Return to Prague - Part Four

My final day in Prague began on a slightly damp note. The previous night's heavy snow had turned to rain overnight, leaving the streets slushy and slippery underfoot. Undeterred I wandered down into the Old Town, pausing to buy some sugared almonds for my wife at the Christmas Market. I then located a shop selling traditional Czech cosmetics that I had passed the previous evening. Here I bought some beer-based body lotions and face creams, alongside some beer soap as further presents for the family.

With the presents out of the way, I walked up to Wenceslas Square and purchased a 24 hour Public Transport Pass for the princely sum of Kc 100 (just over £3.50). Not only would the pass allow me to travel all over Prague that day, but it could also be used for my journey to the airport the following morning! I then boarded the No 22 tram in the direction of Bila Hora, the tram negotiating the steep hairpin bends leading up to the rear of Hradcany castle with surprising ease. I travelled out through the Prague suburbs alighting at the monastery of Brevnovsky klaster. I made my way through the archway entrance to the monastery pub of Klasterni senk, where I was planning to sample some Klaster beers.

Klaster beers are brewed at the monastery brewery of Klaster Hradiste nad Jizerou in Central Bohemia, and Klasterni senk seemed to be the nearest Prague outlet in which to sample them. The pub itself was decorated in a rustic style with lots of exposed, light-coloured woodwork and bare floorboards. A smouldering log fire provided a welcoming and cosy warm feel to the place and after finding a table I settled down and was soon drawing deeply on my mug of Klaster svetle. I ordered a light lunch of sausages cooked in dark beer, accompanied by Bramboracky potato cakes, (excellent). Having sampled the pale Klaster, I then went moved on to the dark beer, which was also very good.

On leaving the pub I caught the tram back into the centre of Prague, alighting at the stop for Malostranska. I wandered up Letenska as I wanted to re-visit the U Svatého Tomáše beer hall. I had fond memories of this legendary establishment from my first visit to Prague, but must admit I was rather taken aback to see that it had been converted into the extremely posh and upmarket Augustinian Hotel. In fact it was only after I returned home and compared photo's that I was able to confirm that this was the same place!

The hotel complex houses its own micro-brewery, situated in part of the former beer hall, but unfortunately I was too early as the adjoining brewery-bar did not open until 3.30pm. A member of the hotel staff took pity on me and directed me to the rather plush main hotel bar. Here I was able to sample one of the in-house beers, a 14 degree dark lager, selling for the exorbitant price of Kc 80 for a half-litre! It was pleasant enough, but unfortunately the complimentary sugared peanuts spoilt the taste somewhat. I wanted to sample the 19 degree, semi-dark Christmas Beer, but it was only available in the downstairs brewery-bar - at least it was slightly better value, selling at the same price as the weaker one! However, I didn't fancy hanging around for opening time, as this opulent, "boutique" establishment wasn't my sort of place. The micro-plant seemed to be brewing at the time of my visit, judging by the amount of steam being vented from the rear of the building, but I just couldn't get over the total transformation that this famous beer hall had undergone.

On leaving the Augustinian I walked up to St Nicholas Church and caught the No 22 tram back into the New Town. What I should have done was re-visit U Kalicha, haunt of that most famous of Czech literary characters, The Good Soldier Svejk. This was the last pub my friends and I had visited on that first trip to Prague. We were more than a little the worse for beer at the time, so I only have very vague memories of it. However, I was feeling lazy, and as it had also started to rain I instead made my way to U Fleku.

U Fleku had been great on the first afternoon of my trip; this time it was less so. The place was heaving, and I struggled to get a seat. What's more the heating had not been turned down to compensate for the rise in temperature outside. The stifling heat, combined with the packed pub, made for a less than pleasant experience, so I only had the one beer. Before I left though I managed to have a good look around the banqueting halls at the rear, and located the Knight's Hall where we had dined on that first evening in Prague, a quarter of a century ago.

I returned to my hotel in order to pack for an early departure the following morning. That task complete, I headed back into town to visit another brew-pub, Novomestsky pivovar. This establishment is much more of a tourist haunt than Pivovarsky dum, and my guide book had warned that the waiters would assume I would want to eat, as well as drink. Despite the inclement weather outside Novomestsky pivovar was packed, but I was shown to a table in the covered upstairs terrace. I sampled a half litre mug of the yeasty Svetly lezak, but after studying the prices on the menu, decided to give the food a miss. Instead I popped round the corner to Kyvadlo, where I had eaten a couple of night's previously. I enjoyed both the pale and dark Bernard beers on sale there, alongside a meal of chicken with vegetables.

The dark Bernard 13 degree Specialni cerny lezak really was the finest beer of the entire trip, and one of the best dark beers I have drunk, so I was reluctant to leave Kyvadlo. However, I had one more place to visit before the evening was out. I caught a tram to one of Prague's most famous pubs, U Medvidku (At the Little Bears) which, although famed for the quality of its Budvar beers, also has a small in-house brewery on the premises. Two beers are brewed, and these are then matured of "lagered" in traditional wooden barrels for a minimum of six weeks. I went for the Oldgott Barrique 5.2% half-dark amber lager, which although good didn't quite compare with the dark Bernard beer I had been drinking earlier.

I was impressed with U Medvidku; it is a rambling sort of place with a myriad of inter-connecting rooms. Like the other pubs that afternoon/evening, it was heaving. I was tempted to stay for another, but I had an early start the next morning, so reluctantly I took my leave of the Little Bears and caught the tram back to my hotel.

All in all it had been a brilliant three and a half days in the Czech capital. I had mixed site-seeing with culture and along the way had visited some excellent pubs and enjoyed some equally excellent beers. I will definitely return again to Prague!