The city ranks among Europe’s most visited cities, attracting millions of visitors each year. Its historic centre stretches along the Vltava River, which runs through the city and connects key landmarks such as the Charles Bridge. Many of its most significant sites sit within walking distance, making it possible to experience a rich cross-section of the city in just a day or two.

Often described as a “city of a hundred spires”, Prague’s skyline is defined by the towers that evoke another century. Here, styles range from Gothic and Baroque to Art Nouveau and Brutalism, blending alongside lively squares and reflecting the city’s layered architectural heritage. 

The morning typically begins in the Old Town Square, where visitors gather around the Prague Astronomical Clock. Installed in the early 15^th century, the clock remains one of the oldest functioning astronomical clocks in the world and still performs its mechanical show every hour. 

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The cobbled square unfolds with a layered architectural panorama, from Gothic towers to Baroque facades, anchored by the imposing Church of Our Lady before Týn and the Jan Hus Memorial, a massive Art Nouveau monument, representing a national symbol of Protestant reform and resistance to corruption in the Catholic Church. The memorial, created by Ladislav Šaloun and unveiled in 1915, includes phrases such as “Milujte se, pravdy každému přejte”, which means: “Love one another, wish the truth to everyone” and “Pravda vítězí” — “Truth Prevails”.

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A short walk away, the historic Charles Bridge spans the river, connecting the Old Town with Malá Strana, or the Lesser Town. Built in the 14^th century under the reign of Charles IV, the bridge is lined with statues of saints and offers one of the most recognisable views in Central Europe. Street musicians and artists add to the atmosphere, while the city views remain a defining highlight.

The afternoon offers opportunities to explore beyond the main landmarks. A walk through the Jewish Quarter, known as Josefov, introduces visitors to a different layer of Prague’s history. Sites such as the Old Jewish Cemetery and several preserved synagogues reflect centuries of Jewish heritage in the city. The area remains one of the most historically significant Jewish sites in Europe, attracting tourists, scholars, poets and writers.

A walking trip can be replaced by a ride aboard the vintage tram No. 42, which operates along scenic routes that pass many of Prague’s key landmarks, offering a nostalgic journey through the city. It provides visitors with a unique way to experience the capital’s architecture and atmosphere from a new retro perspective.

As evening falls, Prague’s magical atmosphere unfolds on a full scale. As city lights reflect on the Vltava River, boat cruises offer views of illuminated landmarks, including Charles Bridge and Prague Castle. The night out can be further defined by classical music concerts in historic churches and halls, reflecting Prague’s long-standing musical heritage associated with composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who had a notable connection to the city during his lifetime.

A city that inspires

One of the most influential literary figures associated with Prague is Franz Kafka, whose work captures the atmosphere of the city’s old streets, narrow alleys, and underlying existential tension. His former residence at Pařížská 30 – destroyed in 1945 and now the site of the Fairmont Golden Prague – is closely linked to his active writing period. Kafka scholars believe that The Metamorphosis was partly inspired by the apartment he lived in on the fourth floor of that building.

Another prominent author linked to Prague is Dan Brown, who has drawn on the city’s layered history and dramatic architecture in shaping the atmosphere and setting of his new novel, The Secret of Secrets, published on 9 September 2025.

The city’s combination of Gothic architecture, narrow medieval streets, and centuries of political and cultural history provides an iconic backdrop for his trademark blend of symbolism, mystery, and hidden narratives. 

Against the backdrop of vast castles, towering churches, and historic Jewish cemeteries, the story unfolds through a landscape shaped by centuries of history and layered cultural memory.

Synopsis:

“Accompanying celebrated academic Katherine Solomon to a lecture she’s been invited to give in Prague, Robert Langdon’s world spirals out of control when she disappears without trace from their hotel room. Far from home and well out of his comfort zone, Langdon must pit his wits against forces unknown to recover the woman he loves.

