Posts

New Blade Runner TV miniseries begins...

Blade Runner 2099, the upcoming Amazon Prime Video television sequel to the 1982 and 2017 films of the same franchise, has started shooting in Prague. US actress Hunter Schafer and Malaysian Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh are among the big names...

Sergio Almeida – the cyclists’ rights...

Cycling enthusiast Sergio Almeida has come to public attention in Prague for his clashes with the authorities, both online and on the streets. The Portuguese man, who is 45, criticizes the city’s cycling lanes and aggressive drivers on social...

THE BABY PANGOLIN IS A FEMALE. HER NAME WILL...

Only the second baby pangolin in Europe, which was born last week at the Prague Zoo, is a female. The findings of the Prague breeders were also confirmed by experts from Taiwan's Taipei Zoo based on the photos sent. Readers of the iDNES.cz...

Members of Slánský family rehabilitated...

Seventy years after the execution of Rudolf Slánský, a prominent Communist Party member convicted in an infamous 1952 show trial, a court in Prague has rehabilitated his wife and son in memoriam. The court found that they had been illegally...

First Czech satellite with hyperspectral...

The Czech satellite Troll can see chlorophyll in plants, pollution in rivers and nutrients in the soil from space. Only the third of its kind anywhere in the world, the Czech-made satellite should be put into orbit this October by Elon Musk’s...

A re-enactment of the siege of Bezděz Castle

A re-enactment of the siege of Bezděz Castle by Sigismund of Hungary, who arrived in summer of 1402 with his army in an attempt to besiege the castle, took place at the weekend. Visitors were treated to historical fencing, period weapons in...

Pavel Nedvěd: One of only two Czechs named...

Renowned Czech footballer Pavel Nedvěd, from Cheb in the Karlovy Vary region, known as the “Czech Cannon” and “Czech Master,” gained widespread recognition for his standout performances while playing for the Italian club Juventus Turin and for...

Jakub, Eliška… Kevin: App spotlights first...

What are the most common Czech first names of the last century and when have they enjoyed greatest popularity? And in recent decades what names have been inspired by Western pop culture? This information can be gleaned from an online app...

Metallica shares Czech dulcimer band’s...

This time, the Muse on the Water music festival in České Budějovice will be accompanied by the dulcimer music of Milan Brouček. A native of West Bohemia, Mr. Brouček fell in love with the dulcimer as a child during a visit to Slovakia. Despite...

Leoš Janáček and his greatest work –...

July 3rd marked 170 years since the birth of Leoš Janáček – a classical music composer with a distinctly Czech style. Born on July 3, 1854 in the small town of Hukvaldy in Moravia, Leoš Janáček showed exceptional musical talent from an...

“It feels absolutely amazing”: UK film is...

The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival has been won for the first time by a documentary: A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things. Among the other works honoured at Saturday’s closing ceremony was Waves, which is centred on events at...

Czechs celebrate legacy of reformer priest...

July 6th is a public holiday in the Czech Republic marking the 609th anniversary of the burning at stake of reformer priest Jan Hus. Masses are celebrated around the country, among others in Jan Hus’ birthplace Husinec and at Bethlehem Chapel...

Hantec enthusiasts seek to make the Brno...

The promoters of hantec, a unique Czech language variety, spoken by the lower classes of Brno during the 19th and early 20th centuries, would like get it inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible World Heritage List. They are hoping that this might...

A public call for Czech artists to...

Czech Centers and the Office of the Commissioner General announce an open call for artists and projects to participate in the cultural program of the Czech National Pavilion at the World Exhibition EXPO 2025. Projects selected by an expert jury...

Ancient Egyptian scribes faced similar risks...

The work of ancient Egyptian scribes left specific traces on their skeletons, suggests a new study by Czech scientists. It shows that certain degenerative changes to the spine and joints were much more common in scribes than in other men. Men...

Czechs celebrate legacy of Saints Cyril and...

July 5th is a public holiday in the Czech Republic honouring the legacy of Saints Cyril and Methodius who came to Great Moravia in 863 to spread the Christian faith and lay the foundations of literacy with the Glagolitic alphabet. Thousands of...

Boating on the headstream of the Vltava...

The first zone of Šumava National Park is an off-limits area dedicated to flora and fauna protection. But while hikers are not allowed to enter the primeval forests, boaters may admire its beauty from the Teplá Vltava, or “warm Vltava“ a...

Czechia’s world-famous beer

We can’t talk about Czech gastronomy without mentioning beer! With its bitterness, rich colour, intense hoppy flavour, and an over 1000-year-long history, Czech lager is commonly regarded as one of the best in the world. Find out how it’s made...

