Photo: Tomáš Mařas, Czech Radio
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 have also gotten older and older.
The Ministry of Transport recently reported that over 6.
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Photo: Marta Pilařová, Czech Radio
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 — including plastics, flammable containers and batteries. A geological survey later confirmed the presence of hazardous substances, some of them carcinogenic.
“I didn’t buy a plot on a dump — I bought a plot with a view of Ostrava.
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Author: Daniela Lazarová
Photo: Radek Petrášek, ČTK
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 local sledding track.
See more here.
Photo: František Tichý, Czech Radio
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 of integrating AI in education, and his passion for John Steinbeck. He also addressed the future of Ostrava and the ongoing struggle to keep young talent in the Moravia-Silesia region.
Petr Kopecký is not only President of Ostrava University but also a scholar of American literature and environmental thought.
See more here.
Author: Vít Pohanka
Photo: Profimedia
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 Secrets is set in the heart of the city, steeped in legends and tales of Prague’s mysteries.
See more here.
Photo: Ruth Fraňková, Radio Prague International
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.
This year’s main exhibition, New Forms of Sensitivity, explores themes of subtlety, intimacy and honesty.
See more here.
Author: Ruth Fraňková
Photo: Jaroslav Hoření, Czech Radio
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 Paradise in Turnov.
The main exhibits on display at this unusual exhibition in Turnov are replicas of crowns worn by Luxembourg and other rulers on the Czech, Hungarian, and Austrian thrones.
See more here.
Author: Daniela Lazarová
Photo: Profimedia
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 struggles and sweet hopes.
Early autumn in Moravia traditionally means the season of fruit brandy distilleries.
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Author: Vít Pohanka
Photo: Ian Willoughby, Radio Prague International
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 that once housed the country’s parliament. And it was there that I spoke to Mr. Mareček about the selection of Jakub Hrůša as next music director – and much more besides.
Last year was of course was a big year for the Czech Philharmonic.
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Author: Ian Willoughby
Photo: Zdeněk Truhlář, Czech Radio
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 Beech Forests, which so far remain the only Czech natural heritage site on the list.
The Moravian Karst, in southern Moravia, is the country’s largest and most important karst region.
See more here.
Author: Ruth Fraňková
Photo: Ondřej Deml, ČTK
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 scheduled for November 1, the singer’s 83rd birthday.
Marta Kubišová is an icon on the Czech music scene, shining bright during groundbreaking moments in the country’s modern history.
See more here.
Photo: Jaroslav Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry in Prague
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 NASA’s Europa Clipper mission and help test spacecraft materials for future journeys into deep space.
Selina is more than just a technical curiosity.
See more here.
Author: Vít Pohanka
Photo: Vít Pohanka, Radio Prague International
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 tourist crowds. Nestled under Tábor Hill, it reveals a surprising blend of history, nature, and tranquillity in one of the city’s overlooked districts.
When Prague locals hear “Malešice,” they often think of the massive waste incineration plant, whose chimney towers over the district and processes hundreds of thousands of tons of rubbish every year.
See more here.
Author: Vít Pohanka
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 speakers were RNDr. Miloš Vystrčil, the President of the Senate, Mr. Jan Lipavsky, the Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic, and Mr. Lukáš Vlček, the Minister for Industry and Trade.
Watch the video with the speeches of H.E. Mr. Youngki Hong, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Czech Republic, RNDr. Miloš Vystrčil, the President of the Senate, Mr. Jan Lipavsky, the Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic, Mr. Lukáš Vlček, the Minister for Industry and Trade, and highlights from the culture program.
Happy National Day, Republic of Korea – 대한민국 국경일 축하합니다
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, an Art Nouveau gem steeped in musical history, and rarely open to the public.
As one of the world’s leading chamber music ensembles, the Pražák Quartet has captivated audiences across Europe and North America, performing in major cities such as Prague, Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Berlin. With more than 60 CDs to their name, the Quartet continues to define excellence in chamber music.
The Festival offers a rare opportunity for audiences to experience the magic of collaboration between the Pražák Quartet and exceptional guest artists. Joining them are internationally acclaimed French pianist François Dumont, Grammy Award-winning American mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor, and leading Czech clarinetist Anna Paulová.
**Festival Highlights**
The Pražák and Friends Festival spans five captivating evenings from 28 September to 25 October 2025. Each concert promises a unique blend of musical masterpieces:
– **Pražák Quartet and Anna Paulová** (September 28, 2025): The inaugural concert highlights works by Josef Suk, Antonín Dvořák, and W.A. Mozart.
– **Pražák Quartet Solo Evening** (October 4, 2025): Featuring Haydn’s “The Lark,” Smetana’s String Quartet No. 2, and Dvořák’s Op. 105.
