where to go - i-Prague

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Prague
where
to go
information and sights
may – july 13

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Prague
PRAGUE
PALLADIUM
ULTIMATE DOWNTOWN
SHOPPING MALL
200 shops
& restaurants
open 7 days a week
Currently...
Rollando Villazón • The Mexican tenor and opera megastar pays homage to Giuseppe Verdi,
one of the greatest opera composers of all time. Smetana Hall, Municipal House • 8 May www . nachtigallartists.cz
Exhibition of The Crown Jewels • The Crown Jewels are displayed in Vladislav Hall in Prague Castle.
They are permanently safely kept in Prague Castle and may be displayed only on quite
exceptional occasions. • 10 – 19 May
Fairy-tale landscapes from succulent plants • An outdoor exhibition displaying stone bowls
and rockworks adorned with various types of succulent plants. Botanical Gardens • 10 – 26 May
www . hrad.cz
www . sukulent.cz
Prague Spring • The 68th edition of the international music festival, traditionally featuring celebrated
musicians and orchestras from all over the world. Various venues in Prague • 12 May – 2 June www . festival.cz
Czech Beer Festival • Various delicacies from Czech breweries, butchers, cooks and bakers.
Exhibition Grounds, Holešovice • 16 May – 1 June
www . ceskypivnifestival.cz
Náměstí Republiky
Joe Cocker • The British singer will be presenting in Prague his new album Fire It Up.
O2 Arena • 19 May
www . o2arena.cz
PALLADIUM
PARKING
NONSTOP
900 underground parking spaces
Access 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Safe parking in the center of Prague
Convenient long-term parking rates
50°5’23.000”N, 14°25’40.600”E
Prague 1, Revoluční 1
www.palladiumpraha.cz
ČSOB pojišťovna Prague Boat Race • The traditional regatta taking place under
the auspices of the Mayor of Prague. The river Vltava, Prague • 7 – 9 June
www . primatorky.cz
Ivan Lendl: Alfons Mucha • The world premiere of the exhibition of 116 posters by the famous
Czech Art Nouveau painter from the tennis star’s collection. Municipal House • Until 31 July www . lendl-mucha.cz
Respect Festival • The 16th edition of the annual international world-music festival with
the longest tradition in the Czech Republic. Štvanice island • 15 – 16 June
Goldilocks • A dance fairy-tale performance for children and adults alike, choreographed
by Jan Kodet to music by Vladimír Franz. Estates Theatre • 15 June
United Islands • The 10th edition of the annual international music festival
taking place on Vltava islands and river banks. Various places in Prague • 20 – 22 June
www . respectmusic.cz
www . narodni-divadlo.cz
www . unitedislands.cz
Bohemia Jazz Fest 2013 • One of the largest summer open-air jazz festivals in Europe.
Old Town Square • 10 – 11 July
www . bohemiajazzfestival.cz
Jan Zrzavý – The Venetian Bagatelles • A remarkable exhibition of 24 minor works created
by the Czech painter Jan Zrzavý in the 1960s and 1970s during his stays at the Il Redentore Capuchin
monastery on the Venetian island of Guidecca. Loretta, Prague Castle District • 7 May – 30 September www . loreta.cz

