How to try thirty-two beers in an evening or a birthday in Prague
It's been a long time since I've written any reviews on turpravda, there's no time. I am correcting myself without shelving, from fresh memory, so to speak.
Usually, I like to plan all the trains in advance, so that everything is "decorously, nobly" planned and thought out. But not at this time.
The visa-free start date almost coincided with my birthday on June 15, and I dreamed of spending it especially. I was very skeptical about this issue (visa-free travel) and strove to apply for a visa, but my husband, an inveterate optimist, held me tight and did not let me in : ), but we still applied for biopassports. In the passport office, the young lady upset us, saying that they would be ready after the fifteenth. As the saying goes, no one is going anywhere. But unexpectedly, the passports were ready earlier and by taking tickets from UIA on sale (round-trip 60E per person-balloon), booking a hotel through Booking.
com, taking out insurance, quickly arranging all the things at work, throwing money on cards, cash in your pocket (just in case), on the 14th we flew to Prague to try visa-free : ) After reading the press, everything was prepared according to the requirements.
But at the Czech customs they didn’t even ask us anything (you can see the faces inspire confidence : )), they were only surprised at the completely clean passports.
And here she is the Beauty of Prague.
I'll make a reservation right away that this is our third trip to the "Prague fairy tale".
Therefore, I will not tell you how to get from the airport to the center, everything is in the previous stories, but I will focus on the “pink (not in the sense of color) fairy tale” and, of course, beer (the male audience will undoubtedly support me).
Since, basically, all the iconic sights have already been seen on previous trips (I always say: “if you didn’t have time to see something, that is a reason to return”), then we decided to spy on what we didn’t have time and where our legs would go : )
We checked into a hotel and immediately went to orient ourselves on the ground. In the nearest circle, it was found: 1. A grocery store with hardworking Chinese, working from 7 to 22 (which was very pleasing) 2. Several cafes. 3. Zizkovskaya tower.
Since the height of the tower is 216 m, it is very noticeable from many parts of the city. And at night it is illuminated with the colors of the Czech flag
We admired the cool "kids" crawling along it. It turns out that they were added not only to embellish the tower, but also to balance the entire structure. The sculptor (David Cherny) personally chose a place for everyone.
Climbing the tower is paid (200 krn = 7.85 E), after numerous and heated debates, by a majority vote of the male half (half voted with both hands), it was decided to leave it on the next train, and drink the saved money away : )
Famous beer establishments, such as Novomestsky brewery, U Fleku, U Medvedku, Brewery house, U Ferdinand, Potrefen hus, were visited on our last visit, we moved on to lesser known, but more colorful local establishments offering craft beer.
A little lyrical beer digression.
All beer for me is divided into "tasty" and "Zhigulevskoe". At the time of my youth, apart from Zhigulevsky, nothing was sold, and once I tried “this bitter muck”, I decided for myself that I don’t like beer. And only much later, having visited Belgium and the Czech Republic, I realized “yes, yes” I like it.
"Vkusnenkoe" are sweeter and milder beers with low IBU bitterness up to 35.
For those who are not in the know: Craft beer is any beer brewed not on an industrial scale, but in a small beer production, often according to your own recipes for personal use and creative self-realization.
Litovel Maestro beer with avalanche effect
And although Litovel is not a craft beer, I still advise you to try Litovel Maestro beer with an avalanche effect. It differs in that they bring you a full glass of foam : ) Bulks gradually fall to the bottom (and do not rise up, as usual) and turn into beer. But you should immediately start drinking the foam, it has a delicate velvety creamy taste. In general, it is indescribable... Staropramen releases with the same avalanche effect; they call it Velvet (velveteen) we tried it last time at Potrefena Husa near Charles Bridge.
After googling and finding a nearby bar where you can find Litovel Maestro, we went to the cellar “At the Golden Gron” (Sklí pek U Zlaté ho hroznu vinoté ka) and if you don’t like beer at all, wine is poured in this cellar.
Here's a snack
After tasting, we decided to just walk around the corner and came across a museum of crystals GEOSVET - Londý nská.55 Due to the night time, the museum was not open, but there was a small showcase with minerals in front of the entrance.
Simply beautiful
Second day - birthday-palace
It started with us from the Strahov Monastery and Petrshiny Hill.
Entering the courtyard of the monastery on the right, you will see a small passage with arrows to the Peklo restaurant and the funicular, we go past the restaurant (well, maybe not past) and go up a little and get to Petrin Hill.
From here you have an amazing panorama of Prague. Having admired enough, we slowly drift in the direction of the Petrin Tower. Do not get lost, a lot of pointers where what.
Just walk, enjoy. Too lazy to take pictures. . .
We passed the mirror maze (it would be more interesting for children) and following the signs in the direction of the funicular, we finally got into my “pink fairy tale”
The funicular went down the hill and went to the Vtrbovský Palace.
Lyrical digression the second - public transport in Prague
If you are on a day trip, don't bother and walk.
And if it’s longer, then stock up on a metro and tram card, buy a day or three-day ticket, and ride : ) Excellent public transport logistics allows you to easily and quickly get to any interesting (from a tourist point of view) place. Do not drag, for example, uphill to Prague Castle, but drive up on a 22-meter tram. And already go down to your pleasure. Which we have done many times.
The same ticket is valid for the funicular as for the tram, metro, bus. And if you have a day (three-day) ticket, just show it to the conductor when boarding.
The entrance to the Vtrbovsky Palace is not at all striking. At the intersection of Karmelitska and Trziste streets, there is an inconspicuous arch between restaurants. Go through and find yourself in "Italy".
