Karlovy LázněSam Corbett experiences five times the pleasure -- and five times the hype -- at Central Europe's biggest club
|
||||||
|
This article first appeared in The Prague Wanderer, a web magazine produced by students at New York University in Prague. If you have at least one working ear and any kind of social life here in Prague, odds are that you've heard of Karlovy lázně. Of course, it's more likely that you know it as "that five-story club." Karlovy lázně bills itself, a bit immodestly, as "five clubs for the price of one" and "the largest club in Central Europe." While these claims may be a slight exaggeration, the club perched on the edge of the Vltava river offers a breadth of music you won't find many other places. From the minute you join the long but well-organized line to get in the club, it is obvious that a uniquely Czech experience is not the main attraction here. Tourists from all over Europe abound, chattering loudly in their native tongues. I heard four or five languages just waiting to get inside. The nonexistent dress code and laid-back attitude typical of clubs in Prague is definitely an additional draw. "We've got one night in Prague, and heard this was the place to be," said Georgia McClintock, a 23-year-old university student from Brisbane, Australia. "With all the different dance floors, there's something for everyone!" Upon passing through the efficient security check and paying the 120 crown entrance fee (about $7), revelers can select a floor based on whatever music they happen to be in the mood for. Floor themes include one disco, one techno (dominated by Czech teenagers, and the most exclusive-feeling floor in the club), one R&B and hip-hop, and one with "chill-out" music and plenty of beanbag chairs to rest on. However, the real star of the club and consistently the most crowded dancefloor in the building is the whimsically named "Kaleidoskop" floor. Featuring the best of the '60s, '70s, and '80s remixed and blasted over an illuminated dancefloor straight out of Saturday Night Fever, it is the absolute place to be. (Speaking of Saturday Night Fever, I think it's safe to say that you'll never really appreciate the Bee Gees' vocal talent until you hear a rendition of Stayin' Alive co-performed by a dozen drunk Germans.) This floor also features the most diverse crowd, with the aforementioned tourists mixing with a small but vocal number of older Czech couples dancing their sexagenarian legs off. Whatever your musical taste, you can rest assured that you'll never be too far from a bar. With two or three fully stocked on every floor, a beer or a mixed drink is always within arm’s reach. The bartenders have clearly been trained to take advantage of unwitting tourists, asking with every drink, "I keep change? Tip?" as they gesture towards already-overflowing cups of coins. Despite this somewhat annoying behavior, drink prices themselves are what you would expect from the most touristy area of Prague, with a beer costing 40 crowns and a Red Bull-and-vodka 120. Red Bull was a huge help to me in getting my money's worth out of each dancefloor. The decor on the whole is fairly minimalist aside from the illuminated dance floor on the Kaleidoskop level, though most floors feature ample seating away from the packed dancers. The building, originally a 14th century bathhouse, has even retained emptied swimming pools as dance spaces on two floors (although you'd be hard-pressed to notice that with all the people who stuff themselves into them). A few neat design elements are littered throughout the club, including what their official website describes as the only "permanently installed three color laser" in the Czech Republic and a projector that shines on a cloud of artificial fog, but these are primarily novelties and don't especially add to the overall atmosphere (which is, like most large clubs, dominated by the heat and stickiness). As everywhere in Prague, club attendees would be wise to keep a close eye out for pickpockets. However, the club's overall attitude is extremely