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ОглавлениеCZECHIA
Whether it’s called Bohemia, Czechoslovakia, the Czech Republic, or now, as of a 2016 government initiative, Czechia, is the golden child of Eastern Europe. But, on the surface, the country’s history follows the same old Eastern European sob story: it was part of big, fancy imperial powers (the Holy Roman Empire and the Austro-Hungarian one) from the Middle Ages until the First World War, independent until the Germans crashed the party in 1939, Nazi-occupied until the USSR said otherwise in 1945, Soviet-occupied despite Czech attempts to say otherwise, and otherwise enjoying this whole democracy thing since 1989. But dig a little deeper and some idiosyncrasies begin to pop up. From 1335 until 1437, the Kingdom of Bohemia wasn’t just part of the Holy Roman Empire; Prague was the home of its imperial court. During the Second World War, it wasn’t just any Nazi-occupied territory, but the only one to successfully assassinate a senior Nazi. When communism fell, it wasn’t the result of any old revolution, but the Velvet Revolution, which implemented democracy without the loss of a single life. Walking through the fairytale streets of Prague, the kaleidoscopic valley of Karlovy Vary, the rolling mountains of Bohemian Paradise Nature Park, or the skull and bone-laden chapel of Kutna Hora, you, like a person looking through movies filed under “Children’s Fantasy” on Netflix, will find yourself enchanted. Spawning the likes of Franz Kafka, Antonin Dvorak, Sigmund Freud, and Ivana Trump, Czechia is a collection of many pretty faces, and over the years, it’s attracted a formidable number of backpackers, beer-drinkers, outdoor enthusiasts, elderly tour groups, and bachelor parties.
KARLOVY VARY
Coverage by Nicholas Grundlingh
Unless you’re a connoisseur of the world’s hot springs, you’ve probably never heard of Karlovy Vary. But if you’re a James Bond fan, you’ve probably already seen it. The home of the titular casino in Casino Royale, Karlovy Vary, with its thermal springs, architectural beauty, and walking trails, is the ideal place for a secret agent to kick back and relax while simultaneously thwarting evil in a high-stakes poker game. Although just two-hours west of Prague, this quaint spa town feels a million miles away from the city’s bachelor parties. But the spa isn’t the only place where you’ll find some peace and quiet. A sense of serenity unspools itself as you walk amongst the gorgeous neo-this and art-that buildings that line the Tepla River, the grandest and largest of which is the 132-meter-long Mill Colonnade, while the most out of place of which is the brutalist Soviet-era Hotel Thermal. When you’re in need of a pick-me-up, take a hike or funicular ride up Friendship Hill and meet someone new. It would be too generous to say the town has a young, trendy feel. It really only comes to life during the first week of July, when Eastern Europe’s biggest film festival draws over 10,000 hipsters, cinephiles, and celebrities to Karlovy Vary for a week-long party. If you have even the smallest cinematic bone in your body, you would be wise to join them. After visiting one tourist-overrun European capital after another, a couple of days in Karlovy Vary is the perfect way to rejuvenate.
ORIENTATION
The Ohre River divides the greater region of Karlovy Vary into two parts, and the majority of the town’s action (see: spas, colonnades, accommodations, restaurants, bars, museums) takes place south of it. This small southern area is itself split into two sections—north and south of the Mill Colonnade. If you’re traveling from Prague via the more convenient bus option, you’ll arrive north of the Mill Colonnade, either at the Tržnice bus terminal just north of the town’s center or Dolní nádraží, the main bus station located a few minutes to the west. The former station serves most of the local bus lines, which travel to Moser glassworks factory, Loket Castle, and other surrounding areas. Following T. G. Masaryka street to the east will lead you to the Tepla River. Walking south along the river, you’ll pass the best examples of the town’s stunning architecture, the Metropolitan Theater, the Karlovy Vary Museum, as well as many historic landmarks, such as the Hotel Thermal, and the Mill and Spring Colonnades.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE
The most convenient way to get to Karlovy Vary from Prague is via bus, which will disembark at either the Tržnice bus terminal or Dolní nádraží, the main bus station, which is a 5min. walk from the center. A map of the bus stops in Karlovy Vary can be found online. Alternatively, if you’re arriving via train, you will arrive at Horni Nadrazi, located north of the city center across the Ohre River. It’s a 10min. walk from the station to the city center, but it’s much more convenient to wait for bus #1 or 13, both of which are one stop away from Tržnice bus terminal.
GETTING AROUND
Karlovy Vary is very walkable, and it takes around 25min. to walk along the Tepla from the bottom of the town to the Grandhotel Pupp at the top. A bus system (a map of the stops can be found at www.dpkv.cz/cz/mapa-zastavek-mhd) can take you around the main town as well as to places in the greater Karlovy Vary region (bus #1, 16, 22, and 23). Ticket options include: single trip (18Kč), 24hr (80Kč), 7-days (220Kč). Two night bus lines run from 10:30pm into the early hours of the morning. Intercity buses that run across Czechia can be taken to the Loket Castle, a 30min. journey.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Tourist Offices: T.G. Masaryka street Tourist Office (T.G. Masaryka 53; 355 321 171; open M-F 8am-1pm and 1:30-6pm, Sa-Su 9am-1pm and 1:30-5pm)
Banks/ATMs/Currency Exchange: Many ATMs are found on or nearby T.G. Masaryka street. South of Dvořákovy sady (Dvořák Park), ATMs can be found along the east bank of the Tepla. Try UniCredit Bank (Zeyerova 892/7; 955 959 823; open M -Tu 9am-5pm, W 9am-6pm, Th 9am-5pm, F 9am-4pm). Chequepoint currency exchanges should be avoided; we recommend withdrawing cash from ATMs.
Post Offices: Czech Post (T. G. Masaryka 559/1; 954 330 304; open M-F 7:30am-7pm, Sa 8am-1pm, Su 8am-noon).
Internet: Free Wi-Fi can be found in most cafés in Karlovy Vary.
BGLTQ+ Resources: Czechia is generally considered one of the most liberal Central European nations in terms of BGLTQ+ rights, legalizing same-sex partnerships in 2006. While Czech society is accepting and tolerant, however, BGLTQ+ individuals do not yet have full legal equality. For counseling for BGLTQ+ individuals in Karlovy Vary, try (Palackého 8; 731 549 171; www.ss-po.cz).
EMERGENCY INFORMATION
Emergency Number: 112
Police: 158; The City Police station (Moskevská 913/34, 353 118 911).
US Embassy: The nearest US Embassy is in Prague (Tržiště 365/15; 257 022 000; open M-F 8:15am-11:30pm).
Rape Crisis Center: There is no Rape Crisis Center in Karlovy Vary, but there is one located in Prague.
• Elektra (Chomutovická 1444/2; 603 812 361; www.centrumelektra.cz; open W, F 9am-4pm).
Hospitals: The general emergency number is 353 115 640.
