http://radio.cz/en Latest articles on 'Travel' - information about travelling in the Czech Republic and the country's sights and attractions en Thu, 24 May 2012 16:09:23 +0200 Thu, 24 May 2012 16:09:23 +0200 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Radio Prague CMS 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Radio Broadcasting cr@radio.cz (Cesky Rozhlas) webmaster@radio.cz (CRo Webmaster) http://radio.cz/en/article/148123 Lake Baikal –the oldest and deepest freshwater lake in the world is located in the south of Siberia, between Irkutsk to the northwest and the Buryat Republic to the southeast. A region of breathtaking beauty and harsh climate it attracts thousands of visitors from around the world –from those who want a guided tour in relative comfort organized by a travel agency to those who take a backpack and set out on an unforgettable adventure. Thu, 24 May 2012 16:09:23 +0200 urn:uuid:97857483-bb87-57eb-9c4b-f19a4c2e483d http://radio.cz/en/article/148096 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. Wed, 23 May 2012 16:56:53 +0200 urn:uuid:ffd5c963-af7c-51e5-8e34-ef476f934229 http://radio.cz/en/article/148062 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. Tue, 22 May 2012 16:00:59 +0200 urn:uuid:f897998f-46e4-57eb-8243-90388167b3e0 http://radio.cz/en/article/147563 South Moravia is well-known for its wine, which has been produced there at least since thirsty Roman soldiers far from home began doing so in the 2nd century. Move forward a thousand years or so, to the 13th century, and wine trading had become one of the most profitable businesses in the region. Those are the days that our destination for today stretches back to. Wed, 02 May 2012 14:21:05 +0200 urn:uuid:cf002df6-a758-53d5-8c64-4d623f83c35b http://radio.cz/en/article/147369 In today’s Spotlight we take a trip to a hidden gem of a museum in a Prague suburb which traces the often surprising history of coffee. The private Coffee Museum Alchymista takes you through coffee’s history, cultivation, production and industry covering the many different strains and its progress from a devilish concoction to everyday drink. Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:23:02 +0200 urn:uuid:bfbeae81-b503-5ce5-b028-4119b968600f http://radio.cz/en/article/147019 For today's Spotlight we have come to the countryside of west Bohemia to visit Kozel Chateau. Kozel was originally a hunting lodge, and when it was built in the late 18th century bore the German name Waldschloss or Jadgschloss, meaning Forest or Hunting Chateau. Why is it now called Kozel (Goat in Czech)? Apparently, the ancient Slavs used to sacrifice a goat on this site at the spring equinox. Their aim: to win the favour of their pagan gods and, hopefully, a good harvest. Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0200 urn:uuid:7bcafa55-71f8-5eeb-a04f-b5e3c9ca1ab6 http://radio.cz/en/article/146846 Tucked away on Řetězová street in Prague’s Old Town, Café Montmartre is one of the city’s oldest coffeehouses. While it looks rather unassuming from the outside, the former cabaret has a fascinating history. Famous writers such as Franz Kafka and Egon Erwin Kisch are said to have spent many a wild night here, and Café Montmartre continues to draw artists, writers and actors. We spoke to its manager, Iva Nesvadbová, about the café’s history, its guests and its upcoming anniversary. Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:24:10 +0200 urn:uuid:6dc7867d-89eb-5b15-a8b6-eb0a67b792a1 http://radio.cz/en/article/146693 434.2186 is the number of a famous historic locomotive that has appeared in countless Czech films including "Páni Kluci" about Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, a favourite among children and adults. Last Saturday visitors to Prague's Main Station were able to see the jet-black steam engine prepare for a rare but much anticipated journey along part of one of the most picturesque routes in the Czech Republic. Wed, 28 Mar 2012 14:19:47 +0200 urn:uuid:dd7a16cb-7246-5532-b56f-8af30d7c2991 http://radio.cz/en/article/146604 Forget the Blue Danube, it’s the greeny-brown Vltava which is the watery muse of artists and musicians in this part of the world. The Vltava is the Czech Republic’s longest river, stretching more than 400 km. It is also the main waterway through the Czech capital Prague, and has been most famous in recent years for bursting its banks in 2002. The floods caused billions of crowns’ worth of damage to the capital alone, and put the city’s metro out of action for several months. Sat, 24 Mar 2012 02:01:00 +0100 urn:uuid:8950ab0b-0784-5fa7-839e-a9f239bcba4c http://radio.cz/en/article/146535 The rumbling railroad track that used to pass through Žižkov in Prague was completely natural to the gritty-but-chic image of the 19th century proletariat quarter. The main western entrance to Žižkov was arched by three foreboding railway bridges, and the noisy, spray-painted cars passed alongside Vítkov hill to the cargo station. Four years ago the trains were still rattling the plaster off that lower end of the neighbourhood, just as they had been since the late Industrial Revolution, and then the route was cancelled for a higher-capacity alternative. Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:52:56 +0100 urn:uuid:67415e89-20d7-5837-ba17-3a393df740ee http://radio.cz/en/article/146338 Many will remember the joy of getting toy trains as children and watching them zoom down the electric track. Now, somewhat unusually, that innocent excitement can now be relived at a popular Czech restaurant. Located in Brno, Prague and elsewhere, Výtopna is a venue like no other where toy engines – not waiters – deliver drinks to your table. For a country not big on theme-restaurants it has become surprisingly popular: a big hit especially for families with young kids. Wed, 14 Mar 2012 13:49:51 +0100 urn:uuid:9619a68d-6986-5d0f-b15e-d89de2195a7e http://radio.cz/en/article/146248 Spotlight this week comes from Pardubice, which lies about an hour away from Prague in east Bohemia. The pretty Renaissance buildings on Pernštýnovo náměstí and the impressive chateau nearby give an indication of this town’s long and rich history, which saw it evolve from a prosperous hamlet in the Middle Ages to an industrial powerhouse by the start of the 20th century. Sat, 10 Mar 2012 02:01:00 +0100 urn:uuid:56242448-cce3-5ba3-b547-5031b47df41f http://radio.cz/en/article/146155 Prague’s wealth of traditional coffeehouses is a legacy from the era of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. But even in today’s hectic time, grabbing a quick cup on the run is fortunately not the only option for coffee lovers in the Czech capital. Probably the best-known café in the golden city is Kavárna Slavia, or Café Slavia. We recently visited this traditional coffeehouse. Wed, 07 Mar 2012 13:46:55 +0100 urn:uuid:27b8ccfc-2951-56bd-90a4-3cbb84455133 http://radio.cz/en/article/146141 This year marks the 110th anniversary of the death of Dr Emil Holub, perhaps the best-known Czech explorer, who made vast contributions to public understanding of Africa in the latter half of the 19th century. Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0100 urn:uuid:93a5bad8-754f-5d77-8905-80604881a25c http://radio.cz/en/article/146007 This week saw the completion of a two year restoration project of Villa Tugendhat, a unique functionalist villa in the city of Brno. Its history matches that of Czechoslovakia: repeat occupation, dilapidation and ultimately restoration. Thu, 01 Mar 2012 16:13:51 +0100 urn:uuid:89cc7957-f590-51d8-a7ae-1d4c3885596b http://radio.cz/en/article/145872 A town surrounded by deep pine forests, dotted with old timbered German-style villas and occasional Communist-era prefab houses, a town boasting many parks, a river, two churches – and the country’s first Buddhist temple. This is Varnsdorf, a town of 16,000 in the northernmost part of the Czech Republic. Sat, 25 Feb 2012 02:01:00 +0100 urn:uuid:624a74e8-a089-5fb2-a7fc-8b3c343a067d http://radio.cz/en/article/145786 In this week's Spotlight, we visit Prague's infamous TV tower and find it in the middle of a major re-construction. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:32:51 +0100 urn:uuid:d3047fbf-745d-521e-951b-2a99b2f1f1df http://radio.cz/en/article/145639 Critics may say that the Czech government is doing practically nothing to address the country’s high levels of corruption – the Czech Republic rates 57th out of 182 in Transparency International’s 2011 Corruption Perceptions Index, four places lower than 2010’s 53rd place – but that hasn’t stopped other entrepreneurial figures from stepping in to fill the vacuum. Interested in seeing the top spots for “tunneling”, murky, hidden centres of power or finding some of the buildings that have resulted from alleged shady deals? Then Corrupt Tour may be what you’re after! They are promising to show “The Best of the Worst” as their motto puts it, their website adding that they are striving to open up an entirely new field of tourism. Or is it just all a new way to shame the country’s politicians? Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:29:58 +0100 urn:uuid:b9c9daf3-872c-52e8-a745-2d32d3e3e2e5 http://radio.cz/en/article/145611 In this week’s Spotlight we take you to an independent culture centre decorated with an abstract array of industrial machine part artistry. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:25:39 +0100 urn:uuid:e0e94341-4689-5b9e-ac70-5c99b9bedd29 http://radio.cz/en/article/145426 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. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:49:20 +0100 urn:uuid:7291c063-6814-5998-8320-ab699efb1a81