The newly-constructed building of theBřetislavka Residence has drawn the attention of architects and designers. The prestigious magazine Dolce Vita included it, in its June edition, on its list of the most interesting buildings of the year.
Břetislavka – one of the architecture and design gems of the month
Dolce Vita is among the design bibles that set modern trends. It is said that no interesting project escapes the eyes of their critics. On a monthly basis, these critics seek unique structures and subsequently provide their audience with more information about them. The Břetislavka Residence project was included on their list of architecture and design gems introduced in the magazine this month.
The Břetislavka Residence is a unique exploit of Matyáš Sedlák’s, one of the partners in the architectural office M4 Architects (m4 architekti s.r.o.). While projecting his vision to modernize the original building and to extend it in a modern way, Sedlák and his team took into consideration the landscape and architecture in the area. As of now, the modernized historical building of the Břetislavka inn has been transformed into what could possibly be seen as the centre of the cultural, social and sports life in the whole of the Šárecké Údolí Valley. The whole project is aptly complemented by a newly-opened garden restaurant and a break-out area for residents.
The result is an airy complex of buildings that resonates with the surrounding countryside.
On behalf of the whole Břetislavka team we would like to wish all our guests and passers-by a lovely time both in the accommodation facility and the restaurant.
As of now, this winter has not been quite generous as far as snow is concerned. That is not to say, though, that those who love winter sports need to stay at home, watching TV. In addition to classic roofed ice rinks, skaters may consider visiting one of the many venues where one can skate under the open sky. A great thing is most of these venues also rent skates so you are definitely not doomed if your skates are on the other side of the Atlantic (or elsewhere, for that matter). Below are a few tips on where to go.
Outdoor rink at Kulaťák (Vítězné náměstí)
You may have heard about the farmers market at Vítězné náměstí (Victory Square) in Prague-Dejvice. What you may not have heard is that part of the site has traditionally been used as an open-air ice rink. The venue is open 1pm-9pm on weekdays and 9am-9pm at weekends. There is no entrance fee and you can rent skates here. Also, there is a snack bar just off the rink where you can buy refreshments as well as something to make you warm (if skating only is not enough).
The largest rink in Prague
Letná is the place to go if you want to skate on the largest ice rink in the capital. The venue, which is open until February 18, is just opposite the Sparta Prague football stadium. The ice rink is nestled on a concrete pad. And you can skate under the open sky for free as there is also no entrance fee. The rink in Letná opens at 9am and closes at 9pm. No problem if you do not have skates of your own. You can rent a pair.
Ovocný Trh ice rink
The highly popular centrally located ice rink at Ovocný Trh is another alternative. The rink is in the very heart of the capital and a journey by public transport takes under 40 minutes. The rink measures 14 by 30 metres and is open daily between 10am and 9pm until January 31, 2018. There is no entrance fee.
Na Františku ice rink
There are more open air ice rinks in the centre of Prague. One of these is at Na Františku by the River Vltava. There are regular public skating sessions here every day. One hour costs CZK 50.
The Břetislavka Residence team wish you tons of memorable and heart-warming experiences (not only) while skating in Prague.
Getting around Prague by public transport is comfortable, convenient and efficient. It will get you pretty much anywhere in the capital without having to waste any time in traffic jams. In addition, Prague public transport is affordable, particularly if you use it regularly and purchase what locals call a “litacka” (lee-touch-kah), a season pass valid for 1-12 months.
Prague public transport system is one of the few of its kind that boast high degrees of punctuality. Also, its line network is pretty dense and departure/arrival frequencies are high, particularly at rush hour (7am – 10am and 2pm-7pm).
Public transport tickets
Prague public transport includes metro, trams, buses, ferries across the Vltava River, and a funnicular to Petřín. We described what fare zones the capital is divided into in our earlier article “Getting around Prague by public transport” and we also provided comprehensive information about what tickets (and at what prices) are available to get you comfortably and conveniently from and to Břetislavka.
The easiest way to get a public transport ticket is an SMS ticket
The cheapest one-off ticket costs CZK 24 and is valid for 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can opt for a 90-minute ticket, which costs CZK 32, or a 24-hour ticket, which is CZK 110. Tickets are only valid if you stamp them.
If you have a Czech phone number, you can choose to obtain an SMS ticket.
All you need to do is have a premium SMS service activated. An SMS ticket is only valid in fare zone P and is not valid on PID trains or bus lines serving peri-urban areas (301-499 and 601-620). In addition, such a ticket is not valid in fare zones 0, B or peri-urban fare zones (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7).
