Prague Blog

Time is flying. Especially if you are having fun, don’t you think? And so summer holiday is about to end soon. Although this is usually bad news for children of all ages, it is great news for anyone who is using public transportation in Prague.

Ending of summer holiday signifies at least two positive things for all passengers in Prague. First of all, it cancels summer schedules with long intervals. Trams, buses as well as subways will come in shorter intervals after another. Excellent, right? Well, that is not all! The beginning of a new school year also means saying bye-bye to big rebuilding of tracks and stations which take place during the summer break.

This year, Czech students will return from their holidays and go back to school on September 3. By this day, if not sooner, all major renovations of public routes should be finished. This means no more changes in lines of your buses and trams. No more detours. No more endless waiting. And no more shall you feel lost in streets of Prague. Isn’t it great?

But life would be too simple if there weren’t any hitches. It is true that most of the big renovations will be finished by September 3. However, the crossroad on Palackeho square will be finished not sooner than until October 31!

Conclusion? Even after the summer holiday you should pay attention to trams and busses with orange signs – this indicates that they follow changed route. Trams number 3, 4, 10, 14, 16 will not follow their regular routes until October 31. So be aware of that.

Prague is called the city of hundred towers, but it could be called the city of hundred bridges as well. Our capital has many towers and is similarly proud of many bridges and boards. The authors of Prague Bridges Encyclopedia have counted more than three hundred of them. They lead not only over Vltava, but also over many other smaller rivers and brooks as Berounka, Botic or Rokytka. Some bridges must pass over field disparities including two well known Prague valleys – Nuselske and Prokopske. And the number of bridges is still increasing due to building-up the city circle.

The most famous bridge is undoubtedly the Charles bridge – the only connection between the both Vltava´s watersides for more than 450 years. This bridge has actually its own museum, where you can see the history of the Charles bridge and its predecessor Judita´s bridge. The second bridge over Vltava was the chain bridge of Franz Josef I.

With the railway development in 19th century came also blustering fabrication of railway bridges. The most beautiful and longest railway bridge is Negrelli´s viaduct. This more than one kilometre long stony bridge is coming from Karlin to Holesovice over the Stvanice island. His author, the Austrian engineer Alois Negrelli, has made the project of Suez canal as well. Thanks to the building of Prague railway bridge was Negrelli highhanded as the knight of Vltava and Labe river.

Other railway unique is so called “Prague Semmering“ which leads over the valley on two high pillars. But not only big and famous bridges have their sense. Small bridges over the Certovka on Mala Strana or steel foot bridge connecting the Prague Castle with Letna are also very pictorial. But the best known foot bridge in Prague is the one which was formerly leading over the fortification drain of old town walls. Its survivals are now decorating the underground station Mustek.

I donť know how about you, but when I am in a foreign country in a foreign city I am always curious about cafes, restaurants and pubs. But I always have to search for a long time until I find some of these places which I like. Now I can simplify your searching and recommend you one cosy and comfortable cafe.

The cafe Cas (Cafe Time) is located not far from the Charles Bridge in the street Misenska 2 ( U Luzickeho seminare 15). This location is very advantageous when you are tired after a long way on the Charles Bridge with hands full of souvenirs and pictures with your portraits. Opening hours are every day from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Kind and amicable waitresses will offer the menu with different kinds of soft drinks, beer, wine, strong drinks, hot drinks, sweets and canapes. Prices are very low and you can feel history and memories in the air. Why? Because this bulding is history itself.

The house is from the beginning of 17 th century and is registered in municipal folders like Vysoky (High) or Pansky (Lord’s) House. It belonged to Waldstein family. The house has had many owners and had been many times broaden and rebuilt. You can also sit under a parasol inside the building where is a small garden. My friend who works there as a waitress told me that you can meet some artists from the Charles Bridge who relax there. So remember, the cafe Cas is waiting for your visit.

If you like electronic music, great show, party and DJ and Producer Paul van Dyk, you have the unique opportunity to see his performance in T-Mobile Arena in Prague. When? On Friday, 14 September Paul Van Dyk will perform on the action called “In Between” Album Tour, in cooperation with United Music and Bohemian Recordings. You can see three hours lasting performance where he will show his skills and unique style in which he combines technologies of Serato Scratch Live and Ableton Live, complemented by playing the electronic keyboard.

