Let's Go Europe 2011: The Student Travel Guide
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Head to the southwest corner of the garrison. The restaurant is just after you leave the town proper on your way to the Crematorium. Entrees 50-95Kč. Open M-F noon-10pm Sa-Su noon-8pm.
ESSENTIALS
Getting There
Buses leave regularly from Nádraží Holešovice off the metro’s C line. The bus station can be difficult to navigate for first-timers. Your best best is to find an information booth, tell them you’re trying to get to Terezín, then let them point you in the direction of the proper platform. Tickets are purchased on the bus and cost 80Kč one way. The bus ride takes about 1hr. and drops you directly in front of the Terezín tourist office, 25m from the entrance to the Ghetto Museum. Check the tourist office for the time of return buses. Be warned: the last bus leaves Terezín for Prague around 6pm on most days.
kutnà hora
Kutnà Hora might be the perfect day trip, with cheap grub, untamed countryside, and a set of sights that range from the bone art of 40,000 dead humans to a jaunt 100ft. below the surface of the earth make afternoons here unforgettable. Plus there’s one of the most beautiful Gothic cathedrals in central Europe. Even though Kutnà Hora was once a popping city wealthy from its silver mines, the community is now small, quiet, and peaceful, unlike anything you can find in Prague.
ORIENTATION
If you took the bus here, and you should have, the city center (Palackého náměstí) sits to the southwest, just up the hill. From there, the tourist center can point you to the nearby Silver Mine Museum and Santa Barbara Cathedral farther up the hill. On your way you can check out St. James Cathedral and the Jesuit College, which are both worth walking by. Visiting the Cathedral of Our Lady of Assumption and the Bone Church requires a 15min. local bus ride from the bus station.
SIGHTS
ST. BARBARA’S CATHEDRAL
Barborská
CHURCH
327 512 115 www.chramsvatebarbory.cz
From the outside, St. Barbara’s looks like an ecclesiastical horn toad with spikes and spires jutting willy-nilly. Examined closely, these horns become gargoyles shaped like men or ghouls or rabbits. Inside the church has its own non-traditional charms, like the crests of moneyed families conspicuously floating on the ceiling or the comic book Bible scenes hodgepodged in the gaps between the arches. Then there’s the golden organ with its angel band stroking harps and blasting bugles. The Church of St. Barbara (the patron saint of mining) was founded in 1388, and is still worth it today.
From Palackého náměstí, head west on Husova, then take a left on Minciřská another quick right onto Komenského náměstí and another quick left onto Barborská. Follow it as it snakes up the hill and ends at the Cathedral. 50Kč, students 30Kč. Open daily Nov-Mar 10am-4pm; Apr-Oct 9am-6pm.
THE BONE CHURCH/OSSUARY/ALL SAINTS CHURCH
Zámecká 127
CHURCH
327 561 143 www.kostnice.cz
In the 15th century the Black Death caused the death of a significant portion of the European population. Rumor spread that some traveling monk brought soil to All Saints church from the Holy Land and suddenly, All Saints was the place to die and be dead. There were so many people wanting to rest in peace at the church that they decided to expand it. This meant digging up nearly 40,000 bodies. And as everyone knows, when you’ve got 40,000 exhumed bodies, the only thing to do is give them to a half-blind monk so he can arrange them into crazy designs. The ossuary has skull chandeliers, femur mobiles, streamers of human heads. Try to remember as you’re enjoying these decorations that each once had a mother who loved it. Ask to see the hand-pumped organ on the top floor of the church—it’s mildly entertaining.
From the bus station, take local bus #1 Bus M-F, #7 Bus Sa-Su to Sedlec. 40Kč, students 30Kč. Open daily Nov-Feb 9am-4pm; Mar 9am-5pm; Apr-Sept 8am-6pm; Oct 9am-5pm.
CZECH MUSEUM OF SILVER - HRÁDEK
Barborská 28
MINE
327 512 159 www.cms-kh.cz
Rivaling the Bone Church in coolness, this tour of an abandoned silver mine shaft wraps you in miner gear and sends you 35m below the surface of the Earth. The experience is gritty and dirty: ground water streams freely from the rocks around you and in some parts of the tour, vistors must duck and squeeze through the rock. The 1½hr. tour also covers the history of mining in the city and a lot of other stuff that seems weak-sauce compared to the tour of the mine.
From Palackého náměstí, head west on Husova, then take a left on Minciřská another quick right onto Komenského náměstí and another quick left onto Barborská. Not reccomended for people with even mild claustrophobia or people who have trouble with stairs. 120Kč, students 80Kč. Open daily Tu-Su Apr, Oct 9am-5pm; May-Jun, Sept 9am-6pm; July-August 10am-6pm. Nov Sa-Su 10am-4pm, M-F through prior booking.
CATHEDRAL OF THE ASSUMPTION OF OUR LADY
Zámecká, 284 03
CHURCH
327 561 143 www.sedlec.info
A relatively large and empty church, the Cathedral of the Assumption of our Lady definitely won’t be the thing you remember from Kutnà Hora, but it’s worth a stop in, especially with the combined ticket described below. A group of happy Hussites burned the cathedral down during the war, but it was rebuilt in the Baroque style in the 18th century.
