Czech news in brief for April 12: Saturday's top headlines

Hundreds visited Prague Castle on Saturday for a rare look inside its ceremonial halls during a spring open day. Lines formed before 7 a.m. to enter areas normally closed to the public, including the Spanish Hall and Throne Room. Other castle sites, including St. Vitus Cathedral and Golden Lane, were also free to visit. Thousands are expected to attend before doors close at 5:30 p.m.

About 200 people gathered in Český Krumlov Saturday to mark the start of the Vltava paddling season at the 14th annual Odemykání Vltavy event. Canoeists symbolically “unlocked” the river before setting off for Zlatá Koruna. Organizers chose a calm route with minimal weirs for safety in cool spring weather. The Vltava remains one of the most popular rivers for paddling in Czechia.

A new viewing platform has opened along Mlýnská cesta in Bohemian Switzerland National Park, offering views of the landscape damaged by the massive 2022 wildfire. The platform replaces a previous viewpoint and includes a permanent outdoor photo exhibition showing the area’s recovery. It’s accessible to cyclists and families with strollers. The 2022 fire caused major destruction in the area.

The Czech Republic is ready to supply more large-caliber ammunition to Ukraine, Defense Minister Jana Černochová said after a Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting in Brussels. She noted 400,000 rounds have already been delivered since January. The group pledged €21 billion (CZK 525 billion) in additional aid. Amid doubts over U.S. support, the meeting was co-chaired by Britain and Germany, marking a shift in leadership for the coalition.

The Czech Foreign Ministry has not been allowed to contact a Czech woman imprisoned in Tunisia for the past year, despite repeated requests, officials told CNN Prima News. The 50-year-old from Ostrava was sentenced to 30 years for murdering her husband while on holiday in 2023. Czech diplomacy seeks her transfer home, but Tunisia has no agreement in place for prisoner repatriation.

Slovak President Peter Pellegrini met former Czech President Miloš Zeman in Bratislava on Friday, both confirmed on social media. Their meeting comes amid strained Czech-Slovak relations over foreign policy differences, including Slovakia's recent outreach to Russia. Zeman said Prime Minister Robert Fico missed a planned TV interview due to health issues linked to last year’s assassination attempt, though Fico spoke at a press conference later that day.

Czech police are investigating human remains found in Poland to determine if they belong to one of two men missing since floods swept their vehicle away in Lipová-lázně on Sept. 14, 2024, police said Tuesday. A female passenger was found dead in Poland last October. Despite intensive searches, the men have not been found. The car was recovered empty two days after the incident.

Brno will host the 2027 Climbing World Championships, the Czech Mountaineering Association announced Thursday after winning the IFSC vote. The event, set for Aug. 13–27 at the under-construction Arena Brno, will serve as a qualifier for the 2028 Olympics. Czechia beat out China for the bid, supported by Prague’s annual World Cup and champion climber Adam Ondra, a Brno native, who backed the candidacy.

Police in Pilsen have charged a 38-year-old man with rape from 2013 after DNA from a recent property crime matched evidence from the scene, officials said Thursday. The victim, 19 at the time, was assaulted while walking home after riding a tram. A security guard intervened, prompting the attacker to flee. Investigators were previously unable to identify the suspect, and the case was shelved.

A swift CDU/CSU–SPD coalition agreement in Germany is good news for Czechia and Europe, Czech National Security Adviser Tomáš Pojar said. He expects smoother cooperation under Chancellor-designate Friedrich Merz, especially on defense, migration, and economic issues. Pojar welcomed the coalition’s support for Czech-German transport links and said Czech firms could benefit from German investments.