Did you know that...
◗ ... the Dancing House on Prague’s Jiráskovo Square,
which attracts the attention of architects and lay admirers
of modern buildings, was also called
the Fred and Ginger building due to the shape of its
corner towers? The Dancing House was one of the
first daring modern buildings to be built in Prague
after the Velvet Revolution. The project involved the
world-famous American architect Frank O. Gehry and
the Czech architect of Croatian origins Vlado Milunič,
the interiors were partly designed by the architect
Eva Jiřičná. The building is primarily used for offices;
the top floor has a restaurant with an adjacent viewing
terrace. Apart from the first-rate menu one should
also enjoy the exceptional view of Prague.
www . tancici-dum.cz
◗ ... on 1 June, the 4th Dragon Boat Charity Challenge,
organised by the Rotary Club Prague International,
will be taking place on the river Vltava in Prague?
It is a unique entertainment event for the public, also
suitable for parents with children. Within the accompanying
programme, kids can look forward to plenty
of attractions, including body-painting, jugglers’
performances, a bead jewellery workshop, various
games and competitions. This year, more than thirty
teams will compete. The revenues from the boat race,
which annually attracts crowds of Praguers and visitors,
are earmarked for charity purposes. In 2012, the
event raised CZK 550,000. The main beneficiaries of
this year’s Dragon Boat Charity Challenge will be the
“Nadace Naše dítě” foundation for children and the
“ŽIVOT 90” organisation for senior citizens.
www . rotarydragon.cz
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◗ ... the Vrtba Garden is one of the most precious and
beautiful Baroque gardens in the Czech Republic?
Together with three other Baroque gardens – the Vratislav,
Schönborn and Lobkowitz – it is situated on the
slope of Prague’s Petřín hill, nearby the Church of Our
Lady of Victory. The garden was designed in 1720 by
the distinguished Czech Baroque architect František
Maxmilian Kaňka to commission for Count Jan Josef
of Vrtba, who established it in the place of an old
vineyard, and has retained its original shape right up
to the present day. The Vrtba Garden is divided into
three terraces at different levels adorned with Matyáš
Bernard Braun’s sculptures. The interior frescos at the
Sala Terrena are the work of the Baroque painter Václav
Vavřinec Reiner, while the upper terrace affords
a breathtaking view of the centre of Prague. The Vrtba
Garden also contains trimmed decorative flowerbeds
and an aviary with exotic birds. The premises are frequently
used for various social events and are a popular
venue for wedding ceremonies. The Vrtba Garden
is a UNESCO-listed cultural monument and during
the tourist season it is open to the public. It is accessible
through the entrance from Karmelitská street in
Prague’s Lesser Town.
www . vrtbovska.cz

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Prague
Visit the first unique
Kolonáda Café & Shop
in the heart of Prague
Enjoy the elegance and atmosphere
of times gone by, and treat yourself to crisp,
original Kolonáda Czech spa wafers, along
with a delicious cup of coffee.
Purchase more than CZK 200 worth
of traditional Kolonáda products
in the Kolonáda Shop and get
any coffee from the drink list free!
The offer is valid in the Kolonáda
Café&Shop, Cihelná 2b, Prague 1 – next
to the Kafka Museum,
until 31 July 2013.
The Jewish Town
Josefov is the part of Prague which until 1850 was
known as the Jewish Town. It had the largest Jewish
community in Bohemia and dated back to the 10th
century. Over the course of time, the original settlement
grew into the Jewish Town, a municipality with
its own administration and judiciary, schools and
synagogues. The synagogues served not only for religious
purposes but also as education institutions, as
well as places where public matters were dealt with
until the local town hall was built. For a long time, the
Jews in Bohemia were persecuted in various ways and
fell victim to a number of pogroms. During the reign
of Rudolf II at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries,
Prague’s Jewish Town enjoyed economic prosperity
and the Jews were granted privileges, yet afterwards
it experienced gradual decline. The inhabitants were
afflicted by plague and the Jewish Town burned
down and had to be renovated. In the 1740s, Empress
Marie Theresa regarded the Jews as dangerous and
expelled them from her hereditary dominions. Their
position markedly improved under Emperor Joseph
II, who in 1781 issued the Edict of Toleration, extending
religious freedom to non-Catholics, including
the Jewish population, who were also permitted to
attend state schools. In 1848, the Jews were emancipated
and allowed to live outside the Prague ghetto.
Subsequently, educated and more affluent Jews left
the area, while poor people moved in, which resulted
in the quarter’s devastation and dilapidation. By the
end of the 19th century, the situation in the ghetto
had become unbearable in both sanitary and social
terms, hence, despite the protests of the local population,
most of the Jewish Town was demolished,
including several remarkable houses, which were replaced
by luxury buildings designed after the fashion
of European metropolises. Following the demolition,
only part of the original ghetto remained, representing
today’s Jewish Town – Josefov. All that was left
were six synagogues, the Old Jewish Cemetery and
the Old Jewish Town Hall, now all part of the Jewish
Museum.
www . jewishmuseum.cz

