I just finished a very interesting book, Warrior of God: Jan Zizka and the Hussite Revolution by Victor Verney with Foreword by David Muhlena. Jan Žižka (1370–1424) belongs to the elite group of leaders who never lost a battle. He was a formidable figure whose life and military career was set amidst the whirlwind of...
Petr Horák was born on May 7, 1943 in Nusle (Prague) to Štěpánka and Oldřich Horák. As a young boy, Peter swam competitively and played water polo. He enjoyed skiing, riding a bike, playing table tennis, ice hockey, and soccer. At the age of ten, however, the doctor forbade Peter to partake in anymore sports...
The Gray Man is reportedly Netflix’s biggest budget original film, with a budget of $250 million. It debuted on Netflix on July 22, 2022. The film is a cinematic adaptation of Mark Greaney’s novel of the same name and features stunning footage throughout Prague. Filming in Prague began on June 27, 2021, and ended on...
Want to watch a 30 minute Czech film (with subtitles) that will literally change your life? That is the gift I am bringing you today. The film Most (The Bridge) is so touching, it is perhaps the most poetic, powerful and brilliant piece of film making I have seen in recent memory. I guarantee you...
Czech children love to play pexeso. Pexeso is a memory game and it really is a great family card game because you can play it with a regular pack of cards, or with picture cards that your child might like. The best part of this game is that younger players are often able to compete...
Do you enjoy going back in time as much as I do? What if I could take you back to Šumava in 1929? You’d stay in the towns, see the Chod people, experience the marketplace, explore the forest, and learn about the mythology and folk tales. The Šumava mountain range stretches across south and west...
This is an excellent book review of Milan J. Kubic’s book From Prague to Jerusalem. An Uncommon Journey of a Journalist by my friend Miloslav Rechcígl, Jr. BUY ON AMAZON NOW Mila writes: I have always considered memoir publications as important sources of history, particularly after I published my own personal memoir, Czechmate. From Bohemian...
On June 10, 1942 the Nazis wiped Lidice off the face of the earth. This June 10th marks the 80th anniversary of the horrific massacre of the men, women and children of Lidice – a little village west of Prague that was literally wiped off the map by the Nazis during WWII. The men were...
Imagine if we could travel back in time to Prague. Would you like to go back 100 years with me? The following is a chapter from a book published in 1912, entitled Around the Clock in Europe: A Travel-Sequence by Charles Fish Howell with illustrations by Harold Field Kellogg. Published in Boston by Houghton Mifflin...
A virus that first appeared in China, spread by shaking hands, putting the elderly at risk. The Czechoslovak film The White Disease (1937) evokes current headlines, but uses the epidemic primarily as a perspective on war and dictatorship. Bílá nemoc (The White Disease – as in leprosy) is a play written by Czech novelist Karel...
It’s time for a classic Czech dinner and a movie. Today, I am sharing the recipe for Šípková Omáčka – Czech Rosehip Sauce and Pajfalský knedlík – Pajfal dumplings from Slavnosti snezenek / The Snowdrop Festivities film. A delicious recipe, a fun film, and a wonderfully spent Czech inspired afternoon project to enjoy a...
I love the Czech (Moravian) wine country as much as I love their wine. The Grapes is a fun Czech comedy series which did a great job of showing off Moravian wine country and even a bit about what it’s like to run a winery while telling a fun story of a young rascal, his...
Jan Mikolášek (April 7, 1889 – December 29, 1973) was a Czech healer and herbalist. He grew up in a family of gardeners and then trained professionally in the field. He trained with spice maker Josefa Mühlbacherová, and he admired the Viennese professor, Valentin Zeileis from Gallspach. He studied Mattioli’s herbarium and passed the professional...
Rilke is known for his poignant metaphorical poetry and his lyrical prose. Like many great writers before him, Rilke drew inspiration from his surroundings. He was able to draw on his observations of the various places he visited during his life to create poems which remain widely read and loved to this day. In his...
Today we are bringing you a classic Czech animated film by Jakub Jan Ryba entitled Česká mše vánoční or Czech Christmas Mass, Hej mistře, with animated images by Josef Lada. It originally appeared on Czech TV in 1966. Beno Blachut, Jaroslava Vymazalová, Marie Mrázová, and Zdeněk Kroupa are the singers of the soundtrack of Czech...
I am an avid reader and what I love to read more than anything is stories from my birthplace, Czechoslovakia. In today’s post I am sharing some rare books which are in English and allow you to see a Czechoslovakia of days gone past, often through the eyes and experiences of non-Czechs. A Wayfarer in...
