Spanish Arteal Tenis De Mesa and SKST Tesla Batteries Havirov will clash tomorow in the final of the Europe Trophy Grand Final in Havirov will meet TT Moravský Krumlov in their quest for the title in Women’s Event Arteal Tenis De Mesa needed only three matches to overcame spirited team of CSS-SZAK Odorheiu Secuiesc from Romania in the semi final whilst the hosts had much harder task in the penultimate stage SKST Tesla Batteries Havirov was streched to fill distance in the duel against French TT Metz Last two matches also concluded by narow margin Zokhid KENJAEV lost to Florian BOURRASSAUD 2:3 but Jan VALENTA beat Damien LLORCA – 3:2 In women’s semi final Panathinaikos A.C overcame KTTC AFP Antwerpen whilst TT Moravský Krumlov prevailed against SCO Ossiachersee Bodensdorf CSS-SZAK Odorheiu Secuiesc (ROU) vs Arteal Tenis De Mesa (ESP) 0:3 Florian BOURRASSAUD 0:3 (10:12 7:11 9:11) Corentin MAZAUD 3:1 (9:11 11:9 11:7 12:10) Florian BOURRASSAUD 2:3 (11:4 11:7 9:11 5:11 3:6) Damien LLORCA 3:2 (11:7 7:11 5:11 11:7 6:3) TJ Geolog Roznava (SVK) vs TalTech Sports Club (EST) Stanislav STROGOV 3:0 (12:10 11:9 11:8) Arturs REINHOLDS 3:1 (11:8 11:8 6:11 11:6) Connor GREEN 3:2 (6:11 8:11 12:10 11:6 6:5) KTTC AFP Antwerpen (BEL) vs Panathinaikos A.C TT Moravský Krumlov (CZE) vs SCO Ossiachersee Bodensdorf (AUT) 3:0 Katarina STRAZAR 3:2 (11:5 8:11 11:8 12:14 6:4) SKST Bratislava (SVK) vs SU Sparkasse Kufstein (AUT) 3:1 Millie ROGOVE 2:3 (9:11 8:11 11:3 11:7 5:6) The European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) is the governing body of the sport of table tennis in Europe and is the only authority recognized for this purpose by the International Table Tennis Federation The ETTU deals with all matters relating to table tennis at a European level including the development and promotion of the sport in the territories controlled by its 58 member associations and the organization of continental table tennis competitions Prague, Oct 7 (CTK) – The Slav Epic cycle of paintings by Czech Art-Nouveau artist Alfons Mucha will be exhibited at Moravsky Krumlov chateau in southern Moravia for at least five years until Prague will have a suitable venue for the monumental works of art The decision is yet to be confirmed by the City Assembly the Slav Epic cycle is to be exhibited at the chateau as of next summer Moravsky Krumlov Mayor Tomas Tretina welcomed the decision The Slav Epic was displayed in the chateau for decades in the past which has been listed among cultural heritage since 2010 Prague has long been seeking a suitable venue to display the 20 large painting depicting Slav mythology and Czech history It is now considering several possibilities Mucha was working on them from 1910 till 1928 He donated the cycle to Prague provided that the city builds an exhibition hall for it Prague councillor for culture Hana Trestikova said Mucha’s cycle can be made available to the public soon thanks to its move to the chateau and Prague will have enough time to decide on its permanent place of display She said Tretina planned to launch a test operation of the exhibition in May 2020 and open it to the public in July The huge paintings are in the depository of the Prague City Gallery at present Moravsky Krumlov bought the chateau in 2016 and wants to reconstruct it It has already repaired the exhibition rooms for the art cycle Trestikova said the possibilities of the cycle’s exhibition in Prague will be discussed on November 8 The artist’s grandson John Mucha has long been in a court dispute with Prague about the ownership of the paintings John Mucha claims that Prague never became the owner of the cycle because it did not meet the artist’s condition of building an exhibition hall for the works of art Your morning coffee deserves a great companion. Why not enjoy it with our daily newsletter? News from Czechia, curated insights, and inspiring stories in English. Czech Art Nouveau painter Alphonse Mucha's Slovanská epopej (The Slav Epic) is a cycle of 20 enormous paintings the largest of which measures more than 6 by 8 meters and history from the Dark Ages to 1861 (and into the future) Mucha was born in a small town in southern Moravia in 1860 His talent for painting and drawing led him to Vienna where he became known for a distinct Art Nouveau style Mucha returned to Czechia in the early 1900s to begin working on a grand project long in the making While working on a design for the Paris Exhibition of 1900 Mucha had traveled extensively through the Balkans and studied Slavic history He was inspired to create "an epic for all the Slavonic peoples," a piece of art that would honor all parts of his people's history and culture. Between 1910 and 1928 Mucha created this series of paintings which start with Slavic tribes in their original homeland and move through triumphs Mucha