Posts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Emil, the moose that captured public attention while roaming across Czechia and Austria this summer, has been relocated to safety near the Šumava National Park. Austrian authorities tranquilized the animal on Monday morning after it wandered...

The National Museum in Prague is hosting 100 Treasures, 100 Stories. On loan from the National Palace Museum in Taipei, it brings masterpieces of Chinese art to Europe for the very first time. At its heart is the famous jadeite cabbage, often...

In the Prague district of Vinohrady, a “Stolperstein” was laid this week for the late Czech journalist, writer, and former culture minister Pavel Tigrid. The installation was initiated by the German-Czech Future Fund and the unveiling was...

A painting by Oskar Kokoschka, prints by Václav Hollar, a drawing by Mikoláš Aleš : those and other art works from the estate of former foreign minister Jan Masaryk have been gifted to the Czech state, courtesy of the family of Lumír Soukup...

On the occasion of the 215th Anniversary of the Independence of Mexico H.E. Mrs. Berenice Díaz Ceballos, Ambassador of Mexico to the Czech Republic,  hosted aconcert “Mexico and its Sounds” featuring the distinguished Mexican musicians:...

Today I had the pleasure of interviewing my friend Jonáš Krejčí, the cellist from the famed Pražák Quartet. With over 60 CDs to its name, the Quartet has long been recognised as among the best classical ensembles in Europe. On September 28...

LEGO® is celebrating the anniversary of  25 years of operation of the LEGO factory in Kladno in a very unique way. At the same time that the exhibition of the Crown Jewels is open to the public at the Prague Castle, to celebrate this...

On the Occasion of the 76th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China and the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the People’s Republic of China and the Czech Republic, H.E. Mr. Feng Biao, Ambassador of the...

On the occasion of the National Day of Chile, H.E. Mr. Victor Abujatum, the Ambassador of Chile to the Czech Republic, hosted a concert at the beautiful historic Pisecká brána in Prague. The musicians were Rodrigo Santa María & Víctor...

On Saturday, September 13, 2025, at the scenic Hostivarská prehrada in Prague, the first Filipínská Barrio Fiesta, took place. The Filipino community in Prague and across the Czech Republic warmly hosted hundreds of guests, with a rich cultural...

The Czech crown jewels, including the St. Wenceslas Crown, sceptre, orb, and robes used in the coronation of Czech kings, are on display at Prague Castle. This year’s exhibition designed by the famous London-based architect Eva Jiřičná...

Kutná Hora’s Chocolate Museum may well be the smallest museum of its kind in the world. But the story it tells – of Lidka chocolate, its 20th century rise, fall, and later 21st century revival – serves as a very large mirror of modern Czech...

Zavolíme! is a unique project that organizes student-led election debates. Created by students, for students, its name loosely translates to ‘We Will Vote’- a fitting reflection of its mission to boost youth voter turnout, promote civic...

After drawn-out disputes between the Czech Railway Administration and conservationists over the future of Výtoň Bridge –one of Prague’s iconic landmarks- it has been announced that the bridge will be reconstructed, not replaced. The news has...

The Czech Air Navigation Services have introduced DroneMap: a new digital tool that helps pilots navigate both air and ground restrictions. The app provides instant information about no-fly zones, required permissions, and areas where rules...

A new exhibition at the Museum of Music in Prague pays tribute to one of the most significant figures of Czech and world music, opera singer Soňa Červená, on the occasion of what would have been her 100th birthday. The exhibition, titled simply...

Seventy-five years ago, a blast in a quarry near the village of Koněprusy revealed the entrance to an underground world that today is one of the Czech Republic’s greatest natural treasures. The Koněprusy Caves are located in the heart of...

Arthouse Gallery is preparing to auction over 300 exclusive pieces of historic glass and porcelain. The online auction scheduled for September 24, will give collectors the opportunity to acquire gems from the Baroque Renaissance, Biedermeier...

