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A traffic inspector makes off with a tram left unattended. The inhabitants
of Hradec Králove put up a fight to bring back the sound of church bells
at night, and Prague hosts the world’s geniuses. Find out more in
magazine with Daniela Lazarova.
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MagazineMagazine
Presidential candidate Jan Svejnar’s shoes come under close scrutiny in
the town of Zlín, two Czechs get their hands stuck in a billiard table and
many Bavarians are crossing the border for a quick fag in the Czech
Republic. Find out more in Magazine with Daniela Lazarova.
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Czech MusicEncore: The appeal of the bell tower
In Encore we look at two recordings said to be inspired by church towers.
It is well known that Bohuslav Martinu grew up in a room at the top of the
bell tower in the little town of Policka, but we will also be looking at a
living composer, who has found an "oasis of peace" at the top of
a Baroque spire in Prague.
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ArtsPrague has new unique indoor carillon
Maria, Jan, Martin, Jindrich, Josef, Frantisek, Dominik, Vaclav and Petr.
These might sound like ordinary Czech first names to you but their bearers
are rather extraordinary. They were all born in 2003 and you can find them
under the roof of a Renaissance tower in the centre of Prague.
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Current AffairsZikmund rings again
Just a few hours after the polling stations closed in June this year, the
clapper of the famous Zikmund bell at Prague's St. Vitus Cathedral cracked
and the bell fell silent. According to legend, the silencing of the
Zikmund bell is an omen of national tragedy. Those who believe the legend
first connected the omen to the outcome of the June elections, but looking
back the silencing of the church bell could be seen as a forewarning of
the disastrous floods, which hit the Czech Republic in August. Anyway, the
clapper is now back in place and Zikmund is once again ringing loud and
clear from Prague's St. Vitus Cathedral.
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Current AffairsCountry's biggest bell falls silent after elections
And now, moving on to something lighter, but still connected - albeit tenuously - to the elections. As you've just heard, Czechs went to the polls a week ago, in an election which saw the Communist Party clinch their biggest share of the vote since 1989. Just four hours after the polling stations closed, however, a bell in Prague's St Vitus cathedral fell silent - which the more superstitious people of this country saw as an omen of impending doom. Dita Asiedu has more:
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