considered the series his life's masterwork In honor of the 10th anniversary of Czechoslovakia's independence, he gave the series to the city of Prague, provided they build a special gallery to display them. First displayed in a temporary space, the paintings were hidden during World War II to prevent their theft by the Nazis Mucha's work fell out of favor with the Communist government and the Slav Epic was moved to a chateau in Moravský Krumlov in South Moravia where the paintings were displayed for over 50 years After a lengthy legal battle between the city of Prague and Mucha's descendants there is now an agreement to bring the paintings permanently to Prague in 2026 they can still be viewed in Moravský Krumlov The paintings' massive scale and Mucha's artistry make the Slav Epic a stunning sight handpainted reproductions of iconic Francisco Goya paintings The predecessor to this bridge was depicted in a famous Japanese woodcut print that influenced Van Gogh The home and studio of one of the most celebrated female artists of the 19th century Dedicated to one of Spain’s most talented painters and also one of the least known The only Leonardo Da Vinci painting in the Western Hemisphere In the recreated studio of a visionary artist a stone that may be more than meets the eye Stained-glass windows inspired by Vincent van Gogh's paintings decorate this church in the town where the artist's career began A group of artists transformed this desolate city alleyway into an outdoor gallery of street art by | Dec 7, 2023 | Reviews | 0 comments Following hot on the heels of the two more established summer festivals organized by Pragokoncert in Czechia the recently re-branded Rock Castle festival in Moravsky Krumlov is quickly becoming a fan favorite in the European festival season taking place around the beautiful castle grounds of the Moravsky Krumlov castle the 2023 edition of the festival saw a considerable bump in attendance almost doubling the number of visitors compared to the previous year and a confirmation of the promoter’s decision to take over organizing summer festivals in the town several years ago We were happy to be part of the festival again on behalf of Metalinsider and would like to share our experiences with you in the following paragraphs Rock Castle festival this year had an extreme focus on melodic and classic Heavy Metal which became quite apparent on the festival’s first day The honor to open the festival this year fell to the Mongolian band UUHAI who captivated the audience with their mix of rock music with traditional Mongolian throat singing followed by a band that has become somewhat of an underground highlight and seems poised for greater things soon: Tri State Corner who incorporate traditional Greek bouzouki sounds and ethnic beats into their music One of my early personal highlights of the festival came in the shape of our friends and fellow Austrians (and Italians and Germans) of Serenity fronted by day-time archeologist and historian Georg Neuhauser was still on a mission to promote their most recent album “The Last Knight,” focused on the life and times of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I and did so by delivering songs such as “Souls and Sins” and “Set The World On Fire” from said album while not preceding some older band classics such as “Legacy of Tudors” from the “War of Ages” album came in the shape of the song “Ritter Tod und Teufel (Knightfall),” which was taken from Serenity’s then-upcoming album “Nemesis A.D.” and proved to be one of their strongest singles in years deservedly creating some hype for the new album It should also be noted that Serenity’s live sound has been considerably boosted by the addition of Italian guitarist and singer Marco Pastorino of Temperance (and many others) as a second guitar and additional vocalist it was a strong performance by one of Austria’s longest-tenured and best live bands The festival torch was then passed to Germany as legendary Heavy Metallers Rage took to the stage and if you’ve seen Rage live at some point over the years it should come as no surprise that Peavy Wagner and his entourage never disappoint A setlist chock-full of nigh-immortal band classics such as “Solitary Man,” “Back in Time,” “Refuge,” “Don’t Fear the Winter,” and the inevitable “Higher Than The Sky” left little to be desired We then went from old school to new school – as two of today’s hottest melodic metal acts in Gloryhammer and Beast in Black were up next Gloryhammer appears to have weathered the storm that hit them some time ago when the band fired their long-time singer Thomas Winkler (who meanwhile went on to create his own new project Angus McSix) and was also confronted with some less-than-favorable chat protocols of theirs which went viral new singer Sozos Michael has