Archive: Society | Lifestyle Lifestyle
Prague Food Festival to inspire Czechs to think global, eat local
On Friday, the magnificent Prague Castle gardens will open to host the
annual Prague Food Festival – a three-day celebration of fine dining and
healthy eating. Foodies from Prague and elsewhere will converge at the
venue to sample the delicacies prepared by three dozen classy restaurants
and enjoy the festival’s varied accompanying programme. More
Shopping transformed since 1989 though Czechs still lagging behind West in some respects, says ex-Elle editor
Over the last 20 years Czechs have embraced consumer culture in a big way,
with a great number of shopping centres, both city centre and out-of-town,
now dotted around the country. To discuss how the experience of shopping
has been transformed – and how range and price now compare to other
countries – I met up with former Elle editor Jana Cíglerová at
Prague’s Palladium shopping centre, a short walk from Wenceslas Square. More
Botanicus co-founder Dana Hradecká: planting the seeds of success
The Botanicus chain of stores offering herbal soaps, extracts and
delicacies is a Czech, and growing international, success story. Most
tourists will have probably bought something from one of their outlets in
the country. The small business was founded in the early 1990’s after the
restitution of a family farm around 40 kilometres north-east of Prague.
That has become the centre for the business and a tourist attraction with
more than 50,000 visitors a year. One of the firm’s co-founders Dana
Hradecká explained the roots of the original inspiration for the business. More
Luciela Taschen - a new leather bag brand with a brand-new showroom
It was some six years ago that Lucia Jamrichová started making crochet net
bags – they became a huge success and soon, her brand Luciela Taschen was
featured in magazines and newspapers. Now, Lucia has decided to take her
passion for designing hand bags one step further. Her new designs are made
from quality leather – and can be touched, smelled and purchased at her
showroom on Letná’s Veverkova street. That is where I recently met her
to talk about bags, her love for crafts and fashion and what it feels like
to be sitting in front of one’s newly opened showroom. More
Milliner Jolana Kotábová on hat design in the Czech Republic
In this week’s Czech Life my guest is Czech milliner Jolana Kotábová,
an expert hat designer who – after many years of experience in the field
– opened her own studio in Prague in 2011. Located in a beautiful stone
house with vaulted ceilings in Prague’s Nerudova Street, her studio
focuses on original women’s hats combining both traditional elements and
modern. Anyone interested in felt, straw or braided-straw designs with
flair should take the time to visit. More
Leeda – a unique Czech fashion label going strong for seven years
Not far from the National Theatre, tucked away on Bartolomějská street,
the small flagship store of the label Leeda boasts some of the most
original, colorful and hip clothing in the Czech capital. Run by two young
designers, Lucie Kutálková and Lucie Trnková, Leeda has been putting out
its limited edition collections for nearly seven years. The two designers
both studied at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague.
Lucie Kutálková explains how the two were given a unique opportunity to
establish their own label and retail space. More
Sofia Smith – a Prague-based freelance chef who puts joy in cooking first
Sofia Smith, who is half-Irish and half-Asian, has been cooking in Prague
since the late nineties. Angel restaurant, where she was the executive head
chef, received much critical acclaim – its opening was written about by
Fodor’s as “the culinary event of the year” – and as a freelance
chef, Sofia Smith continues to put a smile on the faces of Prague’s food
lovers. Most recently, she has been hosting themed nights at Prague’s
James Joyce Irish Pub and teaching cooking classes at the capital’s
Cocina Rivero cooking studio. She speaks about what she most enjoys about
being a chef, how Prague’s food culture has changed over the years and
what her early culinary influences were. More
Study: Obesity, smoking and drug abuse on the rise among Czech adolescents
Czech researchers from the University of Olomouc made a significant
contribution to the latest Health Behavior of School-Aged Children Research
Study. Sadly, its conclusions point to a worrying trend: Czech adolescents,
and their counterparts across Europe, are living an increasingly sedentary
lifestyle. As a result, obesity, drug abuse and smoking among those aged 18
and under are on the rise. We spoke to one of the Czech researchers
involved in the international study, Michal Kalman. More
Czechs and the Internet
Computers and the internet have become an integral part of our lives to
such an extent that it is hard to imagine how we ever managed without them.
However a recent survey conducted by the Czech Statistical Office shows
that Czechs are still lagging behind many EU states when it comes to
computer literacy and internet access. More
Wenceslas square’s notorious sausage stands to be removed by end of year
For years, Prague councilors have been announcing the end of the sausage
stands on Wenceslas Square, which for some have become an institution,
albeit a greasy and noisy one. Now, City Hall officials are set to serve
eviction notices to all of the fast-food stands on the city’s main
thoroughfare, ahead of a major makeover next year. In the future, Wenceslas
Square may be sausage-free – but not if Prague 1 mayor Oldřich Lomecký
has his say. More
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