Tom Kotík, artist and musician based in New York, is the great-great-grandson of Czechoslovakia’s first president, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. He returned to Prague to witness the unveiling on Friday of a sealed envelope believed to contain...

The Holešovice Market Hall unveiled a new sculpture titled “Market and Slaughterhouse” last week, established as part of Prague’s efforts to artistically revitalize the popular community space. The sculpture of a red bear clawing at honeycombs...

On the Occasion of the Constitution Day of the Slovak Republic and the Day of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic, H.E. Mr. Martin Muránsky, the Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to the Czech Republic, hosted a reception at the beautiful...

H.E. Mr. Suwat Kaewsook, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand, and his spouse, and the Embassy of the Kingdom of Thailand organized a Thai traditional market to celebrate the enduring friendship between the people of the Kingdom of...

As a part of the ASEAN Plus Film Festival 2025, Mr. AMIRUL ZAKI BIN FADZIR, the CDA of Malaysia in the Czech Republic, organized a screening of the Malaysian animated film Mechamato Movie. Film Synopsis: After a mysterious spaceship crash-lands...

On the Occasion of the 75th Anniversary of the Diplomatic Relations between Viet Nam and the Czech Republic, H. E. Mr. Duong Hoai Nam, Ambassador of the S.R. of Viet Nam in the Czech Republic, organized a screening of two Vietnamese films:...

As a part of the ASEAN Plus Film Festival 2025, H.E. Mr. Eduardo Menez, the Ambassador of the Philippines in the Czech Republic, organized a screening of the movie “Spring in Prague”. A touching love story of a Filipino resort owner who falls...

Czech leaders have strongly condemned Russia’s drone incursion into Polish territory, which they view as clear evidence of Russia’s mounting aggression. At its session on Wednesday, the Czech cabinet expressed solidarity with Poland and...

Czechia’s population shrank by 27,200 in the first half of this year, dropping to 10. See more here. Author: Ruth Fraňková

The ferry lines across the Vltava are a fairly inconspicuous but charming part of the city’s Integrated Transport System. For tourists they offer a glimpse of the city from a different perspective, for local residents quick connections between...

At Pilsner Brewery, new coopers are initiated with a symbolic slap or a strike on a handcrafted barrel. After three years of training, they join the eight-member cooperage team. The ceremony takes place during the traditional tarring of oak...

After borders opened in the early 1990s, churches in remote parts of Czechia became frequent targets of art-theft. Valuable statues and paintings were stolen, often ending up with resellers or in foreign auction houses. Now, decades later, some...

Hundreds of fans waited overnight in Prague for the release of Dan Brown’s new novel The Secret of All Secrets, a story that is partly set in the Czech capital. By Tuesday morning, a long line had wound its way outside the Old Town Hall, with...

This year Czechs are marking 900 years since the death of the country’s most famous chronicler Cosmas, author of Chronica Boemorum or Chronicle of the Bohemians, the first known documentation of Czech history. Many town halls are hoping that...

A memorial dedicated to Czech pilot František Hekl was unveiled on Sunday at Loch Doon in Scotland. During the Second World War, he served with the 312th Czechoslovak Squadron of the British Royal Air Force (RAF). In October 1941, during a...

British star Robbie Williams pulled all the stops for fans in Prague on Sunday. “An evening packed with hits, stand-up and charismatic energy” is how the local press described the spectacular show in the sold-out O2 Arena. It was the...

In this edition of our Sunday Music show, we explore Petr Novák, the Czech Romantic of the Rock Era. Petr Novák (1945–1997) was one of the most distinctive voices of Czech popular music in the 1960s and 1970s. Although his name is not widely...

The Great Balloon Fiesta in Hradec Králové has set a new Czech record in the number of ballons taking to the skies simultanously. The event has attraced many foreign crews. Hot-air balloons have been filling the skies over Hradec Králové and...