My Czech Republic Blog

Blog written by two Prague residents about life in the Czech Republic.

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

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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.

Gorilla at the Prague Zoo

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

Happy 2009!

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We would like to thank all of you who followed our blog last year and we wish you a very happy and healthy 2009! We hope you continue to read our posts and leave your comments.

Šťastný nový rok!
Jeff and Dana

It’s Mikuláš Night Again!

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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 Mikuláš Tradition on Náměstí Míru in Prague

St. Nicholas Tradition on Prague's Peace Square

Fall in the Czech Countryside

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The varied scenery around the Czech Republic can be appreciated in every season. Fall offers a particular mixture of melancholy and vibrant colors. We’ve been taking lots of walks in the countryside lately and have enjoyed the strange autumn silence, the crisp, transparent air, and the thick, rustling carpets of leaves under our feet. The colors were at their most striking around the middle of October. They changed from green to red to bright yellow and brown in a matter of days and are now mostly faded. Some trees seemed to lose their leaves almost overnight.

Here are some photos that Jeff took on our walks.

Countryside Road in Fall      Last Leaf

Orange Tree

Fall Leaves