The entrance to the garden is paid 65 krn = 2.55E
But it's worth it.
A beautiful garden in the Baroque style, laid out in the first half of the 18th century according to the project of the architect F. M. Kanka. Having survived a difficult fate, the garden was restored in the 90s of the twentieth century.
Lower tier of the garden.
At the foot of the lower tier there is a pavilion for recreation - Salla Terrena.
Fresco by Vá clav Reiner: Venus and Adonis
Sculptures: Bacchus and Cecera (M. Braun)
Wooden panels with birds. There is a very interesting story about them: once they decorated one of the halls of the Prague Castle, in the Soviet period they were going to be completely thrown away (and why this junk : )). But still managed to save and after 1989 they decorate the pavilion of the Vrtbor garden.
Lower terrace
Lower terrace: view of French flowerbeds
Middle Terrace
And from the upper terrace - Mala Strana and Prague Castle are in full view.
Next, our feet carried us to the Waldsheyn Palace
View of the loggia and garden
Waldschein Palace was built in the Baroque style in the first half of the seventeenth century for Duke Albrecht von Waldschein. For the implementation of the palace and garden project, 22 buildings, three gardens, the city gates and the city brick kiln were bought and destroyed. In general, a lot of money for construction and decoration was hurt. And Albert Waldshein lived in it for only a year before his murder. The Senate now sits here. You can get into the palace itself on weekends from 10 to 16.
It didn’t work out for us (that’s the lack of preliminary planning, next time we’ll definitely go : )), but we managed to take a walk in the garden for pleasure. Entrance to the palace and garden is free.
The highlight of the garden is a stalactite wall, creating a contrast between natural and man-made beauty of nature.
A pond with an island and a peacock.
Peacocks brazenly walk around the park
Palace gardens under Prague Castle.
South of the Castle, the parks and vineyards were transformed into magnificent Italian gardens in the 16th century. And a century later, after the destruction caused by the Swedes, they acquired a new baroque look with statues, balustrades, terraces and fountains. They include five gardens Lederburgsky, Small and Big Pafievsky, Kolovratsky and Small Furstenbergsky.
We entered them from the side of the Kolovratsky Palace, and left from the side of the Lederburg Palace. But the opposite is also possible. Entrance fee 100 kroons.
This is such an inconspicuous entrance. You have to climb this ladder
Kolovrat Garden
Great Pafievsky garden. Pool with Triton and Sundial.
Lederburg Garden
We were lucky, or few people go to these gardens at all, and we wandered there completely alone (There are many photos and not a single "decent" one : )) Very beautiful - I definitely recommend visiting.
And for the end of the gathering "at Ferdinand's" in Malaya Strana. We have loved this restaurant since a previous trip. Painfully "boar's knee" they prepare sincerely.
But keep in mind you will have to wait for forty minutes - an hour. While you wait, enjoy your beer. (Credit cards accepted)
Third day - landscape gardening and festival
It was decided to dedicate today to the gardens of Prague Castle. On our favorite tram 22, we got to the Pohorelec stop and slowly defiled in the direction of Loreta. In front of the gardens, we decided to look into the garden of the Chernin Palace. (Free admission).
This palace is said to have as many windows as there are days in a year. The palace was built in 1668-1697. commissioned by the imperial ambassador in Venice Gumprecht Jan Czernin from Khudenice and his son.
It was decided to look at the Prague Castle Gardens from the Upper Deer Moat and gradually go down to the Belvedere.
Passing from the Chenin Palace through the picturesque streets of the New World (the New World got its name because it stood outside Hradchany)
House At the golden vulture. I. Kepler lived in this house for 10 years (who is not in the subject: he is the discoverer of the laws of planetary motion in the solar system : ))
From an inconspicuous gate we get into a real forest
We climb the paths to the observation platform, so beloved by President T. Masaryk (and named after him) and admire the views of St. Vitus Cathedral.
Next, we set off to look for an 84-meter tunnel built on the site of the medieval Powder Bridge
And here is the tunnel, passing through it we get to the Lower Deer Ditch.
Lower Oleniy Ditch
Such a primordial dwarf : )
It is not possible to go through it to the end, since in the middle the path is blocked and the arrow bypasses, and here we had to climb up the slope. And exit from the back of the Ballroom.
We go around it and admire the panorama of the Cathedral
Here it is from the front. Indescribably, only oohs - sighs : )
It was built in 1569 for ball games. Then it became an arena, a stable, then military warehouses were located.
Sculpture Allegory of the Night (M. B. Brown)
The singing fountain is named because of the melodic sounds that drops create when they fall into the bowl ( Lies, put fish soup to the bowl
just the sound of drops, they probably didn’t drink enough beer, so they didn’t hear it)
The garden was founded in 1534 by order of the King of the Czech Republic - Ferdinand I of Habsburg. The first architect was J. Spatia and the garden was conceived in the Renaissance style. But during the fire, a lot of plantings, arbors, etc. burned down. (During this fire, the Powder Bridge (the former bridge over the Oleniy Ditch) also burned down. ) And the garden was restored for a long time, already by other architects and gardeners. And the garden acquired more baroque features. But later, in 1747-1753, French and Prussian troops again destroyed most of the garden. In the 19th century, the garden was restored in the English style, but by the end of the century it was completely deserted. And only before the Second World War the garden was restored again.
The Belvedere is the summer palace of Queen Anne.
To be continued.... https://www.turpravda.com/cz/praga/blog-233997.html
