Must try eats in Czech Republic

Roasted Pork Knee,  Prague, Czech Republic

It was a trip full of eating. Mostly meat but delicious, nonetheless. Here are my must-try eats in Czech Republic:

• In New Town, we discovered an ultra-delish Strawberry-Banana soft-serve ice cream in Ovocný Světozor. Super great value and super yummy!

Strawberry-Banana ice cream @Ovocný Světozor, Prague, Czech Republic

• Roasted Pork Knee—pretty much anywhere, but we had the one in Old Prague Restaurant. Delicious with gravy!

• Potato dumplings—usually a side dish for pork dishes

Roasted pork with Pork Dumplings,  Prague, Czech Republic

• Beef Tartare (tatarák)—we tried the one in Lokál Dlouhááá and it was great! Hubby says it was probably his best meal in our trip. We rubbed fresh garlic onto some toast and spread the fresh, minced raw beef mixed with onions and spices. Melts in your mouth and best with beer! Note that raw beef should not be taken without considering there is a risk of bacterial contamination so be wary. We were fine, though, and we ate at a trusted establishment.

Beef Tartare (Tartarak),  Prague, Czech Republic

Of course, no trip to the Czech Republic is complete without beer. After all, Czech Republic has the highest beer consumption per capita in the world. We tried the Pilsner Urquell (brewed in Plzeň, Czech Republic and is the world’s first blond or pale lager), Staropramen (brewed in the Smíchov district), Kozel (produced since 1874), and the Sv. Norbert from the Monastery Pivovar.

Pilsner Urquell, from Plzeň, Czech Republic

Cesky Krumlov: a fairy tale land

Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic

We wanted to see another UNESCO World Heritage site so we took a day trip from Prague to Cesky Krumlov. It was a 3-hour bus ride (you can also take the train) in the south of the Bohemia region. It was so picturesque and seemingly still unspoiled. It was not crowded and very, very charming. It was like being in a fairy tale land. We were so glad we chose to visit this place! Other day trip options from Prague were Kutna Hora (with the Bone Chapel) or Terezin (concentration camp).

We had lunch at the cozy Travellers’ Restaurace restaurant. It was good value for money compared to the pricey restos in Prague! I had Pork roast in dark beer, cabbage, and potato dumplings. Hubby had Grilled Pork Neck with mustard. Of course, when in the Czech Republic, we had to have beer. We had the 11 degrees Kozel, dark beer, which I really liked.

Pork roast and potato dumplings @Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic

We walked around the old town by the very charming Main Square. 

streets of Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic

Main Square, Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic

Near the castle, in the bear pit which used to be a moat, we saw Maria Theresa, their 24 yr old-resident bear. 

Maria Theresa, the bear @Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic

We also saw folks river rafting/canoeing on the Vlatava river, which wraps around the town center. 

canoeing/rafting by Vlatava river, Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic

Mostly we walked along the cobbled paths checking out quaint stores. 

streets of Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic

We didn’t have time to tour the inside of the castle (as we only had 6 hours there) but we did a walking tour with a great local guide (Wiseman Free tours) and learned a lot about the history of Cesky Krumlov. We also saw a less grand version of the St. Vitus cathedral.

part of the Cesky Krumlov castle, Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic

We walked outside the castle, along the frescoed walls of the courtyards. While we did have a bit of time to see the castle interiors (before the walking tour), the English tours were limited and we couldn’t manage the next available schedule. At the end of the walking tour that we did take, we explored the castle gardens with its fountains and maze and, of course, we checked out the Open-Air Theatre with the revolving auditorium.

inside the courtyard of the Cesky Krumlov Castle, Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic

Castle Gardens, Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic

Revolving theatre, Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic

We got a couple of iced coffees before heading for the bus stop. The old town was within walking distance to the bus station. While it was a full day, the crowds were not so overwhelming and it was a pleasant excursion. After all, how can being in a storybook be tiring?

Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic

Prague: Old and New Town

night scene of Prague Castle and Charles Bridge, Prague, Czech Republic

Using our day pass, we explored both the New Town and Old Town. This time we used a self-guided walking tour which we had printed out. We pretty much followed the route and started off with the National Museum by the Duke Wenceslas (from the “Good King” Christmas carol) statue. 

National Museum and Duke Wenceslas statue,  Prague, Czech Republic

Nearby, we also saw the Communist Era building and State Opera. We walked along Wenceslas square. 

