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Walpurgis Night a.k.a. Burning of the Witches

April 25th, 2013 | Posted by Karolinad in Holidays | Lifestyle | What's Happening Prague - (Comments Off)

WitchWalpurgis night (Burning of the Witches) is a traditional spring festival that is held in most countries in Central and and Northern Europe on April 30 – May 1, typically involving dancing and bonfires.   In the Czech Republic the winter is brought to an end by throwing hand-made witches out of rags / straw or broomsticks into the bonfire.  This festival has many activities for children as well as adults.  Ladronka, a park in P6 near Brevnov, offers many activities throughout the day (April 30) starting at 15.00.  Have fun burning the witches and welcoming the spring! More information can be found here: http://www.carodejnicenaladronce.cz

PROGRAM:

  • 15:00 - Start – 1st round of the Miss Contest (Best Witch); Theatre: Buchty a loutky – Neposlušná kůzlátka
  • 16:00 - Witch contest on wheels
  • 16:30 - Dance performance by Primavera
  • 16:35 - Main Exhibition in Gang zone – Funbox
  • 17:00 - Final of the Miss contest (Best Witch)
  • 18:00 - Witch disco for Miss contest participants
  • 18:15 - Announcing of the Miss (Best Witch) Contest Winner  
  • 18:30 - The Burning begins
  • 19:00 – Concert – Jaroslav Uhlíř and band
  • 20:30 – Concert – 100°C
  • 21:45 – Fireworks
  • 22:00 – 00:00    Fun for adults – guitar at the bonfire, more food and drink

Some more history about this tradition can be found here in a previous post on GuiriGuide

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Easter in Prague

March 20th, 2013 | Posted by Karolinad in Holidays | Karolina | Lifestyle | Shopping | What's Happening Prague - (Comments Off)
logoEaster is around the corner!  This means Prague will have an array of activities and events to offer for people of all ages.  If you are interested in what is going on around Prague or want to understand Czech Easter traditions and customs visit the following site that has it all.  Happy Easter!

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What the devil? Mikulas in the Czech Republic

December 3rd, 2012 | Posted by Phillippat in Entertainment | Holidays | Phillippa - (Comments Off)

My son Matyáš will be three next month. His hobbies (in order of decreasing frequency) are creating noise pollution, driving dangerously on his toy train and finger-painting (at mealtimes). Next week his father and I will face a significant moral dilemma – should we invite a devil to come and take him away in a sack.

Of course we probably won’t (or at least not for very long), but on 5th December the option is there for desperate parents in the Czech Republic, in the form of the tradition of Mikuláš (or St Nicholas). The feast of St. Nicholas actually takes place on the 6th December, but it is celebrated on the eve of the feast day, when St. Nicholas himself, accompanied by a devil and angel pay a visit to all children. Good behaviour is rewarded in the form of something nice to eat (usually sweets, chocolate or gingerbread), while naughtiness is dealt with by a chain bearing devil, who offers a piece of coal or raw potatoes as poor compensation. Severe naughty-doers face the possibility of being dragged off to hell in the aforementioned sack (although this outcome in unlikely).

Of course Mikuláš isn’t really a cruel form of discipline; it’s a family festival which, along with the first Sunday of Advent, marks the beginning of the build up to Christmas. Czech families often invite a devil and angel to their homes with some small gifts for their children. Many teenagers enjoy taking on this role, so if you are interested, a Czech friend or neighbour might be able to introduce you to a willing Mikuláš group. Alternatively many Czech maternity centres have events, including theatre performances and masked ball. Have a look at the webpage of your local centre.

For train lovers, a special Mikuláš steam train will depart from Nádrazí Praha-Braník at 9.30 on Saturday 1st December and Sunday 2nd December.  Children who have been good can look forward to a small present from Mikuláš, while those bearing a more dubious record can at least claim a piece of coal straight from the engine. Tickets cost 160kc for adults and 60kc for children, with children below 6 years going free. You can book tickets at Praha-Braník or Masarykovo Nádrazí.

For animal lovers, Mikuláš and his helpers can also be found in Prague zoo on Wednesday 5th December. They will be delivering small presents to children around the park from 13.00 till 16.00.

Shopping centres are also a good place to meet devils and angels. Try the Devil’s Party at Galerie Butovice from 16.00 till 18.00 on Sunday 2nd December. On Wednesday, there are also events at Palladium, Metropole Zličín, Novodvorská Plaza and OC Letňany.