– **Pražák Quartet & Kelley O’Connor** (October 18, 2025): A Czech premiere of Anders Hillborg’s *Kongsgaard Variations* alongside Respighi’s *Il tramonto* and Dvořák’s *Cypresses*.
– **Pražák Quartet, Kelley O’Connor & François Dumont** (October 24, 2025): An enchanting evening with works by Korngold, Grieg, Crumb, Hahn, and Chausson.
– **Pražák Quartet and François Dumont** (October 25, 2025): Featuring Beethoven’s *String Quartet Op. 95*, the world premiere of Tomáš Prechal’s String Quartet, and Dvořák’s *Piano Quintet Op. 81*.
The Pražák and Friends Festival promises an unforgettable celebration of chamber music in one of Prague’s most exquisite venues.
Tickets are now available for purchase. Join us as we bring these exceptional collaborations to life in the heart of Prague!
For more information, visit www.prazakquartet.com/festival .
One of the points of the Sunday program will be the handing over of special enrichment in the form of postage stamps to a family group of gorillas. The picture shows a one and a half year old female lowland gorilla Gaia. Photo Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
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 Czech Post postage stamps called Stars of Prague Zoo, the gorillas in the Dja Reservation will receive a unique enrichment with a postal theme. There will also be a book launch by Janek Ledecký, Crazy Verses 2, or the opening of the Barrandien: Testimony of the Prehistoric Sea exhibition. Live music will be provided by Sto zvířat and Pískomil se vrací, or singer Ema Papšová.
There will also be commented feedings and animal encounters throughout the day.
They will start with the feeding of the storks in the African House and the kangaroos in Darwin’s Crater at 10:30. There will also be a popular demonstration of sea lion training at 1:30 p.m., while at 2:30 p.m. the gorillas in the Dja Reservation will receive special enrichment in the form of postage stamps. In the early evening, the program will culminate with an extraordinary feeding of gharials in the Čambal pavilion at 5:30 p.m.
During the 94th anniversary celebration of Prague Zoo, there will also be a festive training of sea lions. The picture shows the chief keeper Jakub Mezei, the female South African sea lion Ronja (left) and Daisy (right). Photo Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
Program of the Prague Zoo 2025 Annual Celebration
Educational Center
– 10:30 a.m. Musical performance by the band Sto zvířat
– 11:00 a.m. Opening of the annual celebration with the Mayor of the City of Prague and other guests
Archa Theatre
– 12.00 Meeting of participants ABC time box
Gočár’s Houses
– 12.45 Performance by singer Ema Papšová
– 13.00 Opening of the exhibition Barrandien: Testimony of the prehistoric sea
Dja Reservation
– 13.45 Music and dance performance by SILAABAA Afro Music Band
– 14.00 Presentation of new postage stamps of Prague Zoo Stars
– 14.30 Handing over special enrichment with a “postal” theme to gorillas
Bororo Reservation
– 14.30 Musical performance The Sandpiper Returns
– 15.00 Launch of Janek Ledecký’s new book Crazy Verses 2
Commented feedings and meetings with animals across the Prague Zoo complex
– 10.30 Feeding of the grackles – African House
– 10.30 feeding red-necked and giant kangaroos – Darwin Crater
– 10.45 feeding meerkats – Africa House
– 11.00 meeting with capybaras and anteaters – Capybaras
– 11.00 meeting with giraffes – Africa House
– 12.00 meeting with gorillas – Méfou Centre
– 13.00 feeding South American tapirs – Tapirs opposite Darwin Crater
– 13.30 sea lion training demonstration – Sea lions
– 14.00 feeding reptiles – Predators and Reptiles Pavilion
– 14.00 feeding wombats – Darwin Crater
– 14.00 feeding Przewalski’s horses – Gobi
– 14.30 feeding elephants – Elephant Valley, lookout opposite wolves
– 14.30 feeding gorillas + enrichment with “postal” theme – Dja Reservation
– 15.00 ring-tailed lemur feeding – Lemur Island
– 15.30 hippo feeding – Hippo Pavilion
– 16.00 meeting with devils – Darwin Crater
– 17.30 gharial feeding – Čambal
The special Sunday feeding of the Indian gharials in the Čambal pavilion is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on September 28. Photo Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
Photo: Lasvit
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 Herbarium inspire all who enter the United Nations to cherish the beauty of our planet and reaffirm their commitment to protect it.
See more here.
Author: Ruth Fraňková, Pavel Novák
Photo: Aashna Miharia, Radio Prague International
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 nadějí (United by Hope) and university officials unveiled a plaque engraved with the victims’ names. The plaque, whose addition comes after grieving families requested it, stands next to the three-meter-high stone memorial sculpture established in June 2024.
The plaque lists the names of the 14 students and staff members who lost their lives on December 21, 2023, after a 24-year-old student went on a shooting spree inside the faculty.
See more here.
