One of the most beautiful Prague gardens is opening again after the winter break – Valdstein garden on the Senate grounds. A unique collection of sculptures, statues of horses and the Sala terrena with a fountain are available to visitors.
The Senate office also offers guide services to tourists. This might at first seem like very positive information. The guide, however, has to be booked in advance and is offered in Czech language only. A pity! Our country began to open up slowly during Czech EU presidency, we started to communicate more in foreign languages and so present our country more. And we have things to offer. It wasn’t only the sugar cube that our ancestors invented. They have also invented soft contact lenses, the Roll Out the Barrel song and self-inflatable tyres. Why can’t we promote these things, then?
The Czech presidency seems like a failed opportunity at the moment with the Entropa sculpture, the self-centred statements of Czech politicians in front of the European audience and the nonsensical fall of the government. Half of our presidency is over, and it seems as though we are running out of steam. It is a pity we are unable to hold the line of international openness and hold onto the chance offered by the leadership of the 27 countries. We are all proud of what our ancestors did but what is the point when we can’t even show it to the world outside our boarders. Why not present the tourists with at least a small national “successes” like the Valdstein garden?
Success and recognition usually result from a long-term presentation of little things and not from a short-term bang and a thousand brochures in English printed for the EU presidency.
