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. 

  

Wining and Dining in Prague - A Veritable Smörgåsbord (Part 1)

Before the purists start having a go, I'm using the term Smörgåsbord in a literary sense here - namely to describe a wide range of delicious hot and cold food that should be enough to whet any appetite.

Prior to moving to Prague, one of my oldest memories from a previous business trip to the city in 2000 was going to a restaurant with my colleagues and ordering a three meat roast. When the meal arrived, I nearly suffered from a protein overdose by merely looking at it (no photos sadly, long before we had cameras on phones!). The dish consisted of a wooden platter with three huge slabs of meat - beef, pork and mutton - beautifully cooked - but each one would have been enough for two or three people, never mind all three for one person. There wasn't a vegetable in sight! Even now, I still joke to people that the Czech concept of a vegetarian dish is a smaller plate of meat.

Times were changing even in 2000 as the Czech Republic was casting off its shackles of communist rule. Today the city hosts restaurants serving food from every corner of the globe whilst not losing sight of one of the main values of Czech cuisine - big portions and small prices. I've eaten in Afghan, Argentinian, Brazilian, Belgian, Chinese, Indian, and Thai restaurants, and I know of Lebanese, Greek, Turkish, and Spanish places that come highly recommended.

I can't speak for the rest of the country, but Prague has come a long way from the days of food shortages and a dearth of vegetables. Supermarkets and farmer's markets like the ones at Náplavka and Jiřího z Poděbrad have fruit and vegetable stalls with an abundance of familiar and exotic ingredients. I have travelled all around the world and consider myself well versed in epicurean matters, but I regularly find strange looking fruit and veg that I've never come across before. I suspect much of this is due to the influence of the Vietnamese who were invited to settle in the country during the communist era.

No shortage of fruit and veg these days - and the dog isn't on the menu 

But all this talk of foreign food is a red herring (so to speak) because I really wanted to write about some of my favourite local specialities, which I have grown to love and even try and reproduce when I'm back in the UK (to varying degrees of success).

As a visitor to Prague, your first experience of Czech food should be in a proper ‘hospoda’ or pub, rather than a fancy restaurant. After all, when in Rome… This way you’ll get to see a typical selection of classic Czech dishes while you’re enjoying a glass of beer. Not only that, but you’ll get a great meal at a bargain price - as long as you haven’t gone to one of the places in the heart of the main tourist areas (find somewhere a few hundred metres down a back street!). Most places will have menus in English and the translations can be quite amusing, but don’t take them literally. Whippet cream on your strudel does not originate in the genital tract of a racing dog! You may be put off by some of the names of dishes - pork cheek or knee may not sound too enticing to sensitive UK but do not miss out just because it’s not a cut of meat we’d often use at home.

Whippet cream anyone?

Look around you, and you’ll see quite a lot of people eating goulash (Hovezí guláš) a rich, heart beef stew with a distinctive red tint from the most essential ingredient, spicy paprika. It may be served as a soup, with bread dumplings, or in a hollowed out bread loaf. Goulash is usually thought of as a Hungarian dish, but is common across Central Europe, each country having its own slight variation. The main Czech differentiator is the use of marjoram and caraway seeds.

Homemade goulash back in the UK (with potato pancakes)

Bread dumplings (knedlíky) and potato dumplings (bramborové knedlíky) are Czech staples and are great for mopping up the delicious sauces (and soaking up the beer). I’ve made both at home, and while the end results were more than satisfactory, there was an awful lot of mess in the kitchen by the time I’d finished. I suspect most of my Czech friends can make these with their eyes closed.

Potato dumplings are a traditional accompaniment for another Czech classic, Roast Duck (pečená kachna), usually also served with braised red cabbage or sauerkraut. The duck is slowly roasted and the end result is a crispy, spicy and herby skin hiding beautifully moist and succulent meat underneath. There are places in the city specialising in duck, and as you walk in you can see a huge spit roaster with dozens of birds being cooked at a time.

