Prague is a magnet for loved-up couples wanting a romantic interlude – and for lads on stag weekends. But can it also deliver an inspiring girlie getaway? Two non-Czech chicks check out Bollywood dancing, Thai foot massages, the hottest spots for cocktails, dinner, souvenir and vintage shopping, and the craziest tour of the Golden City ever: powerbocking. Frocks and bocks – Prague rocks!
BY GINNY CUMMING
A GIRL’S GUIDE TO PRAGUE
It is a truth universally acknowleged that a single woman in possession of two tickets to Prague must be in want of a fella to go with her. Right? Wrong. yeahbaby editor Ginny Cumming and her friend Sarah Czech out the girlie side of Prague
Sweet dreams
It’s in our DNA: if you’re a girl, you’re pretty much guaranteed to be a chocoholic. Sarah and I are no exception; only my obsession runs a little deeper. Ever since watching Chocolat, I have been on a quest to find a hot chocolate as good as the one Juliet Binoche concocts for Judi Dench in that lovely film. At the delightful Cukrkávalimonáda café, they come pretty close, using “superior 70%” chocolate mixed with cream. It’s so rich and thick, I defy anyone to actually finish one of these lip-smackingly sinful treats! Lazenska 7, Prague 1; tel: +420 2 57 53 06 28
Bollywood beginners
In need of a workout after quite possibly the most calorific drink ever, we head to Centrum Tance, the country’s largest dance studio. Together with 14 other Aishwarya Rai-wannabes we take part in a two-hour class in Bollywood dancing; the exotic, expressive style so integral to Bollywood movies. Our glamorous instructor teaches us different moves until we’ve created a pretty elaborate dance sequence. The whole experience is beautiful, cultural – and much more fun than the gym! Various venues throughout Prague; www.centrumtance.cz
Bags of fun
What’s a girlie weekend without a little retail therapy? Following directions to some quirky, one-off Prague boutiques, we stumble upon the coolest treasure trove of vintage clothes and accessories. Retro is packed with designer lovelies and replica pieces like super-feminine dresses from the 50s and 60s. Sarah falls in love with a ruffled dress from Chloé that looks amazing – and, best of all, is a bargain! Retro’s sister shop, Vintage, is just around the corner (Michalská 18), so a trip to this part of town is an absolute must. Perlová 4, Prague 1; www.vintage-clothes.cz
Feet treat
After all that dancing and shopping, Sarah and I decide to treat ourselves to a little “TLC for the tootsies” at Thajský Ráj, a Thai massage salon with two locations in Prague. Our acupressure foot massages – targeting reflex points on the feet, toes and calves – are sheer bliss, but also sheer agony at times! “No pain, no good,” our Thai masseuses tell us as they pummel and pound – and we scream from the lovely torture. But there’s no screaming when we get the bill: a 20-minute foot massage is only 199CZK – or £7! Revolucní 15/763 & 28 Ríjna 12
Top tipple
With perfect timing, we finish just as the sun is over the yardarm: time for cocktails at the super-glam Buddha Bar, just near the Old Town Square. The newest addition to the legendary chain that launched in Paris, Prague’s Buddha Bar is truly stunning: all rich reds, golds and contemporary Asian styling. The charming “mixologists” have me reel off a list of my most-loved libations, and then suggest a “Fire B” cocktail: vodka passion, sour apple, strawberry, sugar cane and… red pepper! It packs a potent punch. Jakubská 649/8, Prague 1; www.buddha-bar-hotel.cz
Bohemian rhapsody
LA DEGUSTATION
BOHÊME BOURGEOISE
Let’s be honest: Czech cuisine does not enjoy the most enviable reputation (goulash and dumplings, anyone?). But for the last few years, an exquisite restaurant in Prague’s Old Town has been challenging the notion that Czech food is dull… with very exciting results. La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise may have a French name, but dining here is an entirely Czech experience.
As the name implies, there is no à la carte menu. Instead, you’re treated to multiple-course tasting menus – always my favourite way to dine. Can’t decide what you want? Never mind – have it all! The menus showcase the ultimate in Czech cuisine via seven courses that change according to the season, and are all preceded by tantalising amuse-bouches. It’s a delicious, extravagant feast with a total of 14 courses (and expertly matched wines, if you want the full experience), so be sure to come with an empty stomach, an open-minded palate – and lots of time in which to enjoy the experience!
