Compact archive December 20, 2006

Here is a list of the most visited monuments in Prague and their opening times during the holidays:

• Prague Castle is closed on 24th December. On 25th and 26th families can visit the Castle for free. From 25th December to 7th January all objects at Prague Castle are open from 9:00 to 18:00.

• The entrance to St. Vitus Cathedral is on 24th December from 12:00 to 16:00 for free.

• Royal Garden at Prague Castle is exceptionally open from 25th December to 7th January from 9:00 to 17:00.

• Petrin Observation Tower and the Maze are open from 23th December to 1st January every day from 10:00 to 17:00. Only on 24th December and 31st December it is open from 10:00 to 15:00.

• Old Town Hall can be visited from 15th to 31st December every day from 9:00 to 18:00 (Monday only from 11:00). On 24th December from 9:00 to 14:00 and on 31st December from 9:00 to 16:00.

• Old Town Bridge Tower is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00 except 24th and 31st December when it closes already at 15:00. (see part 2)

If you want to visit the most visited museums and churches in Prague, check this list for opening times during the holidays:

• National Museum in Prague is closed on 24th December. On 25th December it is open from 11:00 to 17:00, on 26th from 9:00 to 17:00, on 31st from 10:00 to 16:00. Other day see regular opening hours. On 1st January the museum is open for free from 11:00 to 15:00.

• Prague City Museum is closed on 24th and 25th December, as well as on 31st December and 1st January.

• The only changes at Vysehrad are in the opening hours on 24th and 31st December – it is open from 9:30 to 13:00.

• St. Nicholas Cathedral is closed on 24th December. On 31st December it is open from 9:00 to 14:00. Other days see regular opening hours.

• Loreta is open during holidays: on 24th December from 9:00 to 12:15, on 25th from 13:00 to 16:30, on 26th from 9:00 to 12:15 and 13:00 to 16:30, on 31st from 9:00 to 12:15 and on 1st January 13:00 to 16:30. (see Part 1)

A ship with at least 250 homeless people on board will be visible soon on the Vltava river. The city will get the ship at the end of January 2007. The ship will be maintained by workes of humanitarian institutions. The annual service costs will be 8,5 million CZK.

The project is run for people from Prague only. All Prague homeless people will be provided by chip cards that will enable them to enter the ship. For one night on this ship they will have to pay the most 100 CZK.

“In case the homeless people want to cooperate and work seasonally, they can use more services on the ship,” said the councilman Jiri Janecek. Even though the ship provides 250 beds, there are about 5000 homeless people in Prague.

The exhibition of torture and prison services started yesterday in the tower Daliborka at Prague Castle. The exhibition will introduce torture techniques and prison services in Prague Castle from medieval times to the last quarter of the 18th century.

Visitors of the exhibition will learn about the history of the tower, about the living conditions of prisoners and about interesting people being kept in the tower. The exhibition also displays replicas of torture instruments used by jailers and executioners.

The entrance to the exhibition is included in visit tours A, B, C. From 1st January the entrance to the tower will be included in both the big and the small tours.

The time before Christmas is the “golden time” for shops but also for pickpockets. People trying to get some Christmas presents are not so alert to their belongings and they become easily the victims of pickpockets.

Half of the crimes of pickpocketing takes place in Prague. According to the police, the pickpockets also come to Prague from other states before Christmas and then they continue to Paris, Rome or other cities. The only way how to get pickpockets into prison is to catch them in the act. It is not so easy before they usually work as a organized gang of five or six people and they inform each other about police officers.

The police warn against pickpockets in public transports (especially tram no. 22 running in the centre) and at the stations and tram stops. People should be also pay attention to their belongings in large shopping centres. In case they become the victims of pickpockets they should immediately inform the police.