Exclusive Prague Tours
  • Home
  • Tours
    • What You'll See >
      • Prague's Old Town
      • Prague's Jewish Quarter
      • Prague's Lesser Quarter
      • Prague Castle
      • Day Trips
  • Concierge
  • Guidebooks
  • Contact
  • Hotels
  • Prague Blog
  • Dining
    • Czech Cuisine
    • Czech Beer
  • Entertainment
  • Shopping
    • Prague Easter Markets
    • Prague Christmas Markets >
      • Prague Christmas Market Photo Gallery
  • Newsletter Sign-up Form
  • Testimonials

Zlin: The Town that Bat’a Built

2/6/2025

0 Comments

 
An aerial view of the city of Zlin with Bata factory buildings in the foreground.
An aerial view of the city of Zlin with Bata factory buildings in the foreground.
This blog post contains sponsored products from an affiliate link to Amazon.com. All photos are by the author except where noted.
​You probably haven’t heard of Zlín, and you might not have heard of Bat’a, but outside of the US, most people the world over know the Bata (pronounced “baht-yah”, and I’ll write it without the apostrophe after the “t” from here on out for ease of English reader’s eyes and your devices’ fonts) brand of shoes. This post will explore the unlikely origin of probably one of the world’s first international brands (and arguably one of the first global brands) in this small town nestled in the Vizovice Highlands east of Brno and West of the Slovak border in the Moravian region of the Czech Republic. 

Read More
0 Comments

Prague’s “New” Town

8/1/2024

0 Comments

 
An embankment of the Vltava (Moldau) River in New Town - photo by Vita Valka - reprinted with permission from Pixabay.com
An embankment of the Vltava (Moldau) River in New Town - photo by Vita Valka - reprinted with permission from Pixabay.com
This blog post contains affiliate links to sponsored products on Amazon.com in an effort to help me maintain this blog.
​If you’ve taken one of my Prague tours, you know that I cover the four main historical areas of the city: Old Town, the Jewish Quarter, the Lesser Quarter and Prague Castle. But did you know that Prague also has a New Town (Nove Mesto)? In fact, it was, along with the others named here, one of the five original towns of Prague. 

Read More
0 Comments

Prague Off the Beaten Path - Vysehrad

6/12/2024

0 Comments

 
The Leopold Gat at Vysehrad in Prague. This and all other images by the author.
The Leopold Gate at Vysehrad in Prague. This and all other images by the author.
If you’re coming to Prague, you’ll probably spend most of your time in the historic center, meaning you’ll be touring the areas of Old Town, the Lesser Quarter, the Jewish Quarter and/or Prague Castle, and perhaps a bit of New Town (don’t let the name fool you - New Town is 700 years old!). But you probably won’t get beyond these areas, and that makes sense - not only is there a lot to see in each of them, but they’re also more or less adjacent to each other, situated in a relatively compact area straddling the Vltava (Moldau) River.

Read More
0 Comments

Prague’s Farmers’ Markets

4/26/2024

0 Comments

 
Farmers' market at Jiřího z Poděbrad Square
Farmers' market at Jiřího z Poděbrad Square. Image by the author.
​If you like Farmers’ markets, then Prague has something to offer. Beginning about 10 years ago, true Farmers’ markets started to appear in Prague, and shortly thereafter the locavore trend appeared, too. Initially, there were only a few of these places, with some being markedly better than others. But in the intervening years, they’ve grown in size; most have equalized in quality; and the (Farmers’ market) market has stabilized.

Read More
0 Comments

Prague Day Trips: Dresden

2/23/2024

0 Comments

 
Dresden Cathedral (Cathedral of the Holy Trinity) and Dresden Castle (Residenzschloss). Image credit: aletheia via Canva.com.
Dresden Cathedral (Cathedral of the Holy Trinity) and Dresden Castle (Residenzschloss). Image credit: aletheia via Canva.com.
This blog post contains affiliate links to sponsored products on Amazon.com in an effort to help me maintain this blog.
​If you’ve been following this blog, you’ll know that for the past few years I’ve been doing a series on Prague day trips, roughly defined as trips you can do in one day (although a few places I’ve covered either deserve an overnight stay).
 
I started this series during the pandemic, and that means that the destinations I initially covered were, out of necessity, places within the Czech Republic because travel beyond its borders was either impossible or not safe. But there are some international destinations you can do in a day from Prague, as well, and at the top of that list is Dresden.

