Posts

Among the many warm tributes to Jiří Bartoška, who passed away last week at 78, has been one published by Variety from journalist Steven Gaydos. The Czech actor took the reins at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 1994 and that was...

Czechia is mourning star of stage and screen Jiří Bartoška, who passed away on May 8th at 78 years of age. Among his many achievements, the charismatic actor is most fondly remembered for reinvigorating the Karlovy Vary International Film...

The Prague Spring International Music Festival, one of the highlights of the Czech cultural calendar, kicked off its eightieth edition on May 12th. As per tradition, the opening concert was a performance of Bedřich Smetana’s My Country...

In a new episode, Czechast speaks to Jan Trčka, a Czech citizen who left his civilian life behind to fight in Ukraine. In a wide-ranging and deeply personal conversation, Trčka explains his motivations, battlefield experiences, and the moral...

The Foreign Ministry expects tens of thousands of voters abroad to participate in the autumn elections to the Chamber of Deputies. More than 600,000 Czechs are long-term residents abroad. For the first, time this year, they can vote by...

Brno scientists are developing a system for monitoring pilot fatigue or any kind of health problem. Based on a camera with artificial intelligence, the device monitors the pilot’s condition and, if necessary, responds with an alert or a...

Eurovision season is upon us, and Czechia is this year represented by Slovakia-born singer Adonxs (Adam Pavlovčin). Performing Kiss Kiss Goodbye, the singer will first appear before an international audience in the second semi-final on May 15th...

A team of Czech speleologists have successfully completed the longest possible cave traverse in the country—a route no one had managed until now. Over nearly two days, the trio navigated a challenging, seven-kilometre journey through the...

A Museum of Survivors has opened near Brno, in the former factory of Oskar Schindler, the German industrialist credited with saving the lives of 1,200 Jews during World War II. Its official opening, held on May 10th, was planned to coincide...

The 2025 Ice Hockey World Championship is in full swing and, after a good start for the Czechs, hockey fans at home are glued to their sets hoping for another medal. See more here.

Long before GPS apps were common and smartphones ubiquitous, Pavel Novák was printing maps and decoding clues with his wife and two young children on the streets of Brussels. It was 2008, and what started as a simple weekend activity soon...

Music played a crucial role in boosting the morale of both troops and civilians during World War Two. Songs from both sides of the Atlantic got people on the dance floor and rallied spirits through many dark days and nights of the war. Here are...

On May 13th 1935, twins Karel and Jan Saudek were born in Prague. Their life story is like something out of a dramatic film – from their early childhood during the Nazi occupation to their unique artistic careers that made them legends of Czech...

The geopark in Český ráj (Bohemian Paradise) is in danger of losing its UNESCO status. According to auditors, it cooperates with institutions that sell precious stones of unclear origin such as “blood minerals” mined under highly problematic...

Felix Kafka was born in Prague almost exactly a century ago and escaped the Holocaust after being placed on one of the “kindertransports” to the UK organised by Nicholas Winton. He talked to Radio Prague International’s Alex...

What do Czechs and Czech historians think about Czech treatment of the Jewish community in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and Czechoslovakia in the 20th century? Jakub Ferenčík spoke to historian Ivan Puš to understand the shifting...

According to a 2025 survey published by GLOBSEC, Czechia is one of the countries in central and eastern Europe where most people would defend their homeland in the event of a foreign attack. But why? I spoke with Director for Policy and...

This year the Prague Transport Company is celebrating 150 years of public transport in the Czech capital. To mark the occasion, it has prepared a documentary series entitled “The secrets of the Prague tramlines”. Most commuters on Prague trams...

Rohanský ostrov, or Rohan Island, is a place many Prague residents pass without a second thought. Once a true island in the Vltava River, it later became a forgotten industrial zone. Today, it’s undergoing a transformation into a modern...