But Prague is an old and dangerous city. Steeped in folklore and mystery. For over two thousand years, the tides of history have washed back and forth over it, leaving echoes of everything that has gone before. Little does Langdon know that he is being stalked by a spectre from that dark past. He must use all of his arcane knowledge to decipher the world around him – before he too is consumed by the rings of treachery and deception that have swallowed Katherine.”

Langdon’s journey takes him through Prague’s historic core, along the Vltava River and across the Charles Bridge, before leading into the Old Town past the magical Astronomical Clock, stopping at the Kinsky Palace, which now houses the National Gallery Prague, and where SPOILER ALERT… (Katherine and Robert kiss).

Central to the plot is the figure of the Golem, a mythical clay creature of Prague folklore, featured as the main antagonist, misleading both the characters and the reader.

Set against a backdrop of churches, courtyards, and historic buildings, the story follows Dan Brown’s intricate train of thought, combining real locations with mysteries and intellectual puzzles. While not every detail is tied to real-world reference, Prague’s layered architectural and cultural landscape provides a perfect canvas for the author’s intriguing narrative.

A different side of Prague

Beyond its historic core, Prague reveals itself as a city of architectural layers, where Art Nouveau elegance, functionalism, and bold Brutalist structures coexist within just a few streets. Around Wenceslas Square, visitors encounter a mix of styles that reflect the capital’s evolution through the 20^th century, including landmarks such as Lucerna Palace. From there, routes through the city centre lead to the distinctive House of the Black Madonna, a rare example of Czech Cubism, and the ornate Municipal House, widely regarded as one of the finest Art Nouveau buildings in Central Europe.

Despite its reputation for historical preservation, Prague has seen steady growth in contemporary art and creative industries, broadening its tourism appeal. The recently opened Signal Space Gallery, located in former market premises, offers a chance to expand your perception. The exhibition focuses on light and digital art, showcasing large-scale installations and interactive works. Reflecting the city’s growing presence in new media and immersive formats, it is positioned as the largest digital art gallery in Czechia. The space captivates with impressive, bold visuals and intricate experiences that make you question physics and even reality.

Further north, the district of Holešovice has undergone a transformation from an industrial area into one of the capital’s most active creative hubs. Today, it is home to galleries, studios, cafes, and distinctive examples of contemporary architecture. A key destination here is the DOX Centre for Contemporary Art, known for its experimental exhibitions and the striking rooftop structure known as the Gulliver Airship, which has become a symbol of the district’s cultural transformation.

Evolving tourism landscape

During the Czechia Travel Trade Day 2026, officials announced that Prague recorded 8,271,962 incoming visitors, representing a 2.6% increase compared to 2024, alongside 18,984,282 overnight stays, up 3.9% year on year. The main outside source markets were tourists from Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States, with peak visits in July, August, and December. 

The report highlights tourism as a key sector of the Czech economy, contributing around 2.5% of GDP, equivalent to approximately €8.3 billion. Overall visitor spending in 2024 reached nearly €15 billion, while tourism accounted for 4.28% of total employment, representing more than 233,000 jobs.

Tourism authorities in Prague continue to emphasise sustainable travel and crowd management, particularly in response to high visitor concentrations in the city centre. The Prague Visitor Pass, launched in 2022, forms part of this strategy, offering tourists access to major attractions, public transport, and selected experiences across the city for a fixed price, making it a convenient option for exploring key sights efficiently. It also improves mobility within the capital and helps distribute tourist flows more evenly, easing pressure on the most visited historic areas.

Other efforts include promoting lesser-known regions and cities such as Plzeň, Central Bohemia and Olomouc, as well as encouraging off-peak travel, while maintaining accessibility and ensuring the country remains attractive for short-stay visits.

L’article Explore Prague: What to see, do and experience in the Czech capital est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

As well as increasing complaints about the speed at which scooters travel in shared traffic areas, opposition has grown to the way they block pavements and parking areas when users discard them carelessly, making life difficult for pedestrians and people with additional accessibility needs.

