A number of new events have been prepared for 2022. We have selected the best events you can look forward to. Whether it is the grand opening of the longest suspension bridge in the world, or the completion of the renovation of a unique UNESCO monument. It's high time to start planning your trip!
1. Rafting. Will it be entered into the UNESCO list?
In 2021, rafting, an ancient and now almost diminished craft that involves the construction of rafts and their navigation on rivers, was nominated for the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The nomination was submitted by several countries together. The first mention of rafting on the Vltava, which is the longest Czech river springing in Šumava, dates back to the 11th century. The rafts were actually a means of transport and at the same time a cargo in itself. Their original purpose in the Czech Republic is the transport of firewood and wood used for construction from wooded areas to cities. Gradually, rafting diminished with the rise of the railways, with rafting on the Vltava River finally coming to an end in the middle of the 20th century. However, the tradition associated with the craft and especially with the production of watercrafts carries on. Fan associations in Prague and smaller cities along the Vltava River, which continue the traditions of raftsmen, have a share in this. We will know if rafting will be included in the UNESCO List by the end of 2022. Still, you can go, for example, to the Podskalská customs house in Prague, a place where rafts were collected from raftsmen. In the museum, you can experience just how difficult it was to cross the rapids using rafts.
2. The longest suspension bridge in Dolní Morava
The centre of winter and summer activities in Dolní Morava on the border of Eastern Bohemia and Moravia is expanding its offer of attractions. In addition to the popular Sky Walk or roller coaster, a unique suspension bridge over the Mlýnické Údolí Valley is being built in the resort. The opening of the bridge is planned for spring 2022. This bridge will be the longest of its kind in the world and will connect two mountain ridges! The footbridge is intended for pedestrians only and will measure about 730 metres. Your courage and fear of heights will both be put to the test at a height of 95 metres above ground.
3. Finishing of restoration works on a UNESCO monument
The pilgrimage Church of St. Jan Nepomucký on Zelená Hora in Žďár nad Sázavou is inscribed on the UNESCO list of monuments. It was built in the Vysočina Region at the beginning of the 18th century and is undoubtedly the most distinctive work of the Baroque architect Santini. Since 2018, the monument has been undergoing renovations and the restorers have focused on both the restoration of the exterior and interior. The facade, roof, windows, furniture, and baroque stucco interior decoration were repaired. The entire interior has returned to the original colour scheme and materials that Santini used 300 years ago. The church is already open, but the last modifications are still being completed. In 2022, the entire renovation should be completed.
4. Virtual tours of the Temelín nuclear power plant
The Temelín nuclear power plant can be found near the village of the same name in south of Bohemia. And even though nuclear power plants tend to be the most guarded of places, you can comfortably head to the nuclear reactor itself. But how is this possible? All you have to do is put on special glasses, headphones, seat yourself comfortably and the virtual tour of the nuclear power plant can begin! Thanks to the technology, visitors get to visit places that even the employees themselves do not normally get to see. The seventeen-minute virtual tour is intended for up to 40 visitors, and you can take a trip to places that only a handful of technicians and engineers can see from the power plant's visitor centre in the Vysoký Hrádek Chateau nearby to the power plant.
5. Ferrata in the city centre? Why not!
Do you want to go on a ferrata without leaving the comfort of the city? The newly-opened Havranka ferrata is located on the Havraní Skála rock formation on the right bank of the Vltava, just a few minutes' walk from the centre of Český Krumlov in southern Bohemia. Currently, the first route of the ferrata with marked difficulty C is open. Climbing the ferrata is at your own risk and only for experienced ferratists equipped with proper ferrata equipment and a climbing helmet. The uniqueness of this ferrata is that it offers the longest double suspended air-bridge in the Czech Republic, almost 30 metres long. Upon reaching the top, a beautiful view of the city centre inscribed on the UNESCO list opens up, as well as a view of the local castle.6. Renovation of the Brutalist architecture hotel Thermal
In the centre of Karlovy Vary in western Bohemia, you will find one of the unique examples of Brutalist architecture, the Thermal hotel. It was completed in 1977 and some parts of it are currently returning to their original form. These include some floors and rooms, lobbies, congress facilities, which annually serve the needs of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. The renovated hotel will open to visitors with the summer season in June 2022. In addition to the hotel's wellness centre, the Saunia Thermal Resort, with an indoor area of 7,000 m2 and spacious terraces overlooking the colonnade, is set to open above the hotel. The sauna world offers 8 types of saunas, an outdoor swimming and hot spring pool with thermal water, two bistros and a restaurant on the top floor of the resort.