Communist Era building,  Prague, Czech Republic

Unlike the historic Old Town, nearly all the buildings were from the past two centuries. Here are some buildings to note:

• We saw some beautiful Art Nouveau buildings such as the yellow Grand Hotel Evropa.
• We also saw the Marks and Spencer building with the balcony from the historic November 1989 revolution.
• The Art Deco Lucerna Arcade displays the sculpture called Wenceslas Riding an Upside-Down Horse hanging from a glass dome in the middle of the mall. 

Černý's Wenceslas Riding an Upside-down Horse

• Another 1930’s souvenir is the stained-glass window advertising Tesla, the radio manufacturer.

1930's stained glass window advertisement,  Prague, Czech Republic

• Through the Franciscan Garden, we went to the St. Mary of Snows Church. We took a peek (as it was closed) into its elegant interiors.
• Past Jungmann Square, we browsed through the multiple floors of the Bata shoe store (founded over 120 years ago in the Czech Republic). They had the good quality Bata shoes as well as other brands for sale. I have to say that it did take quite a bit of discipline not to go shopping. We had very little space left in our luggage!

By this time, we had already hit the end of the square by Mustek and the Old City Wall.

We walked to the Old City and explored areas we have not yet seen:

• Church of St. James—the church interiors were very beautiful and it housed the wooden Pieta from the 15^th century. What I will not forget from this church, though, was seeing the shriveled-up hand hanging by a chain from above, by the door. According to legend, a thief tried to rob the Madonna from the altar but his hand was frozen when he touched the statue. The monks had to cut off his hand to get it to let go of the statue. It now hangs in the church as a warning.

Church of St. James, Prague, Czech Republic

• House of the Black Madonna—this Cubist building is remarkable in the way that it stands out and yet mixes with its surroundings. It has a café and a gallery to showcase this movement. Of course, on the side of the building, you will see the Black Madonna.

House of the Black Madonna, Prague, Czech Republic

• Havelská market—offering various crafts and produce, but mostly souvenirs. The goods are not limited to Czech products and has its share of rude sellers.
• Estates Theatre (featured in the film, Amadeus) which premiered (and still currently runs) Mozart’s Don Giovanni

Estates Theater, Prague, Czech Republic

• Carolinium—heart of the Charles University

Other buildings to note:

• Powder Tower—connected to the Old Town Square via Celetná street (one of the oldest streets in Prague filled with many buildings with striking facades). This was the main gate of the Old Town wall and used to house the city’s gunpowder.

Powder Tower, Prague, Czech Republic

• Municipal House—dubbed the “pearl of Czech Art Nouveau,” this elaborate building has a restaurant and a hall for concerts. At the time we were there, they also exhibited Mucha’s Slav Epic (a series of large canvasses depicting the history of the Czechs and other Slavic peoples).

So many beautiful buildings to take in one day. Prague definitely goes down as one of my favourite cities.

Prague Castle and the Mala Strana (Lesser Town)

St Vitus Cathedral, Prague, Czech Republic

On our first full day in Prague, we were up early to get to the Prague castle. We took the tram 22 from Malostranka and got off at the castle stop. There was a bit of a line up to get tickets but it moved along quickly enough. We got the shorter tour which included St. Vitus Cathedral, Old Royal Palace, St. George's Basilica, Golden Lane with Daliborka Tower and got an audio guide.

I cannot even begin to describe St Vitus Cathedral. There are simply no words for its grandeur. In my opinion, this cathedral is as grand as St. Peter’s. It was just SO BEAUTIFUL. But then again, I am partial to Gothic architecture (inside, though, you will see other styles such as Baroque and Renaissance). This church immediately confirmed to me why Prague should be called the city of a hundred spires. Built over 600 years it was where religious services and coronations took place. It also houses the Baroque silver tomb of St John of Nepomuk, the Chapel of St Wenceslas, and the Art Nouveau stained glass by Alfons Mucha, among many treasures. This was one cathedral among the many beautiful ones we saw in our trip that we really explored.

We then breezed through the Old Royal Palace and St. George’s Basilica to spend more time at the Golden Lane. I loved walking along the tiny houses lining the walls of the castle, giving us a glimpse of living during the medieval times. Famous writer Franz Kafka once lived on house 22. 

Golden lane, Prague castle area, Prague, Czech Republic

We then checked out the various armors and torture devices on display above the houses before looking at the prisons of the Daliborka Tower.

