I'LL DRINK TO THAT!
The ‘ultimate city break’ just a few hours from the UK with beer spas and lager for £1.50
Best of all, the city offers huge bang for your buck, with return flights from £35, 4* hotels at £55 per night and draft lager for £1.50
WITH movie star good looks, world-class restaurants and beer so good the locals bathe in it, Prague really is the ultimate city break.
Best of all, the Czech capital offers huge bang for your buck, with return flights from £35, 4* hotels at £55 per night and draft lager for £1.50.
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I was visiting for a long weekend, staying at the 5H Andaz Prague hotel.
Sleek, modern and luxurious, it is also in the thick of the action, right in the historical centre of the city.
The Old Town, a short walk away, is so magical it’s easy to see why blockbusters including Casino Royale, The Bourne Identity and Oscar-winning Amadeus were filmed here.
Its large square is a perfectly preserved time capsule of hundreds of years ago, with Gothic architecture from the Middle Ages and beautiful 17th-century Baroque buildings.
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But while this area is the beating heart of the city, it is the cafes and stalls in the cobbled side streets that really make it feel special.
You can pick up a pint for around £3 in these parts but, if you venture to the outskirts of the city, you can grab a cold draft for just £1.50, a barman tells me.
It’s even cheaper than bottled water in supermarkets, he adds.
It’s really no surprise the beer is so cheap here, considering it’s the country’s most famous export.
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And they love it so much that the Czechs drink more pints per capita than any other nation on Earth.
They also bathe in it, which is an ancient therapeutic practice here.
The hops’ essential oils, combined with the yeast’s high vitamin B content, is meant to soften and rejuvenate the skin.
If you want to live like a local, then Spa Beerland, in the Old Town, is the place to try it out.
Here, you’ll find handmade, 1,000-litre oak tubs filled with beer and a herbal mix to help you relax.
The treatment package also includes unlimited draft lager, which means you may wake up with a sore head the next day, but at least your skin will be silky smooth.
Booze isn’t the only reason millions of tourists flock to Prague every year.
The city’s biggest asset is its architecture, which managed to survive the carpet bombing that wrecked so many historic buildings in World War Two.
The standout for me was the 9th-century Prague Castle, which is the largest old castle in the world, covering 750,000 square feet.
Construction took place on the enormous building over hundreds of years, and some of its stained-glass windows were only completed between World War One and Two.
Then there’s the food, which is also a big draw for visitors.
Czechs, much like the Germans and Austrians, are big meat eaters, with pork, beef and chicken playing a central role in their cuisine.
You’ll be able to sample traditional dishes in basic restaurants and food stalls, as well as world-class fine-dining experiences.
My first meal in the city was a spectacular six-course feast at the newly opened Stangl, which serves Czech wine to complement its Czech food.
One of the dishes cooked in front of me in the open kitchen was grilled pikeperch (a type of fish common in European waters) with chilli oil and green tomatoes.
It was an amazing, fresh taste sensation — as was the aged duck with smoked beetroot and raspberries.
For something more casual, the Municipal House brewery is an old-style beer hall serving traditional Czech food and lager in large stein glasses.
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It turns out that the locals aren’t the only ones bathing in beer — as I am served half a pig’s knee roasted in dark beer, with mustard, horseradish and coleslaw.
I’ll raise my stein to that.
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GO: Prague
GETTING/STAYING THERE: Four nights’ room-only at the 5H Andaz Prague is from £646pp, including flights from Heathrow on February 18, and 23kg luggage.
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