Feldman / Ross Prague: Artel Style

1. Auflage 2014
ISBN: 978-0-9792856-3-9
Verlag: Artel Books
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 252 Seiten

This is not your standard guide to Prague. Named Best Travel Guidebook by the 2014 Independent Publisher Book Awards, the newly updated and expanded edition of Prague: ARTEL Style fills an important niche in the tour book market by focusing on the kind of local insider information that adventurous travelers seek. American author Karen Feldman moved to Prague in 1994 and launched ARTEL, the globally renowned producer of luxury crystal couture, in 1998. In nearly two decades as an expat, she has sought out the city's best hotels, spas, shops, restaurants, bars, and theaters, as well as other fun spots that are typically overlooked in other guidebooks. As in the original 2007 edition, Feldman s top ARTEL-style recommendations on everything from off-the-beaten-path shopping and dining destinations to which rooms to ask for at hotels are included here, along with tons of practical tips, little-known facts, and lots of beautiful vintage images. Written in a conversational, first-person style, the 2013 edition has improved maps, a new guide to Czech beer and local pubs, and lots of cross-referenced information to make the book as practical and user-friendly as possible. Prague: ARTEL Style is an essential resource for anyone seeking a unique travel experience in Central Europe's most magical city.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Feldman, Karen

Ross, Scott

Leseproben

Introduction
In October of 1994, I moved from San Francisco to Prague to oversee production at a startup shampoo company owned by an American—a position I was 100% unqualified for, other than basically being a trustworthy person. This was the start of my love affair with Prague. Four years later, I founded my own luxury crystal company, ARTEL Glass. I’ve been in Prague ever since, and I now wholeheartedly think of this foreign capital as home. My decision to move here permanently was a most unexpected twist in my life, as I’d originally planned to stay for only a year. Over the nearly two decades that I’ve lived in Prague, the flow of visitors has been constant. Many have been people I know; others, friends of friends; and more than a handful have been people who simply managed to get my email address through the very vaguest of connections. Each inquiry, however, brought the same request: a list of my personal must-see-and-do suggestions for their visit to Prague. Each time I answered an inquiry, I’d add some new information to a file I kept containing an ever-expanding list of shops, restaurants and often-overlooked sights, which I would send as an email attachment to my correspondent. Eventually, I began to ponder the idea of wrapping up all of my Prague recommendations into a book that might fill a much-needed niche in the existing guidebook market. And that’s exactly what I ended up doing! The first edition of Prague: ARTEL Style was published in 2007. It quickly became one of the topselling Prague guidebooks on Amazon and ultimately required three print runs (6,500 copies in all!) in order to keep up with demand. Not surprisingly, Prague has changed quite a bit in the six years since the first edition came out. Several beloved shops and restaurants have closed, while many exciting newcomers have arrived on the scene, and I ultimately realized that the time had come to produce the updated and expanded 2013 edition that you now hold in your hands. This time, I collaborated with an old friend and Prague aficionado, Scott Ross, who helped me out with editing and organization, and together we have made lots of positive changes. In addition to dozens of up-to-date recommendations for places to stay, eat, shop, and play, the 2013 edition has improved maps, new fun facts, a guide to Czech beer and local pubs, and lots of cross-referenced information that should make it easier for you to find what you’re looking for. Like the 2007 edition, this book is not intended to be a general “tourist” guide to Prague, as those are easy to come by (and you probably already have one). Instead, my goal is to provide you with the kind of “insider” info I give my visiting friends. I hope you’ll find it to be a fun complement to the stodgier (and perhaps less materialistic) guidebooks out there as you plan your trip and during your stay. Prague is an ever-evolving city, so I’m always more than receptive to comments and feedback that will help this guide stay up to date. I’ve included a survey form on the ARTEL website (www.artelglass.com/are-yousatisfied), which I hope you will use to let me know what worked well for you and where more improvement is needed. I will personally read every form that is submitted, and I thank you in advance for your input! Just To Clarify...
I personally visited all the shops, hotels (where I stayed for at least one night), restaurants, cafés, and sights in this book (OK, except for the helicopter and hot air balloon rides). That is, every entry in this book is something I personally recommend, based on my own experience. I did not receive any discounts, payments, or kickbacks in exchange for inclusion or a positive review in this book. Not that I wasn’t offered any – because I most certainly was – but I turned all of them down in order to maintain objectivity, and I think it’s important to share this fact with my readers. A GUIDE TO THE LISTINGS
