century. If you feel frozen on your way back, get off at Radotin and visit the Finnish KijuKiju Sauna. Open Sunday – Wednesday 17-22, women only on Tuesdays.

Saunia

Saunia is a chain of spas around Prague (and the Czech Republic) where you can go to enjoy a couple of Finnish saunas and steam baths. As with most of the saunas in town, they have sauna ceremonies throughout the day that include relaxation ceremonies, honey peeling, and salt peeling.

Entrance is 249 CZK without a time limit. One is located in Centrum Chodov and another at Galerie Butovice. If you really want to pamper yourself, you can go shopping when you’re done steaming.

Sauna Central

The Sauna Central is an ideal place to recharge your batteries. On the ground floor you can relax in several saunas (herbal, Finnish, infrared sauna), steam room, shared whirlpool and relaxation room. For couples who want to enjoy privacy, they offer private wellness, that features own sauna, Jacuzzi, mini bar and relax spot.

In addition, in the upper level of the centre is a bar, where guests can freshen themselves up by enjoying our authentic Japanese tea or fresh juices while smoking hookah.

Sauna centre at the hotel STEP Prague

Hotel STEP in Prague district of Vysočany boasts a whole complex of saunas and wellness facilities. The saunas are located both in the building and outside on the roof of the hotel. In the wintertime, you can enjoy the feeling that you can only experience while relaxing after a sauna in the frosty air.

The operation of the wellness center is year-round from 9 am to 11 pm. There you will find a swimming pool, whirlpools, a steam bath with herbal essences and salt, Finnish, tropical and honey saunas, an outdoor cabin sauna and a silent fireplace sauna designed for absolute relaxation.

Spa etiquette in Prague

You might be intimidated about going out into some local bathhouse for your spa day in Prague, but as long as you’re prepared with some useful information, you’ll be absolutely fine.

Even if a sauna is frequented mostly by friendly locals, almost everyone speaks English and is happy to help.

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