Prague

Getting There

Fly into Václav Havel Airport (PRG). The city is 4 hours by train from Vienna, 5 from Berlin — both scenic and comfortable, worth considering if you're doing a Central European trip. Within the city, the metro is clean, cheap, and covers all the main areas.

The Old Town

Prague's historic core is one of the most complete medieval city centres in Europe — the bombs and the postwar planners largely left it alone. The Astronomical Clock on Old Town Square is best avoided at the hour when the tourist crowds gather to watch the figures emerge; view it from the square at other times. Walk across Charles Bridge in the dark or at dawn when the street performers and selfie-stick sellers haven't arrived.

Malá Strana (the Lesser Town below the castle) is the most beautiful neighbourhood in the city — baroque palaces, hidden gardens, and a pedestrian street life that hasn't been entirely colonised by the tourist trade.

Prague Castle

The largest castle complex in the world by area, dominating the city from the western hill. The St. Vitus Cathedral inside the complex is magnificent. The Golden Lane (a row of tiny coloured houses built into the castle fortification) is charming and worth the modest entrance fee. Come early or late in the day.

Beer

Czech lager — specifically Pilsner Urquell and the local Prague brands — is consumed on a cultural level here. The correct place to drink it is a traditional pub (hospoda) rather than a tourist bar. Order it at the bar, not the table, and expect it to cost a fraction of what beer costs in Western Europe. Svíčková (beef sirloin in cream sauce with bread dumplings) is the correct accompaniment.

When to Go

May, June, September, and October. Christmas markets in December are genuinely excellent if you don't mind the cold. July and August are very crowded. The city doesn't really have a bad season but has increasingly severe over-tourism pressure in peak months.