Daliborka tower, Prague castle, Prague, Czech Republic

The rest of the day, we took a hop on hop off ride using the Tram 22 with our day pass. We went first to the Strahov Monastery to catch some nice views and get some beer at the Klášterní pivovar Strahov (a 17^th century brewery which was now a craft-brewery, Sv Norbert).

view from Strahov Monastery grounds, Prague, Czech Republic

Strahov Brewery, Prague, Czech Republic

 Taking the tram again, we went to the Lesser Town to the Church of our Lady Victorious, the home of the statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague. After saying our prayers, we went to the exhibit upstairs to view the various robes from all over the world. We also went to the store selling religious articles just beside the church.

Church of our Lady Victorious, Prague, Czech Republic

We had a couple of other stops—one for trdelnik (like the Hungarian 

kürtőskalács) which was pretty much like the Hungarian version and yummily clad in cinnamon and sugar! With all that walking, we justified a second dessert and had another stop for ice cream. We hopped off at Újezd for some Angelato ice cream. We had a scoop of coffee gelato and it was delicious. I can see why it would be one of the best ice cream places in Prague.

The last stop we did for the day was at the base of Petřín Park where we saw the Memorial to the Victims of Communism. We walked further along to take the funicular to the top of Petřín Hill. 

funicular at Petrin, Prague, Czech Republic

At the summit, there are gardens, an observatory and the tower. A short walk from there and it was the Strahov monastery. We had made it around. So we went back down via the funicular and just walked through Josefov (Jewish Quarter), on to Charles Bridge to Old Town. As if we had not yet been overwhelmed with the amazing structures we saw this day, we encounter yet another beauty. The Charles bridge was the most beautiful we have seen. It crosses the Vlatava river and its construction began in the 1300s. I didn’t count but there are supposedly 30 statues along the bridge. It was not as crowded as it would have been in the morning so we took a nice stroll.

Charles bridge, Prague, Czech Republic

It was a lot to do in a day and it would be great to take things at a slower pace, but it can be done—10,000 steps target—checked and almost tripled!

Prague—getting oriented in Staré Mesto (Old Town)

Our Lady before Tyn, Praque, Czech Republic

We arrived in Prague on a train from Vienna close to noon. As the Palladium mall in Old Town was close to our hotel (and it was extremely hot-- which made airconditioned malls quite enticing), we decided to have lunch there. We decided to eat at Old Prague Czech restaurant for some Czech cuisine.

Hubby and I shared some goulash in a bread bowl and a 1kg roasted pork knee. Of course, even if we were not beer-drinkers, we were in Prague so we had to get some beer. We got some Staropramen (second largest brewery in the Czech Republic) which was quite good. Of course, we were stuffed, but since the meal was not equally shared (haha), I had some space for sausage at the market for dinner later on.

Roasted Pork Knee, Old Prague restaurant, Praque, Czech Republic

We joined another free tour, having had a great experience in Bratislava, this time for Discovery Free Tours. It was just okay for me as I didn’t learn as much but it did help in getting us acquainted with the sights around town. We just took in the Old Town Square. In one end stood the Jan Hus memorial and everywhere I looked, I wanted to take a photograph. The structures were beautiful all around with the Our Lady Before Tyn, Town Hall with its Astronomical Clock and pretty much every other building was postcard-worthy. Thing was, there were just too many people.

We got some tickets from the Via Musica box office beside the church (Our Lady Before Tyn) to catch a concert (featuring music of Bach, Handel, Vivaldi and Mozart) at the St. Nicholas church in the evening. The music was wonderful, as can be expected. 

inside St Nicholas church, Praque, Czech Republic

There's so much to see and do in Prague!

Sweet Treats and Eating in Vienna

Sacher Torte at Cafe Sacher, Vienna, Austria

Coffee and cake is essential in a Viennese experience and Sacher Torte (one of the most famous Viennese desserts) was invented by an Austrian. So we tried to hit two birds with one stone and had coffee and cake at Café Sacher. Many have said that the quality of Café Sacher’s Sacher Torte has deteriorated. Also, it was quite expensive. But, I have never met a cake I didn’t like so that did not stop us from giving this a try. The Sacher Torte was made up of two layers of cake with apricot jam in the middle and covered with chocolate icing. It was not very moist, but I also did not find it as dry as others have declared. The dollop of whipped cream was needed, though, and the cake was perfect with Verlängerter (Café Americano).