Expert: Babiš will be seen as pro-Russian...

ANO leader Andrej Babiš recently founded a new group at the European Parliament with Viktor Orban. Regarded as a far-right bloc, Patriots for Europe also now includes the likes of Marine Le Pen and Geert Wilders – and this week was accused of...

Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta...

Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová attended a meeting of the leading representatives of the parliaments of NATO countries in Washington, D.C. In her contribution, she appealed for more intensive support for the...

6 July 2019: Kladruby Imperial Stud Farm...

In 1563, the Holy Roman Emperor Maxmillian II of Habsburg founded a stud farm in Kladruby nad Labem which his successor, Emperor Rudolph II of Habsburg, granted a charter in 1579, elevating it to the status of Imperial Court Stud Farm. The stud...

Pangolin in a garden shop

When a pangolin escaped from Prague Zoo in the 1950s, it was reportedly killed by security guards of a government villa and subsequently declared to be an “infected crocodile”. At least that is how the story goes. Unfortunately, I don’t know...

Could a 4-day workweek be the norm in...

Research shows that a four-day workweek can significantly reduce stress, illness, and burnout in the workforce. An overwhelming percentage of companies that choose to adopt the shorter workweek stick with it due to its success. But when could...

All-Sokol Slet feels like “one giant family”...

Thousands of people have flocked to Prague this week for the 17th All-Sokol Slet, a gathering of Sokol branches from all over the world which takes place in the Czech capital every six years. The almost week-long event culminates on Thursday...

Slavkov comes alive with First Republic...

The vintage car jamboree in Slavkov near Brno annually attracts thousands of vintage car lovers. On show this weekend were veteran cars, motorbikes, tractors and bicycles. Pictured here is a vintage unicycle. Source: ČTK

Pundit on new alliance in EP: Babiš is no...

Andrej Babiš’ ANO party, Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party and Austria’s FPÖ have announced the formation of a joint alliance in the European Parliament called “Patriots of Europe”. How much do they have in common and how much...

Czech Pavilion at EXPO 2025 set to be...

The Czech pavilion for EXPO Osaka 2025, designed by Apropos Architects, will be the tallest wooden structure without steel support in Japan. What is the motivation behind the project and what challenges will the structure present? The 12-meter...

Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra embarks on...

The Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra with their chief conductor Petr Popelka has left on a two-week tour of Japan. They are set to perform six concerts in five cities across the country, starting in Osaka on Saturday. Ahead of their departure, I...

Rare mushroom, previously thought to only...

A Czech amateur mycologist has discovered a unique truffle-like mushroom in South Moravia. It was identified by experts as Sedecula pulvinata, a rare and protected species previously thought to grow only in the west of the United States...

Viggo Mortensen Western to launch Karlovy...

The 58th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival gets underway on Friday in the west Bohemian spa town. Among the biggest stars to attend this year’s edition of the region’s biggest film event will be Hollywood actors Viggo Mortensen and Clive...

Landscape Festival shows visitors potential...

The Landscape Festival Prague 2024 is a three-month multidisciplinary platform that aims to transform the urban landscape for the summer season into a place for discussion about the potential uses of public space. Through temporary...

Explore the Karlovy Vary Region from the...

Join us on a trip to the Karlovy Vary Region – famed for its hot mineral springs, spa treatments and the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, which every year draws movie stars from Hollywood and beyond. Our drone video will guide...

New museum exhibition in Nelahozeves...

A new museum exhibition in Nelahozeves connects renowned composer Antonín Dvořák’s music with the spirit of his birthplace. The exhibition emphasizes sound and music, with visitors accessing the experience through special audio guides that...

June 1914: Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg dies...

Some 110 years ago, on 28 June 1914, Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo. His wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg was killed alongside him. Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg was the daughter of Countess Wilhelmine Kinsky von Wchinitz und...

Czechast with Dušan Neumann

Dušan Neumann has a great story to share. Coming to New York in 1980 was definitely NOT like coming to the promised land. In 1980, New York was a city with mostly dysfunctional public services, a high crime rate, and corruption. See more here...

Film critic on why ‘Waves’ received several...

Jiří Mádl’s new film Vlny (Waves) premiered at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival on Monday night to a several-minute standing ovation. The film, set against the backdrop of the Prague Spring and the 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion of...

Conductor Rafael Kubelík born 110 years ago

Today’s edition of Sunday Music Show is dedicated to Rafael Kubelík, one of the country’s most renowned 20th century conductors and composers, who was born 110 years ago. To mark the occasion we will be listening to excerpts from Bedřich...