In Franz Kafka’s footsteps
Franz Kafka (1883 – 1924) was a Prague German-language writer of Jewish
origin. He was born in Prague into the family of a fancy goods and clothing
retailer, studied law at the German Karl-Ferdinands-Universität and after
graduating worked as an insurance clerk until his early retirement in 1922.
He was strongly influenced by his life-long friendship with the publisher
and writer Max Brod. Kafka’s most significant works are considered to be
the novels The Trial, America (The Man Who Disappeared) and The Castle,
and the short story The Metamorphosis. During his lifetime, Kafka was not
overly known; he only gained great fame after his death.
Franz Kafka Square No. 27/5
The house where Kafka was born, which was torn down during the Jewish ghetto’s
demolition, stood in this place. Today, a copy of the building stands there,
which features the original Baroque porch with a balcony.
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U Minuty house, Old Town Square No. 3/2
Franz Kafka and his parents lived there from 1889 to 1896. The house was built in
the Gothic style in the 15th century and later on was modified in the Renaissance
and Baroque fashions. Nowadays, the building is protected as a Czech cultural
monument.
U Tří králů house, Celetná street No. 602/3
In 1887, Franz Kafka’s father opened in this house his fancy goods shop, in which
besides his wife nine employees worked. The Kafka family lived in a six-room flat
on the second floor, and Franz had his own room for the first time.
U Lodi house, Pařížská street No. 883/36
Between 1907 and 1912, the Kafka family lived in the U Lodi house, just off the
Old Town Square. It was here that Franz Kafka wrote his very first works, usually
at night after having spent the day at his office. These include prose pieces of
various genres, among them the short story The Judgment (1912), which marked
the beginning of a fruitful period, with one work following after another in rapid
succession.
Franz Kafka’s grave, New Jewish Cemetery, Izraelská street No. 1
Franz Kafka received treatment for tuberculosis from 1917 and died on 3 June 1924
in the sanatorium in Kierling, near Vienna and was buried in Prague. He was buried
on 11 June in Prague.
The Franz Kafka Monument, inspired by a quotation from his story
Description of a Struggle, stands in an open space between the Spanish
Synagogue and the Church of the Holy Spirit, between Dušní and Vězeňská
streets. It was created by the distinguished Czech artist Jaroslav Róna
in collaboration with architect David Vávra. The monument was financed
by the Franz Kafka. Society and unveiled in 2003.
Admirers of Kafka’s writing can visit the Franz Kafka Museum, which is located in
the Herget Brickworks in Cihelná street in Prague’s Lesser Town. The long-term exhibition
displays photographs of people and places, manuscripts and books in nontraditionally
conceived installations using state-of-the-art audio-visual technology.
The word, image, light and music form a harmonic whole. www . kafkamuseum.cz
Source: Josef Čermák: Prahou Franze Kafky

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What’s on in Prague
L’Olimpiade staged at the Estates Theatre for the
first time
The production of Josef Mysliveček’s paramount
opera L’Olimpiade at the Estates Theatre is an exceptional,
eagerly awaited international cultural event.
It will be staged again some 234 years since its most
recent performance, in 1778 in Naples. The Estates
Theatre will be staging the opera for the first time in
its history. The premiere will take place on 2 May and
will be followed by further performances on 5 May
and 6 May.
www . bohemianheritage.cz
St. John´s Navalis – a feast celebrating St. John
of Nepomuk
The St. John’s Navalis is a festival in homage to Jan
Nepomuk, the best-known Czech saint and patron of
people connected with water. It takes place in Prague
on 15 May, on the eve of his feast day.
In the Baroque era, the St. John’s Navalis was one
of the most popular and magnificent events. This
annual tradition was revived in 2009. The festival’s
programme begins with the Holy Mass at St. Vitus
Cathedral at Prague Castle, continues with a procession
across Charles Bridge to Křižovnické square and
culminates in a spectacular Baroque concert on the
river Vltava, followed by fireworks. Every year, the
festival features other special events – vespers, music
performances, historical boats, gondolas, etc.
www . navalis.cz
10th Prague Museum Night
The event is held within the national Museum Nights
Festival, which enjoys immense popularity and each
year is joined by an ever-growing number of towns
and institutions. It is a significant cultural and social
phenomenon whose scope has no parallel elsewhere in
Europe. The majority of the museums and other buildings
are open free to the public from 7 pm
to 1 am. The festival also has a bounteous accompanying
programme. Throughout the Prague Museum
Night, visitors can make use of specially laid on buses
that provide free transport between individual participating
institutions. The Prague Museum Night will take
place on 8 June. www . prazskamuzejninoc.cz