Photo: Sokoljan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
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 most significant rulers who gave Prague its unmistakable character.
Rudolf II was born the second son of Emperor Maximilian II and Maria of Spain.
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Author: Klára Stejskalová
Photo: Michaela Říhová, ČTK
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.
Photo: Matěj Komár, Czech Radio
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 anniversary season.
The German-Japanese conductor brings extensive international experience, having worked with orchestras around the world.
See more here.
Author: Hannah Vaughan
Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International
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 island of Sumatra, where he founded the Kukang Rescue Program, an NGO working to protect slow lorises in the wild, primarily against illegal animal trafficking. František recently visited Radio Prague’s studio to talk about his life’s passion – protecting animals and nature. I first asked what took him to Sumatra where he is spearheading efforts to save the Slow Loris from extinction.
“I graduated from the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague in 2014 and I did my diploma thesis on illegal wildlife trade with a focus on Indonesia.
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Author: Daniela Lazarová
Photo: IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Center of the Technical University of Ostrava
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 atmospheric monitoring with the European Space Agency.
The hum of powerful cooling systems fills the room.
See more here.
Author: Vít Pohanka
Photo: Vít Pohanka, Radio Prague International
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 becoming part of daily life for locals. Once threatened with demolition, the bridge now has a new lease on life as Prague balances heritage, transport, and identity.
The Vyšehrad, or Výtoň, railway bridge may look like nothing more than a workhorse of steel and rivets, but its story stretches back to Prague’s revolutionary year of 1848.
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Author: Vít Pohanka
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.
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Author: Vít Pohanka
Photo: Khalil Baalbaki, Czech Radio
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 revealed Masaryk’s candid views on politics, mortality, and human weakness.
For years, speculation swirled around a mysterious sealed envelope kept in the Czech National Archives.
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Author: Vít Pohanka
Photo: Aashna Miharia, Radio Prague International
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 installation on an authentic wooden raft on the Vltava River.
The installation, which can be seen on a floating wooden raft near Výtoň Bridge below Vyšehrad, pays tribute to rafting as a UNESCO-listed cultural heritage craft and is inspired by Bedřich Smetana’s iconic symphonic poem Vltava, which is celebrating the 150th anniversary of its premiere this year.
See more here.
Photo: Kosmas 900 / Czech National Library
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 account of Czech history.
“In Europe is situated Germania, in whose regions, across the northern plain, is a place spread very wide, girded everywhere by mountains in a circle.
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Author: Ruth Fraňková
Photo: Marlene Film Production
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 into the inner world of the famous writer.
Franz Kafka is an author who hardly needs an introduction.
See more here.
Author: Hannah Vaughan
Photo: Helmut Fohringer, ČTK
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 dangerously close to a highway near the town of Sattledt in Upper Austria. Officials explained that Emil appeared ready to leap over the highway fence, posing a risk to both drivers and himself.
After being sedated, Emil was loaded onto a trailer and transported to the Rohrbach district, close to the borders of Austria, Germany, and Czechia.
See more here.
Author: Ruth Fraňková
Photo: National Museum
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 compared to the Mona Lisa for its popularity and cultural significance.
Most of the objects on display come from the Qing dynasty, which ruled China from the mid-17th to the early 20th century.
See more here.
Author: Ruth Fraňková
Photo: Ester Hobzová, Czech Radio
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 attended by members of his family.
The laying of a commemorative cobblestone, a “Stolperstein”, for Pavel Tigrid was initiated by the German-Czech Future Fund – a foundation established in 1998 to promote cooperation between Czechia and Germany.
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Author: Hannah Vaughan
Photo: Klára Stejskalová, Radio Prague International
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, Masaryk’s personal secretary in London. At a ceremony at Černín Palace this week Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský expressed his thanks for “a gift of exceptional significance for the Czech nation”.
During WWII and Czechoslovakia’s exiled government in London, Jan Masaryk entrusted his personal secretary Lumír Soukup with part of his diplomatic and personal archive, which Mr.
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Author: Jaromír Marek
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:
Horacio Franco, flautist and recorder player, and Daniel Ortega, harpsichordist, at the Concert Hall of Prague Conservatory.
The honored speaker was Mr. Jiri Kozak, First Deputy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.
Watch the video with the speech of H.E. Mrs. Berenice Díaz Ceballos, Ambassador of Mexico to the Czech Republic, Mr. Jiri Kozak, First Deputy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, and highlights of the unique concert.
Viva Mexico – Viva Czech Republic
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, they will launch their inaugural festival. Five concerts with different programs will be performed over four weeks at the stunning Hlahol Hall, an Art Nouveau masterpiece which is rarely open to the public.
