Discover the romance of the Posázaví region

Let’s take a stroll out of Prague and explore the tourist region of the Sázava river. It is situated south of the capital. This way you can get acquainted better with the Czech Republic, both its nature and its history.

The area around the Sázava (river) – the right inflow of the Vltava

The Posázaví region is the mountainous landscape full of forests spreading out on both
banks of the Sázava. Spectacular countryside attracts lovers of rafting, hiking, cycling and camping.

Active holidaying by Sázava

Let’s keep the sporting spirit alive and head off on an adventure of riding one of the nicest rivers in Czechia full of thrilling weirs and rapids. You can choose from various levels of difficulty according to your skills. The experienced ones dare to the rapids called ‘Stvořidla’ in the upper part of the river, or with the rapids near Pikovice municipality. This part of the river streams through canyons surrounded by rocks and camps.

Take your family with you and enjoy an exciting adventure together. Just choose the easier part of the river such as the middle part, situated between the Český Šternberk castle and Sázava (town). Enjoy a romantic view of castles, ruins or convents. With a little bit of luck, you might catch a sight of a train engine or a steam train on its regular ride.

In the footsteps of Czech history by bike or walk

The Sázava district is seeded with many historical and natural monuments. For example, the fabulous Blaník Mountain famous for the Bohemian legend about the Knights sleeping inside, or the beautiful Český Šternberk castle, which you can know from the June article.

Learn the oldest Bohemian legends while walking through the nature trail up to the Blaník Mountain. You can also admire a beautiful view of the Posázaví region from the lookout towers nearby. Let’s mention at least the lookout tower Spulka (Rozhledna Špulka), The Bohdanka lookout tower near Bohdaneč town, Velký Blaník lookout tower near Vlašim town and the lookout tower Vysoká near Kutná Hora town.
Make an all-day trip in Kutná Hora – the town you can find on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is famous for a silver mining in the Middle Age.
Do not miss a wonderful historic monument the Sázava Monastery in Sázava town. If you decide to visit the Sázava town, a guided tour of the local glass factory might be an interesting experience.
There are also many beautiful chateaux in the Posázaví region as the Chateau Vlašim, Konopiště Castle with a beautiful large garden, the baroque chateau Jemniště or the castle in ‘Týnec nad Sázavou’ with Romanesque rotunda.

Boost your energy by hiking and walking in the peaceful nature

Make your everyday problems go away and clear your mind. ‘Posázavská stezka’ is one of the most beloved trails near Prague, leading along the left bank of the Sázava River. It will take you through the cottage areas, forests and rocks levels. This walk offers favourite lookout points ‘Žampská vyhlídka’, ‘Raisova vyhlídka’ or ‘Klimentova vyhlídka’. The last one offers a unique view of the Sázava River bend.
And here is another tip! You have probably seen some of the paintings by the Czech artist – Josef Lada. If you are interested in his life and where he drew his inspiration from, make a trip to a small village Hrusice where Lada was born. You will find there the ruins of the medieval castle Hláska – one of the Lada’s favourite places. He pictured this place many times in his work.

Out of Prague by train

Over a hundred years, not only Czech tramping lovers but also other tourists get to this region from Prague by train. The legendary train engine ‘Posázavský pacifik’ will take you from Prague via Vrané – Čerčany – Čerčany-Kácov to Světlá nad Sázavou. The journey is a unique opportunity full of fun going through the canyon of Sázava river, several railway tunnels, beautiful countryside, rock walls and traditional camps with wooden cabins.

Břetislavka Residence Team wishes you unforgettable moments while getting to know our countryside.

1.8.201915.7.2019

Summertime in Prague

Burning sun, hot air, people in streets looking for a place where to hide from the sun. Where to cool down? What to do in Prague during hot summer days? The best way how to spend your day would be by water – swimming pool or an outdoor swimming pool… and go out at the sunset. Live nightlife in Prague! The city offers many special outdoor events or open-air cinemas where to chill out during summer nights.

