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The Islands of Prague: Střelecký ostrov (Shooters Island)

July 4, 2019 By Dana Leave a Comment

Střelecký ostrov (Shooters Island) is one of several islands on the Vltava River in Prague. Locals come here to relax, have a picnic or attend an outdoor event. If you’d like to get away from the noise of the city, this is a place to consider. On hot summer days, you’ll enjoy cooling off in the shade of magnificent trees. You can sit on a bench and watch boats go by. You can have a bite to eat or get a pint of beer at one of the outdoor stands. Kids will enjoy watching the swans and ducks on the river, running around or spending time at the playground. In the fall, the leaves on the trees change color and the scenery is breathtaking.

A view towards the Lesser Town Embankment
A view towards the Lesser Town Embankment
A path with benches and river access
A path with benches and river access
One of the food stands on Střelecký ostrov
One of the food stands on Střelecký ostrov

Why Shooters Island?

Are you wondering where Shooters Island got its name? It is actually a reminder of the purpose it served throughout history. Under Charles IV, long bow and crossbow shooters had the privilege of training here. Shooting competitions were held on the island from the 15th century. Thanks to the island’s strategic position within the city, shooters stationed there were able to defend the Old Town against enemy armies in the 17th and 18th centuries.

A view towards the Smetana Embankment on the Old Town side
A view towards the Smetana Embankment on the Old Town side
The National Theatre and Smetana Embankment from Shooters Island
The National Theatre and Smetana Embankment from Shooters Island

Getting There

You can access Střelecký ostrov easily from the Legion Bridge (most Legií). It’s the one that leads from the National Theatre on the Old Town side of the river to Újezd and the Petřín foothills on the Lesser Town side. To reach the island, walk about halfway across the bridge. You’ll then have two options of getting down to the island: descend a staircase or take an elevator. Walking from the National Theatre, the stairs are on the left side of the bridge and the elevator’s on the right. If you need the elevator, you may want to plan ahead and start your walk on the correct side of the bridge. That way you won’t have to cross the relatively busy street and tram tracks later.

Stairs going down to Střelecký ostrov
Stairs going down to Střelecký ostrov
Elevator between the island and street level
Elevator between the island and street level
On Legion Bridge (most Legií) looking towards the Old Town
On Legion Bridge (most Legií) looking towards the Old Town
On Legion Bridge looking towards Lesser Town
On Legion Bridge looking towards Lesser Town

Off for the weekend

February 25, 2013 By Katia Sand Leave a Comment

Away from Prague, the Czech Republic opens into beautiful hills and sweeping fields dissected by streams and rivers. Moravia, the southeast corner of the country, is known not only for the natural beauty of its highlands, but also as a hub of traditional Czech culture and especially music, full of folk songs, cimbaloms, and dancing.

Apparently, going away for the weekend is very typical in Prague. After succeeding in acquiring a roof over our heads, the first order of business was to abandon it in favour of a weekend in Moravia to celebrate my boyfriend’s mother Zuzka’s birthday.

Having in the past only narrowly survived experiences of hurtling down winding Czech country roads at breakneck speed, accelerating alarmingly close to cars ahead and clinging on to the “Jesus handles” for dear life while overtaking at the last minute, I looked forward to what winter weather conditions might add to the whole adventure. Unfortunately, dark, wet roads and fog have no noticeable effect on Zuzka’s speed or willingness to use her mirrors.

Nevertheless, we arrived safely and I gratefully extricated myself from the vehicle of doom.

We stayed in a large inn in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm called Koliba Pod Horů, where the food, a robust supply of various cuts of meat, dumplings and potatoes, tastes fantastic and, of course, the beer flows ceaselessly. The nightly entertainment started shortly after we arrived in the form of a cimbalom band led by Jaroslav, the inn owner and feted cimbalom player, whereupon tables were pushed aside to make a dance floor instantly filled with merry customers. Here apparently, where co Čech, to muzikant (every Czech is a musician), no one is burdened by the panic and inexplicable lack of rhythm that accompanies most British men when faced with the prospect of moving in time to music. Unfortunately no one aside from the musicians was wearing traditional costumes, but, according to Jaroslav, summer months see them on full display.

Daytime activities in Rožnov are plentiful. Even in the grip of a slushy winter in the run-up to Christmas, the Moravian-Silesian Beskydy Mountains form a beautiful backdrop to the spidery woods along the banks of the Rožnovská Bečva river. What now constitutes most of the town of Rožnov (pop. ± 17,000) is not particularly scenic. However, its mediaeval history is exhibited in the museum vivum the Wallachian Open Air Museum, where we wandered around a reconstructed mediaeval village, complete with furnished houses, shops and a hospoda, and watched a traditional wood-carver make exquisite and more or less useless trinkets it was almost impossible to resist purchasing.

