BONJOUR WORLD: Everyone loves Prague, but visit the entire country too

Everyone loves Prague, but visit the entire country before settling for just one city in the Czech Republic.

Prague is certainly an excellent place to begin your journey and the charming Mozart Hotel (www.themozart.com) situated in the perfect location comes highly recommended.

The Mozart Boutique Hotel had famous characters such as Mozart and Casanova stay there so in that case it was certainly good enough for me. As were the rich and finely appointed rooms coupled with plenty of relics and right alongside Prague’s famous Charles Bridge. 

I stayed in Prague a few days before heading out on a gastronomy tour of not only the city, but a jaunt to the southern and western Bohemia area too.  

To get into the spirit I snuck down the block from the Mozart Hotel to the Hemingway Bar (www.hemingwaybar.cz/bar-prague) inspired by, of course, Ernest Hemingway. The writer who not only wrote but knew how to drink just like they love to do in this Czech Republic capital city. Hemingway brought fame to the many mixed drinks and old cocktail recipes during his time and this bar does the same offering a mean Absinthe concoction. In fact, this little Prague jewel even boasts a diverse offering of Absinthe that includes the limited edition of Hemingway Absinthe, distilled here by Martin Žufánek and including rare replicas of the best kinds of Absinthe ever made. Otherwise try the rums or make sure you get a taste of the Becher Butter Sour with Becherovka Original infused with ghee, fresh lemon juice, egg white, and sugar syrup and served with a dry orange slice.

Keep walking and you will see the streets of Prague are notorious the magical feel of the wonderful Czech traditions still intact.

The cobblestone streets in Prague will take you back in time and it is hard not to feel as if you are lost in a fairytale while considering where to visit first. There is the tantalizing Prague Castle, the old world Charles Bridge, or it is also tempting to get lost in the shopping and streets of the city’s Old Town Square.

Prague’s Old Town is a significant visit and while I was there the European Union was having some sort of highbrow meeting, which meant closed streets and deters. However, that did not deter the visit and one would be remiss not to visit the Church of Our Lady Tyn, the Baroque Church of St. Nicholas, the Rococo Kinsky Palace, the Gothic House at the Stone Bell, the Charles Bridge (founded in 1357), Lesser Town (founded in 1257), Prague Castle and the monument to Jan Hus, who for church folks was a Czech theologian and philosopher who became a Church reformer and the inspiration of Hussitism (aka the predecessor to the Protestant narrative and the Bohemian Reformation).

While in Prague I was thrown back to the Dallas, Texas area because the Kolacherie shop in the city has ties to the Ellis County, Texas city of Ennis. There (as in Ennis where the owner had visited) the Czech kolache is a must-stop for a tasting whether you favor sweet or savory. 

While I am not a glass collector, when in Prague the Prague Glass Experience is worth a stop for an understanding of how this art ties into the importance of the city from a traditional standpoint.

Indeed, tradition runs deep in the Czech people, and it is still a strong way of life.

The city of Prague is as much a place to visit because you have heard you must as it is a place that is an enchanting destination.

And you would be wrong to believe this part of Europe is only about the beer, because in fact, wine is big business busy in the Czech Republic.

I stopped in for a wine tasting at St. Wenceslas Vineyard for a few hours of the local best. It is the oldest vineyard in Bohemia from the 10th century A.D. 

Alas, the countryside was calling so after a few days of Prague I set off for South Bohemia. Here is it about the natural beauty, but do not count out the charm of the cities in the south including UNESCO monuments and neo-gothic must see.

The town of Trebon is near the Austrian border rich with deep forests, fishponds, and the historical center was named an urban conservation area in 1976. Even better it is known as a spa town these days and you will also find too a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. If you love nature this is a place you can spend time among the locals and feel the energy of what is a protected natural area.

It is here I must stop to mention as well, that while on my trip to Trebon I also took a little hike jaunt among the fishpond to the Schwarzenberg tomb. Not sure what the significance of this tomb is, I was not either, but found that I would visit again because the natural location with the pond, the trees, and the rising neo-gothic tomb in the middle of a peaceful landscaped park was worthy of a visit. 

This Schwarzenberg family resting place is beautiful with 27 members of the family resting here including Princess Eleonora who died in 1873. The last burial was in 1939 and was attended by Prince Karel Schwarzenberg and other important relatives.

The family name and its connection to the Trebon Castle date back to 1374. The castle was burned down in the 16th century and rebuilt in a Renaissance Italian style. The Schwarzenberg family owned the castle until it was nationalized during the county’s communist era.

From Trebon I visited the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Cesky Krumlov for magnificent views in this medieval town nearby the meandering Vitava River. With cobblestone streets and romantic twists and turns again, a fairy tale story in the making dating back to the 14th to 19th centuries. While there a must for dinner is the Taverna Satlava. A place with big fireplaces, wooden tables and a local-type flare that will throw you back to what this old town is all about for both locals and visitors.

Always on trips I enjoy spending time in unusual activities and my host set me up for a photography session at the Museum Fotoatelier Seidel. In the photographic studio of Josef and Frantisek Seidel, I dressed in Czech period clothes as the camera snapped my image taking me back to another time and place in history. I recommend this little stop for a real piece of Czech tradition.

And finally, Pilsen. You know, the capital for beer around the world.

While I am not a beer drinker, a trip to the world-famous Pilsner Urquell beer capital is in order when in the Czech countryside. You can even get a tour of the brewery for a look at the brewing process while sipping a Pilsner for good measure.

And for the non-beer drinkers who want a beer experience you will love the Beer Spa. Yes, that does exist. The Purkmistr Beer Spa located in the private space of the Beer Yard Pilsen. Really, who would not love a beer bath in the world’s famous brewing location in West Bohemia.

Pilsen is also a historical destination with monuments and fascinating architecture so again, a cultural must-see.

On my final night back in Prague, I visited the Municipal House Restaurant for dinner. In the Art Nouveau style with Czech cuisine this is the perfect way to end a Czech trip with old world Prague and Bohemia alongside a world that has been created through countless years of history that has come to rest as a coveted European capital city forever changing while keeping its magical appeal.

Photos by Rita Cook