Prague Shorts #1 - Lunchtime in Prague

Lunch is a pretty serious business in the Czech Republic, as it is in many parts of Europe. Unlike the British habit of ramming a sandwich down your throat whilst sitting at your desk, lunch is an opportunity to meet up with colleagues, get a change of scenery and eat a proper meal, sitting down in a restaurant, often with a beer. That said, most Czech workers don’t have a lot of lunch break minutes - 45 seems to be about the norm in my experience. 

To balance the requirement for proper food in a short time, many restaurants in the city have a special business lunch menu. This changes daily and is either advertised on a blackboard or on a specially printed menu available on each table. The ‘denní menu’ is generally available for a limited time - 11:00 to 15:00 is quite common, but during this time, the regular menu is not available because the kitchen staff are focused on feeding the workers. In addition, this lunch menu will usually only be available in Czech.

Lunch menu at my local bar - Snemovna v Jakubsky

Most places are quite happy for you to order a drink without eating, and if they aren’t too busy, the staff may help translate the menu for you, but don’t count on it. Typically, there will be a choice of two or three daily choices, two or three things that are available all week and a choice of soups. The food is clearly oriented to Czech tastes, and classic Czech dishes form the bulk of what’s being offered - but there are often some surprises. I recently had battered cod and fries, which would have given a good chippy in the UK a run for its money! The batter was sublime! A few days later, I was treated to a Philippine Adobo - which I’d never heard of - but will be making at home in the near future.  

The great thing about this concept is that the food is amazing value. Before the pandemic and the subsequent rise in prices worldwide, I could have a main course, a half litre of Pilsner and a small dessert - which is included  - for less than Kč 200 (£6.89). These days the prices have risen a little, but I rarely spend more than Kč 220 (£7.60) and especially in the summer, I don’t need to cook in the evening as a snack is plenty. 

So, if you venture into a restaurant in the centre of town, or anywhere where there may be office workers, don’t be offended if the staff won’t let you have a full menu or if they are a bit busy. This is genuine fast food at its best. 

  

Prague in Plain Sight #8 - Powder Tower (Prašná brána)

In my previous post I wrote about Jindřišská which is only a few minutes walk from my apartment, but a monument I had never properly visited until relatively recently. The Powder Tower, (Prašná brána) is even closer, and despite having walked around it and under it countless times, I had never been inside this landmark either until a few weeks ago.

The tower is located at the intersection of Celetna and Na příkopě (which literally translates to 'in the ditch', and refers to an old moat long since filled in) and just a few steps away from Náměstí Republiky metro station.

Also known as the Powder Gate, this is one of thirteen original city gates in Prague’s Old Town and this one separates the Old and New Towns. Construction began in 1475. It was inspired by the design of the towers on the Charles Bridge and was intended as a decorative tower rather than as a defensive one, and replaced the old and dilapidated Horská tower and was part of the old King’s Court which was located where the Municipal House now stands. As such it became the passing point through which coronation processions used to pass on the way to the St Vitus Cathedral. In 1485, Prague Castle became the royal residence and the next royal procession through the tower did not take place until 1836. In fact, the Powder Tower remained unfinished until 1592.

The building was used to store gunpowder in the 17th century, hence the name Powder Tower. Today’s appearance dates back to the years 1875 - 1886 when the Powder Gate Tower was restored and completed in a pseudo-Gothic style by the architect Josef Mocker. 

The Powder Tower is 65 m high with an observation gallery at 44 metres above ground level. Inside, the spiral staircase is made of 186 stone steps.

Perhaps waiting until the middle of winter to go up the tower was not one of my brightest ideas! Three days after Christmas, it was cold, grey and quite windy, but my fiancée had come over to join me for Christmas. It was only the second time I had seen her in two years because of Covid restrictions and we were determined to make the most of the time and do as many new things as possible.

Having climbed up most of the towers in the city, I had a pretty good idea of what to expect. Cold, clammy, stone-clad walls and an element of dizziness from climbing steep spiral staircases with the ever-present threat of someone coming down the other way! For that reason, we went in the first hour of the tower being open (which also meant a discount on the ticket prices) - and it wasn't too busy, although there was a group of people who seemed more interested in screaming down their phones than being aware of their surroundings!

The views from the gallery were amazing despite the conditions. My real problem was that given the cold and having to wear a mask (which was trying very hard to fly away) I was really struggling to keep my glasses from steaming up. As a result, I couldn't use my DSLR camera and had to rely on my iPhone for my photos.

To be honest, I was quite happy to get back in from the gallery, back down the draughty stairwell and back onto terra firma! And by then it was beer o'clock! 

Prague in Plain Sight #7 - Jindřišská (Henry's Bell Tower)

Many years ago my neighbours, who had by then become great friends, moved to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. From childhood, I’d always been fascinated by the name Kuala Lumpur (although I have no idea why) and I finally had an opportunity to go and visit, which I did on many occasions. Although my friends had been there for a while before I finally made my first trip, they had spent their time setting up their new home, sorting out the children and engaging with members of the extensive ex-pat community. On a visit to the Bata Caves, not far from KL, they let me into a little secret. This was the first time they’d done anything even vaguely touristy since they’d arrived.

Over the last eight years living in Prague I’ve definitely done a lot of touristy things. I’ve written about a lot of them in the seventy articles I’ve written on this blog! Some of them are more mainstream than others, but the great thing about spending a lot of time in a place is that you get to go to places that weekenders and short stay people rarely get to see. And then there are some places that kind of fall between the two - touristy but not quite mainstream! One such place is Jindřišská or Henry’s Bell Tower. 

Jindřišská is a stone’s throw from my apartment and I have walked past it countless times but never been inside. I finally crossed the threshold when some friends came to visit me in the autumn of 2019 and I thought it would be something a little off the beaten track for them to enjoy as well as filling a gap in my compendium of Prague attractions.

The bell tower from Jindřišská street

Situated in the New Town, mid-way between Namesti Republika and Vaclav Namesti, Jindřišská was built between 1472 and 1476 as the bell tower for the Church of St Henry and St Kunhuta (which now sits on the other side of the street). At 65.7m, it is the tallest free-standing bell tower in Prague. It was built from sandstone, with a wooden roof covered in slate tiles. The clock was added in 1577.

The view towards the National Gallery

In 1648, Prague was under siege by the Swedish empire and the tower was used as a military guardhouse. It was largely destroyed by artillery. After the battle of Štěrbohol in 1757, it was shelled again by Prussian forces and suffered again in 1801 from storm damage.

Close-up of the viewing gallery and clock

The tower underwent major reconstruction in 1876-1879 under the supervision of the architect Josef Mocker who used the Neo-Gothic style you see today. In 2001 the tower was modernised internally and fitted with additional floors and an elevator. The viewing platform on the 10th floor was added along with a new carillon by Petr Rudolf Manoušek. This hangs from the original roof and you can choose from 1,152 pre-set melodies to listen to from within the tower.

Looking out to Petrin and Prague Castle from the attic

The three biggest of the ten bells housed in the belfry are Maria, the oldest which was cast in 1518 and weighs 723kg; Jindřich, the largest, weighing in at 3350 kg and Dominik which weighs 1000 kg. The bells ring out every three hours from 9am until 6pm.

Not just a museum, Jindřišská is also an exhibition centre, function centre, and houses a well-stocked whisky bar and a restaurant. Entry to the tower (at the time of writing) is 160Kc and it is open daily between 10 and 6. Of all the towers in Prague, this is one of the most accessible, especially for people who don’t like cramped, dark, cold spiral staircases!