Czech news in brief for June 20: Saturday's top afternoon headlines

The Dancing House in Prague marked 30 years since its opening today, celebrating one of the city's most distinctive modern landmarks designed by architects Frank Gehry and Vlado Milunić. The building has become one of the city's most well-known tourist attractions on the Vltava riverfront over the past three decades.

Architectural legacy: Completed in 1996 on a riverside site previously damaged during World War II, the building remains a symbol of post-1989 architectural change in Prague and continues to host offices, gallery space and restaurant.

President of Czech Republic Petr Pavel arrived at the Brno Masaryk Circuit on Saturday for the MotoGP Grand Prix, riding a motorcycle as he did last year and immediately heading to the track to take photos during practice sessions, joining spectators and riders ahead of the race weekend.

Presidential presence: Pavel arrived by motorcycle and went straight to the trackside to photograph practice sessions, continuing his informal presence at major sporting events.

Authorities in the South Moravian towns of Kunštát and Adamov are warning residents after an increase in sightings of vipers in and around residential areas, prompting officials to urge caution when moving through parks, gardens, and nearby countryside.

Watch for snakes: Local authorities have advised residents not to approach or attempt to handle the snakes and to report sightings to municipal services for safe removal.

Czech archaeologists from Vsestary archaeological park, led by Radomir Tichy, have launched the Monoxylon expedition from Alexandroupoli, Greece, sailing a replica Neolithic dugout canoe across a 450-km route between Aegean islands toward Volos to study prehistoric migration routes.

Key details: The Monoxylon project is in its fifth expedition, following voyages in 1995, 1998, 2019 and 2023. The 11.5-meter oak canoe carries 22 crew plus a helmsman, with the voyage expected to take 12–14 days.

The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute has tightened its warning for very strong thunderstorms expected across most of Czechia on Saturday evening, bringing heavy rain, large hail, strong winds and temperatures above 34 degrees Celsius in some areas.

What to know: A medium-level alerts cover much of Bohemia and parts of Moravia, with rainfall up to 50 mm, wind gusts around 80 km/h and hail. Lower-level warnings apply in western areas, with storms expected to continue into Sunday.