The “chata” trip (a Czech word that translates to cottage or cabin in English) had caught my attention even before my arrival in Prague. It was one of the only trips where everyone would be sharing a house together, sharing a home as a family. I was eager to make the most of the NYU-sponsored (yes, that means free!) trips around the Czech Republic, and staying in a cabin with my friends sounded like a perfect escape from the bustle of the city.
Day One
September 12, 2025
Our adventure began at the early hours of 7:30 in the Máchova lobby. RAs Markéta and Hana were accompanying us on this trip, and Cathy and Vašek were joining us at Osadní. I handed the bus driver my suitcase, unable to stifle my yawn. I grabbed a window seat (perks of being the first to be picked up) and settled in. By the time we arrived at Osadní, quiet conversations had replaced the silence. As we waited for the others to board the bus, Chris began asking if anyone had brought a speaker. Rosa had just entered, but she offered to head back to her room to grab it. And thus our road trip began with a unique (horrible) mix of pop, reggae covers, European rave music, and Korean R&B. The entirety of the speaker’s battery life was dedicated to this soundtrack as we watched the scenery shift from ham factories and narrow streets to open fields and winding dirt paths. I adore the cobblestone streets of Prague, but I was looking forward to being surrounded by nature.
After around four hours of driving, we found ourselves outside our home for the weekend: an adorable cabin in the Krkonoše Mountains. By the time I had unloaded my bags, everyone had scrambled to scout the best rooms in the chata. Vicky and I secured a small double on the second floor, and the sloped ceiling was reminiscent of Harry Potter. Though it was considerably tinier than my Máchovian dorm, I was looking forward to the cozy living situation.
In the end, we all agreed on our favorite room: the common area, surrounded by windows framed by checkered curtains. The natural lighting remained gorgeous throughout the entire trip, and the wooden tables provided the perfect setting for our games and our meals.
After putting our bags away and grabbing extra layers of clothes, we met Vašek and the RAs on the porch. A bag full of bananas and Tatranky (delicious wafer bars) awaited us, and they promised us Bageterie Boulevard sandwiches when we arrived at the beginning of our hike. More important than the food, however, were the ponchos they were generously providing. Having brought no raincoat with me to Prague (I stick to my umbrellas), I eagerly stored a poncho inside Chris’ backpack.
We filed back onto the bus, and within twenty minutes we were at the base of Mount Sněžka. Thankfully, most of our uphill journey was to be done from the comfort of a cable car. I was among the first group to board, accompanied by Hana, Greta, and Nic. The view from the car was gorgeous, but it was slowly swallowed by the fog that surrounded our exit point.
We began the trek in high spirits, bolstered by the warmth from hiking to ward off the misty chill. Just as I was beginning to regret putting on another shirt, the rain started. And it didn’t stop. I grabbed the poncho and slid it over myself as other students did the same. We became a very colorful group amidst the grey sky and green foliage, though we slowly separated into distinct clusters of people. I was in the middle clump with Kamen and Ashley.
By the time we had fought against the rain and the wind to make it to the peak, Vašek had news for us: we were in the midst of a storm. He promised that we would begin our descent in half an hour, but he had determined it was safest for us to wait out the heaviest downpour.
We spent our time buying overpriced drinks in the cafe and warming up in the various buildings at the top. The fog turned everything into vague shapes, creating an otherworldly atmosphere. It felt like we were on another planet.
Vašek stuck an NYU sticker on the building… try to find it on the next chata trip!
On our downhill trek, the sky began to clear, revealing a gorgeous rainbow that stretched across the sky. Everyone immediately pulled out their phones and cameras, snapping multiple photos of the sight. Even though we still had six kilometers to walk, the beautiful view provided a much-needed energy boost. It seemed like a reward for braving the hike.
The sun continued to make its appearance, shooing the clouds away to reveal a bright blue sky. We even came across a river at one point, and Ashley and Rosa went down to further explore it. Everything appeared so vivid after the constant fog, and it was a wonderful contrast to the first part of our hike.
Ashley snapped this one of Rosa.
Arriving back at the chata, I quickly shucked off my shoes and headed to the common room. Kamen had brought The Mind, a team game about attempting telepathy with your friends in order to place your cards in numerical order. It proved to be tricky, and we spent several rounds losing immediately before the RAs and Vašek made an announcement. Everyone gathered around as they explained that we would be divided into two groups for cooking: the first would make dinner that night and breakfast the next morning, and the second would repeat that the following days.
I raised my hand along with most of the girls to cook dinner for the first night, but Ashley and I volunteered to do most of the cleaning. She also suggested going outside to cut flowers for the table. Vašek allowed us to borrow a pair of scissors, and Hana joined us in frolicking around the field. We ran around in the brush, searching for a variety of colors for the table. It took some effort to compile bouquets that we were happy with, but it was absolutely worth it. “What if we sneak up on the girls in the kitchen?” Ashley suggested, grinning. We crept around the cabin, hunching over in an attempt to avoid being seen. She rapped on the window, and they immediately opened it. The smell that wafted out was incredible.
