Recommended Restaurants

Kampa Park

Mala Strana 118 00
Praha 1
www.kampapark.com

The Kampa Park is famous for its gourmet international cuisine and celebrity visits from all over the world. A new terrace has just been opened by the river with beautiful view.

SQUARE

Malostranska kavarna
Malostranske nam. 5/28, 118 00
Praha 1
www.squarerestaurant.cz

The Square is famous for its Mediterranean specialities with delicious Spanish tapas.

Hergetova Cihelna

Cihelna 2b, 118 00
Praha 1
www.cihelna.com

The Hergetova Cihelna has great international and Czech cuisine for moderate prices. With two large terraces there are regular music programs/live bands/DJ from Thursday till Sunday with emphasis on ambient music. This is one of the most trendy restaurant in Prague, newly opened in January.

La Veranda

Café La Veranda
Elišky Krásnohorské 2/10
Praha 1
www.laveranda.cz

Opening hours: Mon - Sat 11.00 - 23.00, Sun 16.00 - 23.00

Cafe La Veranda is a restaurant, where you can sample the latest
trends in international gastronomy presented in a modern and novel
way. The style of the cuisine changes according to the
latest trends in order to prepare, what is internationally
known as IN which mainly concerns the Fusion New Wave style
of cuisine, which is a fusion of eastern and western cuisine.

U Kristiána
Smetanovo nábreží Hollar
Staré Mêsto
Prague 1

The U Kristiana is a dining room on a boat offering open-air castle views. Food served includes Czech schnitzels and chicken steaks.

New Town Brewery Restaurant
Vodickova 20
Praha 1

Located in the centre of Prague this restaurant brewery offers an interior of gothic halls and 20th century design. The New Town allows guests to enjoy the atmosphere of a traditional Czech pub with Czech cuisine.
Brewery tours are also available but advanced booking is required forboth the tours and a table. The price is reasonable and the tour includes samplings of beer.

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Recommended Bars.

U Maleho Glena
Karmelitská 23
Praha 1

The U Maleho Glena is a small Mala Strana bar in a cozy cellar. The bar occasionally has jazz nights and offers good bar food.

Pivnice Radegast
Templová 2
Praha 1

Located in the Old Town the Pivnice Radegast is located under the vaulted ceilings of a gothic hall. This bar also serves food, the goulash is worth a visit.

Casino Palais Savarin
Na Príkope 10
Praha 1

The Casino Palais Savarin occupies a former rococo palace and is one of the most beautiful game rooms in the city. Open daily from 1pm to 4am.

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Shopping

The Globe Book Store
Pštrossova 6
110 00 Praha 1
www.globebookstore.cz

The Globe Book Store is the first English language bookstore in Prague. The store offers an excellent coffeehouse with internet access where you are able to plug in your own laptop and also hosts regular photograph and art exhibitions. Organic grown food is available from the kitchen.

What to Buy

The range and quality of foods available in Prague has improved considerably since the transition from the old centralised economy under communist rule to a market-based economy. A growing number of leading Western multinationals have been making their presence felt since 1989, and the country as a whole is being gradually introduced to a consumer-oriented culture. One consequence of this is that it has become increasingly difficult to pick up genuine bargains as prices rise to match Western levels, though there are bargains to be had, especially in goods such as glass, ceramics, CDs, books and wooden toys.
Most of the city's best shops are concentrated round the centre, especially round Old Town Square, Pariziská, on and around Celetná, and around Wenceslas Square. As many of these areas are pedestrianized, strolling around looking in shop windows can be a pleasurable activity, though you'll inevitably be contending with crowds of other like-minded window-shoppers.

Where to Go

For indoor shopping, the Vinohradsky Pavilon at Vinohradská 50 is an exclusive commercial centre that occupies the site of a former fruit and vegetable market. Over 60 brand-name boutiques selling everything from clothes, sportswear and household goods to electronic equipment are clustered under the Neo-Renaissance roof. The centre is open seven days a week, 09:30- 21:00 Monday to Saturday, 12:00-18:00 Sunday.

Markets are good places to browse round and watch some good-natured haggling though the quality of the goods on offer is not always very high. The largest and oldest market is held at Holešovice in converted abattoir buildings at Bubenské nábrezi 306. Everything is here, from fruit, vegetables and poultry to electronic gadgets. In the city centre, there is a popular open-air market in Havelská that specializes in fruit, vegetables and wooden toys. Undoubtedly the best time for markets is in the weeks running up to Christmas, when Old Town Square is taken over by wooden stalls selling everything from hot spiced wine to candles, jewellery, ceramics, puppets and handmade Czech crafts.