We also got some chocolate from Demel, said to be the Empress Sisi’s favourite chocolate shop. Sadly, my hips do not agree with only subsisting on cakes and Viennoiseries. So, here are other local dishes we had:

• Schnitzel (veal or chicken, flattened and deep fried)—we had a couple of schnitzel meals. One from a chain, Wienerwald which not bad for a fast food. We had another in Lubella in Kärntner Straße which was just ok. Easy enough to make or find somewhere else as this is available in most restaurants there.

Wiener Schnitzel in Vienna, Austria

• Leberkas--like a bologna sausage in a loaf. They slice it for you and it is sold by weight. We had some from Leberkas Pepi. This one was surprisingly good. Service was fast and it was a great value. I will have to look for this back home!

Leberkas from Leberkas Pepi, Vienna, Austria

Ok now back to sweet treats:

• Mozart balls (marzipan balls, also with pistachio and nougat, covered in chocolate)! I really liked these treats which we got from Salzburg! Of course, this can be bought in Vienna and even in Prague—we even saw this in the Prague airport.

Mozart balls from Salzburg, Austria

• The Neapolitan wafers (from Manner) were also yummy. It was hard to stop eating these bite-sized, crunchy wafers layered with a creamy chocolate and hazelnut spread. 

I realized that I had more of the goodies than actual meals, even if we already chose to skip the apple strudel. But hey, we were on vacation so indulge we did!

Highlights of Vienna

Belvedere, Vienna

If there was one thing I could do over in our trip, it would be to spend more time in Vienna.  The old or inner city was so majestic with its impressive structures and wide-open spaces, it needed to be enjoyed more thoroughly. We tried to squeeze in as much as we could. Below are our must-see’s:

1. Hofburg Palace—we were not able to explore much outside the Vienna old city. And since we had to see one of the palaces, we picked the principal residence, the Hofburg palace (instead of Schönbrunn, the summer residence) of the royals. We went to the see the Silver collection, Sisi museum and the Imperial apartments. It was very interesting (I’ve never seen so many plates and cutlery!) and we learned a lot about the history of the country and its rulers.

Vienna, Austria

Hofburg palace near the Spanish Riding School, Vienna, Austria

part of the Silver Collection, Hofburg palace, Vienna, Austria

2. St. Stephen’s Cathedral--loved this Gothic structure with its colourful tiled-roof. The altars and side chapels were as grand, in Baroque-style. 

St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna, Austria

inside St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna, Austria

Near the Cathedral, on Graben’s shopping area, you can find

• The Holy Trinity Plague Column—a 60-foot, gilded, Baroque pillar erected as a memorial to the end of Vienna’s worst plague in history

Holy Trinity Plague Column, Vienna, Austria

• the Loos’ Loos—the public toilet built by Adolf Loos which was opulent as far as public toilets go.

Underground Public Toilet, Vienna, Austria

3. Belvedere—we only went to the Upper Belvedere since I wanted to see Klimt’s “The Kiss.” The grounds were expansive and the palace was just so stately, it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They had a pretty good collection of Austrian art dating from the Middle Ages. Of course, we spent the most time ogling Klimt’s works.

gardens of the Belvedere, Vienna, Austria

inside one of the stately rooms of the Belvedere (Upper), Vienna, Austria

Try to check out:

• Naschmarkt is Vienna's most popular market, but we weren’t able to visit this as they closed at 730 pm and are also closed on Sundays. Many places in Vienna are still closed on Sundays.
• Another attraction we chose to forego, but many people visit, was the Spanish Riding School featuring the Lipizzaner stallions and their orchestrated moves.
• High mass—the music is amazing during high mass. See the schedule for St. Stephen’s and Augustinerkirche. We went to the mass at Augustinerkirche as we also wanted to see the Herzgruft (Hearts Crypt), burial chamber housing the 54 urns containing the hearts of members of the Habsburg imperials. They only open this to the public (or more of allow the public to take a peek) after high mass on Sundays. For that Sunday, the music was from Mozart’s Missa Brevis in G. Absolutely wonderful! 

Augustine church, Vienna, Austria

Habsburgs hearts in urns, Augustine church, Vienna, Austria

• The Ringstrasse tram goes around the Vienna Ring Road (the circular grand boulevard that surrounds the old town/inner city). With a pass, hop on and off to see the most important buildings in Vienna. We started at the Vienna State Opera House, which was another majestic structure (Neo Renaissance). Others include the Parliament, City Hall, university and museums. 

Tram, Vienna, Austria

Note

The Vienna State Opera and Vienna Boys choir are off season during summer (July and August). There are other concert options, though. Also, if you are in Vienna during December, try to catch the Christmas market. Gute Reise!