Bio Zahrada – cafe and organic shop October 31, 2008
Posted by harlockcz in Café, Food & Drinks, Prague, Recommended.1 comment so far
Bio Zahrada – cafe and organic shop
Belgická 33 (20 metres from náměstí Míru)
Prague 2, Vinohrady
tel: 603 752 468
This is a little place you should visit to help it grow.
Charming and simple, the environment is calm, and the prices are fair. The people receiving you, like their job (always a good start to be welcome). They are convinced of the product they sell and this is not so often the case so I got the feel of mentioning it.
I went there and look forward to go back even if I am not a Bio addict. My view on the Bio products would be that it cost more for less goods, but I realized that I was wrong.
The shop is a coffee place, the coffee place is a shop. This is one of those places that refuse to be just one thing and to last forever like that. As Human being, not done in only one piece but build up from various feelings and experiences, this place brief the soul of the owner. It you need a coffee you will get it but with this coffee you will get the passion that they had in searching a special selection.
Try it and give me you feed back.
Let’s go outside (Prague) #3 August 5, 2008
Posted by larchiviste in Good, Recommended, Restaurant, Weekend.Tags: Brandýs nad Labem, Labe, Stará Boleslav
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A new one day trip outside of Prague that I would definitely recommend for the summer:
Brandýs nad Labem-Stará Boleslav, a twin-town on the River Labe
Many buses from Černý Most or Českomoravská (metro B) or from Letňany (metro C) to Brandýs n.-L. (from 15 min / 13 km / 18 Kč – as always can be less if you have a Prague transport pass). Maybe an option could be to stop first to St. Boleslav and then walk back to Brandýs n.-L. (this is what we did, but only because we missed our stop).
In Stará Boleslav do not miss the Romanesque Church of St Wenceslas where the Prince Wenceslas – patron saint of the Czech Lands – died a martyr’s death.
In Brandýs nad Labem do not miss the castle, once property of the Austro-Hungarian Emperors, nicely restored but the work is still continuing, hopefully it will include the gardens. You can visit the inside as well, but the collections are not as nice as for example the ones in Nelahozeves, mainly due to the recent history (price is 80 Kč, visit in Czech but they had a print out description of the tour in English). And I would definitely recommend the very nice Italian restaurant in the castle, “La Trattoria Toscana“, with a terrace and a view on the river.
You can finish the day by a nice walk along the river Labe that separates the two towns, but the place seems to offer many outdoors activities, including biking, boat trips and horseback riding…
Again, this list will continue to expand as we try new locations, or receive new tips. So feel free to share yours!
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Let’s go outside (Prague) #2 July 30, 2008
Posted by larchiviste in Good, Recommended, Weekend.Tags: Benátky nad Jizerou, Dvořák, Nelahozeves, Smetana, Toy museum, Tycho Brahe
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Here are some additional one day trips outside of Prague that I would definitely recommend for the summer:
Nelahozeves castle, Dvořák’s birth house but also the new marina for a boat tour (or just a beer by the river)
Train from Masarykovo nádraží to Nelahozeves-zámek (direction Kralupy n. Vltavou, 33 min / 32 km / 46 Kč)
There is a great restaurant in the castle, we were nicely surprised (and of course try the Lobkowicz wine!). For the visit, we took the long tour but I’d recommend the visit of the second floor only – first one was not that interesting (I took it in Czech – way cheaper - and payed a small extra 60,- CZK to have a print out description of the tour).
Benátky nad Jizerou, the castle and the toy museum
Bus from Černý Most (metro B) to Benátky nad Jizerou (25 min / 31 km / 38 Kč)
Small and pleasant town, strangely litteraly meaning “Venice on Jizera“… Nice castle on the hill that at one time belonged to the Emperor Rudolf II, and hosted the famous astronomer Tycho Brahe, and much later the musician Bedřich Smetana. I do recommend the toy museum - maybe more a private collection than a museum though - but with some great pieces – children (and grown up) will love it! For the food, we went to a pleasant restaurant (downer part though, you need to walk 10 min. pass the castle walls opposite from the city gate, and walk down the park), but our first attempt there the waiting time was 2 hours! Hopefully beacause this is a popular place for a Sunday lunch… Finally, I’d recommend the nice cukrárna on the square (upper town) for a typical Czech desert. My advice: take some cash with you since there is no ATM in the upper part of the town…
The list will continue to expand as we try new locations, or receive new tips!
