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For the first time in 30 years, Prague Castle is set to receive new outdoor lighting. The aim is to better highlight the city’s iconic landmark while making the lighting more economical and environmentally friendly. Prague Castle, the largest...

Organisers of this year’s UN climate change conference, known as COP29, which began last week in Baku, Azerbaijan, have not shown great optimism as the event reaches its end on Friday. The atmosphere has not been helped by the re-election...

An exhibition celebrating the legendary protest singer Karel Kryl got underway in Prague on Sunday. The showcase marks two important anniversaries: the 80th anniversary of his birth and 30 years since his death. It aims to highlight Kryl not...

After Russia attacked Ukraine, more than one thousand days ago, Czechia welcomed more Ukrainian refugees relative to population than any other country. Among them were thousands and thousands of children who needed an education. Based on the...

Mixed reality (MR) has the potential to revolutionize storytelling by blending the physical and virtual worlds, which creates immersive experiences people would not be able to access otherwise. This innovative approach is at the heart of a...

The Czech government has moved to address a pressing problem in health care for people living in the border regions who often have to travel long distances to see a specialist or dentist. A proposed amendment to the law should open the way for...

A 5000-crown banknote, produced in April 1919 for the newly independent state of Czechoslovakia, was sold at auction on Friday 15th of November for 25.68 million crowns. It therefore became the most expensive paper currency ever sold within the...

This episode of Czech Music Greats looks at the unique genius of Leoš Janáček, through his 1915-18 rhapsody for orchestra Taras Bulba. Based on a novella by the Russian writer Nikolai Gogol, this rhapsody in three movements tells the tragic...

Fair trade, the idea that shoppers should pay a fair price for crops grown in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way, is gaining recognition in Czechia. In 2004, the idea of fair trade in the Czech Republic was still new, and efforts...

Since moving to Czechia originally for the sole purpose of playing rugby, Nicolaas Uys has made a successful life for himself in Prague, with a business selling biltong, and as a cornerstone of the South African community in the city. He spoke...

The poet and veteran broadcaster Igor Pomerantsev has been living in Prague since the mid-1990s, when his station, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, moved to the Czech capital. Born in Russia but raised in Ukraine, Pomerantsev left the Soviet...

Today, we’re marking the 35th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, which saw the fall of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia. To celebrate, we’ll be listening to some of the songs that filled the public squares during those historic...

10 years ago, former goaltender Dominik Hašek became the first Czech NHL hockey player to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame is a rare and prestigious honor, reserved for only a select few. In...

To commemorate the anniversary of the death of the great Moravian thinker and religious leader John Amos Comenius, Danny Bate spoke to scholar Lenka Pospíšilová about his life, legacy and relevance for the modern world. On November 15th 1670, a...

In October, the team at Charles Games, the creators of such games as Playing Kafka and Attentat 1942, released Velvet 89, an immersive and educational experience that invites players to turn investigator in five cities across Czechoslovakia...

The President of the Republic Petr Pavel  received the Vice President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Vo Thi Anh Xuan at Prague Castle on Thursday, November 14, 2024. At the official meeting between the Czech delegation and the Vietnamese...

A beautiful exhibition “Fotogrammi di moda italiana: dagli anni ´50, l´Italia che veste il cinema internazionale” is open at the Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Praga, at the Baroque Chapel of the Institute in Vlašská Street 34 Prague...

The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová together with MP Petr Fifka, the Deputy Chairman of the House Committee for European Affairs,  visited neighboring Bavaria. In Munich, they discussed closer inter-parliamentary...

The Prague Zoo invites you to visit even during dry weather. Animals grow winter fur and many of them can be proud of their bushy coats. Fallen leaves diversify the diet of many species and at the same time provide an impressive backdrop for...

Focused on cinematography with the exhibition “Fotogrammi di moda italiana” and the 12th annual MittelCinemaFest. Concert by Oscar winner Nicola Piovani The Italian Cultural Institute (IKI) in Prague offers a program full of...

