Restaurants – Dhaba Beas Yes, that is the correct spelling. Welcome to a healthy kind of fast food Indian-style. I’ve frequented several of Dhaba Beas branches in Prague (at the time of writing they had 19 locations) and they’ve gone from relatively obscure locations to become a mainstay of shopping centre food floors. It’s a … Read More
Prague Streets – Klárov Klárov is not just a street, it’s an area and today although it’s just a little park its importance to the history of Prague cannot go unrecognised. If you find the Malostranska Metro station on a map then the road directly in front of it is Klárov. It extends up the … Read More
The WW2 Prague Uprising A frequent question on my walking tours is whether the centre of Prague was bombed during World War Two because it looks so old. I answer this question more fully on my World War Two Walking Tour but in summary, yes it was bombed but no the majority of any damage … Read More
Famous Czechs – Mordecai Maisel Mordecai, Mordechaj or Mordechai, Maisel, Meisel or Meysel. There have been several interpretations of his name so I’m going to stick with Mordecai Maisel (fun fact: in Yiddish, Maisel means mouse). Let’s put ourselves in the last half of the 16th Century. Emperors Maximilian and Rudolf II have been kind … Read More
The Linden Tree, Slavic Icon About 4 months after arriving in Prague I was having a conversation with a local guy and I asked what was the national flower of the country. He replied that they did not have a national flower but they did have a national tree, the Lípa (pronounced like leepa) or … Read More
Czech Food – Pork Knuckle, a kilo of joy Goulash is the number one most popular Czech Food but Pork Knuckle or what we call Koleno is a close runner-up. To be accurate it’s always referred to as Roast Pork Knuckle or “pečené koleno”. It’s a beast and you should not even consider taking this … Read More
World of Banksy – The Immersive Experience One of the myriad museums and exhibitions in Prague is called the World of Banksy. Located in the deconsecrated church of ST Michael in Michalska (60 seconds from the Old Town Square and fun fact: deconsecrated churches here may only be used for cultural activities). You might find … Read More
Cafe Ovocný Světozor Back in the 1970s when hardline Communism was the name of the game and travel outside the country was almost unheard of one company decided to name itself with the apparently grandiose title of Ovocný Lahůdek Světozor. Světozor means “world view” so the company name translated as “a world view of fruit … Read More
Boat Hotel Matylda and Klotylda I think that I can just remember when Matylda was the only part but they expanded by adding the Klotylda so now the Klotylda is primarily for accommodation with a total of 18 rooms. Matylda hosts the other 6 rooms plus it has the breakfast room which is later used … Read More
Bistro Strecha, good food and a great cause Strecha means “roof” and the first thing you’ll notice here is that it’s on the ground floor so if the name doesn’t relate to it’s location then maybe it’s to remind people that they are aiming high or that they have a safe place over their heads. … Read More