• Karlovarská krajská nemocnice (Bezručova 19; 353 115 111; open daily 24hr)
• Policlinics (náměstí Dr. M. Horákové 1313/8; 353 112 213; open M-F 6:30am-6pm)
Pharmacies: Dr. Max (Horova 1223/1; 353 233 900; open M-F 7am-7pm, Sa-Su 8am-8pm)
ACCOMMODATIONS
HOTEL KAVALERIE ($$)
T. G. Masaryka 53/43; 353 229 613; www.kavalerie.cz; reception open daily 7:15am-6pm
If Karlovy Vary is indeed Coolio’s fabled “Gangsta’s Paradise,” it’s no wonder the song never mentions any hostels, seeing as the town has none. Thankfully, Karlovy Vary is home to a few, very affordable three-star hotels, of which Hotel Kavalerie is among the cheapest. Its location along T. G. Masaryka positions it smack dab in the middle of the town’s nightlife hubs, and only a five-minute walk from the colonnades. For a hotel, the amenities are pretty basic—a clean and comfortable room and a free breakfast, but that’s about it. That said, after you’ve spent your whole day walking through what Coolio describes as “the valley of the shadow of death,” it will feel like the Ritz.
i Twin from 703Kč; reservation recommended; BGLTQ+ friendly; no wheelchair accessibility; linens included; free breakfast
A. DALIA ($$)
5. Kvetna 1; 222 539 539; www.adalia.hotels-karlovy-vary.com; no reception, check-in from 2pm
With its homey rooms, manicured garden, and friendly owners, A. Dalia is one of the best backup options you could ask for. Yet, while nowhere in Karlovy Vary is ever more than a 10-minute walk away, this B&B, peacefully secluded atop a hill overlooking Hotel Thermal, will probably be one of the more strenuous 600-second walks you’ll take. Luckily, a nearby bus, which runs to the town center every five minutes, will save you the trouble.
i Singles from 750Kč, twins from 1000Kč; reservation recommended; BGLTQ+ friendly; no wheelchair accessibility
SIGHTS
CULTURE
KARLOVY VARY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Ivana Petrovice Pavlova 2001/11; 221 411 011; www.kviff.com
If you had told us that one of Central Europe’s biggest and most prestigious film festivals was situated in a small, Czech spa town where drinking hot, blood-tasting water was considered a treat, we would’ve called you a fat, stinking liar! But look who’s got egg on their face now! The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is as real as it gets. Held in the first week of July, the KVIFF screens over 200 films from nearly 50 countries and attracts around 15,000 visitors. It’s by the far the most exciting time to visit the town—clubs, bars, and restaurants pop up everywhere (keep a lookout for something called Aeroport), while the area surrounding Hotel Thermal—a brutalist structure built specially for the festival—is full of things to do and drink.
i Festival pass 1200Kč, reduced 900Kč; one-day pass 250Kč, reduced 200Kč; limited wheelchair accessibility
MUNICIPAL THEATRE
Divadelní náměstí 21; 353 225 621; www.karlovarske-divadlo.cz; hours and show times vary
If there’s one place in Karlovy Vary that we can’t stand, it’s the Municipal Theatre. This is partly because it’s full of seats, but also because we can’t bear its stunning Neo-Baroque beauty. Built in 1884 along the Vltava River, the theater is considered one of the country’s most magnificent with its interiors painted by a couple of goofy Austrian twenty-somethings named Gustav and Ernst Klimt. Their greatest contribution is the incredibly intricate, hand-painted curtain that hangs in front the stage. As far as we can tell, the theater doesn’t put on any English-language productions, but it often hosts orchestras, ballets, and operas.
i Ticket prices vary; wheelchair accessible
SPRING COLONNADE
Divadelní nám. 2036/2; 353 362 100; open daily 6am-6pm
Karlovy Vary’s spring water is probably what a vegetarian vampire would drink, because even though it’s 100% natural, it still retains that lovely blood taste. But where would this vampire go to get his fix? The Spring Colonnade, of course! The Colonnade’s three natural geysers pump out water at 30°C, 50°C, and 70°C, and hordes of tourists stomach the water’s bloody tang in exchange for its abundance of nutrients and minerals. Bring your own water bottle or purchase the traditional spa cups (120-190Kč), which also serve as a thoughtful souvenir to give to your favorite bloodsucker back home. The floor above functions as a gallery of locally-produced glassworks, while the area below is home to the thermal springs that you can tour every half hour.
i Free; wheelchair accessible
LANDMARKS
MILL COLONNADE
Mlýnské nábř.; open daily 24hr
If you walk along the Tepla River, you will inevitably come across the Mill Colonnade. It’s the de facto symbol of Karlovy Vary and one of the most beloved structures in town. In 1871, Josef Zitek, the architect behind Prague’s National Theatre and Rudolfinum, designed this Neo-Renaissance colonnade, which let spa guests enjoy the spring waters come rain, shine, or one of those pesky nineteenth-century plagues. Pretty cool, right? This next one’s even cooler. The structure is 132-meters long and it features 123 columns and an impressive five mineral springs.
i Free; wheelchair accessible
MUSEUMS
MOSER FACTORY AND MUSEUM
Kpt. Jaroše 46/19; 353 416 132; www.moser-glass.com; museum open daily 9am-5pm, factory tours 9:30am-2:30pm
Moser makes glassware like Mercedes Benz makes cars. Yes, in a factory—but also to an insanely high standard. Founded in 1857, this factory has produced some of the most celebrated luxury glassware in Europe, used by everyone from the saint-like Whoopi Goldberg to the hilarious Pope Pius. Most exhibits follow the same basic structure of “Moser did ‘x’ collection in ‘y’ year, and it was interesting because [insert uninteresting reason] and owned by ‘z’ dynasty/celebrity.” We highly recommend a 30min. tour of the factory, during which you’ll see 1200°C furnaces and sweat-drenched men blowing bubbles of glass.
i Museum and factory tour 180Kč, reduced 100Kč; factory tour 120Kč, reduced 70Kč; museum 80Kč, reduced 50Kč; wheelchair accessible
KARLOVY VARY MUSEUM
Nová louka 23; 736 650 047; www.en.kvmuz.cz; open May-Sept W-Su 10am-6pm, Oct-Apr 10am-5pm
What’s the deal with all the spas? Why are there so many colonnades? Did Goethe’s love affair with a girl 55 years his junior have anything to do with his frequent visits? Did melting butter have anything to do with 97% of the town burning down in 1604? A visit to the Karlovy Vary Museum, which covers the town’s modern and prehistoric past, will answer all these burning questions. The highlights include a large model of the town, parts of which you can illuminate to learn more, and an interactive screen with anecdotes about the town’s famous visitors, including Sebastian Bach, Karl Marx, as well as Sigmund Freud and his mother.
i Regular 100Kč, reduced 60Kč; wheelchair accessible
OUTDOORS
DVOŘÁK PARK
360 01 Karlovy Vary; open daily 24hr
Nowadays, when someone does something cool, the mayor will give them the key to the city. But back in the day, cool people had a park named in their honor, and the notoriously cool Czech composer Antonin Dvořák was no exception. Given that Dvořák was one of the most celebrated late-romantic composers of the nineteenth century, it’s no coincidence that the park is one of the most romantic spots in the city. The ornate Neo-Renaissance Park Colonnade forms the southern perimeter, inside which are lush lawns, vibrant flowerbeds, cherry blossoms, and perhaps most romantic of all, a statue of Dvořák himself. The colonnade often hosts concerts during the summer, but you really don’t need an excuse to sprawl yourself in the shade of these 200-year-old trees.
i Free; wheelchair accessible
FOOD
DOBRA CAJOVNA TEA HOUSE ($)
Bulharská 2; 608 822 827; www.tea.cz/obsah/27_dc-karlovy-vary; open daily 2pm-11pm
Whether it’s an actor-singer-dancer like Gene Kelly or a talking animal-comedian-corporate spokesperson like the Geico Gecko, we love a triple threat. That’s why this vegetarian restaurant-tea house-hookah bar is near the top of our list for places to eat in Karlovy Vary. Inconspicuously located in a basement on Zeyerova street, Dobra Cajovna is conspicuously adorned in Middle Eastern and Himalayan décor, with Nepalese prayer flags draped along the ceiling, Islamic geometric patterns covering the walls, and rugs and cushions on the floor. The food menu dabbles in hummus, falafel, and cheese and the drinks menu makes it possible to go around the world in 80 teas.
i Entrées from 98Kč; vegetarian options available; no wheelchair accessibility
PANOPTIKUM ($)
Bělehradská 1004/3; 728 520 822; open M-Th 11am-2am, F-Sa 11am-3am, Su 11am-midnight
If you’re near the bottom of town and desperate for some authentic Czech goulash/soup/schnitzel/whatever, you better tie yourself to the mast of your ship and resist the siren song of the touristy, restaurant-lined Zeyerova street as you make your way to Panoptikum. Just a three minute-walk away from the city center, this pub has portions fit for a future Weight Watcher and drafts on tap fit for a beer connoisseur or current alcoholic. The wooden walls are decorated with old-timey photos that document Czech history, and although there’s no outdoor seating, for those of the nicotine-persuasion, there’s a smoking area where you can indulge yourself as well as a non-smoking area where you can irritate the nerds who won’t shut up about their precious lungs.
