DESTINATIONS PRAGUE | SHORT BREAKS PRAGUE STARE MESTO MALÁ STRANA WHY GO? WHY GO? The Old Town tends to heave with visitors, but Getting there is part of the fun. Across the Vltava River from that’s for good reason. It dates back to the Stare Mesto, Malá Strana is reached via the ornamental, statue- ninth century, and the system of haphazard dotted Charles Bridge. Once at the other side, it is thronging with laneways really hasn’t had much straightening tourists along the admittedly pretty main streets, but dive off the out since. The medieval maze comes with some main track and you’ll find gorgeous walled gardens, converted rather special Gothic and baroque architecture monasteries, lavish embassies and handsome palaces. thrown into the mix, while the main square is one of Europe’s most spectacular. This is WHAT TO DO where you can find the Old Town Hall – the The Karel Zeman Museum (muzeumkarlazemana.cz) is an cellars and chapel are open to visitors – and its unexpected treat, focusing on early movie special effects, while Astronomical Clock, whose moving figurines the Kafka Museum (kafkamuseum.cz) is just as disconcerting attract massive crowds. Elsewhere in Stare as the books of the author it honours. But Malá Strana is made Mesto, handsome houses host restaurants for mooching. Kampa Island offers parks, boat trips and some and pretty churches are full of arts and downright weird baby sculptures, while the Wallenstein Gardens treasures, while several weird little museums are one of several that make for a blissful escape. cover everything from Apple computers (applemuseum.com) to alchemy (alchemiae.cz). WHAT TO DO Art lovers are spoiled for choice – the Convent of St Agnes is an excellent bet for medieval art, while the Národní Galerie Praha in the Palác Kinských features modern conceptual pieces and Renaissance heavyweights. But perhaps the most interesting quarter of Stare Mesto is Josefov, the former Jewish ghetto. Many historic buildings have been preserved and brought together under the banner of the Jewish Museum (jewishmuseum.cz). These include four richly decorated synagogues, a Ceremonial Hall David Whitley ventures beyond the Charles Bridge to and the old cemetery. Most have exhibitions inside, and guided tours are available through see what really makes the City of a Hundred Spires tick Insight Cities (insightcities.com), which charges about £52 for a three-hour, scholar-led walk. ➣ 50 3 OCTOBER 2019 travelweekly.co.uk travelweekly.co.uk 3 OCTOBER 2019 51 DESTINATIONS PRAGUE | SHORT BREAKS WHERE TO stay HOTEL AMADEUS This highly affordable option in Žižkov has a few quirky touches on the way in. The entrance corridor is dotted with wine corks, while niches in the staircase have been VINOHRADY filled with bird cages and little plastic birds. The rooms are clean, ŽIŽKOV comfortable and equipped WHY GO? 3 OF THE BEST DAY TRIPS FROM PRAGUE with essentials such as Much quieter than the centre, but still boasting kettles and fridges – but plenty of magnificent architecture – neo- WHY GO? it’s fans rather than air gothic, baroque revival and renaissance Regularly billed as Prague’s Montmartre, Žižkov is ❂ Cesky Krumlov: Located in HRADCANY conditioning. Rooms start pastiche can be found within metres of each no-nonsense and quirky. The bar scene is plenty of southern Bohemia, this is one at £32. other – Vinohrady is where Prague’s well- fun, with many having gimmicks (such as Scalextric of the most beautiful towns on amadeushotel.cz WHY GO? Cathedral, Imperial Mausoleum, heeled live. That makes for a lot of good eating sets or vintage arcade games) without dipping into Earth. Built around a loop of This hilltop district is dominated gardens, and the Loreta pilgrimage cutesy alleyway known as Golden and a thriving coffee bar scene. pretentiousness. The Vítkov Hill, with its memorials the River Vltava, it is topped THE GOLDEN KEY by the Hrad – the largest castle complex opposite is a contrastingly Lane and the enormous Vladislav and statues, offers a mighty fine vantage point. by a fairy-tale-worthy painted On the busiest route on Earth – although go beyond dainty baroque effort. Hall – so big, jousting tournaments WHAT TO DO Žižkov is directly north of Vinohrady, and the two Renaissance castle, while through Malá Strana, it and there are some less busy used to be held there. Vinohrady is ideal for just wandering around neighbourhoods make for an interesting contrast. the rest is cobbled streets of this recently renovated sights to check out. The Černín WHAT TO DO Do Something Different sells a and admiring the buildings, but if you’re cuteness and frothing beer on joint goes in for lots of Palace is a stout behemoth that’s The Hrad is essentially a small town guided Prague Castle walking tour, after specific targets, then the Church of the WHAT TO DO riverside terraces. Isango sells a loving little features – closed to the public, but offers in its own right. Highlights include offering more detail than you’d get Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord is a bizarre If you want to explore the bars, then Viator sells a full-day trip starting at £72. free biscotti in the lobby, access to its tranquil formal the magnificent Gothic St Vitus’ going alone, for £44. masterpiece, with a giant circular clock and half-day Prague Žižkov Alternative tour for about antique-look furniture in what looks, from a distance, like armour £50, which covers the district’s history, as well as its ❂ Kutna Hora: This quirky, the rooms, and a hidden plating. For a view out over the city, head for drinking dens. The stylishly brutalist Žižkov Television 13th-century silver-mining town courtyard with dangling, Rieger Gardens, or in the winter months, take Tower is one of Prague’s icons. There’s an observation has plenty of history and a fab egg-shaped chairs. The a stroll around its pretty Christmas market. deck with superb views – and look out for the bizarre medieval cathedral. But the KARLIN attic rooms with original sculptures of babies clambering up the tower. real reason to visit is the Sedlec wooden beams have Ossuary. This incredibly creepy immense character. Rooms WHY GO? chapel is made with thousands cost from £74. Karlin is the antidote for when the better-known areas of human bones, stacked up and goldenkey.astenhotels.com of the city seem overrun. The riverside neighbourhood arranged as decoration. Viator took a beating in the 2002 floods, but the subsequent sells six-hour trips to Kutna LE PALAIS rejuvenation has been hugely impressive. The eye- Hora from Prague for £41. A vision of Vinohrady catching River City complex is full of striking modern grandeur, Le Palais architecture, while elsewhere, there’s a heavy ❂ Terezin: During the Second gets a regular stream of concentration of art nouveau buildings. World War, this former military locals popping in for spa fortress was used by the Nazis treatments. The vibe is of WHAT TO DO as a concentration camp belle époque comfortable It’s a great area for grazing – several good-quality for Jews. It was something refinement, there’s a bars and restaurants have opened up – but it’s also of a show camp, with token sizeable art collection a place where locals genuinely hang out. The coolest educational and cultural efforts and bathrooms come with example of this is Kasárna Karlin, a former barracks made in a bid to show the heated floors. Rooms cost turned cultural centre with galleries, outdoor movie camps weren’t so bad. But from £142. screenings and beach volleyball. The twin-spired, almost all the Jews who arrived Shutterstock; Prague City Tourism/Richard Horak; petersalek.com Horak; CityShutterstock; Prague Tourism/Richard lepalaishotel.eu rose-windowed Saints Cyril and Methodius Cathedral : in Terezin were later sent to a is an absolute beauty, too. death camp. Isango sells six- PICTURES hour round trips for about £52. 52 3 OCTOBER 2019 travelweekly.co.uk travelweekly.co.uk 3 OCTOBER 2019 53.