A new unique exhibit on display at the National
Technical Museum – Van de Graaff generator
The National Technical Museum’s new exhibit is the
one and only device of its type and size in the Czech
Republic. It is a Van de Graaf electrostatic generator
accumulating very high voltage of up to five megavolts
with an integrated linear accelerator of charged
particles. The generator was built at the end of the
1950s on the basis of plans acquired in France (with
a contribution from Prof. Šimáně). The apparatus was
mainly produced by the former Škoda factory in Plzeň.
Its operation was launched at the end of the 1950s and
terminated in April 2012, when the generator was, as
part of an accelerator, including the pressure vessel,
dismantled into several parts and transported to the
National Technical Museum in Prague, where it was
reassembled.
www . ntm.cz
Summer Festivities of Early Music
The annual festival of early music features topclass
Czech and foreign artists playing on original
historical instruments and attaining the highest
standards of performance. The festival is unique in
its reach into the area of Baroque theatre and dance.
A characteristic part of the productions is the period
costumes, original choreography, Baroque gesture,
rhetoric and make-up. This year’s edition, taking
place from 18 July to 6 August, is dedicated to early
Roman music. By means of seven concerts, presenting
different genres and themes, the festival will afford
a fascinating picture of “Roma Eeterna”, the city
that for several centuries has retained its status of
one of the world’s major musical centres.
www . letnislavnosti.cz
The Křižík Fountain – new season 2013
has begun
The Křižík Fountain (Křižíkova fontána) is an illuminated
fountain located in the Exhibition Grounds
in Prague-Holešovice. It was built by the Czech engineer
and inventor František Křižík at the end of the
19th century on the occasion of the anniversary General
Provincial Exhibition in 1891 and is still a technical
wonder. While in the 19th century the fountain was
illuminated by 50 coloured spotlights, today, more
than a century later, we can marvel at a unique play
of light emanating from 1,300 underwater spotlights,
projection of images on the water curtain and water
surface and laser effects. Visitors can select from a wide
range of performances – the most beautiful classical
music melodies, ballet, modern dance or pop and film
music shows. The fountain shows take place all year
long, apart from in the winter months.
www . krizikovafontana.cz
REGULAR SHUTTLE BUS
AIRPORT
CITY CENTRE
COMFORTABLE AND DIRECT
TRANSPORT FROM PRAGUE AIRPORT
TO THE CITY CENTRE OR BACK
Airport bus stop: T1 exit F, T2 exit E
Bus stop – CITY CENTRE –
is in V CELNICI Street
• NEXT TO METRO LINE B •
&
• 40 METRES FROM NÁMĚSTÍ REPUBLIKY •
LEAVES EVERY 30 MINUTES
TICKETS CAN BE BOUGHT
DIRECTLY FROM THE DRIVER
www.cedaz.cz
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Strahov Monastery is the oldest
Premonstratensian monastery
Visit the second oldest monastic library
in the country.
Peruse one of the best kept collections
of historical books, manuscripts and
first editions in Central Europe.
Pore over the maps and globes and be
astounded by the unique decorations in
the Philosophical Hall, the Theological
Hall and by the frescoes and the exhibits
in the cabinet of curiosities.
Strahovské nádvoří 1/132, Praha 1
Open daily: 9 – 12 a.m. and 1 – 5 p.m.
tel. +420 233 107 749
Private tours: tel. 602 190 297
www.strahovskyklaster.cz
Srtahov Library
in the Czech Republic
café Louvre
e s t . 1 9 0 2
A favourite hang-out
of Prague residents,
also visited by
Karel âapek, Franz Kafka,
Albert Einstein...
~
CAFÉ LOUVRE, Národní tfiída 22, Praha 1
tel. 224 930 949, 724 054 055
cafelouvre@cafelouvre.cz, www.cafelouvre.cz