“The end of electric scooters approved!” Prague’s deputy mayor in charge of transport, Zdeněk Hřib, declared on X after the decision was confirmed. But, in fact, the move to ditch rented scooters happened in a muted way that appeared to add insult to injury – by failing to even cater to their existence. Councillors dealt with the issue by publishing a set of new rules on where electric and push bikes can be parked. Because e-scooters are not mentioned in the parking bylaws, they can no longer be used in the city.

Shared scooter rental firm Lime, one of the major suppliers in Prague, reacted with disappointment, saying it would focus on e-bike rentals going forward and noting that some cities have been able to retain scooters as a mobility option that “can work very well and serve citizens” by working through issues thanks to “constructive dialogue.”

But the scooter ban cannot have come as a surprise. Paris, France, and Madrid, Spain, have both banned their use, and other cities have limited their supply or capped the age at which riders can use them.

E-scooters were hailed as an innovative green, “last kilometre” mobility solution when they first started appearing in various cities a few years ago, but the tide of public opinion started to turn following accessibility problems and research that showed a spike in head injuries and hospitalisations, and a lack of implementation of proper safety precautions that seemed attributable to scooters.

Critics began to say that scooter rental firms, some of which are start-ups (like Lime) and have become unicorn firms reaching $1 billion quickly in funding rounds, were using the general public as a testing ground without having carried out proper due diligence. Regulators have since gradually started catching up with what was once described by some as a free-for-all market.

L’article No more e-scooter rentals in Prague as authorities prioritise safety and accessibility est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Mountain restaurants and the Radhošt Chapel

Less than an hour and a half from Ostrava, lie the Western Beskids Range where, on a mountain saddle reachable by foot or by chair lift, the hamlet of Pustevny awaits. The village is named after the Czech word for “hermit” but that word does no justice to the splendid wooden buildings built here in traditional Slavic folk style. Designed in the 19^th century by architect Dušan Jurkovič, the cluster of dwellings now hosts a hotel and the highly decorative Libušín restaurant, where hearty mountain fare, beer, and delectably soft blueberry dumplings are on offer.

To work up an appetite, try the trails nearby. An easy eight-kilometre roundtrip will take you along the mountain ridge to the Radhošt chapel. At 1,129 metres altitude, the place of worship, built in 1898, is thought to be one of the highest chapels in Europe and is a popular pilgrimage spot.

A Pagan god and a Sky Walk

On the way to Radhošt chapel, or the route back, stop for refreshments and raise a glass of slivovice for good luck perhaps, to the statue of the Pagan god, Radegast. Standing 3.2 metres tall, the statue has the body of a human, the face of a lion, and holds a horn of plenty and a duck. Local legend has it that the people here worshipped the god and buried a statue of him and some treasure somewhere on Mount Radhošt when Christian missionaries threatened to destroy them.

Back at Pustevny hamlet, and on the other side of the chair lift hut, a slightly more challenging trail has been created. Exciting but still suitable for families, a 26-metre tall tree-top walkway has been constructed on the mountain, leading like an Escher puzzle up to a viewpoint. Visitors can step out over the void on a glass “Sky Walk” where a sky cam will take a “selfie” of guests with the stunning view of the surrounding region – on a clear day, as far as Poland.

There are plenty of hiking (and skiing) trails, taking in stunning views, mountain pastures, and valley streams, in the region. Other hi-octane pursuits are available. A brand new cycle zip line (yes, that’s right) has been installed at the Sky Walk. Paragliding and bobsledding can also be found nearby. 

A spa night or two in an art hotel

After all that exercise, perhaps a night or two of indulgence would be in order. The Miura Art Hotel sits in a mountain meadow, its modern glass exterior and outdoor pools reflecting the gentle peaks on the horizon. Each room has contemporary décor and picture windows onto the mountains. Those who can tear themselves away from the view will find one of the best spas this writer has ever been to, with five different sauna/steam room types, a snow room, a vast jacuzzi, and a heated outdoor pool.

