Prague

[flip-flop]

A bunch of us 30 and 40 somethings who play for a vets football team are having our annual long weekend away in Prague this year - this is a blokes only thing.

So, two questions;

1. What is there for a dozen or so blokes of a certain age to do?
2. What kind of temperatures can we expect in mid-October.

We are interested in a bit of culture, but after the sun sets mostly just want to have a number of beers and a laugh in (reasonably) lively bars. Not interested in clubs: we are all too old.

[mightywease]

Prague is a great place just to wander about - I'd take a walk along the old royal route.

Start at the Old Town Square - where you can see the Astronomical Clock and Tyn Church - then do along Husova to the Charles Bridge - cross over, taking in the views of the castle and the the statues lining the bridge, then walk through Mala Strana - possibly dipping into the St. Nicholas Church with its amazing baroque interior - before climbing up Nerudova and cutting accross to look around the castle and St. Vitus Cathedral.

Then wander up towards the Loreto and reward yourswelf with a large glass of dark Velkopopovicky Kozel beer at Hostinec U Cerneho vola (Loretanske namesti 1, Hradcany) my favourite beer hall in Prague. They also do a fantatic snack of scrambled egg and onion with bread or some sausage and mustard.

Just wander about, get lost in the side streets and explore that way. As for bars there are loads of great places - I'd also recommend Pivince Radegast - loud. popular, smoky, bit spit and sawdust but all the better for it - can't find the address off hand but it's near-ish to the Old Town Square through an archway off Celetna. There is a great little place popular with locals on Ovocny Trh, just up from the Estates Theatre - can't remember the name but if your back is to the theatre it's on the left hand side towards the other end of the street! Pub II, 15 Na Kampe, Kampa Island
is also a great place to have a drink and Kampa Island is a lovely place to wander about. The Konvikt Pub at Bartolomejska 11 also sells a good glass of Gambrinus.

Enjoy Prague, you'll have a great time!

[mightywease]

Pivnice Radegast is at Templova 2 - they also serve cheap, stodgy and filling food.

[Narolines]

mightywease's advice sounds pretty good to me - though I prefer the svĕtle (light) Velkepopovicke myself. There are a few bars along Karlova and the surrounding streets that you might try, but they can get a bit crowded and some of them have become a tad touristy and overpriced - U Zlateho Tygra (The Golden Tiger) springs to mind. U Flecku, in Kremencova off Narodni is possibly worth a visit for the best dark beer in Prague, but be warned - it used to be a real old traditional beer hall full of locals, but now it's an overpriced tourist trap, so although the beer is absolute nectar you wouldn't want to stay there all evening. There are some very pleasant taverns (can't think of a better word to describe them) in Mala Strana and also round Betlemska - take a stroll round the side streets and see waha you can find. The trams and the Metro are very cheap and very efficient for getting round the place, and the centre is quite small. The weather in Prague is usually not that different from here in the UK - summers are warmer and more humid, winters colder and fairly dry - but spring and autumn are pretty much as you'd expect here. Prague is probably my favourite European city - I'm off there again for the umpteenth time in November - enjoy!!

[flip-flop]

Thanks guys.