Summer Cinema

Prague has a wealth of options. One of the most popular summer cinemas is at ‘MeetFactory’. The MeetFactory summer cinema is for free and it screens with Czech or eventually English subtitles every Wednesday (at 9:30 p.m. in July, at 8:30 p.m. in August and September).
Another famous place is at ‘Kasárny Karlín’, there you are able to watch a movie under any weather conditions. The cinema projects each Thursday and Saturday for 80 CZK.
Žluté Lázně cinema screens a movie every Saturday and Tuesday night at 9:30 p.m.. The cinema is situated at ‘Podolské Nábřeží’ and you pay 50 CZK per ticket.
Romantic cinema under the stars lies by the riverside at Čertovka (in the garden of Werich Villa). The entry is 120 CZK apiece + 100 CZK refundable deposit for headphones, with films beginning at 9:30 p.m. on the 14th and 28th July, and on the 11st and 25th August.
Outdoor cultural centre Containall screen movies for free in 2 different locations. Mondays belong to Stromovka Park in the Royal deer-park and Thursdays belong to Containall Stalin in ‘Letná Parks’ (Letenské sady) – starts at 9:00 p.m. or 9:30 p.m. And not to forget, summer ‘Kinobus’ (Cinema-bus) is cruising the city during warm summer days, providing films for free at a different place each week. It screens all kinds of films for any type of film fans.

Open-air Theatre

At the end of June, The Kalich Theatre opened the open-air theatre at a very attractive place below the Žižkov television tower in Mahler Gardens in Prague 3. The audience can look forward to a ‘Starry summer below the Žižkov tower’. You will have fun with many elite actors from the theatre sphere. There will be as many theatre stars on the stage as nowhere else. The Kalich Theatre invited acting stars from many Prague theatres. You can enjoy the best of their staging under the stars. Thanks to a motorized retractable roof you don’t have to worry about the weather conditions. You can truly enjoy an undisturbed sociable evening. Days and times might be different depending on each performance so please follow the programme of ‘The Starry summer’.

Another lovely place where you can spend an unforgettable evening is by Krizik Fountain in Prague Exhibition Grounds (‘Výstaviště’). Come to watch the incredible water show and the lighting effects with the background of the movie or classical music.

The Břetislavka residence team wishes you wonderful summertime in Prague and at Břetislavka.

8.7.2019

Discover castles and chateaux around Prague

Make a trip through Czech history, important kings and aristocrats. Join our tips, visit interesting places and learn more about our history. We present you only a few of the biggest and the most famous castles and chateaux located near Prague – the city of a hundred spires. Central Bohemian Region has plenty more or less significant castles, chateaux or ruins and all of them are must-sees.

Charles IV. and his Karlštejn Castle

Karlštejn Castle is one of the most important and the best-known castles in the Czech Republic. Especially thanks to its builder who is no-one other than the Czech king and emperor Charles IV. First, you can admire its majesty – the interior tour offers you a unique possibility to see the replica of the Royal Crown of Bohemia. Second, you can admire The Chapel of the Holy Cross – it was founded by Charles IV as a unique treasury for the Imperial Crown Jewels. The Chapel was the place of safekeeping the imperial crown jewels for almost 200 years. You will also find an exhibition of Master Theodoricus paintings there thus forming the largest collection of Bohemian monarchs’ portraits. If you are interested in the Chapel of the Holy Cross tour, it is necessary to book the visit at the phone number 311 681 617 or by the e-mail at rezervace-karlstejn@stc.npu.cz in advance.

Fabulous Český Šternberk Castle

A gothic castle Český Šternberk is towering above the Sázava river. One of the oldest and best-preserved castles in Bohemia was founded in 1241 by the Šternberk dynasty, who have been owning it up to the present day. Sightseeing tours lead through castle’s largest rooms to the Knights’ Hall. Other rooms to see are a large dining room or the castle’ interior, coming from the period of the Thirty Years’ War. The interior has undergone a major reconstruction so you can admire the view of stucco decorative walls in High Baroque style with collections of Šternberk dynasty coats of arms, hunting weapons or precious paintings. Have a look at the room of the Count Kaspar Maria von Sternberg, one of the founders of the National Museum in Prague.
Another curiosity is that the Czech very popular TV series ‘Arabela’ was made there. The princess and her family walked through the chambers and looked down on the Posázaví region.
This summer, the castle is attractive place for all travellers, because of an interesting exhibition of the Czech traveler Alois Musil. Thanks to the project ‘Wander Book’, enjoy the possibility to compare travelling experiences these days to the experiences of Alois Musil a 100 years ago under one roof. You will also find collection of tourist stamps there. Even the entrance ticket to the exhibition has a value of the stamp.

