18 things to do in Prague this week – from sci-fi films to St. Wenceslas wine

Prague gets an extra day to play this week, with Monday's Czech Statehood Day holiday bringing wine, river adventures and the opening of Central Europe's biggest sci-fi film festival. As September gives way to October, a fresh wave of festivals puts everything from architecture and photography to international literature in the spotlight.

There's plenty happening after dark, too. Australian prog-rockers Haken, French electronic pioneers Deep Forest and German DJ Boris Brejcha are all in town, while DOX gathers an international roster of writers to consider hope in uncertain times. Here's what's worth putting on your calendar this week:

Explore the Vltava on Czech Statehood Day Vltava Uncovered (Poznej Vltavu) turns Monday's public holiday into a celebration of Prague's river, with dozens of organizations opening normally inaccessible sites and offering activities along and on the water from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It's a chance to discover the infrastructure, wildlife, history and cultural spaces connected to the Vltava.

Raise a glass to St. Wenceslas Mark Czech Statehood Day at one of Prague's oldest vineyards. The St. Wenceslas Vineyard below Prague Castle hosts its traditional wine festival Monday from noon to 7 p.m., with Czech and Moravian wines, burčák, food and live music overlooking the city.

Run Prague's three weirs One of the city's more unusual annual traditions returns to the Vltava on St. Wenceslas Day. Napříč Prahou – přes tři jezy sees hundreds of canoes, kayaks, rafts and paddleboards travel through the center, navigating three normally off-limits weirs between Císařská louka and Štvanice.

Head to the future at Lucerna Future Gate Sci-Fi Film Festival begins its Prague edition Monday and runs through Sunday at Kino Lucerna. Central Europe's largest sci-fi festival mixes new international films, cult classics, shorts and discussions about science and technology. Monday's opening program includes a student film competition and Japanese screenwriter Makoto Ueda's directorial debut You Are the Film.

See the crown jewels before they're locked away Monday is the final day to see the Bohemian Crown Jewels at Prague Castle. The St. Wenceslas Crown, royal orb and scepter are on display at the Old Royal Palace as part of this year's Habsburgs 500 program before returning to secure storage.

Catch Australian punk in the city center Melbourne punk outfit Split System brings its raw garage-rock sound to Kampus Hybernská Tuesday, joined by Czech band Bibione. The show runs from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

See LUSTR before it disappears Tuesday is the final full day of LUSTR, Prague's annual festival of illustration and comics at Holešovická tržnice. More than 100 Czech and international artists are represented in this year's edition, which explores everything from emerging illustration to humanity's changing relationship with the landscape.

Watch architecture through a cinematic lens The Film and Architecture Festival begins Wednesday, launching six days of screenings and events examining cities, buildings and the people who shape them. Kino Světozor serves as the main festival hub, with additional screenings at Edison Filmhub.

Hear Deep Forest in Prague for the first time French electronic project Deep Forest makes its Prague debut at Café V lese Wednesday. Led by founder Eric Mouquet, the Grammy-winning project has spent more than three decades mixing electronic music with sounds and musical traditions from around the world. The show starts at 8 p.m.

Go prog with Haken British progressive-metal band Haken brings its intricate, genre-bending sound to Roxy Wednesday night. The London group has become one of the biggest names in modern progressive metal since forming in 2007.

Explore Prague through its architecture The nationwide Day of Architecture Festival begins Thursday, opening up buildings and neighborhoods through walks, tours, talks and unusual excursions. Prague's opening-day program ranges from Troja's historic homesteads to the transformation of Palmovka and Libeň, while an English-friendly evening talk at Kino Světozor looks at Helsinki's approach to affordable housing.

Find hope at DOX FALL, the Festival of Arts, Literature & Learning, opens at DOX Thursday with an international evening devoted to hope in difficult times. Writers Marie NDiaye, Sofi Oksanen, Paata Shamugia and Marek Šindelka join author Alberto Manguel for a discussion before the opening of the Argus & Medusa exhibition and a fireside concert. Admission to the opening is free with registration.

Discover photography's wilder side Fotograf Zone Festival begins its 16th edition at locations across Prague. Titled Wild Kin, this year's festival explores relationships between humans, animals, plants and the wider environment through exhibitions, public installations, discussions and workshops. It also brings renowned German photographer Jochen Lempert's first Prague solo exhibition.

See the future of Japanese stop-motion Future Gate screens Junk World, Takahide Hori's follow-up to cult stop-motion hit Junk Head, at Lucerna Thursday at 6 p.m. Later that evening, The Colony, the latest genre film from Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho, takes over the festival's main screen.

Dance with Boris Brejcha German DJ and producer Boris Brejcha brings his distinctive "high-tech minimal" sound and trademark Venetian-jester mask to O2 arena Friday. Doors open at 6 p.m., with support from artists connected to Brejcha's FCKNG SERIOUS label.

Take a brutal architecture quiz in English Day of Architecture puts an international spin on the pub quiz Friday with The Big Brutal Quiz, an English-language test of brutalist architecture on film hosted by architect and filmmaker Jord den Hollander.

Return to the world of Blade Runner Future Gate brings Denis Villeneuve's Blade Runner 2049 back to Lucerna's main screen Friday at 8 p.m., with Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford navigating one of modern sci-fi's most visually striking dystopias. Anime landmark Metropolis and documentary Fukushima: A Nuclear Nightmare are also on Friday's program.

See a filing cabinet like no other Day of Architecture opens the Czech Social Security Administration's extraordinary mechanical filing system to visitors Friday. Dating to 1936 and housed inside the institution's functionalist Prague headquarters, the vast mechanized archive is normally hidden from public view. Reservations are required.