Read More
0 Comments

Prague By Tram: A(nother) Great way to see the city

2/8/2024

0 Comments

 
Prague Tram, photo courtesy of Canva
Photo above courtesy of Canva
Did you know? There are many beautiful tram rides through Prague that are a convenient - and inexpensive - way to see the city. 

Read More
0 Comments

Prague Day Trips - Liberec

11/3/2023

2 Comments

 
Liberec Town Hall
This blog post contains Amazon Affiliate links which help support this site and my work. Thanks!
​A recent day trip to Liberec once again reminded me of the richness of the history, architecture and geography of the Czech Republic. In one way, it was strange that I had lived in Prague for so many years and had never visited this city. In another, it wasn’t strange at all - I never heard much about it except occasionally meeting someone who was born there, and no Czech person ever told me: “You must go to Liberec” as they had for other places such as Olomouc or Cesky Krumlov. So, I’d never made the trip.

Read More
2 Comments

Prague Day Trips - Kutná Hora

7/27/2023

1 Comment

 
Kutná Hora - Reprinted with permission from Pixabay/Olga Oginskaya
​If you’re planning a trip to Prague and have researched day trips, no doubt you’ve heard of Kutná Hora. While it’s not as well-known or as popular as some of the other Czech towns that you can visit, such as Český Krumlov or Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad), it is certainly no less interesting or unique. In addition to my Prague tours, Kutná Hora is the only destination outside of Prague where I also provide tours. Needless to say, it’s one of my favorite places.

Kutná Hora’s History

Kutná Hora, as its name in Czech implies, is a former silver mining town, and this mining legacy had a direct impact on the uniqueness of its layout and architecture that is still visible to this day. 

Read More
1 Comment

ČERVENÝ JELEN - A Unique Place on the Prague Dining Scene

5/16/2023

4 Comments

 
Interior-Červený-Jelen-restaurant
The interior of Červený Jelen restaurant
New restaurants open in Prague all the time, and though I'm a major foodie, it's impossible for me to try them all. Then the pandemic really put a dent in my dining lifestyle. But one new restaurant especially caught my eye – perhaps it was the very big, very red stag suspended between two buildings at the entrance to an alley near Prague’s Marriott Hotel – a location I pass by often. But I never got a chance to try it before things shut down. I did peer inside the windows once, though, as the red sculpture had drawn me in, but I never made it there for a meal. I put it on my list of places to try, though.
 
When travel to Prague finally began to resume, a friend from Switzerland who used to live in Prague visited, and we met for lunch at one of our favorite places, an old standby that we both love. She had already been in Prague for a few days when we met, so she’d been trying some of the many new restaurants that had appeared since she’d moved away. When we sat down for lunch at the old standby, we started talking about restaurants, and out of the blue she asked, “Have you been to Červený Jelen?” “No,” I said, “but it’s on my list.” She then added: “It’s great.” This only confirmed my hunch that it must be a pretty good place and moved it to the top of my list. 

Read More
4 Comments

Prague’s Italian Quarter

5/2/2023

0 Comments

 
Prague-Italian-Quarter
This blog post contains Amazon Affiliate links which help support this site and my work. Thanks!
You’ve heard of Prague’s Jewish Quarter, and you’ve probably heard of the Lesser Quarter or the Little Quarter (Mala Strana), but I’ll bet you didn’t know that Prague also has an Italian Quarter. While not an official “town” like the others…
Sponsored:

Read More
0 Comments

Happy Easter and Happy Passover From Prague

4/6/2023

0 Comments

 
Prague-Tours

​Spring is Springing!

Spring is springing in Prague, and we’re all itching to get out after a very long, very cold and very gray winter here. 

​Easter weekend has always been a big deal in the Czech Republic, if not so much for the religious significance as the beginning of spring, of rebirth and renewal after the dark days of winter and a return to more light, longer days and weekends at the cottage.

Read More
0 Comments

Prague Day Trips – Hradec Králové

2/7/2023

0 Comments

 
Prague Blog - Hradec Kralove Day Trip
For those of you who follow this blog, you’ll know that travel within the Czech Republic has become a renewed interest of mine, brought on out of necessity in the days of the Covid shutdown. And before 2022 ended, I managed to squeeze in one more day trip – this time to Hradec Králové. 

A Dowry Town?

​Hradec Kralove sits at the confluence of the Elbe and Orlice rivers. The name literally means “queen’s castle,” a so-called “dowry town” dating to at least as early as the 11th century. After much damage in the both the Thirty Years’ War and the War of Austrian Succession, Emperor Josef II turned the town into a fortress, the remnants of which can still be seen today.

