Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE TRUTH ABOUT SMÍCHOV
Smíchov has got to be Prague's most economically varied - even schizophrenic
- district. For years it languished as a depressed industrial backwater that was
home to Prague's largest Roma community. At the same time, the hills south
and west of Anděl metro station, not far from the Barrandov film studios, had
some of the city's swankiest villas.
These days, those jarring contrasts are seen in the area around Anděl. It's
filled with gleaming office towers, the vast Nový Smíchov shopping centre, the
Staropramen brewery, and some of the city's hottest boutique hotels - but just
down the road, near Smíchovské nádraží train station, the poverty and neglect
set in again.
As with the city's other riverside districts, Smíchov both suffered and benefited
from the tragic flood that struck Prague in 2002. Low-lying areas were sub-
merged, but in the aftermath there was a welcome infusion of development cap-
ital. One boost came a few years back, when artist David Černý decided to es-
tablish his 'Meet Factory' performance art space amid the tenements and aban-
doned factories south of Smíchovské nádraží.
DRINKING & NIGHTLIFE
Smíchov continues to surprise. Every year brings at least one or two new bar or
cafe openings. Most of the action is clustered near Anděl metro station,
anchored by Nový Smíchov shopping centre. Vyšehrad is a different story.
There's no nightlife to speak of here, though there are a couple of cafes for re-
laxing as you take in the sights.
