My Czech Republic Blog

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

Prague Comes to New York

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I was excited to see that an exhibition on Prague opened up in New York at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. “Prague, The Crown of Bohemia, 1347–1437” covers an important period in Czech history during which Prague was the capital of the Holy Roman Empire. Charles IV (Karel IV) was crowned king in 1347 and was followed by his two sons, Wenceslas IV and Sigismund. On display are 160 artworks that include panel paintings, goldsmiths’ work, illuminated manuscripts, sculpture, silk embroideries, and stained glass. The New York Times has a review and I also found one on the New York Brain Terrain blog.

The exhibition runs through January 3, 2006 and will then travel to Prague. I look forward to seeing it.

Prague Makes Top Bracket in Livability Survey

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Prague, Budapest and Bratislava were the only three eastern European cites (in contrast to western European ones) listed in the top bracket of 63 cities in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s LIVEABILITY RANKING. The survey assesses living conditions in 127 cities around the world by looking at nearly 40 individual indicators grouped into five categories: stability; healthcare; culture and environment; education; and infrastructure. The survey gives a rating of 0%-100% and judges a city with a lower score to be the more attractive destination. A rating of 20% is where real problems are seen to begin – anything over 50% places severe restrictions on lifestyle.

I have not yet seen the ranking for Prague, but if I do, I will update this post. I can attest to the fact that Prague is much more livable now than compared to the mid ’90s.

Tesco Taking Over Carrefour Stores in the Czech Republic

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Tesco and Carrefour announced an asset swap on September 30 where Tesco will take over all 11 Carrefour stores in the Czech Republic. What does this mean for shoppers? I have shopped at the Carrefour stores in Nový Smíchov and Eden and sure hope it means improved customer service, more options for fresh fish, and nicer looking vegetables.

More details about the deal can be found in the Tesco press release and on cee-foodindustry.com.

Seven Wonders of the Czech Republic

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One of the largest Czech dailies Mladá fronta DNES and its online version iDNES ran a public poll over the summer in which their readers were asked to choose seven wonders of the Czech Republic. There were 30 candidates and two were voted out each week. The poll ran for 11 weeks.

Once the seven sites were selected, the poll was extended by another two weeks during which time readers were asked to choose the one site they considered to be the top wonder of the Czech Republic.

The seven wonders of the Czech Republic, as selected by the readers of MF DNES and iDNES, are:

1. Dlouhé Stráně Power Plant in the Jeseníky Mountains, Northern Moravia
2. Ještěd Transmitter Tower on Mount Ještěd in Liberec, Northern Bohemia
3. Prague Castle
4. Historical Center of Český Krumlov
5. Charles Bridge in Prague
6. Karlštejn Castle
7. Hluboká nad Vltavou Chateau

The other candidates that didn’t make the list are:
Baťa’s Zlín, Ervěnice Corridor, the historical center of Telč, Pernštejn Castle, Cathedral of St. Barbara in Kutná Hora, Temelín nuclear power plant, the Lednice-Valtice area, Holašovice, Terezín Fortress, military fortifications along the border, Zelená hora pilgrimage church, pond Rožmberk, Sazka Arena in Prague, Schwarzenberg Canal, Podolsko Bridge, Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc, Strahov Stadium in Prague, Dancing House in Prague, Vila Tugendhat in Brno, Vítkovice industrial complex, the system of dams on the Vltava, Kroměříž Chateau and Gardens, Litomyšl Chateau