A word of caution –  although all in good fun, Czechs do devils very well (and quite enthusiastically) meaning some smaller children (and even some larger children) can get scared. Many events have an age recommendation and some events are geared to more sensitive children, so if in doubt, do check ahead.

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Travelling by train with discounts!

May 14th, 2012 | Posted by Karolinad in Entertainment | Holidays | Karolina | Lifestyle | Logistics | Transit and Transport | Travel outside Prague | What's Happening Prague - (Comments Off)

The summer is around the corner, and if you plan on travelling around in the Czech Republic or  elsewhere in Europe by train, it may be a good idea to sign up for the In-Karta with Ceske Drahy.   Because I recently moved to Vienna, I have signed up for an IN25 card (with Rail Plus), which gives me a 25% discount on all of my regular tickets and returns.  All I have to do is show my card when I purchase my ticket and again when the conductor checks for tickets on the train.  I paid a total of 990 Kc, for a three year card.

There are different types of programs you can sign up for: N25, IN 50, IN 100, IN senior, IN junior or IN business application has been recorded where you can purchase discounted reservations for SC Pendolino trains.  The cool thing about an InKarta is also, that it allows you to use it as an electronic wallet and charge it up with money, and then purchase your tickets around the Czech Republic at the vending machines or the ticket office – and you get a bonus for utilizing this function.  If you are living in the Czech Republic, you also have many other discounts available to you on public transport and event cultural events.

Overview of In-karta card discounts

IN 25 (Cost depends on your age and how many years you want to purchase it for, check here, you will pay 150Kc for a year if you are 15-26 yrs old) is intended for all passengers, including children, students who take the train regularly to school or work. It is also worthwhile for frequent travel. With an In-karta IN 25, passengers receive a 25% discount on one-way, return and commuter tickets (in weekly, monthly and quarterly variants), and a discount on SporoTiket Česko and ČD Promo tickets, and discount on reservations for SC trains as well.

IN 50 (Cost depends on your age and how many years you want to purchase it for, check here – you will pay 1,300 Kc for a year if you are 15-26 yrs old) is suitable mainly for regular trips by youth from 15 to 26 years of age and adults, with a special price for pensioners. With an In-karta IN 50, passengers receive a 50% discount on one-way and return tickets, a 25% discount on commuter tickets, and a discount on SporoTiket Česko and ČD Promo tickets, and discount on reservations for SC trains as well.

IN 100 (Cost is 22K per yr, 45K for 2 yrs, 67K for 3 yrs, more here)
is intended for regular travel with a higher level of comfort. Without having to purchase additional travel documents, passengers are entitled to unlimited travel on ČD trains in 1st or 2nd class, a discount on reservations and tickets to destinations abroad (with the RailPlus discount), discount on reservations for SC trains, the option to transport one piece of oversized luggage free of charge, free travel on Airport Express connections, and free use of the ČD cableway at Ještěd.

IN business
is a version of the IN 100 discount (without RailPlus) suitable for corporate clients. The card is issued to the company (not to an individual), is transferable and helps resolve issues surrounding business trips.

IN senior
is intended for passengers over 70 years of age. With the IN senior discount, passengers need not purchase any additional travel documents for travel on local (Os) and limited-stop (Sp) trains. For journeys on fast (R) trains and higher-category trains, passengers can take advantage of a 50% discount off the regular fare or the return fare, 25% discount off the commuter tickets and a discount on SporoTiket Česko and ČD Promo tickets, and discount on reservations for SC trains as well.

If you plan on travelling abroad the Czech Republic and you apply for the In Karta, you must be sure to let them know at the ticket office, as you can only get discounts on international travel with the Rail Plus option.  It just means you need to purchase your discount for a longer period of time, rather than just a 3 months period for example.  So for the IN25 discount that I got, I had to sign up for 3 years, which totaled at 990 KC, still very much worth it.

More details about the In Karta can be found here.  Whether you decide to purchase the discounts or not, be safe and bon voyage – or shall I say šťastnou cestu!

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Easter Markets 2012

April 3rd, 2012 | Posted by Karolinad in Entertainment | Food and Restaurants | Holidays | Karolina | Lifestyle | What's Happening Prague - (Comments Off)

It is the time of year again to enjoy Easter markets around Prague and hopefully some nice weather along with it.  The Easter markets started on March 24th and run until April 15th throughout the city.  Some of the bigger ones are traditionally at the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square, but you will run into them practically in every part of the city.  Enjoy the brightly colored and hand-painted Easter eggs, wooden toys, embroidered cloth, beautifully crafted puppets and all typical Czech food.   Here are some activities to consider.  Enjoy!

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