U Fleků is a
pub
A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...
and
microbrewery
Craft beer is beer manufactured by craft breweries, which typically produce smaller amounts of beer than larger "macro" breweries and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as emphasising enthusiasm, ne ...
in
Prague
Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
,
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
. It occupies buildings around a central courtyard at Křemencova 11 in
New Town
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz (South Korean band), The Boyz
* New (album), ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
** New (Paul McCartney song), "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013
* New (EP), ''New'' (EP), ...
, (Praha 1), not far from the
National Theatre. The front facade of the building has an old, highly decorated clock above its door.
History
Originally a family business, the pub was founded in 1499,
and therefore celebrated its 500th anniversary in 1999. It has been referred to as the oldest brewery in Prague. In 1762 the brewery was bought by Jakub Flekovský, which gave its current name: ''U Fleků'' means in
Czech
Czech may refer to:
* Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe
** Czech language
** Czechs, the people of the area
** Czech culture
** Czech cuisine
* One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus
*Czech (surnam ...
"At the Fleks'".
After
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
the company was nationalized, and control was transferred to a board of management appointed by the state. Following the
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution () or Gentle Revolution () was a non-violent transition of power in what was then Czechoslovakia, occurring from 17 November to 28 November 1989. Popular demonstrations against the one-party government of the Communist Pa ...
, the company was privatized.
The pub today
Customers can sit in the open air "beer garden" (on the model of the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
''
Biergarten'') or inside in the pub. There are eight halls (rooms) to choose from, with the most famous one, with its original designs, called “Academy” (). Most of the halls are open for large groups only (with total seating for 1200 people). Customers sit at, and often share, long wooden tables and benches. Often strolling accordion and/or tuba players provide entertainment, and some customers like to sing along. On some nights, there is also a live cabaret show (fee, reservations needed). It features international dance routines (including Czech polka) and comedy.
There is a detailed
museum
A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private colle ...
tour in the former malt house building of the brewery, mainly explaining the brewing process over the centuries, with original machinery on display, and with taped audio (including English), (fee, reservations needed). There is also a tour of the brewery during the week, with a short film,
beer tasting, and souvenir (fee, reservations needed). Visitors can also purchase an array of souvenirs at their gift shop, including a multitude of beer steins.
Tall dark wood panels decorate the walls, including some paintings and plaques. One plaque that hangs on the pub's wall commemorates the founding at the pub of
HNK Hajduk Split
Hrvatski Nogometni klub Hajduk Split, commonly referred to as Hajduk Split (), is a Croatian professional Association football, football Football team, club based in Split, Croatia, Split, that competes in the Croatian First Football League, Cro ...
, a successful
Croatia
Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
n football club from
Split
Split(s) or The Split may refer to:
Places
* Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia
* Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay
* Split Island, Falkland Islands
* Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua
Arts, enter ...
(then also a part of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire
Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...
). The club was founded in 1908 but registered by Austrian authorities in 1911. The club was founded by group of students from Split (Fabijan Kaliterna, Lucijan Stella, Ivan Šakić and Vjekoslav Ivanišević). They went to the pub right after the match between
Sparta Prague
Athletic Club Sparta Praha (), commonly known as Sparta Prague and Sparta Praha, is a professional football club based in Prague.
It is the most successful club in the Czech Republic and one of the most successful in central Europe, winning t ...
and
Slavia Prague
Sportovní klub Slavia Praha – fotbal (Sports Club Slavia Prague – Football, ), commonly known as Slavia Praha or Slavia Prague, is a Czech professional football club in Prague. Founded in 1892, they are the second most successful club in t ...
and liked the sport so much that they decided to bring the game to their Dalmatian hometown.
Brewing
The pub has two kinds of beer, these being dark and light
lager
Lager (; ) is a Type of beer, style of beer brewed and Brewing#Conditioning, conditioned at low temperature. Lagers can be Pale lager, pale, Amber lager, amber, or Dark lager, dark. Pale lager is the most widely consumed and commercially availab ...
. Both are 5 percent
alcohol
Alcohol may refer to:
Common uses
* Alcohol (chemistry), a class of compounds
* Ethanol, one of several alcohols, commonly known as alcohol in everyday life
** Alcohol (drug), intoxicant found in alcoholic beverages
** Alcoholic beverage, an alco ...
ABV, brewed at 13°
plato
Plato ( ; Greek language, Greek: , ; born BC, died 348/347 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher of the Classical Greece, Classical period who is considered a foundational thinker in Western philosophy and an innovator of the writte ...
. The beers, ''Flekovský Tmavý Ležák 13°'' ("The Flek Dark Lager at 13°P"), also known as ''Flekovská třináctka'' ("The Flek Thirteen"), and ''Flekovský Světlý Ležák 13°'' ("The Flek Lighter Lager at 13°P") are brewed on the premises and are not available anywhere else.
Traditional Czech meals are served. Prices are considerably higher than other local pubs, and beer is served in measures of 40cl as opposed to the 50cl standard in almost all other Czech pubs. However, it is well worth it as the dark beer is thought by some to be the best in Prague.
References
External links
''Ufleku.cz''- Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:U Fleku
Breweries in the Czech Republic
Buildings and structures in Prague
Tourism in Prague
1499 establishments in Europe
Drinking establishments in Europe
Food and drink companies based in Prague
pubs