i Entrées from 93Kč; vegetarian options available; limited wheelchair accessibility
REPUBLICA COFFEE ($$)
T. G. Masaryka 894/28; 720 347 166; www.e-restaurace.cz/u-krizovniku; open M-F 7am-7pm, Sa-Su 8am-7pm
Republica Coffee is a contender for the best café in town, especially if this accolade went to the café with the most tables covered in comic book panels or the comfiest leather armchairs. The coffee is drip, both in the brewing sense and in the-shaking-the-cup-above-your-mouth-to-make-sure-every-last-delicious-drop-drips-into-your-mouth-sense, and the hot chocolate is just the right mixture of creamy and thick. Once you collect your drink, sandwich, or pastry, chillax in the courtyard, or head upstairs and luxuriate in the aforementioned leather chairs.
i Coffee from 45Kč; vegetarian options available; wheelchair accessible
RESTAURACE U KRIZOVNIKU ($)
Moravská 2093/2a; 353 169 500; www.e-restaurace.cz/u-krizovniku; open daily 11am-11pm
Flannery O’Connor might’ve thought that a good man is hard to find, but finding a tasty, well-priced restaurant south of the colonnades might be even harder. While most places aren’t bad per se, they’ll leave your wallet at least 250-300Kc lighter. Luckily, this traditional Czech cuisine pub serves good meals and will save you some money. Its paintings on the walls and medieval torches hanging from the ceilings give it an authentic feel, and its location—just to the east of the Spring Colonnade—means it’s nearby tourist spots but not crawling with them.
i Food from 105Kč; vegetarian options available; limited wheelchair accessibility
NIGHTLIFE
BARRACUDA CARIBBEAN COCKTAIL BAR
Jaltská 7; 608 100 640; www.barracuda-bar.cz; open M-Th 7pm-1am, F-Sa 7pm-3am
After waiting half an hour for the friends you met at the sauna earlier in the day to return from the bathroom downstairs, you might assume you’ve been abandoned—a feeling that you’re all too accustomed to. Seeing as things can’t get any worse, you might use the five straws sticking out of the Cuba Libre bucket in front of you to make a giant straw and finish the whole drink in one giant slurp. But don’t do that! Your friends haven’t abandoned you. They’ve just discovered the small club hidden downstairs, which, replete with tiki masks and fishnets, echoes the above bar’s beachy aesthetic. It’s a cozy and slightly cheesy space that can be a ton of fun. But if you’re less of a dancer and more of a drinker, the bar’s 14-page cocktail menu will make you forget all about your abandonment issues.
i Cocktails from 80Kč, beer from 25Kč; cash only
KLUB PEKLO
Ivana Petrovice Pavlova 2001/11; 728 496 978; open M-Sa 9pm-6am
Occupying the basement of the brutalist high-rise Hotel Thermal, Klub Peklo is a monument to Western garishness—a tourist-filled, EDM-blasting space where your level of enjoyment is directly proportional to the number of shots consumed. The club is one large, low-ceilinged room. The bar bananas around a third of the club’s perimeter while the center is cluttered with sleek rolling leather chairs and glowing green prisms. A multigenerational melting pot of land dads, and their female equivalents, populate the dance floor, which is presided over by a DJ backlit by an LED screen of someone doing the worm. I
i Cover up to 50Kč; cash only
PRAGUE
Coverage by Nicholas Grundlingh
So you want to experience the beauty of Paris, but don’t think buying a cappuccino should require taking out a bank loan? You love the edginess of Berlin, but wish that—by virtue of you being a tourist—you weren’t immediately excluded from it? You dream of a city that is basically a “Now That’s What I Call Music!”-esque compilation of the best architecture from the last thousand years. Where culture and history flood every street, bridge, fortress, and castle, yet despite this, never takes itself too seriously, while also being one of the best places to party in Europe? Why, that sounds an awful lot like Prague! Of course, if you’re planning on traveling to Prague, you already know this. You know that the Old Town looks like an illustration from a fairytale, but you’ll soon find out that it’s one of those fairytales full of tourists. You know that the Charles Bridge and the Prague Castle are indisputable must-sees, but you’ll soon find out, with everything else the city has to offer, they certainly won’t be your highlights. Get lost amongst the bars, beer gardens, and galleries of the young and grungy Holesovice and Zizkov areas, bask in the unmatched tranquility of the Vysehrad fortress and park, and discover hidden gems in the heart of the city like the underworld bar Vzorkovna, the majestic Wallenstein Gardens, or the magical Karel Zeman Museum.
ORIENTATION
Just like the skull of some punk who got into a fight with the star of Stand by Me, Prague is split by a river, which, in this case, is the Vltava River rather than the late River Phoenix. Josefov (Jewish Quarter), Stare Mesto (Old Town), and Nove Mesto (New Town) line the east bank of the river, and Mala Strana (Lesser Town) and Hradcany (Castle District), line the West Bank. Numerous bridges connect the two banks, the most famous of which is the Charles. These areas are often populated by hordes of tourists, but you can escape them by heading further inland east to the more local and residential Zizkov and Vinohrady neighborhoods, or crossing the Vltava north of Stare Mesto, where you’ll find the grungy and artsy Holesovice district. What these less-touristy areas lack in sights, they make up for in cafés and dangerously chill vibes. The central bus and train stations are located just east of Stare Mesto in the Florenc District, while the Vaclav Havel Airport is found about an hour to the west.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE
No direct train or bus lines run from the airport to the city center, but there are buses that connect to metro lines, which will take you into the city. Bus #119 runs from the airport to Veleslavín metro station on the green Line A. Bus #100 runs from the airport to Zličín metro station on the yellow line B. Both these lines will take you into the city center. The total journey is around 40min. Purchase tickets from Public Transport counters in Terminals 1 and 2 from 7am-10pm. Alternatively, use the coinoperated vending machines at the bus stop. Note that drivers usually accept small notes and change. You may need to purchase a half-price ticket (10Kc) for large pieces of luggage. Remember to validate tickets in the yellow machines before boarding any public transport. If you’re arriving by train, you’ll most likely disembark at Praha Hlavní Nádraží, the main railway station, located between Nove Mesto and Zizkov. The railway station is connected to the metro system (red line C). One stop north will connect you to the yellow line B, and one stop south to the green Line C; both will take you to the city center. Trains along the Berlin-Prague-Vienna/Bratislava route may disembark at the Praha Holešovice station, which is located in the north region of Prague. This station also connects to the metro via red line C. Most international buses disembark at Florenc Bus Station, which is just east of the Old Town.
GETTING AROUND
The public transport system is convenient and consists of three metro lines (green line A, yellow line B, red line C), trams, and buses. The same ticket is used for all forms of public transportation. Ticket options include: 30min. (for tram rides only, or metro journeys up to five stops, 24Kc), 90min. (32Kc), 24hr (110Kc), and 72hr (310Kc). Be sure to validate your ticket in the yellow machines on buses and trams or at the base of escalators in metro stations. Plainclothes police officers will often inspect tickets. They are notoriously strict and will fine you up to 1000Kc if you have not validated your ticket. The metro runs from 5am-midnight, and buses and trams operate from 4:30am-12:15am. Night buses and trams operate less frequently from 12:15am-4:30am. The central point of nighttime transfers is Lazarska in Nove Mesto. Be wary of potential pickpockets on crowded trains, trams, and buses, especially on trams #22 and 23. The minimum taxi fare is 28Kc/km. We recommend that you order a taxi through a dispatch office, where you can get information on fares in advance. Dispatch services that speak English include AAA radiotaxi (222 333 222; aaataxi.cz), Citytaxi Praha (257 257 257; www.citytaxi.cz) and Modry andel (737 222 333; www.modryandel.cz).