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Getting to know you July 12, 2008
Posted by dem in Café, Prague, Recommended.Tags: Café, fast food, Prague
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It doesn’t matter where you are in the world or what you are doing, if you visit a place often enough the people working in that place should, at least, start to recognize you; this usually brings on a whole new level of service and service interactions no longer take on the automatic, scripted sterility. And so it is that my local Coffee Heaven sees far too much of me during the week and we have now progressed onto the next level of service, the relaxed, natural interaction that adds that something else to the whole proceedings.
Now I would like to point out that Coffee Heaven is slightly different in Prague in that it does seem to employ people who at least make an effort to be polite, or at least it seems to be a ‘good’ employer in that the people working there are encouraged to do so and they gladly oblige by being, well, pleasant; there have been one or two exceptions, but in general this is one of those beacons of change that is doing well (another is the fresh fruit drinks bar, which I will write about some time).
So when I wander in of a morning I am greeted with an even more pleasant smile and a ‘dobry den’; the coffee is waiting for me before I have even paid and we all wish each other a pleasant day, it makes the day start so much better if it is this way.
A house to build… some developers to avoid! July 2, 2008
Posted by harlockcz in Land registry, Prague, Real-estate, Recommended, Stay away.add a comment
After running for a year and a half in the “building my sweet home” marathon, I would like to share my experiences.
Law 1
Never think that spending 30 000,- Kč in a lawyer is a waste of money. The time spent to review the contract in details with the lawyer is worth twice the money you spend.
My recommended lawyer:
Stella Holesova, Cabinet d’avocats Onisko & Holesova, Anny Letenske 7, 120 00 Prague 2 / T : +420 222 512 727 / F : +420 222 514 292 (CZ, SK, FR maybe EN)
Law 2
Never be too enthusiastic when seeing the unexpected “best offer of the world“. I have true beliefs in the human kindness… until we reach the business area.
As far as I know if you are the buyer there is no good deal, you can just buy a land or a house at the market price or more; but if somebody shows you the stars it probably means that he does not want you to see the fraud. Then you have to refer twice more to the Law 1 above.
With those two simple rules you should avoid the traps that sellers like to setup on your way.
Lets talk now about the firms that I dealt with:
OPTREAL: Selling land
They are preparing lands in several areas around Prague. This is not the worst company I saw, but they are hiding some details in the contract like: all the houses have the central canalization but this canalization is going nowhere because they did not create the water recycling unit needed. So they mention it during an informal chat and when you contact the city office about this “detail” (Optreal point of view) the officer replies that the city may request 200 000,- Kč to build this unit… RUN AWAY!!!!
OXES: Selling land
They are preparing lands in several areas around Prague too! I bought my plot from this company. They produced some documents a bit slowly but we finally got everything. Not a bad experience.
CANABA: Building houses
They have a catalogue of houses from which you can work out something and make changes if you prefer. They have a concrete panel technology so the houses are very fast to build. But be very careful! The salesman is really a salesman, he knows nothing about the product. That would be a fridge he would argue the same way!!!! Every time we asked for a detail he replied that he will contact a colleague… They have a terrible standard contract that they are not wishing to modify. After two months of meetings, chats negotiations, we gave up, seeing that we were wasting our time.
WELFAST: Building houses
They have a catalogue of houses from which you can work out something and make changes if you prefer. They are using a classic brick wall system. Technically speaking the salesman knows his products. They are enjoying modifying the house as much as you want. They are really flexible in this but when it is about the contract the things turn bad. We had a very few requests about the contract, some security for us. We met up with the owner of the firm and the chat was good. Every time we asked for some changes they said YES. But when they really had to modify the contract, they refused. Face to face a big smile but no action following this verbal agreement.
Most of the companies refuse to negotiate about the contracts. It is a known fact that you can bring your own contract version and submit it… But they will not accept it.
ECOMODULA: Building houses
They have a catalogue of houses from which you can work out something and make changes if you prefer. Those houses are wooden structured with an isolation technology that respect at least the European rules (which means that you have option to get over isolation). They are very fast to build and the house includes really ALL. You can setup up your complete house and the day they deliver you can live inside. That is a really pleasant point. When it is about negotiating, you may fall from you chair! They are open minded to the customer needs and they are trying to arrange the maximum for you. This is the level of service that you can expect from a company but that you don’t easily get. But Ecomodula does support you. No surprise then if I tell you that I am going to sign with them for the building of my “sweet home”.
