3 days in Prague

Morning

Settle in and walk the Royal Route to Old Town Square

Ease off the journey with a gentle stroll from the Powder Tower along Celetná Street into Old Town Square, where the Týn Church's twin black spires frame the square. Catch the Astronomical Clock's hourly procession, but watch from the side of the square rather than directly underneath, where pickpockets work the crowd.

Afternoon

Climb the Old Town Hall Tower

Take the glass lift and ramp up the Old Town Hall Tower for the best close-up view of the square's rooftops and the castle beyond. Combine it with the Gothic chapel and the Romanesque underground rooms beneath the hall, remnants of the 12th-century town buried when the street level was raised.

Evening

Jazz in a vaulted cellar at AghaRTA

After dinner, descend into AghaRTA Jazz Centrum, a stone-vaulted cellar on Železná Street with strong local and international jazz most nights from 9pm. Reserve a table online for weekends, then finish with a nightcap at Hemingway Bar on Karoliny Světlé, one of the city's best cocktail bars (book ahead).

Morning

Prague Castle complex before the crowds

Arrive at the castle gates for 9am opening and head straight to St Vitus Cathedral, then the Old Royal Palace's Vladislav Hall and the tiny houses of Golden Lane. The Circuit B ticket covers the essentials; doing the cathedral first beats the queue that builds by 10:30.

Afternoon

Malá Strana lanes and St Nicholas Church

Walk down the Nerudova steps into Malá Strana, stopping at the baroque St Nicholas Church, whose frescoed dome is one of Central Europe's finest. Wander to the Lennon Wall and Kampa Island, then cross Charles Bridge in late afternoon when the statues glow and the day-trippers have thinned.

Evening

Sunset over the Vltava and a beer garden

Ride the tram up to Letná Beer Garden for sunset views of the bridges stacked down the river, with cheap beer under chestnut trees (open roughly April to October). In colder months, swap it for U Fleků, a brewery tavern brewing its own dark lager since 1499.

Morning

Prague Jewish Museum circuit in Josefov

One ticket covers the Old Jewish Cemetery with its layered tombstones, the Pinkas Synagogue's moving memorial wall of 80,000 names, and the ornate Spanish Synagogue. Note it closes on Saturdays and Jewish holidays, so swap with another day if needed; the Old-New Synagogue, Europe's oldest active one, needs a separate ticket.

Afternoon

Vyšehrad fortress and cemetery

Take the metro to Vyšehrad, the legendary seat of Bohemia's first rulers, and walk the ramparts for a quieter, local-favourite view down the river to the castle. Visit the cemetery where Dvořák and Mucha are buried, then the neo-Gothic Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.

Evening

Bar hop around Náplavka and Dlouhá Street

Start with a drink on the converted boats at Náplavka riverbank, then head to the Dlouhá Street area for craft cocktails at Anonymous Bar or Black Angel's Bar beneath Old Town Square. Night owls can end at Cross Club in Holešovice, an industrial-steampunk venue with DJs until late.