Botanicus

I'm a terrible gift buyer but luckily I've found a store here in Prague called Botanicus. It has lovely all natural soaps, body washes, cooking oils, herbs, handmade paper and many more goodies. A gift for everyone!

But more than just solving my gift needs, Botanicus gave me a lovely weekend adventure. It turns out that all those lovely natural products are grown just down the road from Prague in a little village called Ostrá. Besides having never ending French, English and wild gardens, Botanicus has also built its own village from the 1500s. The village is built to scale from authentic materials that would have been used 500 years ago. A few times during the summer there are medieval days where artisans work on candles, wool, blacksmithing in the small houses; jesters and theater troops perform in the streets and cozy outdoor theater; and baked goods full of fruits, jams and poppy seeds are sold at every turn.

I went with three teens and a mom and there was something for everyone. Mom spent lots of time smelling the flowers and enjoying the serenity of the gardens. The boys found a small labyrinth made from bushes and spent a long time chasing each other through the hidden trails. We young ladies enjoyed all the flaky warm pastries and dodging in and out of tiny doorways leading to novelties to smell, touch and try.

The train ride there had been full of energy and excitement and card playing. On the way back to Prague we were all quiet, dreaming of our lives we left back in the 1500s at Botanicus.

www.botanicus.cz