January 17, 2017
| Jeff Fritz
| All Posts, Culture & Art, Insider's Tips, Practical Information
It’s cold outside. It won’t be warmer any time soon. The streets of Prague sure are purty covered in this year’s uncharacteristic dusting of snow, but one needs to find a warm respite once in a while. To that end, we’ve compiled this list of cozy, authentic tea rooms in the center of town where
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December 20, 2016
| Jeff Fritz
| All Posts, Insider's Tips, News & Events, Practical Information
In Prague, New Year’s Eve has a name and that name is Silvestr. Everybody knows Silvestr. Silvestr is a hep cat prone to indulge in parties, loud noises, throbbing music, immoderate substance use, and erratic behavior. Many local people love Silvestr’s charm and daring. Many other local people avoid Silvestr like the plague by escaping
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December 15, 2016
| Jeff Fritz
| All Posts, Culture & Art, Insider's Tips, News & Events, Practical Information
If you like hot spiced wine along with your chestnuts roasting on an open fire, come visit Prague during the Christmas season. It may not be covered in a beautiful layer of pristine white snow, but it’s still considered to be one of Europe’s most scenic and magical holiday destinations with its decorated streets and
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December 6, 2016
| Zdenek Strnadel
| Culture & Art, History & Present, Learn more about Czechs
The festival of st. Nicholas is recognized across European cultures and it has greatly afflicted how Santa Claus acts in American culture now. How does it work in the heart of Europe? Well, it´s a picturesque scheme. The festival is traditionally atributed to 6th of December in western christian tradition. In the eastern orthodox calendar
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November 28, 2016
| Jeff Fritz
| All Posts, History & Present, Practical Information, Trips Outside Prague
Kutná Hora is an ancient town located to the east of Prague, an hour journey by train, and which is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Though in medieval times it was a a mining center that contributed significantly to the royal coffers of the princes of Bohemia, these days it is probably best
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November 15, 2016
| Zdenek Strnadel
| History & Present, Learn more about Czechs, News & Events
November 17 is a date of global significance. On that day in 1869, the Suez straight was open, on the same date in 1950, the 14th dalai-lama was inaugurated and in 1970 the computer mouse was patented. It is also an international day of students. For Czech people, it isn’t a celebration of liberal student life, partying
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November 8, 2016
| Jeff Fritz
| All Posts, Culture & Art, News & Events
To state the obvious, Prague is a very beautiful and interesting city. Over the centuries it has charmed not only its own inhabitants, but has also attracted visitors from all over the world, some of whom have been quite well-known personalities. Of course there was Mozart, whom you can hear all about when you go
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November 2, 2016
| Jeff Fritz
| Culture & Art, History & Present, Learn more about Czechs
Czechs, by their own account, are some of the least religious people in the world. Nevertheless, the long-standing tradition of All Souls’ Day is alive and well here, so to speak. Over the weekend, the country’s already-beautiful cemeteries began to blaze with the light of thousands of candles, lit in remembrance of those no longer
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October 24, 2016
| Jeff Fritz
| All Posts, History & Present, Learn more about Czechs
In Europe, the 20th century began with the apocalyptic finale of the age of the continent’s last authoritarian empires. By the time the smoke of the First World War had cleared, the Russian czars, the German kaisers, and the Austrian emperors had been swept into the proverbial dust bin of history. In Central Europe, the
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October 12, 2016
| Jeff Fritz
| All Posts, Insider's Tips, Trips Outside Prague
The Elbe Sandstone Mountains, formed from the sedimentary remains of the Jurassic sea bed, straddle the Czech-German border in the northwest corner of Bohemia, just a couple of hours distant from Prague by train or car. This region has long been known as Bohemian Switzerland and Saxon Switzerland, depending on which side of the border
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