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.
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.
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.
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”.
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.