We headed back inside, and dinner was served! Everyone helped themselves to at least two servings of the delicious pasta, and the RAs even surprised us with hot chocolate. Kamen then proposed a game: mafia. While most of us were familiar with the rules, a long explanation was provided for those who were not – it involved a lot of discussion about what roles different people were used to playing (example: Cupid?), whether or not to reveal the identities of those who “died”, and how much the narrator was allowed to say in the story. Nevertheless, all fourteen of us crowded around the table, shoving our hands into the center to allow the narrator(s) to select the roles. Giggles remained a constant sound throughout each round. People argued and debated over who the killers were, hurling accusations across the table. Rivalries lasted several games (r.i.p. Chris and Miles), and innocents often became the scapegoats for the lucky mafia.
After a few chaotic rounds, I was ready to head to bed. While we began clearing the plates, people began discussing plans to get pivo (beer) at the nearby pub. Eventually, most of the students agreed to make the fifteen minute walk in the chilly darkness. I decided to hang out in the kitchen along with several other students and RAs. We chatted, amazed at Vašek’s diligent toothbrushing agenda. At the end of Ashley’s ingenious, lengthy organization of the dishwasher, we discovered another issue—the dishwasher was broken. None of the buttons worked, and it seemed like handwashing was our only option.
The RAs assured us that they would help us the next morning with the dishes, and we bade each other good night. The others returned from the pub, and I listened to Chris’ lengthy culinary aspirations for their dinner the next day before I headed to bed.
Day Two
September 13, 2025
Before we ventured on the next hike, we were warned to be very careful about ticks. But they weren’t encouraging us to be cautious about the bug – instead, we had to watch out for clothespins being attached to us. At the beginning of the hike, two clothespins were randomly given to people. Those people had only one mission: to get rid of the “tick” by placing it on someone else. The Fairy Tale hike had random checkpoints along its path: at each stop, everyone would be scanned for these “ticks”. Whoever had a tick on them gained a point, and the final person with the most points would then receive a “punishment”. After the ticks were taken off, they were redistributed to other players by one of the RAs before we continued on.
Sorry, Chris…
As expected, pandemonium ensued. I eyed everyone around me with intense suspicion. Not even the previous rounds of mafia had prepared me to question all of these friendships. I was given the ticks twice in a row: the first time, I happened to place it on Kamen’s backpack. Only minutes later did I watch him place his own tick on Rosa’s hoodie. My second turn prompted me to clip the clothespin to Angelina’s jacket, where the color happened to perfectly blend in. Other friends began to notice the tick, and we hid our laughter each time she rearranged her jacket, unsuspecting of the danger she was in. It wasn’t until ten minutes later when she realized. Each round, the difficulty either increased or was changed. The number of ticks remained inconsistent, and no one was safe.
Chris’s camera came in handy!
We passed by some adorable highland cows while we were walking. Though we were only able to view them from a distance, Max later went back to take better photos of them!
The hike had playground equipment along various sections of the trail, and several of us took turns climbing this slide. There were a few families who had also stopped, and I had to watch several children succeed before I felt emboldened enough to clamber up the wooden structure. Vašek also got a video of me jumping off from the end! That was honestly the scariest part.
Joe made it!
Eventually, we stopped for lunch at the pub the others had visited the previous night. While we were ordering, Vašek announced that there was a sauna available for those who wanted to use it. The chata had one, but it wasn’t going to be working while we were staying there. After eating, I headed back to the cabin with Ashley, Hana, and the rest of the guys. I was eager to use our free time playing a game of Catan, which Max, Chris, Kamen, and Miles had been thoroughly invested in.
Ashley caught this cute photo of us.
The afternoon passed by in a blur. Our game of Catan lasted over an hour, and it was nearly time for dinner by the time Kamen had won. Before they started cooking, I joined Chris and Kamen on a short walk. We came across some cows, and Chris attempted to lure them towards us with jazz (spoiler: it didn’t work). We even managed to synchronize all three of our phones to make the music louder, but the cows remained disinterested.
That night, we were scheduled to have a bonfire! Max, Ashley, Nic, and I took turns chopping firewood for our smores and sausages. But before we could enjoy our treats, the boys ran into a problem: the meat for our taco dinner was spoiled. Four pounds of ground beef went into the trash, but the guys in the kitchen worked hard to make sure we still had food to eat.
The fire was a much-needed relief. We all gathered around the flames, carefully roasting our marshmallows a crispy, golden brown. I ate at least three smores, and I also tried the cheese that Vašek showed me how to cook in the embers. The crackling sounds combined with the sound of chatter to create a cozy atmosphere. Looking up, I could see so many stars in the sky.
Rosa caught this moment!
After we were full, Vašek and the RAs asked if we wanted to do a “special activity”. I won’t spoil the surprise too much here, but I definitely recommend participating in the game. A certain someone dresses up as a green water goblin, and it’s absolutely worth it.
Day Three
September 14, 2025
It was an understatement to say we were sad to be leaving. Despite Ashley and Vašek having performed an impassioned rain dance the previous night, the weather refused to improve. It was determined that we wouldn’t be doing the final hike of the trip for safety reasons, and we were going to be heading back to Prague a little earlier.
We drove to a restaurant about an hour away, and Vašek surprised us with dessert to make up for the early return. The bus ride back was calm and sleepy, and I was ready to do my laundry when I got back to Máchova.
Attending the chata trip made me even more excited to attend future NYU Prague trips! The memories I made here are ones I’ll never forget. Even now, I’m able to joke with others about our time on Mount Sněžka and the rivalries that playing mafia created. As cliche as it sounds, this was a once-in-a lifetime experience that has made my semester even more special.