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FREE ENTRY
to over 40 Top
Prague Attractions
2-HOURS BUS TOUR
OBSERVATION TOWER
ST.VITUS CATHEDRAL
MIRROR MAZE
OLD ROYAL PALACE
TROJA CHATEAU
GOLDEN LANE
VYŠEHRAD FORTRESS
PRAGUE CASTLE PALACES and other FREE ATTRACTIONS
NATIONAL GALLERY
& discounted Tours & Cruises
NATIONAL MUSEUM (up to -50%)
Buy at: TOURIST INFO CENTRES
Old Town Hall, Na Příkopě 3, Rytířská 31,
Celetná 3, Prague Castle Souvenir Shop
BUY ONLINE at www.praguecitycard.com
FAIENCE • MAIOLICA
TÝN - UNGELT • PRAGUE - OLD TOWN
WWW.FAJANS.CZ
THE CITY OF PRAGUE MUSEUM
City Gallery Prague
Troja Château
U Trojského zámku 4/1
170 00 Praha 7
Mon closed
Tue–Thu 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Sat–Sun 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Fri 1 p.m.–6 p.m.
Gardens
Mon closed
Tue–Thu 10 a.m.–7 p.m.
Sat–Sun 10 a.m.–7 p.m.
Fri 1 p.m.–7 p.m.
We are preparing the Year
of Czech Music for you…
www.yearofczechmusic.cz
www.czechmusic.org
contact: lenka.dohnalova@theatre.cz
LANGWEIL’S
MODEL
OF PRAGUE
1826-1837
3D
LANGWEIL’S
MODEL OF PRAGUE
3D cinema – unique virtual
flight over the Langweil’s
modelofPrague
Open: Tue – Sun 9 a.m.– 6 p.m.
Na Poříčí 52, Prague 8-Florenc
Metro line C/B - Florenc station
03/04–03/11, 2013
03/04–03/11, 2013
Passion, Dream and Ideal
Czech Art Noveau Sculpture
Venetian Free-blown Hot-shaped Glass and
Bohemian Engraved Glass (16th–19th Century)
from the Collections of UPM
ghmp

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Charles University in Prague
Institute for Language and Preparatory Studies
• intensive courses of Czech as a foreign language in Prague
- one-year course, one-semester, six-week and evening
Czech language courses, special courses, one-to-one courses,
online courses, preparatory courses for university studies
• preparatory courses for language exams
• standardized exams of Czech language for foreigners
UJOP, Vratislavova 10, 128 00 Praha 2, www.ujop.cuni.cz
fax: +420-224 990 440, e-mail: ujop@ujop.cuni.cz
Exhibition
THE BATTLE OF CHLUMEC
Lovosice
The town of Lovosice is situated on
a picturesque plane on the left bank of the river Labe
(Elbe), at the foot of the České středohoří mountains,
60 kilometres north of Prague. Owing to its location,
the town is the ideal starting point for trips to the
surrounding area – a landscape of extinct volcanoes.
Lovosice Information Centre
Osvoboditelů 109/12, 410 30 Lovosice
Tel.: +420 416 571 173-4
E-mail: info@meulovo.cz www.meulovo.cz
from Eni research
improved Natural 95
higher performance
engine protection
lower consumption
higher quality for the same price
agip.cz
eni.cz
to mark the bicentenary of the military
events at Chlumec and Varvažov, a battle
during the Napoleonic Wars in the Ústí nad
Labem region.
1 July – 1 December 2013
Come and see the exhibition, and choose from
the accompanying programmes.
In August, you can watch a re-enactment
of the Battle of Chlumec directly on the former
battlefield.
Ústí nad Labem is situated on the Dresden – Prague
axis about 100 kilometres north-west of Prague.
Open all year round:
Tue – Fri 9 am – 5 pm
tel. 475 210 937 www.muzeumusti.cz
The Magical World of Puppets
New Permanent Collection
Chrudim Puppetry Museum
Břetislavova 74, 537 60 Chrudim
www.puppets.cz
Prague
Chrudim