Delicious roast duck at a specialist duck pub

I mentioned earlier some of the pork cuts that are often used in Czech cooking - knee and knuckle being prime examples. Roast pork knuckle (Pečene vepřové koleno) cooked in dark Czech beer may not sound too appetising but it is a sensational dish. The meat is marinated overnight with garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, paprika and caraway rubbed into the skin and then basted with dark beer, allspice and bay leaves before being roasted. These joints can be a little fatty for some people, but the taste is sublime, and the meat falls off the bone and melts in your mouth. The dish is often served on a huge wooden platter, and I never fail to be amused at the look on people’s faces when they see a waiter carrying this enormous serving to the table. It's usually accompanied with some pickled green chilli, mustard and horseradish and chunks of homemade bread. As an aside, horseradish is not reserved for use with roast beef like it is in the UK. You can expect to find it served with beef, pork and sausages, usually freshly grated with a little cream, and packing quite a punch!

Pork knee in dark beer - a modest serving this time

In a later post I'll carry on with some other classic Czech dishes, including some of the more esoteric pub snacks you may encounter.

Dobrou chut! (Bon appétit).

Prague - Top Tips For Travellers

In June this year, my fiancée’s sister, Cheryl, and niece, Kathy, will be visiting Prague for the first time and we’re all going to meet up. I’ve rebooked my old apartment on Ostrovni for a month and everyone’s getting really excited about getting together. For me, there will be an element of sadness, as it’s likely to be my final visit for some time as my contract has now ended. I’ve been thinking about writing this post for quite a while but kept putting it off as there were so many other things I wanted to share. In anticipation of the family reunion, now seems to be as good a time as any to finally post my Top Tips For Travellers to Prague.

On Arrival At The Airport

On arrival at Prague airport, the only thing to think about is how to get into town. If you're smart, the best thing is to pre-order a taxi. I usually use Prague Airport Transfers who are extremely reliable and professional. They might not be quite the cheapest ride in town, but you can pre-pay by card and it saves arguing about prices when you get to your destination. The drivers will meet you in the arrivals area, and you can easily find your driver who will be holding up an orange board with your name on it (or whatever identity you choose to provide when you book online). Prague Airport Transfers charge about 600 CZK (about £22) for a personal car, but you can share a car if cost is an issue.

Arriving at Vaclav Havel Airport

If your budget doesn’t extend to a taxi, the cheapest method of travelling into Prague city centre is by bus and metro. Take the 119 from outside the arrivals building to Nádraží Veleslavín, and then transfer on to the ‘A’ Line metro which will take you to Malostranská, Staroměstská, Můstek or Muzeum. Total travelling time is about 30-40 minutes and a 90-minute ticket will cost 32 CZK. You can get tickets from machines around the airport or from the information booth in Terminal 2. Remember to validate your ticket on the bus at the little yellow box inside the door!

In all the above scenarios, I’m assuming you are arriving at Terminal 1 - but it’s not much different for Terminal 2. I’m also assuming normal traffic conditions (and no taxi strikes because of Uber! -  not an uncommon situation over the last year). The only thing you shouldn’t do is pick up a taxi on spec at the airport. Use one of the booths in the terminal building if you haven’t pre-booked. Prague taxis are notorious for overcharging unsuspecting tourists and visitors.

Eating and Drinking

There are hundreds of bars and restaurants in the city, catering for just about every whim and desire. Naturally, places differ widely in price and quality. Steer clear of the bars and restaurants in the major tourist spots like the Old Town Square, Wenceslas Square and around the Charles Bridge. They are much more expensive than in the streets nearby and although many of them are quite good in quality, they will often try to take advantage of unwary travellers. Walk down some of the back streets nearby, and you’ll find the same types of places with much more reasonable prices. Best to stay away from the big name bars like Hooters, Coyote Ugly and many of the "Irish" or “British" pubs which are total rip-offs.

Unless there is someone in the front of house who is there to take you to a table, most places just expect you to find a table yourself. Find a good spot and sit down and wait for someone to come to you. Don’t wave your hands around and gesticulate to try and get a server’s attention. They will ignore you. Neither should you go up to the bar and try and order - they’ll just tell you to go and sit down. Be patient. The staff are busy but they know exactly who’s come in and when, and they’ll get to you in due course.

Vykorky Dum 99 - sadly now closed down

In most places, it is quite acceptable to just order a drink, even at lunchtime or dinner time. But if you do that, you’re going to miss out on some of the snacks that are often available to help soak up the beer. When you’ve finished, you should receive an itemised bill which won’t usually include a service charge. Remember that wages in Prague are low compared to most of Europe, and for staff in the hospitality business they are very low for very long hours. Unless you’ve received really bad service (very rare in my experience) try and leave a decent tip - at least 10% but I usually leave more like 15-20%. If you’re going back somewhere, it’ll act as an ice-breaker and they will remember you!

