Explore Exciting Outings: Discover Rumcajs, Kolín’s Bears, and Maxips Fík

Someone enjoys watching Křemílka a Vochomůrka and Tales of Moss and Ferns, while others favor Rumcajs, Mole, Bugs, Pata and Mata, Fairy Amálka, Krkonoše Fairy Tales featuring Trautenberk, or Bob and Bobek, the rabbits that come out of a hat. In essence, Večerníček has captured the hearts of everyone who grew up watching television as children, and many continue to cherish it today.

Interesting facts about Večerníček

The character of Večerníček first graced our screens on January 2, 1965. It is widely recognized as the oldest Czech TV jingle and one of the oldest worldwide, although it wasn’t created until the summer of 1965. The beloved boy with the paper hat and large round eyes was designed by artist Radek Pilař, while the voice was provided by the then five-year-old Michal Citavý. Remarkably, little has changed in the past sixty years. Večerníček makes his way up the stairs, rides across the screen on a rocking horse, zooms around in a car and even balances on a unicycle, tossing papers about. However, not everyone finds the jingle appealing; in 2007, a viewer lodged a complaint with the Czech Television Council. They argued that Večerníček’s antics contradict ecological education principles, promote traffic law violations, encourage health risks, and overlook safety regulations mandated across the European Union.

Initially, Večerníček aired weekly on Sundays. From 1967 onward, its broadcast increased to three times a week, and since 1973, children have been fortunate enough to enjoy it daily. That same year marked the first time Večerníček was shown in color.

For true television connoisseurs, it would be impossible to name all the series that have featured in Večerníček; there are nearly four hundred of them! They range from animated cartoons to puppetry and even films. Live-action episodes include Václav Chaloupek’s animal stories, such as Krkonoše Fairy Tales. In a poll conducted by Czech Television for the best Evening Star, Krkonoše Fairy Tales triumphed, followed by the stories of the mole in second place and Bob and Bobek secured third. The episode that attracted the highest viewership was How Trautenberk Wanted to Send Cuba to War, capturing 1.89 million viewers in February 1999.

To Jičín to see Rumcajs

Few fairy tale characters have such a uniquely defined home as Rumcajs, whose residence is in Jičín. His captivating tales were crafted by Václav Čtvrtek (1911-1976), a renowned author of children’s literature who spent part of his youth in Jičín, and were beautifully illustrated by the talented graphic designer Radek Pilař (1931-1993). The animated series About Rumcajs the Robber features 39 episodes, and you can visit Rumcajs’ shoemaker shop located under the Valdická Gate—the same place where Rumcajs lived when he was a shoemaker in Jičín.

You can also encounter Rumcajs, his family, and other beloved fairy tale characters in the interactive gallery, Rumcajs’ World, located on the ground floor of the Jičín Chateau, as well as on Rumcajs’ commemorative bench. This bench was gifted to him by the town for his fiftieth birthday and has been recognized in the Czech Book of Records as the largest carved fairy bench. Additionally, you can stroll along the Rumcajs Fairy Trail from Mladějov to Jičín or explore Rumcajs’ Cave situated beneath Brada Castle.

For the bears that met near Cologne

Do you remember the two bears from the animated series Come on, Sir, Let’s Play?? This series aired between 1965 and 1973, consisting of a total of eleven episodes. The creators, Břetislav Pojar and Miroslav Stepanek, utilized four distinct animation techniques: paper animation, puppet animation, semi-plastic animation, and traditional cartoon animation within dream bubbles. The bears, who met near Kolín based on the story, can now be found in the Borky forest park. Here, two wooden bears stand guard at the park entrance on Křičkova Street, and further inside, you will find a relief depicting the two characters. The gently rolling terrain along the banks of the Elbe River is perfect for walks with strollers, bicycle rides with toddlers, and other activities with older kids. You can engage in various sports, watch boats on the river, and let the children play at several playgrounds. Moreover, you can explore the barefoot trail, climb up multiple lookouts and towers, and learn about diverse forest ecosystems thanks to the Borky nature trail.

To the Bugs in the Highlands

One of the most published stories for children in Czech literature is Jan Karafiát’s *The Beetles*, a fairy tale about a family of St. Bees. Beyond the book, many readers may recognize it from the twelve-part animated puppet series aired on Czech Television as Večerníček. The puppets were created by the talented Jiří Trnka, who also crafted a large diorama featuring a wedding scene; this can now be viewed at the Puppet Museum in Pilsen. If you want to see more about the Beetles, you need to visit Jimramov, which is the birthplace of Jan Karafiát. The memorable book is honored here by the Hall of Natives, a memorial plaque on Karafiát’s birth home, an outdoor play called *With Beetle and Ladybug* in Jimramov, and a charming wooden statue of a Beetle with a lantern. Additionally, you can visit the monument dedicated to the Beetles located in the woods above Roženecky Pasek. This unique memorial commemorates the tragic mass death of the main characters in Czech literature, and it is a must-visit for anyone who has read *Broučky* and felt touched by its poignant conclusion.

To Maxips Fík in Kadana

Another beloved character from Večerníček, Maxips Fík, calls Kadani his home. This city has embraced him warmly: the author of the stories about this oversized talking dog, writer and screenwriter Rudolf Čechura, hails from the nearby area of Ahníkova, now unfortunately lost to coal mining. The embankment by the Ohře River is named after Maxips Fík, where you can find a playground with various play elements and two statues of Maxips Fík. At the beginning of the embankment, there stands a modern steel sculpture of the iconic character crafted by Michal Fiala, while further along is a life-size statue made of sandstone by František Vlček, depicting Fík alongside his loyal companion, Aja. Children will find joy climbing on the statue, taking photos, and playing around it.

Originally, there was to be only one statue on the waterfront, but Kadan’s city council liked two proposals that came in. The city is also linked to the renowned actor Josef Dvořák, who voiced Večerníček and started his acting career in Kadan.

More dinner tips

• • You can visit real places linked to film stories by director, screenwriter, and nature enthusiast Václav Chaloupek. Večerníček has appeared in series such as Madla and Ťap, which tells the tale of a Bavarian Collared Puppy and a Lynx cub, the seven-part story about wolf cubs called Brothers, and Vydrýsek, which follows an otter cub on its adventures, along with Bears, categorically showcasing three bear cubs. While Vojta, Kuba, and Matěj found a home in Medvědárium in Beroun after filming, as it stands today, only one bear of the original trio remains.

• • You can meet live Křemílek and Vochomůrku at the Stump Cottage located at the bus stop in Němčovice, Rokycany.

• • In the park next to the Krakonoš Hotel in Mariánské Lázně, you’ll discover a delightful fantasy sculpture paradise. The pathways are adorned with statues of the heroes from famous fairy tales, fables, and Večerníček. Close to the legendary statue of Krakonoš, characters from Krkonoše Fairy Tales mingling with fairies, watermen, Little Red Riding Hood, a huntsman, wolf, and fairy grandmother can be found.