My Czech Republic Blog

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

Christmas Markets and Winter Weather Arrive in Prague

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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.

Leaf Blower

Preparing the Christmas Tree on Namesti Miru

Christmas Market on Namesti Miru

Christmas Market Stall on Namesti Miru

Christmas Market on Namesti Miru

Christmas Market with Snow on Namesti Miru

Christmas Tree Lit Up on Namesti Miru

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

Harvest Time

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Here are some pictures from a trip to the Czech countryside I took in July.  The harvest was in full swing.  The dožínky (harvest festivals) took place at the end of August around the country.

Harvest Time

Harvest Time

Harvest Time

Harvest Time

Texting for Tickets

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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.

 SMS Ticket

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”. 

SMS Ticket