Paternoster lifts you can ride in Prague

A paternoster lift is an elevator that moves in a loop without stopping. Some people call it a "death elevator" but the name 'paternoster' is Latin for "our father" referring to the rosary-bead-like track of the elevator compartments. It's easy to understand, but scary in practice.

A paternoster lift is an elevator that moves in a loop without stopping. To ride you have to time your step or hop quickly on/off.

They stopped making them for safety reasons, but #Prague has quite a few still in operation.

Have you ridden one?
Do you know where this is? pic.twitter.com/GbDQebnp9e

— Alison A. Glitter (@alisonaglitter) June 30, 2020

Like I said, they aren't made anymore due to safety reason, but there are still 70 reported paternoster lifts operating in the whole of the Czech Republic. Here is my list of reported paternoster lifts with public access.

9 paternoster lifts in Prague that you can ride*

1. Praha 1 - The offices of České dráhy, the national Czech railway company.
2. Praha 1 - Dům U Nováků is the Novak house building that houses a casino next to Lucerna.
3. Praha 1 - Famous art nouveau passageway Palace Lucerna supposedly has one. *I've never found it myself.
4. Praha 1 - The city government building at Škodův palác near the Lítačka transportation card services office has one that is easy to access.
5. Praha 1 - Palác YMCA near the Náměstí Republiky metro has a paternoster lift and a cute café too. 
6. Praha 1 - Nová Radnice is the Prague City Hall building. *After appearing in an Honest Guide video about secret places around Prague, it became popular and was closed to tourists for a short while.
7. Praha 2 - The headquarters for Český rozhlas, a radio station production studio with headquarters in this Vinohrady building. *I couldn't find the lift myself, so it may be an area with employee access.
8. Praha 6 - Poliklinika Pod Marjánkou is a medical clinic in Břevnov with a paternoster lift. 
9. Praha 7 - Územní pracoviště pro Prahu 6 a Prahu 7 a SFÚ are the municipal offices of Prague 6 and 7.

To find them, check out my Google Maps list of paternoster lifts in Prague. Have you ridden one before? I am both frightened and fascinated every time I get on one. Thus far, I'm too afraid to ride it on a full loop, but I hear it is safe. Drop me a line on Twitter and tell me which ones you have ridden!

Craft beer shopping in Prague

Prague is famous amongst travelers for beer. Even lifelong Prague residents spend their time going from pub to hospoda drinking beer on a daily basis. It's a national obsession after all. 

So what happens if you don't like Plzeň? The Pilsner Urquell brand of beer, invented in 1842 and brewed in the Czech town of Pilsen, is served at every pub in town. I have a shocking confession though: I don't like it. Though crisp and clean, Plzeň beer is on the bitter side for my taste. I can drink it, but it's not my favorite. 

Never fear, there are other Czech beer options in Prague. Besides my go-to commercial favorite Kozel dark lager, there is plenty of Czech craft beer by the can or bottle from micro breweries around the country. If you are having a summer picnic and need a place to grab some pivo, here are 6 locations by neighborhood where you can buy Czech craft beer in Prague for takeaway.

beer delivery from Pivotoč to Riegrovy sady park

Praha 3-Žižkov

My neighborhood in Praha 3-Žižkov has a couple beer shops focused on Czech craft beer. Pivotoč is more of a beer refill station than a bottle shop. They have rotating taps from Czech micro breweries that you can purchase in 0.5-L, 1-L, or 2-L bottle sizes. It's a favorite of mine because they also provide delivery for a fee. Next is BeerGeek Pivoteka which is probably the most well-known because of it's high-visibility location near the JZP metro stop. BeerGeek has two shops in the neighborhood. The other one is a hang out spot while this is more of a pick-up bottle shop. They carry a lot of imports but have Czech microbrews in stock at decent prices too. Finally there is Pivní Rozmanitost way out east near Vozovna Žižkov tram stop. This beer shop has a couple of taps to taste and a plentiful selection of Czech and international craft beers.

