Carp for Christmas and other Czech traditions

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Fish flap, flap and fly through the air as I watch the start of the Czech Republic’s annual carp harvest.

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On the first weekend in October, a large crowd has gathered on the shore of the Rožmberk Pond, the largest of nearly 1,000 artificial ponds in the Třeboň Wetlands. Rožmberk is so big that locals jokingly refer to it as the South Bohemian Sea.

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“Carp has been fished from this pond since 1584,” says Jan Regenda, a university professor who watches every year.

Three weeks earlier, fishermen began draining the pond and pumping oxygen into the water to lure the carp closer to shore. Now the fishermen – mostly men in rubber rain gear and gloves – pick up, weigh and sort the squirming carp.

The mood is festive. People mingle, drink beer and dip fried carp chips in mayonnaise. “A hundred years ago they sent a special train from Prague,” adds Jan. Today it’s an easy 1.5 hour drive south of the capital.

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Most fish are kept alive until Christmas, when eating carp is a Czech tradition. Having dried carp scales in your wallet all year round is another. “For good luck,” smiles our guide and pulls out a scale the size of a pick.

Later we enjoy carp at Šupina a Šupinka, a restaurant in Třeboň, and then go to the grave of the Schwarzenberg family, the noble family that once owned the Třeboň wetlands.

Kolache

The French have their croissants and crepes, the Austrians love their apple strudel and the Czechs would fail to go a day without Kolache.

The sweet pastry is made from yeast dough and filled with cheese, fruit or nuts. During Covid, when rents in Prague’s Old Town plummeted, Patrick Novak opened Kolacherie, a bakery specializing in the traditional treat.

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Novak came up with the idea for his business after a visit to Texas. Czechs established kolache bakeries there and often make the fillings savory. “When I saw the jalapeños with chorizo ​​sausage, I was like, ‘Oh yeah,'” says Novak. In his Kolacherie in Prague he offers both savory and sweet dishes. The most popular is still his berry cola with cream cheese.

Once, he says, a Czech expat from Manitoba came to visit him, “and she was so happy, like, ‘I finally tasted kolache again!'”

A land of castles

“I come here with my kids every year,” says Irena Švajcarova, my tour guide from Prague.

“Here” is the delightful town of Český Krumlov, with its winding cobblestone streets, mix of medieval buildings and – most notably – its massive castle, the second largest in the country after Prague.

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Indeed, the Czech Republic is a land of castles with around 2,500 and it’s easy to see why Czechs love them.

The castle in Český Krumlov – now owned by the state – features a colorful tower overlooking the Vltava River, 350 rooms – some with luxurious furniture and tapestries, five courtyards, seven hectares of gardens and a moat with three brown bears. Right, three bears; two females and one male. It seems bizarre, but bears have been bred and kept in moats here for more than 300 years.

A noble family that owned the castle for several centuries started the tradition to indicate their connection to the Italian Orsini family. “Orsini” comes from the Italian word “orso” which means “bear”.

Another day I visit the privately owned Blatná Castle, which also has its own unique features. One of the owner’s ancestors – a man named Ferdinand Hildprandt – loved hunting, and in one room all the furniture and carpets are made from his hunting trophies. Deer antlers form the backrests and armrests of chairs. The floor is covered with skins, including that of a cheetah, while four badger skins with heads are sewn together in a crazy semicircle. And on one wall the heads of the seals shot in the Netherlands stick out.

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Beer lovers can rejoice

“We’re the biggest beer drinkers in the world,” Jann Votrel tells me. The teacher and tour guide in Český Krumlov proudly adds: “140 liters per person per year.”

The country’s tourism board says it’s not about binge drinking, but about valuing a drink that’s been brewing here for more than a thousand years, starting with thirsty monks.

In Pilsen, where the world-famous Pilsner Urquell lager was born, there is a microbrewery that uses a recipe that predates Pilsner by more than a few hundred years. I’m not a beer connoisseur, but when I found out that Purkmistr also has a beer spa, my ears pricked up.

So, on a rainy October morning, I find myself not just drinking beer, but soaking in it. A large wooden bathtub filled with a special brew awaits me in the spa. Warmed to 37 degrees, it smells like beer and looks cloudy, a bit like Purkmistr beer that is served unfiltered and unpasteurized. This brew is made with the same ingredients – malt, hops, brewer’s yeast and water, but without the alcohol.

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The B vitamins in yeast are said to be good for our immune system and the hops “purify”. I slip out of my robe and happily dip into the silky liquid. Then I sit up and pour myself a cold beer from the keg next to me.

“Wow… so there is heaven on earth!” my friend Gord exclaimed when he later saw the photos. Yes, and not just one. Beer spas can be found throughout the Czech Republic.

The writer traveled as a guest of Czech Tourism. This article has not been reviewed or approved.

When you go:

Where to Stay: The Hotel Mozart in Prague is a historic hotel overlooking Prague Castle. https://www.themozart.com

Hotel OLDINN is located in Český Krumlov on the main square near the castle. https://www.hoteloldinn.cz

Near Pilsen, Purkmistr offers a hotel, restaurant, brewery and spa.

https://www.purkmistr.cz/en/hotel/

For more information about traveling in the Czech Republic, visit https://www.visitczechrepublic.com/en-US