Summertime Fun!

Summertime, and the livin' is easy

Fish are jumpin', and the cotton is high

Your Daddy's rich, and your Mama is good lookin'

So, hush, little baby don't you cry

One of these mornings you're gonna rise up singin'

You're gonna spread your wings and take to the sky, take to the sky

But until that mornin' there's nothin' that can harm you

With Daddy and Mommy standin' by

Summertime

Yes, it's the time, I'm talking about summertime

And the livin', summer living, the livin' is so fine

Fish are jumpin, and the cotton is high

Your Daddy's rich, he's rich, your Daddy's filthy rich

And your Mama, hot mama, your Mama's so good lookin'

So, hush, little baby don't you cry

Listen to "Summertime" here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3xkf7rkwIY

Summertime is a glorious time in the Czech Republic!  Although we don't have a coastline, we love the water and travel to the sea.  Croatia's my favorite place and I'll bring you with me this summer.  Lots of us have either a chata (cabin) or chalupa (cottage) in the country and we'll go pretty much every weekend.  But for those of us who don't have a country home to escape to, there's still a ton to do just outside of Prague, as well as right in here in the city!

Fishing under the Charles Bridge

(not sure what he's catching, perhaps Water Sprites?!)

Boating

Take a boat cruise along the Vltava River

Dining ...or just relaxing 

With a glass of wine or a cold beer, kick back at one of the many cafes/restaurants overlooking the Vltava

My hot mama knows hot to relax on a hot summer day!

Paddleboating

How about seeing the city from your very own paddleboat?

Sports

Sometimes you just want to watch sports, and Prague's big on soccer and ice hockey...the EuroCup is shown in Old Town Square

Horseback Riding

See my post from April 27th...Favory Stables

Music
The city is alive with music during the summer...

Concerts

"Music in the Park".  In 2007, Lauryn Hill performed, along with several other great bands

Strolling

Prague is a beautiful city to stroll through!  While you're at it, stop to feed the swans that call the Vltava their home

Wine
There are lots of wine festivals to attend...so leave the car at home and indulge!

Bike riding 

A popular activity and there are many parks in Prague to do so, as well as organized trips throughout the country

Castles
The Czech Republic is packed with castles and chateaux.  You can spend every day of the summer visiting a different one...heck you can spend well over a year trying to see them all!  Here I am with Nadia at  Karlštejn.  

The Czech Grand Canyon

Velká Amerika (Grand America) and Malá Amerika (Little America)

"Amerika" is the name for a system of long abandoned limestone pit quarries situated in the vicinity of  Karlštejn.  I've only walked around looking down, but some folks find there way down to swim in the clear lagoons.

Be careful though...here you can see where the stone gave way

Prague Zoo and Troja

Because who doesn't love animals?

And right next door to the zoo we have the romantic Troja chateau, which is also home to my favorite wine cellar (if you can find it!)

Jet Skiing

We launched our skis nearby the zoo and Troja, and had a blast on the Vltava!

Kayaking
Český Krumlov ...just go.  This medieval town is situated in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic and is worth the trip.  It's a charming city along the Vltava (yes, the same Vltava that flows through Prague!)

Hiking

(and more boats)

There are a ton of places to hike in the Czech Republic, but one place that I find spectacular is České Švýcarsko National Park (Bohemian Switzerland National Park).  The park was created on June 1, 2000, and links to the Sächsische Schweiz (Saxonian Switzerland) National Park on the German side, which was established in 1990.  You can take several paths, but we took quite a long one that led us to a wonderfully relaxing boat ride. 

Žluté Lázně

Located on the bank of the Vltava River in Prague 4, this place is a great place to spend a hot summer day.  Activities include everything from swimming in the river (errr....) to beach volleyball to soccer...and so much more.  Food, cocktails, showers, restrooms, etc.  It's a great place to come and offers something for all ages. At night it's a great place to meet friends and enjoy a few cold drinks.  Live concerts take place as well throughout the summer.

Lakes

There are a lot of lakes in the Czech Republic, but this one is my favorite because of its sandy bottom (it reminds me of being on a beach at the ocean!).  Folks love to go to what I call the "Czech-version-of-a beach" to cool off  and enjoy the water.  Lhota (u Staré Boleslavi) is a man-made lake about 20 km outside of Prague.  I prefer the sea to lakes, but as far as lakes go, this one is great to wade and swim in because it has a sandy bottom rather than a murky one...and I know there's not much swimming around in it!  There's also a large sandy beach, food and drinks, and a few concession stands.  

 

 

Another really popular lake and recreation area is Slapy.  Lake Slapy is a multipurpose reservoir built on the Vltava River about 40 km south of Prague.  There are a lot of cabins and cottages around the lake that you can rent for a peaceful weekend away from the city.  Like sailing?  This is a great spot for it!

As I said, there are a ton of lakes throughout the Czech Republic...this is a random one in a village southeast of Prague...

4-Wheeling & Dirt Bike Riding

Beer

I hope you enjoy all this country has to offer this summer...and don't forget the cold beer, because nothing's better in the summer than an ice cold beer!