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When they were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and during the First Republic, Czechs were accustomed to driving on the left. That changed with the Nazi occupation in 1939. Driving on the left side of the road used to be the general rule...

The two-month-old female lowland gorilla Mobi at the Prague Zoo is keenly interested in her surroundings. In recent days, better fixation of the head has contributed to this, so the baby gorilla is already responding to all kinds of stimuli in...

The President of the Republic Petr Pavel and Eva Pavlova welcomed the President of the Republic of the Philippines Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. at the Prague Castle. with his wife Louisa Araneta-Marco. After the ceremonial welcome, the...

The latest trends in travel, the current preferences of tourists, or activities of the Czech Republic to support tourism.

Czech Television’s series Volga swept this year’s Czech Lion national film awards at the weekend. The mini-series about a Czechoslovak television chauffer picked up five prizes, including the Best Actor and best Supporting Actor. The Best Film...

The third part of our video series on Czech Music Greats is devoted to the work of one of the giants of Czech classical music Bedřich Smetana. Bedřich Smetana, whom Czechs like to call ”the father of Czech music”, composed eight operas...

Relations between Czechia and Slovakia, which were part of one country for over seven decades, have consistently been described as “exceptional”. But mounting differences over foreign policy have now led the Czech government to suspend a...

Known for introducing the word ‘robot’ to the world through his literature, Karel Čapek is one of the most famous Czech writers internationally – and one of the most loved at home. The author of ‘War with the Newts’ and ‘R.U.R.’ lived in...

Former US President Bill Clinton is in Prague for a conference commemorating the 25th anniversary of Czechia’s admission to NATO. On Sunday night he visited Prague’s Reduta jazz club, where he celebrated the country’s admission to Western...

The Czech capital is set to become a so-called city of refuge. The City of Prague has signed a contract with the Norwegian non-profit organisation ICORN, joining a network of more than 80 cities around the world that provide temporary asylum to...

The very first Prague nursery was established in 1884 by the Czech philanthropist Marie Riegrová-Palacká, daughter of the famous historian František Palacký. A few years earlier, in 1869, she had established the first Czech kindergarten...

What creates a romantic attachment? Is it just genetics, do our parents play a part or is it simply a magical uncontrollable process? What if every relationship you get into is an exact copy of the one that just ended? These are just some of...

Friday marks Petr Pavel’s first year as president of Czechia. What have been his biggest successes so far? And did he succeed in uniting the divided Czech society? I discussed these questions with political scientist Vlastimil Havlík from...

Czechia, along with Poland and Hungary, joined NATO exactly 25 years ago, on March 12, 1999. But how has Czech membership of the alliance actually gone over the last quarter century? And how has Russia’s war on Ukraine impacted that membership...

In the last five years, almost half of the tourists in the Czech Republic have visited a place where a movie, fairy tale, or series was filmed. According to a survey by the Czech Tourism Office – CzechTourism, the most frequent destinations...

Despite attempts to redefine the city’s image as a party destination, Prague reigns supreme in a recent UK-based index that measures nightlife across European cities. Taking in factors such as price of accommodation, cost of beer, and the...

She was the daughter of the founding father of Czechoslovakia, took on the role of First Lady after her mother died, and headed the Czechoslovak Red Cross for 20 years during the First Republic. And yet, surprisingly, Alice Masaryk has never...

The state-owned forest company Lesy ČR, which manages a large share of the country’s forests, is opening the very first plant in Czechia specializing in a wide variety of products made from wild game. Game lovers will be able to start ordering...

Dr. Evelyn funda discusses “Weeds: A Farm Daughter’s Lament”, her award winning book, and much more about her family and life of Czech immigrants in the American West. As you may have already found out in the previous episode...

Czechia on Tuesday celebrated 25 years since its accession to NATO, on March 12, 1999. One of the main events on the anniversary was the conference Our Security Cannot Be Taken for Granted with speakers including Bill Clinton, who was US...

