Prague Moments #2 - Náplavka

This morning marked the start of the Farmer's Market 2017 season on Náplavka. My Saturday morning in Prague followed a fairly consistent routine, starting with a 2 mile jog, then sorting out my laundry and doing a general tidy up of the Pent-Palace, before heading off to Náplavka along the embankment.

Náplavka and Smíchov from the railway bridge

There is always a buzz around the market and it's location is fantastic, right down by the river, in the shadow of Vyserhrad and the railway bridge across the Vltava. If you want the freshest vegetables and meat, this is the best place to go in my opinion, and stuff is generally much better value than you can get in the supermarkets. Don't expect to pay much lower prices, but the produce is of higher quality and tends to have a longer shelf life. Look out for the fish stall if you like seafood - I've never been disappointed with their wares. Best of all are the seasonal fruits and vegetables - especially around the middle of May, when the city goes mad for asparagus.

The eggs from the market are bigger and browner than any you'll get in the supermarket and it's a great place to get herbs, specialist flavoured oils, cheeses and lovely sticky cakes.

It isn't just about produce to take home for the kitchen. There are plenty of stalls selling hot and cold snacks and drinks, and it doesn't feel at all strange having a beer at ten in the morning after a productive morning shopping.

Náplavka also hosts other events, including a beer festival, and even when there's nothing on, there are a number of riverside bars and barge bars where you can enjoy the summer sun, chill out and watch the world pass by. And it's equally a fine place for an evening stroll!

           

             

Quite often there are additional events, particularly food festivals, taking place on the opposite bank of the river at Smíchov. As you walk over the railway bridge you can feel the excitement as the sounds and smells of the food stalls start to crowd your senses.

Memorable moments last year were the chilli festival, the burger festival and the Cider festival. These are multi-cultural affairs, with stands from all over the world including places like Peru, Indonesia and various African nations...

...I'm starting to drool at the thought!