Paul van Dyk was born in East Germany and grew up in communist East Berlin. He liked listening to the radio and discovered his passion for music. He wanted to find and create a different, more unique sound. In 1990‘s he played at various clubs in Berlin and in 1994 he released his first album 45 RPM. Currently he is the World’s No. 1 DJ and dominate the electronic music charts. He has sold over 3 million albums and in 2005 was nominated on Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Album for his original album Reflections.

But he is not only DJ and Producer, he is also person who dedicated his life to politics and social justice. From his youth he has had children’s charity in India’s Mumbai and partnership scheme with the German Red Cross to help poor children in Berlin. He most recently received Berlin’s Medal of Honor for helping poor children in Berlin.

If you decided to eyewitness this famous person, donť hesitate and buy the tickets. On this action, you can also see Michael Burian, the Czech interpreter who will perform new label Bohemian recordings on which he is going to release his own Michael Burian DVD on March. Polish DJ and Producer Angelo Mike and Dutch DJ and Producer Pacific are the next guests. If you want to know something else about Paul van Dyk, look on his official websites www.paulvandyk.com.

Ice hockey is one of the most popular sports in the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic belongs to 64 members of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and since 1993, when Czechoslovakia split, the Czech national ice hockey team has had 5 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze medals from the Ice Hockey World Championships. Many Czech players are also in NHL (about 160 players). For example Jagr and Hasek. They are the most famous players and known all over the world. In the Czech Republic there are 14 teams which play national hockey league called “O2 Extraliga”. Two teams of Extraliga are from Prague. HC Sparta and HC Slavia.

Hockey Club Sparta is one of the most successful and best known hockey clubs in history of Czech ice hockey. The Club was established in 1893 under the name AC Kralovske Vinohrady and one year after it was renamed on Sparta. Beginning of Canadian hockey in current time was in 1909 and since that time the club which stood at birth of national league has belonged to its most frequent participants. Nowadays HC Sparta Praha is one of stable participants in fights for medals and is regular participant in play-off final matches. Their home matches are played in T-mobile arena, which is the second biggest sports stadium in the Czech Republic and its capacity is 14,000 viewers.

First note in Slavia’s chronicle is in 1901-1902 when Slavia players defeated Vienna players in Vienna. But at that time played mostly footballers. Hockeyists of SK Slavia belonged to the best Czech teams before the first world war. Goal tender Josef Gruss was a historical personality who among others translated the rules of football and ice hockey to Czech. Slavia advanced to play-off ten times during twelve years of Czech “extraliga”. Currently their home matches are played in new Sazka Arena, but they practise in winter stadium Eden.

After the beginning of the individual Czech Extraliga in 1993, Sparta and Slavia played 68 times together. Sparta won 34 times, Slavia won 28 times and 6 times it was a draw. In play-off they played 4 times together. The first semifinal won Sparta in 2002 and then they became champions of Extraliga and one year later Slavia advanced to final and became champion of Extraliga. The historical fight took place in 2005/2006. These two rivals met in final. Sparta was more successful and became champion.

Every tourist in foreign country is curious about most popular or national drink in this country. Mexico has its Tequila, Russia has its vodka, France has its wine, Scotland has its whiskey, Greece has its ouzo, Turkey has its raki and this way we could go on and on. The most popular and national drink in the Czech Republic, besides Becherovka, is beer.

Czechs inherently belong to the history of beer production. Beginning of production of light, clear, low-yeasty beer in Pilsen meant birth of style, which every country all over the world try to copy. Czech hops and Moravian barley is exported to various countries of the world, where people want to boil beer the most similar to the original.

Pilsner Urquell

History of the Czech brewing industry is inseparably connected with Plzensky Prazdroj, known as Pilsner Urquell. New style of beer production originated there in 1842 – light beer. Later appeared lager beer and since then similar beers began occuring all over the world and got the name “pilsner”. But none of them has the same taste as Pilsner Urquell because nowhere is so soft water like in Pilsen.

