 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
CLOSE BY AND NOTABLE
Sometimes we overlook the things nearby for the things far away. The immediate vicinity of Arena Hostel offers a selection of such small treasures. Besides the Vystaviste complex, parks and Troja, which we mention elsewhere, there are several other places worth mentioning.
National Gallery - Dukelských hrdinu 47
Permanent Exhibition of Modern Art - Known as "Trade Fair Palace" (Veletrzni palac), the Functionalist building is hold the permanent exhibition of 19th, 20th and 21st century art on three floors and acquaints visitors with the development of Czech and foreign fine art during the course of the last two centuries. The extensive exhibition space is home to over 2,300 exhibits and spans an area of 13,500m2.
 |
 |
St. Anthony's Church on Strossmayerovo nam.
Besides it's impressive appearance and notably beautiful interior, St. Anthony's church has a few specialties. One of them is a bell called "Vaclav" which is now hanging in the Northern tower. This bell was modeled after Philadelphia's Liberty Bell and given to our first president T.G. Masaryk by Czech countrymen in the USA during his visit in 1919. It weighs 1200 kg. For years this bell stood in the churche's hallway having been shipped from the Prague castle, for reasons known only to the communist. It was finally allowed to ring in 1980. In the recent history, St. Anthony's was the "homebase" for famous preacher and thinker Vaclav Maly, one of the leading figures of the 1989 Velvet Revolution.
COOL PLACES TO EAT / DRINK
Ouky Douky - Janovskeho 14
To most ex-pats, the Ouky Douky cafe and bookstore is known as "The Old Globe". Before the Globe moved downtown and passed the lease to a group of young Czech enthusiats, this corner cafe became famous as the only English language used bookstore in town. It was possibly also the first place in Prague, that combined the love of books with good coffee. Although Prague had plenty of bookstores and plenty of kavarnas for centuries, the combination of the two is a relative novelty. The new Ouky Douky is doing a great job of living up to the old fame. While the staff and books are Czech, the friendly feel is just the same and the addition of Internet seems natural.
Bar
Barka - Hermanova 27
If you are an adrenaline sport fan, you will find the right peers in this bar. "Barka" in Czech means a "rocky boat" and the interior has nautical look to it. But don't expect a seafood joint. Barka's proprietors are avid divers, sailors and adrenaline sportsmen and established this bar as a place where people can get together and remember their expeditions. For this reason, the bar boasts the latest slide show, DVD and video technology and has a busy schedule of such shows. Oh yes, and you can quench your thirst and eat something nice as well. Check it out at BarBarka.cz
