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The South African Embassy in Prague, the Association of Tour Operators and Travel Agents of the Czech Republic (ACCKA), organized a seminar “South Africa: Inspiring new ways” at the Beautiful Residence of the South African Ambassador in Prague...

On Thursday, October 23, 2025, the President of the Republic, Mr. Petr Pavel, received the credentials of the new ambassadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary at Prague Castle: H.E. Mr. Karim Khalil, new Ambassador Extraordinary and...

We already know that this year’s Pražák Quartet Festival will be unforgettable. Two concerts are behind us, and each one was a true celebration of music. Those who were there know how magical the atmosphere was in the Hlahol Hall. But...

31 October – 30 November 2025 Venues: BFI IMAX, The Coronet Theatre, Czech Centre & Czech Embassy, Church House, The Garden Cinema, Holy Sepulchre, ICA, Regent Street Cinema, Royal Opera House, Royal Academy of Music, Victoria & Albert...

Born in 1929, Dita Kraus lived through the horrors of the Holocaust and went on to build a new life in the young state of Israel. Her story — from a Prague childhood to Terezín, Auschwitz, and Bergen-Belsen — became a lasting symbol of courage...

Short-stay travellers from outside Europe can expect stricter border checks when entering the Schengen Area after the introduction of the European Entry/Exit System (EES). Czechia is among the first countries to fully implement the system...

This year’s National Architecture Award was awarded to the Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows, designed by Jan Říčný, in Nesvačilka near Brno. The Association of Architects, which has organized the competition since 1993, announced the winners...

The latest Czechast tells the story of two remarkable women — Barbara Day and Nancy Durham — who risked much to help Czech intellectual life survive under communism. Through the Jan Hus Educational Foundation, they built bridges between British...

Czechia has sent new seed samples to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, adding to the 1,973 Czech samples already stored there. The seeds serve as a backup in case the country ever loses its own reserves. The Czech Gene Bank at the National...

Six cities across Czechia have inspired a new project called Music on Request, created by Czech Radio’s Vltava station and the Prague Quiet Music Collective. Seven composers have transformed everyday tram rides, bus commutes, and metro...

A new work by Czech artist Krištof Kintera has been unveiled on Prague’s Štvanice Island. Praying Wood, a large kneeling figure resembling driftwood, is actually cast in aluminium with a silver coating. The sculpture was created at the...

On Monday, Prague city councilors voted to terminate lease agreements for spaces used by horse-drawn carriage operators, known as fiakers. These have been excluded from market regulations since 2023, and according to some city officials, they...

This autumn has shown its full strength with the first freezing temperatures of the season. Seventeen weather stations recorded record lows. Near the village of Veverka in the Třebíč region, observers could even witness an optical phenomenon...

The Ministry of Education cooperates with dozens of Czech schools abroad that help expats maintain their language and stay connected to Czech culture. What role do these schools play, what kind of support do they receive, and what challenges do...

After years of debate, Czech farmers will no longer be allowed to keep hens in cages. In 2020, Czechia passed a law banning the cage farming of laying hens, with the ban set to take effect in 2027. Similar measures have already been implemented...

The 29th Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival begins on Friday, featuring over 300 documentary films from around the world. Radio Prague International spoke with the festival’s director, Marek Hovorka, about the stories filmmakers...

Danny Bate, a former member of Radio Prague and linguist, has just published his first book, titled Why Q Needs U. In it, he dives into the history of the English alphabet and invites readers to see language as a collaborative project shaped by...

Kateřina Englichová is one of the most sought after European harpists of her generation. She has appeared on stages in world capitals including New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Rome and Paris, performing with leading ensembles and artists such...

On October 19, 1945, the first organised transport of settlers to the Czech borderlands left from Prague. This marked the beginning of a large-scale post-war effort to resettle areas that had been left deserted after the expulsion of the German...

A 3,000-year-old bronze vessel, one of the most remarkable archaeological finds in Czechia, will soon go on display at Pardubice Castle. It is the largest example of its kind preserved intact in Europe, and possibly even in the world. The...