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From screws to robots
A UNESCO-listed town of two cathedrals
Original construction sets
– a unique museum
for adults and children in the beautiful
region 140 km north-east of Prague.
Open daily except Monday,
from 9 am to 5 pm
www.merkurtoys.cz
www.czechtourism.com
Mikulov
Place of reconcilliation
17th May
24th May
June - September
8th - 15th June
21st - 29th June
22nd - 23rd June
2nd - 6th July
12th - 14th July
Invites you to:
Museum Night
Church Night
Kutná Hora Summer
Festival
Kutná Hora International
Music Festival
Opera Week
Royal Silvering
of Kutná Hora
Biennial International Guitar
Competition
www.kutnahora.cz
Creepy Teepee

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The Beroun and Hořovice regions
If you enjoy visiting castles and chateaux, head
straight for the Beroun and Hořovice regions.
Amid the romantic forested landscape, interwoven
by the river Berounka, you will find a host of
attractive historical buildings that will take you
back to the distant and more recent past.
them, Games and Toys of Little Aristocrats, specially
designed for children. www . zamek-horovice.cz
Karlštejn
Karlštejn is a large Gothic castle founded in 1348 by
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia,
as a place for safekeeping of the Imperial Regalia,
the Czech crown jewels, holy relics and other royal
treasures. At the end of the 15th century, Karlštejn
was renovated in the late-Gothic style, and at the end
of the 16th century it was adorned with a number of
Renaissance elements. From the middle of the 17th
century, the castle began falling into disrepair and
only enjoyed renewed interest in the period of Romanticism.
In the last quarter of the 19th century, it
underwent a neo-Gothic reconstruction, which gave
rise to the castle’s present appearance. Karlštejn’s
most valuable space is the Chapel of the Holy Cross,
whose interior is adorned with gold plating, precious
stones, decorations from Venetian glass and a set of
Master Theodoric’s panel and wall paintings.
www . karlstejn.cz
Hořovice Chateau
The chateau was built at the beginning of the 18th
century in the Baroque style by the Counts of Vrbno
and Bruntál. In the second half of the 19th century,
the building was bought by the Hanau family from
Hessen, who owned it until 1945. Visitors to the
chateau are offered three guided tours, with one of
Žebrák and Točník castles
Žebrák castle was built back in the middle of the 13th
century. Its landmark is a round tower, which today
serves visitors as an observation point. Following its
reconstruction in the second half of the 14th century,
the castle became one of the most splendid aristocratic
seats in the country, yet in 1552 it was abandoned.
At the end of the 14th century, Točník castle was erected
in close vicinity to Žebrák, thus giving rise to the
most majestic two-castle complex in Bohemia. In the
16th century, Točník was modified in the Renaissance
fashion and experienced a boom before beginning to
fall into disrepair after the Thirty Years’ War. Today, its
preserved part is a showcase of advanced medieval
arts, enriched by later Renaissance elements.
www . tocnik.com

The Ride of the Kings
Visit Vlčnov in south-east Moravia to see
the spectacular Ride of the Kings on 24 – 26 May!
The Ride of the Kings is an old Moravian folk festival
included since 2011 on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural
Heritage List. For at least two hundred years, the village
of Vlčnov in south-east Moravia (Moravian Slovakia)
has hosted the ceremony on the last weekend
of May. During the festival, eighteen-year-old youths
clad in traditional costumes ride on horses adorned
with ribbons and stylised flowers. They accompany
the “King”, a young boy, usually eleven years of age,
dressed in a girl’s costume and with a rose in his
mouth, since he cannot speak throughout the ride.
The horse, embellished by the King’s mother and led
by his father, is accompanied by two young men with
unsheathed swords. It is a great honour, as well as
obligation, for the family whose boy is selected to be
the King. The procession passes through the village
and the royal entourage ask people for gifts for the
ruler. The preparations for the Ride of the Kings last
for at least six months and plenty of people participate
in them, preparing the roses and costumes, baking
confectionary, etc. The festival, which takes place over
three days, is accompanied by a traditional village fair,
folk performances, brass- and cimbalom-band concerts,
as well as exhibitions on themes pertaining to
the region of Moravia.
The origin of the Ride of the Kings is unclear. The tradition
may be related to ancient royal ceremonies or seasonal
religious rituals. Another theory has it that it was
inspired by a legend according to which the Hungarian
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Joža Uprka (1861 – 1940)
Joža Uprka was a Moravian painter and graphic
artist of European renown, a representative of Romantic
Historicism and Art Nouveau whose mature
works can be compared with those of the finest
French post-Impressionists. He was born in 1861
into the family of the peasant and amateur painter
Jan Uprka, and his younger brother František was
a famous sculptor. Joža Uprka studied in Prague
and Munich, as well as in Paris. He created the bulk
of his work in his native Moravia, where he was inspired
by themes from common people’s everyday
life, depicting their labour and customs, including
national costumes. In 1894, his painting Pouť
u svatého Antonínka (displayed under the title Les
pélérins slovaques (de Moravie) devant l’église)
received an honourable mention at the Salon
des artistes français in Paris. Uprka’s best-known
picture is the magnificent Jízda králů (Ride of the
Kings), created in 1897 in two versions –realistic
and Impressionist. When in 1902 the celebrated
French sculptor Auguste Rodin visited Moravia,
Joža Uprka was introduced to him as the most
distinguished local artist.
King Mathew Corvin and his retinue were fleeing from
the Czech King Jiří of Poděbrady and so as not to be recognised
he disguised himself in a woman’s dress, veiled
his face with ribbons and put a rose in his mouth.
Besides Vlčnov, the Ride of the Kings is traditionally
held in another three villages in south-east Moravia:
Kunovice, Hluk and Skoronice. Yet the festival in Vlčnov
is the most popular, owing in large part to the Moravian
painter Joža Uprka’s famous picture The Ride of the
Kings (1897).
www . jizdakralu.cz

