Meanwhile in Czechia... 14/25
11.04.2025
With the barrage it goes on after all
The efforts to build a new barrage on the Elbe near Děčín are gaining momentum: The Czech Waterways Directorate has awarded the contract for an environmental impact assessment for measures to improve the navigability of the Elbe between Ústí and the border. Several variants are being examined, including a combination of several smaller barrages or a variant without barrages in addition to the single barrage. The head of the directorate expects construction to start in 2032.
The plans for a new barrage were actually canceled by the Czech Ministry of the Environment in 2019 due to a lack of necessary benefits. The discussion was last held in public three years ago, when the construction of a single barrage was already favored as the only sensible solution. This time too, the Ministry of Transport is proclaiming this as the most sensible option. The fact that the Minister of the Environment, who caused the plans to be canceled in 2019, is now Hejtman of the Ústí Region adds an interesting note to the matter. However, he is running for the parliamentary elections in the fall and may then give up his current post.
Without further measures on the German side, any solution can only improve the navigability of a few additional kilometers. In view of the increasingly unreliable water level of the Elbe as a result of climate change, massive construction measures and thus environmental interventions would be necessary in Germany. It is difficult to imagine that these would be politically feasible, especially as the volume of ship transport has been falling for years.
Opening of the view of the Prebischtor
Tomorrow, Saturday at 11 a.m., the new viewing platform on the Mill Trail(see map) in Bohemian Switzerland will be opened to the public, according to the National Park Authority. It replaces the existing viewpoint from 2023 and will be complemented by a permanent open-air exhibition with large-format photographs showing the development of the landscape in this part of the national park.
"The view from the new viewing platform over the naturally regenerating forest will undoubtedly become one of the most popular in the coming years. We are taking advantage of the relatively short period of a few years during which the majestic rock faces around the Prebisch Gate can be viewed up close," says Petr Kříž, Director of the Bohemian Switzerland National Park Authority.
The National Park Authority cordially invites visitors to the opening of the platform. To get there, you can use the bus connections and get off at the bus stops Pravčická brána, Mezní Louka or Mezná. Cars can be parked in the parking lots in Mezní Louka. From the bus stops and parking lots it is about a two to three kilometer walk.
Ore Mountains nature reserve unsafe
The Czech government has been working for several years to designate the entire Ore Mountains as a nature reserve on the Czech side. Within the protected area, there are to be four types of zones with different protection status. The term "nature reserve" therefore has a different meaning than in Germany and also includes parts that would be a landscape conservation area or have no protection status here. Designating the entire mountain range as a protected area would have the advantage that a uniform protected area administration could then be established, which could simplify many processes. At present, only individual sub-areas are protected on the basis of different legal bases (e.g. Natura 2000, FFH, natural monuments).
The Ministry of the Environment's original plan to establish the protected area this summer now seems unrealistic. Several dozen municipalities from the Ústí and Karlovy Vary districts have just sent around 240 comments on the plans to the Ministry of the Environment. These would have to be processed and negotiations with the municipalities conducted within a few months. There could be a change of government in the fall, after which the cards may be reshuffled.
Large garden exhibition in Litoměřice
The Zahrada Čech (Garden of Bohemia) exhibition grounds in Litoměřice are hosting their 37th large garden market until Sunday. Gardening is at least as popular in the Czech Republic as it is in Germany, so people will flock there in large numbers (over 20,000 last year). There are several hundred stands to look at and buy from. Based on various personal reports, a visit seems particularly worthwhile if you are looking for high-quality or simply completely different plants. German garden markets are said not to be able to keep up in terms of selection and quality.
There will also be a cultural program. A highlight will be the snail race in Hall G tomorrow Saturday at 2 p.m., in which the athletes will have to cover a distance of 33 centimeters.
Due to the large number of visitors, parking spaces are always in short supply. We therefore recommend taking the Wanderexpress Bohemica (7.45 a.m. from Dresden). It is only a 20-minute walk from the station to the exhibition grounds. The main entrance is on Českolipská Street(see map).
Dolní Žleb ferry needs a new operator
A new operator is being sought for the ferry in Dolní Žleb. The previous operator terminated the contract with the town of Děčín, which is why the ferry has been out of service for several months. The city is now looking for a new operator. If you are interested: You can submit your offer here until 10 a.m. on April 23.
Replacement service to Moldava
Last week we reported on the start of the tourist train lines, and now we regret to inform you that the one to Moldava is running as a replacement bus service this weekend (as it did last weekend). Dubí station, a good boarding point from Dresden, will unfortunately not be served at all. This is due to construction work on the line.
Lowest birth rate - highest population
In 2024, the Czech Republic achieved two completely contradictory records at the same time: on the one hand, 84,311 children were born, the lowest number in the last 200 years, and on the other hand, the population reached its highest level since the end of the war. This is according to figures published yesterday by the Czech Statistical Office.
The birth rate in the Czech Republic has been falling for several years. The current development can be compared to the beginning of the 1990s, the uncertain time for many after the collapse of socialism with the implementation of new values in life, said Prague demography professor Jiřina Kocourková at a conference on Tuesday. Today, the number of people for whom descendants are the condition for a fulfilled life is decreasing.
On the other hand, the total population in the Czech Republic reached 10,909,500 at the end of last year, the highest level since 1945. This shows that the negative natural population trend - i.e. the excess of deaths - has been more than offset by immigration.
Robert Holec runs for parliament
The Party of Mayors and Independents (STAN) has chosen the mayor of Dolní Poustevna, Robert Holec, as its top candidate in the Ústí region for the parliamentary elections in the fall. Current polls put the party at over 10 percent, so he has a good chance of entering the Prague parliament.
Holec has been committed to the border region and cross-border cooperation for years and maintains close contacts with the neighboring town of Sebnitz. This is also how he describes his goals in the elections: "I will work to ensure that the small towns and municipalities in the peripheral areas of our country are not forgotten. My aim is to stop the gap widening between them and the big cities."
Libor Rouček leaves SOCDEM
Former MEP Libor Rouček is resigning from the Czech Social Democratic Party (SOCDEM, formerly ČSSD), as he announced in an open letter to the party leader and her deputy. He criticized that the party had taken the wrong direction under their leadership and accused the two of even negotiating behind the scenes with the right-wing populist ANO party about placing SOCDEM members on ANO election lists. The ANO party leader denied this, but confirmed talks.
The Czech Republic is one of the few European countries in which no social democratic party plays a significant role. The former ČSSD was an important political force until 2017 and often formed the government, most recently from 2014 to 2017 with Bohuslav Sobotka as Prime Minister and ANO as a junior partner. Incidentally, this was the first Czech government since 1993 to last a full parliamentary term. Since then, the ČSSD's star has been in steady decline, and the renaming to SOCDEM did not help. In the following government, it was only a junior partner under ANO leader Andrej Babiš, after which it did not even enter parliament. The current polls for the parliamentary elections in the fall show that it will probably end up well below the 5% threshold again.
Libor Rouček was one of ČSSD's most important European politicians and has been co-chair of the German-Czech Discussion Forum, a platform of the German-Czech Future Fund, for many years.