Czech Republic

Central Europe: Floods Force Thousands to Evacuate, Disrupt Rail Service

Date: May 19th, 2010 |

Floods due to heavy rain in central Europe forced thousands of people to evacuate in Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Electricity was knocked out in some areas and rail travel was disrupted. In Poland, officials closed the former Nazi death camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau and moved museum artifacts and displays to upper floors to [read more]

Europe: Economic Crunch Prompts Strikes Across Continent

Date: February 24th, 2010 |

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Strikes hit both the public and private sectors of several countries as the financial crisis put increasing pressure on workers and businesses, and some walkouts will carry on into March. Lufthansa pilots struck, French air traffic controllers walked out for four days, Greek unions blockaded the Athens stock market, and prepared to shut down much [read more]

Czech Republic: New Tourist Police in Prague

Date: June 4th, 2008 |

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A new tourist police squad is in place for the summer in Prague’s main tourist areas. In the stretch between Wenceslas Square and Prague Castle via Old Town Square and the Charles Bridge, at least seven special police are on patrol from 10 a.m. to midnight. Their mission is to combat street crime, especially pickpockets [read more]

Austria and Czech Republic: Border Crossing Blockades

Date: May 23rd, 2007 |

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Austrian anti-nuclear protesters have repeatedly blocked border crossings with the Czech Republic over complaints that a nuclear power plant at Temelin, Czech Republic, is unsafe. Activists claim that the Czech government has not fulfilled conditions agreed to between the two countries in 2000 to allow the plant to go into operation, and have demanded that [read more]

Czech Republic: Pickpocket Capital of the World

Date: July 18th, 2006 |

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Britain’s leading insurance company, Norwich Union, surveyed 60,000 travel insurance claims from 2005 to learn where British travelers are most at risk around the world, and learned that the Czech Republic is number one for pick-pocketing, with Thailand coming in a distant second at about half the rate. Most British travelers go to Prague, where [read more]

Czech Republic: One Site to Close, Another to Open in Prague Castle Complex

Date: March 3rd, 2010 |

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Authorities will close one of the Prague Castle complex’s most popular sites May 1 for a year to complete necessary repairs. The Golden Lane, named for the goldsmiths who once lived and worked there, is a narrow alley lined with one-room 16th-century houses, and, perhaps most notably, where Franz Kafka lived in 1916-17. But as [read more]

Russia and Eastern Europe: Economic Crisis Raises Fear of Unrest

Date: April 1st, 2009 |

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The global economic crisis has created fear of civil unrest in Russia and several Eastern European countries as millions have lost their jobs and are turning their anger against their governments. Russia has many towns throughout the country dependent on single industries, a carryover from the Soviet era, and when those industries fail the economies [read more]

Czech Republic: Prague Moves to Guarantee Honest Taxis

Date: August 8th, 2007 |

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Taxi drivers in Prague have a reputation for ripping off tourists, but officials have a new plan to combat those who cheat: taxi stands marked with “thumbs up” signs that guarantee honest fares. By mid August, 49 stands certified as “Fair Taxi Places” will be set up and overseen by city officials to make sure [read more]

Czech Republic: Terrorist Threat in Prague

Date: October 3rd, 2006 |

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The Czech government reported Sept. 23 that it had received information of a serious terrorist threat in Prague and stepped up security at dozens of locations around the city, including the Ruzyne international airport. The U.S. Embassy, in responding to questions from Americans in Prague, issued a statement recommending that all visitors be vigilant but [read more]

Central Europe: Floods Threaten Many Countries

Date: April 4th, 2006 |

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Flooding from melting snow and heavy rain threatened a repeat of the catastrophic floods of 2002. Floods forced evacuations in the Czech Republic, where a state of emergency was declared in seven of its 14 regions, in Hungary, Germany and Slovakia. Serbia and Romania were on high alert. Unlike the floods of 2002, the current [read more]