Read More
0 Comments

Prague: Great Reads for the Traveler on your list!

11/30/2022

0 Comments

 
Books about Prague
This blog post contains Amazon Affiliate links which help support this site and my work. Thanks!
If you're like me, you enjoy not only traveling but also reading about the places you'd like to visit (either before, during or after your trip), and in some cases when you don't even visit at all!. So, as the Holiday Season approaches, I've put together a list of some great reads on Prague for the traveler on your Christmas or Hanukkah list!

Read More
0 Comments

Prague Walks - My newest Prague Guidebook

11/4/2022

0 Comments

 
Prague guidebook

A Fun Companion for Your Visit to Prague.

As a rule, I find it difficult to toot my own horn, but, I must say that I think think my latest Prague Guidebook is really good myself! But mainly I think you’ll find it incredibly fun and useful for when you visit Prague.

Read More
0 Comments

Prague Day Trips - Pilsen

8/18/2022

0 Comments

 
A detail of one of the Loos Interiors in Pilsen
As you will know from my blog posts during the pandemic, I took advantage of the free time I had due to the lack of tourists – and therefore a lack of tours – to travel during both summers (2020 and 2021), the only time most restrictions were lifted. But because of the various restrictions that were still in place during the summers, I was for the most part limited to travel in within the Czech Republic. And it was wonderful! I not only revisited some favorite places that I had not been to in years (such as Český Krumlov), I also made it a point to visit some towns and sites that, despite having lived here for several decades, I had never seen (like Žďár nad Sázavou). And I became fascinated again, and in a different way, with the amazing lands that are the Czech Republic. With its bucolic countryside, royal towns and castles, the Czech Republic has something for everyone. There’s even a wine country in this nation of beer lovers!

Read More
0 Comments

Czech Beer - The REAL Czech National Treasure

7/20/2022

2 Comments

 
Delicious Czech Beer
If you know anything about beer – or even if you’re just someone who likes beer – you probably know that Czech beer is simply wonderful. In fact, many rate Czech beer as the best beer in the world. And if you’re planning to visit Prague, you’ve probably read about how good Czech beer is. The Charles Bridge? The Astronomical Clock? Prague Castle? No, beer is the REAL Czech national treasure!
In any case, if you’re a beer drinker, I would venture to say that you’ll love Czech beer. And many of my tour clients who are not beer drinkers at all want to at least try it when they visit, and even those non-beer drinkers say it’s “very good.” In this post, I’m going to tell you a few things about Czech beer and some of the best places to enjoy it when you’re in town.

Read More
2 Comments

Prague spring

5/21/2022

0 Comments

 
Prague's Vrtba Garden
Prague's Vrtba Garden

Spring is here and you should be, too!

There is nothing quite like a Prague spring. Just the phrase, “Prague spring” has many connotations and meanings. There is the famous “Prague Spring International Music Festival” that takes place every year beginning on May 12 and lasting into June. World-renowned musicians and orchestras – including the Czech Philharmonic, of course, as well as others from around the world – perform in this annual ritual, and concert-goers from all over the world flock to it for a musical holiday.

Read More
0 Comments

Czech Food

2/22/2022

0 Comments

 
Czech Food
Now that COVID-19 related entry restrictions for travelers to the Czech Republic have been suspended, I hope you’ve put Prague on your list of travel destinations for this year. And while you’re here, you will definitely want to try Czech food.

Read More
0 Comments

Will Travel Return in 2022?

2/2/2022

0 Comments

 
Prague-Private-Guided-Tours
Will 2022 be the year that travel returns?  In many respects, it’s looking that way. And for obvious reasons, I certainly hope so. Needless to say, I’m hoping for the revival of my Prague tour business, but I’m also looking forward to being able to travel freely internationally again myself!
This blog post contains affiliate links for products sold on Amazon.com that help support my site.
Of course, travel between Europe and America is possible now and has been for some time, and I did have a few tour clients in 2021, which was great. But there have been and still are many restrictions on travel, be they Covid test requirements or multitudes of forms to fill out, not just for your destination, but for transit countries as well.

Read More
0 Comments

5 tips for Prague-Themed Holiday gifts

11/22/2021

0 Comments

 
Prague-Holiday-Gifts
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it’s not too early to start thinking about Holiday shopping. And I’m sure there is a traveler on your list! But even though travel is still difficult at this time, I’ve made this year’s Prague-themed holiday gifts with both the Prague lover and armchair traveler in mind.
This blog post contains affiliate links for products sold on Amazon.com that help support my site.