The Brady family, originally from Nové Město na Moravě, has an inspiring story that spans generations and continents. George Brady, immigrated to Toronto, Canada after surviving Auschwitz and fleeing communism. Having promised himself as a...

Archaeologists from the central Moravian city of Přerov have announced a unique discovery. While carrying out excavations in the centre of the town, they came across an ice skate made of animal bone dating back some 1,000 years. Experts from...

It was constantly below zero in Astana last week. However, it didn’t matter too much because we spent almost all our four-day-long stay there in meetings and negotiations. The return of the wild horses to Kazakhstan will start in less than a...

At the start of her career, Věra Bílá soared on the wings of her incredible talent. She sold out concert halls all over the world; in France she won the award for Best Album of the Year in the world music category for her debut album Rom-Pop...

Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský awarded the Medal of Merit for Diplomacy to the outgoing Japanese Ambassador to the Czech Republic, H.E. Mr. Hideo Suzuki, who has been ambassador to the Czech Republic since September 2020 The Medal of Merit for...

The Women’s Ambassadors in Prague organized a unique exhibition to celebrate International Women's Day 2024.

I met the Zoos Victoria Director Dr Jenny Gray after almost two years. In the administration building of Melbourne Zoo we talked about what had happened during that time. “And most importantly, after ten years of fruitless searching we found...

The first transports of Převalský’s horses from Europe to Kazakhstan will take place this June as part of the Return of Wild Horses 2024 project. Two CASA army planes with a total of eight horses on board will take off from the airports...

Invest in Bravery is a project aimed at helping find investors for tech start-ups in Ukraine. It will be holding events in Prague – including a conference and workshops – on Tuesday and Wednesday and to find out more I spoke to David Nichols...

Ordinary Czechs can now experience the life of astronauts on the ISS space station. Students of the Czech Technical University have developed a virtual reality application, which simulates a space flight, everyday life in orbit, as well as some...

Before serving as a stylish backdrop to James Bond’s Casino Royale, this famous Czech spa catered to the world’s elite. In the course of the 20th century the Imperial Baths served monarchs, politicians and more recently film stars...

One of the greatest names in the history of Czech music, Má vlast composer, Bedřich Smetana, was born exactly 200 years. Bedřich Smetana (2.3.1824–12.5.1884) is one of the most influential figures in Czech music history, celebrated for his...

The private library of the late Czech writer, translator and publisher Josef Škvorecký will soon open to the public in his home town of Náchod in north Bohemia. The town hall acquired the library and other items from Škvorecký’s family in...

On Sunday, March 10, 2024, the Prague Castle grounds will host an Open Day. Visitors can tour the representative spaces, which are normally inaccessible to the public, for free. They can also look into the Cathedral of St. Vitus, Wenceslas and...

The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, took part in the summit of chairpersons of parliaments in Paris. Among the main topics discussed were equal opportunities for women in politics and the current issue of violence...

The 26th edition of the One World festival of human rights films gets underway in Prague in just under a fortnight’s time. For the first time the showcase is also including fiction films this year – but what has not changed is the breadth of...

On Monday, March 4, 2024, at Prague Castle, the President of the Republic Petr Pavel received the credentials of the new ambassadors to the Czech Republic:

The National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library in Cedar Rapids, Iowa is the foremost institution of its kind in the United States – and this year is marking the anniversary of its founding in 1974. How is the museum and library celebrating 50...

Scientists from Brno’s Masaryk University have grown hundreds of ‘mini brains’ the size of apple seeds using stem cells from Alzheimer’s patients. The idea is to study the causes and development of Alzheimer’s right from the moment the brain...

France’s president Emmanuel Macron recently refused to rule out the deployment of Western troops to Ukraine and that position appeared to find support from his Czech counterpart in Prague on Tuesday. Petr Pavel said combat troops could not be...

Karel Kryl, sometimes referred to as ‘the Czech Bob Dylan’ because of his complex and poetic lyrics on political themes, died 30 years ago today, a month shy of his 50th birthday. Kryl was one of the best-known Czech folk musicians of the...

