just booked another trip to Prague

Happy Birthday, Unclegus!
Unfortunately I will miss you in Prague just by few days. I am amazed how much you know about Prague (being from Edinburgh), its pubs and generally about beer and beer culture even in other parts of the Czech Republic. How did it happen? Do you have ancestors from there? Or relatives?

I must do an ancestory test as I am sure I must have Czech blood. I first visited the country in 1993 but only spent a day in Prague,I returned in 2002 and decided it was my spiritual home ,just felt so comfortable in Prague.since 2002 I have made 2 or 3 visits a year.as it is quite easy with the low cost carriers doing reasonably cheap flights from Edinburgh,flight time is just over 2 hours. through various travel forums especially Trip advisor I have met up with and made friends with several locals and regular visitors and some of us try and coordinate our trips so we can meet up for a few days together.
I love my beer and many of the friends I have made have been due to the Czech Beer festival and just talking about beers and pubs on the forums

Happy Birthday Uncle Gus (when it comes). Sounds like you have a wonderful relationship with Prague. I've been fortunate to visit that absolute jewel box of a city several times, although it's been several years now. Glad you have your trip booked and to look forward to!

some friends are coming with me on this trip and another friend is visiting to celebrate their 45 th wedding anivesary,some folk from my walking group might be along too,so a fair old crowd.

Happy 60th and MANY more! I hit that milestone over 9 years ago, so I have another big one this summer. Traveling keeps us young! Keep it up! I've enjoyed reading the Amsterdam and Prague posts the last several months, but we'll also be just missing you this April. My husband, a friend of ours who I've known for 45 years, and I will be flying April 13 to Amsterdam, renting a houseboat through VRBO for a week and then taking an EasyJet flight to Prague on the 21st. We'll have a full week there and will fly out of Prague on the 28th. We were in Amsterdam about four years ago and just loved it -- spent only four days that time (on a houseboat that time as well), so we'll have lots more time this year to see more of the city and get out and around to nearby areas. We've never been to Prague but have heard only RAVE reviews. We enjoy finding apartments in neighborhoods (they're economical as well) and really try to immerse ourselves in the cities we visit. Prague looks ideal for this. We've rented an apartment from Homeaway a few blocks from the National Theater - seems close enough to everything to be accessible to all the tourist areas, but far enough away to be relaxing at night - we're not too much into the bar scene...., but we do like our beer and our wine! It sounds like the city is another "Paris" - walkable and also having easy-to-use public transport. Any "must-sees" that we won't find in our RS books and other guides I've picked along the way will be greatly appreciated. We'll probably want to take a day trip or two but don't necessarily want to stay overnight unless we really have to in order to not miss something that we'd kick ourselves later for not seeing. I wish the three of us would have been there during your stay; we'd have loved to have treated you to a beer.

Eagleseye33, there is a lot to see and do in Prague. Get some ideas here:
http://www.pragueexperience.com
http://www.praguepost.com

Happy birthday and have a fantastic time!

Thanks, llya. I've been checking out PragueExperience but hadn't seen PraguePost. I'l check it out. Thanks again

Eaglesyes I will add another couple of websites for you to look at.
http://livingprague.com/
this is actually run by an English friend of mine who lives just outside Prague and his info is very good sometimes discounts and vouchers available from the site.
http://www.prague.net/
this website has loads of great info on what to see and do.
Where you have your apartment is a great area, Narodni the main street nearby has some great cafes bars and restaurants as well as a micro-brewery (http://www.pivovarnarodni.cz/) on it it is also a real hub for public transport at nearby Narodni Trida.There are also several other micro-breweries all within a few minutes walk of this street.,if you want any info on them all just ask.

I will be eating more than one duck or maybe have a bit of Goose too, but thanks James.