Czechia’s delicious sourdough bread

Sourdough bread is a Czech staple that you will not find anywhere else in the world. An indelible part of the Czech cuisine, sourdough bread is something that most Czechs eat daily and that Czechs living abroad take home with them when they...

Baggage crisis at Prague’s Václav Havel...

Prague’s Václav Havel Airport has been struggling to deal with a baggage-handling crisis that has affected thousands of passengers on both incoming and outgoing flights. The airports’ handling company is taking measures to correct the situation...

Prague zoo present – POISONOUS BEAUTY...

More than 30 species of woodpeckers in one place will be presented to the visitors of the Prague Zoo from, July 6. At 1 p.m. The opening ceremony of the Arrow Frogs exhibition will take place in the Gočárovy Domy Gallery. The thematic program...

Education and diversification are recognized...

Diversifying tourism across Asia and the Pacific, alongside promoting more and better education, will be key to building a more resilient and sustainable sector. According to UN Tourism’s data, the sector is experiencing a rapid recovery in...

Construction management in the Czech...

On the first of July, the Ministry of Regional Development launched the builder's portal for the public and the construction management information system for officials. Both connected systems are part of digital construction management, which...

The first containers with wood for the Czech...

The first containers with the wooden structure of the Czech national pavilion for EXPO 2025 in Osaka ceremoniously left Zveřovice in Novojičínsko in the Moravian-Silesian region. These are the supporting columns of the pavilion, which will be...

The Giants’ Gate at Prague Castle will...

The Giant’s Gate bordering Prague Castle from Hradčanské náměstí will be closed for several weeks from Monday 8th July 2024. The reason is the replacement of the safety posts. The reopening of the gate is scheduled for the last week of...

The 248th Anniversary of the Independence of...

On the occasion of the 248th Anniversary of the independence of the United States of America, H.E. Mr. Bijan Sabet the Ambassador of the United States of America in the Czech Republic and his spouse Ms. Lauren Sabet organized a garden reception...

Czech Republic is welcoming H.E Mr. Javier...

The official visit of the President of Argentina H.E Mr. Javier Gerardo Milei, to the Czech Republic contributed significantly to the development of the bilateral political dialogue and the boost of cooperation in many other spheres. President...

Jan Dismas Zelenka – a worthy...

Baroque music was very different across European countries. What most European influences agreed on within Baroque music, however, was polyphony – the simultaneous conducting of voices which have their own rhythm and melody, yet go together...

Government unveils plans to send Czech...

The Czech government has announced that after nearly half a century, the country is ready to send another astronaut to space. The man preparing for the mission, which is expected to take place in five years’ time, is Czech fighter pilot Aleš...

Joan Sedlacek, dedicated chronicler of US...

Members of Sokol, a Czech physical fitness organisation with branches the world over, are descending on Prague for the 17th All Sokol Slet, or jamboree, due to start on Sunday. Among the 20,000 enthusiasts due to attend is Joan Sedlacek, a...

Famous Czech sculptor working on new statue...

Sculptor Petr Váňa has left his mark around Czechia. He made the replica of the 1650 Marian Column on Prague’s Old Town Square and has created dozens of sculptures for Czech churches, village squares and hilltops. He even has a statue...

Jaroslav Rudiš: Everything is connected in...

After decades as one of Czechia’s best-known authors, Jaroslav Rudiš is about to see the first ever publication of one of his novels in English. However, Winterberg’s Last Journey was actually written in German, rather than Czech, reflecting...

MOBI WILL BE HALF A YEAR. THE LITTLE GORILLA...

Female gorilla Mobi, born in January at the Prague Zoo, is the current star of the Reserve Dja pavilion. She is learning to walk and hang on a rope, while her mother Duni allows her to go on increasingly daring expeditions around the area.

General Commissioner of the Czech...

On Wednesday, June 26, 2024, Ondřej Soška, ​​general commissioner of the Czech participation in the world exhibition EXPO 2025, was elected to the so-called Steering Committee.

Postal voting one step away from approval...

On Friday afternoon the Czech lower house finally approved a bill that has been years in the making – the introduction of postal voting for citizens living abroad. Czech expatriates have been waiting decades for this change to happen. While...

June 21, 1949 : General Heliodor Píka is...

The staged trial of Heliodor Pika is one of the most infamous political trials in communist Czechoslovakia, along with that of Milada Horáková. He was sentenced to death on the basis of fabricated evidence. Heliodor Píka, a World War I...

Exhibition explores Czechoslovak perceptions...