From the bus station, take local bus #1 M-F, #7 Sa-Su to Selecs. 30Kč, students 20Kč. Joint ticket to the ossuary and the cathedral 70/40Kč. Open Apr-Oct M-Sa 9am-5pm, Su 12pm-5am; Nov-Mar by appointment only.
FOOD
Authentic. Almost free. Delicious.
MCK FAST FOOD
Kollárova 590, 284 01
CAFE
327 512 127
Despite the idiotic name, McK will be an amazing gastronomical experience for you, if only because the food is basically free. Baguettes of good sizes (20-30Kč) and toast (12-16Kč) go for a pittance. Entire hamburger meals with fries and a drink are what they could have cost at McDonalds in 1994, and if you just want the hamburger, expect to pay as much as you would for bubble gum (55Kč). Also, the food is good. Vegetarians can dig the big salads (40Kč).
From Palackého náměstí, head down Kollárova. Meals 20-50Kč. Open M-F 7:30am-5:30pm, Sa 9am-2pm.
ESSENTIALS
Practicalities
• TOURIST OFFICES: (Palackého náměstí 377/5 http://kutnahora.cz Contains maps and information, and has an incredibly eager staff. Open Mar-Sept M-Su 9am-6pm, Oct-Feb M-F 9am-5pm, Sa-Su 10am-4pm.)
Getting There
It seems weird, but Kutnà Hora is best reached by bus and best left by train. Buses leave less-than-frequently from Prague’s Florenc bus station (Metro: B, C) and cost 83Kč each way. For a full day in Kutnà Hora, it’s best to be to the train station by 10am. It’s 90min. to the Kutnà Hora bus station, and from there it’s just a short walk up the hill to the information center and most of Kutnà Hora’s sites. Reaching the Ossuary (All Saints Church) from the center of town requires a 20min. bus ride to Selecs (weekdays: # 1, weekends: # 7 10Kč). From there, it’s a 10min. walk to the train station, where trains leave to Prague (each way 127Kč). The train ride takes about 1hr. The last train leaves at 9pm. A trip to Kutnà Hora can be properly done in 5hr., not including travel, but most of the city shuts down at 5pm, so a trip to Kutnà Hora should begin with an early morning.
Kutnà Hora, with a decidedly smaller English-speaking population, can be a bit more difficult to navigate than Prague. The best advice is to look for signs, and remember that everything important is in the same basic area.
essentials
entrance requirements
• PASSPORT: Required for citizens of Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, and the US.
• VISA: Required for visitors who plan to stay in the Schengen area for more than 90 days.
• WORK PERMIT: Required for all foreigners planning to work in the Czech Republic.
PLANNING YOUR TRIP
Time Differences
The Czech Republic is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean
Time (GMT) and observes Daylight Saving Time.This means that it is six hours ahead of New York City, nine hours ahead of Los Angeles, one hour ahead of the British Isles, nine hours behind Sydney, and 10 hours behind New Zealand.
MONEY
Tipping
Tipping in the Czech Republic is not mandatory, and service staff will not chase after tips. However, it is polite to tip around 5-10% if you’re satisfied with your service. Touristy restaurants in the center of town will expect a 15-20% tip, but you have Let’s Go to help you avoid those places.
Taxes
Most goods in the Schengen area are subject to a Value-Added Tax of 19% (a reduced tax of 7% is applied to books and magazines, foods, and agricultural products). Ask for a VAT return form at points of purchase to enjoy tax-free shopping. Present it at customs upon leaving the country, along with your receipts and the unused goods. Refunds can be claimed at Tax Free Shopping Offices, found at most airports, road borders, and ferry stations, or by mail (Tax-Free Shopping Processing Center, Trubelgasse 19, 1030 Vienna Austria).
SAFETY AND HEALTH
Local Laws and Police
You should not hestitate to contact the police if you are the victim of a crime. Be sure to carry a valid passport, as police have the right to ask for identification. Police in the Czech Republic can sometimes be unhelpful if you are the victim of a currency exchange scam; in that case, you might be better off seeking advice from your embassy or consulate.
Drugs and Alcohol
If you carry insulin, syringes, or any prescription drugs in these cities, you must carry a copy of the prescriptions and a doctor’s note. Avoid public drunkenness as it will jeopardize your safety. In the Czech Repubic, drinking is permitted at age 18. The possession of small quantities of marijuana is decriminalized in the Czech Republic. Carrying drugs across an international border—considered to be drug trafficking—is a serious offense that could land you in prison.
Smoking is incredibly popular in the Czech Republic. If you are sensitive to cigarette smoke, ask for a non-smoking room in a hotel or hostel, or to be seated in the non-smoking area of a restaurant.
Natural Disasters
In the event of an earthquake, drop and take cover if indoors. If outside, move away from buildings and utility wires. Flooding occurs fairly frequently in the Czech Republic, but city officials are quick to warn residents, and relief efforts are swift and effective.