Konopiště Castle

Konopiště Castle is a unique Early Gothic building built in a French Style coming from the 13th – 14th centuries. It was rebuilt to a chateau during 19th-20st centuries by Franz Ferdinand d’Este, the successor to the Austro-Hungarian throne. Thanks to his hunting passion, we can enjoy a view of impressive representative interior with richly decorated walls by hunting trophies in case you choose the hunting route. The Rose Garden is also worth mentioning. You will find greenhouses showing some thermophilic plant species as well as castle ditch with the Asiatic black bear living there appreciated mainly by children.
The castle offers a possibility of a night tour while you can see usually unavailable chambers and rooms but the above-mentioned tour is necessary to book at konopiste@npu.cz in advance.

Křivoklát Castle

Within 1 hour westward from Prague, you can visit Křivoklát Castle lying in the middle of Křivoklát forests. This castle was first mentioned in the 12th century in The Chronicle of the Czechs by Cosmas of Prague. However, the castle became famous after a major reconstruction performed by Ottokar II of Bohemia. Since then it became a representative seat of Czech kings. The functionality and appearance were formed for centuries. From the favorite hunting place of the Premyslid Dynasty (‘Přemyslovci’) and the Luxembourg Dynasty to the era when it was used as a national prison. The best-known prisoner in there was Charles IV, the first King of Bohemia and the Holy Roman Emperor.
For visitors there are regular falcon shows organized and during the holiday you can visit the castle also at night. Those special night shows must be booked at the phone number +420 313 558 440 in advance.
Bear in mind that almost all castles and chateaux are closed on Monday. This doesn’t apply to Karlštejn Castle though which opens daily during a holiday (1.7.-31.8.).

Wherever you go, there is always a nice castle, chateau or any other significant place worth exploring.
Břetislavka Residence Team wishes you a lot of sunshine and many lovely experiences while getting to know our country.

5.6.2019

Admire the Czech Republic from towers and lookout towers

The Czech Republic has many breathtaking lookout points, from where you can enjoy wonderful views. Yes, there are many places in the world like this, you can think. However, the Czech Republic is famous for its castle, chateau, wooden or steel constructions in the form of towers, little towers, views and beautiful lookout towers. There are hundreds of them and we are proud of them. Lookout towers are the Czech phenomenon. We have already introduced to you the lookout towers in Prague. Let’s have a look at those ones within easy reach from Prague.

The View of Posázaví

Jílové u Prahy is just a stone’s throw from Prague and due to that became popular by tourists. Beside the unique Museum of Tramping you can visit gold mines or climb the hill Pepř with the eponymous lookout tower within 2 km south of Prague. Out of this metallic construction, you can admire the southern part of Prague, Brdy hills, the Central Bohemian Uplands and the Konopiste castle.

The “Cold Hill” Lookout Tower (Studený vrch)

The stone tower built in 1940 will impress you by its heptagonal shape. Thanks to its 18-metre height and under good weather conditions and with a bit of luck, you will manage to spot mountains Ještěd or Milešovka. Ještěd is the biggest mountain in Jizera Mountains and Milešovka is the biggest mountain in Central Bohemian Uplands.
The stone tower is located less than 60 km from Břetislavka in a small village Dobříš.

Besedná and “Merry Hill” (Veselý vrch)

Two more lookout constructions tower above Slapy water reservoir. On top of the hill Besedná, there is a 22-metre tall lookout tower named Drtinova which was built in 1926. Since 2015, we can enjoy the view from a new wooden 25-metre tall lookout tower. Not far away, on the top of the “Merry Hill”, there is another steel construction. The lookout tower “Veselý vrch”(Merry Hill) is 42-metre tall and under good conditions you will manage to see Alpine ridges or Krkonoše Mountains from there.
Both towers are under 60 km far in a southerly direction from Prague.

The 1st lookout tower in Czechia

In 1893, the 1st lookout tower was built by Czech Tourist Club in our country. The magnificent brick tower Děd with a beautiful battlement will offer you a beautiful view of Křivoklátsko, Central Bohemian Uplands or planes taking off the Vaclav Havel Prague Airport. Beroun is situated within 30 km south-westerly of Prague.

The Lookout Tower Lhotka

5 km away from Beroun, there is a 45-metre tall steel telecommunication cell site east-westerly from Prague. A circle platform is located in a height of 25 metres. Visitors can admire a beautiful view of Bohemian Karst or Křivoklátsko. From up there you can also get a bird’s eye view of Beroun.