Zuzka told us about a nearby world-famous candle shop so, quelling my doubts about how an international candle exporter came to be based in a small town in Moravia, we sallied forth to check it out. Unipar is amazing. We were greeted by a giant advent wreath in the courtyard, and the shop itself felt like candle heaven, with candles of all different shapes and sizes, some scented, some patterned, some fantastically shaped. I think Kuba was a little alarmed by the total our candle purchase came to, but it was a major sacrifice to dissuade myself from buying one of everything. The owner invited us upstairs to see next year’s collection and showed us candles destined for various 5 star hotels in the Middle East, spas and wellness centres all over Europe and America, promotional candles in the shape of beer bottles and Christmas candles that made me want to throw fire hazard caution to the wind and risk blowing up our new flat in order to light every single one of them.

We walked back to the inn along the river, parts of which were frozen and picturesque, and debated going to the Christmas market so that Kuba could indulge his hot wine addiction, until we saw the hordes of people queuing outside the entrance. Instead we ploughed home through the snow. Or rather, Kuba walked lightly while I struggled to lift my booted feet out of the slush without crashing to the ground on a covered sheet of ice. The ordeal lasted about 45 minutes. For someone who prefers sport to be practiced on a yoga mat in the warmth of a heated gym, the whole thing was a bit much. High time to warm up in a spa.

Nearby Hotel Eroplan has a beautiful wellness centre, complete with Jacuzzi, 100 degree Finnish sauna, steam room, infra sauna, freezing outdoor terrace to cool down and resting room with massage chairs. There is also, rather bizarrely, an exercise bike in the corner of the resting room. No thanks; I’ll take the hot tub! I am not yet totally accustomed to parading between sauna and steam room in the buff alongside total strangers of both sexes, but it is the done thing so doing my best to put my western prudishness aside we settled in to relax and enjoy. After all, with another car trip with Zuzka ahead of me tomorrow, I needed all the relaxation I could muster!

Advent wreath at the Unipar candle factory in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm
Photo by Katia Sand

 

Katia is a Belgian native who studied in Scotland and went to work in America, where she met her Czech boyfriend. In September 2012 she moved to Prague to live with him and is quickly falling in love with the city as well. Her passions are travel and adventure and reading and writing about them!

All Souls’ Day (Dušičky)

November 2, 2012 By Dana Leave a Comment

All Souls’ Day falls on November 2nd in the Czech Republic. People visited cemeteries today to light candles and spend some time at the graves of their deceased loved ones. We have written about the tradition in our Little Souls post. Here are a few pictures from Prague’s Olšany Cemetery taken today.

A Man Visiting a Grave on All Souls' Day

Candles Lit at a Prague Cemetery on All Souls' Day

Candles on a Grave on All Souls' Day

Candles, Wreaths and Flowers on Graves on All Souls' Day

Czech Alcohol Ban Could Last for Weeks

September 20, 2012 By Dana Leave a Comment

Following a series of methanol poisonings from illegally made alcohol, the Czech government instituted a widespread ban on the sale of liquor with an alcohol content of more than 20%. The ban went into effect on September 14 and may last for weeks or even months as Czech police try to find the source of the illegal liquor. Vendors, restaurants, bars and pubs are not allowed to sell any hard alcohol at this time. The government may lift the ban partially by allowing sales of newly produced spirits in bottles sealed with new excise stamps within about two weeks.

Here are some current articles on the topic:

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-09-18/czech-liquor-ban-costs-pernod-ahold-millions-as-search-drags-on

http://www.praguepost.com/news/14337-banned-booze.html

http://www.radio.cz/en/section/curraffrs/czech-government-plans-to-ease-liquor-ban

And here are two pictures of Prague bar signs from today. As usual, Czechs are quick to make light of a bad situation by injecting some humor.

1st Category, 0% vol.: water, soda, coffee, tea
2nd Category, 0,1 – 4,99% vol.: products of Pilsner and other breweries
3rd Category, 5 – 19,99% vol.: products of wineries and mostly foreign distilleries
4th Category, 20% vol. and over

This sign uses the notorious quote by The Good Soldier Švejk, “Beg to report Sir, I DON’T DRINK ANY LIQUOR…” and words from a Czech children’s game “Cukr, káva, limonáda, čaj, rum, bum” (Sugar, coffee, lemonade, tea, rum, boom)

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