In Prague, the appearance of restaurant gardens will change from spring

Prague - The appearance of restaurant patios in Prague will change this spring. The head of the city’s heritage preservation office, Jiří Skalický, told ČTK in an interview that requests for the placement of patios, which are coming in these days, are already being assessed by the authorities according to new rules. In the heritage-protected area and the Prague reserve, operators will have to limit advertising on umbrellas, massive structures and enclosures around the patios will disappear.
    The number of restaurants that expand their patios onto sidewalks and squares increases year by year. These are hundreds of requests, which according to the director mean, above all for the Prague 1 city hall, revenues of around 90 to 100 million korunas. The rules, which have been in the works for several months, aim to unify and cultivate the appearance of the patios so that they do not disrupt the historical character of the city center.
    "We are trying to process the requests as quickly as possible so that operators have enough time to have new equipment and umbrellas made that comply with the rules before spring," said Skalický. In addition to colorful umbrellas, awnings, and prominent advertising elements, bulky wooden platforms that often hinder movement in the streets should primarily disappear. "An exception will be patios located on uneven surfaces, such as on Malé náměstí near Old Town Square," he asserts. Compact roofing will be unacceptable. Tables should ideally be shaded by solid-colored umbrellas.
    According to the new regulations, patios must be modified by entrepreneurs in places such as Hradčany, Malá Strana, Old Town, New Town, Josefov, and Vyšehrad. Without this, they will not receive the necessary permits from the heritage preservation authorities.