Ilya -- thanks again. I used the PragueExperience website to order tickets for the three of us to a concert Sunday evening the 24th at the Klementinum Hall. It's supposed to be a 10-12 minute walk from our apartment. They're performing some of our favorite pieces...can't wait.
Unclegus - Our Homeaway apartment is on Kremencova in Praha 1. I was able to see the area on GoogleMaps, and you are so right - there seem to be restaurants and pubs galore....yet it seems far enough away to avoid the crowds at night. All three us walk a lot and take advantage of public transportation wherever we travel. I will check out both of those websites and will welcome your expertise on what seems to be your "adopted city."

While I'm picking both of your brains -- should we anticipate larger crowds on the weekends, or is it pretty busy all week long? Just trying to plan when to do some short, day-trips into the surrounding area. Any input as to where you feel we should concentrate our "outside of Prague" travel efforts will be appreciated. Thanks again

Tends to be quieter at weekend as a lot of local head out of the city for the weekend.I have stayed in a hotel on Kremenkova a few year back but was in the street a few months ago, the famous U Fleku brewery
is there and it is worth a visit, very touristy but good fun, they make their own drak beer and it is bloody good but word of warning it makes you fart and I ,em FART. (hey you don't get this stuff in the guide books)
Also in the same street is a Svejk resturaunt caled u Karla and it is very good one of the few places in the city that has an extensive Gluten Free menu.
as to short day trips, Kutna Hora is a lovely little place to viste,or Terezin the Fortress area that was used as a concentration camp during the war.Karlovy vary is another relatively easy day trip that can be done on your own.
Lidice the village destroyed in the aftermath of the Rienhard Heydrich assassination is a sad but interesting half day trip, look up his assassination for more info.

Thanks so much, Unclegus.......You're absolutely right -- we'll find out things on the Forum that will never be mentioned in the guide books! Seeing that all three of us will probably be enjoying our share of beer, we'll heed your warning. We may end up going out onto our patio more than we'd normally do.......LOL!

there is a new shopping mall at narodni trida, less than 5 minutes walk from your apartment,2 supermarkets there , a Billa one on the ground floor of the newer part (it only opened less than a year ago) and a Tesco store in the basement of the MY store the older part of the mall.Everything you might need if you are cooking for yourself but the good thing about Prague is that it is almost as cheap to eat out as it is to cook for yourself. go to the mall and get yourselves a few beers or wines for the patio and enjoy.

We've been renting apartments for the past four or five years on almost all of our vacations. We find that we generally have breakfast at home and then head out for the day, so it's nice to have a grocery close by to get the basics.....eggs, fruit, coffee, etc. No one would want to see my husband have to go without his morning coffee. From everything I've read, you're absolutely right -- the restaurants are everywhere and quite inexpensive. We don't need fancy, that's for sure....just good food with some wine or beer to wash it down. Vickie and I are meat-eaters, but my husband is as close to a vegetarian as one could be.....Vickie and I more than make up for his lack of meat consumption. He and I watched the RS video on Prague, and he sort of cringed at the plates of sausage going by the tables.....his dad worked at a slaughterhouse when Roy was young, and he remembers seeing tongues, etc. on gaff hooks in the back room....not a way to generate a love of eating meat, I guess. I'm going to have to scout out some Italian options in the area, so that he can have his pizza/pasta fix. Do you know of any places offhand that could give him some options? Vickie and I are really flexible and can eat almost anything put in front of us. Thanks

there is a chain of vegetarian places called Loving hut that does some good stuff, but a classic vegetarian Czech meal is deep fried cheese usually served with fries and tarter sauce. you can also get potato pancakes with various fillings some meat based some veg or cheese based and they are pretty good. Loads of pizza and Italian style places around.

http://www.umedvidku.cz/index.php/en/restaurace/jidelni-listek
this place is only 6 minutes or so walk from where you are based and is bloody good, there is probably enough meatless meals to keep hubby happy and the beer is bloody good in there nah it is better than that ,tankova Budvar that is absolute nectar. One thing to note is when they mention toasts in a menu it often mean fried bread and that bread is often but not always fried in lard. It is delicious unless you want to avoid that delicousness .

