Sports - The Rough Guide to Prague - page 333

ICE-SKATING
Given the nation's penchant for ice hockey, it's not surprising that ice-skating ( bruslení ) is
oneofPrague'smostpopularwinteractivities. Severaltemporary rinks aresetuparoundthe
cityduringtheChristmas andNewYearperiod,themostcentral ofwhichisonStaroměstské
náměstí. There's also no shortage of permanent rinks ( zimní stadión ) in the city - although
public opening hours are often limited to a few hours at the weekend - along with the city's
tworeservoirs,HostivářandŠárka,whichregularlyfreezeoverinwinter.Mostrinksareopen
from October to April; entry costs around 100Kč and skate rental is 80Kč.
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TENNIS AND SQUASH
For a while, tennis was one of the country's most successful exports, with the likes of Mar-
tina Navrátilová and Ivan Lendl among the game's all-time greats. The glory days of Czech
tennisareover,andPragueisnolongerontheATPtourcircuit,butthecountrystillproduces
a smattering of world-class players. If you fancy a quick game yourself, you'll have to bring
your own racquet and balls with you, or buy them downtown.
ASB Squash centrum Václavské náměstí 13-15, Nové Město 224 232 752,
www.asbsquash.cz ; metro Můstek. There are only three courts, but this is one of Prague's
most central squash centres. Mon-Fri 7am-11pm, Sat 9am-10pm, Sun 9am-11pm.
Český Lawn Tennis Klub Ostrov Štvanice, Holešovice 222 316 317, cltk.cz ; metro
Florenc/Vltavská. Floodlit outdoor clay courts and indoor clay and hard tennis courts. Book-
ing essential. Daily 7am-midnight.
Squash Haštal Hastalská 20, Staré Město 224 828 561, squash-hastal.cz ; metro
Náměstí Republiky. Six a/c courts in the backstreets of the Old Town. Mon-Thurs
7am-11pm, Fri 7am-9pm, Sat & Sun 9am-9pm.
Tenisový klub Slavia Praha Letenské sady, Holešovice 233 374 033, mujweb.cz/tk-
slavia ; tram #5, #8, #12, #17, #18, #20, #22 or #26 to Strossmayerovo náměstí. Indoor and
outdoor floodlit clay tennis courts opposite the Národní technické muzeum. Daily 7am-9/
10pm.
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HORSE RACING
Horse racing is nowhere near as popular in the Czech Republic as it is in the UK or US, but
Prague has the country's main racecourse . The biggest steeplechase of the year, the Velká
Pardubická - the Czech equivalent of the Grand National - takes place in the Moravian city
of Pardubice, about 120km east of town.