Bohemian Carneval

Hello,

The Bohemian Carneval will take place during our stay in Prague, but the program is not fully detailed in english on the website (only main points):

carnevale.cz/carnevale_2009_en/…news_en.html

can you please tell me where and when we should go to see people in costumes and masks walking in the streets ?

Is it free access ?

and at last, does it worht it or is it a kind of commercial event?

Thank you

VanOu

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This %26#39;Bohemian Carneval%26#39; is a new commercial event and I don%26#39;t believe there will be anything in the streets as you might have in Venice, for example. The tradition has been largely lost in the cities, unfortunately.

As I said in another response, you will need to go deep into the countryside to see the real thing - Lent (Masopust), this year at the end of February, usually has some village festivals, some of which are more elaborate than others, but the further east you go, the more authentic they are myczechrepublic.com/czech_culture/czech_holi…

In somje villages in Moravia and %26#39;Slovácko%26#39; (the part of Moravia bordering Slovakia) there are some amazing displays which are like going back to medieval times, but they are largely unnoticed by tourists as you have to know where they are happening.

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GCEK, do you have any recommendations re these smaller towns or where I could get some additional information? I went to your link and did some searches on Seznam but could not find too much..

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Thank you GCEK, we will keep on visiting Prague or go to a concert or even enjoy a czech beer in a pub, instead of looking desperatly for the carneval in the streets !

VanOu

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As I said, many of these celebrations are kept almost secret and to get to Southern Moravia is not a day trip from Prague. Here%26#39;s some more information: http://www.czechheritage.net/nameday.html

I may be wrong, but the Prague %26#39;carnival%26#39; might be a big event, although it is not something that has been around for long as it has been %26#39;resurrected%26#39; - I much prefer the traditional ones.

I found this link, which is quite old www.czecot.com/en/results/tiskova_zprava.php… , but the celebrations will still take place, this year on 25th February (always 40 days before Easter) - the very %26#39;best%26#39; (i.e. most authentic) ones will be in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, Kyjov and Strání all of which would need an overnight stay as they are a long way from Prague. It is well worth it, though.

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Maybe you would be interested in seeing an exhibition %26quot;Dances and Festivities of the 16th - 18th Centuries%26quot;. This exhibition holds National Gallery, it lasts till 3.5.2009 and it is at Waldstein Riding School (= Valdštejnská jízdárna - at metro station Malostranská), open daily except Mondays from 10 a.m to 6 p.m. ngprague.cz/en/10/0/1881/sekce/exhibitions/ .

There is also a permanent exhibition of folk culture at Musaion - National Museum Ethnographical Exhibition, Kinsky Folly (Musaion - Národopisná expozice NM, Letohrádek Kinských) http://www.nm.cz/expozice-detail.php?f_id=78 and there is also a temporary exhibition till 1.3.2009 called %26quot;Flax, hemp, nettle%26quot; http://www.nm.cz/vystava-detail.php?f_id=210 till April open daily except Mondays from 9 a.m to 5 p.m.

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I find for example those dates 21.2, 24.2.maybe another events exist too

carnevale.cz/carnevale_2009_en/news_en/Entri…

and it is free access

carnevale.cz/carnevale_2009_events/events/En…

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I thing prague (bomemian) carnevale is less comerical then other ones e.g. in Venice, Koln, Vilach, Rio e.t.c as in another capital places everywhere. By the way, all of known carnivals were discounted cca 150 years ago. Most of them started again in the second half of 20.century. Don%26#39;t remember the most commercial carnevale, venice carnevale, started very slowly 30 years ago, like artificial city touristic event evocated great history...

... But it isn%26#39;t bad to see it

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We will be there during the last weekend of Bohemian Carnival as well. The Crystal Ball party looks interesting, but very costly and you have to rent a costume.

Has anyone researched this?

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The only authentic type of Bohemian Carnival known as Masopust will be in Prague 3 district Žižkov.

The main parade starts at 4 p.m. on Tuesday 24th of February from Namesti Jiriho z Podebrad (It is also the name of subway stop of A - green line).

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GCEK, thanks for all beneficial links and advice. I am a big fan of folklore (not only the czech:) and welcome any info. Add to that I have always enjoyed folkolre days and traditional festivals in Prague (see my flickr page - www.flickr.com/jirikoo or youtube), which take place in the spring and summer and which are quite authentic and sometimes coupled processions and carnival festivities.

...just looking at the website and remembered i had some ladies telling me about this carnival being under the Charles Bridge on Friday. They said it wasn%26#39;t too bad.

BTW, It%26#39;s got cold in Prague so its not the best time for this kind of activity. But, each to their own.