The Czech Republic - Eastern Europe - page 228

spacious guest rooms are comfortable but not very imaginative, bordered in pale blue
with leather armchairs and dark wooden bed frames without much on the walls. The
beds vary in the firmness of their mattresses. The bathrooms are small, basic white,
and modern, as are the kitchens. In this friendly neighborhood, fruit and vegetable
shops and corner grocery stores can be found around nám ê stí Míru, just up the street.
Americká 9, Praha 2. & 353-232-100. Fax [phone]. www.hotel.cz/orion. 26 apts with bathroom (tub/shower
combination). 2,580Kc ($107/£52) 1 bedroom; 3,320Kc ($138/£66) 2 bedrooms. Breakfast 160Kc ($6.65/£3). AE, MC,
V. Metro: Námêstí Míru. Amenities: Finnish sauna for 200Kc ($8.30/£4) per hour; tours and activities arrangements
at reception; room service; laundry and dry-cleaning service. In room:TV, kitchen, fridge, coffeemaker.
ELSEWHERE IN PRAGUE
Expensive
Corinthia Towers Hotel Opened in the mid-1980s, this hotel was one of
the last “achievements” of Communist central planners. The medium-size rooms used
to be like those in a 1980s upper-middle-range Sheraton, but have undergone reno-
vation. They are fitted with solid furniture and the beds have firm mattresses, but the
decoration is pretty bland. The bathrooms are reasonably sized and have tub/shower
combinations.
The hotel is American in its approach, with an AMF bowling alley in the basement.
Though the city center isn't within walking distance, the Vy s ehrad metro station is just
below the hotel entrance.
Kongresová 1, Praha 4. & 261-191-111. Fax [phone]. www.corinthia.cz. 583 units. 7,200Kc ($300/£144) dou-
ble; from 11,850Kc ($493/£237) suite. Rates include breakfast. AE, DC, MC, V. Metro: Vysehrad. Amenities: 2 restau-
rants; cafe; well-equipped fitness center w/pool, sauna, exercise machines; game room; concierge; activities desk;
salon; 24-hr. room service; babysitting; laundry; bowling alley. In room: A/C, TV, minibar.
Inexpensive
Pension Vêtrník A mostly scenic half-hour tram ride (or metro-tram
combo) from the city center takes you to this romantic, secret, country hideaway.
After getting off the tram, walk back behind a bunch of large concrete dorms to find
a painstakingly restored 18th-century white windmill house. Once you buzz at the
metal gate Milo s Opatrn ; will greet you. Lush gardens and a tennis court lead to a
quaint guesthouse with a stone staircase and spacious rooms with big beds, open-
beamed ceilings, and modern amenities. The plain bedcovers and odd-shaped table
lamps could stand some improvement, however. The bathrooms are roomy, with
stand-up showers, and the windows are shuttered and boast flower boxes.
U Vêtrníku 40, Praha 6. & 220-612-404. Fax [phone]. www.pensionvetrnik.wz.cz. 6 units (4 with shower only,
2 with tub/shower combination). 2,100Kc ($87/£42) double; 3,150Kc ($131/£63) suite. Rates include breakfast. MC.
Metro: Line A to Hradcanská station, then tram no. 1 or 18 to Vêtrník. Amenities: Private lighted tennis court in the
courtyard. In room: TV, hair dryer.
WHERE TO DINE
Whenever someone mentions this country's heavy food, Czechs delight in the fact that
obesity is much more of a problem in the United States. Statistically they're right. It
seems that the walking-hiking-biking lifestyle of Czechs goes a long way toward keep-
ing their waistlines trim.
As for main courses, no self-respecting Czech restaurant could open its doors with-
out serving at least some version of the three national foods: vep r o, knedlo, and zelo
(pork, dumplings, and cabbage). The pork (vep r ové maso) is usually a shoulder or
brisket that is baked and lightly seasoned, smoked, or breaded and fried like a

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