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Tourist Offices: Old Town Hall Tourist and Information Center (Staroměstské náměstí 1; open daily 9am-7pm)
Banks/ATMs/Currency Exchange: ATMs can be found in the city center and tourist areas, belonging to local and international banks. Many are located in or around Wenceslas Square and can generally be found in shopping centers and metro stations. In the city, beware of currency exchanges that charge high commission fees. Exchange (Kaprova 14/13; 800 22 55 88; open M-F 9am-10pm, Sa-Su 9am-8pm) is found in Josefov and known as one of the most reliable currency exchanges.
Post Offices: Czech Post (Jindřišská 909/14; 221 131 445; open daily 2am-midnight)
Internet: Free Wi-Fi can be found at nearly every café, hostel, and most restaurants also provide free Wi-Fi.
BGLTQ+ Resources: Czechia is generally considered one of the most liberal Central European nations in terms of BGLTQ+ rights, legalizing same-sex partnerships in 2006. However, while Czech society is accepting and tolerant, BGLTQ+ individuals do not yet have full legal equality. Here are some resources:
• Gay Iniciativa (gay.iniciativa.cz/www/index) offers a 24hr hotline (476 701 444).
• GLBTI Counseling Center (Cílkova 639/24; 775 264 545; glbtiporadna.unas.cz)
EMERGENCY INFORMATION
Emergency Number: 112
Police: 156; the police headquarters are located directly at the bottom of Wenceslas Square (Jungmannovo nám. 771/9; 974 851 750, 24hr hotline).
US Embassy: The US Embassy (Tržiště 365/15; 257 022 000; open M-F 8:15am-11:30pm) is located in Mala Strana, near Malostranské náměstí).
Rape Crisis Center: There are two rape crisis centers located in Prague, which provide national crisis helplines.
• Elektra (Chomutovická 1444/2; 603 812 361; www.centrumelektra.cz; open W, F 9am-4pm)
• proFem o.p.s (Plzenská 846/66; 608 222 277; www.profem.cz; open Tu 9am-noon, W 5:30-8:30pm)
Hospitals:
• The University Hospital in Motol (V Úvalu 84; 224 431 111)
• Nemocnice Na Momolce (Roent-genova 37/2; 257 271 111)
Pharmacies: Pharmacies in Prague are known as “Lékárnas.”
• Lékárna Palackého (Palackého 720/5; 224 946 982; open daily 24hr)
• Lékárna U Svaté Ludmily (Belgicka 37; 222 513 396)
ACCOMMODATIONS
ART HOLE HOSTEL ($$$)
Soukenická 1756/34, Staré Město; 222 314 028; www.artholehostel.com; reception open 24hr
Art Hole feels more like a communal living area than a hostel. The reception and kitchen areas function as social spaces and the staff prepare nightly dinners that’ll make you realize the true meaning of ohana (meaning “family”). Like many hostels in Prague, Art Hole only allows 18-to-35-year-olds to stay in its dorms, which injects the place with a youthful energy. The wall murals are a hodgepodge of twentieth-century art, and you’ll find the minimalism of De Stijl, the maximalism of Warhol, or the mickeyism of Walt Disney in nearly every room you enter. Even though the bathroom space is a little cramped, Art Hole’s positives, such as its 5-minute walking distance from the Old Town Square, outshine such negatives.
i Dorms from 450 Kč during summer; reservation recommended; linens, towels included; laundry facilities; free breakfast
SIR TOBY’S HOSTEL ($)
Dělnická 1155/24, Holešovice; 246 032 610; www.sirtobys.com; reception open 24hr
If you’re interested in staying in the hip part of Prague, making friends with fellow travelers, and sleeping in spacious rooms with debunked beds, then Sir Toby’s hostel is your knight in shining armor. Found near the bottom of Holešovice, Sir Toby’s is a short walk away from fantastic cafés, galleries, clubs, and bars, the nearest of which is found in their brick cellar basement. Whether you’re participating in a nightly event (game nights, beer tastings, BBQs) or enjoying the 25Kc per beer happy hour, you’re guaranteed to meet fellow guests. The Prague Castle and Old Town are just 10 to 15 minutes away by tram.
i Dorms from 250Kč, singles and twins from 768Kč; reservation recommended; BGLTQ+ friendly; wheelchair accessible; lockers provided; linens included; laundry facilities
ADAM AND EVA ($$)
Zborovská 497/50, Mala Strana; 733 286 804; www.adamevahostelprague.com; reception open 8am-10pm
We have two theories about how this hostel got its name. 1) It possesses the peace and tranquility of the Garden of Eden. 2) It was built using a man’s ribs. But then again, these are just theories—why don’t we look at the facts? Composed of just two floors, Adam and Eva is as cozy as a cloth you drape over your nether regions. Each floor has a small balcony area that overlooks a courtyard, the reception has a map that points out all the best things to do in the area, and each bottom bunk bed is fitted with a curtain, which gives a sense of professionalism to any puppet shows you might want to put on for fellow guests.
i Dorms from 312Kč, twins from 390Kč; reservation recommended; no wheelchair accessibility; Wi-Fi; linens included; laundry facilities
AHOY HOSTEL ($$$)
Na Perštýně 10, Stare Mesto; 773 00 4003; www.ahoyhostel.com; reception open 24hr
Everyone always talks about how “size matters,” but we think location matters more. After all, a penis on an elbow is not sexy. Ahoy Hostel understands this, with its location in the swankier region of Stare Mesto. Wenceslas Square is a five-minute walk away. Charles Bridge is only double that. The proximity is prime, and while there aren’t too many landmarks in the immediate vicinity, tram and metro stations are practically on the hostel’s doorstep. Although the hostel’s dorms are scarce on charging outlets, its rooms are big on cleanliness and comfort.
i Dorms from 492Kč, twins from 1378Kč; reservation recommended; no wheelchair accessibility; linens included; laundry facilities
CZECH INN ($)
Francouzská 240/76, Vinohrady; 267 267 612; www.czech-inn.com; reception open 24hr
Check in at the Czech Inn and you’ll be overwhelmed with things to check out! The only Prague member of the prestigious Europe’s Famous Hostels group, Czech Inn boasts 36-bed dorms (a budget traveler’s dream), a large and vibrant bar downstairs, as well as a series of nightly events. Every week, the basement bar hosts live music performances as well as one of the few English-language comedy nights in Prague, the latter of which is worth checking out even if you aren’t staying at the hostel. While Vinohrady is a 15min. tram ride away from the city’s main attractions, the hip and trendy area is littered with less-touristy restaurants and cafés.
i Dorms from 125Kč, twins from 975Kč; reservation recommended; BGLTQ+ friendly; no wheelchair accessibility; linens included; laundry facilities; breakfast 150Kč
MOSAIC HOUSE ($$$)
Odborů 278/4, Nove Mesto; 221 595 350; www.mosaichouse.com; reception open 24hr
“Mosaic House” doesn’t just refer to the assortment of sculptures and installations that adorn its façade and entrance, but also its myriad purposes. A hostel, hotel, restaurant, trendy barlounge, and green building all in one, this place is truly the Swiss Army knife of accommodations (by the time this is published, we assume Dunkirk will have launched Harry’s acting career and he’ll be recognized for versatility). Mosaic House has the feel of a chic hotel, and as such, prices higher than those of your average hostel. While there’s a common area in the main building for hotel and hostel guests alike, you have to exit the building to access the kitchen/common room specific to the hostel, which remains open until 9pm.