Getting around the city economically with a “litacka”
If you use the local public transport on a regular basis, it’s a great idea to get what is called a “litacka”. You can use this to buy and upload electronic tokens which serve as tickets. You can apply for a “litacka” online (no charge) or obtain it in one of the designated contact places (metro stations) – delivery is 14 days, or you can request to have it issued instantly. A litacka as such will cost you between CZK 50 and 200.
Generally speaking, the longer the validity of an electronic token, the more you save with a litacka.
An annual pass (365 days) only costs CZK 3650. This means you can travel as much as you wish during the day and at night (by metro, trams, buses, trains, and ferries) for as little as CZK 10 a day.
Other options:
monthly pass – CZK 550
three months – CZK 1480
five months – CZK 2450
A validating machine that can be used to record an electronic token into your litacka.
Once you have a litacka, you can start ordering tokens online in the transportation company’s e-shop. If you pay by a card online, a token will be available to be uploaded within about 45 minutes. All you need to do is insert the card in a validating machine, which will record your tokens purchased into your litacka. You can also use the validating machines to check the validity/expiry date of tokens already purchased, making sure you will not be a stowaway without knowing it.
On top of that, you can bring your litacka along to the Municipal Library of Prague, where it can serve as a reader’s ID. Not bad, is it?
We will be happy to get you a litacka
If you don’t feel like spending time going through all of the actions necessary to get you a litacka, you don’t have to. Instead, you can use our application MůjByt (MyFlat) and request a litacka. We will be happy to arrange it for you.
An easy way to look for suitable connections:
If you need to travel somewhere, we recommend you use the transportation company’s website to find the best connection. If you’re standing at a stop and would like to find departure/arrival times of a specific tram, bus, metro line or ferry, the company also has an app that makes this possible.
Vltava River quays found in the centre of the city are extremely popular with both locals and tourists. They are vibrant places boasting a good deal of energy whatever the time of the day. Rašínovo Nábřeží is a quay lined with floating bars that serve refreshing drinks as well as great food. We recommend you visit Kayak Beach Bar. Found in a place called Náplavka, the bar offers, on top of tasty meals and beverages, something extra – a volleyball court.
A unique floating Red Bull Simpy Cola bar with a volleyball court
Kayak Beach Bar is a truly unique place in the very heart of Prague. Come over here to enjoy a large number of tasty meals and delicious drinks as well as an equally large number of sporting activities. These include yoga, paddleyoga, and paddling. Or you can try sauna with a view of Prague Castle. How does that sound?
Under the open sky in the summer, under a roof in the winter
The sports bar is open every day all year round from about noon till about midnight (precise opening hours below). The stove-heated place seats 50 people in the winter and up to 140 people in the summer. The bar offers a one-of-a-kind combination of a social and sporting experience. It was Vavřinec Hradílek’s idea to create such a bar and Hradílek was active during implementation of the project. Hradílek is a Czech slalom canoeist and kayaker. He’s an Olympic medalist (silver medal in Beijing in 2012) and a multiple ICF Canoe Slalom World Champion (3 gold medals, a silver and a bronze).
Enjoy a drink with your friends while enjoying the view of Prague Castle at the same time.
TheBřetislavka Residence team have another tip for you about where to go while discovering Prague. Surrounded by magnificent gardens and a maze, Trója Chateau is one of the most beautiful Baroque chateaux in the Czech Republic. It is open to the public so you can come and let its beauties astonish you.
The oldest chateau in Prague
The chateau, one of the most significant as well as the most beautiful examples of Baroque architecture in the country, is found in a residential area in Prague – Trója. Before he designed the chateau, Jean Baptiste Mathey, a French architect, had stayed in Italy and had clearly been influenced by Italian architecture. That is why Trója chateau resembles mansions on the outskirts of Rome. The magnificent building is surrounded by a unique terraced French-style garden. By visiting the chateau you can get a taste of what it was like to live like an aristocrat in the late 17th century. There are a number of tastefully kept paths that lead between marvellous fountains and rare vases and sculptures. Make sure, though, you don’t get lost in the chateau’s unique maze while discovering the rear part of its parterre. The circular labyrinth is made of well-kept hornbeam complemented by fruit trees.
During the summer season (April-November) the chateau is open every day except Monday. The gardens are accessible free of charge while a ticket to the chateau costs CZK 120. You can also order a tour guide at the price of CZK 20 for the Czech language and CZK 40 for a foreign language.
The chateau lies adjacent to the Prague Zoo. The shortest way to get there from the Břetislavka Residence is to take a ferry across the Vltava River. The entrance to the chateau’s park is just opposite the main entrance to the zoo.
