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With the beginning of the school year, the nationwide campaign “It Takes Courage” symbolically starts, which is focused on open communication about mental health. It will last until October 10, when the world commemorates...

On August 31, 1940, Adolf Hitler received a document that would fundamentally influence the fate of the Czech nation. The plan, titled Endlösung der tschechischen Frage (The Final Solution to the Czech Question) represented a Nazi strategy for...

Barbora Baronová runs Wo-men, an independent publishing house based in Prague. Since 2012 the company has brought out works by such names as photographer Libuše Jarcovjáková and dancer Miřenka Čechová – and earned many admirers for its striking...

Organ music lovers are flocking to the Moravian city of Olomouc for the 57th International Organ Festival, which opened on Monday. The annual event, now a well-established cultural highlight, honors the 340th birth anniversary of two towering...

The Prague suburbs could be connected by a new mode of transport: a train-tram. Several proposals have already been made to introduce it in various Czech regions. Now, the Central Bohemian Region is seriously considering this and aims to push...

The University of Vienna is marking a remarkable milestone this year: 250 years since Czech was first taught there. In fact, Czech was introduced as a field of study in Vienna 18 years earlier than at any Czech University. It was in 1775 when...

Martin Kratochvíl and Milan Svoboda – two legends of the Czech jazz scene – have come together for the first time to create a joint album. Kratochvíl is renowned for his pioneering fusion jazz, while Svoboda is celebrated for his modern big...

Czech Railways set a new record for passenger services on Sunday. A Pendolino tilting train reached 200 km/h on the Prague–České Budějovice line, the first time a passenger tain has been allowed to break the long-standing 160 km/h limit. Train...

The highly aggressive disease myxomatosis has been confirmed in hares in the Znojmo region of southern Moravia. These are the first confirmed cases in hares in Czechia, though the virus has previously been found in rabbits. Veterinarians warn...

Giant model aircraft took to the skies over Olomouc. Dozens of model enthusiasts showcased their planes at the Olomouc airport in Neředín during the international Extreme Flight Championships. The models, weighing around twenty kilograms each...

The award-winning documentary Mr. Nobody Against Putin is the result of a unique collaboration between American director David Borenstein and Russian teacher Pavel Talankin. Filmed secretly in Russia, it portrays how state propaganda shapes the...

The Czech Museum of Literature has announced a remarkable discovery. Literary scholars have uncovered a large part of the original manuscripts of Jaroslav Hašek’s world-famous novel The Good Soldier Švejk and His Fortunes in the World War. The...

The number of poisoned wild animals in the Czech Republic has risen sharply this year, with conservationists warning of one of the worst waves of illegal killings in recent memory. According to the Czech Society for Ornithology, 55 poisoned...

The Puppet Museum in Chrudim, East Bohemia, has received a remarkable gift: a collection of tin toys created over four decades by Czech stage designer and artist Jan Červenka. The priceless works travelled more than 31,000 kilometres from...

The Czech Republic is catching up on its obligations to soldiers, police officers and diplomats who served on dangerous foreign missions. An amendment to the War Veterans Act, which took effect on September 3, will give them more benefits and...

On the occasion of the 80th Anniversary of the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and the 75th anniversary of the Vietnam-Czechia Diplomatic relations, Ambassador H.E. Mr. Hoai Nam Duong hosted a reception at the Grand Mark...

On the occasion of Ukraine’s Independence Day, H.E. Mr. Vasyl Zvarych, the Ambassador of Ukraine to the Czech Republic, Ms. Viktoria Zvarych, and Mr. Petr Krogmann, the Chairman of the Presidium of the Ukrainian–Czech Chamber of Commerce...

On the occasion of the Victory Day, H.E. Mr. Metin Feyzioglu, the Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to the Czech Republic, and Mrs. Birgul Feyzioglu, and Colonel Emrullah Altay Ayhan, the Military, Naval, and Air Attaché, and Mrs. Ozlem...

On Monday, August 18, 2025, at Prague Castle, the President of the Republic, Petr Pavel, received the credentials of the new ambassadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary: HE Ms. Jana Vanaveski, the new Ambassador Extraordinary and...