Getting Around

Make sure you have some sensible shoes with you. Prague is best seen by foot, even though the transport system is incredibly cheap and very efficient. Shoes or boots with a good sole and grip are vital. Prague pavements are beautiful, but the marble finish becomes really slippery in the wet. Converse trainers do not fare well in these conditions I can assure you. Trekking trainers are about the best for support, grip and for dealing with cobblestoned roads which are abundant around town.

As I’ve said before in these posts, go out and don’t be afraid to get lost. Prague is relatively small and it’s relatively easy to get back to where you need or want to be. Don’t be one of those people who walk around with their heads buried in a map or on their phones. You’ll miss out on all the little things that I’ve been writing about for the last four years! Look up, down and all around - constantly.

Strictly speaking, jaywalking is illegal in Prague, and Czech drivers do not necessarily obey the letter of the law when it comes to pedestrians - so jaywalking is not recommended, unless you really know where you are, and can understand exactly where traffic could be coming from. Also, remember that trams have the right of way and probably can’t stop even if they want to except at designated stopping places. A tram will really hurt you if you pick a fight with one - and you will never win (unless you’re a bigger tram!).

Beware of Trams and Pedestrian Crossings!

Wherever there are big crowds, there will also be opportunists. In the four years that I've lived in the city, I've never had any problems - but use a bit of common sense. Don't put a wallet in your back pocket, keep your bags and pockets fastened up and hang on to your cameras. I'm not convinced that pickpocketing is any worse in Prague than it is in any other major city, but be careful! Small backstreets may be a bit spooky at night, but there aren't any dangerous parts of town, and Prague is one of the safest places I've ever lived.

If you want to take a guidebook with you, my favourite is the Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Guide. I would also suggest getting a map app that you can use off-line on your phone (for emergency use only!).

Shopping and Currency

Don't panic if you've forgotten to pack something. These days, it's not too difficult to find a replacement somewhere in town, and I've found that, generally, prices are a bit lower than in the UK, especially if you hunt around a bit.

Even in larger department stores, assistants will generally say "dobrý den" (good day) to you as you walk in. They aren't attempting a hard sell, it's just polite and it won't hurt you to respond with your own attempt! Try and learn a few little phrases before you arrive - Thank You (děkuji - deek-wi) and Please (prosím - pr-o-seem) go a long way...and by the way...the Czech for beer is "Pivo"!

Havelska Street Market

Regarding currency, don't exchange money on the street or at any of the Exchange Booths that scatter the city. Most ATMs will accept foreign cards, but if you have problems go to a bank. 99% of the Exchange Booths are rip-offs. The unit of currency in the Czech Republic is the Czech koruna - not Euros. Many places will accept Euros but they will give you a crappy rate of exchange.

One thing to remember about prices - they are often marked in crowns and fractions of crowns. So a bottle of pop in a little store may be marked as 14.7 CZK but when you pay it'll actually be rounded up (or down when appropriate) to 15 CZK. Over time the rounding differences cancel each other out. Unlike the US, the price you see marked includes sales (VAT) tax.

Leaving Prague

Getting back to the airport is simply a matter of reversing the method of arriving. Prague Airport Transfers will allow you to book a return trip at the same time as the outward trip and pre-pay for both.

Finally, for travellers bound for non-Shengen destinations (UK and US especially), the security arrangements may be different from what you're used to. The final security check is performed at the gate before you board the plane. You can take liquids into the airport, and you can buy them inside the airport even after you've been through the border (passport) control. However, these will be confiscated when you go through the gate security - where they will do the hand baggage checks and X-rays. If you buy drinks for the journey at the airport, make sure they go into sealed bags. The best thing to do is to make sure you keep some change and buy your drinks from the vending machine inside the gate. A bottle of soft drink will cost about 35-45 CZK.


These are some of the most useful things I can think of right now. If I come up with any more I'll add to the post later on. Most important though...have a great time!!

Prague Moments #15 - Easter and the Easter Markets

It feels like it was only a few weeks ago that I was writing about Christmas in Prague and the wonderful Christmas markets. The reality is that it was fourteen weeks ago, and I'm currently back in Prague, this time enjoying the Easter Markets!