World opera legend Plácido Domingo gave a highly-anticipated concert in the Dvořák Hall of the Prague Rudolfinum on Thursday night. His rendition of famous opera arias by Verdi and Puccini, as well as vibrant Spanish zarzuelas, won him a...

Zuzana Stivínová is a well-known Czech actress. She played one of the main roles in the stage version of Václav Havel’s Leaving in 2007 and today is most commonly to be found on the boards of the National Theatre in Prague. She has also worked...

The Ambassador of the Argentine Republic, H.E. Mr. Claudio Javier Rozencwaig and the Cinema Lucerna organized the Opening of the 14th Annual Argentine Film Festival and the screening of the film “El Robo del Siglo”. The very interesting and...

The Embassy of Malaysia in Prague organized a cultural event, “Malaysia Experience” Malaysia Experience is designed to showcase the rich cultural heritage and diversity of Malaysia through curated exhibitions, cultural performances, food...

The Embassy of Italy in Prague, in collaboration with the Italian-Czech Chamber of Commerce, organized a debate “Women in Business”, a series of initiatives designed to support Italian Female Entrepreneurship. This event focused on promoting...

On Monday, October 13, 2025, at Prague Castle, the President of the Republic, Petr Pavel, received the credentials of the new ambassadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary: HE Mr. Amir Weissbrod, the new Ambassador Extraordinary and...

Festival is in full swing! Two concerts behind us, three ahead of us – and each one is worth experiencing! We already know that this year’s Pražák Quartet Festival will be unforgettable. Two concerts are behind us, and each one was...

The popular Signal Festival will once again light up the streets of Prague. Known for its breath-taking displays that bring buildings to life, Signal has become the most visited cultural event in the Czech Republic. Now in its 13th year, the...

Czech President Petr Pavel delivered a speech at the Forum 2000 international conference in Prague on Monday. He addressed the security threat posed by Russia, which, according to Pavel, aims to dismantle Europe step by step. “Russia poses a...

Through the work of the Czech NGO Koridor UA, we take a look at what everyday life is like in parts of Ukraine and what it means to help on the ground. How do fishnets help save lives? How have humanitarian needs evolved since the beginning of...

In this episode of Prague Off the Beaten Track, we visit one of Prague’s most fascinating green spaces — the Botanical Garden of Charles University. Founded in 1775, it’s the oldest continuously operating garden of its kind in the Czech...

Archaeologists in Dašice in Pardubice have discovered the remains of a village dating back approximately three thousand years. The find comes from a rescue excavation at the site of a planned new logistics hall in the southern part of the town...

This year’s Frankfurt Book Fair – the largest of its kind in the world – holds special significance for Czechia, as it prepares to take over the 2026 Guest of Honour title. Radio Prague International spoke with Martin Krafl...

The Plzeň regional court has ordered the removal of a statue of St. James standing on a pedestrian bridge above the main road from Plzeň to Karlovy Vary. Ever since its installation it has alarmed drivers who believe they are seeing someone...

The Vanished Bells (“Zaniklé Zvony”) project, a collaboration between Czech Radio and Wikimedia Czech Republic, has been launched online to preserve Czech cultural heritage. It focuses on recording and digitizing the sounds of historic bells...

Sparks of Freedom — that is the name of a new exhibition at Brno’s Moravian Museum. It tells how British academics and intellectuals reached across the Iron Curtain to support Czech dissidents in the 1980s, focusing on the work of the Jan Hus...

Matyáš Boháček is hailed as one of the most promising figures in Czech AI. He has been described as a genius and a “wunderkind” of Czech science, which comes as little surprise given the achievements of the young AI expert who graduated from...

Several hundred motorsport fans turned out for Sunday’s ceremonial opening of the Central European Rally in central Prague. Representatives of three factory teams and leading Czech participants in the World Rally Championship took part in a...

A new translation of one of the most important books in Czech literature, The Grandmother (Babička) by Božena Němcová, will be launched by the UK-based Jantar Publishing at the end of this month. It’s the work of Englishwoman Susan Reynolds...

The Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, featuring acclaimed violinist Josef Špaček, presents Bohuslav Martinů’s Violin Concertos No. 1 and 2 on a new CD released by Supraphon. The Czech record label Supraphon has just released a new CD featuring...

