Hotel Josef

The Hotel Josef is a hotel located in Prague, Czech Republic. The building and interior were designed by award winning Czech architect, Eva Jiřičná. She carefully designed and selected every detail of the hotel, from the light and crisp interior to the spacious breakfast room. The lobby is fresh, inviting, and elegant. Their rooms are complete with high...

Hotels, PLACES

Beer-in-Barrels-Coopers-Pitching-Beer-Image-1

October 5, 2015

The Lost Art of Pitching the Beer Barrels

Twice a year the coopers at Pilsner Urquell undertake the job of re-pitching and rolling the large lagering barrels which are still used to mature beer in the brewery cellars. It’s an amazing process taking a lot of skill and hard work. But first we thought you may be interested in watching a short video on...

Beer, LIFESTYLE

October 4, 2015

The Sunflower Fields of the Czech Republic

Sometimes I am browsing through photographs, and a picture will capture my eye and inspire a post. In this case, it was a series of photographs of the sunflower fields of the Czech Republic that caught my eye, and before I knew it, this post was born. It seems fitting, though, because there is something...

Czech Republic, PLACES

September 30, 2015

Villa Richter & The Saint Wenceslas Vineyard

Villa Richer is a classicist style summer house located at the Prague Castle. Originally built in 1836, it underwent a several year restoration before re-opening to the public in the Fall of 2008. Villa Richter is the second most famous building in Prague in the classicist style. The First is the Kinsky Summerhouse. The location...

PLACES, Wanderlust

Eurasian-Elk-aka-Moose-Eating-Czech-Republic

September 29, 2015

The Moose Are Loose in the Czech Republic

If you are visiting the Czech Republic and driving on their roads, you may soon come across a new, perhaps somewhat surprising, traffic sign… That’s right. It is a moose crossing warning. Are they preparing for some kind of North Woods Law episode in the heart of Bohemia? There are moose in the Czech Republic? A non-profit...

Czech Republic, PLACES

Pilsner-Urquell-Brewery-Tour-Czech-Republic

September 28, 2015

The Original Pilsner Beer

Pilsner Urquell beer is truly a child of both Bohemia and Bohemianism. Pilsner Urquell is a brand-name Czech beer produced in Plzen (or Pilsen) and is the original Pilsner beer. The actual word Pilsner is a derivative from the west Bohemian town of Plzen. Beer is a humongous part of Czech culture. We can even say that it’s like baseball...

Beer, LIFESTYLE

September 27, 2015

The Rock Star President with a Heart

Vaclav Havel was the dissident and Czech writer who had a way with eloquent dissections of Communist rule. Some believed he was the Rockstar president with a heart. His way of expressing gave voice to a powerless people under communists and helped to destroy it in revolutions that brought down the Berlin Wall. The New...

Bohemians, PEOPLE

September 21, 2015

The Last Remaining Beer Coopers in Europe

Behind the walls of the Pilsner Urquell brewery, over the last 40 years, Josef Hruza has led a team of seven beer coopers as they handcraft the oak casks where their beer matures. By the 1970s, stainless steel kegs began to replace wooden casks, yet at Pilsner Urquell they have continually employed coopers for over 170 years...

Beer, LIFESTYLE

September 18, 2015

Cutest Little Boho Chic Car Ever Made – Meet Velorex Oskar

Is it a motorcycle? Is it a car? It is more like a car-cycle. Velorex was a manufacturing cooperative in Solnice, Czechoslovakia. They were the builders of a small three-wheeled car which was produced from the 1950s until 1971. My parents have shared fond memories of putting around in this vehicle and how they took a...

LIFESTYLE

September 14, 2015

Czech Matchbox Graphics

Nothing like a little propaganda for your pocket. The following food themed Czech Matchbox Graphics labels create a miniature gallery of Czechoslovakian society under the rule of communism. Matchbox labels from the former Eastern bloc often display a remarkable degree of sophistication, elegance and artistic quality. They were, at a time, the most convenient,efficient and...

Art and Design, CULTURE

Pilsner-Urquell-Beer-Coopers-History-Photo-20

September 14, 2015

The History of Beer Coopers in Pictures

The following is a series of photographs from the Bohemian city of Pilsen where the world famous Pilsner beer was born. To read a complete history on the beer (which we think is very interesting – including a view of the famous ‘Devil in the Cellar‘, we suggest you also read this page. This segment...

Beer, LIFESTYLE

September 9, 2015

Photo Lens: Helmut Newton in Prague

In today’s photo lens, we wanted to share images from Helmut Newton in Prague. Helmut Newton (October 1920 – 23 January 2004) was a German-Australian photographer. Newton had a unique way of seeing, a groundbreaking vision that completely transformed fashion photography. Even today we can still see his influence in the pages of the greatest fashion...

CULTURE, Photography

September 7, 2015

Czech Traditional Sourdough Rye Bread

This recipe will allow you to make Czech traditional sourdough rye bread at home and have the Bohemian taste and delicious aroma right in your kitchen. First, we must make the rye leavening (or rye sourdough starter). This takes place a few days before you set out to make the bread. My grandmother always had a...

Food, LIFESTYLE, Recipes

September 6, 2015

Beautiful Czech Thun Porcelain

I’ve shared the story about why we eat on this lovely setting every day before… When I went to visit Prague in 1986 I immediately fell in love with the beautiful combination of porcelain, gold and garnet that I saw all around me in the form of fine China. For a long time, porcelain existed as...

LIFESTYLE, Shopping

September 3, 2015

The Good Soldier Švejk

What is the most translated novel of Czech literature? The epitome of Czech thinking? The cornerstone of Bohemian literary works? The answer is The Good Soldier Švejk (pronounced: shvayke) an unfinished satirical comedy novel by author Jaroslav Hašek. The original full Czech title of the work is Osudy dobrého vojáka Švejka za světové války, which literally translates...

Books, ENTERTAINMENT

Prague-Czechoslovakia-postcard-Staromests-kemlyny-Bohemian

August 12, 2015

Prague Lens: Vintage Postcards

There is nothing I love more than searching old photographs and postcards, especially Prague vintage postcards through the eyes of old time photographers. I just love images of people and places from the past. Today I am sharing some very old postcards that are from 1890 – 1940, mainly in Prague but also a few in...

CULTURE, Photography