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• Immediate calculation of approximate price
• More than 1200 cars available
• Payment by credit card
Our taxi service has a tradition of more than
21 years in transporting people in Prague,
the Czech Republic and Europe
Prague taxi service
www.aaaradiotaxi.cz
+420 222 333 222
+420 729 33 11 33
Useful information
◗ Prague is the capital city of the Czech Republic.
It has approximately 1.3 million inhabitants,
on an area of some 500 sq km (193 sq mi).
It originated around 1000 A.D. and for many years
remained a group of independent villages.
Under the rule of Charles IV (14th century) medieval
Prague experienced its greatest development.
At the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries the city
gained further renown owing to Emperor Rudolf II.
Between 1918 and 1992 Prague was the capital
city of Czechoslovakia and since January 1993
has been the capital of the independent Czech
Republic.
Since 1 May 2004 the Czech Republic has been
a member of the European Union and on 21 December
2007 it became part of the Schengen Area.
◗ Bank holidays in the Czech Republic:
1 January – New Year, Easter Monday, 1 May –
Labour Day, 8 May – Liberation Day, 5 July – The Day
of Missionaries and Saints Cyril and Methodius, 6 July
– Jan Hus (John Huss) Day, 28 September – Czech
Statehood Day, 28 October – Independence Day,
17 November - Struggle for Freedom and Democracy
Day, 24 December – Christmas Eve, 25 December –
Christmas Day, 26 December – Boxing Day.
◗ Traditional Czech dishes are a meal of braised
beef with cream sauce and bread dumplings and
roast pork with dumplings and cabbage, while the
traditional Christmas meal is carp. Main courses in
restaurants usually cost (depending on location)
from CZK 150 to CZK 300.
◗ Popular souvenirs purchased in the Czech Republic
include Czech cut glass, porcelain, traditional
liquors (Becherovka – herbal bitters, mead,
Slivovice – plum brandy), Bohemian garnets,
amber, wooden marionettes, art and design
pieces, folk art pieces, spa wafers and typical spa
drinking cups, etc.
◗ The majority of shops open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on
workdays. It is, however, easy to do one’s shopping at
weekends as well, primarily thanks to numerous shopping
centres (e.g. Palladium near metro station “Náměstí
Republiky”, Nový Smíchov near metro station “Anděl”,
or Centrum Chodov at metro station “Chodov”).
◗ Currency exchange rates
One US dollar buys approximately 19 CZK, one Euro
approximately 25 CZK, and one pound sterling
approximately 30 CZK.
◗ Banks
Most banks in Prague are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
on weekdays.
◗ Postal services
The main post office is open daily from 2 a.m.
until midnight. It is located at 14 Jindřišská Street
in the very centre of the city, near metro station
“Můstek”, the interchange metro station for the
A and B lines.
Public transport
information
◗ There are three underground (metro) lines
operating in Prague – green (A), yellow (B) and
red (C). The metro system interconnects all the
important places around the city, with tram and bus
connections to destinations where the metro does
not reach. The public transport network is reliable
and covers the city thoroughly. The metro operates
daily from 5 a.m. to midnight. After midnight, public
transport is ensured by night tram and bus lines.