The Spejbl and Hurvínek Theatre, one of the oldest professional puppet theatres in the world, will celebrate 80 years since its move to Prague on October 12, 2025. This iconic duo, strict father Spejbl and his curious son Hurvínek, has become a...

In a new episode of Czechast, we stay in Ostrava, once the proud industrial heart of Czechoslovakia. The city has faced tough decades since the fall of heavy industry, but new projects are giving it a fresh pulse. Among them is the University...

A record number of young candidates won seats in the recent Czech parliamentary elections— a fourfold increase compared to the previous term. Why are young people suddenly gaining voter support? And what role do political youth organisations...

On the occasion of the accession to the throne of HRH Grand Duke Guillaume, H.E. Mr. Ronald Dofing, the Ambassador of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, has hosted a festive concert of classic romantic songs from major European composers by Martin...

On Wednesday, October 8, 2025, the President of the Republic, Mr. Petr Pavel, received the credentials of the new ambassadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary at Prague Castle: H.E. Ms. Aliki Paschali, the new ambassador extraordinary and...

Festival is in full swing! Two concerts behind us, three ahead of us – and each one is worth experiencing! We already know that this year’s Pražák Quartet Festival will be unforgettable. Two concerts are behind us, and each one was...

Get ready, Prague! A theatrical fire is about to ignite the city’s stage, and you have a front-row seat. Esteemed director Evren Odcikin is bringing his visionary touch to the European premiere of Lauren M. Gunderson’s Muse of Fire...

In the newly elected Czech Chamber of Deputies, nearly one-third of the members will be women – a historic high for the country. What role did preferential voting play in boosting female candidates? And how significant is this shift...

The annual international music festival Moravian Autumn gets underway this Sunday in the Moravian capital of Brno. This year’s edition marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Sir Charles Mackerras, the world-renowned British conductor and...

Czech writer, playwright and former dissident Ivan Klíma has died at the age of 94. One of the most widely translated Czech authors, he spent three and a half years of his childhood in the Terezín concentration camp. In the decades that...

The town of Opočno, known for its beautiful Renaissance castle, is hosting the 58th edition of its annual International Falconry Meeting. Organized by the Czech Falconry Club, the event draws falconers from across Europe, filling the skies...

Every two years, Ostrava comes alive with Spectaculo Interesse, a major international puppet festival. This year’s edition, held from October 2–6, brings together puppeteers from eleven countries – from Canada to Greece. Radio Prague...

The latest edition of Designblok, Central Europe’s biggest celebration of design and fashion, kicks off in Prague on Tuesday. Over the next six days, the festival will showcase the work of more than 200 carefully selected designers, studios...

On the second Sunday in October fans of horseracing traditionally gather in Pardubice for the event of the year – the Velká pardubická steeplechase. Here is the extraordinary story of an English jockey closely connected to the race. One of the...

Few visitors to Prague have heard of Folimanka Park, a green valley tucked between Vinohrady and Nusle. Yet this quiet corner recently gained worldwide attention when Dan Brown set part of his latest thriller there. When people talk about...

The International Student Film Festival FOFR returns for its third edition, running from October 9-11 at Kino Kavalírka in Prague – a rather special revitalized cinema dating back to the 1930s. The festival itself is just as distinctive...

A major retrospective of Dagmar Hochová opened this week at Prague City Gallery’s House of Photography. It presents not only her celebrated photographs of children from the 1950s and 60s, but also scenes from pivotal moments in Czech history...

The organizers of Prague’s Signal Festival have opened a digital art gallery called Signal Space to the public, located in the Old Town Market Hall. The inaugural exhibition, Echoes of Tomorrow, will run for six months and features ten...

In this edition of our Sunday Music show, we bring you Collegium Marianum – Lacrimae: Featuring Works by Jan Dismas Zelenka. Collegium Marianum is a Czech baroque music ensemble, founded in 1997, that specializes in the performance of 17th- and...