been solidly established as a more than capable vocalist handling both older band hits like “Universe on Fire,” “The Unicorn Invasion of Dundee,” and “Angus McFife” with panache while convincing fans of the quality of the band’s new material from their fourth album “Return to the Kingdom of Fife.” And while Gloryhammer’s more traditionally constructed Power Metal evokes comparisons to turn-of-the-millenium metal in the vein of acts like Rhapsody of Fire or Sonata Arctica at the time Beast in Black’s approach to melodic metal is definitely a bit more modern while at the same time somehow more retro: by incorporating a lot of 80s synth sounds and disco beats into their music mastermind Anton Kabanen managed to carve out a unique niche for Beast in Black – and songs like “Blade Runner” “Moonlight Rendevouz” or the very danceable banger “One Night in Tokyo” from their current album “Dark Connection,” all delivered with an energetic performance from all band members provided ample illustration as to why this blend of styles works so well and has quickly catapulted Beast in Black to the top of many a festival billing this year despite the band having released only three studio albums so far It seems the sky is the limit for Beast in Black at this point – and fans should keep a close eye on the band If you like your metal a bit more serious and old-school then Beast in Black might not be quite your cup of tea – but the headline act of day one of Rock Castle 2023 most certainly might Udo Dirkschneider took to the Czech stages once again this time performing songs from his solo band “U.D.O.” exclusively foregoing any “Accept” classics; however the fact that he can do this and still fill a satisfying headline slot just proves the longevity and indestructibility of this German icon of Heavy Metal Songs like “Animal House,” “Independence Day,” “I Give as Good as I Get,” “Man and Machine,” or “Never Cross My Way” are simply enjoyable Metal bangers that satisfy the audience’s craving for solid before Icelandic viking/folk metallers of Skalmöld performed a solid set to close out the first day of Rock Castle 2023 however it seemed that the audience was already a bit exhausted at this point and the methodical musical approach of the band from Iceland appeared not fully to click with the crowd this time around with some high-class local acts in the shape of Rimortis and Eagleheart before the Italians of Evenflow hit the stage originally already founded in the late 90s by brothers Pietro Paolo and Giorgio Lunesu has recently been able to gain some traction in the international metal scene not least due to the addition of vocalist Marco Pastorino and bass player Luca Negro Following the proggy melodic metal from the Italian gentlemen as the Sweden-based pirate shanty band Ye Banished Privateers were up Indeed a different experience to most other bands on this festival the relatively large ensemble nonetheless managed to entertain the audience with songs such as “Bring Out Your Dead” “Annabel,” or “Gangplank,” and set the tone for a general very pirate-heavy festival day – but we’ll get to that later Another band quickly gaining international attention is the Hungarians of Dalriada who also incorporate folk elements into their brand of metal The band has been around for quite some time as well they have managed to turn more and more heads which is quickly understood when enjoying their unique brand of music live which is generally performed in their native Hungarian language adding a certain additional exotic touch to the band’s aura It was time to switch to some decidedly heavier sounds After seeing the band two years ago at Metal on the Hill in Austria this year’s showing at Rock Castle was decidedly stronger as the band was able to deliver their old school Thrash metal with better overall sound and especially with a much tighter performance Legendary Swedish progressive metallers Evergery then provided a switch to a very atmospheric performance spearheaded by bandleader Tom Englund’s remarkable and emotional vocals as the band delivered proggy bangers such as “Weightless,” “Where August Mourn” and Following the more ethereal and atmospheric approach of Evergrey it was finally time for a hefty double dose of pirate metal First up were my former bandmates of Visions of Atlantis since the release of their most recent album – aptly titled “Pirates” – have truly embraced the pirate lifestyle and have evolved to a more than the solid live force on stage thanks to their engaging stage performances during songs like new bangers “Master the Hurricane,” “Clocks,” and their self-proclaimed “Jump-Jump-Song,” “Melancholy Angel.” Apart from the strong material from their current album the Austro-Italian-French Buccanneers also performed songs from their previous album “Wanderers” such