i Dorms from 416Kč, twins from 3126Kč; reservation recommended; wheelchair accessible; Wi-Fi; linens included; laundry facilities; breakfast buffet 40Kč
SOPHIE’S HOSTEL ($)
Melounova 2, Nové Město; 246 032 621; www.sophieshostel.com; reception open 24hr
Although the name may indicate otherwise, this place is really a hostel of the people. With nightly events, a 24hr bar and a 25Kč per beer happy hour, it’s almost impossible not to befriend fellow guests, which makes it perfect for solo travelers and a nightmare for misanthropes. The rooms, like the rest of the hostel, have a modern and chic feel. They come mercifully equipped with a fan, making hot summer nights bearable. Located in the center of Nové Město and thus in the center of Prague, the hostel is near tram and metro stations.
i Dorms from 250Kč, double from 1200Kč; reservation recommended; BGLTQ+ friendly; no wheelchair accessibility; linens included; laundry facilities
SIGHTS
CULTURE
BIO OKO
Františka Křížka 460/15, Holešovice; 233 382 606; www.biooko.net; show times vary
People get homesick in different ways. While some tend to miss their mother’s home-cooked meals, others long for their country’s independent cinema. Bio Oko primarily caters to the latter, but its café might just have something to offer the former as well. Screening three films a day during the week and five a day on weekends, the movie theatre showcases local, international, and American art-house films. When we visited, Bio Oko was holding a Christopher Nolan retrospective (or maybe we just dreamt that it was?) as well as outdoor summer screenings at the Prague Exhibition Grounds. Even by Czech standards, the tickets are extremely affordable, and your options for reclining are leather chairs, beach loungers, or giant bean bags.
i Tickets from 100Kč; wheelchair accessible
JATKA78
Jateční 1530, Holešovice; 773 217 127; www.jatka78.cz; open M-F 10am-midnight, Sa 9am-midnight, Su 6pm-midnight
A circus in a slaughterhouse. While it could be the name of some angsty emo band you liked as a teen, it’s actually a pretty accurate description of Jatka78. In 2015, a group of performers successfully crowdfunded the conversion of an abandoned slaughterhouse into two theatre halls and a gallery-café space. Throughout the year and more intermittently during the summer, Jatka78 puts on performances as often as once a day. But even if you can’t make it to a show, the space alone is worth a visit, with its large snake-like wooden structure that twists and coils itself around the inside of the building.
i Tickets from 250 Kč; wheelchair accessible
MEETFACTORY
Ke Sklárně 3213/15, Smíchov; 251 551 796; www.meetfactory.cz; open daily 1pm-8pm, evening programs run later
A night at MeetFactory will drive you up the wall. Not just because of the two red cars vertically hanging above its entrance, but also due to the frustration you’ll feel that your middle-of-nowhere hometown doesn’t have a concert venue-art gallery-theater space-outdoor cinema as cool as this. The brainchild of “the Czech Banksy” David Cerny, MeetFactory is an industrial space that consistently attracts the biggest names in indie and electronic music, hosts a week-long summer film program, and curates three art galleries.
i Event ticket prices vary; wheelchair accessible
SHAKESPEARE AND SONS
U Lužického semináře 91/10, Malá Strana; 257 531 894; www.shakes.cz; open daily 11am-8pm
Normally, even the best English-language bookstores in non-English-speaking countries pale in comparison to your average Barnes and Noble back home. However, Shakespeare and Sons, which is unaffiliated with but of a similar quality to the famous Shakespeare
and Co. in Paris, breaks this trend. The store’s selection, while not as large as a Barnes and Noble, is incredibly well curated, meaning that you’re just as likely to find the debut novel of the latest literary sensation as you are works by every big name in the Western canon. The poetry, philosophy, and second-hand collections are particularly impressive, and the Czech section is impressively particular, containing almost the entire bibliographies of national sweethearts, Kafka and Kundera.
i Books from 200Kč; limited wheelchair accessibility
LANDMARKS
SS. CYRIL AND METHODIUS CATHEDRAL
Resslova 9a, Nove Mesto; 224 920 686; open Tu-Sa 9am-5pm
Quentin Tarantino would have you believe that Brad Pitt was the most notorious Nazi killer of the Second World War, but in truth, it was a group of Czech paratroopers, who, in May 1942, assassinated the architect of the Holocaust, Reinhard Heydrich. Unfortunately, the Czechs didn’t have much time to celebrate. Three weeks later, the Germans, who had launched a vicious retaliatory attack on the Czechs, found the assassins hiding out in the crypt of the Ss. Cyril and Methodius Cathedral, and after a heated battle, the remaining paratroopers, in order to avoid capture, took their own lives. Today, the bullet-hole ridden crypt serves as an exhibition and memorial dedicated to the heroes of the assassination. The cathedral represents a part of Czech history that tourists often overlook.
i Admission 75Kč, reduced 35Kč; no wheelchair accessibility
VYSEHRAD
V Pevnosti 159/5b, Vinohrady; 241 410 348; www.praha-vysehrad.cz; open daily Nov-Mar 9:30am-5pm, Apr-Oct 9:30am-6pm
Recommended by nearly every local we met, Vysehrad, a tenth-century fortress, sits atop a rocky promontory overlooking the Vltava River, and is the most idyllic spot in the city. Vysehrad served as the royal seat of Bohemia for a glorious 40 years before its role was usurped by Prague Castle. Today, the castle building itself no longer exists, but the infinitely tranquil parks and what, in our opinion, is the most stunning church in Prague still do. The fortress walls also contain the eleventh-century Rotunda of St. Marti, which is one of the city’s oldest surviving buildings, the underground Casements, which store six of the original Charles Bridge statues, and a cemetery, home to the graves of Antonin Dvorak and Alfons Mucha, and the Slavin tomb.
i Free entry to Vysehrad fortress; Church of St. Peter and St Paul 50Kč, reduced 30Kč; The Brick Gate, Casemates, Gorlice Hall and Permanent Exhibition 60Kč, reduced 30Kč; last entry 30min. before closing; limited wheelchair accessibility
CHARLES BRIDGE
Karluv most, Staré Mesto; www.prague.cz/charles-bridge; open daily 24hr
During the high season, a walk across the Charles Bridge is not so much a walk as it is a swim through a sea of bodies, so the perfect time to visit is early in the morning after a night out. At 5:31am on July 9, 1357, the Czechs’ beloved King Charles IV laid the first stone of the bridge, doing so at that exact time because it formed an auspicious “numerical bridge” (1357 9/7 5:31). The bridge once served as the royal passageway from the Old Town to the Prague Castle, but nowadays it’s occupied by street vendors and caricature artists. Impressive Baroque statues line the sides of the bridges but these statues are actually replicas and the originals can be found at the Vysehrad fortress. Oh, we forget to mention that the bridge is allegedly the pickpocket capital of Europe, so if you’re looking for a good place to pickpocket, you should probably choose somewhere less mainstream.
i Free; wheelchair accessible
JEWISH QUARTER
Josefov, Stare Mesto; 222 317 191; www.jewishmuseum.cz; open summer Tu-Sa 9am-6pm, winter 9am-4:30pm
Just north of Old Town Square, the Jewish Quarter is one of the most historic sites in the city, home to five synagogues and the Old Jewish cemetery. A standard ticket (Ticket B, 330Kc) will give you access to most of the sights, including the cemetery as well as the Pinkas and Spanish synagogues, but access to the Old-New Synagogue—the oldest synagogue in Europe—can only be secured through the purchase of Ticket A+B (500Kc). The Old-New Synagogue isn’t much to look at, and thus, if you’re on a budget, Ticket B will suit you just fine. The Pinkas Synagogue’s walls are covered in the names of the 78,000 Czech-Jews who died in the Holocaust, and the exhibits upstairs showcase drawings created by children from the Thereseinstadt concentration camp.