The President of the Republic, Petr Pavel, welcomed His Majesty the King of the Belgians at Prague Castle on Monday, May 5, 2025. President Pavel awarded the head of the Kingdom of Belgium a state decoration – the Order of the White Lion...

The Ambassador of Malaysia, H.E. Ms. SUZILAH BINTI MOHD SIDEK, hosted a farewell reception at her beautiful residence. The honoured speakers were Senator Pavel Fischer, the chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and Security, and H...

The Ambassador of Sweden, H.E. Mr. Fredrik JÖRGENSEN, and the “Team Sweden” hosted the opening of the exhibition “Swedish stones” by Ivana Machackova. At the beautiful Embassy garden. Ivana Machackova is a Czech-Swedish artist living in Sweden...

On May 5, 2025, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová held talks in Prague with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky. They discussed the situation in Ukraine in the current global context. The Speaker emphasized...

Half aquatic, half arboreal, partly green, but also orange; but above all, uniquely snail-eating. Such are the crocodile-eating dracaenas, whose breeding at Prague Zoo has gained new blood. Five almost one-year-old lizards arrived in Prague...

May 5th marks eighty years since the Prague Uprising, the daring efforts of the Czech Resistance to throw off Nazi rule. Having played a pivotal part in the uprising, Czech Radio holds annual acts of commemoration. “Je sechs hodin”. See more...

On May 8th millions of people around Czechia rejoiced in the news that Germany had finally surrendered and the war was over. But for many inmates of the Terezín ghetto, the suffering was far from over. Many had nowhere to go and another 1,500...

Politicians, veterans, and members of the public gathered outside Czech Radio’s Prague headquarters on Monday to mark the 80th anniversary of the Prague Uprising against Nazi rule. The uprising began on 5 May 1945, near the end of the Second...

For the first time in years, American veterans are once again taking part in commemorative events marking the end of World War II. What are the stories of the last surviving liberators of the Plzeň region and southwest Bohemia? They’re eager to...

The plan to build two new nuclear units at the Dukovany power plant in the Vysočina Region has now been stalled, as the Regional Court in Brno on Tuesday blocked the signing of the final contract with a preliminary injunction. This was done in...

The company Elektrárna Dukovany II (EDU II), which oversees the nuclear tender for the Dukovany project, will file a cassation complaint with the Supreme Administrative Court in response to a preliminary injunction issued by the Brno Regional...

The sale of fireworks in markets and stalls will likely be banned. See more here. Author: Jakub Ferenčík

Czech tramping, a unique cultural tradition born over a century ago, is still going strong—even across the Atlantic. Recently, Czech expatriates gathered at the Czech Embassy in Ottawa to sing their favourite tramping songs, including the...

The annual Anifilm Festival of animated films kicks off this Tuesday in the northern Bohemian town of Liberec. Over the course of six days, audiences can look forward to dozens of screenings, but also exhibitions, concerts and workshops, across...

Raised on science, trained in biology, and now a project coordinator in Austria—Hana Huszár combines expertise and empathy to shape the future of research. As part of the Czexpats in Science network, she also supports Czech scientists abroad...

141% more new electric passenger cars were registered in Czechia in the first quarter of 2025, compared with the same period last year, according to statistics from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. This put the country...

Writer and artist Martina Skála grew up in Prague’s picturesque Malá Strana district before leaving for France in the mid-1980s and eventually settling in California. Skála, who studied history and set design, has also had an unusually broad...

In May 1945, World War II came to an end in Czechoslovakia with scenes of liberation and chaos. While most of western Bohemia was freed by the American army under General George S. Patton, Soviet forces took control of Prague and much of the...

For the first time in thirty years, the same runner won the Prague Marathon as in the previous year. Lemi Berhanu Hayle from Ethiopia crossed the finish line in 2:05:14. The race, in which more than 10,000 runners took part, also produced a new...