as “Heroes of the Dawn” and “A Journey to Remember,” before closing their set with the absolute banger “Legion of the Seas.” Another strong performance by the resurrected Visions of Atlantis even if it was not quite as stellar as the fantastic performance at last year’s Masters of Rock festival where a full orchestra also backed the band The pirate theme continued at Rock Castle 2023 with Chris Bowes’ Alestorm who brought their party metal to Czechia with a vengeance live tracks like “Keelhauled,” “No Grave but the Sea,” “Mexico,” and “Captain Morgan’s Revenge” never disappoint if you’re up for a light-hearted (and light-headed) party and once the band went into their encores which included such illustrious titles as “Drink,” “Zombies Ate My Pirate Ship” and “Fucked With an Anchor” the festival audience was in full-on party mode then Alestorm is probably not for you; if you’re in the mood for a silly party with some catchy tunes Another of my festival highlights then followed in the shape of the performance of True Metallers Hammerfall who was my introduction to all things Power Metal back in the late 90s and early 2000s even if some of the newer albums don’t have the same hit density as some of their earlier classics do enjoyed songs like “The Metal Age,” “Blood Bound,” and “Renegade” greatly and had a serious teenage day flashback during the medley they played from their “Crimson Thunder” album which I listened to a lot as a wee teenage lad who had just taken his first steps into the mystical lands of true Heavy Metal such as “No Son of Odin” and “We Make Sweden Rock,” prove to be veritable bangers live as well and band classics such as “Let the Hammer Fall” “Glory to the Brave” and the inevitable “Hearts on Fire” never disappoint A late-night highlight came in the shape of symphonic metallers Twilight Force The band appears to have become a true close-knit unit since God-tier vocalist Alessandro Conti joined the band “At the Heart of Wintervale,” also being one of my personal favorites and definitely their best-produced album to date songs like the eponymous “Twilight Force,” “Dragonborn,” and “At the Heart of Wintervale” definitely counted among the strongest material of the band’s performance which ended up becoming one of my favorites of the entire festival Twilight Force has really come into their own in this current incarnation and big things should be on the (quite epic!) horizon for them After the customary Czech opening band Gate Crasher the final day of Rock Castle 2023 started with an interesting surprise in the band Osyron from Canada who are looking to make a splash overseas with some festival performances these days Another early highlight on this day was the performance of Italians Dragonhammer who were able to make up for their missed performance last year which unfortunately could not happen due to travel issues the band made it to Moravksy Krumlov and delivered their catchy Power Metal in the shape of songs like “Kingdom of the Ghosts,” “Blood in the Sky,” and the eponymously titled “Dragon Hammer.” The stage remained firmly in Italian hands as female-fronted Symphonic Metallers Frozen Crown were up next has received a lot of international attention lately notably recently signing with powerhouse label Napalm Records The setlist included tracks such as “Neverending,” “The Water Dancer,” and “I Am The Tyrant,” unfortunately the band had to fight with a difficult live sound situation for their performance at Rock Castle 2023 and considering the recent addition of a third(!) guitarist in Alessia Lanzone this setup might make live mixing even more challenging in the future; therefore working with their own permanent sound engineer might be a good strategic decision for the band going forward to live up to the high expectations and promising career boost Frozen Crown are experiencing at the moment that the band is able to capture audiences and it will be exciting to see what the future holds for this young ensemble from Italy Another of my personal highlights of Rock Castle 2023 followed next It is common to see the band on the same lineup as their countrymen (and woman) of Amaranthe as singer Nils Molin is also the clean male voice of the modern Metal powerhouse fronted by the ever-charming Elize Ryd While the band had to contend with a few technical hiccups at the beginning of their set (the second guitar took a bit longer to be properly set up and could enter the musical fray only a few minutes into the performance) that did not take away from the class of overall musicianship and songwriting which manifested in songs like “Firesign,” “Waterfall,” “Power of Will,” “Presence of Mind” and “Heartless Madness.” All superbly delivered by top-tier vocalist Nils Molin who channeled Ronnie James Dio and David Coverdale of Whitesnake