Prague Districts: Košíře - part II.

There is no English-speaking school provision in Košíře; the closest international school is the private Lycée Français in nearby Smíchov, which serves French speakers.

As elsewhere in Prague, expat parents can send their children to Czech nursery elementary and high schools in the area.

In terms of higher education, Motol Hospital (see below) is a teaching facility of the First Faculty of Medicine of Charles University, and part of the Second Faculty of Medicine is located in Košíře.

As Košíře is a predominantly residential area, those living in the district go elsewhere for culture and entertainment. In terms of theater, the small Divadlo Orfeus stages regular productions (Czech only).  Otherwise, Smíchov is the nearest area with a range of facilities (See Smíchov – Part I article), and downtown Prague is quite accessible from Košíře.

Shops in the neighborhood are concentrated almost exclusively along the main routes of Plzeňská and Vrchlického, and consist mainly of small independent stores, with a mix similar to that found in main thoroughfares in neighborhoods such as Vršovice or Vinohrady.

When it comes to supermarkets and mall shopping, Košíře has a small Albert Supermarket, but there is a much greater retail choice in Smíchov. The Nový Smíchov shopping mall, including a Tesco hypermarket, was developed as part of the regeneration of Smíchov and has impacted on Košíře, as many residents do their weekly shopping in the adjoining neighborhood.

Košíře is not blessed with an abundance of restaurants, but of course nearby Smíchov offers a much better selection. Typical neighborhood restaurants are located along the main drags of Plzeňská and Vrchlického.  On the other side of Kukulova Road, beyond Motol, is the Starý Pivovar Hotel and restaurant, which serves traditional Czech food.

As with shopping and entertainment, the choice of sports facilities is limited in Košíře itself, although the neighborhood is home to the private Golf Klub Praha (GKP), stretching southwards from Plzeňská, and the course is one of only a few in Prague. On the opposite side of Plzeňská, close to Motol Hospital, you’ll find the Koupaliště Motol, a small stretch of water where you can swim if you’re hardy enough.

There is a much better range of sports facilities in nearby Smíchov or Radlice. In the latter district you’ll find the Sportovní Klub Motorlet complex, which includes a swimming pool and tennis courts, and the Fitness Station gym. The vast Strahov stadium, which is easily accessible from Košíře by bus, also has a swimming pool. See the Smíchov – part II article for information about sports facilities there.

Košíře is probably most familiar to expats as the location of Prague’s most well-known hospitals, Nemocnice Motol and Nemocnice na Homolce next door. Both are publicly-funded hospitals.

Both hospitals are regarded as offering the best public and most specialist public healthcare in the Czech Republic. Motol is widely acknowledged to be a leader in areas such as pediatrics and cardiology.

In terms of catering for expats, Motol has a department for non-Czech patients, a special private premium care department. Nemocnice Na Homolce also treats expats and has English-speaking staff.

Payment arrangements for the hospitals depend on your residence status. For example, if you are an EU citizen, you are automatically part of EU-wide public healthcare system and you should take your healthcare card when visiting the hospital. If you are not an EU citizen, you have a number of options, including Czech health insurance or an international health insurance policy.

•    Easy access to two of Prague’s main hospitals