Q: Jonáš, what was the motivation for the Festival? A: There were two ideas behind this. When we play abroad, we are privileged to work with some very fine musicians. The Festival brings several of our regular collaborators to local audiences in Prague. The second motivation is the musical history and architectural beauty of the Hlahol Hall. Built in the early twentieth century for the Hlahol Singing Society, it was designed by Josef Fanta. Bedrich Smetana was one of Hlahol’s first choirmasters and Josef Mánes created the Society’s banner. The Hall also features a superb mural by Alfonse Mucha titled “Czech Song“. It’s a stunning venue, but it is underutilized. We hope that by making Hlahol the home of our festival, we will spark a resurgence of interest in this wonderful space as a home for chamber music.
Q: Who will be playing with you? A: There will be five concerts – all but one of them will include our collaborators. François Dumont is an acclaimed French pianist whose career was launched after prize winning successes at several international piano competitions, most notably the 16th International Chopin Competition. He has performed as a soloist with major orchestras and has made chamber music collaboration an important part of his musical life. Kelley O’Connor is a Grammy award winning American mezzo-soprano , truly one of the most compelling vocal artists of her generation. She joined us for our November 2024 West Coast USA concert and we immediately asked her to join us for our first festival. Our third collaborator is home grown – clarinetist Anna Paulova is a rising star of the music world and a laureate of many Czech and international competitions as well as the recent winner of the Jiří Bělohlávek Prize. In addition to her solo career, she is an avid chamber musician.
Q: When are the concerts? A: 28 September at 4.30pm, and 4, 18, 24 and 25 October at 7.30pm. Each concert will last around 90 minutes.
Q: How do I buy tickets? A: Tickets can be purchased online at www.prazakquartet.com/boom at CZK400 or CZK1500 for a subscription to all five concerts. The program details are all there in the link. Tickets may be sold at the door but I would advise patrons to reserve online. By the way, we will be offering fine Czech wines for sale at each concert during intermission. All the wines will be guaranteed for quality and origin by APELACE CZ , with different vineyards being featured at each concert.
Q: What do you hope to achieve through the Festival? A: Our vision is for the Quartet to present to Prague audiences a selection of the programs we have performed abroad, and to introduce them to some of the world’s leading musical talents. One of those great talents is the Czech-Dutch composer Tomáš Prechal, who has written a string quartet especially for this occasion. We hope that our audiences will have a memorable musical experience in an extraordinary historic venue.
*Interview by Alan Rassaby. Photographs in Hlahol by Jakub Pelnař.
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 event, the first unique brick model of the St. Wenceslas Crown in larger-than-life size was created, built only for the Czech Republic, and will be available from September 18 to 21, at front of the main entrance to Prague castle – Hradčanské náměstí 1.
The crow was built from 128333 bricks, weighing 280 Kg, and it took 490 hours to build.
Representatives of LEGO attended the ceremonial unveiling of the model:
And children who used 7 big keys made from Lego to open the “safe”
Watch the video and pictures from the event.
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 People’s Republic of China to the Czech Republic, hosted a reception at the Chinese Embassy in Prague.
The honored speaker was Mr. Milos Zeman, the former President of the Czech Republic.
Watch the Video with the speech of H.E. Mr. Feng Biao, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Czech Republic, Part of Mr. Zeman’s speech, and the beautiful culture part.
Happy 76th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China
中华人民共和国成立76周年快乐
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 program, traditional food, and friendship.
The celebration was organized by the Filipínská Fiesta National Organizing Committee (NOC), in partnership with the Philippines Embassy in the Czech Republic.
Watch the video with Highlights from the event, Speech of :
H.E. Mr. Eduardo Menez – Ambassador of the Philippines in The Czech Republic
Mrs. Felicitas Q. Bay, Undersecretary, Department of Migrant Workers
Mrs. Maria Vránová Lu, President of the National Organizing Committee of Filipinska Barrio Fiesta 2025
And a cultural show.
Photo: Prague Castle Administration
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, highlights their fate during WWII.
On Monday, all seven key holders, representatives of the state, the Catholic Church, and the city of Prague, opened the Crown Chamber in St.
See more here.
Author: Ruth Fraňková
Photo: Čokoládovna Lidka Kutná Hora
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 history.
It’s not often that a brand disappears only to be revived decades later.
See more here.
Author: Dominik Jůn
Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International
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 engagement, and connect formal and informal education.
Oldřich Neumann plays an active role in organizing the project and moderates debates featuring leading political candidates, including this year’s event ahead of the October elections.
See more here.
Author: Hannah Vaughan
Photo: Zuzana Jarolímková, iROZHLAS.cz
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 raised a cheer from both heritage experts and the public.
The Výtoň railway bridge, also known as Vyšehrad Bridge, was first opened on 15 August 1872 as a single-track structure.
See more here.
Author: Daniela Lazarová
Source: Air Navigation Services of the Czech Republic
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 have been eased. According to the UAV Alliance, it represents a major step toward safer and more accessible drone operations.