The Václav Havel Library has announced this year’s finalists for its Human Rights Prize: Mzia Amaglobeli from Georgia, Maksym Butkevych from Ukraine, and Ulvi Hasanli from Azerbaijan. The winner will be announced on 29 September during the...

Led by Denmark, several EU countries have proposed monitoring online communication to combat child abuse. The so-called “Chat Control” would allow surveillance of private emails and social media messages. The proposal lacks majority support in...

An illegal menagerie, with many big cats, has been operating for years in Kletečná near Humpolec in the Vysočina Region. The authorities have long lacked an alternative home for the animals, but a breakthrough in the problem came after a...

Prague’s historic Nerudova street, the steep cobbled artery leading up to Prague Castle, has become the testing ground for a clampdown on electric scooters. Prague 1 has just introduced the first official ban on e-scooters in the capital, along...

Ostrava Zoo is home to over 6,000 animals from 451 species. Around one-third of these species are classified as threatened and seven are already extinct in the wild. The zoo not only helps to protect them in their natural environment, but...

For this week’s Sunday Music Show, we’re shining a spotlight on the musical output of Ostrava. The Silesian city is best known in terms of music for the Colours of Ostrava festival of pop and rock, but it also contributes to the artistic life...

Gorgeous views of Prague, gushing fountains and ornamental flower beds. Greenery and calm amid the hustle and bustle of the big city. Visit the most beautiful gardens and parks in Prague with us! Read more here.

Writer and translator Zdena Salivarová has died at the age of 91. Together with her husband, Josef Škvorecký, she wrote books and published exiled authors through their publishing house, 68 Publishers. In 1990, they were both awarded the Order...

On Monday 25th, in the presence of the Czech Prime Minister and Ethiopian Minister of Tourism, the globally famous remains of the hominins Lucy and Selam were unveiled at Prague’s National Museum. The finders of the fossils were honoured guests...

The TrutnOFF Open Air Festival attracted thousands of fans to Trutnov at the weekend. The long-running rock and alternative music festival with underground roots, often called the Czech Woodstock, traditionally features a diverse lineup...

In its third year now, Archirun combines architecture and urban exploration in the heart of Prague, inviting participants to run or walk through some of the city’s most cherished locations. This year, the route also included several often...

Kroměříž Chateau, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Zlín Region, dazzles the country with its architecture and gardens – and now also with hundreds of amethysts, centuries old and recently discovered by accident by a researcher from Palacký...

Václav Špála was a painter whose bold use of color and deep love for the Czech landscape helped shape the face of modern art in central Europe. Although he remains relatively unknown abroad, he is considered one of the most important Czech...

The end of August will once again turn northern Bohemia into a showcase of Czech glassmaking. In the coming week the town of Liberec will host the fourth edition of Crystal Valley Week, a five-day festival dedicated to glass and glass...

In July 2025, Yankele Gross (later known as Alex), an unknown Czechoslovak Holocaust survivor and Korean War veteran, died in the United States. He suffered through a death march and the camps of Auschwitz and Buchenwald. Yankele Gross was born...

The first male mountain bongo was born at Prague Zoo on August 6th, and then on August 18th; both can now be seen in the enclosure next to the hippopotamus pavilion. These are very rare additions, as the mountain bongo is considered the most...

On Wednesday at Prague Zoo, polar bears, bison, and takinis will receive cooling enrichment. Several tons of ice served the animals not only to cool down but also as a fun way to diversify their day. Enrichment stimulates their natural behavior...

On August 21st 1968, people woke to find that the hopeful era of the Prague Spring had ended, as tanks from Warsaw-Pact countries rolled into the Czechoslovak capital. At a solemn ceremony outside the Czech Radio building, political leaders...

NeverMore 68 is a festival that commemorates the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia on August 21, 1968. Now in its fourth year, this year’s edition focuses on “The Foreign Perspective,” particularly how British international...

The Czech government should not recognize Russia’s illegal annexation of parts of Ukraine, the Senate’s foreign affairs committee said on Wednesday. See more here. Author: Daniela Lazarová

The Ministry of Health is launching a pilot program this autumn that will enable people to receive flu vaccinations in selected pharmacies. The project is meant to test whether greater accessibility would increase public interest in...