1. Books

​Books are always a great gift idea for any occasion, and there are many about Prague or by Czech authors to recommend. Here are just a few:

Read More
0 Comments

Czech Wine Country – A Trip to Southern Moravia

9/17/2021

0 Comments

 
Czech-Republic-Moravia-Chateau
Mikulov and the Mikulov Chateau
As summer wound down, I took advantage of the remaining nice weather to take a few road trips in the Czech Republic.  The most recent was a trip to the town of Mikulov and surrounding areas in the wine-making region of Moravia. 

Read More
0 Comments

10 Things You Didn’t Know about Prague

5/14/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
There are many fascinating facts about Prague, so it’s hard to select just ten.  But here is an attempt at capturing some of the most interesting ones and hopefully a few that you didn’t know:
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein - reprinted with permission from Pixabay & Library of Congress
1. The famous physicist and Nobel Laureate Albert Einstein lived in Prague for just over a year when he was a professor at Charles University, one of the oldest universities in Europe.  While he was in Prague, he also participated in the literary-philosophical salon held by a local intellectual, Berta Fanta, operated in her flat on Old Town Square.

Read More
0 Comments

Have Vaccine, Will Travel?

4/26/2021

0 Comments

 
Prague-Charles-Bridge
Prague's famous Charles Bridge
While rollouts of vaccinations against COVID 19 have been happening in many countries to varying degrees since the beginning of this year, it looks as though things have really turned a corner at least in the U.S. when it comes to having well over a majority of its population vaccinated in time for summer.
Other nations, for various reasons, have not had as much success, and that has included the Czech Republic. However, just this week we here are starting to turn a corner, too, when it comes to vaccines.  Just today the New York Times published an article titled “E.U. Set to Let Vaccinated U.S. Tourists Visit This Summer.”

Read More
0 Comments

Prague’s Orechovka Neighborhood

2/18/2021

0 Comments

 
Prague-Orechovka-Neighborhood
If you’ve been following my blog, you will know that I spent much of last year exploring more of the Czech Republic than I’ve done in a while. I visited many places for the first time that had long been on my list, and I also revisited some of my favorite places, such as Cesky Krumlov.

Read More
0 Comments

Five Great Holiday Gift Ideas for the Traveler on Your List from Exclusive Prague Tours

12/10/2020

0 Comments

 
Prague-Christmas-Tree
The Christmas tree on Prague's Old Town Square
If you’re asking Santa for a trip to Prague next year, or if you’ve got a traveler on your holiday shopping list, you might want to add these items to your list, as well!
(Note:  The products featured here link to an Amazon Affiliates account, which helps support this page. So it is greatly appreciated if you buy any featured products on Amazon through the links on this page. Thank you!)
The Coronavirus pandemic grounded planes and closed borders for most of 2020, but we all hope to be be able to travel – or at least begin to travel again – in 2021. Prague is hoping for the return of visitors from Europe for a greater part of 2021 than was possible this year, and we hope that Americans will be able to enter the EU again, too! I already have a few clients from the U.S. who have booked tours for next year. So if travel is on your mind for the New Year, here are some gift ideas for you.

Read More
0 Comments
<<Previous
    ​YOUR DONATION HELPS ME KEEP THIS BLOG GOING.
    Even a small donation will help and is much appreciated!
    Consider making a donation today!

    Author

    I am an American who has been living in Prague for two decades. After a long career in international finance, I left the business world to pursue other interests. I now work as a writer, mentor and guide to the city.

    Archives

    February 2025
    August 2024
    June 2024
    April 2024
    February 2024
    November 2023
    July 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    February 2023
    November 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    May 2022
    February 2022
    November 2021
    September 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    August 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    September 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015

