The Naked Tour Guide

Look down into the waters of the River Vltava today and there is a surprising sight – not just a clear view of the sandy bed, but you might even catch a glimpse of the giant freshwater whales which have reportedly returned to their old feeding grounds in the lower reaches of the Bohemian waterway.

The Czech government declared a State of Emergency on March 13 and closed the borders to all foreign visitors. This has resulted in the complete collapse of the local tourism industry, but it has allowed nature to reclaim some of Prague's historic city centre.

“The water is blue and clear,” said Jara Cimrman, who owns the celebrated Grand Hotel Prague, just a few steps from the Old Town Square and has a splendid view over the Charles Bridge. "I never thought I'd see whales back in these waters in my lifetime. I'm really delighted to have them back."

Unsurprisingly, a Prague district has just featured on a list of the "10 coolest neighbourhoods in Europe". It's not the touristy Old Town though, but rather the Holešovice district (although the Žižkov, Vinohrady or Vršovice districts are also strong contenders).

Make sure that you take some time to get out of the medieval centre during your next trip to Prague.

10 of the coolest neighbourhoods in Europe There are must-sees, of course, but to really get under the skin of Europe’s great cities go for our pick of less-touristy districts

Radio Prague International has just compiled a list of great books by Czech authors, that have been translated into other languages and that are widely available at bookshops around the world. First up, of course, is the Good Soldier Švejk, by Jaroslav Hašek, which holds the title of the most translated piece of Czech literature in the world today.

The Czech Books You Must Read | Radio Prague International Kafka, Čapek, Kundera and Havel, these are all world renowned names, but what about all the others? How well are Czech authors actually known abroad? Can you find a bookshop in Berlin, Madrid, Moscow, Paris or New York that aside from classics such as The Good Soldier Švejk also sell the works of ...