Krymská - a street full of cafés
Krymská street in Prague’s
Vršovice district near
Vinohrady is a cross between Montmartre in Paris and Kreuzberg in Berlin. It is vibrant from morning to evening. In recent years, it has been teeming with cafés with a culture programme, yoga practise rooms, an art-house cinema, interest associations and a children’s book publishing house. This is the right spot whether you’re looking for a café, a vegan restaurant or a vintage shop.
Places alive with (alternative) music
There are several scenes in
Prague that specialize in alternative and independent bands and singers. In the centre of
Old Town there is the
NOD/Roxy space, for example. It features not only indie bands, but also dance and other conventional performances. On the other hand, a visit to
Palác Akropolis in the former working-class district of Žižkov, in the shade of the
TV Tower is never a disappointment. Concerts by independent Czech and global bands take turns with theatre performances and traveller slideshows. And if you’re partial to mergers of music and other forms of contemporary art, you must visit the
MeetFactory in the Smíchov district. It is literally a lair of every kind of artist. There are concerts or theatre shows almost every day, and the compound simultaneously works as a space for painters and sculptors.
Beer tastes best in the open air
Náplavka. This place has become an institution for Praguers in recent years. It is a riverfront thoroughfare below
Rašínovo embankment in the city centre between the
Dancing House and
Vyšehrad. Náplavka is best enjoyed in summer, when dozens of garden pubs open there and you can savour a beer or soft drink from local producers at sunset, with a plastic cup in your hand and your feet in the Vltava. Several bands all along the Náplavka will be playing live music for listening and dancing. The riverfront isn’t completely dead in winter either. An old boat moors near the
Vyšehrad end and opens a Finnish sauna every winter. But don’t expect a refreshing pool after the sauna. The whole river is at your service! At your own risk, of course...
Tips for café loungers
Few things represent the alternative culture more than the
liking for quality coffee and various ways of making it. A lot of good cafés have recently sprung up around Prague, where you can order not only an espresso or a cappuccino, but also a coffee made in a French press, aeropress or vacuum pot. In search of good coffee, do not miss
Vnitroblock,
Kavárna co hledá jméno,
Café Letka,
EMA Espresso bar, as well as
Místo and
Potrvá. There are dozens of good tips, so don’t hesitate to ask locals where they enjoy their coffee.
The best markets are farmers’ markets
Prague too offers the opportunity to buy
groceries from local farmers and producers. Following a great boom several years ago, three markets have become stable that are well proven and that local patriots swear by. The
Náplavka Farmers’ Market takes place every Saturday morning. It’s easy to find. Descend to the riverfront by the
Dancing House and follow the river upstream towards
Vyšehrad. Another popular Saturday market –
Kulaťák market – takes place by the Dejvická metro stop. And thirdly, the
Jiřího z Poděbrad farmers’ market can be visited not only on Saturdays but also Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. It’s easy to find: it is located in Jiřího z Poděbrad square, overshadowed by the
Church of the Sacred Heart.