Pre-dinner, why not explore the hotel’s artwork, including original pieces by Damien Hirst, Basquiat, and Andy Warhol said to be worth more than the entire establishment. Outside, in the sunset, glimmer statues by David Černý, whose Head of Franz Kafka has captured the imagination of visitors to Prague.

And for dinner, the hotel restaurant presents world-class cuisine by Chef Michael Göth whose modern take on Beskydy regional cuisine has inspired the new á la carte menu full of premium ingredients from local farmers.

Rooms start at around €200. For approximately €660, a two-night package for two people can be had including a deluxe room, breakfast buffet, a seven-course tasting menu, a two-course dinner, a massage, and entry into the fitness and spa areas. The hotel also happens to sit on the seventh fairway of the Prosper Golf Resort Celadna, where guests can arrange a lesson or a round.

Štramberk Ears and Tonak Hats

Heading northwest and winding back towards Ostrava, those with a sweet tooth and a bloodthirsty heart might pop into the picturesque mountain village of Štramberk, which has its own picturesque historic tower and a train station.

Folklore tells of an attempted attack here by the Tartars, who locals washed away by opening a dam. Behind them, the marauders left sackfuls of human ears, cut off as proof of success in battle. Some time afterwards but at least 800 years ago, an enterprising baker invented the “Štramberk Ear” – a mild spiced biscuit made in honour of the story. 

And nearby, the “town of hats” Nový Jičín offers another fascinating destination, featuring a Renaissance-Baroque square and a hatmaking tradition that spans over four centuries. The area also boasts a rich industrial heritage, centered around Ostrava and its surroundings.

L’article Planning a trip to Czechia? Why North Moravia should be on your list est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Punctuated by ponds and ancient hedgerows, expanses of rolling green countryside and bright yellow rape flowers stretch beyond the train windows. Passengers sip coffee and munch on unusually good railway snacks. Brief glimpses of tall silos, red brick chimneys, manufacturing plants and warehouses with asterisk smash in their windows, and, of course, the electricity pylons that stomp across the land, serve as reminders of the working past. But then they are gone, giving way to a tiny white church with a tall spire and the classical form of a small Bohemian mansion nestled into a gentle hill.

A bitter brew for tough people

Arriving in Ostrava, cargo engines and freight wagons line the tracks, hinting at the steel and coal production with which the area was synonymous for over 150 years. Here, the people are renowned for their toughness, so much so that an extra bitter beer was created just for them at the Radegast brewery, where visitors can take tours and discover steel mash tuns silhouetted against fields of gold rape outside.

For just 10 euros, the two-hour experience includes the packaging plant, the cellars, and the brewhouse, where live silvery trout from the local Morávka river help to monitor the quality of the water used. At the end, of course, there’s the chance to taste this brew named for a local pagan God with the face of a lion. It’s a distinctive concoction, whose equally distinctive strapline “Life is bitter, thank God” has kept hardworking locals (and people all over Czechia) happy since 1970.

Tours and music festivals at the soviet-era blast furnace

Much of that local work, for generations, was at the vast industrial zone of Dolni Vitkovice, owned by the Rothschilds before nationalisation, and one of the few places where coal was not only mined, but also milled into coke, and fed into a gigantic blast furnace to form pig iron and steel, all on the same site. Closed in 1998, in an effort to decarbonise and clean up the city, the vast infrastructure comprising access towers, pipelines, gas storage tanks and, of course, the furnace, is an urban explorer’s paradise.

It was designated a national cultural monument in 2002 and now houses a stunning auditorium and events venue baptised Gong, where raw concrete meets corten steel and culture in a dynamic architectural dream.