What kinds of buildings have Czech women architects designed, from the First Republic up to the present? That is the central theme of this year’s Day of Architecture festival, which runs through Tuesday, October 7, with hundreds of free events...

This year marks 30 years since Ireland opened its resident Embassy in the Czech Republic.

On Sunday 28.09.25, Pražak Quartet Festival presented the first of their 5 concerts. If you missed it, don’t worry, there are 4 more concerts in the season and tickets are still available for all of them here. It was a glorious start to the...

America’s most-produced playwright steps onto the stage to give voice to Anne Hathaway in the European premiere of her new play, revealing the ‘combustible and devoted’ partnership behind the legend. Lauren M. Gunderson, a...

The night before our departure from Khalkhgol in eastern Mongolia the night temperature dropped to -45°C, and when we wanted to refuel in the morning, it was impossible. The pump at the diesel tank was frozen. Fortunately, we had enough fuel to...

In an address to the public three days before the country’s general elections, President Petr Pavel urged Czechs to go to the polls. He said that now, more than ever, Czechia needs a government that will ensure its security, protect its...

Dan Brown’s newest novel The Secret of Secrets that takes its main protagonist Robert Langdon to Prague has already inspired themed city tours tracing Langdon’s footsteps around the city. Undoubtedly, Prague possesses a certain magic: narrow...

17-year-old Paralympic swimmer David Kratochvíl shattered a 23-year-old world record in the men’s 400m freestyle at the World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore. He finished the competition with a complete set of seven medals from seven...

September 28th is a public holiday in the Czech Republic. It is the feast day of St. Wenceslas, the patron saint of Bohemia, and commemorates his death in 935. Wenceslas was born in 907 and was the son of the Duke of Bohemia. See more here.

On Prague’s Hradčany Square stands one of the city’s most remarkable historic sites: Loreto. This Baroque pilgrimage complex is renowned not only for its architecture, but above all for its extraordinary carillon, which first rang out on...

Archaeologists in western Bohemia have announced a remarkable discovery: around 500 gold and silver Celtic coins, along with gold and bronze jewellery, dating from the 6th to the 1st century B.C. The find is considered extraordinary not only in...

Eighty-seven years ago, Nazi Germany, Italy, France, and Great Britain signed the Munich Agreement, leading Czechoslovakia to surrender its borderlands to Germany. Thousands of new bunkers called “řopíky,” built to defend against...

Czechia hosts the fourth highest number of cars per capita, according to Eurostat — however, the country also has the second oldest car fleet. As Czechs have gotten increasingly reliant on personal cars over the past 15 years, those vehicles...

Emotions are running high in one of Ostrava’s suburban districts. Several families who bought land in the district of Hošťálkovice with plans to build homes say they were deceived after excavation works uncovered piles of hidden toxic waste —...

On the 60th anniversary of an old bet, 16 fans of Sparta and Slavia have set out from Smržovka in northern Bohemia on a 145-kilometre journey to next week’s Prague football derby. The trip also has a charitable aim: raising funds to repair a...

Petr Kopecký, President of Ostrava University, has spent nearly three decades teaching and researching English and American literature. In an interview for Czechast, he spoke about the role of universities in defending democracy, the challenge...

The bestselling American author Dan Brown has set his newest thriller in Prague. What drew him to the Czech capital? Which Prague landmarks inspired the plot? What does his writing process look like? Released on September 9th, The Secret of...

The twelfth edition of the LUSTR festival of illustration and comics is underway at Prague’s Holešovice Market. Running from September 19 until September 28, the festival brings together leading names in Czech and international illustration...

History buffs now have the rare chance to view highly professional replicas of three royal crowns connected to the Czech lands in one place. The exhibition entitled “Crowns of Emperors and Kings” is on show at the Museum of the Bohemian...

Early autumn in the Czech lands paints a tale of two traditions. Fruit brandy distillers complain of rising taxes and declining interest, while winemakers report a promising vintage. From slivovitz to Pinot Gris, the season reflects both bitter...

David Mareček is the director general of the Czech Philharmonic, one of Czechia’s premier cultural institutions. The orchestra, launched in the 1890s with a concert conducted by Dvořák, is based at Prague’s magnificent Rudolfinum, a building...

