Weekly review no. 26
28.03.2024
The Czech Republic celebrates Easter with a giant Easter egg
Easter isn’t just around the corner—in Jablonné v Podještědí, Czech Republic, there’s a huge Easter egg right in the middle of the main square. Located just six kilometers from the border with Saxony, it has become a tourist attraction in recent days. Photos with the egg are being eagerly shared on social media. “The egg was crafted by enthusiastic artisans in the Heřmanice district over the course of 80 hours of after-work time,” says Mayor Jiří Rýdl. It stands about three meters tall and is likely the largest egg in the area. It consists of a steel wire mesh through which willow branches and colored fabric panels have been woven. “We had already set it up last year, but only as a plain wire mesh. So this decorated Easter egg is a first,” the mayor continued. It can still be admired at least until Easter Monday. “We definitely won’t take it down on Tuesday, but will leave it there for a few days after Easter,” says Rýdl, given the great interest.
The Easter egg also represents a tradition that is still alive today in the Czech Republic. It is considered a symbol of fertility. Colorfully decorated in many different ways, it was traditionally presented on Easter Monday by women to men as they went from house to house.
Railway lines are coming back to life
Tourist railway lines in the neighboring country kick off the new season on Good Friday. This also applies to train routes that are closed during the rest of the year. This includes, for example, the well-known Goat Railway from Děčín to Telnice, the Opárno Express from Litoměřice to Chotiměř in the Central Bohemian Mountains, and the route from Ústí-Střekov to Zubrnice, which is also known as a museum village. The trains run on weekends and public holidays, and the Elbe-Labe ticket is valid. Historic trains are used on most routes. The Elbe-Labe ticket is also valid on the tourist boat lines T91 through T93 on the Elbe from Ústí to Litoměřice or Hřensko. Schedules and other routes for the lines marked with a “T” can be found on the Ústí district website. Although the site is only in Czech, you can navigate on the left using “Železniční linky” (rail lines) and “Lodní linky a přívozy ” (boat lines and ferries).
Easter Riding in Mikulášovice
On Easter Sunday, the Easter riders are also out and about among our Czech neighbors. The custom, which has been revived in Mikulášovice for several years, is originally a tradition of the German minority that still lives there. The procession with the horses begins immediately after Holy Mass, which starts at 10 a.m. in the Church of St. Nicholas.
NGOs Criticize Housing Situation in Prague
Several Czech non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have published the results of a study that ranks the housing situation in Prague as the worst in Europe. Nowhere else is housing as unaffordable as in the Czech capital, the study states. The NGOs are calling for municipal housing construction—which currently does not exist in Prague—as well as rent regulation.
The results of the study, which follows a similar study conducted in 2018, align with the assessment by economist Martin Červinka in the daily newspaper Hospodářské noviny. He points to rising purchase prices for private housing and the limited supply, which is further driving up prices. Housing construction had also come to a standstill in the Czech Republic due to skyrocketing construction costs. In addition, the Czech National Bank had raised key interest rates significantly more than the European Central Bank, which increased costs for homebuyers and also dampened the supply of new housing. The central bank has now made its first interest rate cut. However, housing construction has not yet resumed. Rents also remain high.
Červinka cites data from the statistics office showing that Prague’s population has grown by 100,000 residents over the past two years. Cell phone data suggests the number of residents is even higher than the official figure of 1.38 million. The main reason behind this is the influx of Ukrainian refugees in recent years. At the same time, Červinka also viewed the situation positively. It is remarkable how the housing market has accommodated the influx of so many people in such a short time.
The production of this newsletter is co-financed by tax revenue based on the budget approved by the Saxon state parliament.