Prague’s Staropramen

One of the most famous beer in the Czech Republic is Staropramen. This brewery bet on traditional production procedure, it means open fermentative tanks and beer maturing in oak barrels. Beer fans affirm that only this way beer gets true characteristic quality. On the websites of Staropramen, you can read that the “Staropramen” brewery, located in Smichov, was established on 23 October 1869. The first batch of beer was brewed 1 May 1871 and on 15 July the sale began. In 1911 the brewery registered trademark Staropramen.

Every year brewery festival takes place in Prague. The first festival took place on 22 June 2000 and within the frame of the festival it was decided to introduce Staropramen Granat into the brewery portfolio. It is a semi-dark, full-flavoured lager. The first batch of Staropramen Nealko was brewed in 2005, it is a non-alcoholic beer. Staropramen also produce Dark beer, it is soft and smooth with a sweetish caramel-like taste. Pivovary Staropramen a.s. is currently the third largest beer exporter. They exported to 36 countries worldwide.

Branik

The next known beer in Prague is Branik. The “Branik” brewery was established in 1899, but Branik is currently moving to Smichov to Staropramen brewery, which is its main brewery. The bottled beer Branik is the second brand leader in the Czech Republic. According to plans, production of beer will increase doubly in Smichov.

Other beer brands in Prague

Every region in the Czech Republic has its own beer. The oldest Prague brewery is U Fleku, where majority of Prague tourist is headed for. This brewery is located in the centre of the city in Kremencova Street and was established in 1499.

There are some other brands of smaller breweries you can see and visit in Prague: Pivovarsky dům (Lipova 15), Novomestsky pivovar (Vodickova 20), U Bulovky Richter Pub (Bulovka 17/373), Klasterni pivovar Strahov (Strahovske nadvori 302/10), Suchdolsky Jenik (Kamycka 129), Pivovar U medvidku (na Perstyne 7).

Jara Cimrman: “It’s better to have beer in stomach than water in lungs”.

Sazka Arena took up activities on 27 march 2004. President of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Klaus cut the tape at about 10.35 p.m. and officially opened the arena. All evening was in token of music, dance, colours and lights. 112 sportsmen came with 150 medals which they had from Olympic games. Famous singers and ice hockey legendary players changed on stage and opened promising future of this wonderful building. Not long after opening, the Ice Hockey World Championship took place in Sazka Arena and more than 400 000 spectators visited ice hockey matches.

As you can see on the websites of Sazka Arena, its capacity is up to 18,000 spectators, 1,500,000 visitors came during a year and for example there are 2,900 places in bars, restaurants and cafés. This huge building has 6 floors and floor space is 35,000 m2.

Sazka Arena is venue for various events in Europe – sports, culture, entertainment, exhibits, fairs and others. There are also big plans for the future. An international hotel, congress centre, shopping and office areas, including a multi-storey car park and extensive public park will be situated on Green Island multipurpose centre. The centre benefits from the great popularity of Prague as a tourist destination and the advantages of easy transport access.

Sazka Arena is located in the northeastern part of Prague, it is about 10 km from the city centre. It is very easy to get there by car or by public transport. For example metro, railway station, tram and bus stops are nearby the arena. You can park your car inside the arena, there are about 280 parking places or there is also multi-storey car park for 1,400 places.

Sazka Arena is definitely worth a visit. Currently you can buy tickets for the world-famous musical Mamma Mia! which will be presented on 10–18 October 2007 for the first time at SAZKA ARENA. This musical has been translated from English into eight languages and more than 30 million viewers has seen the musical since its 1999 debut. You can also see American singer Gwen Stefani who will perform on 20 October 2007 and legendary Joe Cocker, “the father of white soul”, who will perform on 12 December 2007.

A modern room with a safe built especially for this event will soon have a new tenant. A famous book called the Devil´s bible, known worldwide as Codex Gigas, the most precious treasure of Swedish national library is coming to Prague for a limited time . It will be exposed in Klementinum since September till January.

It is one the most valued books in the world and is sometimes called a library in the book. This unique manuscript with giant proportions and about 800 years old is coming back to Prague after more than three centuries. This exhibition is expected to be as much frequented as the exhibition of crown jewels which is held only rarely at Prague castle.

