The Czech Republic - Eastern Europe - page 205

Day 6 Karlovy Vary
This town was built for relaxation, which
makes it the perfect place to end your
Bohemian week.
Start slowly with a stroll around the
city's historic center. Then, get your “cup”
and taste the mineral waters which make
this destination so famous. Finally, book
yourself a massage or other individual spa

treatment at one of the recommended spa
complexes. Find out more about Karlovy
Vary on page 256.
Day 7 Karlovy Vary to Prague
It's time to return to Prague. Take High-
way E48. You should reach the capital in 2
hours. Be warned that this two-lane high-
way is one of the busiest in the country.

THE CZECH REPUBLIC TODAY
Prague was ready for prime time and the First World competitive pressures when the
Czechs joined nine other countries to become new members of the European Union
in May 2004.
The first decade of a return to capitalism is well past, and the city has taken on the
familiar air of a European metropolis that makes a good living from tourism. The
most-visited castles and cathedrals are now surrounded by entrepreneurs trying to
make back the bucks (or koruny ) denied to them under Communism—and they're
trying to make them back as quickly as possible.
Prague is a city rebuilding its face and its spirit. It's trying to keep up with the mas-
sive new flood of cars and visitors and is getting used to the pros and cons of its
renewed affluence.
THE CZECH PEOPLE & CULTURE
Prague has once again become a well-heeled business center in the heart of central
Europe. Nostalgic and successful Czechs say it's capitalism, not Communism, that
comes most naturally here.
If you talk to a Praguer long enough, the conversation will often turn into a lecture
about how the country had one of the world's richest economies, per capita, between
the world wars. Forty years of Communism, a Praguer will say, was just a detour. The
between-wars period, lovingly called the First Republic, recalls a time when democ-
racy and capitalism thrived, and Prague's bistros and dance halls were filled with
dandies and flappers swinging the night away, until the Nazi invasion in 1939 spoiled
the party.
The First Republic motif has been revived in many clubs and restaurants, and you
can see hints of this style in Czech editions of top Western fashion magazines.
Since the 1990 Velvet Revolution, Praguers have been obsessed with style. Many
people—especially the novobohatí (nouveau riche)—rushed out to buy the flashiest
Mercedes or BMW they could find with the quick money gained from the restitution
of Communist-seized property.
In the evening, you can find a typical Bohemian playing cards with friends at the
neighborhood hospoda or pivnice (beer hall) or debating at a kavárna (cafe). Most
likely, though, the typical Czech will be parked in front of the TV, as the country
maintains one of the highest per-capita nightly viewing audiences in Europe.
CZECH CUISINE
Czech menus are packed with meat, and the true Czech experience can be summed up
in three native words: vep r o, knedlo, zelo— pork, dumplings, cabbage. When prepared