Czech souvenirs July 2, 2008
Posted by larchiviste in Gifts, Prague, Recommended.Tags: Crystalex, Jiří Pelcl, Vicenza
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Traditional question from anyone coming to visit you in Prague: what should they buy as a souvenir?
Czech crystal, jewelries, puppets, wooden toys, Easter eggs, spa wafers, beer or Becherova? The list is not short, but are these items really something you would recommend to a friend or family? And if yes, where would you send them to find the desired souvenir? Difficult question…
Our favorite tip nowadays, since we actually have purchased some of these items ourselves and use them on a daily basis, is to buy Bohemian crystal glasses. Not the tacky/touristy ones, but instead the Vicenza drinking set (Crystalex) by Jiří Pelcl, for which he was awarded the National Design Prize in 2006. Great design, elegant modern/traditional mix, affordable and useful (less than 500, Kc for the set of 6 glasses). These can be purchased in several places in Prague, sometimes in museum gift shops. One nice address though (we’ll review it soon in a separate post) is:
Modernista
Celetná 12, Praha 1 – Staré Město
tel: 224 241 300
e-mail: modernista@modernista.cz
What is your typical recommendation for a Czech souvenir (why, and where to find it)?
Prague Zoo July 1, 2008
Posted by larchiviste in Babies, Pets, Prague, Recommended, Weekend.1 comment so far
Keeping up with the theme of cool things to do around Prague, another place I would recommend to visit during the sunny days to come (hopefully) is the Prague Zoo.
The new buildings are well thought (and contrast with the oldest ones, fortunately to be rebuilt soon), including my favorite: the Indonesian jungle, with the twilight zone where bats are flying freely. Another cool attraction: the lift that links the two parts of the zoo and offers a beautiful panorama of Prague (15,- Kč). Very fun!
But it’s also worth checking the gorillas, lemurs, giraffes, tigers, etc…
U Trojského zámku 3/120, 171 00 Praha 7
phone: 296 112 111
e-mail: zoopraha@zoopraha.czTo get there: Bus 112 from Nádraží Holešovice (metro C) to the terminus (Botanicka Zahrada) – there is a free zoo bus during the summer too – or walk from the Stromovka park to Troja using the pedestrian bridge over the island.
Entrance fees: 150,- Kč for an adult is not cheap, and the annual ticket could be worth purchasing at 500,- Kč . Note that there are some discounts for families.
Opening hours. It seems that they also offer night guided tours during the summer, but we haven’t tried that yet.
Let’s go outside (Prague) June 30, 2008
Posted by larchiviste in Biking, Hiking, Recommended, Restaurant, Weekend.Tags: Dobříš, Jevany, Karel Gott Museum, Louňovice, Okoř
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Sometimes one only needs to travel 30 kilometers from the center of Prague to feel like being in a completely different country, with nice(r) people and a totally different approach to service and prices…
Yesterday we went for a walk in the Jevany area, just a few kilometers from Prague, right after Říčany (south-east). Beautiful place with nice paths in a protected forest along lakes and ponds, a nice restaurant, and even some swimming for the daring ones (not me).
Really the perfect place to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon, hiking, biking… or swimming (again, not for me)!
Louňovice & Jevany
To get there: If you don’t have a car, the easiest is to get from metro station Depo Hostivař on to the Bus 381/382/387 to Louňovice Na hrázi II (21 km, around 35 minutes, and 26,-Kč or 14,- Kč if you already have a Prague transport pass) or further to Jevany.
The restaurant where we stopped to have some nice food for a very reasonable price, smile included: U henců.cz – Nejlepší restaurace v okolí Louňovic
The protected area: Voděradské bučiny
And finally, for the fans, this is also the place where you can find: Gottland, the Karel Gott Museum :)
Other 1-day trips outside of Prague that I would definitely recommend for the summer:
Bus from Vítězné náměstí (Dejvická, metro A)
Lunch/dinner/even sleep at the pension & restaurant
Dobříš, the castle and French park, Karel Čapek’s house
Bus from Na Knížecí (Anděl, metro B)
There is a good restaurant in the castle
If you have any others to share, please let us know!
