Our journey across the Czech Republic began in the second half of may. These dates were chosen not in vain, we went to the Czech Republic for a few reasons, the first of which, of course, travel and meet new country, the second is to look at the Czech Republic as one of the countries included in our list for moving to permanent residence, and the third to visit the famous beer festival in Prague. The results of the first two trips will tell in other articles, in short, the Czech Republic as a country for leisure and tourism we liked, but for permanent life - did not come.
This article will talk about the personal experience of a visit to the Prague beer festival: impressions, the organization of the event, prices, food and, of course, the nail of the whole event - the beer.
What to conceal and intrigue, from say, a beer festival in the Czech Republic (Cesky Pivni Festival) we were disappointed and did not like it, no organization, no atmosphere, and it is at these festivals one of the main components, nor drinks and food.
So, Czech Beer festival, held annually in the second half of may in the Czech capital, Prague in Letna Park/President plan. The venue of the festival is very convenient, in the heart of Prague, 20 minutes walk from the historical centre, in a large green Park. Locals say that earlier the festival was held in different places, but it's been many years settled in the Park President. The dates of the festival change every year, so to learn more on the official website of the beer festival. The exact dates of the festival be known somewhere in the beginning of the year (the website is listed at the end of this article in the useful information).
Beer festival in Prague is the largest of the beer festivals in the Czech Republic. Similar, but smaller celebrations are held throughout the year in other cities of the Czech Republic, for example, the February beer festival "the Golden beer seal" (Zlata Pivni Pecet - Slavnosti Piva) in Ceske Budejovice.
In letná Park open-air pavilions, or rather to say a few tents, merged together in such a way that it turns out only one small tent, fenced.
View of the tents of the beer festival in Prague
At the main entrance the cash register. Entrance to the festival is paid. Entrance fee once even in the head does not fit, you're going to spend money on beer and food, and entrance did pay. The entrance fee deters many, when our people came, saw that you have to pay and unfolded. We first met the entrance fee to this seemingly huge event like a beer festival. At Oktoberfest in Munich, anyway, we always came for free, except in organized festivities in tents after five o'clock in the evening.
The entrance fee is CZK 100 and CZK 400 regular VIP ticket (for all days of the festival). Earlier in the festival went to its own currency, the crown can be purchased at the box office. Now there are cards. We completely agree with this, cards are easier to calculate, especially with large crowds of people. Cards are also purchased in cash at the entrance, immediately put the money on the card, you can put 200, 500 or 1000 CZK. Refill cards can be inside the tent already for any amount. First we put 500 crowns, thought inside to replenish the card as needed, but do not have, at the end of our stay at the festival, even this money still have about 60 crowns.
So, we paid for entrance for a card and put 500 CZK to the account. It turns out that the entrance also give the card total have on hand was 2 cards. For every card you make a Deposit of 20 kroner. When the outlet pass all in the same box office card, but not to lose, and you return 40 CZK and the rest with the balance of the card if available. At the entrance we zaplatili 740 euros for all the output away cards together with the balance on the card and Deposit at hand, we returned a little more than 100 CZK.
In the photo the entrance to the tent and ticket office
Inside it looks rather dull, almost no people
Tents are one of the United tent consisting of a large hall, it offers nightly live music and long beer hall. Two of these halls connect the indoor aisles with snacks. In the center is an outdoor terrace. Neither you entertainment attractions or areas for walks with snacks and Souvenirs, there are generally no fun.
In the large hall tent furnished with long wooden tables and benches, a stage, a place where they sell beer, dishes of national and European cuisine and a VIP area.
And here is the VIP area, it is fenced hardwood low stand, and covered with a red coating. Oh, and waiters darting here and there.
In a long and narrow small hall tent sell mostly beer. Also has tables.
Beer on average costs from 50 euros for a mug, a snack from 120, - CZK, 90 CZK salads, soups from 80 CZK, sausages from 120, - CZK, main dishes from an average of 200 crowns. Prices are above average for the city. We took a beer, I do not remember how many times, all the different fries for a snack with ketchup and sausages. French fries cost 85 CZK, ketchup for extra charge of 20 CZK. At the end of the article give a few clippings from the menu with prices.
The festival presents many varieties of beer, definitely more than fifty, of which not only Czech beer, but also from all over Europe. From well-known brands we had such as Staropramen, Budwar, Krusovice and Zlaty Bazant, and many others, from small Breweries with completely us hitherto unknown names. Of Beers is presented as a familiar, for example, the usual light lager, dark, unfiltered, and quite interesting - with a taste of chili, coffee, gum, some herbs, fruits and berries. By the way, almost all the same Beers can be tasted in bars, cafes and restaurants of the city centre.
Not all the festival Beers to try at a time is simply unrealistic, or visit the festival daily, we tried as best we could)). Sipping beer at the festival, and not just the conclusion made is the following: "pornography" all this beer with different flavors, the beer in these drinks remained only the bitterness, at least the taste, the composition is of course the same. That we, the beer can only be light, dark, unfiltered and wheat.
My favorite wheat beer we found in only one place. It was a Krusovice, 58 CZK per 0.5 liter, it is called Krusovice psenicna. In the Czech Republic unfiltered wheat insipid, weak in the Czechs. For a tasty little wheat is better to go to neighboring Bavaria. But in light beer the Czechs understand, though it lacks the density, hurts watery and bitter... all the beer in the Czech Republic bitter, but I feel that without chemical impurities. About beer in the Czech Republic, see here.
Another innovation on the Czech beer festival, this year became a division of the festival on the week of national cuisine. So the first part of the festival was dedicated to the European, the second and the third Asian - American cuisine. We came for a week of American food, American in quotes.
We waited for this week, well, as expected, huge juicy hamburgers, fried chicken wings grill, ruddy ribs. In the end I got:
menu in the main dining room has not changed, throughout the festival there was a local cuisine from one restaurant;
in small halls polymersandy already more than one hour, fully prepared and such small burgers in the refrigerated display cases;
- there were also tapas and other snacks. Tapas, American weeks?! In these Windows were plates with cheese, ham and sausages, for 150 euros for a plate.
In the center of the tent, an outdoor terrace and a small room with a slot machine. In addition to beer, the festival area is an open terrace coffee, wine, whiskey, rum and other alcohol, in pure form, so cocktails.
A separate place for toilets
That's all!
A General atmosphere of fun and celebration is missing, people come, those who are not scared off entrance fee, skip the glass of another beer, a bite to eat and basically go away.
The beer festival in Prague is still quite young and was created as an opportunity to taste not only traditional Czech beer, but also foreign. A variety of Beers, this is probably the main and the only plus the Czech beer festival. Let's hope that the "young green" to this festival refers to 100%, and eventually, the beer festival in Prague will only improve the quality and to gain momentum. And while it is just a great restaurant and nothing more.
Useful information about Czech beer festival in Prague
Official site of the beer festival in Prague: www.ceskypivnifestival.cz.
Opening hours of the beer festival in Prague: daily during from 12:00 to 24:00 hours.
The location of the beer festival in Prague: President plan, 170 00 Praha 7,Czech Republic.
An informational sign with the prices for the input and maps hanging near the cash register at the entrance
Schema objects beer festival in Prague
Prices on the beer festival in Prague
