Czech President Attends Favourite Pilgrimage Despite June Surgery

Text of report in English by Czech national public-service news agency CTK

Pec pod Snezkou, East Bohemia, 10 August: A few thousands of people took part in today’s St Lawrence pilgrimage at Snezka, the Czech Republic’s highest mountain, including President Vaclav Klaus who attends the event annually and did so today as well in spite of the hip surgery he underwent earlier this summer.

Klaus, 67, in the past always ascended Snezka on foot. Today, as a patient recovering after an operation, he used the cable way to reach the top of the 1602m-high summit in the Krkonose (Giant Mountains), situated on the Czech-Polish border.

On June, doctors in Prague’s Bulovka hospital replaced Klaus’ left hip joint with a prosthesis. Since July 9, Klaus has been recovering in the presidential chateau Lany, central Bohemia.

Participants in the pilgrimage today attended an open-air mass and visited the new, modern post office on Snezka that was opened recently, replacing a dilapidated old chalet.

Other Czech politicians to ascend Snezka today were Senate chairman Premysl Sobotka and Pavel Bradik, governor of the Hradec Kralove region in which the Krkonose mountains are situated.

St Lawrence is the saint patron of not only chefs, confectioners, brewers and pub keepers, but also of the Krkonose. That is why it is annually attended by members of the Czech and Polish mountain rescue services.

Originally published by CTK news agency, Prague, in English 1451 10 Aug 08.

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