This is my fourth Easter in the Czech Republic and it has been the coldest and wettest by a long shot. I'm only here for a week to sort out a few business things, like my tax, and when I arrived there was still a fair amount of snow around the airport. I had been monitoring the weather from the UK (which was itself under the influence of the so-called Beast from the East) hoping that the conditions would improve before I arrived. Luckily they did, but only marginally, and the clock changes have helped lift spirits as sunset is now about 19:30 so there are about 13 hours of daylight to look forward to.

Easter Markets generally follow the same pattern as the Christmas Markets. They start a few weeks before Easter and end just after and are found in mostly the same locations; Old Town Square, Prague Castle, and Wenceslas Square are the most popular.

                               

Easter not Chritmas - Staromestska

Old Town Square

Just as with Christmas, there are loads of stalls selling food and drink, and instead of Christmas trinkets, there are wonderful hand-painted, wooden Easter eggs. The Christmas atmosphere gives way to one of freshness and you can feel Spring is in the air. Pastel colours and spring flowers are all around - some places have a small petting zoo where kids can feed the animals, and where there aren't real animals, there are straw ones in their place.

                        

Straw farm at Hradcanska

Easter in the Czech Republic is considered a time associated with birth and fertility and there are a number of traditions and customs followed. Although Prague is known as the city of 100 spires, over 40% of the modern population considers themselves atheist, and although much of the religious symbolism is still evident at Easter, the holiday has become more commercial and fun oriented than perhaps it is in other parts of the world.

                       

The festivities start with Ugly Wednesday (Škaredá středa - named for the day of Judas' betrayal) which is used to spend time cleaning up in preparation for Easter. This is followed by Green Thursday (Zelený čtvrtek) when the church bells ring for the last time (in Catholic churches) and priests officiate at rites in green vestments - hence the name. This is a day when you should make sure you eat something green to ensure your health for the coming year. Specially made green beer apparently works just as well!

There are Good Friday (Velký pátek) processions to mark the journey of Christ carrying his cross to Calvary, and on White Saturday (Bilá sobota) the bells start to ring again to mark the start of the Resurrection.

Finally, on Easter Monday (Velikonocni Pondeli) there are street parties and traditionally is a time when women get whipped with a willow rod (pomlázka). This is a fertility rite, and is supposed to make women younger and ensure a year of health and beauty. These days, although you can still buy the pomlázka in the markets, it's not an activity to be practised with strangers or without consent!!!

Pomlázka - Don't do this at home

I've always enjoyed Easter in Prague especially as it about the only time of year that you can find plentiful amounts of young lamb in the supermarkets. As a Brit who enjoys a Sunday roast, I usually take the opportunity to stock up the freezer with lamb joints.

Veselé Velikonoce! (Happy Easter!)

Christmas In Prague and The Last Lamplighter

Christmas is a pretty special time of year wherever you are, but there’s something especially magical about Prague during Advent. I’ve been lucky enough to have been in town in early December for the past four years, and I still feel like a schoolboy in a sweet shop.

Lighting the Christmas Tree - this year in the Old Town Square

The Christmas markets are amongst the most famous in the world and there are a number of them dotted around the city. My two favourites are the ones in Staroměstské náměstí and Náměstí Míru (which was recently voted the most popular amongst Prague expat residents). The atmosphere is very special, and despite the crowds, there is such an assault on your senses that you can't help feeling that this is a magical time in a magical place!

Staroměstské náměstí from the Clock Tower (2014)

Each of the markets is filled with food and drink stands, with Prague Ham, klobása (sausages), tredlník (rolled dough, grilled and topped with sugar and cinnamon), and freshly fried potato chips (crisps) being the favourites. These are usually washed down with hot medovina (honey mead wine), or other warm mulled wines. There are plenty of stalls selling trinkets, gingerbread and other cakes, but some of the Christmas decorations on sale are beautiful and are good value (as long as you take care getting them home!).

                 

 

There are a couple of other things that you might not find described in any of the standard tourist guides.

First of all, there are the buckets of carp dotted around town. Carp is traditionally eaten at Christmas in the Czech Republic, and the fish are sold on the pavements, where they are kept in huge blue bins and you select the specific fish that you want, take it home (swimming around in a plastic bag) and leave it in the bathtub until you’re ready to cook it (carp are bottom feeders, and can taste a bit muddy unless there is time to flush the dirt through their systems). The more squeamish - or folk that prefer not to share their baths with live fish - can get the fishmonger to perform the necessary decapitation. Carp may be a strange choice for a Christmas dish, but fish has religious significance because it is eaten instead of meat on days of fasting and Christmas Eve is a day of fasting. The fish is served with a traditional Czech potato salad containing potatoes, onions, peas, carrots, gherkins, eggs and mayonnaise.

