Tuesday 20 November 2018

How to get to Prague?

In the Czech Switzerland introduced a ban on moving outside the "tourist trails" The ban will be valid until the end of November. The reason was the drought and the threat of forest fires. People usually have to walk along selected tourist routes only in the first zone of the National Park. At present, due to drought, this restriction covers almost the entire territory of Czech Switzerland. At the request of the park administration, authorities have banned entry to forests outside the marked paths. According to experts, the situation will not improve in the near future. The forests in Czech Switzerland are now dry as ever. According to hydrometeorologists, soil saturation with water is less than 10%. “Despite the cold snap, droughts are still going on in the forests, and even if there is some precipitation, last year’s dry foliage can easily catch fire,” explained the reasons why the administration of the National Park asked for a ban, its representative Tomash Salov. The request for the park has already been approved by the administrations of Decin and Rumburka, banning entry into the forest on their territories until the end of November. In the Czech Switzerland introduced a ban on moving outside the "tourist trails" Over the past year, this is the fourth long-term constraint. A catastrophic shortage of precipitation has been observed since the spring and, according to meteorologists, it does not seem that the situation will change in the near future. "To improve the situation, 50-100 or more millimeters of precipitation is necessary, prolonged rains so that water can deeply infiltrate the earth," say the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute. Windy weather only worsens the situation, further drying the soil. In addition, the temperature of the air this week can rise again to 20 ° C. Most of the fires of this year struck the Czech Switzerland as it is not paradoxical in the summer - only 3 of 9 fires occurred during the record hot summer months. The biggest fire happened two weeks ago, but the firemen managed to eliminate it outside the national park. Burning start between Sněžník and Ostrov. More than 120 firefighters were involved in extinguishing the fire, the Czechs were even helped by their colleagues from Saxony. To fight the fire involved aviation. Put out the fire turned out after three days. The biggest problem for firefighters, besides difficult terrain, was the rapid spread of fire. This is what most worries the administration of the National Park.

Thursday 15 November 2018

In the Czech Republic counted tourists in the last quarter

How to get to Prague?


Travel from Russia to the Czech Republic decreased by 5%.

In the Czech Republic summed up the incoming tourist traffic for the third quarter. A total of 7.4 million tourists stayed in Czech hotels, boarding houses, and campgrounds, which is 5.7% more than in the third quarter of last year. The number of overnight stays also increased by 4.3% and amounted to 20.6 million. Thus, even in the main season, the Czech Republic shows a tendency to increase tourist traffic, - reported in the Czech Statistical Office.

It has become more both foreign and its tourists. 7.5% more Czechs in the third quarter of this year traveled around their country compared to the same period last year. The increase in foreign tourists was 3.6%.

Among foreigners, by tradition, the most guests come to the Czech Republic from Germany - 589 thousand people. The Germans made up one fifth of the total number of guests of Czech hotels (by 2.6% more than in the third quarter of last year).

In second place were the tourists from Slovakia - 224 thousand people (growth - 5.4%). There were 214 thousand tourists from China in the last quarter (a quarter more than a year earlier). There are also more guests from Poland, the USA and the UK. Not significantly reduced the flow of tourists from South Korea. 5% fewer tourists arrived from Russia than in the third quarter of 2017.

In all regions of the Czech Republic, the number of overnight stays increased, with the exception of Prague. In the capital, they decreased by 1.1%.

Amazing Museum in the old sewer

How to get to Prague?


       Creating a sewer was the greatest creation of man. Sounds, probably, a little pathetic for some kind of hole for draining waste products?

       In fact, the presence of sewage and its quality is a very clear marker of the development of society.

       It is difficult to imagine what a city is without a sewer system. Such stories are often embodied in film and literature: a stinky city, toilet balconies and the plague.

       In medieval cities, for example, sewage was only conditional. Rather, it was just a small segment of the plums, which removed sewage from the house for a few meters. Further, this beauty stank and decomposed on the street among the people.

       The Czech Republic understands this issue, because in Prague there is the coolest museum of sewage ... First things first.

       The first mention of sewage systems in the Czech Republic dates back to 1310, when the first full-fledged drain appeared on Nerudova Street. However, most so-called. sewers ended in the nearest pit.

       In the 17th century, the Clementium sewage system appears. And at the end of the XVIII century, work began on the improvement of systems. It was then issued a decree on the construction of a full-fledged urban sewage system.

       At that time, 20 km of sewer network was designed.

       At the beginning of the 19th century, the construction of 35 exhaust canals began, along which waste from residential buildings was diverted directly into the local Vltava River.

       And so, at the end of the 19th century a real engineering revolution took place. The construction of the sewage starts Sir Lindley. His name is forever imprinted in the history of Prague, Dusseldorf, Pest, Warsaw, Lodz, Samara, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Baku and other cities.

       Lindley proposed two revolutionary, but for us obvious solutions. In a city with a population of over a million people, it is impossible to discharge sewage into rivers; the sewage system should have its own sewage treatment plant.

       Past projects did not take into account the constant population growth, but Lindley made calculations taking into account the constant population growth.

       In the event of flooding and heavy rainfall, a decision was made to build a two-tier sewer system.

       The lowest point of the upper system was 2.5m above the Vltava, the same point was the highest at the lower system.

       Thus, all sewage was diverted to the sewage treatment plant, and during floods the power of the lower system was not enough and the wastewater along with the water flowed into the upper system, which drained the water directly into the Vltava without any purification.