Vineyards with a chapel
Once in the chateau’s park, you can enjoy beautiful views of the surrounding vineyard and St. Anne’s Chapel. We definitely recommend you visit the chapel because the views it offers of the chateau, the labyrinth and the surroundings are even more captivating! Even if you’re not a wine enthusiast we also recommend taking a walk up a hill along lines of sweet-smelling vine. It was first planted by Charles IV. If you want to, you can also learn about how wine is produced and have a glass of this tasty beverage right there on the hill slope.
While packing stuff for your trip to the Czech capital, make sure you bring some sports clothes and a cycling helmet. If you can, it’s a great idea to take your bike with you (don’t worry if you can’t, you can hire one). There is a very dense network of cycle routes connecting virtually all parts of the city.
Check out the Prague cycle route map, choose the right route for you and pedal off to discover Prague.
From Břetislavka down the Šárecké Údolí Valley
Let’s start right next to the Břetislavka Residence. A tranquil trail takes us down the Šárecké Údolí Valley all the way to Šárecký Park. It’s up to you to decide if you want to continue towards the centre of Prague or plunge into the countryside. Šárka – Lysolaje Park offers dozens of kilometres of cycle routes in a variety of difficulties and surroundings terrains ranging from lush green to rocky. Visitors may connect cycling with discovering the history of Prague and its legends (the hill called Dívčí skok – A Girl’s Jump). Tourists have a chance to discover Prague from the tops of a number of observation towers. Refreshments may be enjoyed in one of the restaurants. And if a refreshing bath is what you’re up to, we recommend dipping into Džbán, a natural lake situated nearby.
Cycling along the Vltava River
The Vltava River is just a stone’s throw away (3 minutes by bike) and both of its banks offer beautiful cycle routes.
Cycle Route A1 leads along the left bank of the Vltava River, connecting the towns of Roztoky (north of Prague) with Radotín (south of Prague) as well as a number of places within Prague.
Alternatively, one may take a ferry to the other bank and try Cycle Route A2. This route leads north all the way to the town of Mělník or south to Komořany and Hostivař Natural Park.
Cycle Routes in Prague 6
Cycle Route A171: Suchdol to Nebušice
This route starts next to the premises of the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague-Suchdol and leads through Lysolaje to the town of Nebušice. The terrain is hilly and the length is 5 kilometres. One of the ways of getting back to Břetislavka is across the Šárecké Údolí Valley.
Hvězda Game Preserve in Prague-Letná
If you want to see Hvězda Game Preserve, one of the ways to get there is to pedal across the Šárecké Údolí Valley and Lysolaje Park. If you feel like it, you can continue from here all the way to Letná, Strahov and Hradčany.
Cycle Route No. 201
Another tip for an exciting bike trip is taking Cycle Route 201. Leading along the White Mountain and cutting through Prague-Dejvice, this route connects the lowest and the highest places in Prague. That’s why one should prepare for some hill climbing. The route, which leads from Bubeneč to Zličín, is 13.6 kilometres long and is well marked.
Prague is a terrific place for cycling trips. There are relaxed routes in the country as well as routes leading down busy streets. The choice is yours.
The Břetislavka Residence team wish you exciting cycling trips in Prague.
The Prague authorities go the extra mile to ensure that locals and visitors have enough opportunities to do sports and exercise. A large number of cycle routes have been built that connect virtually all parts of the city. And if the city limits are no boundary for you, you can pedal down an international cycle route winding along the Vltava River as far as Dresden in Germany.
The confluence of the Vltava and the Elbe Rivers
Provide your muscles with some massage and get ready for a cycling trip that takes you out of the city. The first leg of your journey may end in the town of Mělník north of Prague. Nestled in a sun-lit valley, the town was chosen by Charles IV, the famous Czech king, to provide land for a vineyard eventually built on the hill slopes under the Mělník Chateau. If you want to get to Mělník from Prague, you need to cycle north along the Vltava River. By the way, Mělník is where the Vltava flows into the Elbe.
We definitely recommend visiting the Mělník chateau. It offers, among other things, breath-taking views of the confluence of the two largest rivers in the Czech Republic.
Down the Elbe Canyon all the way to Dresden
The route does not end in Mělník. There is another challenge in front of you. If you keep pedalling north across the beautiful countryside, you will get to the towns of Litoměřice, Děčín, and Hřensko and further on to Germany. The countryside along the Elbe is as captivating in the neighbouring Saxony as in the Czech Republic. Believe it or not, when you get off your bike in Dresden, you have travelled over 230 kilometres.
Lovely summer evenings can be spent in the Břetislavka Residence’s garden, whether with a book or a beer in your hand. Musically-minded visitors may grab a guitar and play a few tunes by the campfire. Alternatively, one can spend an evening by watching a great movie in one of a number of open-air cinemas in Prague.
