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A walk across Prague’s Charles Bridge
11.08. 2010No visit to Prague is complete without a stroll across Charles Bridge. A masterpiece of mediaeval architecture, the bridge has survived floods, sieges and even some poorly executed renovations. In this edition of Spotlight, we walk across the bridge with architect Martin Krise from a preservationists’ association called the Club for Ancient Prague.
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Czech police assist on Croatian coast
21.07. 2010Croatia’s Dalmatian coast has long been the number one destination for Czech tourists during the summer months and as a result, three years ago, the Croatian government offered Czech police the opportunity to cooperate in key areas. Although they have no authority on their own and do not carry firearms, they are able to assist their Croatian counterparts in communication with Czech tourists in cases of theft or in traffic accidents.
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Czech vacationers spending less on package tours ahead of summer season
15.06. 2010Tour operators have registered between a 10 – 15 percent decrease in the number of Czech vacationers buying package tours in normally popular destinations such as Egypt or Tunisia. Vacationers are choosing to save more in lean economic times, and are apparently being more selective in how they spend their funds: either opting for cheaper destinations by plane, or by vacationing by car or bus a little closer to home.
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A letter from Kabul
06.06. 2010I wanted to go back to Afghanistan the minute I left it. No less because within twelve hours of doing so, I found I’d swapped all the gritty wonders of that country for the faux mystique of Dubai. Dubai has as much mystique as Disneyland, but a cloud of volcanic ash kept me captive there for three days. At least I had a chance to fill myself up with fish, before going back to Prague, and to consider everything I had seen and heard over the two weeks past.
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CzechTourism launches biggest ever campaign encouraging Czechs to holiday at home
14.05. 2010CzechTourism has launched its biggest ever advertising campaign aimed at encouraging Czechs to spend their holidays in their own country. The state tourism body’s project aims to promote various kinds of leisure activities rather than specific tourist destinations. Markéta Chaloupková is in charge of the CzechTourism campaign. I asked her if getting Czechs to vacation at home was a big challenge.
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Travel agency offers retro 'workers’ holidays' for nostalgic Czechs
11.05. 2010It’s twenty years since the fall of communism, but there are some Czechs nostalgic for aspects of life before 1989. Many older people, for example, have fond memories of the factory workers’ holidays organised by Communist Czechoslovakia’s trade union organisation, the ‘Revolutionary Trade Union Movement’ or ROH for short. Now, a Czech travel agency is offering them the chance to relive those holidays at a dilapidated mountain hotel in neighbouring Slovakia. Rob Cameron went there to have a look.
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Švihov Castle
05.05. 2010Anyone visiting the area of southwest Bohemia throughout May to October shouldn’t miss a tour of Švihov Castle, one of the country’s most significant water castles found not far from Plzeň. Founded in the late 16th century, the castle featured the best defence system in its day – a combination of high fortifications and moats that put off the most obstinate of would-be attackers. Today the castle offers two tours, which include a look into its inner courtyard, a private chapel and the armoury.
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The inside story of the history of Prague’s Pankrác prison
21.04. 2010Pankrác is a byword in the Czech Republic for the large prison that stands a little way outside the centre of Prague. The prison has been the focus for much of the worst and some of the best that has happened over the last 120 years. Appropriately, some mementos have been stored for posterity.
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Beroun pronounced Historic Town of the Year 2009
15.04. 2010The Central Bohemian town of Beroun has just earned the title of Historic Town of the Year 2009. The prize, which comes with a million crown award for the city, honors towns and cities in the Czech Republic that have excelled in preserving and renewing their monuments and historic buildings. Sarah Borufka reports.
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Český Krumlov and its pact with the tourist devil
11.04. 2010I have recently come back from a few days in the town of Český Krumlov – and it was an eye opener. I should explain that my last visit to this small south Bohemian jewel was around 15 years ago.
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Teplá abbey seeks to make a comeback in straitened circumstances
07.04. 2010The 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.
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New Czech gay-friendly holiday brochure only third on European market
19.03. 2010Traveling has just become a lot more convenient for Czech gays and lesbians. A new holiday brochure provides an alternative to lengthy internet research to find a place to stay that is gay-friendly. The “Pink Go!” brochure boasts gay-friendly hotels, cruises catering to homosexuals and even gay-only accommodation. Sarah Borufka has the story.
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Žatec – the home of hops
10.03. 2010For centuries, the northern Bohemian town of Žatec has been the centre of hops growing in the country. Known as the home of hops and beer, the town is now trying to cope with a decline in its traditional industry. It recently launched a multi-million euro tourism project called Temple of Hops and Beer – but it is also slowly coming to terms with recent history that saw the town’s original German population replaced by Czechs in the aftermath of WWII.
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Investigation demanded into allegations of harassment of Czech drivers by German and Austrian police
03.03. 2010Long standing complaints by Czech drivers that they are being harassed by German and Austrian police have hit new heights amid reports that they have taken a humiliating turn. Former prime minister Mirek Topolánek says there is a clear case that European open border rules have been broken. His successor Jan Fischer has called on the Czech interior ministry to investigate.
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Czech adventurers seek to cover Siberia’s frozen Lake Baikal in a month
25.02. 2010Two intrepid Czechs, Vašek Sůra and Pavel Blažek, are at the start of what will probably be a month long trip to travel the length of the world’s deepest lake – Siberia’s lake Baikal. They will be covering the frozen ice and snow without any other help such as dogs or supplies delivered en route. Computer programmer and marketing manager Pavel Blažek answered some questions before they set off. The first was what made the lake Baikal expedition so special.
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Týn above the Vltava, and under Temelín
24.02. 2010A visit to Týn nad Vltavou offers much of what you would expect of a small South Bohemian town. The winding streets are full of locals in the morning, each one greeting the other, the buildings, mostly farmsteads, have a kind of rural hominess that whips up the nostalgia in you even if you’ve never been there before, the woods are full of aged artefacts - bridges and crosses in the middle of nowhere, say – and in the absence of any bustle you get the feeling that the church bell rings almost constantly.
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Prague’s answer to falling visitor numbers - teddy bear tourism
18.02. 2010Now, ever gone on holiday and been forced to leave your teddy bear at home? Well, fear not, a Czech tour operator is launching what looks like a world first for tourism – holidays for cuddly toys. Starting from 90 euros you can send your teddy bear or other furry friend on a luxury trip to Prague or other Central European cities – you’ll even receive a photo album with his holiday snaps. Earlier we spoke to the man behind the idea, Tomio Okamura.
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First Czech science centre Techmania proves its pulling power
10.02. 2010The Czech Republic’s first and only science centre has recently celebrated its first birthday. Techmania, based in the western industrial city of Plzeň, has already demonstrated its pulling power based on the formula of learning while having fun. And it has much bigger ambitions.
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Prague Castle’s Golden Lane to close for renovation
02.02. 2010One of the Czech capital’s most famous attractions, the picturesque Golden Lane up at Prague Castle, is set to be closed to the public for at least a year. Castle officials say the landmark has to undergo thorough renovation, as the little street is under threat from an antiquated drainage system.
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The National Theatre - the "golden chapel" of Czech culture
27.01. 2010No visit to Prague is complete without paying homage to one of the most important buildings in the country in terms of history, symbolism and function: the National Theatre, a physical manifestation of Czech national pride.