Prague Castle will open its doors again on Saturday, November 30, for the second time this year. Visitors will be able to visit the Christmas-decorated and normally inaccessible representative spaces, where President Petr Pavel holds important...

Introducing the Best Korean Cuisine Chef in the Czech Republic! The Korean Embassy in the Czech Republic is delighted to announce the winners of the Korean Food Festival and Korean Cooking Competition, held on 13 November at ChefParade. The...

Czechia approaches the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution and end of Communism in 1989. To commemotrate the historic milestone, Freedom Week kicks off in Prague. The series of events and happenings is organized by “Díky, že můžem”...

Eighty years ago, U.S. pilot William L. Kiggins was killed during a combat mission over Brno, becoming the only American soldier to die in the Moravian capital during World War II. On Wednesday, the American Ambassador to the Czech Republic...

As the holiday season draws near, Czech households face a bitter challenge to their holiday baking traditions: soaring butter prices. With a 40% year-on-year increase, the cost of butter reached over 70 crowns in some stores. Some, including...

An exhibition exploring the fascinating world of mushrooms is currently on display at the National Technical Library in Prague. Titled Do hloubi houby, or Into the Depths of the Mushroom, the exhibition presents the potential uses of mycelium...

Summer is over, and now CzechTourism, the country’s state-funded central tourist office, is reflecting on its successes and problems. The organisation’s director, František Reismüller, spoke to Danny Bate about the season just gone, as well as...

Prague’s car problem is not a secret. High car ownership persists, mainly because of political resistance and historical preservation laws which inadvertently hinder efforts to reduce car dependency. The dependency poses a challenge to its...

Alsu Kurmasheva, a Russian-American Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist, was released in a landmark prisoner exchange in August, following nine months in Russian detention. The mother of two was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison on...

As the country approaches the 35th anniversary of Velvet Revolution of 1989, hundreds of dissidents have seen their income rise by an average of 4,400 Czech Crowns. It is often said that the winner takes it all. See more here. Author: Vít...

Archaeologists from the Moravian city of Brno have reported an unprecedented discovery. During a rescue excavation in the broader city center, they unearthed the bones of at least three mammoths, alongside remains from other animals. They also...

Lidija Kovařík, who comes originally from Croatia but has lived in Prague for the last fifteen years, is the managing director of the Illusion Art Museum in Prague. She tells us about her story and career, the future of museums, and her work...

November 11th is the feast day of St. Martin in the Christian calendar, a day that brings with it a variety of traditions in Czechia. Most notable among these is a particularly hearty meal, consisting of roast goose, cabbage and dumplings...

On the occasion of the 404th anniversary of the Battle of Rakovník and the Battle of the White Mountain, the Bohemian troops set out again this year to meet their crushing defeat. The fifty-kilometer march significantly impacted the motivation...

Englishman Adam Stewart is the founder and artistic director of the Prague Youth Theatre, a thriving company bring together around 200 children and teenagers from dozens of different nations in the Czech capital. He is also a leading member of...

For this week’s Sunday Music Show, we will be playing you some music by Leoš Janáček, “The Cunning Little Vixen” – ranked among the most important Czech operas of the 20th century for the 100th anniversary of its premier on...

Thirty-five years ago, the canonization of Agnes of Bohemia marked a turning point for Czechoslovakia, symbolizing hope and the promise of change as the Velvet Revolution loomed on the horizon. On November 12, 1989—just five days before the...

November 8th is the anniversary of the Battle of White Mountain (Bitva na Bílé hoře), fought in 1620 just outside Prague, which brought disaster for the ruling Czech aristocracy and drastically altered the face of the Czech lands. On November...

November 11th is Armistice Day, the international commemoration of the end of the First World War, which offers us today an opportunity to remember and honour those who have given their lives in combat. In the United Kingdom, the day is...

Professor Milena Králíčková, the first woman to hold the position of rector in Charles University’s centuries-long history, recently returned from a working visit to the United States aimed at strengthening existing academic partnerships and...