A new digital application called DroneMap is transforming how drone pilots operate in the Czech Republic.
See more here.
Author: Vít Pohanka
Photo: National Museum
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 Soňa Červená 100, traces the life of the celebrated Czech opera singer and actress, who dazzled audiences in more than 5,500 performances across 75 seasons.
See more here.
Author: Ruth Fraňková
Photo: Správa jeskyní ČR
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 the Protected Landscape Area of Český kras, about 30 km southwest of Prague.
See more here.
Author: Klára Stejskalová
Photo: Arthouse Hejtmánek
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 and Art Nouveau period. I spoke to gallery co-owner Tomáš Hejtmánek and first asked him to mention some of the most rare pieces that will be up for sale.
“Among the rarest pieces are a Mannerist crystal cup in the shape of a shell dating from around the 1620s.
See more here.
Author: Daniela Lazarová
Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International
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 Masaryk’s last words. In an interview for Radio Prague International, he reflects on his Czech-American identity, the influence of his family history, and his life in art and music.
Tom Kotík is proud of his Czech roots, even though he has spent most of his life in the United States.
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Author: Vít Pohanka
Photo: Aashna Miharia, Radio Prague International
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 by artist Adam Trbušek is in stark contrast with the nearby statue of a bull standing at the market’s entrance.
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Photo: Wojtek Jargilo, ČTK/PAP
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 readiness to help protect Europe’s borders against further Russian provocations.
“This incident clearly confirms how deeply the escalating Russian aggression affects us.
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Author: Daniela Lazarová
Czechia’s population shrank by 27,200 in the first half of this year, dropping to 10.
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Author: Ruth Fraňková
Photo: Jolana Nováková, Czech Radio
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 districts.
Ferries have been part of life on the Vltava for centuries.
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Author: Daniela Lazarová
Photo: Plzeňský Prazdroj
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 barrels, which disinfects them and helps preserve the beer’s flavor.
The coopers heated the barrel to help the pitch adhere better.
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Author: Jakub Ferenčík, Lukáš Milota
Photo: Michal Kamaryt, ČTK
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 of these treasures are making their way back, among them the long-lost Baroque statue of Saint Ludmila, which was handed over to the authorities in Prague last week.
The wooden statue of Saint Ludmila was stolen in 1994 from the Chapel of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in the village of Schořov near Kutná Hora.
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Author: Ruth Fraňková
Photo: Ondřej Deml, ČTK
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 some readers waiting up to twelve hours to be among the first to buy a copy.
See more here.
Author: Ruth Fraňková
Photo: Kosmas 900 / Czech National Library
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 the celebration of his legacy could raise interest in a job no one wants.
The National Library and Prague City Tourism are commemorating Cosmas’ life and work with a wide variety of events.
See more here.
Author: Daniela Lazarová
Photo: Jan Schejbal, Czech Defence Ministry
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 training flight, his plane crashed into the lake, and he did not survive the accident. He was 26 years old.
Despite the rainy weather, over 100 people attended the unveiling of the memorial at Loch Doon.
See more here.
Author: Jakub Ferenčík, Jaromír Marek
Photo: Kateřina Šulová, ČTK
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 singer’s fourth concert in the Czech capital following appearances in 2003, 2014 and 2017.
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Source: Supraphon
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 known beyond the country’s borders, he remains an icon in Czechia; his songs still play on the radio and resonate with new generations of listeners.
At a time when rock ’n’ roll ruled the world, a local version called bigbeat was emerging in then Czechoslovakia.
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Photo: David Macháček, Czech Radio
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 its wider surroundings these days.
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Author: Daniela Lazarová
Photo: Trigema
The Prague skyline will soon get an imposing new feature. Top Tower, with its shipwreck sculpture is slated to become the tallest building in Czechia.
Construction of the post-apocalyptic ‘shipwreck’ tower was approved by the Prague building authorities this week.
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Author: Fred Byrne
Photo: Temudjin, Pixabay, Pixabay License
After more than six years, people in Czechia will once again have the chance to see a total lunar eclipse. On the evening of September 7, the Moon will rise already in full eclipse, glowing deep red, low above the horizon. To better understand how it happens and what to expect, I spoke with astronomer Jan Veselý from Prague Planetarium.
To begin with, could you explain in simple terms how a lunar eclipse actually happens?.
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Author: Ruth Fraňková
Photo: Daniela Lazarová, Radio Prague International
The exhibition “UNICEF in the Czech Republic, the Czech Republic in UNICEF”, which officially opened on Prague’s Jungmann Square on Thursday, invites visitors to explore Czechia’s role in this global humanitarian organization. From the very first UNICEF postcard born in South Bohemia to present-day projects changing children’s lives worldwide. I spoke to Pavla Gomba, Executive Director of UNICEF Czech Republic, about the main message behind the exhibition.
