Prague’s Christmas markets are some of the best known in Europe. This year they will begin with the switching on of the Christmas tree lights on November 29, and will run until January 1, 2009. Tens of stalls will appear on the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square where you will be able to buy Christmas decorations, corn doll tree decorations, yuletide straw figures, beautifully decorated gingerbread and fragrant candles.
Paintings that are the envy of the entire world, sketches and prints sought after and studied by scholars, a musical archive and library that have been a long-time source of surprising discoveries. Thus can one briefly characterize the collections administered at the Archbishop’s Chateau of Kroměříž. With the exhibition Bow & Lyre, the Olomouc Archdiocesan Museum is now presenting the most valuable artworks held in the Kroměříž depositories.
Visitors to Prague Castle will once again this year enjoy a Christmas exhibit of Nativity scenes. The scenes on display will be made from wood, paper, ceramics, gingerbread and glass. The exhibit presents a total of 50 Nativities from various time periods.
Illuminated streets and squares, the hustle and bustle of Christmas markets and the omnipresent sound of carols demonstrate to even the least enthusiastic supporter of national holidays that Christmas in the Czech Republic is one of the most beautiful times of the year. It’s a time when museums of all kinds as well as people in their own homes observe age-old traditions. Admiring an advent scene or listening to a concert in a church, a chateau or on a square are just some of these customs.
Prague, October 2008. Winter vacations do not neccessarily have to mean the Alps or the Pyrenees only. You can also be confident of excellent entertainment and enjoyment in the snow in the Czech Republic. While you shouldn’t expect extra-long ski slopes, you will still find slopes of varying difficulty, snowparks, and bobsleigh and sledge runs. You will also find excellent conditions for cross-country skiing, for which hundreds of kilometres of cross-country trails are regularly maintained. Moreover, there has been a lot of investment in recent years in the mountains of Bohemia and Moravia, resulting in improvements in the quality of ski slopes, the operation of new chair lifts and cable cars, as well as a wider range of freetime activities in winter resorts.
A temporary exhibition “The Curse of Gold – 1000 Years of Inca Gold”, which opens on 1 November 2008 in Prague Castle’s House of the Supreme Burgrave, is devoted to the ancient culture of a once powerful South American people, the Incas. These fascinating, 1000-year-old gold objects, gripping descriptions of their uses, an attractive installation of the exhibits in specially lit showcases, and a description of the dramatic history of the Spanish conquistadors’ brutal quest for gold present a singular opportunity to become acquainted with the Indian cultures of the Andes.
It is 203 years since Napoleon routed the Russo-Austrian army at Slavkov (also known to the world as Austerlitz) in South Moravia. The Battle of Three Emperors has entered the history books, and each year the course of the battle is commemorated by the arrival of thousands of military history enthusiasts. This year, the re-enactment and related events take place during 28–30 November.
In order that your stay in the Czech Republic will not be spoilt by any complications, please adhere to the following warnings. The overwhelming majority of tourists leave our country satisfied, so why spoil your memories with an unpleasant experience?
Prague, September 2008 Autumn jazz festivals in the Czech Republic have again invited world stars and local performers to try, on a single stage, to break through the borders of genre, country and generation.
CzechTourism conducted a survey of 133 new features in tourism for 2008. On the www.133premier.cz portal they are available to journalists, travel agencies as well as the public in 7 language versions.
The logo of the Czech EU chairmanship remains shrouded in mystery up to November, but the communication campaign which shall draw attention of Czechs to the approaching chairmanship is running already. The spot with provoking title “We will show Europe what’s what” aroused controversial reactions in the Czech Republic.
The title of the international festival Janáček Brno 2008 recalls the close relationship the ingenious composer had with the Moravian metropolis – the place Leoš Janáček called home for a substantial part of his life.
Through the end of the year Prague Airport will belong to travellers and art lovers alike. Aeronále 2008 aims to bring art to the masses and provide passengers food for thought and entertainment.
The Czech Republic concludes the anniversary of the portentous “eights” in 2008 with celebrations for the 90th year since the founding of Czechoslovakia.
Over 200 synagogues, precious works of art and books, unique Jewish Quarters in historic cities – these are only a few of the testaments to the exceptional, centuries-long legacy of the Jewish community in the Czech lands that the Jewish cultural festivals endeavour to present to the public.
Festivals change even the average film fans into marathon runners. They queue up for accreditation, turn out for the first screening and endeavour not to fall asleep during the last. If they are not sitting in a cinema, they are at a concert or in the theatre. That week spent at the international festival in Karlovy Vary or the Summer Film School in Uherské Hradiště can indeed be overwhelming, but is nevertheless unforgettable.
The biggest sporting event this summer is, without question, the Olympics in Beijing; but sports fans need not be left unoccupied in the Czech Republic, either. Instead of watching your sport on television, you can look forward to the immediate experience of a live track-and-field competition or motorcycle racing.
Names, dates and how it all fitted together – history as a school subject could be a real bore. But why not give it a second chance and let historical celebrations in the Czech Republic rekindle your interest. Festivals relating the deeds of kings and townsfolk are told at the most famous Czech castles, chateaux and historical towns.
A new way of describing Prague has emerged - in addition to ‘Prague, city of a hundred spires’, ‘Golden Prague’ and ‘Prague – the heart of Europe’, we now have ‘Prague, a city of food’. Evidence that the renomé of Czech gastronomy is on the up comes in the form of the first Michelin star in central Europe for Prague’s Allegro restaurant and the second Prague Food Festival. This year the event will move to the Slovanský ostrov (an island in the River Vltava), where June 20—22 will see 37 of the best chefs in the Czech Republic serving up some culinary delights.
Although the Prague International Marathon (PIM) is the most important running event in the Czech Republic, it values a sporting spirit and the appetite to promote a healthy lifestyle more than performances on the edge of what is possible. During the marathon weekend (10-11 May), Prague expects 12,000 enthusiasts, who will put on their running shoes or roller skates and go running or skating in the streets. Tens of thousands of spectators will be encouraging them.