Praha 6-Dejvice

Base Camp has a bunch of imported bottles as well as carrying seasonal bottles from the most well-known micro breweries around the Czech Republic. Sample their huge assortment on-site when the weather is good.

Praha 8-Karlín

Pivní Mozaika is a liquor store and bottle shop offering a diverse selection of specialty beers from around the world. This place has coolers and room-temperature storage, plus a few tables where you can sample the degustační beer list of the day. Closed on Sundays. Beershop.cz is still in Praha 8 but it's more Libeň neighborhood than Karlín. This shop is well-stocked, well-organized, and has a ton of bottles and cans in every size. They also sell craft limo or lemonade, which was hip for a moment.

For my 2.5 years in Prague, I lived in Praha 3-Žižkov. The shops I know best are in the three neighborhoods that were convenient for me to shop near home. I'm sure there are more options in other neighborhoods. Do you know of any grocers that specialize in Czech craft beer in Prague?

For more info on Czech craft beer in Prague, check out craft beer reviews from LasSaboritas.

5 Best Work Cafes in Prague, Czech Republic

Are you a digital nomad headed to the Czech Republic? Do you need a Prague work café where you can do remote work on your laptop while you are in town?

I lived in Prague for 2.5 years. While I chipped away at a master's degree, I worked remotely. Outside of quarantine, most of my time was spent in Prague work cafés. There are hundreds of top cafes in Prague. Surprisingly few of them are work-friendly. Many don't have wifi, lack electrical outlets, or simply discourage laptops and customers that linger. If you are like me, avoiding Czech stink-eye is a priority.

It took me years tofind solid work cafes in Prague, especially places I could sit down and finish assignments under deadline. For a Prague work café, it needs to be accessible by public transportation, have reliable hours of operation (you'd be surprised), not be overrun with students, and non-touristy to boot. In no particular order, here is my list of top 5 best work cafes in Prague, Czech Republic. 

Kavárna Liberál

Located in Praha 7-Holešovice, Kavárna Liberal is the epitome of Czech pub-slash-café. They have tons of outlets and plenty of tables. They also have fairly inattentive service, so staff will leave you alone while you work as long as you order coffee every once in awhile. Plus? It's open late. It's a cool hangout after work hours too, so call your friends after deadlines and celebrate remote happy hour together.

Cukrárna Myšák

Located in Praha 1-Nové Město near the Můstek metro stop, this elegant dessert café is the place to nibble the best Czech pastries in town while you work. The interior is beautiful, the customer service is impeccable (a rarity in Prague), and the coffee is good. What most people don't realize? The upstairs is nearly always empty and quite cozy for laptop work. If you have a sweet tooth, go to work early and grab breakfast.

Andělská Cukrárna

Located in Praha 5-Smíchov, this is another spot with plenty of free tables every day of the week. Thanks to large windows, the interior is bright and the daylight will keep you from falling asleep at your laptop. I'm also a fan of the carrot cake.

Barley Café Gallery

Located in Praha 1-Nové Město near the I.P. Pavlova metro stop, this café is a hidden gem. The few times I worked from here, it was completely empty. I loved the comfy seating, the staff were so bored they almost seemed friendly by checking on me, and the coffee size was large enough to merit lingering quite a long time. Barley Café also doubles as an art gallery so you can take breaks and browse the exhibits to get your brain working again.

Národní 38

Located in Praha 1-Nové Město near the Národní třída tram stop, this café is hidden away in a pretty courtyard. The décor is cool, the front area is good for meetings, the rear part of the café has large tables with plugs, and the owners are an all-around nice crew. Besides having good Vietnamese coffee and supporting local charity causes, this place is also a decent brunch spot. 

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So these are my top 5 best work cafes in Prague, Czech Republic. There are a lot of blog posts on this topic and after reading the suggestions from people who clearly came through town for a week, I hate to think of the unwelcome reception some of their readers will get. My list doesn't have any of the tourist-famous or IG-friendly spots, but these are work cafes in Prague where you can actually get something done. Have you worked remotely from Prague? What are your recommendations?

For a full list of Prague café reviews based on coffee, food, & ambience check out Prague café reviews from LasSaboritas.