Meanwhile in Czechia... 26/25
11.07.2025
Edmundsklamm gorge open again from July 19
The municipal council of Hřensko decided yesterday to reopen the Edmundsklamm Gorge from next week. However, this is associated with a number of restrictions.
The Edmundsklamm will be open to the general public from June 19, before which it will be open to the residents of Hřensko on June 15 and 16 and to a closed group on June 17.
For the time being, only 50 people are allowed to enter the gorge per day. This is only possible as part of a guided tour. The boats turn back at the end, so it is not possible to walk on to the Wilde Klamm. Tickets can only be purchased at the tourist information office at the municipal office in Hřensko. The price has not yet been set, but it is speculated to be around CZK 400. In the event of bad weather, access will be suspended, which will be decided on a day-to-day basis. Visitors with baby carriages, dogs, small children or people with reduced mobility are not allowed to visit for the time being.
Lignite mining in Bílina will end by 2033 at the latest
The last Czech lignite mine in Bílina will cease operations on December 31, 2033 at the latest. This was announced yesterday by the Czech Mining Authority. The operating company Severočeské doly, which belongs to the semi-state-owned energy group ČEZ, had agreed on this date with the Czech government in May and applied for the operating license itself. However, ČEZ also has plans to become climate-neutral by 2030. It is therefore uncertain whether the operation of the Bílina mine will continue at all until 2033.
Ten years ago, the limits for possible lignite mining were extended beyond the limits set in the 1990s, which was highly controversial at the time. ČEZ has not yet claimed this extension and is unlikely to do so again. Two years ago, the company applied for an operating license until 2035, having even indicated a long-term mining perspective until 2050 five years earlier. However, the Czech government was already pursuing a plan to phase out coal by 2033 at the time and appears to have achieved this goal through negotiations.
Government approves state treaty on the Ore Mountains tunnel
The Czech government has approved the draft contract for the construction of the railroad tunnel through the Ore Mountains as part of the Dresden-Prague high-speed rail line. The tunnel will be just over 30 km long, of which almost 12 km will be in the Czech Republic. The construction costs are currently estimated at around 1.8 billion euros. According to the contract, the Czech Republic will bear around 39 percent of these costs. Passenger trains will be able to travel at 200 km/h in the tunnel, thus helping to reduce the travel time from Dresden to Prague to one hour.
DB InfraGO AG and DB Energie GmbH will be responsible for operation on the German side, while the Czech state railroad administration Správa železnic will be responsible for operation on the Czech side. The contract still has to be ratified by the parliaments in Prague and Berlin.
EU sees progress in the rule of law
In its annual report on the state of the rule of law in the EU member states, the European Commission on Tuesday acknowledged that the Czech Republic has made progress in areas such as shortening the duration of proceedings and the remuneration of judges and public prosecutors. Deficits were still noted in investigations into corruption at the highest level and in the transparency of media ownership.
According to the Commission, the Czech judicial system works efficiently, but there are still gaps. It therefore recommends that further measures be taken to shorten the duration of proceedings and ensure the independence of investigations and prosecutions in high-level corruption cases, as well as to resume the review of legislation on conflicts of interest.
According to the European Commission, transparency of media ownership remains a problem area where no positive developments can be reported. "Police are stepping up efforts to tackle attacks on journalists, but harassment of journalists online remains a problem," the report states.
Moose in Zlín
A young moose has applied for the role of the animal that will fill this year's summer slump in the Czech Republic. It has already been spotted several times in the area around Zlín in the past two weeks, feasting on greenery in gardens, swimming in lakes, running around on roads and showing little fear of people or cars. There are therefore also several videos of him, e.g. here or here. Occasionally the police accompany him and try to lure him away from traffic routes.
It is thought to have migrated from Poland. There are said to be around 20 moose in the Czech Republic, 15 of them in Šumava. It is speculated that the moose is on its way there from Poland.