Prague Districts: Nusle - part II.

Note: click here for Nusle – part I.

Families and children
Nusle is not one of Prague’s most user-friendly neighborhoods, and around the main thoroughfares the environment is not particularly healthy for children as the streets are busy and noisy.

Another option to consider is Corinthia Towers Hotel, which organises events for children and families, such as seasonally-themed brunches.

Although facilities for kids may be limited in Nusle, the neighbourhood is within easy reach of the city center, with all that it has to offer. In addition, Nusle is next door to the Vyšehrad monument, which has plenty of green space for running around in, and Vršovice, where kids can play in the Havlíčkovy sady park (see Vršovice II article), for example.

Generál Kutlvašr Square

Education
As there are no international elementary or high schools exist in Nusle, non-Czech students will have to travel further afield to study. Alternatively, expat children who speak Czech can attend local schools. There are no Czech or international colleges or universities in Nusle, although a number of Charles University departments are based in nearby Albertov, between Nusle and the city center.

Sport and leisure
As with other categories in this article, sports facilities are limited in Nusle. Despite what you might think, the large, box-like communist-era building at Folimanka, just below the Nusle Bridge on the Vinohrady side, is not a multi-purpose sports center but the home of a local basketball team. However, Vršovice and the city center, both of which have more to offer in terms of sports facilities, are close by (see Vršovice II article).

Further away, beyond Pražského povstání metro station is the Stadion na Děkance, an athletics complex and football field; use is by appointment only. The TJ Pankrác sports club is also based near Pražského povštání metro station and is open to the public. It offers basketball, floorball and volleyball among others.

Entertainment and culture
The most visible cultural facility in Nusle is the white bulk Prague Congress Center, formerly the Palác Kultury or Palace of Culture, which overlooks the Nusle Bridge. It was built in the 1970s as a a venue for communist party conferences and, as its name suggests, was also a cultural center. The Congress Center underwent an extensive refurbishment between 1998 and 2000 and is now a player on the international conference venue scene. It’s also as venue for big-name concerts.

Prague Congress Center

Shopping and services
Shopping in Nusle can be described as “traditional”, with an emphasis on small, locally-owned stores. The area has not seen an invasion of the large supermarkets or hypermarkets that have appeared rapidly elsewhere in Prague in recent years, although Tesco has a limited presence in Nusle in the form of a small, Tesco Metro-type shop on Nuselská. The vast Eden shopping center, which includes a giant Tesco supermarket, is easily accessible from Nusle.

Eating out
Like shopping, the dining scene in Nusle is characterized by lots of neighborhood restaurants and the usual mix of establishments, both existing and more recent, serving typical Czech food, as well as pizzerias and Chinese restaurants. While Nusle is not known for high-end dining, you can still enjoy a decent and reasonably priced meal there.

If you want traditional Czech food in traditional surroundings, you could try Koliba U Pastýřky, conveniently located on Bělehradská, one of the main routes through Nusle. Traditional Czech cuisine in a more modern setting is served at Chapadlo.

Not strictly speaking in Nusle, but with good views over it from a restaurant terrace is the popular U Zvonařky. On the other side of the Nusle Bridge, with an a equally high position and even higher prices, are the Corinthia Towers restaurants Let’s Eat, The Grill, and Rickshaw.

Healthcare
There are no hospitals in Nusle, but the maternity hospital commonly known as U Apolináře is located close to the New Town side of the Nusle Bridge. Otherwise, the nearest hospital is the Fakultní nemocnice Královské Vinohrady (teaching hospital). There are also doctors and dentists surgeries in the neighborhood – check out the Poliklinika Nuselská for example.

SUMMARY

Strengths
•    Range of reasonably-priced restaurants

Weaknesses
•    Lack of facilities for children
•    Lack of cultural facilities
•    Distance from international schools
•    Range of sports facilities could be better

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OTHER PRAGUE DISTRICTS:

Vinohrady (Prague 2) – part I., part II.
Žižkov (Prague 3) – part I., part II.
Nusle (Prague 4) – part I., part II.
Smíchov (Prague 5) – part I., part II.
Dejvice (Prague 6) – part I., part II.
Holešovice (Prague 7) – part I., part II. Karlín (Prague 8) – part I., part II.

Vršovice (Prague 10) – part I., part II.