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A Local’s Guide to České Budějovice
When I moved to Budějovice (international alias, Budweis) in 2013, there was almost no information online about this place, save for an extremely scant Lonely Planet blurb (and thank goodness for that!). Moving somewhere sight-unseen without knowing any information or what is actually there is a little unsettling, which is why I have for you this “visitor’s guide to České Budějovice” (pronounced chess-kay bood-yay-yo-vit-suh), written by a “new local”. As tourists have started to discover this city, more and more info is thankfully online, but I still present to you this guide I have written and keep updated. Whether you are looking into studying here, moving here, or maybe even making…
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kutná hora + remarkable czech churches
i’ve been meaning to go to kutná hora to visit the creepy sedlec ossuary just as long as i’ve been living here in the czech republic, but a foot injury prevented me, and plans were put on indefinite hold after we moved from prague; in the opposite direction as kutná hora. however, i am happy that we finally made it and spent a balmy spring day in this memorable little czech town about one hour east of prague. day trippin’, got to get away.. first, we ended up in sedlec, a cute little village only a kilometer or two from kutná hora, which is the sight of the famous sedlec…
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prague birthday
hi friends! i just took two full days off from doing anything except having birthday adventures, and it was quite a wise decision, really. by the time my head hit the pillow on night two, i was completely exhausted. the good kind, like you want. i spent it in prague this year and started the day with a growling stomach, so decided to finally give cantina a try. back when i was living in prague and totally broke, i would walk past this restaurant on the way home from going to the supermarket and wish that someday soon i could go here, as it has reputedly the best mexican cuisine in…
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rainy krumlov
may first in many cities across europe means an all day party in the street in celebration of european labor day. may first in czech republic, well, that is probably one of the quietest days you ever did see… probably because everyone gets a bit wild for witches’ night the night before. but of course, i am awake. me, with scheduling a lesson pre 9am and deciding to head out to krumlov for the day. the streets of budějovice , especially usually bustling lannova třída were as dead as doornails. so, krumlov: also emptier than i have ever seen it, even in the dead of winter! the atmosphere was cool and…
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cafe day
as we had no plans for most of friday, we deemed it a “cafe day”… this means that the main event of the entire day is going out to one of my favorite cafes in the afternoon, like le chat noir. and cafe days are just so special. for that hour (or two), it’s like i’m on holiday and i’ll order whatever beverage that tickles my fancy at the moment, like this foamy cappuccino, and just relax and take in the old world viennese style surroundings. cafe days are also excellent for having really important conversations about life. the conversations you can’t quite have at home because there’s always internetlaundrydinnerpreparationvideogames or some…
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ways in which i’ve become more czech
i’ve lived here almost two and a half years and i’m sure i have a long way to go if i would really like to be more “czechified”, but some of these things i couldn’t help but notice… tolerance. you those new yorkers depicted in various films (like this one above, midnight cowboy) that yell at cars and say things like, “EY! i’m walkin’ ‘ere!” that was so me in seattle. four years of working in the heart of the retail downtown (from early mornings and swing shifts) had hardened me. i had seen a lot of things… and dodged a lot of cars. (but nowhere is the driving worse than…
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march, lately
001. a rain-soaked main square002. vincentka. czech mineral water and apparent secret cure of everything that ails you003. prague’s beautiful art noveau obecní dům 004. finding this mural of the main square in an empty lot!005. my favorite nábřeží (quay) reminds me a bit of paris 006. doubling down on denim for george harrison’s birthday 007. we’ve passed the hundred day mark! (on our new tea cup chalkboard)008. my winter reading-nook009. alex is locally published! (in cz/en budejovice rag, milk & honey) and some march thoughts! // czech republic, like most of the european continent experienced beautiful sunny 13 degree temperatures during the weekend! this has inspired me to plant some…
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local lore in south bohemia
near the samson fountain in české budějovice, where i currently live, there is a stone that is a little larger than the others and is oval shaped, whereas the others are square. it is also marked with a cross. legend has it that a traveler who steps on it will never find their way home again. there is also a variation that he who steps on it after 9pm will not find their way home again until morning. the stone symbolizes the straying from george of poděbrady (jiřího z poděbrad) of a ropemaker named fillip and eight others who were planning an uprising to overthrow the king. however, the plan…
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třebíč, please
as i briefly touched upon the other day, the days before a holiday are tough. the anticipation. the getting through whatever stands in the way. when friday finally came and went, i gave a hallelujah and was excited about relaxing in a new town that’s been on my list for a little while– třebíč, recognized by UNESCO for having one of the most preserved old jewish towns in europe as well as a jewish cemetery that dates back to the 17th century. i was looking forward to a nice leisurely three hour train ride through the snowy highlands of the middle province of vysočina on the way to this western…
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a czech heart
sometimes i feel especially touched by certain stories i am privileged to hear from locals who share them with me. this is one of them, one woman’s account of what living in prague in the mid-70’s was like. this is another.i can’t tell it interview style because i don’t remember the back-and-forth quite as well, as it was a bit longer, but i’ll tell you what i remember and what i know. last week, i shared with J a story about the tragic separation of my landlord’s family from a part of their family who emigrated to the united states after the second world war, which was important because it…
