Going off-piste in Prague

My kind of place: If you avoid the beaten track and the tourist traps, the Czech capital holds hidden treasures.

The days of Prague being an under-the-radar destination are gone, but its quieter backstreets and courtyards remain charming. Atlantide Phototravel / Corbis

Why Prague?

It only takes a short detour off the main drags to understand why people go all gooey for central Europe’s prime visitor-swarmed honeypot. The days of Prague, the historical capital of Bohemia, sitting under the radar are long gone. Key thoroughfares connecting the main attractions can be awash with tacky souvenir shops and shuffling river-cruise passengers. But dip into the streets running parallel, or the quiet courtyards, and it’s a different world. In a city where baroque, art nouveau, medieval, gothic and renaissance collide to form an architectural wonderland, it’s hard to find a building that’s anything less than gorgeous.

Swot up in advance, and Prague can become a gleeful romp through increasingly absurd curiosities. Near Prague Castle are mini-museums devoted to art that can only be viewed under a microscope; to the KGB; and to alchemy. Arresting-looking monuments are sprinkled around the city.

A comfortable bed

Nowhere is that sense of bewitched enchantment clearer than the Golden Well (www.goldenwell.cz; 00420 257 011 213). Up a tiny lane in the almost uniformly gorgeous Malá Strana district, it goes for full-on romance. Hanging tapestries, spa baths, exposed stone walls and 16th-century features left to impress – the fairy-tale vibe is strong. Doubles from €175 (Dh863).

The Sax Vintage Design Hotel (www.hotelsax.cz; 00420 257 531 268) is the bargain Malá Strana choice. It goes for a tongue-in-cheek, 1960s retro vibe – all bold, pop-art-ish colours. Rooms are on the tiddly side, but the tech is up to date. Doubles from €80 (Dh395).

The affordable Hotel Suite Home (www.hotelsuitehomeprague.com; 00420 222 230 833) is the option if space is what you want. In the New Town, the functionalist but family-friendly, apartment-style rooms come with full kitchens and fold-out beds. Rates start at €69 (Dh340).

Find your feet

The grandiose, statue-lined Charles Bridge over the River Vltava becomes something of a rugby scrum later in the day, so take an early-morning stroll across it. Malá Strana lies on the western bank, and ducking back down towards the river brings the Franz Kafka Museum (www.kafkamuseum.cz; 00420 257 535 507) into view. Devoted to Kafka, Prague's most famous literary son, it's a weird, unsettling affair. You come out unsure what you've learnt about the man, but having been pulled into his books' disturbed atmospherics.

From there, hike uphill to Prague Castle (www.hrad.cz; 00420 224 373 368), the largest castle complex in the world. It's a small town in itself, with highlights including the ultra-gothic St Vitus Cathedral and the Vladislav Hall in the Old Royal Palace – a vaulted medieval hall so large that jousting contests used to take place inside it. On the way back down from the castle, take time to meander – there are some fabulous city views to be had from uncrowded backstreet perches.

Meet the locals

There are spots in Malá Strana and the old town that are largely local haunts, but a completely different atmosphere pervades in leafy, park-speckled Vinohrady. There’s a laid-back cafe culture – and a generous fistful of good restaurants.

Book a table

Of those, the Italian joint Aromi (www.aromi.cz; 00420 222 713 222) is arguably the most impressive. The menus extensively detail the origin of the meats, pasta grains and fish, the breads are exquisite, and the choices change monthly, throwing up dishes such as the roasted codfish with green asparagus and mussels (395 Czech koruny [Dh73]).

For an upmarket twist on Czech cuisine – meaty, hearty and accompanied by heart-busting dumplings – U Modré Kachnicky (www.umodrekachnicky.cz; 00420 257 320 308) in Malá Strana specialises in flavoursome game and duck dishes, such as fallow deer saddle with rosehip sauce (595 koruny [Dh110]).

Shopper’s paradise

The 200-shop Palladium shopping centre (www.palladiumpraha.cz) is the easy bet for international names such as Tally Weijl and Marks & Spencer, plus the footwear behemoth Bata. But Prague's shopping scene is most fun when you dig into the past. Kubista (www.kubista.cz; 00420 224 236 378) in the old town has gorgeous glassware, candleholders and jewellery that stay faithful to cubist design principles. Just a few streets away, meanwhile, the jumble sale-esque Art Deco Galerie (www.artdecogalerie-mili.com; 00420 224 223 076) channels the 1920s through vintage clothing and deco ceramics.

What to avoid

Ludicrously large crowds gather around the Astronomical Clock in the Old Town Square to watch the little figures move round every hour. But it’s a disappointing display. Still, it’s a pretty old clock – take a closer look when the herds disappear.

Don’t miss

Few artists have left their mark on a city in the same way that David Cerny (www.davidcerny.cz) has. His frequently controversial art installations pop up all over Prague, often eliciting double takes and big grins. Highlights include the swivelling men relieving themselves into a Czech Republic-shaped pool outside the Franz Kafka Museum, the knight riding on an upside-down horse inside the Lucerna Pasaz shopping arcade and his six-metre-tall Lego-brick-esque stainless steel statue of a pregnant woman, In Utero. It's possible to climb inside the latter – and, although it's moved around from time to time, it can currently be found at the corner of Dlouhá and V Kolkovne.

Getting there

Direct flights with Emirates (www.emirates.com; 600 555555) from Dubai to Prague cost from Dh3,035.

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