i With Old-New Synagogue 500Kč, reduced 340Kč; without Old-New Synagogue 330Kč, reduced 220Kč; limited wheelchair accessibility
JOHN LENNON WALL
Velkopřevorské náměstí, Malá Strana; open daily 24hr
A visit to the John Lennon Wall is obligatory. Created in the late 1980s as a rebuke to the country’s communist regime, which had banned western music, the wall symbolized the desire amongst Czech youth for “Lennonism, Not Leninism.” Following the fall of communism, however, the wall transformed from a counterculture icon to a fun spot for tourists and locals to spray-paint messages of peace and love, the most memorable of which is a mural of an Ewok doing the black power salute, captioned “Fuck Wars.” It’s just a minute from Charles Bridge, which means you really have no excuse for not checking it out, unless, of course, you are virulently pro-war.
i Free; wheelchair accessible
OLD TOWN SQUARE AND ASTRONOMICAL CLOCK
Stareměstská náměstí, Staré Město; 236 002 629; clock tower open M 11am-10pm, Tu-Su 9am-10pm
Old Town Square is effectively the heart of Prague, and the area’s history and architectural beauty make it a compulsory visit. In the middle of the square sits a memorial dedicated to the Czech hero Jan Hus, who was one of the first people to do the now unthinkable act of giving the Catholic Church a hard time. You’ll also find the double-towered, Gothic Church of Our Lady before Týn, as well as the one and only Astronomical Clock, in front of which hundreds of people gather outside to watch puppets representing Death, Vanity, Greed, and Pleasure jump out of the clock face and stiffly move a few limbs for a couple of minutes each hour. It’s not worth the hype, but something you might as well see if you’re in the square.
i Clock tower 120Kč, reduced 70Kč; wheelchair accessible
PRAGUE CASTLE
119 08 Prague 1, Hradcany; 224 373 368; www.hrad.cz; castle complex open daily Tu-Sa 6am-10pm, historical buildings 9am-5pm
Castle, castle on the hill, do you provide visitors with a thrill? Visitor, visitor down below, the answer is yes and no. Yes, because Prague Castle—which isn’t so much a castle as a collection of palaces, churches, and towers—contains St. Vitus Cathedral, whose stained-glass windows make it one of the most stunning structures in Prague. No, because from an aesthetic perspective the other buildings in the castle don’t offer much, which given that regular tickets cost at least 250Kc (we recommend the Circuit B option) and a half hour of queuing, leaves us on the fence.
i Circuit A (350Kč, reduced 175Kč), Circuit B (250Kč, reduced 125Kc), Circuit C (350Kč, reduced 175Kč); last entry at 4:40pm; limited wheelchair accessibility
MUSEUMS
DOX CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART
Poupětova 1, Holešovice; 295 568 123; www.dox.cz; open M 10am-6pm, W 11am-7pm, Th 11am-9pm, F 11am-7pm, Sa-Su 10am-6pm
With a façade that functions as a work of art, a 42-meter-long blimp suspended in the courtyard, and a giant crucifix made out of sneakers hanging from a wall below it, DOX is arguably just as interesting a space as it is a gallery. But that argument would be shut down quickly given the quality of the center’s exhibits. Aiming to provide a “critical reflection on current social topics,” DOX’s constantly changing exhibition spaces deal with topics such as big data, capitalism, “the cage of one’s own mind,” and many other cheerful things, none of which, at least when we visited, featured a single painted canvas, but one of which contained three VR headsets. The regular tickets are pretty reasonably priced.
i Admission 180Kč, reduced 90Kč; last entry 1hr before closing; wheelchair accessible
KAFKA MUSEUM
Cihelná 635/2b, Malá Strana; 257 535 373; www.kafkamuseum.cz; open daily 10am-6pm
Kafka, perhaps more than any other writer, explored what it meant to be a cockroach, and this museum, certainly more than any other museum, explores what it meant to be Kafka. The museum is filled with Kafka’s own letters, manuscripts, sketches, and diary entries, as well as critical commentaries that help make sense of his life and work. What’s more, the dimly lit rooms, eerie background music, and unsettling exhibit layouts work together to produce an atmosphere that can only be described by the term named after the writer himself: Kafkaesque. The museum is worthwhile, as it provides the perfect starting point for learning about a writer that everyone should know how to pretentiously reference.
i Admission 200Kč, reduced 120Kč; wheelchair accessible
KAREL ZEMAN MUSEUM
Saská 80/1, Malá Strana; 724 341 091; www.muzeumkarlazemana.cz; open daily 10am-7pm
Karel Zeman is one of the most celebrated animators and Czech filmmakers of the twentieth century, having inspired everyone from Monty Python to Wes Anderson. But, unless you grew up in Czechia during the Cold War, you’ve probably never seen his work. Zeman’s films embody a rare combination of artistic brilliance and childlike innocence, and walking through the museum—where you’ll encounter props, costumes, puppets, and most prominently, video clips from his films—you’ll likely be overcome with the same wonder and awe that you’d get from Pixar movies, which—surprise, surprise—owe a great debt to Zeman.
i Admission 200Kč, reduced 140Kč; last entry 1hr before closing; wheelchair accessible
NATIONAL GALLERY
Sternberg Palace (Hradčanské náměstí 15), Trade Fair Palace (Dukelských hrdinů 47), Kinsky Palace (Old Town Square 12); 224 301 122; www.ngprague.cz; open Tu-Su 10am-6pm
Prague’s National Gallery comprises many individual galleries scattered throughout the city. The most popular galleries include the Sternberg Palace in Hradcany, which showcases European art from the fourteenth to eighteenth century, and the Trade Fair Palace in Holesovice, which is the largest exhibition and focuses on contemporary works. Skip the Alfons Mucha museum and head to the Trade Fair Palace, if you’re content with seeing just a few works by Prague’s prodigal Art-Nouveau son. In Old Town Square, Kinsky Palace houses an interesting, but inessential Asian art exhibition.
i Admission 150Kč, reduced 80Kč, students free; wheelchair accessible
OUTDOORS
BOAT RENTAL ALONG VLTAVA RIVER
Janáčkovo nábř, Staré Město; open10am-sundown (varies)
Whether you’re pedaling a car-shaped boat or rowing a boat-shaped boat, an hour on the Vltava River is one of the best ways to spend an afternoon in Prague. Boat rental companies are scattered along the Staré Město bank between the Charles and Legií bridges, with many found on Slovansky ostrov island. Once you’ve paid 200-300Kč (depending on the kind of boat), you are free to roam anywhere between the Charles and the Jiráskův most bridges. While most kiosks remain open until sundown, some offer the option of renting an oil lamp-lit boat at night, which makes for a great date idea. What’s more, if the date goes badly, you can just push the other person into the river.
i Boat rental from 200Kc; limited wheelchair accessibility
LETNÁ PARK AND METRONOME
Badeniho; www.prahazelena.cz/letenske-sady. html; open daily 24hr
Why spend 10 bucks on the latest Drake album when you could get #views like this for free? That’s a question we asked ourselves many times as we sat in Letná Park overlooking the entire city, feeling like fools as we stared at Drake’s face on the cover of the CD we bought. The optimum viewing point is, without a doubt, on a ledge under the giant Prague Metronome, which occupies the former spot of the reviled Stalin monument and serves as a reminder of the city’s past. When the sun’s about to set, there’s no better place to be. But there’s more to this park than just breathtaking vistas and historically-significant landmarks. Walk west and you’ll encounter one of the most idyllic beer gardens in Prague.
i Free; limited wheelchair accessibility
NAPLAVKA RIVERBANK
Rašínovo nábřeží, Vinohrady; open daily 8am-3am
It would be trippy if we told you that the best beer garden in Prague wasn’t a garden, wouldn’t it? Well, we hope you don’t suffer from vertigo, because the best garden in Prague isn’t a garden, or even park, but a riverbank. Woah! Every summer evening, locals and in-the-know tourists swarm the stretch of the Vltava riverbank between Palackého most (Palacký Bridge) and Železniční most (Railway Bridge). The area is lined with beer-serving barges, hole-in-the-wall cocktail bars, food stalls, as well as a Captain Morgan-sponsored club in the hull of a pirate ship. Hunt down a 25Kč pilsner and find a spot on the edge of the river, or hunt down a few and you might just fall in.
