Czech Republic Travel Guide
7/02/2008 at 4:00 PM
Tags: Culture Travel, Summer Travel, Film Festivals, Oscars Travel (all tags)
The Czech Republic is a popular shooting location for directors looking to cut costs, as a back-drop to modern-day thrillers like "Wanted" and "Casino Royale," fantasy worlds like in "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" or the past ("Amadeus," Roman Polanski's "Oliver Twist"). This weekend, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (running through July 12) celebrates the fruits of some of those labors, but also the exploding film markets of Central and Eastern Europe.
In addition to the fest's official selection, it presents a special "East of the West" award to a pool of films made in and by crews from Germany, Hungary, Austria and the Baltic states. German actor-director Armin Mueller-Stahl (you know him as the Russian Mafia godfather in "Eastern Promises") exhibits not a film, but a set of his paintings at the festival.
Just in time for "Swingtown," Ukrainian-American director Paul Mazursky is dusting off his bed-swapping classic "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice," and Czech-born Oscar winner Markéta Irglová will play a concert July 10 with her "Once" co-star, bandmate and beau Glen Hansard.
Don't forget: It's pronounced CAR-la-vee VAR-ee.
Related Stories:
· 43rd Annual Karlovy Vary International Film Festival [Official Site]
· Movie Set Travel: Casino Royale [Jaunted]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo of the Grandhotel Pupp, a Karlovy Vary landmark used in "Casino Royale": tofufah]
by egw
6/27/2008 at 9:35 AM
Tags: Movie Set Travel, Angelina Jolie (all tags)
Summer's big action-adventure flicks are finally surfacing and "Wanted" won't disappoint. Angelina's back as a gun-toting, ass-kicking secret society trainer for a young man who finds out his father was an assassin. (You can barely tell she'll soon be a mother of 5!)
Wes Gibson (James McAvoy) is a boring office drone popping anti-anxiety meds when he meets Fox (Jolie) and finds out his father was a member of a secret society of assassins called "Fraternity." Fox takes him under her wing and trains him to bring out his own special powers and avenge his father's death. It's a comic book come to life, in which all the characters are stunning.
"Wanted" was shot in stunning Prague, so this Friday we offer you some cool things to check out in the Czech capital.
MORE...
by sedona
6/06/2008 at 10:00 AM
Tags: Dubai Travel, LCCs, Low Cost Carriers, Europe Travel, Smartwings (all tags)
For a cleverly named European LCC, Smartwings doesn't get a lot of air time. That's because it's not as smart as it sounds ... or is it?
Smartwings is based largely out of Prague and if you want to fly from the Czech capital to anywhere in southern Europe (read: anywhere warmer and sunnier), you've got lots of choices. They also have a few routes out of two other Czech cities, Brno and Ostrava.
The most curious route is a new addition. Smartwings added flights from Prague and Budapest to Dubai last month. This is definitely one of the first low-cost long-haul flights to come out of central and eastern Europe, and it opens up interesting possibilities for flying from Europe to Australasia for a lot less. So maybe Smartwings really is smart.
Related Stories:
· Smartwings [Official Site]
· New Budapest to Dubai Route Opened [CarRentals]
· Site Scramble: Smartwings [Jaunted]
[Photo: mr_nhw]
by amandak
5/22/2008 at 9:15 AM
Tags: Europe Travel, Festivals, Prague Travel, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Summer Travel (all tags)
The grand cities of Eastern Europe are holding festivals left, right and center: We talked about the Budapest Fringe Festival in the spring and now it's time for the Prague Fringe Festival, which runs from May 25 to June 1.
It started back in 2001 and is closely modeled on the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. There are all kinds of performances to be seen at the Prague Fringe, from shadow puppets from Cyprus to Czech theater and pretty much anything else you can imagine.
Tickets are cheerily cheap for all the performances--on the opening Sunday they're just 100 crowns (just over $6). That's cheap enough that if a particular edge of the fringe doesn't suit you, you haven't lost much. You can always abandon the show for a good Czech beer instead.