The Kateřinská and Punkva caves, together with the Macocha Abyss in the heart of the Moravian Karst Protected Landscape Area, are seeking a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List. If their bid is successful they would join the Jizera Mountain...

Marta Kubišová, whose song Prayer for Marta became a symbol of protest against the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia in August 1968, has become the first Czech singer to appear on a special limited edition of Czech stamps. Their release is...

At the Jaroslav Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry in Prague, scientists have created a unique device named Selina. It generates frozen nanoparticles that resemble those found around icy moons of Jupiter. The invention will support...

In this episode of Prague off the Beaten Track, we visit the Malešice Botanical Garden, a quiet oasis few people in Prague have heard of. Run by a horticultural school, it offers an arboretum, rock garden, and peaceful paths away from the usual...

On the occasion of the National Day of the Republic of Korea, H.E. Mr. Youngki Hong, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Czech Republic, and Mrs. Youngki Hong, hosted a reception at the beautiful Zofin Palace in Prague. The honored...

The Pražák Quartet, celebrated globally for their distinctive Czech sound and artistry, is proud to announce the inaugural Pražák and Friends at Hlahol Festival. This extraordinary event will take place at Prague’s stunning Hlahol Hall...

The Prague Zoo will celebrate its 94th anniversary on Sunday, September 28. Traditionally, for the Czech Statehood Day, it has prepared a festive program in the presence of distinguished guests. While visitors can expect the presentation of new...

Starting this week, Czechia has a new gift on display at the United Nations in New York. The glass installation, titled Herbarium and created by Czech glass company Lasvit, was officially unveiled on Monday by President Petr Pavel. “May the...

Bereaved families, scholars, and Prague community members gathered in Jan Palach Square a few days ago to honor the victims of Czechia’s deadliest shooting at Charles University’s Faculty of Arts in 2023. At the ceremony the group Spojeni...

450 years ago, on September 22, 1575, Rudolf II was crowned King of Bohemia in St. Vitus Cathedral. What was meant to be a triumphal event turned into a rushed and awkward affair. Yet it was at that moment that the story began of one of the...

Forty historic trams rolled through the Czech capital on Sunday as part of celebrations marking 150 years of Prague’s public transport. At the head of the parade was a horse-drawn tram dating back to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. See more here.

Elias Grandy, currently with the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra in Japan, has been named the new Chief Conductor of the prestigious Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra. He will take up the post next year, leading the Orchestra into its 100th...

František Příbrský is a zoologist, field conservationist and nature lover who has devoted his life to protecting animals in the wild. He divides his time between the Czech Republic, where he is head of In Situ projects at Ostrava Zoo and the...

Czechia has officially launched its first quantum computer, nicknamed VLK, at the IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Center in Ostrava. Built with EU support, the machine will serve universities, research institutions, and projects such as...

In this episode of Prague Off the Beaten Track, we visit the Výtoň railway bridge—an unmissable steel landmark just below the Vyšehrad cliffs. For more than 120 years, its sweeping arches have carried trains across the Vltava while quietly...

Czech Senate Speaker Miloš Vystrčil (Civic Democratic Party) urged state authorities to act more effectively against insults and verbal attacks targeting women in politics, which he described as “deeply reprehensible. See more here. Author: Vít...

At Lány Chateau, Czech archivists opened a long-sealed envelope thought to hold the final words of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. Instead, they discovered reflections written in 1934, when the first president was already gravely ill. The notes...

The Prague City Museum is once again bridging tradition with contemporary audiovisual art -this time by recalling the nearly forgotten craft of timber rafting. In cooperation with the Lunchmeat collective, it has created a light and sound...

A new exhibition on Cosmas opens tonight in the Mirror Chapel of Prague’s Klementinum, marking 900 years since the death of the country’s most famous chronicler and author of Chronica Boemorum (the Chronicle of the Bohemians), the first written...

Following its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival on September 5th, Agnieszka Holland’s highly anticipated film about Prague author Franz Kafka finally reaches Czech cinemas this Thursday. Offering a fresh perspective, “Franz” delves...