A series of presentations and workshops in traditional Slavic art in the USA are set to be led by two ladies from Hovorany, South Moravia. They are travelling as ambassadors of the Moravian Beauty foundation, which promotes folk traditions...

Interest in voluntary military service among Czechs is waning. Since its launch in summer 2023, sign-ups for the Ministry of Defense’s “list of volunteers” have dropped from nearly 230 in the first year to just 100 last year. Volunteers share...

Liberec Zoo, established in 1904, is the oldest zoological garden in Czechia. Spanning 14 hectares, it houses over 170 animal species and plays a vital role in research, breeding, and conservation both locally and internationally. The zoo is...

The rapper Ye, who formerly went by the name Kanye West, may perform in Prague in the near future. However, a petition has been launched to protest against the potential performance, and Mayor of Prague Bohuslav Svoboda is likewise opposed to...

Up to a quarter of children in Czechia are overweight or obese. As a result, pediatricians have begun regularly monitoring children with obesity. Their goal is to help these children and their families manage excess weight before it develops...

On Friday 15th, the precious fossils of Lucy and Selam, 3.2 and 3.3 million years old respectively, landed at Prague Airport under strict security measures. They will be on display at the National Museum in Prague for two months, their first...

In the upcoming year, the Western-Bohemian city of Cheb will carry the prestigious title of European City of Sport. This was announced in an open letter from the non-profit organization ACES Europe (European Capitals and Cities of Sport...

In this edition of our Sunday Music show, we explore decades of Čechomor, formerly the ‘Czechomoravian Music Society’, a group of ex-rock musicians who revitalized traditional Czech music with fresh energy. Čechomor is a Czech band...

In this summertime episode of Czechast, the podcast in English about all things Czech, I set aside our usual interviews. Instead, I read my own English translation of a short story written and published in the 1930s by Karel Čapek, arguably the...

An exhibition, titled Then and Now, commemorates the travels of the iconic Czech traveller duo Hanzelka and Zikmund, known for their travels in the 1940s and 1950s. Czech Radio spoke to its curator Magdalena Preiningerová to find out more. The...

In the winding streets of Prague’s Lesser Town visitors may notice dozens of historic buildings adorned by house signs – lions, golden goblets, violins, suns and many more. Many of these signs are older than the house numbers themselves and...

According to the Czech Tourist Authority – CzechTourism, just short of 30,000 Chinese tourists travelled to Czechia in the first quarter of 2025 – a year-to-year increase of roughly 39%. The surge is largely attributed to the successful TV...

On Monday 11th, it was announced that the Czech Film and Television Academy has selected a documentary, director Klára Tasovská’s ‘I’m Not Everything I Want to Be’, as the Czech entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 98th...

Up on Letná Hill, overlooking the Vltava, the spectacular programme of this year’s Letní Letná international festival of new circus and theatre was inaugurated on August 13th. It runs until the end of the month. The festival attracts acts from...

The most promising generation yet. Such is the conclusion of the Czech Athletics Federation following the European Athletics U20 Championships in Tampere, where Czech athletes won a record-breaking number of medals. Following a dry spell, this...

In this episode of Prague Off the Beaten Track, we visit Divoká Šárka—one of Prague’s wildest landscapes, filled with rocky cliffs, meadows, and forests. Just a short tram ride from the city centre, this nature reserve blends ancient history...

Two days after his outing at Sziget Festival in Hungary, world music star Post Malone took the stage at Prague’s Letňany on Tuesday. The lively showman famously dabbles in a variety of genres, from hip-hop and pop, to rock and country. The...

After 11 years, the World Yo-Yo Contest returned to Czechia. At the Cubex Centre in Prague, close to 300 competitors contended in 8 categories for the most elusive titles in yo-yo. The annual event provided a blistering show, but little in the...

Chomutov Zoo is one of the youngest Czech zoos, but it can boast being the largest by area, stretching over 112 hectares. The zoo has over 1,000 animals of 161 breeds, 14 of them endangered species. Many of the animals can be viewed moving...