i Free; limited wheelchair accessibility
PETRIN HILL AND TOWER
Petrínské sady, Mala Strana; 257 320 112; www.muzeumprahy.cz/198-petrinska-rozhledna; funicular open daily 9am-11:20pm; tower open daily Nov-Feb 10am-6pm, Mar, Oct 10am-8pm, Apr-Sept 10am-10pm
France’s best-kept secret for over a hundred years, the Eiffel Tower first received international exposure in the 2000 box-office smash Rugrats in Paris. Prague, too, decided to build its own in 1891. The Petrin Tower is a 60-meter-tall structure that, when you take into account the hill it sits atop, is nearly as tall as the 324-meter original. Take a 30-minutes walk from the base of the hill to its peak, a 299-step hike to the tower’s viewing platform for stunning panoramic views of the city. Alternatively, use your public transport ticket for a ride up in a funicular.
i Funicular free with public transport ticket, tower 150Kč, reduced 80Kč; wheelchair accessible
FOOD
CAFÉ LOUVRE ($$)
Národní 22, Nove Mesto; 224 930 949; www.cafelouvre.cz; open daily 8am-11:30pm
Café Louvre is fantastic, but don’t just take our word for it—take Albert Einstein’s and Franz Kafka’s. Back in the day, this café was a favorite amongst Prague’s intellectual community, and when these geeks and nerds weren’t discussing nuclear physics and the futility of man, they were most likely chomping on some very reasonably priced traditional Czech food. Enter under the “Café Louvre” marquee, follow a long hallway and head upstairs, where you’ll encounter a scene straight out of your Gatsby nightmares. The ceilings are high, the tablecloths white, the lighting fixtures unusual, and the walls covered in a mix of old-school advertisements and black-and-white photos.
i Entrées from 139Kč; vegetarian options available; no wheelchair accessibility
PARALLEL POLIS ($)
Dělnická 475/43, Holešovice; 702 193 936; www.paralelnipolis.cz; open M-F 8am-8pm, Sa-Su noon-9pm
Parallel Polis is the world’s first bitcoin café, which means you can only pay with, you guessed it, bitcoin. If you’re some kind of Luddite who doesn’t have a healthy stash of bitcoins already saved in the cloud, don’t worry. There’s a bitcoin ATM inside the café that’ll sort you out. What’s with this café’s obsession with bitcoin anyway? Is it, like, run by some sort of crypto-anarchist hacking collective? Yes. Yes, it is. Above the café is the Institute of Cryptoanarchy, which aims to promote personal privacy, liberty, and all those other things that make people enemies of the state. But don’t let all this cyber mumbo-jumbo distract you from that fact that the café, equipped with fancy V60 and aeropress filters, knows how to make a damn good cup of joe.
i Coffee from 40Kč, cash and credit cards accepted for bitcoin exchange; vegetarian options available; wheelchair accessible
CHOCO CAFE ($)
Red Chair, Liliová 250/4, Staré Město; 222 222 519; www.choco-cafe.cz; open daily 10am-8pm
If you gave this hot chocolate its own Instagram account, you’d be guaranteed to have at least one hundred dudes commenting “thicc af (peach emoji)” on every single post. But when a drink’s this creamy, rich, and, yes, thick, what else would you expect? Even calling it a drink is a bit of a stretch. It has much more in common with a chocolate bar left in your pocket on a summer’s day. If this is your first rodeo at Choco, stick to the most basic options, lest you risk a cardiac arrest of the senses. But if you think a trip to your sensory cardiologist is long overdue, then go for one of the chili, ginger, or alcoholic varietals.
i Hot chocolate from 59Kč; wheelchair accessible
CRÊPERIE “U SLEPE KOCICKY” ($$)
M. Horákové 600/38, Holešovice; 233 371 855; www.slepakocicka.cz; open daily 11am-11pm
While any restaurant with the word “crêpe” in the title will inevitably catch our eye—which, in the past, has led to heartbreak and stomachache—these crêpes are a cause to celebrate. With a comprehensive range of both sweet and savory pancakes and crêpes at very affordable prices, you can order everything from salmon, sour cream, and chicken to banana, chocolate, nuts, and eggnog. Beyond the food, the restaurant looks like it’s straight out of a fairytale about a nice, old woman who’s obsessed with cats. The wood-paneled interiors are decked out with feline-themed paintings, statues, and lampshade decorations. Luckily, the flowerpots dangling from the ceiling provide a merciful counterbalance to the cat-holism.
i Savory crêpes from 139Kč, sweet crêpes from 69Kč; wheelchair accessible
FERDINANDA ($)
Karmelitská 379/18, Mala Strana; 257 534 015; www.ferdinanda.cz; open M-Sa 11am-11pm, Su 11am-5pm
If your money’s about as tight as a nun’s budget to buy school supplies for the poor orphans she looks after, look no further than Ferdinanda. The restaurant’s underground setting deprives it of the street-side seating common to most Mala Strana eateries, but when a bowl of goulash and a half pint of beer cost a mere 148Kč, we couldn’t care less. The locals and tourists that regularly pack the place don’t either. The menu also includes a vegetarian section, which isn’t always guaranteed in most Czech cuisine places. Seeing as most of the nearby restaurants in Malostranske Nam. charge 200Kč or more per main, it’s best to remember the unofficial Trump motto of “When they go high, we go low” and seek out the budget-friendly underworld of Ferdinanda.
i Entrées from 85Kč; vegetarian options available; no wheelchair accessibility
FOOD OF LOVE ($$)
Nerudova 219/32, Mala Strana; 736 633 098; www.foodoflove.cz; open daily 11am-10pm
With the overabundance of meat-heavy Czech cuisine restaurants, being a vegetarian in Prague can sometimes make you feel like the only free-range chicken in an industrial slaughterhouse. Thankfully for everyone who found that simile in poor taste, there’s Food of Love, a quaint vegetarian restaurant situated in a courtyard just below Prague Castle. Beyond the vegetarian options, the menu is loaded with raw vegan and gluten-free meals. It also offers vegetarian goulash and over 20 varieties of tea. To find the restaurant, walk up Nerudova street, and about 20 meters before a more obnoxiously signposted vegan restaurant, turn into a small art gallery to the right and continue into the courtyard.
i Entrées from 165Kc; gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options available; wheelchair accessible
LOKÁL DLOUHÁÁÁ ($$)
Dlouhá 33, Staré Město; 222 316 265; www.lokal-dlouha.ambi.cz; open Su-F 11am-1am, Sa 11am-midnight
While most people are rightfully suspicious of Old Town restaurants that make a big deal about their local cuisine, you can let your guard down at Lokal. A huge beer hall populated by locals and tourists alike, this restaurant serves a wide array of traditional Czech cuisine that’s as tasty as it is filling. After one plate of fried cheese and a helping of sausages, we felt simultaneously at one with the universe and practically comatose. The Old Town location is just one of many scattered across Prague, but thankfully the fact that it’s a chain doesn’t detract from the quality of the food or the restaurant’s authentic feel, the latter of which is bolstered by the 40Kč mugs of beer.
i Entrées from 115Kč, starters from 85Kč; wheelchair accessible
THE CRAFT ($)
Náměstí Míru 1221/4, Vinohrady; 306 577 4230; www.thecraft.cz; open Su-F noon-midnight, F-Sa noon-2am
When your beers are microbrewed and you treat burgers as an artisanal practice, there’s no better name for your restaurant than The Craft, which, just off Namesti Miru (Peace Square), is a go-to-place for the young Vinohrady crowd. Each burger has a juicy and tender patty between a warm and toasty bun, both of which are impaled with a giant steak knife instead of a measly toothpick. We found the tiger-prawn-topped Surf and Turf burger to be a revelation. The bathrooms are stocked with cotton wool and Q-tips, which may or may not come in handy for a less-than-clean backpacker such as yourself.