more than once in his vocal performance A short but all the more welcome interlude that put a smile on my face was the band’s inclusion of an abridged version of Van Halen’s “Hot for Teacher” into their set It was a class performance by one of the melodic Metal scene’s (rightfully) fastest-rising acts has been a staple in the billing of Pragokoncert’s festivals for many years Franck is still one of the most powerful voices in the scene and oozes charisma to boot and the band’s specific blend of more US-sounding Power Metal than the typical faster and more light-hearted European-style Power Metal one would expect from a German Power Metal band has always managed to set the band apart from other acts in the genre the Germans included bangers such as “Worlds are Comin’ Through “Shiva’s Tears,” “Highs Without Lows,” “All Those Words,” and “Ravenous Minds” in their performance and thus provided more than a solid warm-up for one of the day’s headliners What can still be said about Doro Pesch that has yet to be said a hundred times A legendary figure in the international heavy metal scene for four decades Doro still seems to enjoy herself mightily whenever she takes to the stage and equally also delivers heavy metal goodness in spades Whether it’s “I Rule the Ruins,” “Burning the Witches” and “Fight For Rock,” the Warlock classics entertain just as her solo songs such as “Time for Justice” and “All for Metal,” and when the Metal Queen closes out her set to the Judas Priest evergreen “Breaking the Law,” the audience is unquestionably aware that we’ve just been graced with the presence of Heavy Metal royalty it fell to one of the hottest Metal acts from Sweden today to fill the final headliner slot of Rock Castle 2023 and the band once again did not disappoint Fronted by the tricephalic vocalist trio of the aforementioned Nils Molin on male clean vocals which they delivered in spades in the hope of tracks like “Fearless,” “Viral,” “Hunger” and “Afterlife,” even including some rarely-played songs like “Trinity” and “365” in their extensive set before closing out with an encore block consisting of “Archangel,” “That Song” and “Drop Dead Cynical.” A worthy headliner to close out Rock Castle 2023 before German melodic Metallers Serious Black was up to fill the late-night slot this year Band leader Mario Lochert revealed that the band would be recording material for a potential live album/DVD release sometime down the road some planned fireworks apparently could not be used for the performance due to monument protection regulations regarding the medieval Moravksy Krumlov castle the band nonetheless delivered an energetic and noteworthy performance of some of their finest hits over the years such as “Akhenaton,” “Rock With Us Tonight,” “Serious Black Magic” and “High and Low.” “Little Lord Fentanyl,” featuring a guest performance from Maynard James Keenan (Tool The track marks the band’s first release since 2022’s Conspiranoid EP The single also introduces new drummer John.. Sleep Token have unveiled “Damocles,” the final single from their upcoming album Sleep Token will embark on their first-ever sold-out U.S Linkin Park have shared a visualizer for their latest single “Unshatter.” The song is one of two new tracks featured on the upcoming deluxe edition of their comeback album From Zero 2025 New & Noteworthy is Metal Insider’s weekly column highlighting some of the newest rock and metal releases coming out each week The final New Music Friday of April will see the return of Billy Idol New & Noteworthy is Metal Insider’s weekly column highlighting some of the newest rock and metal releases coming out each week Kicking off April’s release schedule are new albums from the likes of Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs The final New Music Friday of March sees highly anticipated albums from The Darkness Privacy Policy Have news you think would fit on Metal Insider? Send us a message at: tips@metalinsider.net The Culture Committee of Prague City Hall has recommended temporarily returning Alfons Mucha’s Slav Epic to Moravský Krumlov to be displayed for five years The exhibition could begin in the summer of 2020 The cycle of paintings depicting Slavic history and legends were displayed in Moravský Krumlov from 1963 to 2011 and had been the town’s main tourist attraction They had been hidden in the town to protect them from communist hardliners after World War II The City of Prague regained possession of the paintings after a protracted legal battle Mayor Třetina expects trial operations and exhibition of the works by 2020 The surroundings of the chateau are also ready for visitors The south wing of the chateau will undergo renovation in the coming years Some of the paintings were displayed in at the end of 2018 and start of 2019 in Prague’s Obecní