Carp on sale in the street

Traditionally, the lights on the Charles Bridge used gas to power them. The city converted all their old gas lights with electric ones starting in 1985 but in 2002 the decision was made to change back to gas in many parts of historical Prague, and the lamps on the Charles Bridge reverted to gas in 2010. All of Prague’s gas lights are lit electronically these days, but during advent, each day between 16:00 and 17:00, one of the last lamplighters still performs the duty in person, making his way across the bridge, lighting each of the forty-six lamps using a long pole. The Lamplighter is instantly recognisable in his red and black tunic and peaked cap.

             

 


Enjoy your Christmas and have a great New Year.

Veselé Vánoce a šťastný nový rok!

Prague Moments #8 - Lucerna Music Bar

It shouldn't come as any great surprise that there is an abundant music, art, and theatre scene in Prague. After all, we often associate the term "Bohemian" with a kind of artistic lifestyle, conjuring up images of impoverished painters, composers and writers hidden away in their garrets, living on cheap wine and opium!

Manfred Mann's Earth Band

What may surprise you is the diversity of live music available to people in Prague and particularly the prevalence of popular bands and singers from the UK, US and Australia who now regularly include Prague on their tours.

Over the course of the last three years, I've seen some great acts in some interesting venues. But my favourite to date is still the Lucerna* Music Bar. The original venue, the Palace Lucerna was built at the beginning of the 20th century. By 1909 the club was being used as a theatre and later as a cabaret. After 1948 the whole Lucerna palace was nationalised. During the Communist era, the club was used as a nightclub without any real focus, but 20 years ago, on October 25th, 1995 the Lucerna Music Bar opened for the first time.

Hooverphonic

Located on Vodičkova, just off Václavské náměstí (Wenceslas Square),  the Lucerna Palace comprises shops, galleries, the Lucerna Theatre and the downstairs Music Bar, which has a capacity of 800, mainly standing. Wherever you stand on the main floor, you are never far from the wide stage and this allows an exceptional intimacy with the performers.

Like other venues in Prague, tickets prices are generally lower than you'd pay in the UK in a similar venue, and even more surprising, drinks are not much more than you'd pay in a bar in the same vicinity. A half litre of Pilsner Urquell (in an obligatory plastic glass) will cost about 50CZK or £1.50 and you'll pay about double that for a cocktail.

Newton Faulkner

Last time I was there, was to see Amy MacDonald, supported by Newton Faulkner (I couldn't even get tickets for her gig in Nottingham but here I was less than ten metres from the front of the stage!). In the past I've seen Hooverphonic, Band of Horses and Manfred Mann's Earth Band.

While I'm naming dropping, I've also enjoyed seeing Blackmores Night, Marina and the Diamonds, and the Australian band The Paper Kites, but in different venues around the city.

If you do find a act you want to see you'll be sure of a great night, but make certain you get there on time. The tickets will always tell you what time the show begins and venue websites will tell you when each act is due on the stage. Unlike in the UK, acts in Prague start with military precision. This is because local by-laws prevent most concerts from continuing after 22:30 in the evening (sadly this doesn't apply to drunks singing in the street!).

Amy MacDonald

Later this year Sparks (remember them?) and Anathema are due to perform at Lucerna and I'm hoping to be around to see them as well.

* Lucerna is the Czech word for lantern.

Prague Moments #7 - Navalis (May 15th)

On May 15th the people of Prague celebrate Navalis, in honour of Saint John of Nepomuk (1345-1393). This is a tradition that dates back some 300 years to the his beatification in 1715. 

St John on the Charles Bridge

St John of Nepomuk is the patron saint of bridges, communication, good reputation and of all people of the water. I've mentioned him previously and you cannot walk far in Prague without seeing a statue, engraving or some other representation of him. He is instantly recognisable by his five star halo, which represent the stars that hovered over the river Vltava in which he was drowned on the orders of King Wenceslas IV. The legend has it that the king was convinced that his queen had taken a lover and demanded that St John, as the queen's confessor, reveal her secrets. When he refused to break the seal of confession, the king ordered him to be thrown into the Vltava from the Charles Bridge, hence gaining his martyrdom. 