Experts have argued over the exact origins of Czech’s distinctive word for ‘elephant’. It shares this word with other Slavic languages (for example, Polish słoń, Russian слон), but where Slavic as a whole got it from is a linguistic puzzle. The...

The renowned Czech opera singer Adam Plachetka celebrates his 40th birthday this weekend. The popular bass-baritone is the only Czech artist to have performed at the Metropolitan Opera in New York before the age of 30. He has been a member of...

Eighty years ago, on May 5, 1945, the first words of freedom rang out over the airwaves in Plzeň. Resistance fighters captured a German transmitter and launched a revolutionary broadcast, laying the foundation for what would become local radio...

Freedom Celebrations kick off in the West Bohemian city of Plzeň on Friday, marking 80 years since its liberation by US troops. This year the city has planned the biggest celebration in decades – with the traditional Convoy of Liberty, a period...

Maya Kvetny is a successful casting director based in Prague and the founder of the agency Myrnyx Tyrnyx. She has become a key figure in international productions filmed in the Czech Republic, with credits including Jojo Rabbit, Spiderman: Far...

In commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the establishment of Diplomatic relations between Mongolia and the Czech Republic, H.E. Mr. Gansukh Khashkhan DAMDIN, Ambassador of Mongolia to the Czech Republic, and Mrs. Enkhtuvshin Molom hosted a...

A half century has passed since the end of the American War in Vietnam. The sense of national pride as well as the values of benevolence, peace, and reconciliation remain intact when the country celebrates the 50th anniversary of 30 April...

Every day, he becomes bolder and more active – that is the one-year-old Sumatran orangutan Harapan, the youngest ape at Prague Zoo. Thanks to his ancestors from the wild, he is a great genetic asset for the preservation of his critically...

The breeding of Převalsky horses at Prague Zoo is experiencing an unprecedented baby boom. Today, the third April foal was born at Prague’s Dívčé hrady. Another foal was also born today at the Převalsky horse breeding and acclimatization...

Czech female members of parliament from all political parties and movements face psychological and sexualised violence. See more here. Author: Jakub Ferenčík

Nearly 50 photographs of Antonín Dvořák, one of Czechia’s most famous composers, are now on display at the Antonín Dvořák Museum in Prague. Captured by both well-known photographers and amateurs, these images offer a rare glimpse into the...

The reconstruction of Jiřího z Poděbrad Square in Prague could be completed as early as next spring. Workers have already planted most of the trees, the special irrigation system is complete, and the fountain, which has not worked for years, is...

Beavers in Czechia recently made international headlines after a colony in the Brdy region built a series of dams faster than local authorities could finish the planning phase—highlighting just how quickly these animals can reshape their...

Just a short walk from the center of Prague rises Vítkov Hill—a quiet, unassuming ridge that separates the districts of Žižkov and Karlín. Though technically part of Žižkov, it’s visible from much of the city and offers some of the best...

Among the lesser-known stories of World War II are those of American soldiers captured after the D-Day landings in Normandy. In June 1944, hundreds of American paratroopers who had jumped behind enemy lines on D-Day, ended up in German...

Alois Ullmann was a key figure in the Sudeten German social democratic movement. He fled to Great Britain during the Nazi regime but later returned to Prague. After being imprisoned in concentration camps, he worked to rebuild his party...

Michal Lukeš, Director General of the National Museum, said that museums need to seek out new themes and innovative ways to present their collections so that visitors enjoy their experience and find information that is interesting and relevant...

In response to the Czech Railway Administration’s proposal to replace the famous railway bridge over the Vltava at Vyšehrad, an advisory mission of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the International Council on Monuments and Sites visited...

How do plants know how to shape themselves without anyone telling them how? Lukáš Fiedler thinks the answer lies in a powerful plant hormone called auxin. From collecting beetles in a small South Bohemian village to conducting cutting-edge...

As Europe commemorates the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, another fierce conflict rages at its borders. Ukraine continues to resist Russian aggression, fighting a war that many see as pivotal for the future of European democracy...