Music festivals such as Beats for Love also take place against this backdrop in the summer. All year-round visitors can tour the site, climbing the 77-metre Bolt Tower, for around 12 euros, and venturing inside the decommissioned Soviet-era blast furnace itself. Although children under 15 must be accompanied, there is plenty for younger ones to see and do at the interactive Science and Technology Centre, or Children’s World for example.

Mining the ghosts of the past

Visits are also hosted at the nearby mines that closed in 1993, where former miners run tours, praise the Rothschilds as geniuses and speak of the camaraderie of days gone by. 

On grapple hooks high above the factory floor hang former workers’ clothing, like ghosts of the past. Visitors follow their journey to work, through the showers, canteen, and plump sofas in back offices where operations were run.

Meanwhile, over at the coke milling and washing plant, we learn of the region’s own Klondike moment, when some locals realised it was possible to pan the river for coal dust, creating a rush of black gold. One community even used to live on the steaming slag heap, burning through three pairs of shoes a week due to the heat underfoot. 

Hat-making and honey cake

From toes to top hats. Other industries nearby included the Tonak Hat Museum, in the “town of hats” Nový Jičín, where video footage and vintage hat stretchers trace the development of the brand Hückel, dating back to 1799, all the way through to nationalisation in 1946, and beyond. Why not buy a rabbit fur fedora or a trendy baker boy cap and watch the world go by in the sunshine on the beautiful town square, a protected monument?

Coffee and cake are also produced on an industrial scale just half an hour away at Frýdek Mistek, where the Marlenka Factory was founded by an Armenian refugee from scratch in 2003 and now produces tens of thousands of Eastern honey cakes a week. Take a tour, or pop into the cafe that serves sweet delicacies to visitors and offers a verdant parkland created for the workers and locals.

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Beat the crowds in authentic Ostrava

Back in Ostrava itself, guests will find a pleasant city with an attractive square, where the pollution is long gone, a university campus borders the river near a park with a Red Army monument, and a protected interwar “New City Hall” in a dominant Czech Modernist style catches the eye.

There is a wealth of small guesthouses and hotels to choose from on the Visit Ostrava website, as well as more corporate business hotels with spas. It is an up-and-coming Eastern European destination that boasts access to hiking, golf and hi-octane pursuits in the mountains (more on that in another article) and has just hosted a Czech tourism convention that sought to put the region on the map. So, for people looking to find an authentic Czechia and avoid anything globalised or overrun with other tourists, the time to visit Ostrava is now.

L’article Industrial heritage, beer, and hat-making traditions in Czechia’s former “black heart”  est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Attended by nearly 200 domestic and international tour operators, guides, and journalists, the programme from 25-28 April 2025 took delegates to the east of the Czech Republic, with itineraries focused on gastronomy, active tourism, and culture. Led by local guides from the Moravian-Silesian region, guests were introduced to the Beskydy mountains by cable car to see a statue of a local pagan god, as well as participating in hikes, golf, and even a bobsleigh run – good activities to work off hearty Czech fare that featured duck, salmon, cheese, dumplings, noodles, and local honey cake from the Marlenka bakery.

Accommodation under the spotlight included the extraordinary Miura Art Hotel, with picture window views of the foothills, and original artworks by Warhol, Damien Hirst, and Basquiat. Major hotels in Ostrava with conference facilities, such as the Mercure and Clarion Congress also played host.

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Participants were also led into the heart of Ostrava’s former coal and iron industry, venturing inside a 25-metre tall, decommissioned Soviet-era blast furnace, into the working lives of the region’s miners, and finishing proceedings with a gala performance and dinner at Gong, an award-winning venue inside the former gasworks, where dancers and aerial artists performed accompanied by the Ostrava Philharmonic Orchestra.

At a media conference, František Reismüller, director of CzechTourism, shared figures about the sector’s recovery since the COVID-19 pandemic. Germany, Poland and the Baltics are the biggest source markets, and Prague remains the country’s most visited destination, with just under nine million visitors in 2024 — a rise of 8.6% since 2023. In terms of regional growth, the spotlighted Moravian-Silesian region ranks around seventh, with 2.3% more visitors in 2024 than the year before, for a total of just over one million.