      By the construction of sewage and wastewater treatment plants approached with great responsibility, picking up each brick.

       The fruits of this approach are visible even now, because the sewage system built in the 19th century functions to this day, without needing to be repaired.

       Only the plant of sewage treatment plants is now converted into a museum, but even there everything is working, and pumps of the beginning of the 20th century can still perform all the functions.

And if you want to go there, then here are the contacts:

Address: Papírenská 199/6, Praha 6

Telephone: +420 608 330 024


Tourist in Prague chooses...

How to get to Prague?

       Almost every third tourist in Prague chooses to stay in private accommodation, for example, through Airbnb, and not in a hotel. Some hotels for this reason have already had to close.

       In 2012, 845 hotels operated in Prague, last year their number was reduced to 787. The Czech Statistical Office prepared this information.

       In different categories of hotels, however, the statistics differ. Thus, the five-star hotels in the Czech capital has increased by 4 (total - 46). The situation is similar with 4-star hotels. But hotels with the number of stars of three or less are now less.

       The Association of Hotels and Restaurants of the Czech Republic commented on the statistics as follows: the situation will change soon, because this year several new projects were implemented, and several renovations were carried out. Next year it is also planned to implement several projects.

       The scale of renting private housing for tourism has been facilitated in recent years by platforms such as Airbnb. How many apartments in Prague are rented through such services is still unknown. Now 18-20 thousand apartments are available in the capital, which is almost half of the total capacity of the hotel fund.

Friday 9 November 2018

The history of traditional Czech dumplings goes back several centuries.

How to get to Prague?

       The very name of the dish, according to one version, is derived from the German "knodel" ("dumpling"). This word began to be used rather late - only in the nineteenth century.

       Although the analogue of modern dumplings appeared long before that. As early as the Middle Ages, the Czech poor prepared “bunches” - balls of flour, which were boiled in boiling water.

       The dish was considered to belong to the lowest strata of the population who, of all the products, could only afford flour. In the seventeenth century, the cobblers finally hit the tables of noble and wealthy Czechs.

       They were served as a side dish to all sorts of dishes from vegetables or meat. Subsequently, a variety of different recipes. Especially popular are the options of cottage cheese and fruits, which were served as desserts.

       Today, dumplings remain one of the most popular dishes. Czechs claim to be ready to eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The reason for this extraordinary success probably lies in the fact that this dish is very easy and quick to prepare.
It is not only very satisfying and tasty, but also affordable. Dumplings are made from different products: from dough, from different types of meat, from fresh or boiled potatoes, from cottage cheese. There are very quick recipes that can be whipped up (for example, simple flour dumplings or dumplings from raw potatoes).

       There are also more difficult recipes in cooking, for example, variants with a filling. Despite all the differences, the principle of cooking dumplings in most cases is the same: first, prepare a special dough (from flour, potatoes, cottage cheese, etc.), from which small balls (with or without filling) are formed. After that, they are boiled in water until tender.

       Serve dumplings made with a variety of products - with sauces, broths, vegetable side dishes, fried onions, sour cream, fresh herbs. They are also often put in meat goulash or soup.

       Sweet dumplings are most often sprinkled with chopped nuts, poured over with jam or fruit syrups. Famous Czech beer is traditionally served with meat or potato dumplings.

       Did you manage to try Czech dumplings? What are your impressions?



In the Czech Switzerland introduced a ban on moving outside the "tourist trails"


       The ban will be valid until the end of November. The reason was the drought and the threat of forest fires.

       People usually have to walk along selected tourist routes only in the first zone of the National Park. At present, due to drought, this restriction covers almost the entire territory of Czech Switzerland. At the request of the park administration, authorities have banned entry to forests outside the marked paths. According to experts, the situation will not improve in the near future.

       The forests in Czech Switzerland are now dry as ever. According to hydrometeorologists, soil saturation with water is less than 10%. “Despite the cold snap, droughts are still going on in the forests, and even if there is some precipitation, last year’s dry foliage can easily catch fire,” explained the reasons why the administration of the National Park asked for a ban, its representative Tomash Salov.

       The request for the park has already been approved by the administrations of Decin and Rumburka, banning entry into the forest on their territories until the end of November.

       In the Czech Switzerland introduced a ban on moving outside the "tourist trails"
Over the past year, this is the fourth long-term constraint. A catastrophic shortage of precipitation has been observed since the spring and, according to meteorologists, it does not seem that the situation will change in the near future.
       "To improve the situation, 50-100 or more millimeters of precipitation is necessary, prolonged rains so that water can deeply infiltrate the earth," say the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute. Windy weather only worsens the situation, further drying the soil. In addition, the temperature of the air this week can rise again to 20 ° C.

       Most of the fires of this year struck the Czech Switzerland as it is not paradoxical in the summer - only 3 of 9 fires occurred during the record hot summer months.

       The biggest fire happened two weeks ago, but the firemen managed to eliminate it outside the national park. Burning start between Sněžník and Ostrov. More than 120 firefighters were involved in extinguishing the fire, the Czechs were even helped by their colleagues from Saxony. To fight the fire involved aviation. Put out the fire turned out after three days.

       The biggest problem for firefighters, besides difficult terrain, was the rapid spread of fire. This is what most worries the administration of the National Park.