Important telephone numbers:
The EU universal emergency telephone number
112
Fire Brigade emergency number
150
Emergency medical service number
155
Useful links:
www . czech.cz
official website of the Czech Republic
www . praha.eu
web portal of the City of Prague
www . praguewelcome.cz
Prague tourist web portal
i
Prague
◗ Public transport fares
TYPE OF TICKET
Adults
Children up
to 15 years
Basic 90 min. CZK 32 CZK 16
Short-term 30 min. CZK 24 CZK 12
1 day 24-hour CZK 110 CZK 55
3 days 72-hour CZK 310 -
Airport Express (AE) CZK 60 CZK 30
◗ Public transport links to Václav Havel Airport
Prague (Letiště Václava Havla)
Bus 119 – “Dejvická” (metro line A) – “Letiště Václava
Havla” – 22 min.
Bus 100 – “Zličín” (metro line B) – “Letiště Václava
Havla” – 16 min.
Bus 179 – “Nové Butovice” (metro line B)
– “Letiště Václava Havla” – 38 min.
Airport Express Bus – Prague main railway station
“Hlavní nádraží” (metro line C, with SC, EC, IC
and EN type rail links) – “Letiště Václava Havla”
– 33 min.
Municipal police emergency number
156
Emergency number of the Police
158
Information line (telephone numbers,
traffic information, information on cultural
events, etc.)
1188
Useful Czech telephone numbers
1180
Prague contact centre
12444
Roadside assistance
1230
Airport information – nonstop line
220 111 888
International country calling code
for the Czech Republic
+420 (00420)
www . czechtourism.com
official travel site of the Czech Republic
www . kudyznudy.cz
ideas for trips
www . florenc.cz
website of the Florenc coach terminal
www . cd.cz
Czech Railways website
www . prg.aero
Prague Airport website
www . dpp.cz
website of the Prague public transport operator
www . jizdnirady.idnes.cz
website timetables of trains, buses and public transport
in the Czech Republic and Europe, plane ticket
reservations
www . chmi.cz
website of the Czech Institute of Hydrometeorology
– information on weather in the Czech Republic

Daily operation, April 2013
Transportation map 17
Dopravní podnik hl. m. Prahy, a.s.
TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRES
• Old-Town Hall
• Main Railway Station
• Rytířská 31
• Václav Havel Airport Prague
LETIŠTĚ VÁCLAVA HAVLA
8
TRANSPORT INFORMATION CENTRES
• Airport Terminal 1 and 2
• Prague City Hall,
Jungmannova 29/35, Prague 1
Metro stations:
• Muzeum
• Anděl
• Nádraží Holešovice
• Hlavní nádraží
16
5
20 26
25
14 ORTENOVO
17
NÁMĚSTÍ
5 24
8
< >
16 25
5 7
i
Prague
16
4
6
11
NÁMĚSTÍ
BRATŘÍ SYNKŮ
11
6
4
i-Prague 2/13
Quarterly journal
75,000 copies in English and
75,000 copies in German
Editor: Milan Beniš
Photos: Czechtourism, Myrabella - CC BY-SA
3.0, Ben Skála - CC BY-SA 3.0,
Juan de Vojnikov - CC BY-SA 3.0
a inzertní patneři
Design: AlineaPrint
MK ČR E 20878
Owing to the ongoing construction
works, the public transport
connections as depicted on the map
may change.
Please read the information at stops
or call the info line +420 296 19 18 17.
Metro
Occasional
Railway station
Owing to the ongoing construction works in Letná, the public transport
terminus
connections Tram as routes depicted on the map
Funicular
Bus routes
will probably Tram change. route out of order
direction
Please read the information at stops
AE Airport Express bus
The stop is closed
to the airport
or call the info line 800 19 18 17.
6
Parking:
Park & Ride
Kiss & Ride
www.i-prague.info
for free distribution