In this Prague off the Beaten Track episode, we start at Prague’s busiest railway hub—Hlavní nádraží—but head somewhere unexpected. Just beyond the platforms lies the Žižkov Highline, a short walkway born from a temporary art project that’s now...

Authorities in Šumava National Park have launched an intensive search for several wolves believed to have escaped from their large natural enclosure at the Srní Visitor Centre. The centre has been temporarily closed and the residents of nearby...

Ratibořice Château stands in Babiččino údolí (Grandmother’s Valley), north of Česká Skalice in the Hradec Králové Region. This national cultural monument has welcomed visitors ranging from Austrian Chancellor Metternich to Russian Tsar...

Five seasoned carvers took on the task of creating new sculptures for the fairy-tale alley during last weekend’s symposium in Bystřice pod Pernštejnem. Visitors were able to watch the new statues come to life right before their eyes. These new...

Bedrich Smetana’s third opera Dalibor explores themes of national pride, freedom, and resistance against oppression. Although he was hugely proud of the work, it failed to win recognition during his lifetime. Bedřich Smetana’s opera Dalibor...

In this summer edition of Czechast, host Vít Pohanka visits the South Bohemian village of Holašovice, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that feels like a storybook come to life. He speaks with Julia Kňažková, a local guide and heritage expert, about...

The legendary statue of Samson is leaving the South Bohemian capital of České Budějovice for the first time ever. Since 1990, the original has been stored inside the city’s town hall, a couple meters away from its original location. Now it is...

On the occasion of the 58th Anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, H.E. Ms. Rina PRIHTYASMIARSI SOEMARNO, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the Czech Republic, Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Prague, hosted a...

The 15th  edition of Prague Pride, an annual festival celebrating the LGBTQ community, took place in Prague on Saturday, 2nd August 2025. The theme for this year is ‘Where My Home Is’ Tens of thousands of people, including several Ministers...

A symbol of strength, wisdom, and majesty – on Saturday, Prague Zoo will celebrate World Elephant Day. Our Indian elephants will receive playful enrichment in the morning, and at 2 p.m., visitors can look forward to a special elephant bathing...

On October 3rd and 4th, Czechs will head to the polls in a parliamentary election. For the first time ever, Czech citizens based abroad will have the possibility to make use of the postal vote. However, the deadline to sign up is less than...

This could have been just another story of an ordinary family of Czech expatriates in the United States. However, a series of circumstances led Czech-American Joseph Stiborik to leave an indelible mark on history as a crew member of the Enola...

In August 1955, Karel Zeman’s groundbreaking film Journey to the Beginning of Time premiered in Czechoslovakia. Blending live action, animation, and model work, it captivated audiences and sold to more than 70 countries — a remarkable feat for...

The Mafia franchise is one of the most commercially successful Czech-made game series ever. ‘Mafia: The Old Country’ will be its fourth instalment, with a storyline going back to the roots of the Sicilian Mafia – a prequel to the first release...

How can food improve our internal sleep cycle? Whether the bad effects of an irregular sleep schedule can be mitigated by diet and exercise is currently under investigation by a team at the Czech Academy of Sciences. After five days of...

Bohuslav Martinů, one of the great 20th-century composers, will be the focus of the 35th Bard Music Festival, which gets underway at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, on Friday. Subtitled Martinů and His World, it’s the first time...

When Czech Railways announced plans to scrap the legendary “Knödel Express” running between Berlin and Prague, the news made international headlines and fans lamented its departure as the “end of an era”. Those addicted to its old-world charm...

Czech racing driver Roman Staněk is on a hot streak in the Formula 2 championship, one step below the elusive Formula 1. The 21-year-old secured his maiden feature race win and first pole position in two consecutive weeks, propelling him into...

Jihlava Zoo, officially recognized as a zoological garden since 1982, is nestled in the picturesque valley of the Jihlávka River, not far from the city center. The grounds feature wooded slopes, rocky outcrops, meadows, and water features...

The 6th annual theatre festival ‘Summer Grébovka’ kicked off on Monday with the highly anticipated production of ‘To be Marlene Dietrich’. The story of the legendary German actress and singer is the work of Theatre MA, who are staging plays at...