Related Stories:
· A Guide to Prague's Fringe Festival [Guardian]
· Prague Fringe Festival [Official Site]
· Spring into Budapest in 2008 [Jaunted]
[Photo: christopher.woo]
by amandak
4/21/2008 at 9:15 AM
Tags: Clubs, Night Clubs, Public Transportation, Trams (all tags)
If you're the nightclubber type when traveling, yet loathe showing up at hot spots in foreign cities stone cold sober and haggling over cab fare, head to Prague. They've got the perfect solution: Tramix, a tram-based club. Yep, it's a standard streetcar with a full-on party happening on board, including room to dance and mobile bars.
Tramix travels around the city about once a month, picking up locals and visitors alike and transporting them to area clubs revved up and ready to party. They claim that "euphoric entertainment has no limits on board" and guest count can range from 60-150, depending on the car Tramix takes over next.
The trip's generally around two-and-a-half hours and costs about $18. Partiers can buy tickets in advance on Tramix's site. Definitely beats paying a cab driver for just an ordinary ride.
Related Stories:
· Tramix [Official Site]
· Prague: A Moveable Feast [NYT]
· Prague coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Poslouchej]
by sedona
2/19/2008 at 9:45 AM
Tags: Crime, Bridges, Czech Republic, Big Things (all tags)
We always say to beware of thieves when traveling, but we're usually expecting them to steal a wallet or passport. But the recent crime wave in Europe that we've been following seems to be all about stealing really, really big things.
First, there was the case of the stolen beach in Hungary. Next, a stolen bridge in Russia.
This month, a bridge was the target again, this time in the town of Cheb in the west of the Czech Republic, very close to the border with Germany. A railway bridge weighing four tons, thankfully on a currently unused piece of track, was mysteriously taken away.
Police believe the thieves would have sold it for scrap. We think souvenirs might be in order too, a bit like chunks of the Berlin Wall. So watch out for men in a Prague square offering you genuine Soviet-era railway remnants.
Related Stories:
· What's the Biggest Thing You've Stolen? [IOL]
· HOWTO: Steal A Bridge (Russian Style) [Jaunted]
· HOWTO: Steal A Beach (Hungarian Style) [Jaunted]
[Photo: DaniVDM]
by amandak
7/31/2007 at 10:25 AM
Tags: Prague Travel, Beer, Pubs (all tags)
While we don't exactly condone the British habit of picking a European city, flying in for a weekend to sample alcohol and women, and flying home leaving a trail of destruction ... well, it happens, and if you're going to enjoy a few beers in Prague, why not do it properly. Take, for example, the Prague Underground tour company which sets up pub crawls for groups wanting to try more than just that horrifying green absinthe the Czech Republic is known for.
Prague Underground offers the Zizkov Pub Crawl: Zizkov is a neighborhood of inner city Prague that claims to have more pubs per square mile than anywhere else in the world. If you're after a more scenic route, the River Pub Crawl has slightly less hardcore nightlife, but your guide still won't leave you until 2am at the earliest. Drink up!
Related Stories:
· It's Not Easy Being Green [Jaunted]
· Prague Hotel Reviews [HotelChatter]
[Photo: johnystadlerka]
by amandak
5/03/2007 at 9:05 AM
Tags: Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Celeb Travel, Super World Travelers (all tags)
Where is the world's most glamorous family touching down now? In the Czech Republic. Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and their brood landed in Prague this week, and will be in town for the next month while Angie shoots the thriller
Wanted, with Morgan Freeman.
How did they get there? Via private jet of course. Where are they staying? Well, we don't know for certain, although the Aria Hotel, a five-star luxury boutique in town might do the trick. Once a printing factory, its interiors were done by Rocco Magnoli, the architect for the world's Versace stores. It's also music-themed with a private screening room (perfect for watching the dailies!) and an in-house music library. Hm, might be the perfect place for Brad to babysit.
[Photo: Fame/TMZ]
Related Stories:
· Brangelina: Czech Please! [TMZ]
by sedona
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