This year’s Czech Architecture Award went to the new Concert Hall in Karlovy Vary, set within the renovated Imperial Spa complex. The newly completed Concert Hall in Karlovy Vary, designed by architects Petr Hájek, Nikoleta Slováková, and...

On the occasion of the 70th Algeria’s National Day, the Ambassador of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria to the Czech Republic, H.E. Mr. Belkacem Zeghmati, and his spouse hosted a reception at the iconic Grand Hotel International...

On the occasion of the anniversary of the Czechoslovak Republic, H.E. Ms. Ingrid BROCKOVÁ, Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to the Czech Republic, and Ms. Ľubica Krénova, director of the Slovak Institute in Prague, hosted a Gala concert at the...

The National Gallery Prague (NGP) is pleased to present the exhibition “École de Paris: Artists from Bohemia and Interwar Paris”, which focuses on an important but still less mapped chapter of Czech art in France. It will take place...

Jozef Síkela spoke to the European Parliament on Wednesday to defend his designation as European Commissioner for International Partnerships. Síkela was questioned by members of the Development Committee, outlining a vision for the EU’s...

The newly reconstructed Baroque Savarin Palace on the street Na Příkopě in central Prague will serve as the permanent home of the Alfons Mucha Museum. The partnership was announced earlier this week by the Mucha Foundation and Crestyl, the...

Although many Czech women are still delaying parenthood to focus on careers, new research from the SYRI Institute suggests that this trend may be slowing down. Since the 1990s, a prevailing trend in Czechia has been for women to delay...

Mezipatra, a Czech name that translates to ‘mezzanine’, is an internationally renowned LGBT-focused film festival, and it returns for this year on November 7th. First founded back in 2000, this year’s programme features a rich selection of...

An exhibition dedicated to Czech composer Bedřich Smetana and his most famous piece, the cycle of six symphonic poems entitled My Country, has got underway at Prague’s National Museum. The exhibition, which is part of the Year of Czech Music...

EPU, an app created by the Czech software companies Gatyer and Algodos, and with support from the Ministry of the Environment, aims to offer tourists alternative paths to follow and places to visit. In doing so, EPU seeks to take pressure off...

Marta Kubišová’s Prayer for Marta, the unofficial anthem of the Velvet Revolution, and the Hussite chant Ktož jsú boží bojovníci, or All You Mighty Warriors of God, are among the six Czech songs selected for the first-ever EU Songbook...

A campaign simply called ‘Bird Traps’ (Pasti na ptáky) has been launched to raise public awareness and improve the protection of Prague’s birdlife. The centrepiece of the campaign is a powerful video, featuring professional dancers and filmed...

New documentary World Between Us follows Czech photographer Marie Tomanová as her career skyrockets in New York. The intimate film is also a portrait of Tomanová’s art historian husband, Thomas Beachdel – and reflects the close friendship...

Gabriel Guerreiro, a singer-songwriter, musician and artist originally from Brazil, has been living in Prague for eight years. He shares with us his journey to Czechia, the life of a musician, and what inspires him to make music. See more here.

The iconic Art Nouveau Hotel Evropa on Prague’s Wenceslas Square has reopened to the public after an extensive renovation that lasted over a decade. Now rebranded as “W Prague”, the hotel is managed by Marriott as part of its upscale W...

A historic Torah scroll that survived the Holocaust and decades of neglect under Communist rule has found a new home in Liberec. On Saturday, the rare artefact was loaned to the local Jewish community on a long-term basis by the Memorial...

Members of the Czech Velocipedist Club 1880 entertained the people of Prague in Letná Park at the thirtieth annual Prague Mile. On their historical tall bikes, they competed in a special slow-motion competition, called the ‘Letná...

November 4th is the start of seven days of exciting events that make up this year’s Czech Space Week. Designed to promote the space industry in Czechia and inspire the next generation of galactic enthusiasts, Czech Space Week is happening...

According to a recent study, the Czech capital stands out as one of the most popular European cities to visit in autumn. Tourists love the city’s architectural beauty, which, combined with the reds and yellows typical of nature during...