dům and in Brno The entire epic was last displayed in Prague at Veletržní palác in 2016 The coronation of the Serbian Tsar Stefan Dušan as East Roman Emperor The Lapidarium in Výstaviště was championed by the previous City Hall administration. The pedestal of the former Stalin Monument at Letná and Letohrádek královny Anny (Belvedere) had also been suggested at one time or another Prague 1 proposed a gold-tone egg-shape gallery that it had been planning to build at the end of Revoluční Street adjacent to Štefánikův most. The city at the time was not interested in that location, and plans to build the golden egg have stalled The European Champions League Women (ECLW) organised by the European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) is the most important international club competition which replaced European Club Cup of Champions (ECCC) Hungarian club Statisztika Budapest still holds remarkable record They were on the top 11 consecutive seasons (1976-86) Romanian Vointa Arad was the winner of the inaugural 1963/64 season The competition came into a new era in 2005/06 when the European Champions League Women started In an all-French Champions League Women’s semifinal Metz TT overcame Saint-Quentin TT in the second.. Reigning champions KTS ENEA SIARKOPOL Tarnobrzeg were forced to surrender their title even before reaching.. Reigning champions KTS ENEA SIARKOPOL Tarnobrzeg and Saint-Quentin TT emerged victorious in the opening leg.. The Champions League Women semifinal lineup is now complete SKST Tesla Batteries Havirov and Panathinaikos A.C entered the history books as a first ever winners of the Men’s and Women’s Europe Trophy In the Grand final played in last three days in Havirov SKST Tesla Batteries Havirov beat Arteal Tenis De Mesa whilst and Panathinaikos A.C.overcame TT Moravský Krumlov at the ultimate stage Hosts SKST Tesla Batteries Havirov overcame Spain’s Arteal Tenis De Mesa in very tough duel “I came to the game after we were down 0:1 and I felt big pressure My match was very important I do not know how we will recover in case of 0:2 It was the same like yesterday when I had to play at 2:2 but I guess I proved as a worthy player when it comes to pressure I won all three fifth games I played ” said VALENTA.”Our goal was to reach the final the trophy is real bonus.” After three days of play Panathinaikos A.C Lost first individual match at the tournament against TT Moravský Krumlov from Czech Republic “We showed good spirt and we stayed focused despite very big challenge Two matches today went full distance and playing until six points in the decisive game is the new experience for us ” said Aikaterini TOLIOU Humberto MANHANI 3:1 (12:10 10:12 11:7 11:7) Bernadett BALINT 3:1 (11:7 5:11 11:8 11:6) Mitsuki YOSHIDA 3:2 (11 :9 11:3 13:15 7:11 6:3) Ekaterina CHERNYAVSKAYA 2:3 (11:9 11:13 13:15 11:8 4:6) A new chapter has started in the seemingly endless saga concerning the ownership of Alfons Mucha’s Slav Epic a cycle of 20 large-scale Art Nouveau paintings The Prague 1 District Court has ruled that the City of Prague is not the owner The judge upheld John Mucha’s claim that Prague never became the owner of the paintings because it did not meet the author’s condition that a separate exhibition space would be built to display the paintings. The city has been working on finding a suitable location, and recently narrowed down the options. If the Court of Appeals uphold the decision the ownership of the paintings will not automatically fall to John Mucha previously said the inheritance proceedings will have to be reopened would appear as legal heirs in the proceedings Mucha Plocková has stated in the past that she disagrees with the lawsuit against the city The paintings are now in the depository of the Prague City Gallery (GHMP). Last October, the city approved lending the cycle for five years to the chateau in Moravský Krumlov where the paintings were previously exhibited the issue of the exhibition space in Prague would be resolved The paintings could be transported to Moravský Krumlov in the spring 2021 once the space there was made ready with proper climate controls is now thrown into question by the new court ruling The Prague 1 District Court began dealing with John Mucha’s lawsuit in January 2017. At that time, the case was rejected and the decision was upheld by a higher court. However, the Supreme Court overturned the judgments last May The district court began resolving the lawsuit again six months later had to prove its ownership of the paintings The judge said that she had expressed her legal opinion in her previous decision but was now bound by the Supreme Court’s resolution Disputes over the ownership of the paintings go back to the 1990s when Prague and Moravský Krumlov each claimed the right to display them The