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Just two decades ago grandparents played a key role in a child’s upbringing. Cohabitation of three generations was the norm and even if that were not the case the role of babysitter or nanny was practically non-existent because grandparents automatically took over whenever the need arose. Since the fall of communism opened up new opportunities, things have changed. Young families now live alone and their elderly parents often either work or live too far away to help out. While this gives both sides greater freedom and independence to live as they

The European Commission on Wednesday unveiled a proposed framework for climate and energy policies up until 2030, targeting a 40% carbon cut and a 27% share of renewables. Czech environmentalists say the goals outlined fall short of expectations and are bad news for the Czech Republic. I discussed the proposed action plan with Vojtěch Kotecký of the environment group Duha.

Diving into the freezing cold waters of the Vltava River is not most people’s idea of fun. But for members of the Association of Czech Hardy Men and Women and other Polar Bear clubs around the country it is a way of life. Cold showers, winter swimming outdoors and other Spartan ways of adapting to the cold are still practiced by hundreds of Czechs who swear it makes them happier, healthier and generally more resilient.

Prague’s Proton Therapy Center, which opened a year ago, has had more than its fair share of teething problems. Due to a drawn-out conflict with the country’s largest health insurer VZP one of the most modern cancer treatment facilities on the Continent has had problems letting Czech patients know it is here and offers the most advanced tumor treatment available –highly effective, safer and with fewer side effects. However with only a handful of these therapy centers around the world foreign patients have started knocking on its door.

This year is shaping up to be the second record year in a row for art auction houses in the Czech Republic. Although no single painting surpassed the top selling price from last year, the volume of artworks sold seems to have grown. According to Jan Skřivánek, the editor in chief of the specialized magazine Art and Antiques, says buyers in this country are becoming increasingly knowledgeable about the offering at local auction houses.

“Gothic and baroque architecture, winding cobbled streets, horse-drawn carriages– a city steeped in history and romance” - the Czech capital is not hard to sell as an attractive tourist destination. Now Czech Tourism is going further – it is presenting Prague and its surroundings as an ideal wedding destination.

As Czechs prepare to mark the second anniversary of the death of ex-president Václav Havel, an exhibition has opened at the Czech Academy of Sciences reflecting an age-old dilemma – how best to portray the nation’s heroes.

A campaign by Saatchi & Saatchi Berlin, dubbed Days of Hope recruits homeless people to present the weather on European television stations across Europe. The campaign, aimed to raise awareness of the growing number of homeless on the Old Continent, has proved successful in many European states. This winter the Czech Republic joined in, giving Czech TV viewers a close up look at life out on the streets in freezing cold temperatures. One of the organizations involved in the effort is the Czech Salvation Army. I asked Pavla Vopeláková of its Czech

The Czech Republic has just experienced its first controversy over Muslim headwear. Two young women studying to become nurses at a Prague school left the institution after the headmistress refused to allow them to wear headscarves in class.

Look at some of the small town exhibitions currently underway and you can’t miss the trend – they all show vintage objects very often made up of stuff people find in their attics. The “out with the old and in with the new” fervor with which people cleaned out their attics just a few decades ago is long gone and families now treasure old family coffee grinders, foreign label-covered suitcases that belonged to seasoned family travelers or wooden weaving looms used by great grandmothers.