zen, with strangers in the bathroom attempting to overcome a language barrier just to talk about each other's hometowns. The only kind of fight I witnessed was an intense dance-off on the hip-hop floor. Is Karlovy lázně a true Prague experience? Well yes; it is, after all, near the Charles Bridge, but anyone looking to mingle with plenty of Czechs should probably look elsewhere. Is it a fun place to spend a full night out? Absolutely. By the time my group was ready to make the trek home, the sky was just beginning to lighten. We took the first metro of the day home, each humming a different song from a variety of genres, but all satisfied with our night. Karlovy lázně Smetanovo nábř. 198 Prague 1 Tel.: (+420) 222 220 502 Open: 21:00 - 05:00 Prague Directory Listing  Sam Corbett is in his third year at New York University, studying journalism and sociology. He is from Potomac, Maryland.• This article first appeared in The Prague Wanderer, a web magazine produced by students at New York University in Prague |
Article added on Wed 22nd Oct, 2008 [last updated Fri 24th Oct, 2008]Share this page 
|
| COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE | ||
| READ ALL NIGHTLIFE ARTICLES MORE NIGHTLIFE ARTICLES |
|
This Week in Prague (May 21-27, 2012) by Prague TV Concert & Party Preview Added on Mon 21st May, 2012 |
|
This Week in Prague (May 14-20, 2012) by Sam Beckwith Concert & Party Preview Added on Mon 14th May, 2012 (Last updated Mon 14th May, 2012) |
|
This Week in Prague (May 7-13, 2012) by Sam Beckwith Concert & Party Preview Added on Sun 6th May, 2012 (Last updated Sun 6th May, 2012) |
|
This Week in Prague (April 30-May 6, 2012) by Sam Beckwith Concert & Party Preview Added on Mon 30th Apr, 2012 (Last updated Mon 7th May, 2012) |
|
This Week in Prague (April 23-29, 2012) by Sam Beckwith The city's best concerts, parties and other happenings over the next seven days Added on Sun 22nd Apr, 2012 (Last updated Mon 7th May, 2012) |
|
This Week in Prague (April 16-22, 2012) by Sam Beckwith Concert & Party Preview Added on Sun 15th Apr, 2012 (Last updated Mon 7th May, 2012) |
|
This Week in Prague (April 9-15, 2012) by Sam Beckwith Concert & Party Preview Added on Sun 8th Apr, 2012 (Last updated Sun 8th Apr, 2012) |
|
This Week in Prague (April 2-8, 2012) by Sam Beckwith Concert & Party Preview Added on Sun 1st Apr, 2012 (Last updated Sun 1st Apr, 2012) |
|
This Week in Prague (March 26-April 1) by Sam Beckwith Concert & Party Preview Added on Sun 25th Mar, 2012 (Last updated Sun 1st Apr, 2012) |
|
This Week in Prague (March 19-25) by Sam Beckwith Concert & Party Preview Added on Sun 18th Mar, 2012 (Last updated Sun 1st Apr, 2012) |
|
This Week in Prague (March 12-18) by Sam Beckwith Concert & Party Preview Added on Sun 11th Mar, 2012 (Last updated Sun 1st Apr, 2012) |
|
This Week in Prague (March 5-11, 2012) by Sam Beckwith Concert & Party Preview Added on Sun 4th Mar, 2012 (Last updated Sun 4th Mar, 2012) |
|
This Week in Prague (February 27-March 4, 2012) by Prague TV Concert & Party Preview Added on Sun 26th Feb, 2012 (Last updated Mon 27th Feb, 2012) |
|
This Week in Prague (February 20-26, 2012) by Prague TV Concert & Party Preview Added on Sun 19th Feb, 2012 (Last updated Mon 20th Feb, 2012) |
|
Prague New Year's Eve Events 2011/12 by Prague TV Prague TV's Party Guide Added on Thu 10th Nov, 2011 (Last updated Thu 29th Dec, 2011) |
| READ ALL NIGHTLIFE ARTICLES |
Visit the Nightlife main page
Find listings, help forums, tips and more
Cloud 9 Sky Bar & Lounge
Cloud 9 sky bar & lounge - the first true sky bar in Prague. Come,...
Lucerna Music Bar
The best 80's party in the town!
Aloha Cocktail Bar & Music Club Praha
It is a venue for all with taste to discover the Hawaiian flavour.
Bar and Books Manesova
New York City's latest export to Prague's exclusive Vinohrady neigh...
M1 Lounge
Hip upscale lounge club...
MORE ARTICLES
Prague TV Home | Contact | About | FAQ | Site Map | Search | Advertise | Privacy | Terms of Service
Prague TV is a Real Time Production. ©2012 All rights reserved.