I looked at their website, and it looked -- as you say "bloody good!" I think that Vickie and I will feel we've died and gone to heaven....and I'm sure that Roy will find lots to please his palate. He loves potato pancakes, and they're probably an option most places. We'll have to try Tankova Budvar- any beer that is described as nectar has to get my vote.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bctTkRVRRQI
this video explains what tankova beer is and this particular pub is called u Veverky in the Dejvicka area of the city and a place I have often visited . When you visit U medvidku just head to the toilets and you will see the tanks, but go right through the back and up the stairs to the old brewery and try a few from there ,same menu but the beer never leaves the room, brewed poured and drunk all within 50 feet ,just magic.

I watched the video and will check out YouTube for a few more of his videos. I think we'll do our share of pub crawling in the week we'll have there. I can't wait for our trip....a week in Amsterdam and then a week in Prague. You know your beer!!!!

Unclegus,
I am adding my birthday wishes to you too. You are joining my club. I also, just sent you a private email with a couple of questions, hope you don't mind. It's been great to read all the posts exchanged with you, very informative. I only regret I can't enjoy the famous beer, just not my thing, but I know I will enjoy Prague when I am there May 5 for the week.
Sara Y.

sydance, that's for the birthday wishes. I will reply to your PM when I get time, just after 6 am here in the UK and I am just getting ready to go to work.

I went to Prague in March. Sting was supposed to perform there with Simon (from Simon and... ) but then they cancelled the last minute after we've made all the arrangements! We booked a tour in RoutePerfect, got tickets, ordered seats in specific restaurants ahead, and really, Sting cancelled it 2 days before the trip. So... we decided to go anyway, and we didn't regret it! Prague was just wonderful and we had a lot to drink! So do the same, keep warm and have fun! :)

@ unclegus...hitting 60. I know what that means. Your age tell me that I could have theoretically met you as backpacker going to Prague in July 1973 when I was going there by train from Nürnberg. Happy Birthday!

I didn't go to Prague till 1993, in july 1973 I was awaiting the results of my Scottish Higher exams whilst travelling through south east England on my bicycle with a few mates staying in youth hostels and having a great time

In July 1973 you were a 17 year old backpacker staying in hostels from the UK, right? I saw them ie, your counterparts , in Germany in the hostels. In Prague in '73 I stayed in an university dorm, spartan but decent, facilities down the hall or on the next floor, no breakfast.

Happy Birthday, Unclegus!

I hit 60 at the end of this month. We are heading to Prague on June 3rd (Friday), with only 3 nights there. It is our first time, so I am scanning the travel forum for ideas. My RS book on Prague is supposed to arrive today. Wondering about doing a Prague Castle walking Tour Including admission tickets. Also since we are wine drinkers, maybe a wine tasting day trip from Prague to Melnik. Any ideas on good tour companies would be greatly appreciated! We are meeting up with other family members in Prague, including my 83 year old mother as there will be 7 of us in total for this leg of our journey.

Eagleseye

I'm a bit late picking up on this thread, but if you're not going until April this list of vegan restaurants may be of interest.

http://www.veggievisa.com/vegan-travel-prague-czech-republic/

I'm not a vegetarian but the friend I visit in Prague is, and there are an increasing number of options for him. Of the ones on this list I would recommend Country Life for lunch. Very close to Old Town Square but very cheap and with a Czech atmosphere. You simply load up a tray from the buffet and they charge you by weight at the till. Heavily used by Czechs who work nearby, which is always a good sign.

Probably though you don't need to seek out vegetarian places especially. My friend always seems to find something he can eat on the menu of anywhere we go.

Have a great trip.

Alan

Thank you so much.....my husband will be so happy with some "non-meat" options. I really appreciate the suggestion!

Unclegus -- enjoy your trip back to Prague and have a WONDERFUL 60th birthday. We'll be there from the 21st through the 28th and will take advantage of your expert suggestions.