My Czech Republic Blog

Blog written by two Prague residents about life in the Czech Republic.

St. Vitus Cathedral Changes Ownership

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The St. Vitus Cathedral at the Prague Castle was formally returned to the Catholic Church this week. The date of September 5, 2006, thus marks the end of 13 years of ownership disputes between the Church and the state.

The cathedral was founded in 1344 and its purpose from the beginning was to serve as a house of prayer. It was in the hands of the Catholic Church for more than 600 years until in 1954, the communist government of Czechoslovakia decided that its administration would be passed on to the state. A few years after the 1989 Velvet Revolution, the Church demanded the return of administration rights, and a court ruling to that effect was issued in October last year.

Admission to St. Vitus Cathedral was previously included in the ticket prices for Route A and Route B at the Prague Castle. It is no longer the case. The new cathedral administrator quickly made some changes to make it clear that the cathedral is primarily a religious object, not a tourist attraction. The space you can visit free of charge is now smaller and an entrance fee of 100 CZK (approx. 3.50 EUR/4.50 USD) per person must be paid to visit any of the areas “behind the rope”.

St. Vitus Cathedral Exterior          St. Vitus Cathedral Interior

Phone Book Time!

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It’s that time of the year again here in Prague. The 2006 – 2007 phone books are here!

Walking around town, you’re bound to notice locals carrying bright yellow plastic bags with Zlaté stránky (Yellow Pages) written on them. In the Czech Republic, everyone has to pick up their own copy of the Yellow Pages when the time comes. How do you know when that is? Well, if you’re a Telefónica O2 (formerly Czech Telecom) customer, you’ll receive an odběrní lístek (pickup slip) with your monthly phone bill. This happens at different times of the year in different cities. In Prague, new phone books are distributed in the fall (September 4 – 15 this year). Your pickup slip is issued in your name and lists the dates and times during which you can collect your phone books, as well as a list of distribution points (these are located at major Prague subway stations). The distribution points are usually “manned” by perky young girls clad in bright yellow Zlaté stránky outfits. You present yourself, hand over your odběrní lístek, collect your yellow bag and off you go. Pretty easy, ain’t it?

Still, having your phone books dropped off at your doorstep with zero effort required on your part can’t be beat.
A remembrance of a life in a country where convenience is king  

The Earth from Above at Kampa

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Earth from Above Exhibition

We went to see the outdoor photo exhibition at Kampa the other day. It is called Earth from Above and it displays 120 large-format aerial photos of different locations around the world taken by French photographer Yann-Arthus Bertrand. The exhibition will run through October 31, it is open 24 hours a day and admission is free. Go see it if you can. The photos are amazing.

We took a stroll through the Kampa park on the way back. A building covered with grafitti caught my attention…

Graffiti at Kampa

 …as did a birdhouse that some nice people put up for the birdies of Prague 1.

A Birdhouse at Kampa

Summer Shakespeare Festival 2006

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The Summer Shakespeare Festival at the Prague Castle is in its tenth year. Three plays alternate in the historic, open-air courtyard of the Burgrave Palace, just off of the Golden Lane. I went to see Othello last week and, surprisingly, had a great time. I say surprisingly because I don’t think of myself as someone who would appreciate, let alone enjoy sitting through two hours of a classical drama – I should add that going to the festival was not my idea.

I didn’t sit through Othello. I spent two hours in a state of utmost concentration with my eyes glued to the stage, trying not to miss a word, forgetting to shiver with cold in the chilly, autumn-like evening air. I fidgeted through the seemingly unending intermission, wishing they had skipped it. I left looking forward to next year’s festival and making mental notes on how to better prepare to make the most out of the experience. 1. Definitely get tickets for the first zone, which means 2. Buy tickets at least a month in advance, 3. Arrive an hour before the start of the show to get good seats, 4. Bring a pillow to put on the seat of the hard metal chair for softness and insulation; if the weather’s similar to that of August 25, 2006: 5. Bring a winter jacket, 6. Wear high boots, 7. Pack a blanket to put over my lap.

The festival started on June 21 and will continue through September 10. Plays start at 8:30 p.m. and end around 11 p.m. More info at www.shakespeare.cz.