Olympijský Park

As most of you are aware, the 2014 Winter Olympics took place in Sochi, Russia. Since this location is relatively close to the Czech Republic, an Olympic Village was erected in Prague for its inhabitants and tourists in order to promote the Olympic games and support the Czech athletes. Twee and I ventured there last weekend to see what all the hype was about. The admission fee was only 50kč (~$2.50)!

Me & Twee

Country Flags

We began our day with a lap around the park. This gave us the opportunity to see the various options within the Olympic Village. Approximately five minutes into this walk, we decided we were already hungry and bought sausages on a roll, and later, some hot apple cider. Then, we found a cute abominable snowman, and naturally, had to take a picture with him. 

During the walk, we saw this blow up igloo and were curious to discover what we would find inside.

There were television screens hooked up to Wii game consoles, where people were playing the Wii Winter Sports games. It was a great way to stay warm and pretend you were an athlete competing at the real Olympic games via simulation.

Many Czechs have their own skis, snowboards, sleds, and skates, which they gladly brought with them to the Olympic Park. If you brought your own gear, you only had to pay the entrance fee. Otherwise, you had to pay to rent equipment. Artificial snow was created in order to make the experience feel authentic. We saw the following sports being played:

Cross-Country Skiing

Biathlon

Luge-Skeleton-Bobsled Combo

Alpine Skiing

Snowboarding

Curling

I was most interested in curling, but unfortunately, there was a really long line, and we didn't feel like waiting that long to play. Instead, we rented ice skates and went "speed skating". They created a special ice rink for the Olympic Village, one that was really long and thin, winding itself all over the park. It was definitely a different experience from your typical ice rink. 

Speed Skating

They ran out of women's skates in my size, so for the first time ever, I had to wear men's hockey skates. If I'm being honest, I hated them because they did not provide tons of support. Nevertheless, we skated for nearly two hours.

I made some new friends on the ice. There were people dressed as extra cushiony cartoon characters and superheroes for children. 

We "won" Gold and Silver in Speed Skating and, uhhh, everyone else got disqualified! 

Then, of course, there were giant screens located throughout the park so people could watch and enjoy the actual Olympic games. 

At nighttime, there were DJs playing music and lights to illuminate the park and arenas. Overall, Twee and I had a great day. This was the first time the Czech Republic decided to do something like this, but I do not think it will be their last. Based on the amount of people at Letná Park, the Olympic Village created more awareness for the games and Czech athletes as well as generated tons of revenue. We wondered why the States never thought up something so cool. Then again, if they did, it would cost an arm and a leg to participate.