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The Prague Post

The city itself is located on the Bohemian plains. It's exceptionally flat, save for the Old Town which is perched on a small hill at the junction of the Labe (Elbe) and Orlice Rivers. The town is full of bicycles and bicycle theives, unfortunately. The Czech countryside surrounding the town is absolutely gorgeous. It would take some doing for the uninitiated traveller to find all the gems in the area, but to those spending some time there, they unfold like the petals of a lotus. There's great crystal bargains to be had in Teplice nad Labem, off to the north. Ceske Raj, or Czech Paradise in English, is a short train ride away. It's Bohemia's version of Yosemite and well worth a visit. There's a small spa in the village of Bohdanec, on just outside the next big town - Pardubice, the home of the famous Czech export - Semtex. 

So what follows is a short guide to the town of Hradec Kralove. Everybody and their mother has written guides to Prague, and there's a plethora of information out there on the Net for that place. But if you're feeling adventurous in your travels, Hradec Kralove is a great place to stop and get away from things for a while.

Getting there

You can also take a bus from the main bus depot in Prague.  It's a little more expensive than the train, but you get to see some of the countryside and it IS quicker.

Eating

• Old Town Square
• Masaryk Square
• Outside City Center
• 
• Old Town Square

Old Town Square and Around 

Basalka *** - a great place for lunch and vegetarian food. The pizza isn't what we would call it, but it's a really appealing alternative. Just off the Old Town Square. 

Salamander ** - Great for salads. They have a menu in Englishand German with photos of the food, so you'll be sure to knowexactly what you're getting. On the main road out of the Old Town Square. 

Castoria *** - A nice sit-down restaurant, on the high end ofthe price scale. Just about everything you could want. 

Masaryk Square and Around 

Pinocchio *** - Not a bad Italian restaurant. Good Moravian wine, decent pizza for Central Europe. The garlic soup is usually pretty good, when the chef isn't lazy. Right on the square. 

Cafe Elizabeth *** - Right along the river, good fish restaurant, a little pricey for the food you get. Right nextdoor to the only news stand in town with Time, Newsweek, the Economist, Prague Post and occasionally, the International Herald Tribune. 

Oasa ** - the perfect spot for a bite or a beer before or after a movie. The food's good and the prices are reasonable. Their English translations need some work: Creamed Turkey with sauce, isn't really that. Sister restaurant to Castoria, similar menu, lower prices. 

Outside of the Center 

Duran **** - one of the nicest restaurants in town, near the edge of the panalaks on your way out of town, heading toward Pardubice. Menu in English.

Drinking

• Old Town Square
• Outside city center

But a word about beer. Czechs take it very seriously. I learned as much about beer there as I learned about wine in France. All beer must have a head on it. The better the beer, the more rings the head will leave on the inside of the glass as you drink it. I didn't like the local brew, Hradecsky Lev. There were better ones to be had. Primator, from Nachod (not far from HK, on the Polish border) is good. Gambrinus and Pilsner Urquell, from Plzen, are both really good brews. Budvar,the king of beers, from Ceske Budjovice, is nothing like its American bastard child. The mass produced stuff with the red label is good, but the short, squat bottles with blue labels are better -- if you can find them. 

The ettiquette in Czech pubs is a little different than what you find State-side. It is considered very rude to go to great lengths to get a waiter's attention. Usually they come around to you first witha tray of beers and offer a full one for an empty. Usually eye contact and a small gesture of intent is all that is really necessary.  Tipping is wonderful: you round up to the nearest 5 Kcs. If you're tipping 15%, you're tipping WAY too much.  And it's always best to give the tip and a "thank you" to the waiter when they're figuring out your bill.  Speaking of bills, be careful, especially if you've had a few. If you and some friends are out drinking, your bill will list a price of a beer, soda, and/or cocktail with hash marks next to it. The waiter will calculate things from there. And just another word about Czech pubs: they're smokey and ashtrays get full pretty quickly. 

Old Town Square and Around 

Cerny Kun ** - a decent little pub with long wooden tables. The menu isn't half bad either. I really liked their gulash. There's even a non-smoking dining room in back. Opposite side of the hill from the cathedral, right on the Little Sqaure. 

Theater Pub *** - The artsiest bar in town. Right next to the theater, hence the name. Price are a bit higher than most places. 

Psi Bouda * - That's the Dog House to you and me. A younger crowd, guaranteed to run into students. But the atmosphere is cool, if smoky (all kinds of smoke, nudge nudge). The beer is better left for wine, bavorak or just plain tea. If you get a good night, you could be treated to patrons singing and playing guitar.

Country Club Restaurant/Irish Pub/Buvol ** - THE night spot in town. It's the easiest place to meet for a beer. The upstairs was recently redone into an Irish-like pub, with Guiness on tap even. 

Outside the center 

U Andy ho * - Tucked in a little neighborhood off Benesova, the inside is the only non-smoking pub in HK. The patio outside is for butts. Good neighborhood pub.

Having fun

• Movies
• Clubs
• Billiards
• Sports

Movies

The three main cinemas are all within 100 meters of each other. Central is right on Strida Karla IV (Charles IV Street), one of the main streets. Just off Karla IV, is the Strelnice cinema on Strelicka. Alfa is a bit of a ways in the other direction from Strelnice. Mladych, which is in Malsovice, a good 20 minute bus ride from the train station (take the #7or 9, and it's a small walk), usually plays films a little later than the others, but that way you get to see the movies you missed.  There's also an outside cinema near the Labe. It's tons of seasonal fun, they're the only theater with popcorn and beverages of all sorts. 

Suggestion: Pick up a small monthly publication call Kam which lists events daily and any cultural or interesting happenings in Hradec. It costs 8Kcs and is well worth it. You can get it at most supermarkets and tabaks. When you check the movie listings in Kam, make sure it says "Cesky titulky" which means it will be in English with Czech subtitles. If it says "Ceske verze" you will sit you will sit through 90 minutes of an incomprehensible dubbed version. Like I did when I saw 101 Dalmations.  Even though Kam is listed only in Czech, you can pretty much decipher which films are what by the names of the stars and the country of origin. 

Clubs

Billiards