Pressed on Prague’s success and stories of overtourism, Reismüller said he would never discourage people from visiting the Czech capital, which is still a bucket-list destination for travellers from all over the world. Speaking exclusively to Travel Tomorrow, he highlighted Czechia’s drive to extend visitors’ stays by inviting them to discover the country beyond Prague and the excellent value for money on offer. “One thing is to increase the foreign visitors themselves,” he said because “ foreigners spend more, so that’s how you bring more money in.” But he acknowledged that “you can’t do that with all tourists. Visitors from Asia have limited time, but you can do it with Europeans. And that is why we are holding events like this to show off the regions.”

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The rebranding of “the Czech Republic” as Czechia, is an ongoing process, he said, especially for English-speaking tourists, but it’s just a matter of time for people to become accustomed to the shorter name. At the same time, he noted the variety at play in Czechia, with culture, golf, hiking, nature, and industrial heritage all within easy reach. Ostrava, within his living memory, was “synonymous with air pollution, heavy industry, like the black heart of Czechia and now it’s a vibing cultural city, and the nature around it is very beautiful. We have everything,” he said.

L’article From industry to destination: Ostrava emerges as Czechia’s new tourism hotspot est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The historic city is lined with pubs and breweries, and the average Czech drinks more beer than any other nationality in the world, according to the Czech Brewers’ Association. But now the behaviour of some of the city’s 7.4 million annual visitors has become too much even for such beer-loving locals.

No organised pub tours between 10:00 pm and 6:00 am

Noise pollution, safety issues, littering and antisocial acts are just some of the issues city residents are contending with, and the problems have become so pronounced that councillors have noted “an excessive deployment” of sanitisation teams and police.

As a result, between the hours of 10:00 pm and 6:00 am, pub crawls that lead participants from venue to venue to consume alcohol will now be outlawed, due to “unreasonable consumption of alcohol and disruptive behaviour” the council motion said, adding that “pub crawls can create the impression of a lack of culture in the community, reduce the feeling of safety and … can have a negative impact on the perception of the municipality by tourists, potential investors and the citizens themselves.”

Seeking a more cultured, wealthier tourist

Deputy Mayor Jiří Pospíšil has gone even further, Agence France Presse reports, in words that signal a change in strategy for the city that is “seeking a more cultured, wealthier tourist … not one who comes for a short time only to get drunk.”

Prague police are now responsible for ensuring the ban is respected. They may have a challenge ahead. At the time of writing, Prague Pub Crawl, which describes itself as the city’s “top-rated nightlife experience” is still advertising its pub crawls during the prohibited time slots.

A populist move?

“You can join any time from 8:00 to 10:00 pm, and you will get free drinks until 10:00 pm. If that is too early for you we have another group starting at 10:00 pm where you will receive unlimited drinks until 11:00 pm,” its website says, adding that: “The Pub Crawl always runs. Every night. No matter what happens.”

The firm has condemned the council decision, as “a populist move to cover up the city management’s inability to address real issues, such as the lack of municipal police officers to enforce night-time peace.”

Other businesses however have questioned the value of the pub crawls and appear to be unconcerned by their demise. Vaclav Starek of the Czech Association of Hotels and Restaurants told AFP, “I don’t think this will hurt our sales. Nobody will be banned from going to a pub but these nightly organised pub crawls … are nothing we would need.”

L’article Prague bans pub crawls and seeks “more cultured, wealthier” tourists est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Having started out in 1923 as Czechoslovak State Airlines, Czech Airlines is effectively the fifth oldest airline in the world. Only Dutch KLM (1919), Colombian Avianca (1919), Australian Qantas(1920) and Soviet/Russian Aeroflot (1923) have been around for longer. During the twentieth century, the airline played an important role in connecting Eastern and Soviet Europe with the West and, by the 1980s it became one of the biggest airlines in Eastern Europe. Its final flight, arriving in Prague from Paris on 26 October, will thus mark the end of an aviation era. 

