Beer baths, bears and bespoke cocktails in the Beskydy mountains.
Jul 29th, 2014, 01:50 AM
#21
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I'm not a huge beer drinker but all the men I know who've visited the Czech Republic have raved about the beer, both value and taste. There seems to be a plethora of varieties and specialities such as fruit flavoured options too. Quite a lot of breweries in the area we visisted and I think (even though we didn't do it) organised tours/ brewery crawls are available.
Jul 29th, 2014, 05:54 AM
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Jul 29th, 2014, 09:34 AM
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ooo I forgot to mention that our complimentary honey drink was accompanied by the famous Stramberk 'ears' - little gingerbready biscuits rolled into cone shapes and baked as a reminder of the turkish seige when Tatars cut off the ears of christians!
Jul 29th, 2014, 11:06 AM
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Tuesday.
Our last day began fine, warm and clear which was a bonus as it meant we had a second opportunity to take pictures in Stramberk after the previous day's slightly overcast skies. Breakfast at Hotel Stramberk was the most generous of any we’d had so far - a huge array of cheeses, hams, pickles, breads, jams, a basket of apples, muesli, four yoghurts between the two of us (nutty and plain) and a really intriguing local speciality which was some sort of doughy base spread with an aniseedy topping. More fruit juice, tea and coffee and we were ready to go.
Our plan for the day was to head into the nearby town of Koprivnice to visit the Tatra museum. Tatra are one of the oldest vehicle manufacturers in the world and the museum is dedicated to cars, planes, trains and trucks they have made over the last century or so. Tommy pulled rank and ruled we would walk rather than get the bus which I fretted about a bit, but actually it turned out to be a very pleasant stroll no more than 45 minutes away, really easy to find, and it took us out through a part of Stramberk that we’d not seen the day before, giving yet more photo opportunities.
The museum itself was a bit of a gem. Outside was a train with a slightly sinister machine-age look, inside cars dating from the earliest days of motoring more or less up to the present day. We especially loved the knock offs of the VW beetle, Citroen 2CV, and archetypal American cars, all swept back fins and white wall tyres. There were also racing cars, huge utility vehicles and trucks that you could imagine traversing Siberian wastes, and even a car mounted on skis. All the exhibits had descriptions in multiple languages which really added to our understanding and enjoyment of the display. Only after we'd been walking around for an hour or so did we notice that the walls behind the vehicles were all adorned with vintage travel posters, though our legs were a bit too tired to go back and start again. The only downside to the visit was our accidental purchase of nasty medicine-like high energy drinks from a vending machine when what we actually meant to get was water.
Back to Stramberk and an afternoon of wandering the square trying various bars and cafes. In a Lilliputian bakery opposite the fountain I had a macaroon sandwiched with cream but secretly craved Tommy’s Stramberk cake, modelled on the Rapunzel-like tower looming above us, and filled with chocolate mousse and a not insignificant amount of some unidentified but delicious booze. After a barely respectable pause for our sweet treats to go down we had an early evening meal of grilled chicken and pork with rosemary in one of the pubs, (yup - pud first - that's one of the pluses of being a grown up). Then back to the hotel who had been holding our bags for the day, and where the receptionist kindly called a cab to take us to the airport. This was one of the few times during the trip that we’d used cars not provided by Travellersczech and it did not bode well when a small hatchback pulled up, and the driver opened the boot to reveal what looked like his mum’s weekly supermarket shop and a pair of crutches, but somehow he manged to shoehorn our luggage in too. All down the road the driver was making or taking mobile phone calls – however, thankfully, once we left the environs of Stramberk he did stop the chit chat and to my relief drove fairly sedately.
At the airport we people-watched and awaited our flight. The plane landed dead on time from the UK but seemed to take an eternity to empty. As I watched person after person faffing at the top of the steps I decided that flight attendant would be one of my least favourite jobs in the whole wide world – they must have the patience of saints! Finally we boarded and watched long suffering but good natured staff rearranging luggage, confiscating over-sized cases and moving illegal children from exit row seats. We took off only 15 minutes behind schedule into a blue-black and pink-tinged sky. Tommy proved that, against prevailing scientific evidence, men actually can multitask – scrolling the pages of the Kindle app on his phone with his left hand, holding my sweaty nervous palm in his right.
PS Yes, there are bears in the Beskydy mountains. No, we did not see one.
Our last day began fine, warm and clear which was a bonus as it meant we had a second opportunity to take pictures in Stramberk after the previous day's slightly overcast skies. Breakfast at Hotel Stramberk was the most generous of any we’d had so far - a huge array of cheeses, hams, pickles, breads, jams, a basket of apples, muesli, four yoghurts between the two of us (nutty and plain) and a really intriguing local speciality which was some sort of doughy base spread with an aniseedy topping. More fruit juice, tea and coffee and we were ready to go.
Our plan for the day was to head into the nearby town of Koprivnice to visit the Tatra museum. Tatra are one of the oldest vehicle manufacturers in the world and the museum is dedicated to cars, planes, trains and trucks they have made over the last century or so. Tommy pulled rank and ruled we would walk rather than get the bus which I fretted about a bit, but actually it turned out to be a very pleasant stroll no more than 45 minutes away, really easy to find, and it took us out through a part of Stramberk that we’d not seen the day before, giving yet more photo opportunities.