Sarah and I arrive at the elegant restaurant and settle in for a culinary odyssey that, for us, ends up lasting for four glorious, food-filled hours. We start with an intriguing truffle-esque chocolate concoction [right]. It’s sublime – and something that you’d normally expect at the end of a meal. By turning expectations on their head, it gives us a small hint of what’s to come.
More delicacies that definitely “amuse the mouth” are interspersed with dishes from our chosen menus: I’ve gone for the “Dégustation du chef” – cutting-edge, contemporary dishes inspired by old-style Czech classics, while Sarah chooses the “Dégustation Bohême Bourgeoise” menu: traditional Czech recipes, but with a modern sensibility. The beauty of this concept is that you’re introduced you to the most extraordinary range of taste sensations. They’ve all stayed true to the spirit of indigenous dishes but, thanks to La Degustation’s talented and creative chefs – led by executive chef and co-owner, Oldrich Sahajdák – they have been reimagined and lifted to extraordinary new heights. It’s a long, leisurely, supremely indulgent experience that’s truly unforgettable. And the icing on the cake? Sarah and I sit at the chef’s table (it’s actually more like a bar), rather than gazing into each other’s eyes across a “regular” table like everyone else dining à deux. This is a girlie weekend, after all! Overlooking the kitchen and preparation area, the chef’s table provides a unique insight into the workings of a prestigious restaurant. It’s endlessly fascinating, and the perfect vantage point for two avid Masterchef fans! Preparing intelligent, innovative and inspiring dishes in what has to be the most exciting restaurant in the country – and in front of an audience? Cooking doesn’t get any tougher than this! Hastalská 18, Prague 1, tel: +420 222 311 234, www.ladegustation.cz
THE LOCAL VIEW
Top tips from Retro’s Vanessa Dolakova:
COFFEE: Kava Kava Kava café (Národní tÐída 37, www.kava-coffee.cz) – the best coffee anywhere, hands down, bar none.
HAIRCUT: Hair By Mark Phillips (Na Svihace 2, Prague 2, tel: +420 603 820 180) – he takes 10 years off you in less than 30 mins!
OPERA: Don’t miss Madame Butterfly at the spectacular State Opera Prague (Legerova 75, Prague 1, www.opera.cz)
GETTING THERE
Grab a girlfriend and get to Prague! bmibaby flies there from Birmingham, East Midlands and Manchester from just £32.99 one-way, incl taxes. For more details, log on to www.bmibaby.com
BOCK AROUND THE CLOCK!
Forget bus, bike, hot-air balloon, rollerblade and Segway tours – a new craze will have you bouncing around Prague’s hotspots on spring-loaded stilts!
After our seriously sinful girlie-tour indulgences (see previous pages!), it was time for Sarah and I to try and burn off all those calories.
Throwing caution – and all sense of self-preservation – to the wind, we decide to “get down with the kids” and embrace a new craze: powerbocking, named after its German inventor, Alexander Böck. Part extreme sport/part novelty, it’s a fun and, frankly, terrifying urban sport involving striding, bouncing and leaping on spring-loaded stilts.
Completely inappropriately attired (sports clothes and trainers are de rigeur; we’re in boots and heavy winter coats), we meet our tour guides/instructors: five insanely young and fit powerbockers from Bounce Clan: Michaela (23), Veronika (20), Jakub (19), Jirka (20) and Kolya (24).
We rendezvous at Prague’s main train station – not the most attractive spot, admittedly, but it has the benefit of long, straight, flat pathways on which to practice. Boy, are we going to need it.
We’re strapped into knee, elbow and wrist guards, and carbon-fibre jumping stilts. They’re kind of like high-tech individual pogo sticks for each leg, with metal bars (almost a metre long) curving from just below the back of each knee and ending in tiny little pads at the base. Yep, this is what we have to balance on.
Getting up for the first time is nerve-racking, ungainly – and slapstick-funny. I cling to Jirka for dear life, trying to take in every word of his advice: “Don’t be scared, don’t look down, lift your legs and keep moving!” Perpetual motion is key to the whole experience – stop even for a moment, and you’re history… and it’s a long way down.
We’re assured that we’ll nail the basics in five minutes, but it takes us a little longer than that. Soon enough, however, Sarah and I have relinquished the grasps of our instructors’ hands and are taking
tentative steps. Some people might be ready to bounce at this stage – we’re just happy we can manage a hesitant walk.