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Splurge! March 31, 2008
Posted by larchiviste in Hotel, Recommended, Restaurant, Spa, Weekend.Tags: Kokořín, Liběchov, Mělník
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If you are looking for something special for a surprise/romantic mini-break not far from Prague, I would strongly recommend you to visit the Rezidence Liběchov, 8 km from Mělník and only 30-45 minutes drive from Prague. We spent there two great weekends in the past year, enjoying both ‘romantic’ and ‘anti-stress’ weekend packages.
Great hotel, rebuilt in the spirit of the 30s, beautiful rooms, great wellness area, a very recommended restaurant, and of course a great service – the word actually does mean something there. You pay for it, that’s true (see room prices and weekend packages), but everything is quiet, calm, intimate, and full of little touches that make the stay so special: fresh flowers in the room, flower petals on the bed, candles, fresh fruit or cheese plates… And somehow you do feel at home, smartly dressed for the 5 course gourmet dinner, or simply walking to the wellness center in bath robe and slippers. Spending 2 hours with your other half in the wellness center (so far the best I tried in the Czech Republic, much nicer than Pupp’s) and enjoying the whirlpool, saunas, massages… it’s really like a place out of time.
Rezidence Liběchov
Liběchov 121, 277 21 Liběchov, Czech Republic (map)
Tel. 00420 315 650 000
Fax 00420 315 650 009, 315 697 982
recepce@rezidence-libechov.cz
If the Rezidence does not get a (truly deserved though) 10/10 is because of the ugly power station built in the valley on the other side of the river that somehow spoils the view in the West direction. Hopefully the view in the East direction is great (ask for a room with THIS view) and is the start of a beautiful region to explore: the Kokořínsko protected area, with its forests and unusual landscapes, traditional farms, and the so romantic Kokořín castle…
Anyway, I am pretty sure that we will visit the Rezidence a 3rd time. The question is when :)
Upholsterer? December 19, 2007
Posted by larchiviste in Prague, Recommended, Upholstery.Tags: antique, cabinet making, furniture, upholstery
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Last good review for today, here is a great contact in the case you would need like us to renovate an old armchair:
Calounictvi Hybrant Petr, Frezarska 279/8, Praha 412-Modrany 143 00 (776 04 66 45)
Upholstery is then Čalounictví in Czech (I had to look for the word, both in English and Czech…), and Mr. Hybrant really performed a miracle in rebuilding our chair. Just look at the before/after galleries of the different works, it’s really impressive. The pictures are added as the work is progressing, so you can keep an eye on what is happening. We only bought the fabric and he took care of finding a cabinet maker and then took care of the upholstery. Not a quick process I must admit, but the result is amazing and you can really see that he loves what he does.
A good dentist December 19, 2007
Posted by larchiviste in Dentist, Prague, Recommended.Tags: dentist
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Keeping with the good resolutions, here is our new dentist in Prague 3:
MUDr. Radoslav Lacina, Lucemburska 1610/9, Praha 3 (222 726 006)
I only had a check up there, but I felt like going to my own dentist in France: professional, clean and modern environment/equipment, and which is usually non-existent in Czech Republic: a real discussion doctor/patient on what is the situation, what is required, what will happen and why… Also, he offers the possibility to contact him over the weekend: I could write him an email if my wisdom teeth would start being too painful before the extraction. And he performed dental surgery on my wife to remove a painful nerve on a Sunday 8pm the day before our vacations (and only charged 500 Kc for the weekend intervention).
Any other feedback or experience?
Dry cleaning in Flora December 19, 2007
Posted by larchiviste in Dry cleaning, Prague, Recommended.Tags: dry cleaning, laundry
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Maybe because of the holiday season, I have decided not to add any bad experience before the New Year (but feel free to do so!).
So instead of talking of Bel & Blanc in Palac Flora and why I can’t go there anymore (ok, here is a hint: physical repulsion) or why I would need a negative scale to rate the customer service there, I will recommend the dry cleaning place where I am going exclusively for the last few months:
It’s only 200 meters from Flora, prices are cheaper than in B&B, and you get for free smiles, politness, the ladies working there do recognize me and appreciate my efforts to speak some Czech, agree to get paid later when I forget my wallet, etc. In short: they are really nice people (and for the first time since I live here in Prague I am planning to bring them chocolates for the holidays – a Christmas miracle?).
The only drawback: the opening hours. From 7:30 to 18:30 Monday-Friday, it took some time to get used to it. But for a smile or some nice words it’s really worth it 
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