paintings were hidden in Moravský Krumlov during World War II and were displayed there from 1963 to 2012 the paintings were in the legal possession of the Prague City Gallery The Slav Epic was painted over 18 years starting in 1910. Alfons Mucha first conceived of the cycle in 1899 while he was working on the interior of the Pavilion of Bosnia-Herzegovina which had been commissioned by the Austro-Hungarian government for the Paris Exhibition of 1900 researching the history and customs of the Slavs Mucha’s American patron Charles Crane offered him $100,000 to finally paint the works The Slav Epic was then created in Mucha’s rented studio at Zbiroh castle The finished canvases were turned over to the City of Prague as they were completed Mucha donated the cycle to Prague provided that the city builds an exhibition hall for it though whether or not that is a binding condition has long been disputed by the city and is at the center of the current case The first 11 canvases were displayed in Prague’s Klementinum in 1919 five of the paintings were shown in New York and Chicago The complete cycle was displayed for the first time in 1928 in Veletržní palác The paintings were again shown at Veletržní palác in 2012–16 some of the paintings were displayed at the end of 2018 and start of 2019 in Prague’s Obecní dům and in Brno TTC Moravsky Krumlov failed to justify their status in the duel against Turkey’s Tigem SC Ankara in the third round of the Women’s ETTU Cup Cristina Alina HIRICI Zoia NOVIKOVA and Fulya YILDIRIM prevailed in straight matches Russia’s TTC Kazan and Serbia’s Novi Sad also progressed to the Fourth stage of the competition TTC Kazan – Dozy Den Helder Noordkop 3:0 Antonina SAVELYEVA – SHUO Han Men 3:1 (11:4 8:11 11:6 11:8) Anna BLAZHKO – Ana GOGORITA 3:1 (4:11 11:9 11:6 11:8) Svetlana MOKHNACHEVA – Yoeke GUNSING 3:1 (11:3 11:4 11:13 11:6) Aneta MAKSUTI  – Olga CURANKO 3:1 (11:3 11:8 7:11 11:4) Ana Zofija FENJVESI  – LIN Qui 0:3 (6:11 6:11 7:11) Viktoria TRUZINSKI – Mariana GOMES GONZALES 3:0 (11:8 11:2 11:4) Aneta MAKSUTI – LIN Qui 3:1 (7:11 14:12 12;10 11:8) TTC Moravsky Krumlov – Tigem SC Ankara 0:3 Barbora KAPOUNOVA – Cristina Alina HIRICI 1:3 (5:11 8:11 11:7 7:11) Dana CECHOVA – Zoia NOVIKOVA 1:3 (9:11 11:8 5:11 10:12) Kristýna MIKULCOVÁ – Fulya YILDIRIM 2:3 (11:8 11:5 9:11 7:11 8:11) AO DAO Tavrou – CTT BALAGUER – VILLART LOGISTIC 3:2 Christina FILI – LI Yan Lan 3:2 (8:11 9:11 11:8 11:4 11:5) Aikaterini TOLIOU – WANG Ting Ting 0:3 (3:11 6:11 4:11) Filareti EXARCHOU – Anna BISCARRI 3:2 (11:9 11:7 5:11 8:11 11:8) Christina FILI – WANG Ting Ting 0:3 (6:11 8:11 6:11) Monika MOLNAR – LI Yan Lan 3:2 (9:11 4:11 11:7 11:5 11:9) "Each of the national cultural monuments newly declared today is exceptional in its value urban planning or landscape design," said Minister of Culture Martin Baxa The current "set of national cultural monuments" was "another important piece in the mosaic of our historical knowledge and connections," Baxa added Among the notable landmarks included on the list is the Augustinian monastery in Brno where Gregor Johann Mendel a naturalist and the so-called father of modern genetics Prague may be the epicenter of the Czech art world with enough museums and galleries to keep you busy all year round but there are definitely some out-of-town art experiences that are worth going the extra mile for. Many are not far from the city and easy to get to in a day by train or by car. As an added bonus you will get to see some beautiful countryside, while the historic towns will charm you in a way that you will fall in love with the Czech Republic all over again.  Here are my top art trips worth exploring in the coming months:  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Galerie StrÌŒedocÌŒeského kraje (@gask_kutnahora) View this post on Instagram A post shared by 8SMICÌŒKA - zóna pro umeÌŒní (@8smicka) and the Czech Republic creating a series of architectural sound explorations There is also a permanent exhibition of 20th-century art View this post on Instagram A post shared by Moravská galerie v BrneÌŒ (@moravskagalerie) View this post on Instagram A post shared by SLOVANSKÁ EPOPEJ Alfons Mucha (@slovanska_epopej) View this post on Instagram A post shared by House of Lobkowicz (@houseoflobkowicz) Last but not least, the magnificent renaissance Zámek Nelahozeves opens on April 1 and is well worth a visit Set high above the Vltava river and belonging to the prestigious Lobkowicz family the chateau has been lovingly restored and hosts a superb collection of old master paintings Its beautiful gardens also offer a pleasant stroll in the warmer weather Refreshments are available while a playground allows children to let off steam So get planning now and enjoy the sights and sounds of spring while also culturally enriching your weekends