A new exhibition in Prague explores Czechoslovak perspectives on the work of UK writer George Orwell, particularly his novel 1984. That dystopian classic, published 75 years ago this year, found a particular resonance among the country’s anti...

AI-JAWAHIRI a bridge between two cultures...

The Ambassador of Republic of Iraq  H.E. Mr. Falah Abdulhasan Abdulsada and the Mayor of Prague 6 Mr. Jakub Starek organized a ceremonial unveiling event of the plaque of the Iraqi poet Al-Jawahiri a front of the building where he lived in...

Exhibition “Indonesia Through the Eyes...

The Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesiain the Czech Republic , H.E. Mrs. Kenssy Dwi Ekaningsih organized the exhibition “Indonesia through the Eyes of an Artist” at Wisma Duta, her beautiful residence. This exceptional...

Pastrňák dominates Golden Hockey Stick poll...

Boston Bruins star forward, David Pastrňák, has won the Golden Hockey Stick award for the seventh time. The 56th edition of the traditional poll ceremony symbolically sealed the hockey year in which Czechia won the gold medal at the World...

Czechast about the Roma people in Czechia

We’re tackling a persistent issue that has plagued Czechia since the fall of communism over thirty years ago: the segregation and discrimination of the Roma people. Despite various efforts and initiatives, Czechia has been consistently...

Children’s Olympics kick off in České...

The Children’s and Youth Olympics 2024 is being hosted by the South Bohemia Region this year. Over 3,500 young athletes are competing in 20 sports disciplines at 27 venues. The regional capital of České Budějovice is the main hub, but...

Rare Apollo butterfly re-introduced to...

After more than a century, the Apollo butterfly, one of Europe’s most threatened butterfly species, has returned to the Krkonoše Mountains, where it once used to thrive. Earlier this month, conservationists reintroduced the first 55 males of...

Unique Bronze Age hoard discovered in north...

Archaeologists from the Museum in Roudnice nad Labem have announced a rare discovery. While surveying a site in the small town of Budyně nad Ohří they came across a number of bronze artefacts, including pieces of jewellery, dating back over...

Nikol Bóková: The pianist and composer who...

To define Nikol Bóková as a pianist and composer would be far too simplistic. The rising star we present to you today has many more talents, as we learned through this conversation. Record label owner, film producer and lover of poetry and...

Vltava and Vyšehrad

If our keepers decided to give them names, I would propose names Vltava and Vyšehrad, and at the same time I would ask Prague Steamboat Company to become their sponsor. I am talking about the couple of Fuegian steamer ducks, which in our zoo...

Beer consumption in Czechia hits record low

People are drinking much less beer in Czechia than before, a country that is known for its highest beer consumption per capita in the world. Some of the reasons include tighter budgets due to economic uncertainty as well as the rising cost of...

Bears no longer a sight at Czech castles...

If you’ve ever visited the UNESCO-listed castle in the picturesque South Bohemian town of Český Krumlov, you can’t have failed to notice the brown bears living in the former moat of the castle complex. These ursine dwellers won’t be on display...

50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations...

On the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between the Kingdom of Thailand and the Czech Republic, The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand H.E. Mr. Suwat  Kaewsook and Mrs. Patcharin Naewsook host a Thai cultural event in...

The Statehood Day of the Republic of Slovenia

On the occasion of the Statehood Day of the Republic of Slovenia and the end of the Ambassador duty in the Czech Republic, H.E. Mrs. Tanja Strniša and Mr. Toni Strniša host a reception at the Embassy’s beautiful garden.

The New Home for Wild Horses

We walked through the large acclimatization enclosure in Kazakhstan’s Golden Steppe and looked around in vain for the three Przewalski’s horses that we released here. Finally, we noticed a movement in the distance. But it was only a solitary...

End of Belgium EU Presidency 2024

To mark the end of our Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2024, The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium H.E. Mr. Jurgen Van Meirvenne organize a Belgian Carillon Concert in front of the Rudolfinum (Namesti Jana Palacha), Prague 1.

US Onsemi to make record investment into...

US chip maker Onsemi is planning to invest $2 billion in its production facility in Rožnov pod Radhoštem–the biggest single foreign investment in Czechia’s modern history. The company’s chip production in Czechia would shoot up by hundreds of...

Czech research highlights rapid decline in...

The diversity of plants in Europe’s forests, wetlands and meadows is rapidly declining. This long-term trend has been confirmed by data collected by botanists from Masaryk University in Brno in collaboration with their European colleagues...

Prague based actress Róza Andělová: Getting...

