Prague Cottage

Cottage and Garden

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Our country cottage is in a little village on the river Sázava called Zlenice. It is just outside Prague, to the southeast, in the direction of Brno. By car it takes exactly 30 minutes to reach Wenceslas Square, in the heart of Prague. For those without a car, the cottage can be reached very easily by train too, in just over an hour.

Although there are some permanent residents, this hamlet is mainly made up of weekend cottages for people living in Prague. They leave Prague on a Friday afternoon, when work finishes, and make their way to their cottages, cars piled high with food, bits and pieces for the garden and other goodies.

"Prague Cottage" is on a quiet country lane with other cottages. It stands in a gently sloping garden (500m2) overlooking fields and woodland. With the peace and quiet it is sometimes hard to believe that we are so close to Prague! In fact, deer are regular visitors and can be spotted on moonlit nights foraging by the fence in the fields behind the house.

Although we do spend time here ourselves in the snowy winter months, the best time to visit is between April and October, when the weather is warm enough to head off for long walks in the forests or bike rides to nearby castles. The pool is available from 1st June to 30th September, unless we have a particularly warm spring, in which case we have it ready earlier.

The garden is perfect for children, even young ones (of responsible parents!). It is completely fenced, the steps of the pool can be easily removed and there are no poisonous or prickly plants! We have a swing for the little ones, a barbecue and camp fire area for the slightly older ones, and four comfortable lounger chairs for all ages!

For outdoor dining there is a wood and stone table and benches that comfortably seats eight, as well as a round plastic table with four chairs and a sunshade in case the sun gets a bit hot.

If you fancy some exercise but don't feel like getting wet or going on the bikes, there's a badminton set with four rackets and a net.

Pub by the River

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The "Kormoran" riverside pub/restaurant, on the bank of the River Sázava, just 5 minutes walk from the cottage.

View of the River Sázava from the pub. You can cross this ford to a little pub on the other side by wading through the water or by getting a lift in a little punt!

Pub Garden on a summer morning

The ferry man in action!

Three course meal, with a couple of pints of Gambrinus each, including coffee and 10% tip, all for 430czk (₤12.50)... for two adults!! Several times more than it would have cost just a few years ago, but the quality has really improved.

No problem to find fresh veggies and salad virtually anywhere you go. Most meals are based on meat or fish, so I'm afraid vegetarians won't have much choice when it comes to eating out.

Our local opens daily, throughout the year, from 9am till around 11pm, depending who happens to be in and what they happen to be doing! I've come stumbling home in the early hours on many occasion (so I've been told!) after a sing-song with the locals and a glass or two of Becherovka, a Czech speciality.

Bikes

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Men's bike (large) with removable child seat and front basket. It has a speedo, a water bottle and a small pouch for tools, mobile and money etc.

Women's bike with speedo, front basket and water bottle. Child's bike with stabilisers. Suitable for up to 4/5 years old.

Child's bike with water bottle. Suitable for up to 8/9 years old.

The bikes are kept in the shed. We have four helmets: 2 adults (1 large & 1 medium) and for 2 for children (1 for 4/5 and the other 8/9 years old). Lights are provided for all except the smallest bike. There is also a puncture repair kit and 2 pumps.

Interior- Downstairs

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The living room:

This is the first room you come across when you go into the cottage. With its two large windows overlooking the garden and the countryside beyond, this cosy living space has plenty of natural light.

The dining table seats four in comfort, while six adults would not have much elbow room! The living area has a two seat sofa, two armchairs and a coffee table.

This is also where the bookcase is, housing a collection of boardgames, toys and colouring equipment for children, and a couple of folders with dozens of maps and tourist leaflets about the surrounding areas. This room has a TV (just local channels for now I'm afraid) and a DVD player. There is a small collection of films and children's cartoons(all in English).

In the corner of the living room is a wood-burning stove to warm the room up in the cooler months. Temperatures in this country can go down to -15ºC and even lower during the winter months, but between the months of April and October the stove will rarely be needed. Oil-filled electric radiotors are also provided (just in case!).

We provide some kindling to get the first fire going, but further firewood will be charged separately. As an alternative for those with an adventurous spirit, there is plenty of wood to be found in the forests behind the cottage. Loan of axe and saw provided! Even in the summer months, we rarely come back from woodland walks empty-handed!

The kitchen:

The kitchen in our cottage is not very big, but well equipped. It has a gas oven and four-ring cooker, a fridge with a small freezer compartment, a microwave, a toaster, a food mixer and a whistling stove-top chrome kettle!

