Related articles
SpotlightNepomuk and environs - some facts and lots of fiction
If there were a capital city of legendry in the Czech Republic, the town of
Nepomuk would be a hot contestant for the honour. There are said to be
graves that glow when someone’s about to die, a landscape littered with
the petrified cattle of a greedy pagan and the ghost of an evil musketeer
who walks the earth with the still-ferocious spectre of his dog. The
official population of Nepomuk may be 3,700, but that’s only if you count
the living. More
SpotlightThe Giant Mountains - a world of legend
For this week's Spotlight we're in one of the most beautiful regions of the Czech Republic, the Krkonoše or Giant Mountains, straddling the Czech-Polish border, a hundred kilometres north-east of Prague. These are the Czech Republic's highest mountains, rising well over a thousand metres, and at this time of year, they are decked with a thick blanket of snow. The Giant Mountains is a wonderfully poetic and evocative name... and indeed Krkonoše does have its very own legendary giant, known as "Krakonoš" in Czech and "Ruebezahl" in German. More
ArtsNew Czech Fables – From the culture of tramping, to children’s toys, to compulsory military service
Last week the Czech National Museum launched a new exhibition called New
Czech Fables (or New Czech Myths) at the Kinský summer palace, located at
the edge of Prague’s Petřín Hill. The show examines urban legends,
sayings, social rituals and counter-culture movements in the former
Czechoslovakia as well as present-day Czech Republic. In this week’s
Arts, Radio Prague takes a closer look. More
SpotlightNepomuk and environs - some facts and lots of fiction
If there were a capital city of legendry in the Czech Republic, the town of
Nepomuk would be a hot contestant for the honour. There are said to be
graves that glow when someone’s about to die, a landscape littered with
the petrified cattle of a greedy pagan and the ghost of an evil musketeer
who walks the earth with the still-ferocious spectre of his dog. The
official population of Nepomuk may be 3,700, but that’s only if you count
the living.
More
SpotlightThe Giant Mountains - a world of legend
For this week's Spotlight we're in one of the most beautiful regions of the Czech Republic, the Krkonose or Giant Mountains, straddling the Czech-Polish border, a hundred kilometres north-east of Prague. These are the Czech Republic's highest mountains, rising well over a thousand metres, and at this time of year, they are decked with a thick blanket of snow. The Giant Mountains is a wonderfully poetic and evocative name... and indeed Krkonose does have its very own legendary giant, known as "Krakonos" in Czech and "Ruebezahl" in German.
More
SpotlightPernstejn Castle: still standing despite a disastrous fire
Pernstejn Castle is some 35km north-west of the south Moravian city of
Brno. Standing on a rocky hill above the villages of Pernstejn and
Nedvedice, it overlooks the highlands of Bohemia and Moravia. It was built
in the second half of the 13th century and is one of the best-preserved
castles in the country today, attracting some 75,000 visitors a year.
More
Czech BooksPrincess Libuse: the wisest woman in Czech literary history
Today we look at one of the legendary figures in Czech history - sometimes
described as the "Mother of the Czech Nation" - the medieval
princess Libuse or Libussa, who has inspired many writers through the
centuries. I'm joined by Pavla Jonssonova, who has studied the way that
the Libuse legend has been interpreted by different writers, and to what
extent it reflects the possible real history of Libuse. More
Current AffairsDay of Czech Statehood commemorates patron saint of Czech nation
September 28th is St Wenceslas Day, commemorating the Czech nation's patron
saint, Prince Wenceslas, or Vaclav. He was slain by his own brother in the
year 935 near Prague. But Prince Vaclav was not the only man of that name
who played an important role in Czech history.
More
SpotlightLounovice pod Blanikem
For today's Spotlight we've come to the town of Lounovice pod Blanikem, pod
Blanikem meaning "under Blanik", a mountain associated with some
of the most colourful and famous of Czech legends. They say the story of
the Knights of Blanik was first told to Charles IV by a blind young man,
who was travelling through his kingdom.
More
SpotlightSvaty Jan pod Skalou (St. John under the Cliff)
In this week's Spotlight, we visit the picturesque little village Svaty Jan
pod Skalou, some thirty km southwest of Prague and only nine kilometres
away from the popular gothic Karlstejn Castle. Despite a population of
only 120, Svaty Jan pod Skalou, translated into Saint John under the
Cliff, boasts a large number of beautifully preserved historical
monuments. This, thanks to the efforts of the St. John Society, which was
established by local inhabitants after the fall of Communism to restore
and bring back to life the treasures, left unattended and damaged by the
Communist government.
More
+1