We head towards Wenceslas Square for a test of our new skills: navigating streets heaving with traffic and people. Oh, and did I mention the cobblestones?
We soon discover that, while powerbocking is fun, it’s also hard work, and it doesn’t take long to work up a sweat. This is a serious workout for the abs, lower back and legs, and a full-on cardio session. It’s all very Jane-Fonda-circa-1984, but as I “feel the burn” I also feel like some sort of defective Robocop.
We make our way down Wenceslas Square to Old Town Square. There’s no doubt we make quite a scene: five super-tall youngsters bouncing around like Tigger on crack, and two slightly older first-timers, desperately eyeing off anything within reach that could possibly offer support or sanctuary. We endure bemused glances and part the crowds before us like Moses. In a city packed with tourists, this is an unforeseen bonus.
At Old Town Square, directly in front of the iconic Astronomical Clock, our guides let rip with an impressive display of athleticism and one-upmanship, with incredibly powerful jumps that get ever higher until it seems impossible they can land without inflicting some sort of injury (if not on themselves, then at least on the pavement!). They never falter or stumble, and there’s not a flicker of fear in their eyes – only determination and sheer joy. This masterclass in powerbocking attracts huge crowds of fascinated tourists, and at least as many photographs as the clock itself garners for its famous hourly shows [see panel, right].
From here, the tour is supposed to continue to the edge of the Vltava River, across the beautiful Charles Bridge and on to Prague Castle. It’s a hugely fun way to see the city, but how far you travel all depends on your level of fitness and your skill on the boots. By this time, Sarah and I were really building up speed and confidence, but even so, I have to admit that we sloped off early. We were totally bocked. Bounce Clan, tel +420 774 467 211; www.bounceclan.cz. Prices for a two-hour tour start at 3,000CZK (€118) for two people.
The Astronomical Clock
OLD TOWN SQUARE
While Jakub and the gang bounced around the Astronomical Clock, we found out a little more about this super-famous Prague landmark; one of the oldest and most elaborate clocks ever built.
First installed in 1410, it has been pulling in the crowds ever since it was rebuilt – in 1490 – by the master clockmaker, Hanus (legend has it his eyes were burnt out with a hot poker, to ensure he could never build another clock to rival the Astronomical Clock’s beauty!).
In May 1945, the Nazis set fire to the building (it’s housed in the Town Hall) as their final act during the occupation, but most of the damage has been repaired. Since then, it’s become one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city, with huge crowds gathering every hour on the hour to watch “The Walk of the Apostles”: statues of wooden saints that emerge from trapdoors and move across the front, just above the clock face. The bow to the crowds in the square as the figure of Death rings a bell, two of the vices – Avarice and Vanity – shake their heads in disapproval… and the clock strikes the hour.
You must see the clock – and take a photo – if you’re in Prague, but don’t get too excited: it’s laughably unspectacular!
GETTING THERE
Jump over to Prague with bmibaby from Birmingham, East Midlands and Manchester from just £32.99 one-way, incl taxes. For more information, log on to www.bmibaby.com
Prezzies from Prague!
Go souvenir shopping in the Czech capital and you’re sure to end up with all the clichés: Bohemian crystal, marionettes or bottles of absinthe. Not us!
GOT A LIGHT?
TEALIGHT HOLDER
Setting ourselves a limit of £10 per gift, we were delighted to find this tealight holder – with picturesque winter Christmas scene that looks super-pretty at night – for waaay under budget! The Prague Souvenir Shop, Karlova 150/40-42, 150Kc (approx £5.20)
WRITE ON!
NOTEPADS
If the urge to write about someone being transformed into an insect suddenly takes hold, a Franz Kafka notebook is the just the thing you’ll need! We loved these pads so much, we bought two. The Prague Souvenir Shop, Karlova 150/40-42, 59Kc (approx £2)
PERFECT MATCH
MAGNETS
So often, it’s the simplest gifts that people love the most. Like these gorgeous matchbox covers – with magnets so you can stick them on the fridge – which sit side-by-side to create a colourful Prague street scene. From most tourist/gift shops, 70Kc each (approx £2.50)
PLAYMOBIL PAL
TOY SOLDIER
We struggle to reconcile the image of soldiers patrolling Prague with the tourist-infested streets of today, but this vintage Playmobil figure, made by a Czech designer in the 1970s, provides a kitsch reminder. Artel, Celetná 29, Tel: +420 224 815 085, 200Kc ( £6.90)
TRABANTASTIC
TOY CAR
Q. How do you double the value of a Trabant? A. Fill up the tank! This toy version of the dodgy gas-guzzler – a kind of East German version of the Robin Reliant – is an original (and very cool!) holiday memento. Artel, Celetná 29, Tel: +420 224 815 085, 200Kc (£6.90)
GETTING THERE
These prices are a gift! bmibaby flies to Prague from Birmingham, East Midlands and Manchester from just £32.99 one-way, incl taxes. For more info, log on to www.bmibaby.com
A spiritual home
yeahbaby Czechs out Prague’s heavenly new five-star hotel
Home during our Prague sojourn is the exquisite Augustine, located in the Malá Strana quarter just a short stroll from Charles Bridge. Formerly a 13th-century monastery, today it is the hottest, most exclusive hotel in town. Quite simply, it is stunning.
