Luxury Real Estate articles
Fountain of Youth Prague
What does it mean for you to return to the Prague National Theatre
stage as a principal in Swan Lake?
A lot of happines, but at same time a great deal of responsibility.
I’m very happy that I was invited to perform at the National Theatre.
I’ve known the house since I was a child. I held my graduation performance there and also danced two gala performances on its stage. With my return, I hope not to disappoint the audience and myself.
Twenty years ago, the country then known as Czechoslovakia began the process of fundamental change. While talking about upheaval and changes, one must not forget that throughout the last century, the nations living in this region had already experienced no less than four comparable shifts.
Revolutions represent an opportunity for a re-evaluation of social, cultural and moral priorities. That is the biggest opportunity that comes along with a major social turning-point. The United States did not have such situations in the last century, with the possible exception of the Vietnam era and fall of Richard Nixon; large European nations encountered such a chance on a lesser number of occasions. Seismic shifts such as those from 1989 often produce seismic results, both positive and negative. Read more >>
Love will loom large on stage this coming January when the National Theatre presents dance aficionados with two classic tales of l‘amour: enduring ballet favorites, Carmen and Swan Lake. Read more >>
There is something good about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.
— Winston Churchill
If the idea of tottering across a field, Moet in hand, tamping down clumps of sod with your Manolos seems strange to you, then you probably aren’t familiar with the sport of polo. Known as the sport of kings–Britain’s Prince Charles and his sons are Read more >>
The Grammy winning chanteuse debuts “Quiet Nights” at Prague Congress Centre, November 26
Some music is intended to paint a romantic scene — a candlelit dinner, a walk along a moonlit beach. Quiet Nights — Diana Krall’s twelfth album — ain’t about that. Using Brazil as a musical point of reference, the award-winning pianist and singer is not suggesting a night out; she means to stay in.
“It’s not coy. It’s not ‘peel me a grape,’ little girl stuff. I feel this album’s very womanly — like you’re lying next to your lover in bed whispering this in their ear.”
The warmth and tan was easy, since it has been supplied by our choice of postings (never too far away from the equator). All this has been contrary to my upbringing by parents who, despite their own careers, warned against a life of foreign service. I was born in war-time London where they worked for the Norwegian government in exile. We moved a lot — to Belgium and Spain where I developed a penchant for Tintin and Real Madrid. I completed my law studies at Oslo University in 1969 and started out as a banker and a judge. My very first diplomatic post was Hong Kong in 1975, which I liked very much, especially the off time. Read more >>
The story of Benešov’s modest brewery,
Pivovar Ferdinand
Most people associate the Benešov area (50 km south of Prague) with beautiful Konopiště Chateau, the forested retreat that attracts the better part of the tourist majority who visit the region. But the town’s lesser-known sites are worth a look as well, in particular the enchanting Ferdinand brewery, right in the heart of the city of Benešov. Read more >>
In this issue of Lifestyles Magazine®, our regional focus is on
Further north, you will learn about the best ski-areas from former competitive skier Jaroslav Zeman. In the process, you will discover Read more >>
The area west of Prague is often considered the true heart of Bohemia—a label that makes sense given it sheer volume of ancient settlements, historical centers characterized at once by fine churches and imposing burgher homes, and the well-preserved remains of castles, chateaux, and fortresses. Read more >>
A Choice Voice: Interview with Taťjána Medvecká, the great stage actress enlivened a recent literary reading, proving her status as national treasure is very much intact.
A young Taťjana Medvecká aspired to dance ballet but hung up her Pointe shoes for Shakespeare after a candid instructor suggested that her physical stature wasn’t up to the task. This simple twist of fate led to a storied theatrical career beginning in 1975 with studies at Prague’s Theatrical Academy of Performing Arts (DAMU) — upon graduation she joined the Národní Divadlo (National Theatre) repertory where she has since featured in 80 plays — and culminating in professional accolades and the admiration of her peers and the public, who regard her as one of the leading actresses of Czech stage and screen.
Despite Medvecká’s numerous film and television appearances —
she recently logged a part in the 2008 tale of royal bloodletting, Bathory — live theater is her true métier. Her diverse roles have graced Prague’s other prestigious stages as well, among them the Rokoko Theater, Kolowrat Theater, and Divadlo na Zábradlí, earning the actress much acclaim. In 2000 and 2002 Medvecká received the Thálie Award, bestowed annually for best dramatic performance, for her portrayal of Elizabeth in Schiller’s Mary Stuart (2000) and Antonie Nikolajevna in Nilin’s Married for the First Time (2002). She has also collected countless awards for her voice-over and broadcast radio work.
Land of the midnight sun, where reindeer roam miles of virginal forests and Vikings once plied their long-ships down the fjords between looming snow-capped mountain peaks… While the stunning scenery remains unchanged, modern Norway is a diverse and striking blend of the historic, the cultural, the cosmopolitan, and of course, the great outdoors.
If your visions of Norway do not include a modern glass-and-marble opera house, international arts festivals, nor a host of UNESCO-PRotected World Heritage Sites, prepare to be surprised, for that’s exactly what this Scandinavian hotspot has to offer. Read more >>
Mountainous, forested and dotted with royal residences, the Liberec region leaves little to be desired for adventurous weekenders.
Those who are after an escape from the stresses of city living can’t go wrong in the Liberec region, where relaxation takes on a variety of enticing forms. Picturesque nature, medieval castles and fairy-tale chateaus, adrenalin adventures, spa sessions, culinary delights and other premium services make this area the perfect spot in which to spend one’s hard-earned free time. Read more >>
Everyone gets it: Our highway-loving, gas-guzzling way of life is strangling the planet. We have to wean ourselves off fossil fuels, cut greenhouse gas emission levels and reduce our carbon footprints. However, do sustainable living habits mean we have to completely give up machines that have speed and style? Read more >>
It is a common complaint by many that we never get to explore the treasures in our own backyard. Recently, I had the opportunity to see a few examples of what many of us have been missing, and my guide was the lady responsible for bringing them back to life. Eva Krepčíková, art historian, architect and mystical interpreter of centuries past, shares two of her hidden gems in the Josefov quarter. You will be enjoying her journeys across Prague, and the Czech Lands, in issues to come, since Eva has become a regular contributor to our publications. Read more >>
