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Top 5 Things Not To Miss in Prague

Administrator — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:35:08 +0000

Prague is an ancient city with full of contrasts. The large number of contrasts makes the city more interesting, appealing as well as more magical. The architectural splendors that every year invites huge number of travelers to Prague are constructed with pride as well as to offer the modern generation a quick glimpse of the past. This shows how superbly the city blends a melancholic feeling with a strong sense of beauty. With imposing and beautiful churches, castles, countless art galleries and quaint streets, restaurants and museums, Prague is able to everything that a tourist could ever probably wish for. However, owing to its excessive popularity among international tourists it is always advisable for you to find out detailed information about Prague Tourism prior to visiting the place.

Zizkov Tower

The Zizkov Tower serves as the modern landmark of the city. The construction of the tower was started in the year 1985 and in 1992 the structure was finally completed. From the tower one can get the spectacular view of the Prague skyline. It is 216 meters in height and includes a restaurant, café and observation decks.

Dancing House

Dancing House was designed by Vlado Milunic and Frank Gehry, who are very famous architects in the year 1996. The former Czech President and playwright, Václav Havel, had an intense fondness for ultramodern structural design and was involved in the contentious design of the Dancing House. The building is completely unique and is totally different from the other neo-Gothic, neo-baroque as well as art nouveau structures for which the city is renowned.

Pubs

The traditional pubs of the Prague normally serve inexpensive beer and selected local spirits, whereas the contemporary bars serve wide varieties of international and Czech beers, spirits, cocktails and wine. They also serve mouth watering traditional Czech cuisines.

Museum of Medieval Torture

Prague Museum of Medieval Torture is certainly not a place for the faint hearted. This one of a kind museum includes more than 60 torture devices, which were used during the Middle Ages, in the various European countries. The descriptions of the devices are given in English, Czech as well as other popular languages.

Prague Castle Guards and Ceremony

The Prague Castle is considered to be one of the most popular tourist attractions. The castle is believed to be the biggest medieval fortress complex in the entire Europe. Most tourists prefer to visit the castle during afternoon hours in order to watch the castle guard changing ceremony.

The best time to visit city is between April and October, when the Prague weather remains sunny and warm. In general the city enjoys four distinct seasons. Spring is the season mild temps and blooming flowers. Summer is the season of green and warmth, often accompanied by light showers. Autumn is described as a cool, crisp season, with occasional fogs and clouds. Winter is the coldest season with frequent snowfall.

Ice Hotel In Sweden

Administrator — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:01:54 +0000

An ice hotel is a temporary hotel made up entirely of snow and sculpted blocks of ice. They are promoted by their sponsors and have special features for travelers who are interested in novelties and unusual environments, and thus are in the class of destination hotels. Their lobbies are often filled with ice sculptures, and food and beverages are specially chosen for the circumstances. You can see ice hotel pictures below:

All of the ice hotels are reconstructed every year, and are dependent upon constant sub-zero temperatures during construction and operation. The walls, fixtures, and fittings are made entirely of ice, and are held together using a substance known as snice, which takes the place of mortar in a traditional brick-built hotel.

The ice hotel near the village of Jukkasjärvi, Kiruna, Sweden was the world’s first ice hotel. In 1989, Japanese ice artists visited the area and created an exhibition of ice art. In Spring 1990, French artist Jannot Derid held an exhibition in a cylinder-shaped igloo in the area. One night there were no rooms available in the town, so some of the visitors asked for permission to spend the night in the exhibition hall. They slept in sleeping bags on top of reindeer skin – the first guests of the “hotel.”

The entire hotel is made completely out of ice blocks taken from the Torne River – even the glasses in the bar are made of ice. The hotel has more than 80 rooms and suites, a bar, reception area and church. The hotel only exists between December and April. Each room is unique and the architecture of the hotel is changed each year, as it is rebuilt from scratch.

Since ICEHOTEL melts every spring, each year a team of snowbuilders, architects, designers and artists from all corners of the world create the Icehotel®. For the 2007/08 Winter season the ICEHOTEL spans over some 6000 m2 and has 80 rooms; Ice rooms, Ice family rooms, Ice suites and ice suites deluxe. Invited artists decorate each suite which are all unique.

The ice used to build this incredible structure is a particular feature of the Icehotel® as it is crystal clear – the fast-flowing river Torne ensures few bubbles are trapped within it. The sight, as you open the main, reindeer-skin clad doors, is simply breathtaking – a grand, ice pillared hallway illuminated by a spectacular ice chandelier.

Kept at a constant -5°C to -8°C, the interior actually feels quite pleasant, especially when outside temperatures can drop to around -37°C! Walk past several ice sculptures and imaginatively lit ice art towards one of the most popular rooms – the Absolut Ice Bar. With its vaulted ceiling, plenty of ice block seating (thankfully covered in reindeer skins) and see-though bar, it serves an impressive range of colourful vodka cocktails, naturally served in chunky ice glasses. Although hot cocktails are served in not-so-attractive paper cups, they provide an instant form of central heating, but be careful not to stand them on the bar, for obvious reasons!