This year’s TEDx Prague theme, Metamorphosis, held on November 23 in Prague focuses on the topic of change. Here I interview the program lead for the event, Markéta Jedličková, to gauge the vision for the event and what attendees can expect...

In the Christian calendar, November 2nd is All Souls’ Day, during which believers are encouraged to commemorate their deceased loved ones and contemplate their own mortality. The day, known as Dušičky in Czech, remains a special occasion...

The future of Prague’s historic Vyšehrad Railway Bridge hangs in the balance as debates continue over whether to restore or demolish the landmark structure. A team of international experts has now put forward a study indicating that the iconic...

One of the most impressive buildings in Prague’s district of Vinohrady is the Laichter House, located on the edge of Riegerovy sady. The modernist building was designed by famous Czech architect Jan Kotěra at the request of Jan Laichter, who...

Apartment prices in Prague have risen faster than anticipated, with the average price of new apartments reaching over CZK 160,000 per square meter by the end of September—up 5. See more here. Author: Vít Pohanka

On the occasion of the 101st Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Republic of Türkiye and the Centennial celebration of the Diplomatic relations between Türkiye and the Czech Republic, H.E. Dr. Egemen Bagis – the Ambassador of the Republic of...

To celebrate the Republic Day of Kazakhstan, the Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan H.E. Mr. Bakyt Dyussenbayev, and his spouse host a concert  of the Kazakh State Symphony  Orchestra, “Sounds from the World” The concert took place at the...

The President of the Republic, Petr Pavel, and his wife, Eva Pavlova, received the members of the diplomatic corps at Prague Castle on Friday, October 25, 2024. This reception became a tradition before the ceremony on the 28th of October. Watch...

In the Congolese province of South Kivu, a new variant of mpox (so-called monkey pox) was identified this year, which gradually grew into an epidemic threatening, among other things, the critically endangered eastern gorillas in the Kahuzi...

The President of the Republic, Petr Pavel, appointed on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, pursuant to Article 62 letter k) of the Constitution of the Czech Republic and § 6 paragraph 2 of the Act on the Czech National Bank of Jakub Seidler as a...

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin signed a treaty formalizing relations between Czechia and the Holy See. The document was 22 years in the making. Czechia was among the few European countries that...

On October 28th, Czechia celebrates 106 years since the declaration of Czechoslovakia as an independent state. Historian and political scientist Jan Adamec walked us through the history of the new country’s heads of state, from its first...

Assem Al-Sabban, originally from Saudi Arabia, has settled in Prague after a career as a diplomat. He shares with us the story of his career, his move to Czechia, and his long-term passion for photography and the life of an artist. See more...

The Plzeň Zoo has revealed that one of its rare Aldabra giant tortoises laid 31 eggs earlier this month. If the eggs hatch, it would be a global sensation, as this species has successfully bred in captivity in Europe only once before. However...

On the grounds of Bouzov Castle in the northwestern part of the Olomouc region visitors come across a monumental wooden sculpture – a Trojan Horse with publicly accessible interior spaces. If the Greek myth were to be put to the test...

The Božena 5 de-mining system has been brought to the Kharkiv region by members of the Czech association, Team4Ukraine. The money for it was raised by Czech and Slovak organizations, led by the “Gift for Putin” initiative, in a public...

This October marks 80 years since the Battle of the Dukla Pass, a fierce World War II clash on the Polish-Slovak border, where Nazi Germany and Soviet forces fought for control of the Dukla Pass. Nearly 2,000 Czechoslovak soldiers, fighting...

Following a successful three-month test run in the Vysočina region, the Czech state is currently considering the nationwide extension of neighbourhood children’s groups, in which a maximum of four young children are cared for by a member...

Iva Bittová is a phenomenon in the world of music – not only in the Czech Republic from where she hails but on a global scale. Her art stretches across many genres, including jazz, rock, classical music and opera. The avant-garde violinist...

