Compact archive October 2, 2007

New Prague Bikelines... Will bring changes...?

Tuesday 02 October 2007 18:45

new bikelines in prague Prague opens new bikelines – one heading from Modrany to Zbraslav and the second one (in the final stage of construction) from Liben to Horni Pocernice. The new sector to Zbraslav runs by Vltava, has two kilometers, three quarters are for pedestrians and bikers.

The new bikeline in Prague 9 goes from Freyova street to Horejsi rybnik (Upper pond) and the bikers will ride on a deserted rail. Another three kilometers are to be ready in 2008. The metropolis heads have promised 80 km of marked bikelines in Prague countryside, and 150 km in the city.

The question remains, how much of those bikelines will be useful for those who want to travel by bicycle instead of a car. The poor situation of bike roads in the center of Prague calls more people to demonstrate every year, but it seems to left a little impact on the face of inside Prague. The author knows, how dangerous it is to travel by bike in Prague. Compared to other cities of Europe there is a lot to gain. The bikelines grow in numbers only on the suburbs, and no one had the guts to enforce construction to the inside of the metropolis yet. We will see, what the future development brings.

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Prague Vintage Festival Reportage

Tuesday 02 October 2007 17:06

As we informed you before, annual Prague Vintage Festival is a famous Prague event. Now, we bring you a report by a devoted burcak fan, who went for the quest for you;

Our Saturday objective was to get to Gröbeho vila, drink as many burcaks as possible, and spend the rest of the money on burcak in bottles that we would drink later at home. This pocket money was specially devoted to this event and was taken from a piggy bank. There was a grape harvest festival in Havlickovy Sady, and since I love this young wine, I couldn’t miss this event.

Finally, when we got there, the real fun begun. I mean, we started drinking burcak. And I’ve never thought how quickly can one glass of burcak bring a smile to one’s face. But the other program was good, too. Lots of mead, roasted pig, lots and lots of traditional products made at the spot, people in historic costumes, entertainers, original medieval beggar, jugglers, castle parade, swordplays, archery range, etc. Ideal for children. And for old children like us, back to the wine quest. The prices were very friendly, 2dcl cup for 18 CZK, or 1 litre for 70 CZK. It was a pity that you could buy red burcak only at one stall, where was an endless queue. We drank a litre there and brought another two home each of us.

Read the whole reportage HERE

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Designblok 2007. A Must. Prague. Best Design.

Tuesday 02 October 2007 14:50

Designblok 2008 here

Marysa Cattle, Prisc Porcelain, photo from EX The action that goes through all the spheres of design. Only the size of the action sounds great; 158 Czech and foreign authors; 177 enterprises at 60 places in Prague. This year’s Superstudio is going to be located in Thamova street. There is going to be this year’s base, which offers seminars, conferences, fashion catwalks, and of course organizers placed lots of installations from the best designers of the Czech Republic and world.

This action is annual; 9th in the line, and every year it is bigger and bigger.

Designblok 2007 occupies fronts of most of Prague event calendars, which do not save their superlatives. For example Barbora Klimova from EX defines it like this: mega design action, trendy, in, fresh, hot, original, grand design, showrooms, design guide, design icon, life style, fashion session… ABC Prague certainly recommends to go to see it with your own eyes.

And what do they say about Designblok the organizers? “Fairs similar to Designblok are very well known in Europe. Producers of Designblok were inspired by Saloni Interni and Fiori in Milano, 100Guaranteed in London, Designroutes in Antverpen, Designparcours in Munich and DesignMai in Berlin. The main idea is that the participants present their design news in the authentic space of their own showrooms and they also produce and organize their own special events.”

Superstudio and accompanying programme will be at the old factory hall, Real Estate Karlín, Thamova street 14.

Designblok ’07, 9th year of annual design days in Prague 2th – 7th October 2007

If you want to go, get your guide-book with a map, either in the Superstudio, or from www.designblok.cz (and yes, there is no ‘c’ in the Czech version of the word block).

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Want to Buy a Palace in Prague?

Tuesday 02 October 2007 12:58

palaces for sale Even in the very center of Prague, it is possible to see darkness behind windows. The Office of Historic Preservation (Pamatkovy urad) counted the buildings in decay, located in the historic center, and found out the worst owners are municipal corporation and private companies.

In Prague site area, that is on the UNESCO list, you can find total of 32 buildings/palaces, that that are deserted and decayed, some of them even for quite a period. Those are buildings build in baroque and classicist style, and some contain remains of the old city walls.

The Office of Historic Preservation informed it is a great shame and sadness, but compared to the situation ten years ago it is quite better; there were hundreds of deserted buildings. If you are wealthy and you are interested in buying a house that is situated fourth in line left from Astronomical Clock on Old town Square, you can. Beautiful baroque and renaissance house U minuty (At the Minute) has been empty for over a year.

Source: Lidove Noviny

Prague Public Transport Buses Burn

Tuesday 02 October 2007 11:01

3rd Bus was burning this month in Prague. Finally, Prague Public Transport (MHD) decided to do something about it, otherwise maybe we would see even more of them in fire. The representatives affirm it is nothing more than a coincidence, but finally instructed strict control of wagon lines.

The question of the MHD heads is: are the buses obsolete, or somebody failed in his controlling task? And the outcomes of the control should reveal it. In the meantime, they try to persuade us it was only a bad luck. “We are definitely concerned about the frequency of these accidents, that’s why we try to toughen up the control mechanism, that should eliminate such threads.” The question, when the outcomes of the control will be revealed, was not answered.

The spokesman of Prague’s fire department excluded the possibility of old buses being the reason of it all. “The 3 buses that ignited were all of different date of construction, the newest was in function for only a year and a half.” The truth is, that Prague’s buses were largely modernized, and our public traffic system proudly belongs to the Europe’s elite. Is is really just a bad luck, causing harm to the buses?

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