In the period before the coronavirus strike, this place on the Vltava was sought after mainly by foreign tourists due to the riotous parties. In any case, the passage was an invitation to the fair of horrors rather than an attraction to visit. According to the coalition movement, Prague is one of the “most painful places in the center for a long time”.

His councilor Hana Třeštíková, who is in charge of culture and tourism, therefore proposed that the municipality provide the owner with a grant of 1.8 million crowns out of a total of more than five million estimated costs for the repair of the Charles Spa passage, including the replacement of shop windows and the street facade of the building. for reconstruction.

A dark passage full of faded ads

“A dark passage full of faded advertisements, matryoshka dolls and peeling stickers will soon be a thing of the past!” Prague rejoices on its official Facebook page. According to the article, it should be a sensitive reconstruction. “In the grant agreement, the owner undertakes to respect the instructions of conservationists and the rules on the regulation of advertising,” Prague adds.

Councilor Třeštíková has been struggling with visual smog for more than a year. She also mentioned the problem with the repulsive passage on Smetana’s embankment and the start of negotiations with a private person at birth last year, when she talked, for example, about new ordinances on street art (ie busking) and other restrictions on tasteless tourist attractions in the center. According to Třeštíková, the City Council wants “Prague not to become Disneyland”.

“We are also negotiating our own three remaining buildings through which the passage passes. We believe that another map will soon disappear from the map of Prague, for which we were all a little ashamed, “I thank Prague myself, considering that due to the fact that the municipality has no ownership rights and it is a private property, it cannot determine the specific composition of tenants. in the passage of Charles Spa.

However, it can be assumed that due to the pandemic of the covid-19 infectious disease, the ethnic composition of tourists in Prague will change, which could also be reflected in the offers of individual sellers. Due to government restrictions that have so far spread the disease, the music club has remained closed.

Charles Street is in solution

After enabling restaurant gardens and outdoor sales, photographs of Janek Rubeš from Karlova Street, where entrepreneurs pulled out red carpets, tents and sunbeds, and began providing Thai massages right on the street, caused outrage among some of the public. One of the Facebook discussers of this problem also warns under a post by Prague himself.

In the historical center of Prague, the world is returning to normal… gardens and tents have been opened. pic.twitter.com/KRkoY4pcer

– janekrubes (@janekrubes) May 11, 2020

“This particular case is being resolved, please be patient, the authorities need a moment to process it. Otherwise, we are planning changes for other parts of Karlova Street, we will inform you in more detail about them in June! “The coalition party promised. Already at the beginning of this year, the mayor of Prague, Zdeněk Hřib (Pirates), says that “tourist kitsch and other abominations” have disappeared from urban areas. After all, the municipality approved new conditions for tenders for lease.

It is true that measures to combat the coronavirus situation may be resolved more quickly than expected. After all, some establishments, including those criticized by the exchange office and bars intended for “beer tourism”, have closed for good. At least in this summer season, Prague has to reckon mainly with Czech clients. In the next one, visitors from abroad may already be able to assess whether the passage at Karlovy Lázně has changed for the better.