Bavaria wants to deepen its neighbourly relationship with Czechia, and therefore intends to improve the teaching of the Czech language in the region around their shared border. Six German-Czech bilingual schools are to be established in the...

Beneath Brno, the “10-Z Bunker” reminds visitors of Czechia’s complex history. Built during the Second World War to shield against bombings, the partially completed bunker provided refuge. Today, the 10-Z Bunker is open to the public as a...

This Wednesday marks exactly 65 years since the first production of Prague’s legendary Semafor Theatre, established by the song-writing duo Jiří Suchý and Jiří Šlitr. The musical comedy, called Člověk z půdy or The Man from the Loft, was an...

Šumava National Park, in the southeast of Bohemia, will now allow the restricted shooting of its wolf population. Permission will be given to authorised individuals, to be carried out in instances of wolves that have become a danger to humans...

Czech legislation allows a parent or guardian to request to defer their child starting primary school by one year. This measure, originally introduced to help children with serious illnesses or learning disabilities, has become so popular with...

New Leaf Czechia is a new project that aims to help the country’s homeless people with large, one-time financial donations. Inspired by a Canadian scheme of the same name, the Czech non-profit organisation Neposeda believes that these payments...

At a ceremony marking Czechoslovak Independence Day on October 28, President Pavel handed out awards and high state distinctions to 56 people for outstanding services to the state. Among those honoured were soldiers, decorated in memoriam...

US singer Anne Marie Kenny first came to Czechoslovakia in 1990 at the invitation of President Václav Havel, who facilitated a concert for her at a Prague club. She later launched a successful employment and training agency and remained in her...

When Škoda merged with the German Volkswagen Group in March 1991, it marked the start of a rapid modernization for the Mladá Boleslav-based car manufacturer. One of the most significant symbols of this transformation was the Škoda Felicia, the...

“We all experience that in a certain way,” says Jiří Trtík on why Kafka’s Letter to his Father inspired him to write an opera celebrating one of the greatest and most intimate confessions in world literature. What makes...

A second attempt to auction off Štiřín Chateau, a luxury property and estate belonging to the state, failed this week when no bidder came forward to place the required auction deposit. To encourage participation in the auction, the deposit was...

Buskers and other street performers will not be able to use animals. Prague’s city council approved a ban in order to stop their exploitation. The new amendment to the city’s ordinance prohibits not only the active involvement of animals in...

Archaeologists at the Comenius Museum in Přerov have revealed to the public an ancient sword from the Bronze Age, found by accident in a field close to the city. The sword was a star exhibit at the museum’s recent exhibition about metal...

The unique exterior of Villa Stiassni in Brno stands out admist a flood of autumn colours. The building was designed and constructed by the famous interwar architect Ernst Wiesner for the textile manufacturer Alfredo Stiassni. Its simple...

On the occasion of the Hungarian National Day, and the Anniversary of the 1956 Revolution, the Ambassador of Hungary to the Czech Republic H.E. Mr. András Baranyi, and Mrs. Emese Baranyi host a reception at the beautiful Břevnov monastery. Mr...

On the occasion of Austrian National Day, H.E. Dr. Bettina Kirnbauer, the Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to the Czech Republic and M.Sc. Roman Rauch, the Trade Council of the Embassy, and Dr. Erwin Hanslik Mrics, President of the...

The Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan H.E. Mr. Bakyt Dyussenbayev hosted the opening of the Kazakh Cinema Days and the screening of the film “The Old Man”. Watch the welcome speech of The Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan H.E. Mr...

The ambassador of Argentina to the Czech Republic H.E. Mr. Claudio Javier Rozencwaig and his spouse Mrs. Graziella Maria Semino, hosted an exclusive Argentine wine tasting presented by Mr. Rodrigo Schmidt, sommelier of MerkenWines, at their...

The new wall calendar for 2025 of the Committee of Good Will – Olga Havlova Foundation (VDV) will help people with health disabilities. The author of the drawings depicting Olga and Václav Havel is the talented painter and illustrator...