The best things to do in Prague

1.Old Town Square and the Astronomical ClockFree

The city's main square, with the Gothic Týn Church and the 600-year-old clock whose apostles appear on the hour.

Tip: The hourly show is short. Climb the Old Town Hall tower instead for the view over the square.

2.Charles BridgeFree

The 14th-century stone bridge over the Vltava, lined with 30 baroque statues, linking the Old Town to Malá Strana.

Tip: Cross at sunrise for an empty bridge, then again at night when the castle is lit up.

3.The Jewish Quarter (Josefov)

Historic synagogues and the Old Jewish Cemetery, with 12,000 gravestones stacked on top of each other.

Tip: The Jewish Museum's sites are closed on Saturdays and Jewish holidays.

4.Municipal House

Prague's finest Art Nouveau building, with a concert hall, a grand café and a restaurant.

Tip: You can see the café for the price of a coffee; the upper halls are on guided tours.

5.The Klementinum library

A baroque library hall of painted ceilings and old globes, plus an astronomical tower with views.

Tip: The library is seen on a short guided tour from the hallway; photos aren't allowed inside.

6.Prague Castle and St Vitus Cathedral

One of the largest castle complexes in the world, with the Gothic St Vitus Cathedral at its heart.

Tip: The courtyards are free; you need a ticket for the cathedral's main nave and the historic buildings.

7.Golden Lane

A row of tiny, brightly painted houses inside the castle walls, where Franz Kafka once wrote.

Tip: It's included in the castle ticket. Go first thing or late in the day, as the lane is narrow.

8.Strahov Monastery Library

Two baroque library halls up the hill from the castle, plus a monastery brewery next door.

Tip: You view the halls from the doorway; combine it with a walk down through the Petřín orchards.

9.Petřín Hill

A wooded hill of orchards and paths above Malá Strana, topped by a small copy of the Eiffel Tower.

Tip: Climb the lookout tower for a view over all of Prague's red roofs.

10.St Nicholas Church

Malá Strana's huge baroque church, with a green dome and a ceiling fresco covering 1,500 square metres.

Tip: Evening concerts are held in the church most of the year.

11.Wallenstein GardenFree

A formal palace garden with peacocks, a pond and a strange dripstone wall, below the castle.

Tip: Entry is free, but the garden is only open from spring to autumn.

12.The Lennon WallFree

A wall covered in graffiti and messages since the 1980s, when it became a symbol of protest against the regime.

13.Wenceslas Square and the National Museum

The long boulevard where the 1989 Velvet Revolution was won, with the National Museum at the top.

Tip: The museum's dome has a viewpoint looking straight down the square.

14.The Dancing HouseFree

Frank Gehry's curved 1990s building on the riverbank, with a rooftop bar and terrace.

15.VyšehradFree

An old hilltop fortress south of the centre, with river views and the cemetery where Dvořák and Mucha are buried.

Tip: It's far quieter than the castle and free to walk around; go for sunset.

16.A traditional beer hall

Pilsner poured fresh from the tank, with dumplings and roast pork, in the old pubs of the New Town and Old Town.

Tip: Put a beer mat on your glass when you've had enough, or the waiter will bring another.

17.Riegrovy sady beer gardenFree

A hillside park in Vinohrady with a big beer garden and a sunset view over the city to the castle.

18.Žižkov Television Tower

A 216-metre tower with an observation deck, famous for the giant crawling babies by artist David Černý.

19.Letná ParkFree

A park on a hill across the river from the Old Town, with a giant metronome and a beer garden under the trees.

Tip: The view down over the Vltava bridges is the best in Prague.

20.A day trip to Kutná Hora

The Sedlec Ossuary, decorated with the bones of 40,000 people, and the Gothic cathedral of St Barbara, about an hour by train.

Tip: Get off at Kutná Hora hlavní nádraží for the ossuary, then take a local bus to the town centre.