Vinice Lookout

30 km eastward From Břetislavka, you can see another steel cell site. Vinice Lookout is 21-metre tall and you can see the Říp Mountain or Bezděz Mountains from there after you reach the circle stairs. There is also a beautiful view of Ještěd the highest mountain peak in Liberec.

When you have a bit of time, let’s make a trip to the surroundings of Hundred-spires Prague, too. Břetislavka Residence Team wish you many lovely experiences while to get to know the Czech countryside and history.

9.5.2019

May tips for outing in Prague

Pražské jaro, Hvězdárna Ďáblice, Letecké muzeum Kbely

The May weather may not feel very springlike. The below-average temperatures are expected in the upcoming weeks. But don’t worry! You can enjoy Prague in any weather. Spend your Free time on these activities listed below and learn interesting things.

May belongs to Prague Spring

Spring in Prague is besides other things, a holiday of music. On the 12th of May 2019 the composition Má vlast by Bedřich Smetana opens the 74th International Music Festival Spring Prague. Do not miss the last chance to get the tickets for the Opening concert in Municipal House – Smetana Hall or live the festive atmosphere in an informal way at Kampa Island. The Festival lasts till 4 June and you can choose from up to 50 concerts which take place in various of important Prague theatres, churches and halls.

Ďáblice Observatory

In the north part of Prague on the rocky hill Ládví, there is a proud home of the Ďáblice Observatory.
But let’s begin a little differently. Not far away from this place there is the first Prague block of flats in the street U Prefy 771. The Ďáblice Observatory was created thanks to the astronomical enthusiasts from the rest of the panels coming from the construction of the high – rise block. Except Friday, the star sky aficionados can observe the day and the night sky 6 days a week. They can also take part in an interesting lectures.
When the conditions for observing are just right, we suggest you to do a short walk to a lookout point near the observatory which offers offers great views of the mountains in the border areas – the Krkonoše, Jizerské and Krušné Mountains.

Aviation Museum Kbely

Another notable place in the North part of Prague is the Aviation Museum Kbely. The seat of the museum complex is the historic military airport Prague – Kbely. Not only for military avation fans there is an exhibition of 275 aircrafts which most of them are the World’s most unique. By the quality and the quantity of collections it belongs to the largest aviation museum in the Europe and impress either kids or adults visitors.

Whether the weather is sunny or cloudy, the Residence Team of Břetislavka wish you the loveliest impressions from the Capital.

18.4.2019

Live Spring Time in Prague

April in Prague mostly is celebration of the Major Christian Holiday. You can absorb the atmosphere of Easter in several places in the Capital but we have prepared some more interesting ideas sparkling with colours and scented by spring how to spend your time in Prague.

Easter markets

April is first of all about Easter. You can visit the Easter markets in many places of Prague. The largest and best-known celebrations and shopping for little Easter presents are situated in the Old Town Square. The Easter market open daily from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM till 28 April and you can buy handpainted Easter eggs, sweet-smelling gingerbread, Easter decorations for your home and
many other handmade products by Czech craftsmen there. The highlight of the market is the traditionally decorated birch tree and the rich accompanying programme, including Czech folklore music, adds to the holiday atmosphere. Do not miss the Easter markets at Wenceslaus and Republic Squares. Share the Easter experience at the Farmers’ Market in Victory Square in Dejvice each Saturday.

Non-traditional picnic with the view of Prague

Let’s experience something special in the first warm days of spring! Enjoy your picnic in an unusual way – from the roof of the National Museum of Agriculture at Letna District. Imagine you and your friends sitting on a blanket in the grass with flowerbeds humming with bees from local beeshouses. Simply borrow a picnic basket and accessories from the reception desk for 200 Kc. Than you just need to fill up your picnic basket with some lovely food and drinks from the local supermarket and you can set out and explore Prague from the top.

Colourful world of Butterflies

There is more to see than just blooming nature in the Spring. From 11 April to 26 May let’s make a trip to the Fata Morgana greenhouse in Prague Botanical Garden and discover the world from the butterfly’s perspective. Lucky visitors will see their first take-off. Except Monday, everyone can admire a colourful show of butterfly wings and find out interesting facts about their lives. Did you know there are species of butterflies which fly only few metres during their life and on the other hand there are some species which migrate between continents?

