Cafe After Dark on Wheels (Portal of Prague)

Cafe After Dark on Wheels

As a part of the Světluška project, the Café After Dark has set off from Prague to tour the country. The café travels in a darkened bus which is divided inside into cosy boxes.

Oskar Exner
16. July 2012

Now the whole country can enjoy the experience

The Světluška Foundation, which designed the Café After Dark project, has enhanced its service and hit the road. Now people who live outside of Prague will get the chance to try something unusual, to drink coffee in the dark. They have probably learned from the media that coffee suddenly changes and has better taste. Everyone who has tried it can confirm that. Eight friends of Světluška cut the ceremonial tape of the original café on wheels: Aneta Langerová, Hana Maciuchová, Tomáš Klus, Klára Issová, Pavel Nový, Ondřej Brzobohatý, Anna Polívková and Lucie Výborná.

To relay on others

“I would feel disappointed if I couldn’t try the café just because I don’t live close to Prague,” said the radio presenter Lucie Výborná, who knows the café very well. “Coffee tastes much better there. I gained another interesting experience as well. When you enter the café with your guide you are holding his hand. As soon as you step into darkness you suddenly find out that his hand is steady because this person is self-confident while you lost all confidence. Sitting in darkness is quit enjoyable.”

Each box is inspiring

“You see the world with fresh eyes on the bus. You just let others to lead you and trust those who are used to living in darkness. The well-coordinated team of blind staff members will usher you into one of six boxes and before they bring you coffee you can keep discovering the organic, graceful forms that fill the space. Each box is upholstered with a different tactile material that stimulates the imagination. In this dark and grey world, you can find your way around just by touch. Soon enough you discover that the world under its dark canopy can be surprisingly kind, brimming full of sensations and inspirations,” said Martina Kaderková, who is the director of the Czech Radio Foundation.

Cup as a souvenir

The café is open daily at 8 pm at all its stops. The first stop is in Ostrava, followed by other towns in the Czech Republic. Everyone who visits the unusual café donates CZK 100 to Světluška, and gets a cup to remind him of this unusual experience. There are many people in Prague who already have a full cup collection from Světluška Café.

16. July 2012
16. July 2012

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Responsibility:: Editorial Office

Stops of the Café After Dark bus

13. - 15. 7. Ostrava, OC Nová Karolina
27. - 28. 7. Uherské Hradiště, LFŠ
25. - 26. 8. Praha, Zoo
9. - 12. 9. Brno, centrum
14. - 16. 9. Jičín, Fairytale Town
21. 9. Říčany, Masaryk Square
29. - 30. 9. Hradec Králové, centrum
6. - 7. 10. Písek, Film Festival

They said about Café After Dark:

“The visit of the mobile Café After DARK was a unique experience. I became silent and humble. I applaud Světluška and thank it that I could spend time in the pleasant company of Aneta Langerová and Tomáši Klus. From all my heart I also give thanks for such graceful service and the kind navigation of Katka,” said actress Hana Maciuchová.
“I know the café and its ambience very well. Still I get very much surprised by people’s imagination. Darkness is slowly becoming my home,” said Aneta Langerová, who is the patron of Světluška.
“I became a witness of the landscapes that are beyond description. I wish to all others to see the light in the darkness,” said the musician Tomáš Klus.
“It was an interesting experience. Instead of being scared I felt relieved. My senses were able to rest in the pleasant environment, “said the actress Kláry Issová.
“I fully recommend that, it is a great experience worth visiting,” said the actor and sportsman Pavel Nový.
“Thank you Světluška for this experience. A person is filled by peace, all social tension is gone, and you don’t have to chat. You can just sit and watch the darkness. That is more than it may seem. And the coffee just tastes different,” added the actress Anna Polívková.