My Czech Republic Blog » Prague

Trains to Safety

Jeff — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:40:16 +0000

This month there were two anniversaries to celebrate train rides to freedom. On September 4, a train from Prague arrived in London to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the “Winton Trains”, which carried 669 mostly Jewish Czechoslovak children to safety in the United Kingdom and Sweden in the months preceding World War II.

One last trip for Winton Train (Prague Post)
Czech evacuees thank their saviour (BBC News)

Today, September 30, marked the 20th anniversary of the announcement that enabled thousands of East Germans who were staying in a makeshift camp at the West German Embassy in Prague to leave for the West.

Freedom Train recalls East Germans flight to West via Prague (ČTK)
September 30 marks 20th anniversary of dramatic announcement that East German refugees in Prague could emigrate to West (Radio.cz)

A Vyšehrad Walk

Dana — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 08:01:52 +0000

We took a walk around the Vyšehrad Castle area yesterday. I always enjoy it there but this particular visit felt even more special. It was a beautiful, warm evening, late enough for the day visitors to be gone, yet lively enough with dog walkers, joggers and parents with kids. The beautiful views from up there took me by surprise again.

A View of the Prague Castle, Lesser Town and the Nusle District from the Vyšehrad Castle Area

A View of the Vyšehrad Castle at Sunset

Prague Train Station Getting a Major Facelift

Dana — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:58:50 +0000

The Prague main train station (hlavní nádraží) is finally starting to look like a train station. A nice one I mean. One that a city like Prague deserves. A clean one. Bright and airy. Organized. With ways for passengers with strollers, bikes and heavy luggage to get to their platforms without having to drag their strollers, bikes and luggage up stairs and non-working escalators. With wide hallways and civilized looking public toilets (still paid, but oh well…). The repulsive, dreary, smelly basement luggage locker area is gone! It magically disappeared into thin air and was replaced by an open, modern ticket window and information center that doesn’t smell of urine. Boutiques, bakeries, fast food restaurants, regular restaurants, flower shops, and a really nice bookstore are now in place of the handful of tired looking newsstands and plastic wrapped sandwich stands that were once your only “entertainment” and “refreshment” options at the station.

The restoration of the Prague central station is far from finished, but the city no longer has to be ashamed of the pathetic welcome it offered its train traveling visitors until recent months. The work is currently estimated to be finished by 2012. Let’s see what other surprises the Italian investor has in store for us for the coming years.

Here’s just a little personal request: Would it be at all possible to put benches on the platforms? Please?

Prague Zoo Ranked as the 7th World’s Best Zoo

Dana — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:49:24 +0000

I hadn’t been to the Prague Zoo for a few years and didn’t remember it as anything special. It was badly damaged in the 2002 flood and when I was there a year or two later, there was lots of reconstruction and new construction going on. Lots of promise in the air, but a pretty bare place at the moment. When I recently revisited, I was surprised not only by how different the zoo looked and felt, but mainly by the modestly displayed sign listing the top world zoos selected by Forbes Traveler Magazine in November 2007. The Prague Zoo was highlighted at line 7.

What an unbelievable achievement for the small, even intimate ‘garden’ that was hit so hard by disaster only seven years ago! In fact, ‘intimate’ must be one of the factors that put the zoo so high on the list. This is where I studied a gorgeous six foot tiger from six inches away and stared in the face of a disturbingly human looking gorilla lounging some four feet away from me.

Besides feeling intimate, the zoo projects a friendly atmosphere towards its visitors. It is very child oriented with fun little play areas for kids. You can borrow a stroller or cart to push or pull your little ones around. You can even bring your dog with you, and you’ll see plenty of them around.

Another thing that made me feel good at the Prague Zoo is the environment that’s been created there. Gravel paths, wooden boardwalks and lots of greenery make it feel very natural and pleasant to walk around.

If you would like to visit the Prague Zoo, you can find some practical information on the Prague Zoo page of our site or directly on the Zoo Praha website.

And here’s the Forbes Traveler Magazine’s list of The World’s Best Zoos:

1. Animal Kingdom, Orlando
2. Basel Zoo, Switzerland
3. Beauval Zoo, France
4. Berlin Zoological Garden, Germany
5. Bronx Zoo, New York
6. Chester Zoo, U.K.
7. Prague Zoological Garden, Czech Republic
8. National Zoological Gardens of South Africa
9. San Diego Zoo, California
10. Schönbrunner Zoo, Austria
11. Singapore Zoo
12. Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Washington DC
13. Taronga and Western Plains Zoo, Sydney
14. Toronto Zoo
15. Ueno Zoological Gardens, Tokyo, Japan

Two Michelin Stars for Prague in 2009

Jeff — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:33:48 +0000

The MICHELIN Main Cities of Europe 2009 guide, which contains information and ratings on hotels and restaurants in 20 countries in Europe, is being released tomorrow. The Michelin Guide is famous for its 1 – 2 – 3 star restaurant rating system, with three stars being the highest. Last year, the Prague restaurant Allegro at the Four Seasons Hotel received the first Michelin star ever awarded in the Czech Republic. Gordon Ramsay’s Maze at the Hilton Hotel was awarded a star this year in addition to Allegro. Ramsay previously announced that he was pulling out of Prague. If the restaurant changes name and ownership, then it will lose the Michelin star.

