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Czech Republic : Prague - July 2009

Country Code: Dial 0 for Czech Republic

There’s no place quite like Prague in summer. From its beer gardens to its football matches, the Czech capital knows how to keep things sizzling. Don’t miss the action: Prague Proms, the international music festival, rolls into town on 17 July. Julie O’Shea bags the best seats in the house

Getting around

Ruzyne International Airport

Bus: The number 119 bus runs between the airport and the Dejvicka metro station (which is on the A line) every 7 to 20 minutes. Tickets cost €1/CZK 28 and are valid for 60 minutes on weekdays and 90 minutes on weekends. They can be used on all buses, trams and metros.
Taxi: A taxi ride to the city centre from the airport will take about 30 minutes and cost approximately €25/ CZK 704, but always negotiate the price before you set off.
Tourist information: 46 Vinohradka, Prague 2 (tel. , www.czechtourism.cz).

STARE MESTO

The old town should be the starting point for any visit to the ‘Golden City’.

Sleep soundly – President Hotel (100 Namesti Curieovych, tel. , hotelpresident.cz, rooms from €159/CZK 4,296) sits on the banks of the Vltava and has a casino downstairs.

Culture vultures – Obecni Dum (5 Namesti Republiky), or Municipal House, hosts the Prague Proms (pragueproms.cz) from 17 July to 2 August, featuring the Czech National Symphony Orchestra.

Must eat – With a reasonably priced Czech menu, Restaurace U Knihovny (10 Veleslavinova, tel. ) is worth a visit – or two. Enjoy a helping of beef goulash and a bowl of the cook’s homemade garlic soup.

Must drink – Stop for a coffee and a sweet treat at Kavarna Slavia (2 Smetanovo Nabrezi).

Shop til you drop – Pick up banana soap, aromatherapy candles and indulgent lotions at Botanicus (3 Tyn).

MALA STRANA

Lose yourself in this little quarter’s cobbled streets and winding hilltop.

Sleep soundly – Splurge on an elegant room at newly opened The Augustine (12 Letenska, tel. , theaugustine.com, rooms from €360/ CZK 9,720), which gets its name from the 13th-century monastery it was built around.

Culture vultures – On top of Petrin Hill sits the intriguing Mirror Labyrinth, which dates back to 1891 and is full of distorting mirrors and a large-scale art diorama depicting the last battle of the 30 Years’ War.

Must eat – A good date spot, Palffy Palac (14 Valdstejnska, tel. ) serves grilled sea bass and rabbit leg with candied rosemary.

Must drink – Relax with a pint of Krusovice at Petrinske Terasy (393 Seminarska Zahrada), which has one of the best terraces in the capital.

Dance the night away – Klub Ujezd (18 Ujezd) spins chart pop and mainstream dance till 4am.

VRSOVICE

This little nook is fast becoming the new ‘it’ spot in town.

Sleep soundly – Hotel Agricola (25 Rostovska, tel. , hotelagricola.cz, rooms from €48/CZK 1,300) is one of the best deals in town. Come here for cosy rooms, reasonable summer prices – and a fabulous wine cellar.

Culture vultures – Stadion TJ Bohemians Praha (31 Vrsovicka), home to the city’s beloved Bohemians 1905 football club, pulls in a boisterous local crowd. Show your team spirit when the league starts at the end of July by wearing green and white.

Must eat – Thai Restaurant Sawadi (29 Kodanska, tel. ) has a cheap daily lunch menu that’s too good to pass up. The chef’s matsaman curry with chicken is a must.

Shop til you drop – Browse the new and used books at Shakespeare & Sons (12 Krymska), then grab a cup of coffee in the shop’s café.

VINOHRADY

This trendy neighbourhood brims with sidewalk cafés and beer gardens.

Sleep soundly – Spoil yourself with a night at Le Palais Prague (1 U Zvonarky, tel. , palaishotel.cz, rooms from €370/CZK 9,990), a boutique hotel with beautiful 19th-century frescoes by the Bohemian painter Ludek Marold, who lived on the building’s top floor in the late 19th century.

Must eat – Cafe Blatouch (17 Americka, tel. ) is a hip, local hangout known for its light food and laid-back atmosphere.

Must drink – The neighbourhood’s sprawling Riegrovy Sady (park entrance on Polska) features a lively beer garden that lures in a good mix of Czech locals and expats. Wine lovers, meanwhile, will want to head over to Vinicni Altan (1369 Havlickovy Sady), where they can enjoy a glass of the local merlot while sitting in the middle of one of the city’s oldest vineyards.

Compiled by Julie O’Shea