The first account of this was some sixty years after his death and further chronicles go on to embellish the legend. The more likely historical truth is that St John refused to confirm the king's choice of a new abbott as part of a papal power struggle between the pope in Rome and a rival Avignon papacy supported by the Wenceslas, who was himself embattled with his own nobles.  But why let history get in the way of a good yarn? The first story is much more romantic!

The Navalis celebrations are heavy duty even by Prague standards. There's a procession, a holy mass at St Vitus Cathedral, another religious service St Francis of Assisi by the Charles Bridge, a regatta, skydiving and a riverside concert, rounded off by Baroque fireworks on the Vltava. All in the space of about five hours!

Last year, the procession from the castle to the statue of St John on the Charles Bridge was the real highlight of the evening for me. It was an incredibly moving and spiritual experience. Prague dignitaries, churchmen, children,  representatives of numerous local groups, and other pilgrims, along with horses and riders, follow a statue of the saint and hold a brief service on the bridge. 

Make way for the Hat

As the sun set, the sky turned an amazing yellowy-brown and I felt goosebumps on the back of my neck. The only disappointing aspect of the experience was the attitude of some of the tourists on the bridge, who seemed extremely put out that they were being impeded by the procession.

Incredible skies after the procession

We listened to some of the concert which was performed from a floating stage by the riverbank with lots of people watching from little boats on the river. The Charles Bridge also was illuminated with little white stars representing the stars on the saint's halo.

Concert on the Vltava and the stars illuminating the bridge

Unfortunately the place we'd chosen to watch the fireworks failed to take into account that Baroque fireworks don't go very high into the sky (at least not that night) and we didn't see a thing, but by that time it was getting pretty chilly.

If you're in Prague on the 15th May this year, I highly recommend you get along to at least some of the events in the programme. It all kicks off at 16:00 (local time) in Hradčany Square but you can find the detailed information on the official website here. And if last year is anything to go by, wrap up well!

Prague in Print - Some of My Favourite Books; Part 1 - Factual

There is no shortage of guidebooks about Prague; a quick search on Amazon (UK) lists 1579 in the book department (including Kindle versions). Most of them cover the same old familiar sights and places and provide little more than a cursory introduction to the city, its people and its customs. Some of them are superb, and my personal favourite is the DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Prague (last updated in October 2016).

But if you want to find out a bit more about Prague you have to dig a bit deeper. There are some excellent books available, covering: history, architecture, hidden or secret Prague, cuisine and culture. There's a fair bit of fiction as well, from both traditional Czech writers and more modern authors who have used the city as a backdrop to their novels and stories.

This post covers just a few of my favourites in each category. If it proves popular, I may expand it in the future.

Culture and customs

If you're going to be moving to Prague, there are three must-read books in my opinion.

The first is Czech Republic (Culture Shock!) by Tim Nollen. It's a bit short of 300 pages, but I personally think it should be mandatory reading for ALL travellers to the Czech Republic.

The next two are books by Rachael Weiss, an Australian with Czech parents, who came to Prague to find herself and her roots...twice. "Me, Myself and Prague" and its sequel, "The Thing About Prague..." are witty, easy to read books which give you a great idea of what to expect when you start to live here, although to be fair, life has got a bit easier (most of the time!).

Travellers' Tales

Some of the best insights into the city, both past and present, factual and fictional, can be found in books like "Prague: A Traveler's Literary Companion", edited by Paul Wilson, "Travelers' Tales Prague and the Czech Republic: True Stories", edited by David Farley,  and "Time's Magpie: A Walk in Prague" by Myla Goldberg, who lived in Prague for three years, but this is more a collection of essays and fits nicely with the other books mentioned in this section.

Coffee Table Books

There are a few 'coffee table' books in my library. Big hardbacks with lots of glossy photos. Im particularly fond of Prague: Architecture, History, Art by Stephen Brook, The Prague Book: Highlights Of A Fascinating City (Monaco Books), and Prague: Past and Present by Claudia Sugliano. My favourite in this category is probably Prague Then and Now by Jenni Meili Lau. Whilst all the photos are black and white, each double page spread contains a recent shot contrasted with a photo from a bygone age, and it's fascinating to see how the city has changed over the years (and since the book was published in 2007, how it has continued to change).

That should be enough to keep you going for a few days! In a future post, I'll share a few fictional books I've collected.