One of my favorite galleries in Prague is situated in Školská street, just a few meters above the Cafe Therapy restaurant (check the Café Therapy article). Leica Gallery Prague is run by a non-profitable company of the same name and its objective is not only organization of quality photographic exhibition, but also running workshops for public and other activities.

During the years that LGP was open, I have seen a number of great exhibitions held there. Besides their own showroom, LGP has been using various exhibition spaces (such as the Prague Castle in the past or Mánes). Until 17.6. there is an exhibition of Jan Lukas – The New York city diary – photos from NYC. 

LGP has an added value – the café which is part of the showroom. The coffee there is fine and if you are in the mood for something else, you can for sure to enjoy a glass of wine and browse some of the art books and magazines they have there.

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Leica Gallery | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Festivals & events | Exhibition entry CZK 70
Školská 28 | Praha 1 | +420608963523
Mon – Fri 11:00 – 21:00, Sat – Sun 14:00 – 21:00

The farmers’ market craze hit Prague in the spring 2010. It started with one or two test runs, with reserved support from the local city administration. But as soon as the maddening crowd started lining up for Czech-grown veggies, home-baked pastries and gluten-free sausages, every city district wanted to have a market of their own. Now, there are over thirty markets happening on different days all over Prague.

This was a long-time coming. After the fall of communism, and the fast economic growth of the country, informal markets fell out of favor. People flocked to supermarkets and hypermarkets. Recent years, though, have seen a reverse trend. Many city dwellers, frustrated with getting Spanish tomatoes and EU-sourced honey, even in the corner stores, have started seeking out locally grown and organic produce along with a nicer shopping experience.

Now, the Jiřák market looks similar to the food markets in West European cities that have a much longer history. Except, that the proportion of fresh produce to other products is much lower most of the year. Vegetables, fruit, dairy products and meat all come from Czech farms, and the vendors are surprisingly eager to tell you where their farm is located and even invite you to visit. In addition, there are always one or two fish stands, and you can find hand-made ceramics, Moravian wine, jams, pastries, the lot.

In the summer months, there is often live music, grilled meat and beer on tap, giving it a somewhat Czech beer garden feel.

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Jiřák Farmers’ Market | Shopping, Snacks, Festivals & events
nam. Jiřího z Poděbrad | Praha 3
Wed & Fri – Sat 08:00 – 18:00

At first, it used to be a school. Children would spend their first two grades of elementary school there. Then, it used to be a boy-scout club. Later, it was decided that the building be torn down and replaced by a motorway. But until it is eventually destroyed, it is going to serve as a stylish and original club place, where loads of events are being held. I am talking about „Klubovna”, a club in Dejvice.

A bunch of guys and girls who have for some years been organizing a summer music festival called Povaleč have decided to establish a club where drinking meets culture. They succeeded surprisingly well. Renting the building from city of Prague, they reconstructed every inch of it with their bare hands. More and more people are coming in every day.

Concerts, festivals or theatre plays take place there quite often. Klubovna offers a wide range of drinks including draught lemonades and a vast number of quality rums. The whole spot is covered in graffiti and wall pictures so it feels a bit like a squatt inside. Come sit at the garden, listen to a concert, play chess or a game of fussball! I might meet you there at 03:00 or 04:00 as Klubovna usually closes only after there are no people left in.

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Klubovna in Dejvice | Art & culture, Bars, Music, Festivals & events | Páter, 0,5L CZK 27
Generála Píky | Praha 6
Mon – Sat 15:00 – open end

There is something peaceful about parks and gardens which makes them ideal for relaxation, no matter what season it is. Each park in Prague has a different atmosphere. It depends, what you are in the mood for.

If I’m in the mood for some fresh air with some flowery scents and possibly a glass of wine, I visit the open air exhibition of the botanic garden in Troja. When it’s warm, I could spend the whole day there – exploring plants and flowers which are just in the middle of blooming, sit on the grass and read a book or magazine, observe the turtles and goldfish in a small pond. The open air exposition is divided into several parts; my favorite is the Japanese garden and the St. Claire´s vineyard.

The Japanese Garden is a pleasant oasis of tranquility. St. Claire vineyard is the largest vineyard of Prague. From its terraces, you have a nice view on the Troja castle and the city – a glass of wine should go with…

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Botanical garden in Troja | Relaxing, Festivals & events | Entrance fee CZK 50.00
Nádvorní 134 | Praha 7
09:00 – 18:00 daily

Whenever I feel like going out at night, doing some culture thing and I do not know what or cannot decide, I check out jlbjlt.net. Concerts, exhibition openings, projections, theatre, performances, dance, workshops – jlbjlt.net is my virtual spot, where I always find something interesting.

All events are well described, I can filter them by choosing a city (e. g. Prague) or the kind of event I feel like (dance, exhibition, …). Each event is often accompanied by an downloadable invitation or flyer, you can link it with your iCal, Facebook (fcbk) or by clicking on the gmap link you will find the given place on … yes, Google map

Even though the original is in Czech, Google can provide a pretty understandable translation, so jlbjlt.net in english is available. Only a few mistakes can be found and it is still comprehensible.

So when in Prague, support a culture of marginal interest, but of considerable importance!

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JLBJLT.net | Art & culture, Festivals & events
http://jlbjlt.net/ | Praha 1
24 hours daily

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