Róza Andělová is a budding young Czech actress who studied French and English literature at Charles University. Magdalena Kadula invited her to Radio Prague’s studio to talk about her work, the opportunities for English-speaking actors and...

Czechast about Great Moravia Part 2

Czechast from and about Mikulčice-Valy, an archaeological site that preserves the remnants of a significant Slavic settlement from the times of the Great Moravian Empire. After stopping at the Monument of Great Moravia in Staré Město near...

270 years ago Czech scientist Prokop Diviš...

The discovery was made in the garden in Přímětice near Znojmo, where Diviš worked as a parish priest and conducted scientific experiments. The main function of the “weather machine” was to permanently balance the tension between the...

Icons of the early 2000s Holki celebrate 25...

The era of the rise of hip hop, the growing popularity of music videos, and the influx of boy bands and girl groups – all of this describes the early 2000s perfectly. While the world was ruled by Backstreet Boys, ‘N Sync or Spice Girls...

Rarely-displayed Josef Škvorecký manuscripts...

The Czech-Canadian émigré author and publisher Josef Škvorecký wrote his novels and stories on reams of paper. After his death in 2012, he left behind over 140 boxes of documents, manuscripts and personal correspondence, which he donated to the...

Nerudová, Síkela in frame for Euro...

The Mayors party, who have a say in the matter under the coalition deal, have announced they will put forward both Danuše Nerudová and Jozef Síkela for next Czech European commissioner – with the government to decide on a candidate by August.

Keanu Reeves at the Rock for People Festival

Dogstar pulled the crowds at the Rock for People festival in Hradec Kralove. They appeared at the festival within their 2024 summer tour to support their latest album Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees.

Čaputová receives highest Czech honor on...

Czech President Petr Pavel and his wife Eva received the outgoing Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová and her partner Juraj Rizman at Prague Castle on Thursday. With the trip, Čaputová has concluded her farewell foreign visits before the end of...

126th Anniversary of the Declaration of...

On the occasion of the 126th Anniversary of the Declaration of the Philippines Independence and the 50thAnniversary of the Philippines and Czech Republic Diplomatic Relations, H.E Mr. Eduardo R Menez The Ambassador of the Republic of...

2024 Nordic-Baltic National Days Together

The countries of Nordic and Baltic regions – Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden – hold their yearly joint National Days celebration together. Ukraine joins them as a guest country.  Prague is the only...

THE FIRST CZECH WOMBAT BABY

The first baby wombat born in the Czech Republic can be seen at the Prague Zoo. Although it was born last September, it can only now be observed because wombats, like other marsupials, are born in the embryonic stage and subsequent development...

UN Tourism Executive Council Meets to Place...

Tourism leaders from across the world have met again in Barcelona, Spain to shape the sector’s future, emphasizing the sector’s vital economic importance while also placing it firmly on the political agenda. The 121st session of the Executive...

This weekend’s Swiss peace conference on...

This weekend representatives of 90 or so states will be taking part in a conference at the Bürgenstock Resort in Switzerland aimed at finding a route to sustainable peace in Ukraine. Specifically the event will focus on issues such as nuclear...

“The priority is to protect serious...

Moscow is very likely to blame for a recent failed arson attack on city busews in Prague, the Czech prime minister said on Monday. Petr Fiala said the foiled plot was part of a hybrid war Russia is waging against Czechia. But what can the...

This year’s Smetana Litomyšl promises to be...

The annual Smetana Litomyšl, the second oldest music festival in Czechia and the country’s largest classical music festival outside of Prague, gets underway on Saturday. This year’s edition, marking the bicentenary of the birth of Bedřich...

Slalom racer Gabriela Satková wins canoe...

There was success for Czech athletes at the Canoe World Cup held in Prague’s Troja district over the weekend. Gabriela Satková (pictured) and Jiří Prskavec won gold medals in the women’s and men’s canoe slalom races...

Only 20 percent of plastic bottles sorted...

What really happens to your waste after you’ve sorted it and dutifully put it in your local recycling container? The Czech Environment Ministry attempted to find out via a unique experiment – at least for one very specific type of rubbish. They...

President Petr Pavel received Zuzana...

President Petr Pavel and Eva Pavlova received the President of the Slovak Republic Zuzana Čaputová and Juraj Rizman at Prague Castle. This is the last official visit of Zuzana Čaputová in the role of president. They discussed Czech-Slovak...

Genre-busting Prague Sounds festival reveals...

The Prague Sounds music festival, which takes place in November and was previously called Strings of Autumn, prides itself on mixing up genres. This year it will feature jazz great Branford Marsalis alongside rather less well-known names in the...