Antonín Kokeš is the man behind Antonínovo pekařství, a successful chain of bakeries. The Moravian-born entrepreneur is also the owner of Albi, a company best-known for the board games that can be found in many Czech homes. We discussed both...

Archaeologists in Eastern Bohemia have announced the chance discovery of a rare treasure near the north-eastern town of Trutnov. Hidden in a forest, the 7-kilogram hoard includes nearly four kilos of gold coins, worth over CZK 7.5 million. The...

The Kbely Aviation Museum is one of the best in Europe thanks to the quality of its collections and the number of exhibits. This year, visitors will see for the first time, among others, the Aero L-29 Delfín, the Mil Mi-8P “Hip”...

U Apolináře Hospital, originally known as the Royal Provincial Maternity Hospital, first opened its doors on April 22, 1875. Designed by renowned architect Josef Hlávka, its iconic red-brick building is one of the oldest maternity hospitals in...

Close to the age of 50, Antonín Dvořák embarked upon a music testimony of his relationship with God and an attempt to answer the most fundamental issues of human existence. Given the emotional depth of this work, it is somewhat surprising that...

Celtic symbols and festivals remain surprisingly popular in Czechia. But how much did 19th-century historians really know about the ancient Boii who once lived here? František Palacký’s classic history offers a revealing glimpse into early...

With the rise of AI, the European Union introduced regulations to standardize some rules for its use. The so-called Artificial Intelligence Act introduces significant changes for all companies and employers using AI systems across the EU. So...

April 1945 marked the final month of Allied bombing raids on Czechoslovakia. Among the targeted cities were Kladno, Chomutov, Karlovy Vary, and most notably Plzeň. In today’s episode of our series How did WWII end in the Czech lands?, we recall...

From April 11–13, one of the largest Model UN (MUN) conferences in the Czech Republic was held in Brno. The event saw approximately 200 participants this year. While there, I spoke with one of the invited speakers, former Slovak ambassador to...

Rohan City, a planned neighbourhood east of Prague city centre, is set to include a series of streets that honour both nationally and internationally famous thinkers. Located on a big bend of the river Vltava, Rohan Island is today an island...

The President of the Republic, Petr Pavel, sent a telegram of condolence to the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, on the death of His Holiness Pope Francis. Your Eminence, It is with deep emotion and sorrow that I received...

For the first time in the history of Prague Zoo, African bushpigs were born here. A total of three piglets of these Central African forest pigs can be seen in the Dja Reservation pavilion. Eight-year-old female Jasna is taking exemplary care of...

On April 21st, it was announced to the world that Pope Francis had passed away in the Vatican, at the age of 88. Many Czechs have been affected by his death, and political and religious leaders in Czechia have expressed condolences and shared...

In memory of victims of excessive speed on Czechia’s roads, the iconic astronomical clock on Prague’s Old Town Square stopped for thirteen minutes on Wednesday morning. Events and meetings across the country are also taking part in the...

Simona Monyová was a successful Czech novelist who authored around thirty hugely popular fiction books for women focusing on interpersonal relationships and domestic violence. It was only after her husband stabbed her to death in 2011 that her...

The town of Hrušovany near Brno plans to renovate a unique villa designed by the pioneering modernist architect Adolf Loos. The municipality bought the dilapidated building five years ago, aiming to turn it into a cultural centre. It has now...

The destruction of monuments during armed conflicts in various countries prompted the National Heritage Institute to take preventive action in the case of Český Krumlov. The Institute has asked UNESCO to register the castle among the cultural...

In the village of Lukavec in the Nový Jičín area, fifteen horse riders set out on the traditional Easter Monday ride around newly planted fields. According to an old custom, they asked for blessings for their fields and families. See more here.

Can the social sciences shape international policy? Dagmar Vorlíček believes they must. From researching military institutions in Czechia to studying ethics in health data, her work bridges disciplines and reminds us that taking the human...