A forgotten sculpture by the visionary Czech-born architect Jan Kaplický was recently discovered in a factory in Italy. The giant stainless steel water drop, designed 20 years ago for the Triennale di Milano, will go on display in Prague later...

Join us on a trip to the Hradec Králové Region – an area of mountains and skiers. Czechia’s highest mountain, Sněžka (1603 m), is located here. Our drone video will show you the diverse geography of the region, from the Giant...

The International Tourism and Regional Tourism Fair will occur from March 15 to 17 at the PVA EXPO PRAGUE exhibition center in Letňany. This year’s edition will offer a wide portfolio of domestic and foreign exhibitors, new and popular...

The European Commission has responded positively to Czechia’s call for the abolition of the fee that Germany charges for the transit of natural gas through its territory. Following Thursday’s meeting of energy ministers in Brussels the...

The President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, welcomed the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, at Prague Castle. The meeting followed the successful official visit of President Petr Pavel to France in December last year. On 5.3.2024...

On average, women work more than two months longer to reach the same pay as men This year, Equal Pay Day falls on March 6, 2024. It is a symbolic day that draws attention to the fact that, on average, women work 65 days more to reach the same...

Willa Cather’s novel My Ántonia is an American classic. Even though it is about Czech immigrants to Nebraska, it is virtually unknown in Czechia. It is a pity. In this episode of Czechast, we delve into a unique intersection of Czech...

Classical music is one of the priority topics of the Czech Tourism Office – CzechTourism within the framework of cultural tourism, also in connection with the Year of Czech Music. This year’s edition, with the magic four at the end, will...

Whooping cough has seen a dramatic increase this year in Czechia – at the last count there have been 1,666 confirmed cases since the start of the year, more than in the last four years combined. Over the last two decades, the only year that saw...

Carp and seven groschen. That was the reward given to the brave defenders of Jihlava who managed to repel a night attack on the royal town in 1402. The town annually commemorates their heroic deed with a festival aptly named Carp Day. Source:...

Czech architect Juraj Lasovský has come up with a unique project reviving old military bunkers built in Czechoslovakia before the Second World War. His aim is to turn the concrete structures into liveable spaces that can be used for various...

On the occasion of the Japanese Emperor’s 64th birthday and ending the term of the Ambassador of Japan to the Czech Republic H.E. Mr. Hideo Suzuki and Mrs. Suzuki held a reception at the Marriot Hotel Prague. In front of the Speaker of the...

On the occasion of the independence day of the Republic of Kosovo, H.E. Mrs. Albesjana Iberhysaj Kapitaj – Ambassador of the Republic of Kosovo host a reception at Kaiserstejnsky palac. In front of many Ambassadors, government officials...

On February 25,1969, Jan Zajíc, an 18-year-old student from Šumperk set himself on fire to protest against growing public apathy to the Soviet led-invasion in 1968. Zajíc set himself on fire in a passage off Wenceslas Square on February 25th...

Czechia took in roughly half a million Ukrainians following Russia’s full-scale invasion of their country two years ago. Many of these refugees have been young people, and to find out something about this generation’s lives here – and their...

Czech composer, pianist and organist Jan Václav Hugo Voříšek was a contemporary of Beethoven and a good friend of Franz Schubert. His most famous work, the Symphony in D major, combines his natural inclination to romanticism with a surprising...

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala is set to host his counterparts Slovakia, Poland and Hungary in Prague on Tuesday. The meeting of the Visegrad Four leaders comes against a backdrop of calls to cancel the summit after Slovakia’s Robert Fico made...

The presidents of the parliaments of the countries of the Visegrad Group met in Prague’s Liechtenstein Palace. The parliamentary summit of the V4 and Ukraine was opened by the President of the Senate, Miloš Vystrčil, with the Speaker of...

Czechs are marking two years since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine with commemorative events, marches, rallies and fundraisers taking place all around the country on Saturday. In Prague, thousands of people gathered on Old...