There are plenty of pots, pans, utensils and cutlery. But I'm afraid you'll have to do your own washing up! You'll also find a few basics, like teabags, coffee, sugar and some spices.

We can also offer a "welcome food pack" service if you would like us to buy a few essential food items ready for your arrival. FREE for two week visits! Please enquire for details.

The downstairs bedroom (sleeps two):

This is a spacious room that we use as a second sitting room. It has a double sofa-bed, a small table with two chairs and a large wardrobe.

This room also has a wood-burning stove that can be lit in the cooler months.

When we stay at the cottage we prefer to sleep upstairs and leave this room for guests. To reach the bedrooms upstairs, you need to go through this room. Although there is a curtain separating the sleeping area from the stairs, this room is not very private if the cottage is shared with others. This is why we advertise this cottage as sleeping 4 to 6 guests despite having 8 beds.

In the photo on the left you can see the stairs leading to the upstairs bedrooms. We have two young children (6 and 4 years old) who are up and down the stairs all day without a single fall when we stay at the cottage, but I can understand how this may put some people off. I think that guests with babies would probably be more comfortable sleeping in the downstairs bedroom. And for the same reason I'm afraid this cottage would not be very suitable for the elderly or disabled.

The bathroom and toilet:
The bathroom has a small bathtub incorporating a shower. The space in here is not huge, but I am 6'3'' (1.91m) and don't have any problems getting myself clean! Hot water comes from an electric water tank.

The bathroom also has a brand new top-loading washing machine (instructions provided!).

The toilet is in fact just outside the front door of the cottage- an "outdoor loo" to be blunt! It also has a washbasin and some store cupboards.

This set-up is not ideal for the winter months. I was here for a few days at the beginning of December. With nighttime temperatures of -10ºC I wasn't going to be sitting around in the loo for very long!! As for our stays here during the rest of the year, it is something we have very quickly got used to.

Interior- Upstairs

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The main bedroom (sleeps 4):

This is the largest of the bedrooms and looks out over the garden and fields. It has a king size double bed and two standard singles. There is plenty of storage space. With its large windows, wooden floor and sloping wooden ceiling, this is a very comfortable and pleasant room.

The second bedroom (sleeps 2):
This cosy bedroom has two standard single beds. With its wooden floor and sloping wooden ceiling, it's another very pleasant room, particularly perhaps for children. There is some storage space here too.

News

2008-01-09T19:03:00.000+01:00

ABC Prague- Latest News for Prague's Visitors
Czech Business Weekly
Czech Happenings- Online Magazine of the Czech News Agency
The Prague Tribune- The Czech Business and Lifestyle Magazine
Prague Daily Monitor- Czech News, Business and Living in Prague
Radio Prague- The International Service of Czech Radio
The Prague Post Online- Weekly Publication Featuring Current Affairs, Business, Sports, and Financial News, Plus Cultural Reviews and Opinion

Learning Czech

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Local Lingo- Czech Language Learning Resource

James Naughton's Links

The London Czech and Slovak Language Meetup Group

Slovnik.cz- Multilingual Dictionary

Colloquial Czech

Czech Language Resource Site

The Little Czech Primer- A Pictorial Introduction to the Czech Language

Brown University On-Line Czech Literary Anthology

The Czech Language on WWW

Summer School of Slavonic (Czech) Studies, Masaryk University, Brno

Summer School of Slavonic Studies, Charles University Prague

Summer School of Slavonic Studies, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice

Link Exchange

2008-01-09T13:27:00.119+01:00

Travel/Accommodation:

Perfect Places- Vacation property rentals worldwide
Ferienhausmiete- Urlaub privat unterkunft
VacationsFRBO- Vacation rentals for rent by owner
IHA.com : Holiday rentals, bed and breakfast and self catering accommodation book direct with owner
Bed and Breakfast Inn Merlyn Court Hotel- Merlyn Court Hotel is a London bed and breakfast hotel. It’s an English Tourism Council recommended 2 Star Gold Bed and Breakfast hotel.
Green Fees Algarve- Offering golf holiday packages for Algarve Portugal. Package includes algarve golf tee times, car hire and hotel bookings.
Vacationplace.eu Holiday Homes- Make a choice from a range of holiday homes spread across 25 european countries. Languages into dutch, english and french
Bed And Breakfast In Barcelona Spain- Come and enjoy barcelona in the comfort of our classically stylish bed and breakfast. Located in the heart of the city, our spacious apartment has been beautifully renovated and furnished with local art and antiques.
Bed And Breakfast Barcelona- Allys guest house barcelona bed and breakfast is charming and elegant yet affordable, with spectacular views of barcelona. Centrally located close to the sagrada familia and other gaudi sites.
Camaguey Rentals- Affordable private rooms for rent "casas particulares" downtown in camaguey, cuba. Accommodation, lodging, hostel. Free online room bookings, photos and information on this colonial city.
Thehotelmarket.com- Cheap hotels worldwide. Before you book your hotel, compare over 800,000 last minute hotel deals, read hotel reviews written by real hotel guests and make online reservations.