The museum itself was a bit of a gem. Outside was a train with a slightly sinister machine-age look, inside cars dating from the earliest days of motoring more or less up to the present day. We especially loved the knock offs of the VW beetle, Citroen 2CV, and archetypal American cars, all swept back fins and white wall tyres. There were also racing cars, huge utility vehicles and trucks that you could imagine traversing Siberian wastes, and even a car mounted on skis. All the exhibits had descriptions in multiple languages which really added to our understanding and enjoyment of the display. Only after we'd been walking around for an hour or so did we notice that the walls behind the vehicles were all adorned with vintage travel posters, though our legs were a bit too tired to go back and start again. The only downside to the visit was our accidental purchase of nasty medicine-like high energy drinks from a vending machine when what we actually meant to get was water.
Back to Stramberk and an afternoon of wandering the square trying various bars and cafes. In a Lilliputian bakery opposite the fountain I had a macaroon sandwiched with cream but secretly craved Tommy’s Stramberk cake, modelled on the Rapunzel-like tower looming above us, and filled with chocolate mousse and a not insignificant amount of some unidentified but delicious booze. After a barely respectable pause for our sweet treats to go down we had an early evening meal of grilled chicken and pork with rosemary in one of the pubs, (yup - pud first - that's one of the pluses of being a grown up). Then back to the hotel who had been holding our bags for the day, and where the receptionist kindly called a cab to take us to the airport. This was one of the few times during the trip that we’d used cars not provided by Travellersczech and it did not bode well when a small hatchback pulled up, and the driver opened the boot to reveal what looked like his mum’s weekly supermarket shop and a pair of crutches, but somehow he manged to shoehorn our luggage in too. All down the road the driver was making or taking mobile phone calls – however, thankfully, once we left the environs of Stramberk he did stop the chit chat and to my relief drove fairly sedately.
At the airport we people-watched and awaited our flight. The plane landed dead on time from the UK but seemed to take an eternity to empty. As I watched person after person faffing at the top of the steps I decided that flight attendant would be one of my least favourite jobs in the whole wide world – they must have the patience of saints! Finally we boarded and watched long suffering but good natured staff rearranging luggage, confiscating over-sized cases and moving illegal children from exit row seats. We took off only 15 minutes behind schedule into a blue-black and pink-tinged sky. Tommy proved that, against prevailing scientific evidence, men actually can multitask – scrolling the pages of the Kindle app on his phone with his left hand, holding my sweaty nervous palm in his right.
PS Yes, there are bears in the Beskydy mountains. No, we did not see one.
Jul 29th, 2014, 11:28 AM
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Jul 29th, 2014, 01:59 PM
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You really have a gift for writing and photography. Your pictures are gorgeous! I also enjoyed comparing pictures of your beer spa to mine. I love the lights and look of yours. Here's the link to mine:
http://www.chodovar.cz/id140en-nazor-lekare.htm
http://www.chodovar.cz/id140en-nazor-lekare.htm
Jul 29th, 2014, 02:12 PM
#33
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That's very kind of you to say Louisa - a few of the pics are Tommy's, but obviously all the good ones are mine 
Your spa has some interesting massages - would love to try the reflexive foot one.
Your spa has some interesting massages - would love to try the reflexive foot one.
Jul 29th, 2014, 10:40 PM
#35
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really enjoyed your |trip report.I must make more of an effort to get to some of the places you have been to.As a regular traveller to Prague and the surrounding area I really should go further afield.never tried a beer bath but must do that.
thanks for a great report.
thanks for a great report.
Jul 30th, 2014, 03:48 AM
#37
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sparkchaser, we did have an excellent lunch after our spa treatment. I didn't do a very good job of taking notes on this trip but I recall that it was a nice fish and wasn't too heavy, as I found much of the food in the CR to be.
unclegus, I seem to recall that you like beer so I have no doubt you would love this! I don't really care for beer (a sacrilege in this part of the country, I realize) but we really enjoyed the spa. I never would have selected this on my own but my Czech cousin and his wife wanted to treat us to something different from the traditional spas and this certainly fit the bill.
unclegus, I seem to recall that you like beer so I have no doubt you would love this! I don't really care for beer (a sacrilege in this part of the country, I realize) but we really enjoyed the spa. I never would have selected this on my own but my Czech cousin and his wife wanted to treat us to something different from the traditional spas and this certainly fit the bill.
Jul 30th, 2014, 04:18 AM
#38
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The spring that Chodovar uses for their beer is really high in iron and the beer has a definite iron aftertaste but it works really well with the flavor of the beer. If you are anemic or have an iron deficiency, it's also good for that. 
We make it out there at least once a year and bring back a case of two of their beer.
We make it out there at least once a year and bring back a case of two of their beer.
Jul 30th, 2014, 04:30 AM
#39
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Yes have been known to drink a few beers. a couple of years ago at the annual Czech Beer festival in Prague my very first beer was Chodovar dark and very nice it was too .Back in Prague in October but got too much to do to have any trips outside of the city much.
Jul 30th, 2014, 11:21 AM
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Thanks for reading and for all the kind comments.
Useful links (I am not affiliated etc etc).
http://www.colours.cz/en/
http://www.modramys.cz/
http://www.travellersczech.com/
http://www.tatramuseum.cz/index.php?idj=2&r=3
Useful links (I am not affiliated etc etc).
http://www.colours.cz/en/
http://www.modramys.cz/
http://www.travellersczech.com/
http://www.tatramuseum.cz/index.php?idj=2&r=3