Two comedies written by dissident playwright Pavel Kohout in the 1970s with the intention of being performed in private in peoples’ homes are being revived by the MANA theatre in Prague’s Vršovice district – but not on a regular theatre...

Saturday, March 2 marks 200 years since the birth of Bedřich Smetana, one of the most internationally renowned and nationally celebrated Czech composers. Czech Radio is dedicating a weekend of programming to the anniversary, a number of events...

The Paris summit on Ukraine appears to have kicked into action a Czech plan to purchase badly needed ammunition for Ukraine outside of the EU. After struggling to secure international funding for the project, Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced...

Czech company, Bene Meat Technologies, is preparing to put cultivated minced beef on the Czech pet food market within the next two years, pending EU approval. But is this country of meat-lovers ready to buy food grown in a petri dish? If saving...

Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová and President of the Senate Miloš Vystrčil held talks with their Ukrainian counterpart Ruslan Stefančuk in Prague. The main topic of the meeting was the continued support for the...

The Pardubice Region has a varied terrain, beautiful castles and chateaux, a long tradition of horse-rearing, and is also famous for its sweet gingerbread! Check out its landmarks in our photo gallery! Source

Mezzo-soprano, improviser, lover of Dvořák – it would be nearly impossible to put Bella Adamova into a box. A classically trained singer, Adamova was born in Grozny but grew up in Prague and spent years abroad completing her musical...

Czechia’s Knihobot, which started out in a small second-hand book shop, has become a major name in the country’s resale economy. The service allows people to get rid of their old books for cash – and has made inroads into other markets in...

Preparations are in full swing for the annual international book fair and literary festival Book World Prague, which gets underway in May. Organizers have just announced that this year’s edition will honour the centenary of Franz Kafka. Unlike...

A new study monitoring the burden of toxic chemicals on the population recently got underway in Czechia. Researchers in four different parts of the country are taking samples of children’s urine and hair to detect the presence of toxic...

An unusual research study is currently underway at Prague’s FAMU film school, focusing on the effect of sound on video game players. As part of the project, organised together with the Medical Faculty, participants are asked to play a horror...

The Czech Chamber of Deputies was considerably brighter and more colourful than usual on Tuesday. A number of MPs from across the political spectrum showed up for work in the traditional folk costumes of their region to celebrate regional and...

Czech MPs have approved broader rights for people in same-sex unions. However in a vote on Wednesday they stopped short of approving same-sex marriage or equal rights when it comes to adoption. I discussed the news with Czeslaw Walek, the head...

Dr. Anna Hájková is a Czech historian educated in Germany, the Netherlands and Canada. She is the author of the critically acclaimed book “The Last Ghetto: An Everyday History of Theresienstadt”, published in English by Oxford...

Large flocks of ravens, jackdows and crows swirl in the skies over Brno every evening. The birds have their winter roost in the forest between the Riviera swimming pool and the university campus in Brno. Source: ČTK

When Jiří Václav Parma fled from communist Czechoslovakia to the US in 1962, he sought to put down roots in a place that reminded him of home. He settled in Blue Knob, Pennsylvania, hung his “Bača” (sheep herder) hat on a stand and established...

While Czechia’s arms industry has seen record exports in the last two years, its armaments makers are still facing one major problem, according to the country’s defence minister. Jana Černochová says international banks are making it hard for...

21-02-2024 – The Ambassador of the Argentine Republic for the Czech Republic H.E Mr. Claudio Javier Rozencwaig and his spouse, host an Argentine Wine Tasting at their residence. Mr. Martin Marek, sommelier of Alifea presented the...

The tourism and regional tourism trade fair HOLIDAY WORLD & REGION WORLD is one of the most important events in its field, and its 32nd year will take place from March 15 to 17. The PVA EXPO PRAGUE exhibition center will be filled with...

The Committee of Good Will – The Olga Havel Foundation commemorates the second anniversary of the war in Ukraine and continues its public collection for psychological assistance to Ukrainian children affected by the war. The foundation...