Helena Lukas, daughter of the major Czech photographer Jan Lukas, escaped to the West with her family in the mid-1960s. In New York the Lukases were part of a Czech cultural elite in exile that included such names as Jiří Voskovec, Ferdinand...

Prague’s metro system is, for many people, one of the jewels of the city, and it has fans all over the world. Its three lines (the green A line, the yellow B line and the red C line) are iconic, and they give the impression of being fixed...

Over the weekend, one of the largest Model UN (MUN) conferences in the Czech Republic was held in Brno. The event saw approximately 200 participants this year, doubling in size consecutively from previous years. Typically, similar events are...

The popular cruise ship Arnošt of Pardubice is once again taking passengers along the Elbe River after a three-year renovation. The overhaul cost eighteen million crowns. Last weekend, the eye-catching white and red boat Arnošt of Pardubice...

Prague’s famous St. Vitus Cathedral, symbol of Czech statehood and home to the Czech crown jewels, is getting a new organ that will better resound through the monumental house of prayer. The instrument, which is being financed from a public...

To mark the opening of the Czech Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Prague has launched a dedicated Japanese-language website aimed at promoting the Czech capital to Japanese travelers. “In 2024, over 53,000 Japanese tourists came to Prague, which...

Prague is an expanding city. By 2050, projections expect that up to 2 million people could live in Czechia’s capital. To make this transition easier for its residents, the city is investing heavily in its public infrastructure. The latest...

Czech scientists have developed a network of monitoring stations across the country’s forests, allowing researchers, state officials, and foresters to track the health of trees in real time. Their next goal is to expand the system to cover all...

In May 1945, Western Bohemia was liberated by US forces under the command of General Patton. Few veterans who took part in the liberation effort are still alive to tell the story. Czech historian Jiří Klůc was able to locate a number of them in...

BBC Music Magazine announced its annual awards at a gala evening on Wednesday, with the winners chosen by public vote. The Czech Philharmonic took home the Orchestral Award for its recording of Má vlast (My Country) by Bedřich Smetana...

Unlike most episodes of Prague Off the Beaten Track, this one doesn’t take you to just one place. Instead, it takes a step back to look at the bigger picture—because before we head out to places like Libeň, Karlín, or Jižní Město, it helps to...

What makes you unique? Scientist Hana Marvanová studies parent-of-origin effects—how the genes we inherit from our mother and father don’t always express equally. As a PhD student at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology in Vienna, she co...

World War II was longer for the Czechs than for most European nations. The Czech lands were occupied by Nazi Germany from as early as March 15, 1939, and the first Czech town was liberated from the Nazis on April 12, 1945, less than a month...

This week’s Sunday Music Show is a celebration of a colourful life cut short by illness. After a long battle with cancer, singer Anna Julie Slováčková passed away on April 6th, at the young age of 29. The singer became famous, above all...

In 1895, a significant chapter in the Czech brewing industry began. This distinctly Czech company was established in response to the Czech-German rivalry in Budějovice and the dominance of the German Měšt’anský Pivovar. Czech national...

Once the industrial powerhouse of Czechoslovakia, Ostrava is reinventing itself. In the latest episode of Czechast, geographer Jan Hradecký from Ostrava University shares how the city is embracing its industrial heritage while reconnecting with...

To mark the opening of the Czech Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Prague has launched a dedicated Japanese-language website aimed at promoting the Czech capital to Japanese travelers. “In 2024, over 53,000 Japanese tourists came to Prague, which...

National park directors are sounding the alarm over amendments to the National Parks Act proposed by MPs. According to them, the amendments would set nature protection back 30 years. The Ministry of the Environment also disagrees with some of...

Prague plans to disallow the parking of shared electric scooters under its upcoming shared transport system. Residents of the city center have long complained about their use, particularly by tourists, leading to the move to drastically limit...