1. We’re still working our way through some back issues of the remarkable hidden europe. On our commute this morning we had our nose in issue 12, which came out in January of this year. The long feature on night trains made us wistful; the shorter article on Flemish béguinages and their contemporary inheritance (in which we learned that the Brugge béguinage accommodates four dozen single women today) was fabulously suggestive. The piece that almost made us miss our stop, however, was a short, enticing little “snippet” on the diverse and lively Brussels ‘hood of les Marolles.

2. The EU is full of smaller regional groupings; our favorite among these is the Visegrád Four, which encompasses Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. The Czech Republic took over the Visegrád presidency in June, and will hold it through mid-2008. Among other things, the Visegrád group has the potential to serve as a bridge between Ukraine and the EU, should that direction be eventually pursued.

3. Today, Ryanair announced a massive six million seat sale. Fares are technically free—passengers pay taxes and charges only. Tickets are on sale through September 10 for travel from October 1 through February 7. Blackout periods include October 19-November 4 (for flights in and out of the UK and Ireland only) and December 18 through January 8.

Photo by Wolfgang Staudt

Think you know what May Day means in Czech Republic? Think again! Yes, there will be old-fashioned worker’s celebrations—to wit, The Czech Communist Party has scheduled a meeting near the Krizik Fountain—but May Day in the Czech Republic is also the Day of Lovers. Take that, St. Valentine’s Day!

What’s in store for lovers in Prague today? For the ladies, it’s essential that they be kissed under a blossoming cherry tree. As you might expect in one of the least religious countries in Europe, this pagan tradition has more to do with encouraging fertility in the coming year than anything else.

On the plus side for the ladies, getting kissed under a tree sure beats that other quasi-religious Czech tradition, namely, getting whacked with a stick on Easter Monday.

Photo by CELL0

As you might expect from the nation that invented Pilsner-style brews, Czechs drink an enormous amount of beer. Year in and year out, they stay neck and neck with Ireland, Belgium and Germany for most liters of beer drunk per capita in the world. It does a small nation proud.

What’s the flip side to this statistic? A recent study by the European Association for the Study of Obesity revealed—surprise—that Czech men are, on average, the second fattest in Europe, only surpassed by the Germans. According to the study, 73% of Czech men are either overweight or obese.

One solution: Ask for a malé pivo (small beer) the next time you’re out on the town in the Czech Republic.

This month, Eurail is introducing two new Regional Passes: the Germany-Poland and Czech-Germany passes.

Both passes are valid for five, six, eight, or ten days of travel within a two month period. The Germany-Poland Adult Pass starts at $375 for five days and tops out at $564 for ten days. The price range for the Czech-Germany Adult Pass begins at $355 and climaxes at $536. If you’re traveling with a companion, you can save 15 percent by purchasing Saver Passes, which nudges the $375 Germany-Poland Adult Pass down to $320 per person.

But what’s really exciting about these new passes is that they allow adults to travel second-class. Most Eurail Adult passes are restricted to first-class carriage.

A second-class Adult Pass costs 15 percent less than its first-class equivalent. An individual second-class Saver Pass matches the Youth Pass fare: $272 for 5 days on the Germany-Poland Pass, rather than $320 in first class.

Thank you, Eurail, for dealing a blow to age discrimination in the rail pass industry. Now how about offering this deal on all 18 Regional Passes?

Eurail Passes can be purchased by people not resident in Europe, a designation that includes Russia and Turkey. Eurail defines a European “resident” as someone living in Europe for the past six months.

photograph courtesy of urbanbandar

This week’s New York Post has the lowdown on Prague. There are some good tips for Cheapos in a teensy tiny sidebar, where a few writers recommended some “off the guidebook” places to eat, walk, and drink. Local fixture Jeff Koyen recommends Tretter’s, a chi-chi bar off Old Town Square.

Tretter’s is a great choice for visitors who want to feel like they are high rollers without splurging too much. Expensive, complicated drinks mixed by bartenders in lab coats top out at about $8, which is far more than what you’ll pay for beer in the city.

Consider the cost of the cocktail to be a ticket to a show. The show in question? Watching the very pretty ladies preen for the less attractive, yet infinitely wealthier men that drink there. It’s a million times better than a movie, and you can even make your own subtitles.

photograph of Pula courtesy of Sphinx06

A quick round-up of things we’re digging this Thursday morn.

1. Azerbaijan. After collecting a ton of Azerbaijan brochures at last week’s New York Times Travel Expo, we’re more excited than ever about the ex-Soviet republic. Now if we could just find it in the budget to make it to the 6th Azerbaijan International Travel and Tourism Fair, to be held in Baku April 18-20.

2. Czech Easter. Among the places in the Czech Republic with amazing Easter Fairs: Telč on March 31 and April 1, Kroměříž on March 31, and Uherské Hradiště on April 7. That’s in addition to the longish fests in Prague (on Old Town and Wenceslas Squares) from March 24 through April 15.

3. Jet2’s Accidental Star. Following the February 12 broadcast of a Jet2 commercial featuring “Dreamers’ Club,” a song by unsigned Leeds artist Micky P Kerr, the low-fare UK airline has been besieged by requests for the “ad song.” Now Jet2 has made the song available online.

4. Istria. We’re detecting an increase in attention to Istria, the Croatian/Slovenian peninsula at the top of the Adriatic. We’re gung-ho, having long felt that the region shouldn’t be sidelined by Dalmatia. We were happy to see Time Out’s special Istrian cuisine feature in last summer’s European Breaks guide. With Pula (see photo above) now served by Ryanair and nearby Rijeka handled by easyJet, it’s time to plan a cheap break to the region.

5. Saxony. The eastern German state is home to Dresden, Leipzig, and Chemnitz. We’re not huge fans of the Saxony Tourism site, but think that the region is ready to be discovered by a broader range of visitors. Think castles, mountain ranges, exciting cities, and reasonable nightly hotel rates.

If you’re flying into Prague’s Ruzyne airport today, you can breath a sigh of relief. Stricter security measures applied last week have been lifted.

Here’s the punchline: Czech authorities applied stricter security measures last week at the suggestion of a psychic. We hope that the TSA is taking notes.

ABC Prague reports that a woman—who also “happens” (um…) to be a psychic—called the Czech authorities last Wednesday, warning of a possible shooting at the airport. We assume that she waived her $3.99/minute fee when the police made a follow-up call. Presto! Instant security measures at the airport, though it’s unclear why the authorities chose to believe her.

No charges will be pressed against the woman for phoning in the false claim. Perhaps she’s agreed to pay back the city with free palm readings?

 
photograph courtesy of maoli

If you’re dreaming of taking a moonlit stroll across Prague’s famed Charles Bridge this year, you’d better hurry up: the Prague Post reports that the city is planning to renovate the structure starting this April.

Plans were afoot to start the renovations last year but were subsequently nixed. Knowing the Prague city government, the start date may change again—it’s currently “April or May.” During the renovations, parts of the bridge will be closed, making it somewhat less picturesque than it is now.

The renovations will strive to keep things authentic on the 650-year-old bridge, swapping electric lamps for gas ones and strengthening the span’s arches; in the thirty years since the last repairs, salt and ice have eaten away at the bridge’s supports. Following renovations, the bridge will no longer be salted on winter days.

So if you plan on visiting Prague in the winter after the repairs are completed, make sure to bring your crampons for maximum traction.