The Team of Residence Břetislavka wish you a lovely spent spring time in Prague.

4.3.201913.3.2019

Adrenaline pumping activities in Prague

Prožijte v Praze Exit game nebo navštivte větrný tunel

Okay, so you know where to strap on your skis in Prague. What you may not know is how to pronounce Krkonoše properly, but we are sure you’re aware that the highest Czech mountains are a terrific – and easy to reach – place to head for in the winter. We’ve also told you about the amazing spots (some of which are close to Břetislavka Residence) Prague has to offer if you love ice skating under the open sky. What we haven’t written about yet is where to go if it’s adrenaline pumping activities that you’re looking for. Well, let’s start by saying there are plenty of those!

Wind tunnel

If you’re an adventurous person, don’t hesitate to try a free fall simulator. This is, in fact, a wind tunnel where wind speed soars to hurricane levels, ensuring an experience during which hefty amounts of adrenaline flood your bloodstream. When untamed, wind flow of this velocity gives people the creeps. However, Hurricane Factory in Letňany as well as ICE ARENA (also in Letňany) promise a perfectly safe experience under supervision of professional instructors.

Wondering what it’s like to fight against wind speeds up to 270km an hour? Hesitate no more and book a session! This can last from just about two minutes (even this is unforgettable) to over an hour, although the venue recommends people with limited experience do not fly for more than 20 minutes a day!

Escape games to test your self-preservation instinct

You may have heard about escape games. These are fun activities with an aim to get you out of a closed space. You’re definitely going to need to be ingenious to solve a variety of puzzles prepared for you. But what’s equally important is not to lose your head when under pressure and your life is at stake (not literally, of course). If you believe you can keep your fear and exorbitant amounts of adrenaline at bay, how about giving this a try? Do you think you can find an escape route before it’s too late? Well, you need to see for yourself!

Escape games are a terrific way to discover who you really are, to see how you respond to life or death situations and crises. If this feels like a must, be aware that the closest venue – EXIT GAME RUNAWAY – is located in Dejvice, that is not far from Břetislavka. It takes you to a multitude of time and space dimensions so you’re sure to enjoy a fantastic experience.

Alternatively, you can head for EXIT ROOM in Žižkov where you’re going to face a challenge no less demanding than how to escape from Alcatraz.

Another alternative is centrally located Questroom. There are two rooms and two stories to choose from.

Finally, there is an escape game venue called The Chamber that offers a multitude of room types. You can’t go wrong. Each of the rooms offers adrenaline-pumping stories you won’t forget till the end of your life.

Wherever you choose go in Prague, the Břetislavka Residence team wish you a great time and tons of amazing experiences!

19.2.201913.3.2019

Břetislavka is a great place to savour healthy and delicious dishes

Břetislavka has always been a place to go for those who love great food and drinks. Back in the day, Šárecké Údolí Valley was where sausages used to be roasted and savoured with good beer. A dramatic change occurred two years ago when Břetislavka transformed into a venue characterized by Czech cuisine. Another landmark was January 2019 when the venue started to focus on delicious and healthy food.

Looking for fresh food? You’ve just found it!

Opening a restaurant at Břetislavka was a dream come true for Mr. and Mrs. Calda, the new owners. Interestingly, the couple do not, in fact, refer to the venue as a restaurant, bistro or coffee shop. Instead, they call it a foodpoint. It is conceived as a place serving healthy food with most of the ingredients coming from local farms although some high quality and fresh ingredients such as fruit, which is used to make their delicious signature smoothies, come from abroad. “Our motto is real and fresh food without compromises and for everybody”, the owners emphasize.

For adults and children alike

Armed with tons of experience gained during maternity leave, the owner came up with a concept of a venue serving healthy and fresh food. The place is meant to cater to both adults and children, ensuring (not only) the latter feel as relaxed as possible. The idea was to create a venue to be frequented, among others, by mothers with small children. To that end, the foodpoint features a pram room as well as a play area for children with comfortable armchairs for mothers to relax and sip their coffee. There are a variety of dishes suitable for children of any age. The youngest may enjoy puree made with sweet potatoes and millet grains while older children are welcome to try turkey with roasted sweet potato chips and home-made ketchup.

