<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Visiting Prague:  ( Information correct mid-2004. )

I am coeliac and very sensitive to traces of gluten. My wife and I have
recently spent several weeks in Prague, Czech Republic. We stayed with our
son and his Czech partner.

Our main problem was to identify gluten free breads etc made from naturally
gluten free ingredients. ( No wheat starch. )

An Italian company, Schaer, produces such foods in a dedicated factory,
exporting throughout Europe - including the Czech Republic. The company’s
products are contained in rather rigid sealed plastic wrappings and have a
long shelf life.

For product information in English – including ingredients – go to:
www.schaer.com/  and open the English language page.

To view the equivalent products available in Prague go to:
www.bezlepka.prodejce.cz/nabidka.php    and click on ‘Schaer’ in the menu.
The Czech products have the same names as the Italian/English versions
although details on the packets are in Czech. If you carry a copy of the
English language version there’s no trouble identifying the Czech language
products. This website also contains a map showing how to get to the
Bezlepka shop, which is some distance from central Prague.

Schaer products are also available at a shop named BioProdejna at No 35
Husitska. ( Refer to a map of Prague. ) It takes about 30 minutes to walk to
this shop from the National Museum at the head of Wenceslas Square. ( One
needs to cross under the Wilsonova motorway. This can be done from adjacent
to the railway station. )

Alternatively, take the Metro from the Museum Metro station to Florence ( 2
stops ). Then either walk up Husitska or catch bus 133 to bus-stop ‘u
Pamatnika’ ( not quite far enough ) or bus-stop ‘Tachovske namesti’ ( a bit
too far ). These stops are about 2-3 stops from Florence Metro. Not far at
all.

In mid-2004 ( Prague summer ) the BioProdejna shop was open, Mon to Fri,
between 9.00 – 11.30 and 1200 – 1800. The shop also opened on Sat. 8.30 –
1200. ( The assistant did not speak English but could understand my
requirements. Best to take a printout of the Schaer products and a copy of
the gluten free ‘Czech words’ available from the Czech Coeliac Society
website. )

Both Bezlepka and BioProdejna have alternative products. e.g. Chocolate and
yoghurt coated rice biscuits.  Racio gluten free rice biscuits were
available in supermarkets. ( See the Czech Coeliac Society website. )

Fresh meat and tinned fish – e.g. salmon and tuna – were available at
supermarkets.

Restaurants: I only visited Czech restaurants when with family members
fluent in Czech. I usually carried a couple of Schaer buns ‘just in case’.
On several occasions waiters understood English. There were no ‘accidents’.

When exploring Prague I carried food – bread/bread rolls/small tin of
salmon/cheese/fruit etc  – in a daypack. ( A small plastic container to hold
a scoop or two of ice cream, plus a plastic spoon, was useful. Prague is hot
in summer. )

Toilets: ( Just in case!)

Metro stations have toilets. A small charge.
McDonalds: Two in Wenceslas Square and others elsewhere. Small charge.
Theatres: Toilets OK.
Restaurants: Toilets OK.

Airlines: We flew from New Zealand to Frankfurt via Singapore Airlines and
Lufthansa. Gluten free meals were prearranged. The service was excellent. On
the short flight from Frankfurt to Prague I was given a ‘normal’ biscuit
with the word ‘guten’ ( good ) on the packet. Do not mistake the German
‘guten’ for the English ‘gluten’!

Prague was beautiful and the Czech people very helpful.

Graeme
New Zealand

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