i Burgers from 209Kč; wheelchair accessible
NIGHTLIFE
NEONE
Bubenská 1477/1, Holešovice; 723 063 209; open F-Sa 10pm-6am
Devoid of drunken tourists and trashy music, Neone is an electronic music lover’s dream and a British bachelor party’s worst nightmare. Originally created as a temporary venue, Neone was so popular amongst the more artsy and hip locals that it became a permanent fixture of Prague’s nightlife scene. Found at the bottom of Holešovice, the club occupies an unsuspecting, office-like building, identifiable by the façade’s green neon “N.” It draws the most cutting-edge electronic DJs and producers from across Europe, and mesmerizing visual art projections usually accompany their sets. With its DIY-attitude and communal feel, Neone is possibly the closest thing you’ll find to a Berlin-esque club in Prague.
i Cover 130Kc; cash only, limited wheelchair accessibility
CLUB ROXY
Dlouhá 33, Stare Mesto; 608 060 745; www.roxy.cz; open daily 11pm-5am
Karlovy Lazne, the five-story club next to Charles Bridge, is the symbol of the trashy side of Prague’s nightlife, and, unless you’re the kind of person who likes doing things “for the experience,” should be avoided. However, for those wanting to experience Prague’s mainstream clubbing scene without a tourist trap reputation and a 200Kč entrance fee, Club Roxy is a worthy alternative. Near the north of Stare Mesto, the club boasts a massive, techno/house-heavy dance floor and a crowd of tourists and locals alike. People of all ages flock here as if it’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. If you like minimal entry fees and, by club standards, cheap drinks, you’ll have a lot to be thankful for.
i Cover up to 250Kc, beer from 50Kc, wine from 45Kč, shots from 65Kč, cocktails from 95Kč; cash only, limited wheelchair accessibility
CROSS CLUB
Plynární 1096/23, Holešovice; 736 535 053; www.crossclub.cz; open daily 2pm-5am
Cross Club evokes Optimus Prime deciding to go steampunk and, due to violating the sleek Autobot aesthetic, being subsequently broken down into his constituent parts, which were then sold to the villain from Mad Max and used to furnish a local resto-bar-club. Once you’ve figured out how to navigate the multiple floors of this labyrinthine complex, you’ll find it full of punks, hippies, locals, and tourists, all of whom are looking for something more alternative than Prague’s mainstream nightlife offerings. The music spans several genres and is blasted out of one of the best sound systems in the city.
i Beer from 22Kc, cocktails from 66Kc; cash only; BGLTQ+ friendly
KLUB UJEZD
Újezd 422/18, Mala Strana; 251 510 873; www.klubujezd.cz; open daily 2pm-4am
Klub Ujezd must be on a sea monster diet, because as soon as you step inside this bar, you see monsters. Sea monsters. The Loch Ness monster protrudes from the yellow walls, while other mythical creatures hang from the ceiling and coil around the light bulbs. Play some foosball, and shout your drink order across the steampunk-y barrier that separates you from the bartender, or venture down into the stone-cobbled basement where things get a little grungier. Regularly hosting live music, DJs, and art exhibitions, Klub Ujezd is one of the most beloved spots west of the Vltava River.
i Beer and spirits from 30Kč, shots from 49Kč; cash only, limited wheelchair accessibility
VLKOVA 26
Vlkova 699/26, Zizkov; open Tu-Sa 8pm-3am
The cool kids of Prague wouldn’t touch a lot of the bars and pubs in Old Town with a ten-foot pole. So where are the bars they touch? Well, of course, there’s Holešovice, but there’s also the even more local and residential neighborhood of Žižkov, in the heart of which you’ll find Vlkova 26. A minimal and candle-lit space, replete with concrete walls and leather couches, you’ll find an indie/hip hop/electronic-spinning DJ. During the weekdays, the bar is vibrant, but not crowded. But when the weekend comes around, Vlkova 26’s bar is full and the dance floor is FULL (Fun, Underground, Lively, Life-affirming).
i Cocktails from 100Kc; cash only
VZORKOVNA
Národní 339/11, Nové Město; open M-F 5pm-3am, Sa-Su 6pm-3am
In both the below street level-sense and the shabby and coolsense, Vzorkovna is an underground playground. You’ll pass a circle of swings suspended from the ceiling, walk through a brightly-lit room with three back-to-back foosball tables and leather seats nailed to the wall, eventually stumbling on a series of grimy rooms plastered in graffiti and strewn with antiques with the only source of light coming from the string of fairy lights snaking around the exposed pipes overhead. You’ll encounter shirtless punks, 20-something hipsters, bachelorette parties, and a comically large dog. The drinks aren’t half bad either. One bar specializes in craft beers served in mason jars while another brews tea.
i Beer from 30Kč
CZECHIA ESSENTIALS
VISAS
Czechia is a member of the EU and the Schengen area. Citizens from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the US, and many other non-EU countries do not require a visa for stays up to 90 days. However, if you plan to spend time in other Schengen countries, note that the 90-day period applies cumulatively to all of them.
MONEY
Currency: Although Czechia is a member of the EU, it is not in the Eurozone and uses the Czech Koruna (Kc or CZK) as its currency. ATMs can be found in shopping malls, banks, and most public spaces. Avoid currency exchanges at airports and use ATMs instead. The best currency exchanges are those that advertise the “buy” and “sell” rates, which allow you to calculate exactly how much you will receive and don’t charge a commission fee. To find out what out-of-network or international fees your credit or debit cards may be subjected to, call your bank.
Tipping and Bargaining: In restaurants, tips are usually not included in the bill, so it’s customary to tip 10-15% for good service. Another way to tip is to round your bill to the nearest 10Kč and then add 10% of the total. When you pay the bill, include the tip. A 10% tip for taxis is acceptable. It is not customary to leave tips on the table before you leave. Bargaining is only done in open-air markets or antique shops.
SAFETY AND HEALTH
Local Laws and Police: Czech police have a reliable reputation and you should not hesitate to contact them if needed. Be sure to carry your passport with you, as police have the right to ask for identification. However, police can sometimes be unhelpful if you’re the victim of a currency exchange scam, in which case it’s best to seek advice from your embassy or consulate.
Drugs and Alcohol: If you carry insulin, syringes, or any prescription drugs on your person, you must also carry a copy of the prescription and a doctor’s note. The drinking age is 18. There is a zero-tolerance policy for people who drive under the influence, meaning that the legal blood alcohol content (BAC) is zero. The possession of small quantities of marijuana (less than 15g), 40 pieces of magic mushrooms, 5 grams of hashish, five LCD-laced papers or other materials with LSD, 1.5 grams of heroin, 1 gram of cocaine, and 2 grams of methamphetamine were decriminalized in 2009. However, carrying any of these drugs is still a misdemeanor, which could result in a fine up to 15,000Kc. Carrying drugs across an international border—drug trafficking—is a serious criminal offence.
Petty Crime and Scams: A common scam in bars and nightclubs involves a local woman inviting a traveler to buy her drinks, which end up costing exorbitant prices. The proprietors may then use force to ensure the bill is paid. In bars, never open a tab and instead pay for each drink as you order it, as the tab bill may include drinks you never ordered, and once again, the proprietors will force you to pay. Check the prices of drinks before ordering. Con artists may also pose as police officers in metro stations and tell you your ticket is invalid, demanding that you pay large fines. To avoid this, make sure you buy a ticket and validate it, in which case you know you are in the right. Another scam involves one person approaching you in Old Town Square and asking if you’d like to hear a riddle. While you’re distracted, an accomplice may try to steal your personal belongings.
Credit Card Fraud: Credit card fraud is also common. If you think you’ve been a victim of this, contact your credit card company immediately. Children may also approach you asking to sign a petition and provide a donation. These petition sheets are often fake, and the children are in cahoots with con artists.
Pickpockets: Pickpockets are common in crowded tourist areas such as Old Town Square, Prague Castle, and the Charles Bridge, as well as on public transport. Avoid too-crowded public transit and always keep an eye on your personal belongings.
