Dan R.
Yelp
Like sippin' mai tais on the beach, poppin' champagne at the club, or shotgunnin' Natty Light at a frat party, drinking pilsner at Letná Beer Garden just feels right. I don't know what this phenomenon is called, where a specific drink and specific location join forces to become the most harmoniously appropriate combination each entity could hope to find. Perhaps it is something that has yet to be named. Geospiritsynchronicity? Alcolocalequilibrium? Or maybe Letná is just the bar David Byrne was singing about in "Heaven" - you know, the blissful one where "nothing ever happens"?
Because the thought behind Letná Beer Garden (letná essentially means "summer" in Czech, I'm told) is a simple yet glorious one. At the far end of a park, plant a series of picnic benches in a playground-type area, prop up a kiosk selling pilsner, and let the unreal hilltop views of Prague do the rest. Because above all else, it's this sweeping panorama of the city and the River Vltava, on a sunny afternoon, framed by the green glow of nature, that will take your breath away. One could argue the beer is really there just to bring you back to earth. This may very well be God's beer garden, with The Big Guy relaxing, catching a buzz, and looming benevolently over His domain.
For a city, I happen to find Prague rather relaxing. Maybe it's because I was brought to Letná Beer Garden early into my stay here and it simply set the tone for the rest of my trip. Still, you're hard-pressed to find a better place to unwind than this parkside paradise, pilsner in hand. Don't even bother with Instagram (this coming from somewhat of an addict). No filter or hashtag can quite capture this kind of heavenly experience. Even one where nothing ever happens.