Vinobraní, the annual Czech wine festival, takes place around the country in September. A semi-fermented young wine called burčák is always one of the big attractions. Here are some pictures I took this year at the popular festival on Náměstí Míru in Prague.
Prague Zoo Celebrates 80 Years
The world-renowned Prague Zoo first opened its doors on September 28, 1931. This year therefore marks its 80th birthday. A lot of reconstruction has been necessary since the flood of 2002 and new pavilions and expositions are still under construction. One of the biggest projects the zoo has ever undertaken is the construction of a new elephant exposition and hippo pavilion, which is going on now and is expected to be finished in 2013.
We just revisited the zoo and are posting a few pictures below. As an amusing anecdote, the Prague Zoo now sells elephant dung, which is supposedly a great fertilizer. A 1.5 kg bucket will cost you 70 CZK. Yet another reason to make a trip to the zoo.
You can read more about the Prague Zoo in our other post (Prague Zoo Ranked as the 7th World’s Best Zoo) or visit the zoo website, which is partially available in English.
Czechs Celebrated Their Own Valentine’s Day
As we’ve written in an older blog post and as we mention on our website, May 1st is the unofficial day of love in the Czech Republic. We went to the Petřín Park to enjoy the spring day. The park was busy with couples strolling, sitting on the grass and visiting the statue of Karel Hynek Mácha, the Czech patron of lovers. A nice man in a suit played the violin in front of the statue as couples stopped by to lay flowers and spend a few moments.
Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Karlín
I was in the Prague district of Karlín today and I stopped by the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius (Kostel sv. Cyrila a Metoděje) to take some pictures. The construction of the Neo-Romanesque basilica took place between 1854-1863. It was badly damaged in the flood of 2002 and had to be restored.