Over the past few decades, the airline has been struggling. Those struggles began at the very beginning of the millennium after 9/11 but also increased due to the emergence of low-cost airlines and the Covid-19 pandemic. Internal mismanagement, especially when the airline was in the hands of businessman Jaroslav Tvrdík during the mid-2000s, may have played an even bigger role in putting an end to Czech Airlines. According to Miroslav Kůla, former President of Czech Airlines, Tvrdík was infamous for his extravagant spending and his unwise purchases, leaving the company in a peculiar position and eventually going bankrupt.

Currently, only two routes remain of what was once a flourishing business, between Prague Václav Havel Airport and Paris, and Prague Václav Havel Airport and Madrid. Its fleet consists of two Airbus A320-200s, which will be integrated into the Smartwings fleet, another Czech airline which is currently the most important one in the country.

L’article Czech Airlines to operate last flight on 26 October est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Electronic registration and licenses required

A draft proposal has already been partially approved by government and if it now passes successfully through the country’s Chamber of Deputies and Senate, local authorities will gain control over how many short-term rentals are on offer in their respective municipalities. Under the new regime, platforms like Booking.com and Airbnb will not be able to list properties unless they have been registered on an “e-Turista” electronic system, which will give each rental a license number that will have to be displayed on all listing sites.

The idea behind the registration system is to equip local municipalities with more knowledge about how many rentals are functioning and how many tourists each is welcoming. This information is not currently shared with authorities by the rental platforms, who consider it “internal data”.

Increasing scrutiny of tech firms

The Czech move comes as some of the world’s biggest tech firms face increasing scrutiny and challenges to how they work. European Union countries have fined Meta (Facebook) for privacy breaches and charged Elon Musk’s X (Twitter) over his failure to get a grip on malicious content, disinformation and illegal hate speech.

Amid concern over housing stock and rising prices, some territories are phasing out short term rentals or imposing limits on the numbers of short-term rentals able to operate on online platforms and setting rules requiring certain categories of rental to have independent access. While some argue that rental platforms empower ordinary people to make extra income from their assets, others point out that in many cases it is professional landlords with multiple properties who benefit, while long-term renters suffer. 

Public order under threat?

In Czechia, landlords with multiple rentals compose 80% of the market, Prague Morning has reported, and around 8,000 short-term rentals are thought to be operating in the capital alone. These figures mean authorities are becoming increasingly concerned. They say that rental platforms’ lack of transparency allows them no insight into how many overnight visitors are coming to their destinations, making it difficult for them to plan effectively for public order, policing, crowd and venue management. 

The proposed licensing arrangements would mean that the country’s Ministry of Regional Development could improve oversight of the short-term rental market, as well as being able to impose the correct fees and taxes on owners. A pilot version of the system is set to launch in 2025 and be up and running properly by the start of the peak holiday season in July.

L’article Czechia set to change rules for short-term holiday rentals est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Fourth most popular stag destination

The lively clubs and bars around the city’s Wenceslas Square are well known for attracting a particular brand of mostly British tourist, often clad in outrageous or themed costumes as they take part in “stag” or “hen” celebrations prior to a friend’s marriage. So popular are they, in fact, that StagWeb, a UK stag party provider, says Prague is in their top five preferred European destinations for 2024, with Benidorm, Albufeira and Dublin ahead in the ranking.

But the proposal means the thousands of visitors who go to Prague every year to mark the rite of passage may now need to rethink any plans to descend in costumes on the city.

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Hunger strike

Local councillor Bronislava Sitár Baboráková, told Prague Morning the tourists’ outfits “exceed generally acceptable social conventions” and have a detrimental effect on residents of the city, especially the elderly and young children.