“This exhibition has multiple objectives.
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Author: Daniela Lazarová
Photo: Josef Kopecký, Czech Radio
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 Sydney, spending 55 days at sea before arriving at their new home.
The collection includes hand-crafted boats, cars, train stations, and castles, all meticulously made from painted tin.
See more here.
Author: Ruth Fraňková
H.E. Mr. Raveesh Kumar, the Ambassador of the Republic of India to the Czech Republic, hosted a reception, celebrating the 1st anniversary of the Indian Professionals and Entrepreneurs Forum (IPEF). The event took place on the M/S Natal boat, cruising the beautiful Vltava River.
The honoured speakers were: President of the Senate, Mr. Miloš Vystrčil, Mr. David Müller, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, and Mr. Jan Michal, CEO, CzechInvest.
Networking and Dinner followed the ceremony.
Watch the Video with the speech of H.E. Mr. Raveesh Kumar, the Ambassador of the Republic of India to the Czech Republic, Mr. Miloš Vystrčil – President of the Senate, Mr. David Müller, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, and Mr. Jan Michal, CEO, CzechInvest. and highlights from the culture program.
Watch the video till the end, a very nice surprise is waiting for you.
The Chinese Embassy in the Czech Republic, together with Hainan Airlines and Prague Airport, jointly hosts the “Hello! China” Tourism Promotion Event and the First Anniversary Celebration of Hainan Airlines’ Beijing to Prague Direct Flight.
H.E. Mr. Biao FENG, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Czech Republic, greets the audience.
The other speakers were: Mr. Jiri Vyskoc – Executive Director, Aviation Business Development at Prague Airport, Mr. Li Xinze – the local manager of Hainan Airlines, Ms. Hong HAO, Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Prague, and Mr. Tal Aleshkovsky – International Department of Hainan Airlines.
Watch the Video with the speech of H.E. Mr. Biao FENG, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Czech Republic, Mr. Jiri Vyskoc – Executive Director, Aviation Business Development at Prague Airport, Mr. Li Xinze – the local manager of Hainan Airlines, and the presentation of Ms. Hong HAO, Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Prague, and Mr. Tal Aleshkovsky – International Department of Hainan Airlines, and highlights from the cultural program.
By M a Cristina Paule-Mercado and Patricia Marie
The Filipino community in Prague and across the Czech Republic warmly invites everyone to Filipínská Barrio Fiesta 2025, a vibrant celebration of Filipino heritage, community spirit, and cross-cultural friendship. The event will be held on Saturday, September 13, 2025, from 10:00 to 20:00 at the scenic Hostivarská prehrada in Prague.
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 International Mental Health Day.
The event is supported by the Flaminia Foundation under the expert supervision of the organization Nevypusť duši and in cooperation with the Office of the President of the Republic. The ambassadors of the campaign are the President of the Republic, Petr Pavel, and his wife Eva Pavlová.
“The beginning of the school year is a time full of expectations, but also of fears and uncertainties for many people. Remember that not everything always goes smoothly. And if you ever don’t know what to do, don’t be afraid to ask for help. It’s not a shame, but rather a sign of maturity and courage,” said President Petr Pavel.
The campaign was also supported by a number of well-known personalities: actress and singer Barbora Poláková, actor and singer Jan Cina, Olympic snowboard cross champion Eva Adamczyková and her husband, actor Marek Adamczyk, actress Anna Dvořáková, yogi Tereza Hodanová, and Olympic water slalom medalist Vavřinec Hradilek.
The main information pillar of the campaign is the Help Guide on the website www.tochceodvahu.cz, where people can find an overview of contacts for professional help across regions and topics.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bigaMAEd-o8&pp=ygUOVG8gY2hjZSBvZHZhaHU%3D
Photo: Bundesarchiv, R 165 Bild-244-64, CC-BY-SA 3.0
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 the gradual Germanization of the population of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. Although it was not a plan for physical extermination like in the case of the Jewish population, its goal was to erase Czech identity and transform Czechs into obedient German citizens.
The Nazis believed that, due to centuries of coexistence with Germans, Czechs carried “suppressed German blood.
See more here.
Photo: Ian Willoughby, Radio Prague International
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 designs. As Baronová explains, she literally puts everything she has into Wo-men, which is a true labour of love.
Your mother was a librarian.
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Author: Ian Willoughby
Photo: Blanka Mazalová, Czech Radio
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 figures of Baroque music: Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel.
The historic Church of St.
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Author: Daniela Lazarová
Illustrative photo: Arnulf Hettrich/imago stock&people, Profimedia
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 through a change in the law for this purpose.
Tomáš Javořík, a railway transport expert from the Czech Technical University in Prague, described the train-trams to Czech Radio:.