To make the listings as useful and user-friendly as possible, each entry includes the following: English name Czech name (when applicable) Street name and number (e.g., “Vinohradská 64”) Neighborhood number and name (e.g., “Prague 1, Staré Mesto”)* Reference to street map at the end of the book (e.g., “Map C”) Website address (when applicable) Telephone number Metro information, including stop name and line color** Tram information, including line number(s) and stop name** * See p. 17–19 for information on neighborhood names and numbers. ** See p. 13–17 for metro and tram information. Most of the hotels, sights, restaurants, and shopping destinations listed in this book are located within the city center (the neighborhoods of Staré Mesto, Nové Mesto, and Malá Strana – see p. 17–18). However, there are a few listings in each section for places that are somewhat “further afield” – these will be clearly labeled, and will also include approximate travel times from the center of town. I’ve tried to make each listing as comprehensive and up-to-date as possible, but if you need additional information, here are a few things to keep in mind: WEBSITES Many Czech websites, especially those for newer or fancier establishments, offer an English option (typically represented by a small British flag button); but MANY do not. I have found that the best way to deal with this is to use the Google Chrome web browser (www.google.com/chrome), which automatically translates most Czech websites to English – super handy! PHONES By and large, unless you are calling a hotel or sitdown restaurant, it’s a waste of time to contact most local establishments by phone, as you can typically expect neither a prompt answer nor an English speaker. If you absolutely need to contact a business by telephone, it’s usually best to ask your hotel concierge to do so on your behalf. BEFORE YOU GO
When To Go
Spring and autumn are my two favorite times of year in the Czech Republic. So, if at all possible, try to plan your trip for April/May or September/October. During the spring, the weather is ideal and the countryside is bursting with fruit-tree and chestnut blossoms, as well as amazing yellow fields of rapeseed. The autumn brings ideal temperatures along with the changing leaves. Summer, on the other hand, can be oppressively hot, which is especially unpleasant since most of the city does not have airconditioning. Perhaps worse is the endless sea of other summer tourists. And while a snow-dusted Prague can be extremely charming if you’re lucky enough to catch it, the days of winter are terribly short (with darkness falling around 4 pm), so there’s not too much bang for your sightseeing buck. National Holidays
When planning your trip to Prague, you may want to factor in the dates of the national holidays listed below, as they can impact hotel rates and availability, store opening hours, and the overall ‘vibe’ of the city (in terms of festivals, parades, etc.). See p. 205 for more information. January 1: New Year’s Day. Anniversary of the establishment of the Czech Republic in 1993. March/April: Easter Monday (Yes, Monday!). In the Czech Republic, Easter is celebrated on Monday, not on Sunday, as in other countries’ traditions. May 1: International Workers’ Day (also known as May Day). A celebration of the international labor movement, May 1 is a national holiday in more than 80 countries and celebrated unofficially in many other countries. May 8: Liberation Day. Commemorates Prague’s liberation from German occupation in 1945. July 5: Cyril and Methodius Day. These Greek missionary brothers from the ninth century created a new alphabet that was used to translate the Bible into the Slavonic language, thereby introducing literacy to this region. They were declared Patron Saints of Europe in 1980 by Pope John Paul II. July 6: Master Jan Hus Day. Hus (1370–1415) was a famous religious reformer whose teachings helped shape the Protestant Reformation. September 28: Saint’s Day of St. Wenceslas. Known as the “chief patron of the Czech lands” and the symbol of Czech statehood, Wenceslas (903–935) founded St. Vitus Cathedral at the Prague Castle. That’s him on horseback in the huge sculpture at the top of Wenceslas Square, which, of course, was named after him. Note: the Czech name for Wenceslas is Václav, and the square is known locally as Václavské námestí. October 28: Establishment of the First Republic of Czechoslovakia, the first democracy in Europe, which lasted from the end of World War I in 1918 through 1938 (when significant parts of the nation were annexed by Germany). CHARLES BRIDGE IN AUTUMN, 1953 November 17: Commemorating the Velvet Revolution (Nov. 17–Dec. 29, 1989), when student-led demonstrations led to the collapse of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia and the subsequent conversion from Czech Stalinism to parliamentary...