Made up of seven different buildings (including the Augustinian monastery from which the hotel gets its name), the result is an harmonious blend of the old and the new. It’s glamorous and sophisticated, but with a unique sense of peace that reflects the spiritual history of the hotel. You can imagine the monks serenely gliding by all those centuries ago – indeed, you might even spy one today, as a functioning monastery still exists next door.
Sarah and I immediately fall in love with our elegant twin-room. All of the hotel’s 101 very spacious bedrooms are different, but perfectly pitched: they retain a kind of monastic simplicity, but this is tempered by luxurious interiors (marrying green with purple accents, or grey with orange) and all the “must-haves” of a modern, luxury hotel. Generic artworks have been eschewed in favour of pieces inspired by Czech cubism and – joy of joys – there’s even a very decent selection of classic books and glossy magazines in every room (no back issues of trash-mags here: we’re talking hot-off-the-press Vanity Fair, GQ and Condé Nast Traveller!). Combined with impeccable service from every single member of The Augustine team, it’s thoughtful touches like these that really make you feel like a treasured guest.
After cocktails at the super-chic Tom’s Bar – crowned by a ceiling featuring 19th century baroque frescoes – Sarah and I take a sneak peek of the standalone Tower Suite. One of 16 suites in the hotel, this was once upon a time the monastery’s astronomical tower. Today, it’s the stuff of fairytale fantasies – the most romantic suite imaginable, with a spiral staircase connecting the three floors. The top floor is dedicated to a dreamy circular bedroom with breathtaking 360-degree views over rooftops and brightly coloured spires. It’s quite possibly the best view of Prague in the entire city.
This is just one of The Augustine’s talking points – we seem to stumble upon more around every corner. In addition to all the amenities you’d expect in a hotel of this standard (restaurant, ballroom, meeting rooms, 24-hour business centre etc) the hotel also features a world-class spa – the only one in the world where you can experience dawn meditation within a functioning monastery! And Tom’s Bar is not the hotel’s only hot drinking spot. The Brewery Bar, as its name suggests, is housed in a former brewery, where the monks used to make their own beer. The ancient recipe fell out of use years ago, until it was resurrected by The Augustine prior to the hotel’s opening in May 2009. Today, the Brewery Bar is the only place in the world where you can drink this special brew, using the monks’ original recipe. It offers a real taste of history, in every sense of the word, and is yet another example of the intelligent, respectful and truly beautiful way The Augustine has incorporated its unique past into its chic, glamorous design. This is a very special hotel indeed.
The Augustine (part of the Rocco Forte Collection), Letenská 12/33, Prague 1, telephone toll-free from the UK: 00800 7666 6667, www.theaugustine.com;doubles from €240 B&B, including tax.
THE LOCAL VIEW
Top tips from one of The Augustine’s concierges, Katerina Jancova (below): RESTAURANT: Aromi (Manesova 78, Praha 2, www.aromi.cz) – The best Italian food in town; don’t miss their killer fried zucchini! BAR: Jazz Dock (Janáckovo nábreží 2, Praha 5 – Smíchov, www.jazzdock.cz) – Cool concerts and jam sessions in a venue that floats on the river! THEATRE: Estates Theatre (Ovocny trh 6, Praha 1, www.narodni-divadlo.cz) – Mozart premiered Don Giovanni in this small, very pretty theatre.
GETTING THERE
Make a pilgrimage to the stunning Augustine in Prague. bmibaby flies here from Birmingham, East Midlands and Manchester from just £32.99 one-way, incl taxes. For more details, log on to www.bmibaby.com