Pre-Departure Health
Matching a prescription to a foreign equivalent is not always easy, safe, or possible, so if you take prescription drugs, carry up-to-date prescriptions or a statement from your doctor stating the medications’ trade names, manufacturers, chemical names, and dosages. Be sure to keep all medication with you in your carry-on luggage. Some drugs—like pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) and diphenhydramine (Benadryl)—are not available in the Czech Republic, or are only available with a perscription, so plan accordingly. Drugs such as aspirin, acetaminophen or Tylenol, ibuprofen or Advil, antihistamines (antihistaminika), and penicillin can be found at any local Hungarian pharmacy (lékárna).
czech republic 101
FOOD AND DRINK
Food
All the traditional central European staples make an appearance in Czech cuisine, including goulash, brats, and things ending in “kraut” and “schnitzel.” Many dishes are served with a side of knedlik, i.e. gravy-laden flour dumplings. For vegetarians, fried cheese (smazeny syr), omelettes, and potato pancakes (Bramborak), are local favorites. Other distinctly Czech specialties include Beefsteak na Kyselo, which is beef with a tartar sauce-like gravy, and Kapr Peceny s Kyselou Omackou, which is carp (the national fish). Soups such as Cesnekovy Polevka (garlic soup), Drstkova Polevka (tripe soup), and onion soup are also popular. Steer clear from these on date nights, though—unless you’re packing industrial strength breath mints.
Drink
With the world’s highest per capita beer consumption, it’s easy to guess the king of Prague’s beverage world. It’s actually tough to find a meal for which beer isn’t an appropriate accompaniment—some Czechs even have it with soup for breakfast. Beer is also a lunch favorite, happy hour standard, and dinner is almost incomplete without this “liquid bread.” It doesn’t hurt that beer is cheaper than the average can of soda. For authentic local flavor, try brews like Pilsner Urquell, Budvar, Staropramen and Branik.
HOLIDAYS AND FESTIVALS
Globalization or not, Prague continues to celebrate itself in distinctly Czech ways. Christmas carp, anyone?
festivals
• MIKULAS (ST. NICHOLAS’ DAY-DECEMBER 5TH). It’s reverse trick-or-treating: An elaborately costumed St. Nicholas roams around Prague’s Old Town Square, asking children whether they’ve been good or bad, and doling out treats or coal accordingly. What gives this tradition its Czech flair is St. Nick’s entourage: an angel and devil. Don’t leave the neighborhood without checking out the Christmas markets loaded with handicrafts and goodies. Get your holiday treats while you can—the traditional Christmas dinner is carp.
• EASTER. Prague’s Easter markets take over the Old Town Square, selling traditional handcrafts of all kinds. The stars of this show are the hand-decorated Easter eggs. A less commercial (and PC) Easter tradition entails men making bundles of willow twigs called pomlaskás, and going to see their favorite girls, who can either decorate the pomlaská or throw cold water on their suitors. Seems cute today, but some remember when Easter was still “let’s beat women with pomlaskás” day.
• LOVER’S DAY (MAY 1ST). In Prague, the traditional thing to do is take your honey to the top of Petřín Hill, deposit flowers on the grave of romantic poet Karel Hynek Mácha, and smooch away—nothing like taking in the view and being a spectacle simultaneously. Of course, most participants are too busy to notice others’PDA.
• ST. VÁCLAV DAY (WEEKEND OF SEPT. 28). Czechs put the fun in fungi the weekend of this feast day, when thousands travel to the forests around Prague in search of the elusive Václavky mushroom. If Czechs have a national sport, it might just be mushroom hunting—they get pretty competitive about it, so don’t even think of honing in on someone else’s fungi.
• WITCHES’ NIGHT (APRIL 30). Another Petřín Hill extravaganza, this tradition involves taking the effigy of a witch up to the top of the hill and burning it. Because it would be a shame if witch burning went out of style entirely.
FRANCE
paris
ORIENTATION
ACCOMMODATIONS
SIGHTS
FOOD
NIGHTLIFE
ARTS AND CULTURE
SHOPPING
ESSENTIALS
versailles
ORIENTATION
SIGHTS
ESSENTIALS
orléans
ORIENTATION
ACCOMMODATIONS
SIGHTS
CHTEAUX
FOOD
ESSENTIALS
blois
ORIENTATION
ACCOMMODATIONS
CHTEAUX
FOOD
ESSENTIALS
tours
ORIENTATION
ACCOMMODATIONS
SIGHTS
CHTEAUX
FOOD
NIGHTLIFE
ESSENTIALS
lyon
ORIENTATION
ACCOMMODATIONS
SIGHTS
FOOD
NIGHTLIFE
ARTS AND CULTURE
ESSENTIALS
bordeaux
ORIENTATION
ACCOMMODATIONS
SIGHTS
FOOD
NIGHTLIFE
ARTS AND CULTURE
ESSENTIALS
saint-émilion
ORIENTATION
ACCOMMODATIONS
FOOD
SIGHTS
VINEYARDS
ESSENTIALS