Famous Czechs – Alfons Mucha Alfons Mucha is one of the most famous Czechs but in a strange twist of fate if you look him up in Wikipedia you’ll find that although he was born just south-west of Brno in 1860 he was technically not born in Czech. When he died in Prague in 1939 … Read More
The Water Wheel and the Demon If you are heading to the John Lennon Wall then you’ll likely come across a little bridge with a railing and its here that you’ll find the Water Wheel. If you look carefully you’ll find a character sitting on the far corner that Czechs call a “Vodník” and he’s … Read More
Memorial to the Victims of Collectivisation When you take individual private companies and bring them under State control that’s called Nationalisation. When you take an entire sector of production under State control that’s called Collectivisation. In post-1948 Czechoslovakia the theory for agriculture was that as the State now owned the company or the land it … Read More
Czech Food – Traditional Czech Plum Dumplings When Fruit is the Main Course Dumplings are a staple part of the Czech diet and you’ll find them served at breakfast, lunch and dinner in different forms. There are some regional variations and one of those is the traditional Czech plum dumpling made with an unexpected ingredient, … Read More
Kasarna Karlin Creative Arts and Entertainment is currently CLOSED VENUE CLOSED. On old German maps of Prague you’ll see this spelled like “Kaserne” but the Czech version is Kasárna. Either way it’s a word that describes a barracks so expect a ring of buildings around a huge open square that would once have been an … Read More
Hamleys Toy Shop in Prague Hamleys has now CLOSED as a toyshop but the new operator has retained the old activities so it’s now called “The Playground”. So go to the new post about The Playground. At first glance Hamleys Toy Shop in Prague is just selling stuffed toys and board games but it’s a … Read More
Prague Cafes – Au Gourmand Many cafes in Prague have a signature architectural style and I’ve written about several of them but if you want to get as close to an original beautifully tiled Parisienne patisserie in Prague then it’s time to visit Cafe Au Gourmand. Let’s not beat about the bush. You will be … Read More
Nusle Bridge Not all bridges in Prague cross the river. The Nusle Bridge crosses the Nusle Valley and connects the south-eastern part of the city (Prague 4) with the centre (Prague 2). I’ve been driving over this bridge and using the metro that runs under it since 1996 and I really couldn’t imagine it not … Read More
Spanish Synagogue There was a Jewish community recorded as resident in what is now the Lesser Town in the mid-12th Century but following a devastating fire in that area in 1142 it’s thought that this community relocated to what would become the Old Town and they built a synagogue where the Spanish Synagogue stands today. … Read More
Mánes Exhibition Hall The Mánes Exhibition Hall, or to give it its full name “The Building of the Mánes Society of Fine Artists” is on the riverside one block up river from the National Theatre but if you aim for Slavonic Island you’ll see the large white building from the main road. In Czech, Mánes … Read More