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Author: Jakub Ferenčík
Photo: © Hubertl, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
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 Josef Valentin Zlobicki, an Austrian lawyer, translator into Czech and linguist, was appointed as the world’s first university professor of Czech language and literature.
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Author: Libor Kukal, Ruth Fraňková
Photo: Jiří Matějů, Czech Radio
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 band sound. The result is Oxymoron – and you can hear it now in this edition of Sunday Music Show.
See more here.
Photo: Václav Pancer, ČTK
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 travel enthusiasts bought their tickets for Sunday’s highly-publicized train ride weeks in advance.
See more here.
Illustrative photo: Vetler, Pixabay, Pixabay License
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 it poses a serious threat to local hare populations.
Typical symptoms of myxomatosis include swelling of the head, severe inflammation of the limbs or genitals, and reddened brownish eyelids.
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Author: Ruth Fraňková
Photo: Luděk Peřina, ČTK
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, performed extreme aerobatic maneuvers that would be difficult to execute with real aircraft.
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Photo: Alexis Rosenzweig, Radio Prague International
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 lives of children. In an interview with Radio Prague International’s Alexis Rosenzweig, Borenstein recalls the risks, the Czech role in the production, and the impact the film has had both abroad and within Russia.
When director David Borenstein first began working on Mr.
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Author: Alexis Rosenzweig, Vít Pohanka
Photo: Petr Kotyk, Památník národního písemnictví
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 texts, which Jaroslav Hašek wrote or dictated until his death in 1923, resurfaced during the cataloguing of materials belonging to his longtime publisher, Adolf Synek.
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Author: Ruth Fraňková
Photo: Klára Hlubocká, Česká ornitologická společnost
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 birds have been found since January, already surpassing last year’s total. Over a dozen more were shot, trapped, or had their nests deliberately destroyed.
Among the victims are many birds of prey, including some of the country’s rarest and most protected species, such as white-tailed eagles, red kites, and the critically endangered eastern imperial eagle.
See more here.
Author: Daniela Lazarová
Photo: Josef Kopecký, Czech Radio
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 Sydney, spending 55 days at sea before arriving at their new home.
The collection includes hand-crafted boats, cars, train stations, and castles, all meticulously made from painted tin.
See more here.
Author: Ruth Fraňková
Photo: René Volfík, iROZHLAS.cz
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 greater moral recognition.
Markéta Burgetová helps care for her brother, a former special forces soldier, who underwent brain surgery in 2023 and is unable to walk.
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Author: Daniela Lazarová
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, hosted a reception at the beautiful Villa Richter in Prague.
The Honoured speakers were :
Gen. Karel Rehka – the Chief of the General Staff of the Military of the Czech Republic.
Mr. Vaclav Vydra – Actor, representing the project “drones for Ukraine”
Mr. Dodo Dobrik – Endowment fund “A gift for Putin”
Ms. Konashchuk Kateryna – founder of the Farmerhood and Grain Ukraine Foundation
Mr. Ondrej Vetchy – Actor, group “ Drony Nemesis”
Mr. Martin Kroupa – Post Bellum Ukraine
Watch the Video with highlights from the event and the speeches of H.E. Mr. Vasyl Zvarych, the Ambassador of Ukraine to the Czech Republic, Gen. Karel Rehka, the Chief of the General Staff of the Military of the Czech Republic, and the other honored speakers.
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 Ayhan hosted a reception at the beautiful Embassy garden.
Watch the video with the speeches of H.E. Mr. Metin Feyzioglu, the Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to the Czech Republic, and Colonel Emrullah Altay Ayhan, the Military, Naval, and Air Attaché.
Happy Victory Day, Türkiye – Zafer Bayramınız Kutlu Olsun, Türkiye
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:
photo: Tomas Fongus
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 Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe session in Strasbourg.
The three journalists have all faced severe repression. While Amaglobeli was jailed for exposing the violent suppression of anti-government protests, Butkevych joined Ukraine’s forces after Russia’s 2022 invasion, was captured, sentenced to 13 years, and released in a prisoner swap in October 2024.
Hasanli has endured detention, torture, and politically motivated charges; in June he was sentenced to nine years and is now on hunger strike in isolation.
Illustrative photo: StockSnap, Pixabay, Pixabay License
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 the EU and faces strong criticism from some EU member states, including Czechia.
A contentious proposal from the European Union, often referred to as “Chat Control,” is gaining renewed support, with 19 of the 27 EU member states reportedly in favor.
See more here.
Author: Jakub Ferenčík
Illustrative photo: Romana Kostohryzová, Czech Radio
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 meeting of government leaders on Wednesday.
At a site in Kletečná, near the town of Humpolec, big cats have been kept illegally for years and in unsuitable conditions.
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Author: Danny Bate
Photo: Michaela Danelová, iROZHLAS.cz
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 the entire length of the street, citing repeated accidents and growing frustration among local residents.
