PRAGUE — Film students studying abroad in the Czech Republic often travel through the city and countryside scouting locations for their shoots. As a result, they often find unique places that ordinary tourists won’t find in guidebooks. Here are the top five hidden cinematic gems in Prague.
Milovice
Milovice is a seemingly boring town that is an hour away via train. It is nothing out of the ordinary — until you start walking north and see the decaying one-room houses in the middle of the woods. Milovice was a Soviet military base until 1991 and was abandoned a few years after. A short trek will take you to an airplane hangar, an old mine field and half-destroyed Soviet bunkers. There is also a decaying factory on the outskirts of Milovice. Visitor should be careful though, and the buildings are abandoned and no one around to protect you from falling debris.
The Lake at Luka
More of an artificial drainage pond than a lake, the Lake at Luka is a bit of a walk from any sort of public transport. However, the surrounding woods and steep mountain faces are absolutely stunning in the autumn. But watch out for a woman who knits in the nude; she interrupted several film students during a shoot this semester when she emerged from the trees without warning.
Nákladové Nádrazi Zizkov
Nákladové Nádrazi Zizkov is a train station that has been defunct for decades, but the freight loading area is still active. There is no real security or barriers, so it is fairly easy to wander around the tracks and the rotting platforms toward what appears to be a magical wasteland. Watch out for moving trains because the engine drivers do not always look even though they are fairly slow and it is unlikely you would get run over.
Sapa Market
Prague’s biggest ethnic minority are the Vietnamese, and the presence of their community is felt strongest at the huge, wholesale Vietnamese market where you can buy everything from winter clothing to a scalp massage. Some of the best Vietnamese food in Prague can be found here.
Geologicka
If you are looking for a forest that seems like it is straight out of a children’s book, this is a great place to explore. The Czech Republic has some of the best forests, but watch out for rain. Geologicka can seem like a swamp after rain, and the terrain is rendered uncrossable.
Neha Hirve is a foreign correspondent. Email her at [email protected].