Other:

Link market- Link exchange directory
Link2Me- Link exchange directory
Used Cars For Sale Uk- Autoleague. Co. Uk - uk marketplace for used cars. Autoleague. Co. Uk is the right place for you to find used cars or dealers that sell used cars anywhere in the uk. Advertise your car for free - limited offer.

Czech Stuff

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British Czech and Slovak Association
Czech Centre London
Czech Forum- All About the Czech Republic
Expats.cz- The Czech Republic's Expatriate Website
Guide Prague- Prague professional tour guides
Prague Castle
Brno City Guide
Olomouc City Guide
Plzen City Guide
Prague Home Page
Prague TV- Prague's Internet Daily
Václav Havel- The Official Website of Václav Havel, Writer, Dramatist, Dissident, Prisoner of Conscience and Human Rights Activist
The Prague Wanderer- Webzine by NYU Students in Prague
Pohádka- Traditional Czech Toys
Single Malt Whisky Club Czech Republic (in Czech)

Friends' Sites

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DecoReginaImagine- Regina: artist and interior designer (Spanish)

The Chancers- Eastern Europe's top rockin ska band (English and Czech)

Pablo Cook- Record producer- worked with Lily Allen, Pulp, Moby, Joe Strummer, Robbie Williams, Madonna... now "settled" in Spain

4+/Mark I Publications- Aircraft monographs (English and Czech)

ParqueSierra- Property in the Sierra de Aracena, Huelva, Spain (English and Spanish)

Thematique - An English bookshop, internet cafe, and arts venue in central Brittany (English and French)

Food

2008-01-09T08:14:00.000+01:00

Czech Please- The Food and Drink Scene in Prague and Beyond

The Prague Spoon- Independent Restaurant Reviews by Prague's Most Opinionated Eater

Square Meal- Restaurant Reservation System

Czechoslovak Restaurant London- Czech Slovak National House

Eleanor's (Czech) Kitchen

Arts and Culture

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Film:

Karlovy Vary International Film Festival

Febiofest- Largest film festival in the Czech Republic

Czech Filmz- Blog about Czech films

Museums & Galleries:

National Gallery in Prague

National Museum of Prague

Mucha Museum- World's first Mucha museum exhibits the works of the Czech artist Alphonse Mucha

Music:

Prague Spring International Music Festival

Prague Autumn International Music Festival

Prague International Jazz Festival

Smetana Open Air Opera Festival

Český Krumlov International Music Festival

Brno International Music Festival

International Organ Festival Olomouc

Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

Prague Symphony Orchestra

Moravian Philharmonic Olomouc

Colours of Ostrava- International festival of rock, folk, ethno and alternative music in Ostrava

Trutnov Open Air Music Festival- "Czech Woodstock"

Rock for People- Summer rock festival in Hradec Králové

Photography:

Jan Saudek- One of the Czech Republic's best-known photographers

Jeff Shanberg- Photographs of Prague, Czech Republic, Italy, Croatia, USA

Experienceprague- Photographs and brief write-ups for Prague's major sites

Walking Through Prague- Photographs by Rusty Hubbard

Prague Pictures and Photos- Prague photo blog

Prague360.com- Photo journalism in 360 degrees

Theatre:

Prague National Theatre

Prague State Opera

Black Light Theatre WOW Show

Laterna Magika- A uniquely Czech theatre experience, a dazzling mix of film, visual effects, and ballet

National Marionette Theatre Prague

Other:

Artforum- Online exhibition of Czech artists (photography, paintings, sculpture, glass)

Ticketpro- Online tickets (music, theatre, sport, events, cinema, festivals...)

Bohemica.com- Czech language and culture junction

The New Presence- Prague Journal of Central European Affairs

Beer!

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Prague Pubs- Great info on Prague pubs and suggestions for crawls

Beer Oh Beer!- Beer tasting, reviewing and related stories, at a somewhat pedestrian pace

Beer Culture- The Czech Beer Blog

White Beer Travels- Guide to some of Prague's best pubs

Pivní Filosof- Beer Philosopher- A lovesong to Czech Beer, and a few nice words about Czech food as well...