Home-made lemonade instead of coke

Re.fresh Foodpoint is a venue where “food” means a lot more than a mere word. This is a place where no compromises are made with respect to quality, freshness and healthiness of food. “We’re sorry, but fried cheese hasn’t made it to our menu. In fact, the deep fryer was the thing we got rid of first”, the owners said. Instead, the permanent menu includes such delicacies as vegan re.fresh bowl with rice, roasted chick peas, falafel, avocado, fresh vegetables and cashew mayonnaise, and salad with marinated salmon. The most demanding connoisseurs of tasty dishes are encouraged to order a beefsteak (which is, in fact, meat of a bull calf) complemented by both sauce made with brandy and green pepper and potato confit. In addition to the delicious home-made lemonades, there are a variety of kinds of smoothies for you to choose from.

Břetislavka is an incredibly friendly place regardless of when you visit it. Weather and season permitting, there is also an outside seating area in the garden. What is more, the owners have just revealed their plans to introduce live music sessions to enhance the experience. How does that sound?

The Břetislavka Residence staff wish all our guests and visitors a lovely stay!

Břetislavka has available rooms

Would you like to learn more about accommodation we offer? Make a request!

11.1.201913.3.2019

Outdoor ice skating is an exciting way to keep in shape in winter. Great news is Prague boasts a number of venues

Winter days in Prague might and might not get dreary, depending on how you spend them. An exciting and healthy way to spend your free time in the winter is taking up ice skating. There are a bunch of outdoor rinks all over the capital. And as ice skating (and hockey) are incredibly popular in the country, this is a great way to get to know more about the culture (in Hawaii they surf, in the Czech Republic they ice skate). Great news is you can borrow ice skates at a number of venues. So even if you don’t possess any (or they didn’t fit in your luggage), there’s no need to despair.

A farmers market in the summer, an ice rink in the winter. Prague 6 has lots of faces

Remember Kulaťák? This is where the ice rink nearest to Břetislavka is situated. Officially called Vítězné náměstí (Victory Square), Kulaťák in Prague-Dejvice is the place for ice skaters to go until the end of February. The artificial rink, which measures 18 by 25 metres, is found where farmers market takes place in the summer (i.e. by Šolínova Street) and is open daily 9am – 9pm. There is no entrance fee here and you can also borrow skates. Should you get thirsty or hungry, a refreshments stall is just off the rink.

Šestka shopping mall now has an ice rink too

If Šestka in Prague 6 is where you usually do your shopping, there’s a delightful opportunity for you to kill two proverbial birds with one equally proverbial stone. You can get your groceries here as usual. But since an ice rink has recently cropped up right next to the mall, what you can also do here is work on your skating skills as well as figure. The rink opens daily 9am – 9pm (i.e. when the mall is open). A day ticket is CZK 50. If the Atlantic Ocean (or any other ocean or sea, for that matter) separates you and your skates, you can also borrow skates here for CZK 80.

Ovocný trh ice rink

How about ice skating in the very historical heart of Prague? If that sounds like a must, there is an ice rink next to Stavovské divadlo (Estates Theatre). Measuring 14 by 30 metres, the rink is here for you to enjoy until the end of January 2019. You won’t be charged anything to polish your pirouettes and triple tulups. And the venue opens 10am – 9pm. Not having your own skates is a problem that a few coins will solve, so the only thing you mustn’t forget is enthusiasm.

Go for a spin right under the Žižkov Tower

Yes, we are talking about the place where you had a picnic in the summer. On cold winter days Žižkov is not exactly popular with picnic and outdoor barbecue lovers. But that doesn’t mean all you can do here is wait for the spring to come. Quite on the contrary. 2019 marks the fourth year the grass covered area is turned into an ice kingdom of sorts. Weather permitting, there is a generously dimensioned ice rink (30 by 14 metres) open until March. The rink welcomes skaters 12-2pm, 3-5pm and 6-9pm on working days. And morning opening hours (9-11am) are added to the standard opening hours at weekends. Morning/afternoon ticket costs CZK 100, evening skating will cost you CZK 120. Great news is you can also rent skates for CZK 50. There is no way for you to get thirsty or hungry here as home-made punch, hot wine, grilled specialties and lots more will be available for purchase right at the venue.

Grab your skates and head for Letná

Some say size matters; others disagree. Whatever camp you belong to, please, be informed that the largest outdoor ice rink in Prague (40 by 15 metres) is to be found in the Letná park opposite the Sparta Prague Football Stadium. The venue is open daily (9am – 9pm) through February 24. Skating won’t cost you a bit as no entrance fee is charged.