Charles Bridge is covered in street stalls throughout the year, and in summer these are supplemented by others around Old Town Square, the Castle and Na prikopé. Some are run by young Czech artisans finding an outlet for their designer Jewellery. Prague water- colours, wooden toys and unusual artefacts, but many offer mass-produced 'Russian' army memorabilia, cheap watches or other tacky tourist merchandise.

Bohemian glassware and porcelain are of exceptionally high quality and are highly prized throughout the world. Designs range from tradition- al to contemporary, from chunky vases to exquisite slim-stemmed wine glasses. The best glass and china is produced by Moser works in Karlovy Vary and on sale in the Bohemia Moser shop at Na Prikopé 12, Prague 1. Shops will pack your purchases securely and can arrange transport to your home, at a price of course. Interesting specialist glassware shops include:
Bohemia Crystal. Parizska 12, Prague 1.
Crystalex, Male namesti 6, Prague 1.
Moser. Male namesti 11, Prague 1 (also Na Prikope 12, Prague 1).
Karlovarsky Porcelain. Parizska 2. Prague 1.
Galerie Rücki, Valdstejnske namesti 1, Prague 1.
Jafa, Maiselova 15, Prague 1. For Uksa crystal.
Crystal Gallery, Stepanska 51. Prague 1.

Musical instruments are beautifully made and less expensive than in the West. Sheet music is also cheaper. Classical music buffs wilt be impressed by both the range of CDs available and the advantageous prices. One of the best places to buy classical music is the Franz Kafka Bookshop for classical music; and Bonton Land in the Koruna Centre (near Mustek Metro) for all types of music. Other good music shops can be found all over the city, especially along Parizska, Narodni, Na prikope and Jungmannovo (off Wenceslas Square).
Philharmonia, Parizska 13. Prague 1. Excellent, classical music selection.
Agharta, Krakovska 5, Prague 1. Great jazz-only music shop.
Tynska Galerie, Staromestske namesti 14, Prague 1. Outstanding folk and classical selection.
Praha Music Center, Revolucni 14, Prague 1.

Even if you don't read Czech, it's a treat to browse round any of Prague's second-hand bookshops (antikvariat) as they are so attractively laid out, and there's often a good selection of old prints and posters. Catering for the sizeable expatriate community are a number of English- and foreign-language bookstores.
Big Ben Bookshop, Malá stupartská 5, Prague 1.
International Bookstore Praha, corner of 17 Listopadu and Parizská, Prague 1: large selection of English-language books.
Knihkupectvi na Mustku, Na prikope 3, Prague 1.
Antikvariat Galerie Mustek. 28 Rijna, Nove Mesto: metro Mustek: one of the largest selections of old maps, prints and paintings in Prague.

Czech design and traditional crafts:
Original one-off designs by young and coming Czech artists make fabulous and surprisingly affordable gifts. There are many shops for gifts in wood, ceramics, jewellery, puppets etcetera in Zelezna and in the little streets between Old Town Square and Charles Bridge as well as in Old Town Square itself. For more traditional Czech souvenirs, there is a wide variety of handcrafted items available, including wooden toys. beautifully painted Easter eggs, ceramics and figurines in folk dress. One of the best shops is Krasna Jizba (The Beautiful Room), with a good selection of folk art.
Krasna Jizba, Narodni 36, Prague 1; Melantrichova 17, Prague 1; Husova 12, Prague 1.

Department stores are not quite the equivalent of what most Westerners would understand by the term. The range of goods is sometimes rather eclectic and the quality variable, though Kotva in Republic Square has a good range of smoked meats in its basement food hall. K Mart is a popular, cheap, American-owned store that sells almost everything from food to electrical goods.
Bilá Labut, Na porici 23, Prague 1: Vaclavske namesti 59, Prague 1. Fur hats and good groceries.
K Mart, Narodni 26, Prague 1. Everything from groceries to hi-fi equipment.
Krone, Vaclavske namesti 21, Prague 1. Good grocery.
Kotva, Namesti Republiky 8, Prague 1. Large store with food hall on lower floor.
Bata, Vaclavske namesti 6, Prague 1. Well respected shoe store.
Detsky Dum, Na prikope 15, Prague 1. Caters for children. Excellent cheap clothes and shoes.
Detsky Svet, Budejovicka 64, Prague 4. Takes care of children's and babies' needs.