Introduction to Czech pub culture and drinking customs

Czech Breweries with a guide to their better beers

(More) Czech Breweries

Breweries in the Czech Republic- Radio Prague's guide

The Culture of Beer in the Czech Lands- Another Radio Prague guide

Beer Gallery- Prague bottle shop and bar

Real Beer Spa in West Bohemia

Pilsner Fest Beer Festival

Czech Beer Mats- Collection of photos

Budweiser Budvar- The original!

Pilsner-Urquell- The original!

World of Beer (in Czech)

Guest Feedback

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Here is what some of our guests have to say:

Kate Mcculloch (Scotland) April 2008

Hi Danny. Just a line to tell you that we had a great week at the cottage, from the pick-up at the airport till we were dropped off again everything went well. The cottage was just as expected, we were very comfortable. Hanna having the goodies in was an invaluable service, we were pleased to meet her, The weather played its part as well, only two grey days out of the seven. The trains, Kormoran and the bikes were all used.Many thanks Kate & Peter & Louise.

Daniel & Martin (UK) May 2008

Hi there! The cottage is great, so much so we'd love to stay for another night. Would that be possible?

Menachem (Israel) May 2008

Hello Danny. First we like to thank you for a lovely and very good home in Zlenice where we spend our vacation. The all area is great for vacation. We also enjoyed the travel thru the country. We have great memory and great pictures. All the best. Menachem

Katy (Israel) July 2008

Dear Danny, We are already back, the taxi was superreliable and we had a great time. Thanks for all.
Best regards, Katy

Prices and Conditions

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These prices are for four people sharing the cottage. Extra guests will be charged at £10 per person per night.

We allow you to freely choose your own holiday start and end dates- we do not impose a "change-over" day.

Minimum stay is generally 3 nights, but exceptions can be made.

Payment by bank transfer to Czech or Spanish bank. Also by credit card through Paypal (4% fee applies to cover their charges)

Special Offers available on request for stays of 14 nights or over

Bedding and towels are included in the price

Swimming pool only available June to September

A well-behaved dog is allowed

Strictly no smoking except in the garden

Check-in is 16:00 and check-out time is 11:00 but we will be flexible whenever possible

English-speaking representative on hand to answer any questions

25% of rental fee (non-refundable) required to secure booking

Balance to be paid in full not later than 6 weeks before arrival

Refundable security deposit of £50 required when paying balance, to be refunded within one week of your departure (subject to satisfactory property inspection)

A "welcome food pack" can be provided at extra charge (please enquire)

Bicycle rental available at £10 per bike per stay (4 bicycles available- 2 adults' and 2 children's)

Cot and high chair available upon request

Airport taxi transfer can be arranged (please enquire)

Things To Do

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This is a very attractive area, and the river Sázava draws many Czech holidaymakers down from Prague in the summer months and at weekends. The main activities are canoeing on the river, cycling and hiking.

The cottage is just 5 minutes walk from a river "beach" where locals head to on a hot summer day. Children spend the day splashing around in the water, or on the nearby swings, while parents look on from the grassy bank.

There is a pub here serving food all day and with excellent beer.

The river itself flows slowly and is rarely more than a metre deep- perfect for children and adults alike. Canoes can be hired cheaply from a nearby town.

The two or three-man canoes are brought to an agreed pick-up point in the morning where you collect them and head off gently floating downstream, occasionally paddling a little, observing the beautiful landscape and stopping for refreshments at riverside pubs along the way! The day ends with a short train ride home.

Life jackets and paddles are provided, along with large plastic barrels to keep things dry should you (accidentally!) fall in. A perfect trip for families or groups of friends.

Another popular activity around these parts is cycling. There are literally dozens of cycle paths within a short ride of the cottage. With its gentle hills or riverside paths, the landscape is perfect for those looking for a little more from their holiday.

We have two adults' bikes and two for children for the use of our guests. If there are more in the group, it is possible to hire more bikes locally. And taking them on the trains is no problem at all.

Then there's the castles! Český Šternberk and Konopiště, two of the most famous castles in the Czech Republic, are within a short train ride of the cottage (or they can be reached by bike). And if you have a car, then your options are much wider.

Apart from the cycling, canoeing and castles, there are many other things to do in the area, from riding stables to a steam train, and obscure museums to open air cinemas- in a two week stay it would be very difficult to get bored.

And this is without mentioning Prague itself! Just over an hour away on a cute little train (or 30 minutes by car), those who are here for the first time will probably want to spend as much time as possible in the Golden City!