Bára Dočkalová is a Prague-based author, teacher and researcher, whose literary output captivates young Czech readers and this year won her a prestigious Magnesia Litera award. She spoke to Danny Bate about receiving the award and the ideas...

A vibrant parade featuring over two hundred dancers, musicians, and capoeira fighters lit up the first weekend of August in Brno, delighting thousands of onlookers. The streets pulsed with the infectious beats of samba drums, the shimmer of...

Under reconstruction from 2023, Praha–Bubny station is now welcoming trains and travellers. A spacious and light modern edifice replaces the old station from the 1920s, a key part of the planned improved railway connections to Václav Havel...

Gregor Mendel’s original microscope, used in his ground-breaking pea plant experiments, is now on display at London’s Science Museum as part of the Future of Food exhibition. Lent abroad for the first time ever by the Mendel Museum in Brno, the...

Exactly 30 years ago, the newly independent Czech Republic launched its first satellite, Magion 4, into space. It lifted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia, joining the historic line of Czechoslovak satellites. The Magion 4 satellite...

For this week’s Sunday Music Show, we’re celebrating the life and music of Karel Fiala, the charismatic Czech singer and actor, who was born on August 3rd 1925. His legacy is forever tied to one of the most popular films in Czech cinema:...

The Cyril and Methodius Chapel at Radhošť unexpectedly united the Beskydy Society with an American family. The people who take care of the chapel received an email from New York with photographs of a miniature of the chapel and a remarkable...

On the occasion of the 26th Anniversary of Enthronement of His Majesty The King Mohammed VI, H.E. Ms. Hanane Saadi, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to the Czech Republic, hosted a reception at the residence’s beautiful garden. Mr. Jiri...

On July 31, 2025, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová participated in the World Conference of Speakers of Parliaments and the Summit of Speakers of Parliaments in Geneva. The main topics discussed included global...

Prague Zoo introduced a new male Sumatran tiger. Nine-year-old Achilles arrived from the English Howletts Wild Animal Park to join four-year-old female Surya, with whom he could father cubs in Prague. The London native is a charismatic beast –...

Prague Pride is a week-long festival that is soon to begin on July 28th. In addition to the pride parade through the city on Saturday 2nd, the festival offers a rich programme of cultural and social events, from film screenings to picnics in...

For Lenka Králová, a transgender woman, podcaster, and activist, Prague Pride is the most important event of the year. She says the annual parade and week‑long festival show that “there is nothing to be afraid of” when it comes to LGBT+...

At the presidential summer residence in Lány, an envelope thought to contain the last words of first Czechoslovak President Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk will be opened on September 19th. Current President Petr Pavel will attend the ceremony...

The 110th World Esperanto Congress is taking place from July 26th to August 2nd in the Moravian capital of Brno. This celebration of the international auxiliary language offers a diverse programme of activities for over a thousand attendees. To...

The Theresian Institution of Noble Ladies takes up approximately one-fifth of Prague Castle’s panorama. Its roof and façade are now set to undergo reconstruction, as part of a 180 million crown plan – the largest investment at the Prague Castle...

The flickering lights of fireflies used to be a familiar part of summer nights in the countryside. Yet these elusive insects are disappearing, along with many others. To raise awareness about fireflies and the challenges they face, the Czech...

The zoo in the Moravian city of Olomouc is located just outside the city on Svatý Kopeček (Holy Hill). One of its priorities is the preservation of endangered species like the Rothschild giraffes. But visitors can also take a safari train ride...

President Petr Pavel on July 27th paid a personal visit to the Dalai Lama, who is celebrating his 90th birthday. The Chinese embassy has expressed its disapproval of the meeting. On Sunday 27th, on his journey home after a busy presidential...

The oldest known group photograph in Czechia, and possibly the world, is housed at Velké Březno Chateau near Ústí nad Labem. Taken in 1839, the daguerreotype features the aristocratic family of Count Karel Chotek along with relatives and...

Central Europe, including Czechia, is experiencing unusually cold and rainy weather this summer, thanks to a high pressure area that has settled over northern Scandinavia. July temperatures in the country are even lower than currently reported...