Three Prague restaurants, Aromi, Le Cornichon, and Le Terroir received the Bib Gourmand, which highlights “good food at moderate prices”.

For further reading see:
Another Prague restaurant wins Michelin star
Ramsay Wins 13th Michelin Star as Chef Counts Cost of Expansion
Gordon Ramsay pulls out of Maze Prague

If you are interested in purchasing the guide:
MICHELIN Main Cities of Europe 2009 – from Amazon.co.uk (published on March 18)
MICHELIN Main Cities of Europe 2009 – from Amazon.com (published on May 15)

Searching for Signs of Spring in Prague

Jeff — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:22:18 +0000

I went out yesterday in the hope of finding some signs of spring in Prague, considering that the official first day of spring (March 20) is just over a week away. I ended up at Petřín Hill, which is a favorite place to go for a walk. Well, it was pretty devoid of people and the weather was cool and cloudy with some rain. I did not see any buds on the trees just yet. There were some nice views and the few dogs I saw looked to be enjoying themselves.

It’s Mikuláš Night Again!

Dana — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:59:29 +0000

Today is December 5th, the eve of St. Nicholas Day or Mikuláš in Czech. We have written about our experience spending a fun Mikuláš evening on Prague’s Old Town Square. This year, we decided to visit a smaller Prague square away from the center. We went to Náměstí Míru in Prague 2. You rarely run into foreign tourists here and the area has quite a local feel. The Christmas market that is put up on the square every year is a small, rather intimate affair and you’ll mostly find Czechs here, shopping for Christmas gifts on their way from work, showing their kids the lights or enjoying a cup of mulled wine and a klobása purchased at one of the stands. Before we headed out this evening, we had expected some commotion on the square, some families with kids and a few Mikuláš-Devil-Angel groups. We got there a little after five and were surprised to find the square literally packed with people. So packed you could hardly move amidst the crowd. People dodged each other, looked for each other, stood in lines to buy sweets, beer, hot dogs… They carried their children in their arms and on their shoulders, or tried to make their way through the crowd pushing strollers. A number of Mikuláš and Devil characters clad in elaborate costumes handed out candy and tangerines to well behaved children. People had fun.

Jeff took some pictures as usual.

Christmas Markets and Winter Weather Arrive in Prague

Jeff — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 16:01:11 +0000

The Christmas Market on Peace Square (Náměstí Míru) in Prague opened up last weekend just as some winter weather moved in. We had our first snow on Saturday. It was only fitting since last week, while the Christmas Market was being set up, the last remnants of fall were being blown aside and swept up.

The Christmas markets on Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí) and Wenceslas Square (Václavské náměstí) will begin tomorrow.

We updated our Prague Christmas section with the dates and hours of many Christmas markets in Prague.

Texting for Tickets

Jeff — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 21:57:41 +0000

A real convenience when using the public transportation system in Prague is being able to purchase transport tickets using a cell phone. Back in November 2007, the Prague Public Transit Co. (Dopravní podnik hl. m. Prahy) started offering the service SMS Ticket (SMS jízdenka). If you send the text message “DPT” to the number 902 06 26, you will receive a text message back that includes a unique code and 26 CZK will be deducted from your phone credit.

The price of the ticket is the same as a regular transfer ticket, but instead of 75 minutes of use, you get 90 minutes. Be aware that it is only possible to buy an SMS ticket if you have a SIM card from one of the Czech mobile phone companies. Even if you have a Czech cell phone, it might be necessary to activate your carrier’s premium SMS service. That is what happened to me. Always keep a paper ticket around just in case.

You can see the service being promoted on trams, at tram stops and in metro stations. The service has proven to be very popular. It received the Czech @ Award and the service has helped reduce the number of “involuntary or occasional illegal passengers”.

Czech Roundup 20-Jul-08

Jeff — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 21:41:40 +0000

Czechs join Slovakia to register salami and sausage
If they publish the recipes, I would be interested in knowing what exactly is inside.

European Tour returns to Czech Republic in 2009 after 12 years
Golf has been gaining in popularity over the years here and this should give it a boost.

Dogs – Czechs’ best friends
I do see a lot of dogs around and unfortunately you have to watch where you step when walking on the sidewalk.

Season tickets in Prague to be replaced by chip cards
It would be very convenient to buy monthly/yearly tickets or to just add credit online.