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panoramic view of prague smetana hall from the upper main balcony

Smetana Hall

Smetana Hall All guidebooks about Prague will mention the Municipal House but the Smetana Hall inside the building gets much less coverage probably because it’s not a place that you can just walk into. Strange, when you think that the Smetana Hall was to be the beacon of the celebration of Slavic culture and the … Read More

prague municipal house front facade with mosaic and balcony

Municipal House

Top Prague Attraction – Municipal House At the turn of the 20th Century the Austro-Hungarian Empire was weakening. In Prague you could see this with different architectural projects that incorporated very Nationalist and in our case, Slavic designs. The name “Municipal House” might lead you to think that this was going to be some grand … Read More

prague cafe imperial ceramic oriental ceiling decoration

Cafe Imperial

Prague Cafes – Cafe Imperial Architectural Gem When I first visited the Cafe Imperial in 1996 it was because I worked about 200 metres away. In those days despite the stunning interior it was just a “regular cafe” called the Imperial Kavarna and the hotel certainly wasn’t five star back then. People with long memories … Read More

The Art Nouveau interior of the Municipal House Cafe in Prague

Municipal House Cafe

Municipal House Cafe You’ll find lots of tips for eating and drinking on this site. If you’re like me then you appreciate a nice cup of coffee and believe me there are many places that you can try. But if you’re only here for a couple of days there really are 5 or 6 cafes … Read More

prague street sign called hybernska

Prague Streets – Hybernska

Hybernska – The Irish Connection Clients on my walking tours will learn that when you see “ska” at the end of a street name you can take that to mean “on the way to” or “in the direction of”. Hybernska is a road close to Republic Square which links the square to the highway. But … Read More

scene showing michael hutchence from the never tear us apart video filmed in Prague

Prague and INXS

Prague and INXS For those of us in our 50s who still remember INXS and have at least two CD copies of the album “Kick” then that period between 1987 and 1997 was pretty special. I remember watching the Never Tear Us Apart video on MTV in 1988 and I remember being in a hotel … Read More

Prague powder gate, a gothic structure with a neo-renaissance facade

Prague Powder Gate

Prague Powder Gate – Gothic, Neo-Renaissance and Mission Impossible In Czech it’s called “Prasna Brana” so the literal translation is the Powder Gate (not Powder Tower). A statement of power and more practically, also a customs office, it replaced the much older “Mountain Gate” which had been part of the original old town defences but … Read More

Kings Court Hotel, Republic Square, Prague

Republic Square Prague One District

Why Republic Square Prague One? It’s not the first place that you’ll think of when searching for Prague Accommodation and places to go in Prague but Republic Square has a lot going for it. The biggest thing is the location. People don’t realise that it’s on the border of the Old Town and still in … Read More