The problem is so bad that one city dweller has recently undertaken a 10-day hunger strike to protest the noise pollution in the old town, telling Novinky.cz that the hunger strike was “nothing” compared to the fact his “health is already ruined by chronic noise.” The hunger striker complains that the city has “not done anything at all regarding noise, vibrations and light smog to improve the situation of the remaining residents in the city center. Nothing at all, zero.”

Childish behaviour?

The city has however tried to introduce other measures to curb the problem in the past, with a ban on cars in the old town district at night, as well as tighter regulations for business hours, neither of which stuck.

Not everyone agrees that the latest attempt to tackle unruly visitors will do the trick. StagWeb’s creative director Jon Stainer, questioned the logic of such a ban in The Independent, saying the firm is “not entirely sure how that will stop noise pollution.” Stainer also said it was “a strange measure if it’s a blanket ban”, describing most costumed stag party participants as “very respectful and just having a bit of fun”.

Prague’s councillor for property, transparency and legislation, Adam Zábranský, also doubts the proposal is the right approach, dismissing the visitors’ antics as “childish behaviour”. “I understand the effort made to solve the problem of pub crawls, I also perceive them as very annoying for people living in the centre of Prague. But I don’t think we should solve it by banning the childish behaviour of bachelor party participants who dress up in costumes”, he was reported as saying by Expats CZ.

L’article Prague set to ban bachelor party costumes to reduce “chronic noise” est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The planned changes were confirmed by Prague Airport spokesperson Klára Divíšková. “The plan is to get X-rays with CT scanning technology, which will allow liquids and all electronic devices to be kept inside the luggage,” she said. “Thanks to this technology, it will possible to relax the rule on the declaration and transport of liquids with a volume limit of up to 100 milliliters.”

Divíšková specified that this option will only be available at Terminal 2. Due to space constraints of decentralized screening, it is not possible to implement these devices in the screening process at Terminal 1. The changes may only take place later at a later stage, after the construction modifications are taken care of. The airport has installed toilets and drinking fountains in selected waiting areas.

Thanks to this technology, it will possible to relax the rule 100 ml limit on liquids

Klára Divíšková, Prague Airport spokesperson

The limit of 100 ml in one bottle was introduced in 2006. It slows down the passage through the control and also increases the cost of drinking for people: the price of water behind the control is usually higher than the average retail price.

Technology improvements such as 3D scanners are being implemented at other airports. On Tuesday April 4th, London City Airport announced that it has become the first major airport in the UK to deploy next generation security scanners for all passengers, enabling travelers to pass through security without removing laptops and liquids from their hand luggage.

Passengers flying from the central London airport for the Easter getaway will be the first in London to benefit from the new guidelines. They no longer have to restrict toiletries and liquids to 100ml bottles and can leave laptops, tablets and mobile phones in their bag, as they pass through streamlined security screening. Bottles with a capacity of 2 liters are also now permitted at London City Airport.

We have always prided ourselves on embracing innovation and being early adopters of new technology.

Alison FitzGerald, Chief Operating Officer

The introduction follows successful trials last year and positive feedback from passengers. London City expects travel to continue to rebound this year and is preparing to welcome close to 4 million passengers in 2023.

“The new CT scanners will take our passenger experience to another level, reducing the stress and hassle of 100mL liquids in clear, plastic bags and having to unload your hand luggage. The new process delivers a much more efficient security operation with enhanced security screening,” said Alison FitzGerald, Chief Operating Officer. “We are really confident that this investment will make the experience of traveling through London City even better for the business and leisure passengers using the airport, to quickly and easily get to our many domestic and international destinations.”

As part of the Department for Transport’s next generation security checkpoint, all UK airports must upgrade to the new system by June 2024. The CT technology is already in use in some international hub airports such as Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and LaGuardia Airport in the United States.

The news comes as London City welcomed nearly 300,000 passengers during the month of March, with Amsterdam, Edinburgh and Zurich the busiest destinations from the central London hub.

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