Sir Toby's Hostel (Prague, Czech Republic) will ring in its 10th birthday with a bang this 25 June – 4 July, 2009 with ten days of giveaways, laughter, reminiscing, music – featuring the likes of local favorite Afrodisiak – and more! Here we take ten minutes to reflect on the last ten amazing and eccentric Sir Toby's years with founder and owner, Mathias Schwender.
It all began on a sunny July day in 1999, when Sir Toby's Hostel opened with just two rooms and ten beds. Now, ten years later, this traditional backpacker hostel boasts seven floors and over 100 beds. It has become a home-away-from-home for thousands of backpackers from around the world.
Mathias Schwender reflects on how it all began, "I have always enjoyed hosting but didn't have any experience with hostels. I just thought I would do it the way I would want it as a guest." And thus began the journey of Sir Toby's.
For guests looking to make some friends while traveling, the Pub at Sir Toby's is the ideal place. The brick walls are decked out with old photographs, and the smells of pancakes and eggs from the massive breakfast spread linger in the air. With Czech beer on tap, the pub creates a perfect environment for mixing and mingling. And, if you are interested in getting schooled on Czech culture, there are regular Czech film showings.
When asked about his hopes for Sir Toby's ten years down the road, Schwender smiled and said, "I hope that in ten years we will be celebrating a 20-year anniversary and that many of the same people will still be around."
For additional information about the birthday festival visit www.sirtobys.com/birthday.
