News from the Czech Republic

Paintings that are the envy of the entire world, sketches and prints sought after and studied by scholars, a musical archive and library that have been a long-time source of surprising discoveries. Thus can one briefly characterize the collections administered at the Archbishop’s Chateau of Kroměříž. With the exhibition Bow & Lyre, the Olomouc Archdiocesan Museum is now presenting the most valuable artworks held in the Kroměříž depositories.

Visitors to Prague Castle will once again this year enjoy a Christmas exhibit of Nativity scenes. The scenes on display will be made from wood, paper, ceramics, gingerbread and glass. The exhibit presents a total of 50 Nativities from various time periods.

Illuminated streets and squares, the hustle and bustle of Christmas markets and the omnipresent sound of carols demonstrate to even the least enthusiastic supporter of national holidays that Christmas in the Czech Republic is one of the most beautiful times of the year. It’s a time when museums of all kinds as well as people in their own homes observe age-old traditions. Admiring an advent scene or listening to a concert in a church, a chateau or on a square are just some of these customs.

Prague, October 2008. Winter vacations do not neccessarily have to mean the Alps or the Pyrenees only. You can also be confident of excellent entertainment and enjoyment in the snow in the Czech Republic. While you shouldn’t expect extra-long ski slopes, you will still find slopes of varying difficulty, snowparks, and bobsleigh and sledge runs. You will also find excellent conditions for cross-country skiing, for which hundreds of kilometres of cross-country trails are regularly maintained. Moreover, there has been a lot of investment in recent years in the mountains of Bohemia and Moravia, resulting in improvements in the quality of ski slopes, the operation of new chair lifts and cable cars, as well as a wider range of freetime activities in winter resorts.

A temporary exhibition “The Curse of Gold – 1000 Years of Inca Gold”, which opens on 1 November 2008 in Prague Castle’s House of the Supreme Burgrave, is devoted to the ancient culture of a once powerful South American people, the Incas. These fascinating, 1000-year-old gold objects, gripping descriptions of their uses, an attractive installation of the exhibits in specially lit showcases, and a description of the dramatic history of the Spanish conquistadors’ brutal quest for gold present a singular opportunity to become acquainted with the Indian cultures of the Andes.

It is 203 years since Napoleon routed the Russo-Austrian army at Slavkov (also known to the world as Austerlitz) in South Moravia. The Battle of Three Emperors has entered the history books, and each year the course of the battle is commemorated by the arrival of thousands of military history enthusiasts. This year, the re-enactment and related events take place during 28–30 November.

In order that your stay in the Czech Republic will not be spoilt by any complications, please adhere to the following warnings. The overwhelming majority of tourists leave our country satisfied, so why spoil your memories with an unpleasant experience?