Thursday, September 24, 2009

Memories of Prague

I have written about Prague several times in this blog. Prague has become a favourite destination for me, and in a week I will be back in the Czech capital. The first time I was in Prague, was in 2006. I immediately fell in love with the city, and I have spent several vacations there since then. The architecture is fascinating, the city has many exciting sights to be seen - and (of course) there are many great beers to be found there. I will share some of my memories from Prague with these photographs.

The Meduzzy restaurant.

My first meal in the Czech Republic was at the Meduzzy restaurant at the Ujezd street. It was a Summer night after arriving late at the Prague airport. I can not remember what I ate, but they sold Budvar lager beer. Tasting Budvar from tap was extremely nice, and these days Budvar lager is still a favourite. Unfortunately I have not found Budvar for sale in any shops in Norway this year, so I have a craving for the golden lager these days.

Gambrinus and Pilsner Urquell.

My first days in Prague were spent in the tourist areas, where prices are much higher than in the residental parts of the Czech capital. Therefore I followed a good advice and had a tram ride out of the town centre. I ended up at Belohorska street near the Pyramida hotel. There I found the U Zelene Brany restaurant.

U Zelene Brany in January 2009.

U Zelene Brany is not the fanciest restaurant. It served Pilsner Urquell and Gambrinus from tap, and it also had some nice meals on the menu. I remember paying 150 Czech korunas for two dishes and below 30 Czech korunas for a half litre of beer.

Czech Goulash with dumplings from U Zelene Brany.

The food was tasty, and I enjoyed it very much. I also enjoyed sitting on the restaurant's porch on the warm Summer day with a nice draughted Pilsner Urquell. This was also my first taste of the Czech variant of dumpling, knedliky. I liked them a lot, but I also found them very filling.


Czech cuisine is to my liking. Many talk about bland courses, but I disagree. I like pork, and roasted pork with sauerkraut or pork knuckle are among my favourites. I am also fond of the Czech smazeny syr (fried cheese) and the pickled sausages served as beer snacks at many pubs and bars. In Prague I also have eaten a lot of duck dishes. Roasted duck is a favourite for me, and sometimes I prefer the Czech duck courses.

The Tiantan restaurant.

There are also many Chinese restaurants in Prague. I like Chinese food, and I have very often had lunch at various Chinese restaurants. One of my favourite Chinese restaurants is called Tiantan, and it is opposite Meduzzy in the Ujezd street. They serve draughted Pilsner Urquell, and I have always felt that the waiters have shown very good service.

The Charles bridge.

Being a tourist in Prague, it is also important taking a look at the sights. The Charles bridge is of course a must. But I also like to jump on a tram and ride somewhere at random. Now and then I have found nice restaurants or bars, and it is always nice looking at the houses and the streets.

Also in Prague: Modern architecture near the Haje metro station.

There are shopping centres and malls all over Prague. The largest ones can be found at the metro's terminus stations like Cerny Most, Letnany or Zlicin. I have also been to nice malls at the metro stations Andel and Flora. For a beer tourist the malls often have supermarkets or hypermarkets with a good selection in beers.

A great bargain for a good beer. Klaster lager at less than 0.25 Euros for a half litre!

Prague is a recommended destination for any beer lover, and the city has also much more to offer.

A popular sight: The astronomical clock in the Old Town Square.


And within a week I am back in Prague!


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