A new bill recently drafted by the Czech government aims to see a minimum of one-third women in upper management positions in large companies. The draft aims to bring Czechia more in line with other EU countries, where the representation of...

Can the growing numbers of wolves in Czechia’s Šumava National Park have a positive impact on local forests? For the next three years, scientists from the Czech University of Life Sciences will be seeking to answer just that question, by...

Photo: © Barrandov Studio a.s. František Vláčil’s films Marketa Lazarová and The Valley of the Bees are considered masterpieces of Czech cinema. In 1998 he received a Crystal Globe award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival for...

The war in Ukraine has been raging for almost two years, and refugees continue to arrive in Czechia. Although the majority find employment, it is often in precarious conditions, and over 60 percent of economically active Ukrainian refugees are...

The Chamber of Deputies will mark the upcoming second anniversary of Russia’s wartime aggression against Ukraine with a series of activities. The leadership of the House of Representatives, led by its Speaker, will take part, for example...

Scientists at a university in Liberec are investigating the possible impact of microorganisms on the safety of an underground radioactive waste repository, which should be built in Czechia in several decades’ time. The main focus of their...

A Median poll published Tuesday reaffirms ANO’s long-term commanding lead among Czech voters. But the survey also suggests that the Czech Pirate Party, one of the smaller parties in the coalition, are now ahead of government leaders the Civic...

President Petr Pavel made international headlines at the Munich Security Conference when he said Czechia could secure about 800,000 artillery shells for Ukraine – if partner states provided the funding. How realistic is this plan? And what...

The South Bohemian town of Hořice has a long tradition of passion plays which are intertwined with the family histories of its Czech and German inhabitants. One such family helped save and preserve the first known score for the Šumava Passion...

The second part of our video series on Czech Music Greats looks at a lesser-known name in Czech classical music – Jan Václav Hugo Voříšek. Despite passing away at a young age, he left the world a stunning symphony. Had he lived longer and...

The East Bohemian city of Pardubice, which lies on the confluence of the Labe (Elbe) and Chrudimka Rivers, is mainly associated with its production of gingerbread and the famous Velká Pardubická steeplechase. The industrial city also boasts a...

Kamila Kopřivová is Czechia’s first ever female rabbi. She was ordained in September last year and has since served as a rabbi at the Westminster Synagogue at the Kent House in London. The building is also a home to Torah scrolls that were...

Chants echoed the Pittsburgh Penguins’ home arena on Sunday for the jersey retirement of the legendary Czech ice hockey player Jaromír Jágr. Jágr – who played 11 years with the Penguins – returned to the city he calls his second home to see his...

Record temperatures in many places in Czechia suggest that spring is just around the corner. In parks and gardens, crocuses, snowdrops and winter aconites are blooming. Source

A Thursday night screening at Prague’s Edison Filmhub of the film Utøya, about the mass shooting at a summer camp in Norway, provided an opportunity to discuss the aftermath of December’s shooting at Charles University. One topic was...

Ladislav Nagy is not just a scholar, translator and academic. He is also an experienced jockey and trainer, and even a member of the Presidium of the Czech National Jockey Club! In today’s episode, I have the pleasure of welcoming someone whose...

The roots of punk rock music in Czechoslovakia are said to stretch back 45 years, to a concert by the alternative band Extempore. The gig took place on February 23, 1979 at the Prague pub U Zábranských and featured some covers of songs by UK...

Czechia ended compulsory military service two decades ago. Now, however, the head of the country’s army, Karel Řehka, says it may be necessary to bring it back – otherwise the state could have insufficient military reserves in future. Military...

The Integrity of the Avant-Garde: Karel Teige and the Biography of an Ambition is the title of a book set for publication next month. Its author is US-born Peter Zusi, associate professor of Czech and Comparative Literature at the University of...

A quiet evening together, a walk in nature or the clouds, a visit to the blossoming castle greenhouses, the zoo, relaxation in the spa, or a candlelit dinner? Celebration of St. Valentine’s Day can take dozens of forms. The Czech and...