Prague: One for the Road: Guidebooks

by Kelly Amabile on

Somerset Books published the latest title in its art/shop/eat series with the September 2005 release of a book about
Prague. The pocket-sized guide to art and cultural
treasures has details about museums, galleries, churches and other architectural landmarks in the city. The
art/shop/eat guides do not provide comprehensive coverage of all there is to do and see in a city, but will suggest
some of the best places for dining, shopping and art-admiring around town. Here are a few other recent book releases
about Prague:


Art for Travellers: The Essential Guide for Viewing Art in Prague


Fodor’s Gold Guide to Prague, First Edition


Rick Steve’s Prague and Czech Republic 2005


Lonely Planet Prague

Prague: How to Buy a Beer

by Kelly Amabile on

It’s never too early in the morning to talk about beer in
Prague.

Last year the BudgetTravel folks published this short but handy guide about
how to order a beer
in Prague. Knowing the Czech word for pub — hospoda or pivnice — is a good place to start. The guide has other
basic vocabulary to know if you plan on frequenting the hospodas. When asking for a beer, unless you get specific,
expect to get a half liter of the house pilsner. Czech beers are measured by degrees, so it will also help to be
familiar with the percents shown after the names on most labels.

Prague and all of the Czech Republic is known for its beer culture and traditions. Here are a few more guides where
you can learn all about beer drinking in Bohemia:

– Radio Prague has a great guide to the history and culture of beer. Read their
Czech Beer FAQ to study up on the popular brands and types, get
suggestions on what to eat with your beer, and review a list of breweries in central bohemia (Prague) and throughout
the Czech Republic.

– BeerFestivals.org has a page dedicated to the
beer halls of Prague.

 

– The Prague Pub Guide created by Ron Pattison has
good background info too, and mentions some of the changes that have occurred in the pub scene since the rise of
tourism in the region.

Gadling CityScapes: Prague

by Erik Olsen on

A little notice: Tomorrow we’re doing our second Gadling CityScapes feature picking up where we
left off with New York and taking you to Prague, in the Czech Republic. This city is dear to my heart personally
because some of my very good friends are from there, and I was there fairly recently for a wedding of a good friend.
Like we did with New York City in our first CityScapes day-long feature, we’ll be covering all aspects of Prague,
from dining, to hotels, to things to do and, well, pretty much everything. So check in tomorrow. It should be cool.

One for the Road: The Devil’s Picnic

by Kelly Amabile on

According to Booklist,
The
Devil’s Picnic: Around the World in Search of Forbidden Fruit, tests the limits of human gastronomic endurance. The
title and fantastically seductive cover alludes to mysterious dietary drama. Writer
Taras Grescoe takes readers with him around
the world in search of prohibited food. His culinary journey explores the history and politics surrounding nine
different forbidden treats, including absinthe, criadillas and poisses, among others. This unusual quest seeks to
understand why people crave what they can’t have, and explains the reasons behind the banning of certain food items. It
sounds like a dangerously delicious read, though I probably would shy away from actually trying most of these exotic
no-no’s.

Budapest Bars and Nightclubs

by Kelly Amabile on

I check in with Pestiside on occasion to get the scoop on the latest hot news
from Hungary. Yesterday I noticed that this culture and social guide to Budapest updated its
Best Bars and Nightclubs
list with
two dozen
new places that will get visitors and locals through the winter months. Their Winter Fun selections include wining
and dining at Bambi Presszo and
Club Vittula. This list appears to be
just a temporary update, as the Pesticide crew hints at a major re-design initiative in the works. Don’t forget to
glance through their humorous Worst of Budapest guide
too.