The long-standing battle over the fate of e-scooters in the Czech capital remains unresolved after the Prague City Council rejected a motion to ban shared e-scooters in June of this year.
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Author: Daniela Lazarová
Photo: Monika Vlčková, Zoo Ostrava
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 breeds endangered birds and animals that are returned to the wild.
The early beginnings of Ostrava Zoo date back to the 1950s, but it was decades before the humble project developed into the modern zoological garden that it has become today.
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Author: Libor Kukal, Daniela Lazarová
Photo: Anton Kajmakov, Radio Prague International
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 of Czechia through Ostrava Days.
This celebrated music festival, organised by the Ostrava Centre for New Music and running since 2001, aims to champion “contemporary classical music, whether it be avant-garde, experimental, or otherwise challenging musical efforts”.
See more here.
Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International
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.
Photo: Michal Doležal, ČTK
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 of the White Lion for their contribution to Czech literature.
Although she became famous as a tireless supporter and publisher of Czech literature, Zdena Salivarová was also a talented singer and actress.
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Author: Jakub Ferenčík
Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International
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 at the ceremony, and Danny Bate from the RPI team was present too.
For sixty days, the Czech National Museum is inviting all Europe to its new ‘People and Their Ancestors’ exhibition, where it sets out the story of our evolution, from the first hominins to the Homo sapiens of today.
See more here.
Author: Danny Bate
Photo: David Taneček, ČTK
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 featuring Czech and international bands across various genres, including hardcore, crossover, jazz, and swing. The late Czech president Vaclav Havel was a big fan. The festival opened with an open-air mass for peace in Palestine, Ukraine, and for life and freedom in the world.
See more here.
Photo: Archirun 2025
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-overlooked buildings. I spoke with Štěpán Bärtl, director of the Center for Architecture and Urban Planning (CAMP), to find out how the event has evolved and what runners can look forward to in the future.
Let’s start with the inspiration behind Archirun.
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Author: Jakub Ferenčík
Photo: Jakub Čermák, Palacký University Olomouc
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 University.
Kroměříž Chateau, the former residence of archbishops of Olomouc, is already a jewel of Moravia, but it has acquired further brilliance through the discovery of a cache of amethysts, violet-coloured stones built into its Baroque artificial caves.
See more here.
Author: Danny Bate
Photo: Západočeská galerie v Plzni
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 artists of the 20th century.
Václav Špála was born on August 24, 1885, in a small village in Bohemia.
See more here.
Photo: Jaroslav Hoření, Czech Radio
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 jewellery, underlining the region’s historic role as the heart of Czech glass and jewellery production.
You won’t find it on the map, but it exists: Crystal Valley, a place where the Czech glassmaking tradition was born and has lived for centuries.
See more here.
Author: Daniela Lazarová
Photo: YouTube
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 on September 18th 1928, in Palanok, a suburb of Mukachevo in Transcarpathia, at that time part of Czechoslovakia.
See more here.
The contrasting chestnut fur with white stripes and spots helps mountain bongos hide in the dense undergrowth. The picture shows the newly born female cub Rayli. Photo Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo
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 beautiful, but also the rarest antelope: in the wild, only around thirty to forty individuals survive in the forests of the Aberdare National Park in central Kenya.
“The breeding of mountain bongos under human care is absolutely essential for their preservation in the wild,” explains Prague Zoo Director Miroslav Bobek. “Individuals raised in zoos have laid the foundation for a population in central Kenya that is gradually getting used to life in the wild. And in the future, it is expected to be further strengthened from European breeding. I am extremely pleased that Prague Zoo is also supporting this project thanks to the activity of its breeders.”
The cubs are born the same color as their parents. They still have to wait for their long spiral horns. Photo Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo
The funds earned by Prague Zoo breeders through the organization of experience programs go, for example, to purchase camera traps, which are used to monitor individuals released into large enclosures, or to plant forests in places where the return of mountain bongos is expected in the future.
Prague Zoo has been breeding the rarest forest antelopes since 1988, and the newly born males are the 58th and 59th additions. Their mothers are Dafne and Rayli, Mau’s father.
“None of the females gave birth for the first time, but we still watched the births on cameras to be sure. Both took place without complications. Immediately after giving birth, the females began to dry their young by carefully licking them and guiding them to the udder. The young successfully stood up within an hour and drank colostrum,” describes Lucie Křížová, a long-time breeder of mountain bongos.
The older female cub Dafne curiously explores the enclosure. Photo Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo
Those interested can learn more about mountain bongos through unique experience programs. The program Jumping among the Antelopes will also take participants to the breeding grounds. The shorter program Feeding the Bongos runs daily from May to September.
Mountain bongo cubs are usually born weighing around twenty kilograms. Dafne’s cub even weighed four kilograms more. Photo Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo