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Other Useful Information.

Getting There

By air: The easiest and quickest way to travel to Prague is by plane. The city has good airline connections with many European and North American cities, although travellers from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are not served directly. Direct flights from London (Heathrow and Stansted) operate four to five times daily, and flight time is around 2hrs. The national carrier, Czech Airlines (CSA), also flies from Manchester to Prague up to six times a week.
By road: If you are bringing your own car to Prague, items you must take with you are a valid driving licence (an International Driving Licence is advisable), vehicle registration document and an international insurance certificate (green card).
By rail: Prague has good rail connections with the rest of Europe - all the major capitals are linked by train. The main rail station in Prague is the Art Nouveau Hlavni Nádrazi on Wilsonová, not far from the National Museum at the top of Wenceslas Square.

Tours and Excursions

Although Prague is so compact and well-served by public transport, it might be a good idea to get your bearings by taking a city sightseeing tour. There are several available, some of which combine coach and boat trips. Some tours are arranged by theme, for instance a walking tour around the city's Old Town treasures, or a bus tour of Prague's famous residences.
Organized trips are also available to many of the excursion destinations. Many of them will include guided multilingual commentary, lunch and/or (depending on the destination)
free museum entrance, wine-tastings, a sampling of mineral spring waters or a glass of Becherovka liqueur. Tours generally start from namesti Republiky or Wenceslas Square.
If you prefer you can organize your excursions before you leave for Prague by contacting the Czech Tourist Centre. Or try any of the local operators - prices are competitive so it's worth shopping around. In general the cheaper tours are offered by Prague Information Service, the more expensive by Cedok. The American Express and Thomas Cook offices both offer extensive travel services besides sightseeing tours in Prague and the Czech Republic.
Specialist cycling tours through interesting and scenic areas of the Czech Republic are organized by MIKE, a travel agency based in Melnik. Itineraries vary in degree of difficulty and accommodation is arranged along the route. For information, contact Czech Tourist Centre or write to MIKE at Ostruhová 62, CZ-276 Melnik, Czech Republic.
UK:
Czech Tourist Authority. 95 Great Portland Street, London WIN 5RA, tel: 020 72919925, fax: 020 7436 8300
Prague:
American Express, Vaclavske namesti 56, tel: 22 800249, fax: 22 21 11 31.
Cedok, Na prikope 18, 111 35 Prague 1, tel: 24 19 71 11, Parizská 6, tel: (02) 231 69 78, fax: (02) 232 17 28; a variety of tours in the Cze.ch Republic ranging between castles, river cruises and sightseeing trips in and around Prague.
Fischer, Provaznická 13. Prague 1, tel: (02) 21 63 63 06/09, fax: (02) 21 6363 17: Prague sightseeing tours.
Prague Information Service. Na prikope 20, tel: (02) 54 44 44/187.
Premiant City Tour. Na prikope 23, tel: 24228003. DC Service, Parizská 10, tel/fax: 232 54 20.
AVE Travel, Pod Barvirkov 6, tel: 5731 5191/2, fax: 57315194. Sightseeing and excursions.
Prague Sightseeing, Klimentska 52, tel: (02)2314661, (02)231 46 55, or ask at your hotel reception.

Tickets and tourist passes: Tickets are uniform across the public transport system and must be bought before you make your journey. Tickets must always be stamped or punched in the machines supplied otherwise they are invalid. Ticket inspectors do make periodic checks and levy hefty on-the-spot fines on travellers without a valid ticket, so don't be tempted to travel without one.
Single tickets {jizdenky) are available throughout the city from tobacconists {tabák), street kiosks, newsagents, hotels or some shops, or they may be bought from the orange machines at some bus and tram stops and inside metro stations (exact change is required). Children under six travel free, and between six and 15 years at half price.
If you want to avoid the problem of not having the right change for the single- journey ticket, or if you plan to use the public transport system extensively, then a multi-day tourist pass (turistická síova jizdenka) is an excellent investment. These passes, available for periods of one, three, seven or 15 days, can be bought from tourist offices and offer unlimited travel on buses, trams and trains. They do not need to be validated in the machines, but you should sign and date the ticket before using it.
Metro: The metro system is extremely smooth and easy to use. Currently it has three lines. A, B and C, and there are plans for the construction of a fourth, though this is dependent on the avail- ability of appropriate funds. Plans are also in hand to extend the network further out into the suburbs.
It's a good idea to purchase a metro map from the tourist office to help you plan your route. Maps are also on display in some of the larger metro stations, and there's a map of the metro network inside trains above each of the doors.
Metro entrances are signalled by a large letter 'M' against an inverted triangle, in green (line A), yellow (line B) or red (line C). Once you've passed the ticket barriers, take the escalator down to the train platforms - beware, as some escalators travel very fast. Large, easy-to-read signs indicating the direction (Smer) of trains are suspended from the ceiling; the name of the terminal station (Stanice) is shown, so consult your metro map to check which direction you want. Another overhead sign indicates all the stations along the metro line on which you are travelling; the station you are at is circled in white, and connections (Prestup) to the other lines are also clearly shown.
Doors open and close automatically. During the journey, a recorded message in Czech announces the next station. With a single ticket you can change between metro lines as many times as you like within one hour, but once you leave the underground system your ticket becomes invalid and you must stamp another one for subsequent ) journeys. Once you have arrived at your stop, follow the exit (Vystup) sign to find your way out of the metro system.
Trams and buses: You use the same single tickets for the trams as for the metro and bus networks. Once aboard the tram, you must validate your ticket in one of the small brown machines that you'll see attached to metal poles; insert your ticket in the black slotted lever and pull the lever towards you. Tickets are valid for one journey only.
Tram timetables are posted at tram stops. The stop at which you are standing is underlined, and all the stations below it arc where the tram is going next. As with the metro, doors open and close automatically and a recorded announcement in Czech precedes each stop.
Travelling by tram is an excellent, and at times exhilarating, way of getting around; some hurtle round corners at unsettling speeds. The tram service is frequent and reliable, and reaches into all parts of the city, offering cheap sightseeing possibilities. At night, a limited number of trams runs every 40 minutes from around midnight to 0500.
You're unlikely to use the city's bus system, which covers the more outlying suburbs. Buses are noisy and dirty, and for the most part are kept well out of Prague centre. If you do use the bus, the procedure for buying and validating tickets applies as for trams and the underground.
Taxi: Taxi drivers have acquired something of a reputation for tourist exploitation which may or may not be universally deserved: be that as it may, you're advised to use taxis with caution. A minimum charge applies as soon as you step into the taxi: after that there is a legally fixed rate per kilometre. If you suspect you've been overcharged. Ask for a receipt (potrzení), which must be given by law if requested.
Car rental: Considering Prague's extensive public transport system, as well as its confusing web of one- way streets and its shortage of parking spaces, driving around the city is not really a viable option. If you do want to hire a car, perhaps to use for day trips from Prague one of the cheapest companies is Esucar at Husitská 58, Prague 3, tel: 27 88 88. Other more expensive but better known agencies include:
Avis, Klimentská 46, Prague 1 tel: 21851225:
Airport Ruzyne, Prague 6, tel: 316 67 39,
Budget at the Hotel Intercontinental on Parizská, tel: 316 52 14,
or Europcar, Parizská 28, tel 24 81 05 15

Useful Contacts:

Airport,
Central Information Service, tel: (02)36 7814, (02)2011 33 21.
American center for culture and commerce
Hybernská 7a, tel (02) 24 23 1085; exhibitions, newspapers, library and business
reference service.
Bohemia Ticket International,
Malá námesti 13, tel: (02) 24 22 78 32, fax: (02) 21 61 21 26: Na prikope 16, tel: (02)2421 5031: you can buy your concert tickets in advance, though it works out more expensive than going direct to the box office.
British Council
Narodni 10, tel: (02) 21991111, window galley for temporary exhibitions, library and resources centre and satellite Sky TV news.
Customs Office Headquarters,
tel: (02)61 331111.
Czech Railways Travel Agency (Ceske Drahy - Cestovni Kancelar)
Hybernska 5, tel: (02) 24 22 58 49, fax: (02) 24 22 36 00.
French Institute
Stepánská 35, tel: (02) 22 23 05 78, screenings of classic French films and a popular cafe.
Emergency Services
First Aid 155, Police 158, Fire 150, on the road 154.
Traffic Accidents
tel: 424141.
Lost Credit Cards
Amex tel: 24219978: Diner's Club tel: 67314485: Mastercard/ Eurocard, tel: 24 42 31 55; Visa, tel: 24 12 53 53.
Lost and found
Karoliny Svetle 5, tel: (02) 24 23 50 85