The visitors coming in small groups will have the chance to see the book only for ten minutes. The book will be guarded on the route very carefully, the value of the book is incalculable and its origin reaches to the 13th century. In the room watched by many cameras will be created a special climate favourable for this medieval hand writing. The book will be opened on a page with an illustration of small devil who gave the name to the book. The other parts of the book can visitors see as digital images.

The famous picture of devil has got to the book according to a legend – the devil helped the monk with writing. The monk wasn´t able to write the book on time so he devoted his soul to the devil. Historians say that the book is a product of one author. This author probably spend on writing about 20 years. The book includes the list of sins, magical incantatory formulas, calendar and many other interesting information.

The exhibition is starting on September 20 in Klementinum which is situated between the Old Town Square and the Charles bridge. The historic building of Klementinum, the former monastery is currently the seat of Czech national library.

Every year on August 21, the Czech Republic commemorates a sad anniversary. In 1968, the back then Czechoslovakia was invaded. The unthinkable became reality. It was a shock of such a dimension that many could not believe it. Heck, we were being occupied by our liberator!

At the end of the World War II, Prague was liberated by the Soviets, although some other parts of the Czechoslovakia were liberated by the Americans. People were grateful. The Soviet Union, therefore, became a close friend of Czechoslovakia and soon afterwards Czechs had found themselves under the control of the USSR.

Prague Spring

In the late sixties, however, there was a worldwide feeling that the tension between the Soviets and Americans was easing, generally known as the time of détente. In the Czechoslovakia, this feeling led to a slight change in government, electing Alexander Dubcek as a leader of the Communist Party in January 1968. What had followed is now being called Prague Spring because of its origins in spring months.

Dubcek was a man, who wanted to reform the communist system. Many reforms had been introduced since January 1968. Among the most significant, the increased freedom of the press and more democratic multi-party government.

It is to say, however, that Dubcek never intended to change the government into democratic one. He only wanted to reform the unpopular system and turn it into “Socialism with human face”. But people wanted more reforms, asking for further liberalization and democratization of the system. Moscow was watching all this with a great fear.

Invasion

In order not to permit Czechoslovakia to step out of the eastern block and fuel other nations to follow, the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies (except for Romania) invaded the country. People in the Czechoslovakia woke up on August 21, 1968, and could not believe their eyes. Their celebrated liberator and “friend forever” came to crush the liberalizing reforms with 200,000 troops and 5,000 tanks. There was a tank in almost every street. How can you fight this back?

Under these circumstances, with no one who would help, there was nothing else to do but to give up all the reforms which were adopted during the Prague Spring. All politicians involved in Prague Spring were put aside, but not only politicians. Many people fled the country.

The Czech nation had to wait for its true liberalization until 1989.

“Learning is like a jigsaw puzzle. When you first lay the pieces out, it doesn’t make much sense. When you start to connect the pieces, you then begin to see how it all fits together”. These words were said by an anonymous writer long time ago. But this person exactly described the meaning of the word education. When you say the words Charles University you will describe the word education as well as the author of the mentioned quotation.

Charles University is a center of education in the Czech Republic. It is the oldest university in the Czech Republic and one of the oldest universities of the world. It was founded by the decision of The Church. In this case it was founded by the bull of Klement VI, certified in Avignon on 26 January in 1347.There were four faculties: the preparing faculty for liberal arts and continued faculties were the faculty of laws, medicin and theology. At The University there were four nations: The Czech, The Bavarian, The Saxon and The Polish.

In 1403 the teaching of John Wyclif was forbidden to distribute. In 1409 The King Václav IV. regulated the deciding powers of The Czech by The Kutnohorský decree. It had the effect that some professors left to the University in Leipzig.

Nowadays Charles University contains 17 faculties. Over 42,400 students study there and there are more than 4300 foreign students—750 of which study academic programs in English language.

Charles University aims to be recognized as a competitive research university on the world stage and stresses international cooperation with prestigious educational and scientific establishments. Charles University has entered into 450 bilateral contracts and 170 international partnerships with foreign universities.