Klubovna in Prague 6
The closest open-air cinema, Klubovna, can be found 3.5 km from Břetislavka (10 minutes’ drive) in Prague-Dejvice. Klubovna is a cultural and community centre focusing on concerts, films and theatre. One can see both young Prague bands and renowned guests from abroad perform here. There are regular film and theatre sessions here. Open-air cinema entrance fee is CZK 30.
Regina Open-Air Cinema in Prague-Karlín
Located in Prague-Karlín, the garden of Regina DAB Prague, a local radio station, offers 350 seats at CZK 50-90. You can get here by tram 3 or 8 (get off at “Urxova” stop) or metro B (get off at “Křižíkova” or “Invalidovna” stop).
MeetFactory Open-Air Cinema
If you’re seeking unusual experiences, this might be something for you. MeetFactory is a unique open-air cinema where films are screened between a railway and a motorway. Films by sixteen directors from the Czech Republic and abroad will be screened here between May and September. Entrance fee is CZK 80.
How to get there? Take tram 4, 5, 12 or 20 and get off at “Lihovar” stop. A number of public buses serve the stop as well. Once at the stop, it will only take you about 4 more minutes to get to the MeetFactory building. The closest metro station is Smíchovské Nádraží (B line). When a film has finished, one can get back home by tram 54 or bus 501 and 507. Alternatively, one can cross the Vltava River by ferry P3. Cars may be parked in Ke Sklárně Street.
Bio Oko Open-Air Cinema (Prague Exhibition Grounds)
The most technologically advanced open-air cinema is situated in the Prague Exhibition Grounds (Výstaviště). It is completely up to you to decide if you want to enjoy contemporary Czech and international films with a pint of cold beer, wine, delicious coffee or homemade lemonade. Whether you choose to sit at a table, in a sitting bag or on a deckchair, you can be sure you will feel comfortable. Entrance fee is CZK 140. The use of headphones is necessary after 10pm in order for the facility to comply with night-time noise regulations.
Stalin/Containall
The major aim of the cultural centre Stalin is to present young local cultures. Every Thursday, you have a chance to see Czech films as well as films from abroad here. Aside from open-air cinema Thursdays, the centre offers a number of other things to see – concerts (Wednesday), electronic music (Friday, Saturday), workshops (Sunday). Entrance is free regardless of what sort of program you choose to see.
Located in Malá Strana (Lesser Town) in Prague, Containall is a one-of-a-kind cultural centre created by the transformation of a shipping container. It may be the most non-traditional place in Prague to see a film under the open sky.
The Břetislavka Residence team have prepared another cultural tip for you, one which is perfectly suited for hot summer evenings. Come over and sit back comfortably in an amphitheatre under the open sky by Křižík’s Fountain located in the Prague Exhibition Grounds (Výstaviště Praha). Initially, what you see is just a calm water surface, but that is soon to be ended by the first musical notes accompanied by hundreds of coloured lights. The result is a stunning show based on romantic as well as dramatic tunes.
One-of-a-kind show
Almost every night, up to 6000 spectators perch themselves around the fountain located in the amphitheatre. They come over to enjoy unique light-and-water shows based on the most beautiful classical as well as popular tunes. In addition, there are original scenic projections one can rejoice at watching. All of this is normally complemented by projection of images, films or laser effects. Křižík’s Fountain offers a large number of shows to satisfy even the most demanding visitors.
126 years of Křižík’s Fountain
Křižík’s electrically lit fountain has been around since 1891 when it was introduced at the General Land Centennial Exhibition. The creation by František Křižík, dubbed “the Czech Edison”, featured fifty coloured reflector bulbs at the bottom of the pool. At present, breathtaking light-and-water shows are facilitated by 1300 multicoloured sources of light.
The Břetislavka Residence team wish you an unforgettable experience under the open sky.
Every city has its own specific nightlife and Prague is no exception. What is more, a number of formerly tranquil places in the capital have recently been transformed into entertainment centres popular with tourists. Prague Quaysmay serve as examples.
A farmers market during the day, a festival park at night
The Czech work “náplavka” can be translated as “quay” or “waterside”. It refers to a strip of land used as a place for boats to stop for loading and unloading. There are quite a few of them in Prague, the most popular being the Rašínovo Nábřeží Quay. During the day it turns into a farmers market where you can also take a pleasant relaxing walk.
And its energy far from dissipates at night. On the contrary, the waterfront area has recently hosted a multitude of events such as concerts, music nights and theatre performances. The events either take place on the waterfront as such or on board ships moored here.
Come over and see for yourself how lively and energetic Prague quays can be. The Břetislavka Residence team wish you tons of fun and unforgettable experiences while discovering what Prague has to offer.
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