Archive: Travel | Monuments Monuments
CzechTourism boss: rising numbers of Russian tourists reflect change in visa policy
The Czech Republic is becoming more popular with foreign tourists. The
latest figures show that in the first three months of this year, almost 1.3
million tourists visited the country which represents a 13-percent increase
compared to the same period last year. German tourists continue to top the
list of foreign visitors, followed by Russians who are the fastest growing
group. RP discussed the development with Rostislav Vondruška, the head of
the state agency CzechTourism. More
Stará Boleslav - the town where St Wenceslas was slain
In this week's Spotlight we will travel to the small town of Stará Boleslav
just northeast of Prague. According to legend, it was in this town that the
Přemyslid Prince Wenceslas, later St Wenceslas, was slain by his own
brother Boleslav in the 10th century. More
The Mánes Exhibition Hall – an icon of functionalist architecture
The functionalist Mánes Exhibition Hall, located on the right bank of the
Vltava river between the bridges Jiraskův most and Most Legií, is one of
only two buildings in Prague that were expressly designed to house art –
the other one being the famous Rudolfinum gallery. Martin Pavala, the
chairman of the supervisory board of the Czech Art Foundation, which owns
it, explains that the art gallery’s history started in 1930. More
The House of the Black Madonna – home of the only surviving Cubist café in the world
Nestled between busy Wenceslas Square and Prague’s number one tourist
destination, Old Town Square, the House of the Black Madonna houses a small
museum of Cubism as well as the only surviving Cubist café in the world
– the Grand Café Orient, which was renovated between 2002 and 2005. More
The Museum of Decorative Arts – a must-see destination for fans of Czech design
Lovers of Czech applied arts and design will find a veritable treasure
trove of interesting items, ranging from glass wares to clocks and metal
works, in Prague’s Museum of Decorative Arts. Located right across the
street from the well-known Rudolfinum palace, the museum is housed in a
stunning Neo-Renaissance building. It was one of the last in Prague to be
designed in that style. The architect was Josef Schulz, who also was behind
the Czech National Museum. More
Slavonice: a South Bohemian renaissance town off the beaten track
It is a very crisp autumn day here in South Bohemia. And I’m slowly
trundling towards Slavonice, which is in the very far south of this
country, right on the Austrian border. I’m in a modern-looking, but as
you can probably hear, rather shuddery sort of train. And I’m heading
towards this stunningly pretty Czech town, which I hear, in recent years,
has become something of an artists’ colony. So, I’m off to find out
more about that in this week’s Spotlight. More
Prague’s Malá Strana cemetery: a burial ground that’s dying out
Cemeteries across the country will soon fill with flowers and burning
candles when on All Saints Day people visit the graves of their loved ones.
But in Prague, there is one burial ground where few visitors are expected.
The Malá Strana cemetery was only in use for about a century, and it now
stands out as a unique monument in the middle of the dynamically developing
district of Smíchov. A group of local enthusiasts have now got together to
save this unique part of the city’s heritage. More
Teplá abbey seeks to make a comeback in straitened circumstances
The imposing Teplá abbey complex is sited around a dozen miles from the
spa town of Mariánské Lázně, in western Bohemia. Its story is one of an
enterprising religious community that was the main force in developing the
whole region, its destruction under Nazism and then Communism and its
tentative comeback today on the back of tourist income. More
St. Martin in the Wall
I had never really been inside or had a proper look around, but I was sure
the small church of St Martin in the Wall would have an interesting story,
if for no other reason than its ancient appearance and peculiar name. Just
off the central Národní třída is a classic Prague alleyway that’s
tucked away from the shopping boulevard, neatly dividing the centuries from
one another, and there you’ll find it. One of the oldest churches in the
city, St Martin in the Wall is one of those relatively few landmarks whose
story can transport you all the way back through the ages to the beginnings
of the Czech metropolis. More
Prague’s Hanau Pavilion – pricey restaurant with interesting history and great city views
On the edge of Prague’s Letná plain, overlooking the Vltava and the Old
Town, stand several remarkable buildings from the Belle Époque when Prague
was hoping to become the Paris of the East. One of these structures is the
Hanau Pavilion, a church-like edifice of cast iron and bricks built to
demonstrate the dynamic development of Bohemian industry. Today as in the
past, its restaurant offers amazing views of the capital. More
+1
