Channel 05

Culture & Trends

The history, art and habits that explain why Prague looks and behaves the way it does.

49 guides4 min average read

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  1. Alphonse Mucha and Czech Art Nouveau4 min read
  2. Art Nouveau in Prague: a walking guide4 min read
  3. Barrandov Studios: the Hollywood on the Vltava4 min read

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All Culture & Trends guides

  1. 5 min readA short history of Prague: from Libuše to the presentThe dates that explain the city: the castle, Charles IV, the defenestrations, the Habsburgs, two occupations and 1989.
  2. 4 min readAlphonse Mucha and Czech Art NouveauHow a Moravian-born poster artist defined a style in Paris, then turned to the Slav Epic and Prague's public buildings.
  3. 4 min readArt Nouveau in Prague: a walking guideA route through the city's best Art Nouveau buildings, from the main station to the Municipal House, with what to look for at each.
  4. 4 min readBarrandov Studios: the Hollywood on the VltavaHow Prague's film studios began in the 1930s, which famous productions came, and what visitors can and cannot do there.
  5. 4 min readBlack light theatre and Laterna Magika: what it isHow black velvet and ultraviolet light became a Czech speciality, and what to check before buying a ticket.
  6. 4 min readBrutalism and communist-era architecture in PragueConcrete, glass and prefabricated panels: how to read the buildings of 1948 to 1989, and where to find the best examples.
  7. 4 min readBurning of the Witches: Czechia's 30 April bonfire night, explainedA straw witch on a woodpile, sausages on sticks and a night of fire before 1 May. How the custom works, and why couples then head for Petřín.
  8. 5 min readCommunist Czechoslovakia explained for visitorsHow the 1948 to 1989 regime worked, what ordinary life was like and where in Prague you can still see its traces.
  9. 4 min readCubist architecture in Prague: a unique styleWhere Cubism stepped off the canvas and onto the street: who designed Prague's Cubist buildings and how to find them on foot.
  10. 4 min readCzech Christmas: live carp, golden pigs and a Baby Jesus who flies offFish scales in your wallet, apples cut for fortunes and presents that arrive by bell. Why the Czech Christmas happens on the 24th, and how to join in.
  11. 4 min readCzech cinema history: from the New Wave to nowA short guide to Czech film from the 1960s New Wave to today, with the directors who shaped it.
  12. 4 min readCzech etiquette: the unwritten rules from slippers to the last toastShoes off at the door, odd-numbered flowers and a tip you announce aloud. The small habits that make a Czech host decide you are all right.
  13. 4 min readCzech films to watch before visiting PragueA short list of Czech films that show you the country, its humour and its history, with what each one is about.
  14. 4 min readCzech literature for newcomersTen writers worth starting with, what each is known for and which book to pick up first in English translation.
  15. 4 min readCzech name days: the second birthday on every calendarJosef on 19 March, Mikuláš on 6 December, Adam and Eva on Christmas Eve. How svátek works, what to say, and why you should check your phone.
  16. 4 min readCzech public holidays: the 13 days off, and the history behind eachA saint doubles as Statehood Day, two July days honour missionaries and a martyr, and a weekend holiday gives you nothing in lieu. The full calendar.
  17. 4 min readCzech puppet tradition: from Spejbl to marionettesWhy puppets matter in Czech culture, who Spejbl and Hurvínek are and where to see marionettes in Prague.
  18. 5 min readCzechs at the Olympics: Zátopek, Čáslavská, Ledecká and the restA small country with a very big Olympic memory. From the Czech Locomotive's triple gold to a snowboarder who also wins on skis, the names behind the medals.
  19. 5 min readDancing House, Prague: the story of Fred and Ginger on the VltavaTwo leaning towers, one glass and one concrete, fill a hole left by a 1945 bomb. How the Dancing House got built, why Praguers argued and where to see it best.
  20. 4 min readEaster in Czechia: the willow whip, painted eggs and a day of rattlesOn Easter Monday Czech men tap women with a ribboned willow whip, and are paid in eggs and a small strong drink. How to join in.
  21. 5 min readEnglish-language theatre in Prague: where to go and what to bookMost Prague stages speak Czech, but plenty of theatre needs no words at all. Surtitles, black light, puppets and how to find a play in English.
  22. 4 min readFranz Kafka in Prague: where to startWhere Kafka was born, studied, worked and is buried, and how to follow his Prague without buying a theme-park ticket.
  23. 5 min readHavel and Lou Reed: how a New York band helped shape Czech freedomA smuggled record, a rigged trial and a playwright who became president. The Velvet Underground thread that ran from a Prague basement to Prague Castle.
  24. 4 min readHow to pronounce Czech: the rules that tame ř and the vowel-less wordsCzech spelling is honest once you know six rules. Learn them and Žižkov, Vyšehrad and even strč prst skrz krk stop looking like typing accidents.
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