    Categories

    All
    2020
    Adolf Loos Architecture
    Albert Einstein
    Amadeus
    Architecture
    Baroque Architecture
    Bata Shoes
    Beer
    Best Prague Restaurants
    Beyond Prague
    Book About World War I
    Books About Prague
    Brewery Tour
    Bucket List
    Budweiser
    Cafe Culture
    Červený Jelen
    Červený Jelen Restaurant
    Český Krumlov
    Christmas
    Christmas During Coronavirus In Prague
    Christmas Gift Ideas
    Christmas In Prague
    Christmas Shopping
    Christmas Shopping Guide
    Classical Music
    Coffee Culture
    Coronavirus
    Coronavirus In Prague
    Coronavirus In The Czech Repbulic
    Coronavirus In The Czech Republic
    Coronavirus Outbreak
    Coronavirus Outbreak In Prague
    Coronavirus Reading List
    Coronaviurs In Prague
    COVID
    COVID 19
    COVID-19
    COVID19
    COVID#19 Prague
    Czech Architecture
    Czech Beer
    Czech Beer Brands
    Czech Breweries
    Czech Brewery Tour
    Czech Cities
    Czech Cubist Architecture
    Czech Cuisine
    Czech Famous Breweries
    Czech Food
    Czech Jewish Heritage
    Czech Jews
    Czech-pilsner
    Czech Republic
    Czech-rondocubism
    Czech Wedding
    Czech Wine
    Destination Wedding
    Destination Wedding In Prague
    Dining In Prague
    Dresden
    Dvorak
    Easter
    Easter Markets
    Einstein
    European Jewish History
    Food
    Foodies
    Franz Kafka
    Gelato
    Germany
    Gothic Architecture
    Great Prague Guidebooks
    Great Synagogue In Pilsen
    Habsburg History
    Hanukkah
    Hanukkah Gift Ideas
    Hapsburg
    Hapsburg Empire
    Hapsburg History
    History Of The Great War
    History Of The Hapsburg Empire
    History Of World War I
    Hluboka
    Hluboka Chateau
    Hluboka Nad Vltavou
    Holiday Gift Ideas
    Holidays
    Holiday Shopping
    Holidays In Prague
    Holocaust
    Hradec Kralove
    Ice Cream
    Jan Santini
    Jewish Heritage
    Jewish Heritage In Pilsen
    Jewish History
    Judaism
    Kafka
    Kutná Hora
    Lednice
    Liberec
    Madeleine Albright
    Microbreweries
    Mikulov
    Milos Forman
    Moravia
    Mozart
    Music
    Old Synagogue In Pilsen
    Orechovka
    Passage To Byzantium
    Passover
    Pilsen
    Pilsner
    Pilsner Urquell
    Pislner Urquell Brewery Tour
    Prague
    Prague 6
    Prague - A Great Wedding Destination
    Prague Architecture
    Prague Beer
    Prague Cafe Culture
    Prague Caronavirus Update On March 9
    Prague Christmas Gifts
    Prague Coronavirus
    Prague Day Trips
    Prague Facts
    Prague Farmers Markets
    Prague Favorite Things
    Prague Food
    Prague Gardens
    Prague Guide
    Prague Guidebooks
    Prague History
    Prague Holiday Gifts
    Prague Ice Cream
    Prague Jews
    Prague Markets
    Prague Public Transit
    Prague Public Transport
    Prague Public Transportation
    Prague Pubs
    Prague Restaurant Guide
    Prague Restaurants
    Prague's Easter Markets
    Prague's Jewish History
    Prague's Jewish Quarter
    Prague's Orechovka Neighborhood
    Prague Spring
    Prague's Public Transprotation
    Prague Tram
    Prague Transit
    Prague Transportation
    Prague Travel Accessories
    Prague Travel Guide
    Prague Travel Reading
    Prague Travel Tips
    Prague Walks
    Prague Wedding
    Prague Wedding Destination
    Rondocubism
    The Hapsburgs And World War I
    Tomas Bata
    Top Prague Restaurants
    Travel
    Travel Accessories
    Travel During Coronavirus
    Travel Ideas
    Travel In 2022
    Travel Reading
    Travel Tips
    UNESCO World Heritage Sites
    Unique Prague Guidebooks
    Vaccine Passports
    Valtice
    Vysehrad
    Wedding
    Wedding Destination
    Wedding In Prague
    Wedding Planning
    Weddings
    Wine Tasting
    World War I
    World War II
    WWI
    Zdar Nad Sazavou
    Zelena Hora
    Zlin

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Tours
    • What You'll See >
      • Prague's Old Town
      • Prague's Jewish Quarter
      • Prague's Lesser Quarter
      • Prague Castle
      • Day Trips
  • Concierge
  • Guidebooks
  • Contact
  • Hotels
  • Prague Blog
  • Dining
    • Czech Cuisine
    • Czech Beer
  • Entertainment
  • Shopping
    • Prague Easter Markets
    • Prague Christmas Markets >
      • Prague Christmas Market Photo Gallery
  • Newsletter Sign-up Form
  • Testimonials