Bruslení Na Františku

Na Františku in Prague 1 boasts yet another outdoor ice rink for you to make the most of. The rink is open to the public daily till mid-March. A ticket costs CZK 70 and the opening hours are as follows:

Mon, Wed, Thur: 8am-3pm; 3:30-5:30pm
Tue: 11:30am-3pm; 3:30-5:30pm
Fri: 8am-1pm; 4-5pm
Sat: 10:30am-12; 12:30-2:30pm; 3-5pm; 5:30-7:00pm
Sun: 10am-12; 12:30-2:30pm; 3-5pm

Wherever you choose to go and whatever you choose to do in 2019, the Břetislavka Residence staff wish you happiness and the best of luck in all of your endeavours.

28.11.201813.3.2019

Christmas in Prague

The year is slowly and surely coming to an end as city streets are becoming adorned with Christmas decorations. Prague is no exception in this regard. Come the advent period, the capital becomes as Christmassy as you can imagine. Decorated (and lit) Christmas trees, street markets, music and the omnipresent smell of mulled wine take over. If all things Christmas appeal to you, below are a few tips. These will help you to make the most of the festive time spent in the Czech Republic. Ready?

Christmas markets in Prague

We wrote about the very first 2018 Christmas market, which opened as early as the end of November, in our last article. If you want to see the largest Christmas market in Prague (and the whole of the Czech Republic), you need to head for the Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí) and Wenceslaus Square (Václavské náměstí). The market opens on December 1, offering a great chance for you to taste traditional Czech sweets, gingerbread, mulled wine and lots more. The organizers of the 15th Christmas market have prepared a rich program. So everyone is sure to remain entertained. On sale will be, among other souvenirs, ceramic cups adorned, symbolically, with faces of Czech rulers and cultural icons as well as with the Prague urban landscape.

Kulaťák on Victory Square (Vítězné náměstí) is another place where you can feel the spirit of Christmas. So if you’re searching for a nice gift or souvenir, make sure you come on any of the Advent Saturdays between 8 am and 2 pm. Natural cosmetics, ceramics, wooden toys, books for children, Christmas decorations and other products (many of which are traditional and typical of the Czech Republic) will be available. And missing won’t be traditional farmers’ products, live fish, mulled wine and Christmas sweets.

The spirit of Christmas inside Fata Morgana

Once in Prague-Trója, we recommend you take a walk to the Botanical Gardens. It’s winter and there might be snow. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t be surprised by live flowers in bloom while you walk around. If that sounds exciting, Fata Morgana, a botanical greenhouse, is the place to go. It boasts original Advent and Christmas decorations made of natural materials. And you are sure to marvel as well at the beauty of a traditional Christmas crib installed on the premises.

New Year’s Eve in the Old Town Square

Spending your Christmas in Prague this year? How about a New Year’s Eve in the very heart of the capital in the Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí)? The party starts as early as 5 pm. And you are sure to have tons of fun. This will be a fantastic opportunity to dance a little, listen to Czech bands playing live, and enjoy the last hours of this year and maybe the first few hours of the new year too. Entrance is free. The only thing you might spend money on is refreshments – and you can rest assured there will be plenty of delicious things to choose from at the stalls nearby.

Prague fireworks

If moderation was a virtue of yours on the New Year’s Eve, we recommend you return to the centre the next day. From 3 pm onwards, the stage in the Old Town Square will host operatic singers performing the most popular Czech opera arias by Antonín Dvořák and Bedřich Smetana.

A bit later on you may head for Prague-Letná to watch traditional January 1 fireworks. The event kicks off in Letná park at 6 pm. And we recommend you take a short stroll from the Old Town Square towards the Moldau bank. Dvořákovo nábřeží (Dvořák Quay), Čechův most (Čech Bridge), Mánesův most (Mánes Bridge) and Štefánikův most (Štefánik Bridge) are among those places that offer the best views. If a few steps up don’t put you off, the views from the Petřín hill are very romantic and hard to forget.

If, for one reason or another, you don’t feel like travelling to the centre, we have some good news. Baba is a hill situated close to Břetislavka, which boasts tremendous views of the whole of Prague. And you will see the fireworks too!

The Břetislavka Residence staff wish you a lovely time spent in the Advent and Christmas Prague.

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