Breakfast or even lunch in the grass after strolling through the city can be equal to gourmet experiences to be had only in the best restaurants. Eating in the open air is especially pleasing for children and will boost one’s digestion. With this in mind, we have prepared for you tips for places where picnics can be enjoyed with all the trimmings. Some chateaux offer a special picnic menu, where with your basket full of goodies you will also get a blanket and cushion. They have thought of everything to make you feel like a member of the aristocracy.
Prague, parks, picnics
The capital city of the Czech Republic and its parks are worthy of a whole chapter of their own. With picnicking in mind, one must not fail to mention Stromovka Park. Founded probably as far back as the mid-13th century, the grounds were referred to as the Royal Game Preserve for years. Today, the park stretches from the popular Prague quarters of Holešovice to the River Vltava, with the Prague Zoo just across the water. You can have your picnic basket prepared in the Salabka Restaurant situated quite close to the park. But back to Stromovka. Hiding amongst hundred-year-old trees and not that easy to see right away, the Vice Regent's Summer Palace is one of the famous landmarks of the park. Once you have discovered its location, it is definitely worth having a picnic in this very place. It is said that early in the morning or late in the evening, when Prague sleeps, here in Stromovka near the Summer House you will be able to hear animals in the zoo waking up or getting ready to sleep. Apart from that, Stromovka offers a plethora of options of where to have a picnic, whether you prefer a large meadow or a bank by the stream. In addition, a short walk away you will find the P7 restaurant, where you can have your picnic basket prepared.A nice lot of goodies can be picked up from the luxurious Pachta’s Palace in the Old Town and then you can head out for example to Kampa – a tiny island under Charles Bridge, where you will feel like you have stepped into a small village. Anyway, you can also get a picnic basket in the restaurant of the Kampa Hotel – Old Armoury (Stará zbrojnice), and on request they will pack a bottle of bubbly in it.
Ranking among popular picnic spots in a serene park, Sacré Coeur is situated well above one of the busiest areas of Prague allowing you to admire it far enough from all the hustle and bustle. In addition, you will be able to feast your eyes on the city from a place so far undiscovered by tourists. Starting from Prague Castle you can reach the Sacré Coeur Park through Petřín Gardens where a picnic is also worth considering. It is a traditional lure for all those in love, who have been coming to Petřín Hill for years.
If in search of a great picnic experience, you are willing to venture a bit further from Prague centre, then you can set out to the Průhonice Park, which together with the city centre is inscribed on the UNESCO list. Another place worth taking a stroll in and enjoying refreshment in the grass is the large Hvězda Enclosure situated near Břevnov Monastery. Picnic spots can be found in the Divoká Šárka Nature Reserve where you will feel more like you are in a rocky valley surrounded by forests rather than in a capital city.
Heading for a picnic outside of Prague
The capital does not have a monopoly on the best scenery for picnics as it is rivalled by several other locations throughout the Czech Republic. Some of them are just about an hour's drive from Prague, and mostly you will find there a charming chateau surrounded by a park where holding a picnic will be a real treat. This description matches perfectly Liblice Chateau, which is situated a short distance both from Prague and the historic town of Mělník. The Baroque chateau and its restaurant will prepare various picnic menus to order and in addition hire out equipment for games such as petanque, croquet or badminton. You may well happen to forget time in Liblice. However, that would not pose a problem at all, because the chateau offers luxury accommodation as it is run also as a hotel.Loučeň Chateau is a similar story. As well as tempting palates with the atmosphere of aristocratic life and picnic baskets full of goodies, it also features its unique Labyrintarium, a set of over ten mazes and labyrinths.
Picnic fans have also been on the mind of Nelahozeves Chateau, where it is possible to choose from several types of special basket contents - wine, family, romantic, or vegetarian hamper. A big draw for Czech and foreign tourists alike is also the birthplace of one of the most renowned composers Antonín Dvořák, located not far from the chateau.
Another place to hold a romantic picnic is the Baroque (and still lived in) Jemniště Chateau which was built as an elegant summer residence. The Chateau owner resides in the left wing and the rest is open to visitors. Located a short distance from the Prague to Tábor route, Jemniště is close to the border between Moravia and Bohemia.
Picnic in Bohemia and Moravia - from east to west
If you are planning a trip to explore the beauties of the east of the Czech Republic and you'll be near the mystical mountains of the Beskids, you can indulge in a picnic feast in Velké Karlovice. You can order a picnic basket in the Lanterna Hotel and apart from a variety of delicacies of all different types you will be furnished with a blanket and a map. Then there will be nothing to stop you from exploring the beauty of the picturesque Beskid landscape and the ancient culture of Wallachia.The eastern part of the Czech Republic- Moravia - does not lag behind in its offer of excellent picnic sites. In fact the opposite is true. One of the popular locations is Krahulík’s Picnic Meadow in Telč. Why not head out for this place and enjoy the absolute relaxation and gourmet experiences? Krahulík ranks among the oldest smoked meat producers in the Czech Republic and so it serves only the best of its delicacies in this meadow throughout the peak season. Another picnic site is located in the very heart of Telč, which thanks to its amazing historic centre and the beautiful chateau is inscribed on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
In West Bohemia you can indulge in picnic feasting in the Royal Town of Kadaň, where the restaurant of the Split Hotel prepares baskets for picnic lovers matching their wishes. On your trip to Kadaň you will be able to admire the longest preserved defence walls in Bohemia, the oldest pilgrimage site throughout the whole of the Czech Republic and the narrowest alley, which has even made it into the Czech book of records.
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