Easter Whippings

In the Czech Republic, Easter is the time to celebrate Spring and welcome the season of fertility. However, Easter traditions here are a little painful. A few days before Easter, most guys find themselves a special whip called a pomlaska. The pomlaska is a flexible whip made of braided willow branches that's topped off with colorful ribbons. On Easter Day, the guys, armed with pomlaskas, head out to visit their female friends. After arriving, the guys sing Easter songs and then symbolically (or painfully) whip the ladies' bottoms. As a gift, the ladies give the guys an egg and a shot of hard alcohol. The guys repeat this as they visit all of their female friends and relatives. In defense, women are allowed to throw a bucket of cold water on any whipper who whips too hard. Still, the women are usually quite sore by the end of the day (and the men are quite drunk). In the end, the season of fertility has been officially welcomed.  Ouch!

"Na Zdravi"

"Na zdravi!" is the Czech equivalent of "Cheers!".  Here are a few simple toasting rules that will come in handy when you clink glasses with the locals. First, the pronunciation: it's "naws-draw-vee" and you use it just like "cheers". Second, eye contact: when reaching out to clink someone's glass, you should make eye contact with them*. Third, no crossing: when toasting in a group, you should individually clink glasses with each person, being careful not to reach across anyone else who's in mid-clink (just wait until they're finished). The eye contact rule is very catchy and soon you'll be doing it all the time, maybe because the Czech tradition clearly states that *toasting with no eye contact means seven years of bad sex. "Na zdravi!"

The Czech Republic and Super Bowl, 2011.

  

This year, the Czech Republic was featured in a Super Bowl ad. The slightly controversial ad featured the Jested Hotel, a famous landmark in the Czech Republic. This mountaintop hotel is located in Liberec, in Northern Bohemia. Jested Hotel's dramatic setting plus its futuristic design make it a stunning sight. It was designed in the 1960's by architect K. Hubacek who, as a result, won the famous Perret’s Prize of International Union of Architects. Today, the hotel remains open and its well preserved interior will transport you back in time to the 1960's. It's like stepping into a classic James Bond film's secret hideout and such an experience is why Pathways Through Europe includes it in their Czech Republic itinerary.

Got Soup?

In the Czech Republic, soup is considered not just a healthy dish, but also an essential part of the daily diet. In fact, most people here will tell you that soup deserves its own food group. The soup culture runs deep and even lunch isn't considered complete unless a warm, delicious soup is also served. The upshot of all this soup loving is that they are experts at making really great soup! Garlic soup, potato soup, leek soup, liver dumping soup, vegetable soup. . . these are some of their most popular soups. So, if you're coming to the Czech Republic and you want to eat well, then you'd better get your bowl ready for action.

A Winter Wonderland

Samalova Chata: the perfect lunch spot in Jizersky Hory!

The Czech Republic's rolling hills go on, and on, and on. So, when it snows here, the hills transform into a winter wonderland, perfect for cross country skiing. Most of the hilly regions convert their summer hiking & biking trails into cross country skiing trails. Usually, these trails are "public access" so they're well maintained and free (awesome!). It's a classic way to explore the countryside and with so many trail options, cross country skiing is very popular. Jizerske Hory and Vysocina are two picturesque regions with great trails.

Get in the Birthday Line!

Birthday line in the Czech Republic

Birthdays in the Czech Republic are taken very seriously. During a birthday celebration, all of the guests will line up and wish you well. One by one, they will shake your hand, look you directly in the eye, and then kindly wish you good health and happiness. So, if you're ever invited to a Czech birthday party, you'll know what to do. And don't forget, you must bring flowers if the birthday belongs to a lady (only bring odd numbers 1, 3, 5, 7...even numbers are for funerals).