Brno, verdict by verdict

Brno is Moravia's capital and the Czech Republic's second city, which means Prague-level architecture without Prague crowds or prices. Spilberk Castle's ramparts look down on a working old town of squares, student bars, the country's best coffee scene, a cathedral whose twin spires light up at night, and the legendary dragon, cart wheel and crooked turret that give a small centre outsized character.

The catch is there is no single blockbuster: the pleasure is the unhurried, slightly scruffy everyday city rather than a checklist, so travelers on their one Czech trip wanting maximum spectacle should take Prague instead. The cathedral interior is plain against its exterior, Spilberk's museum rooms are modest, food-tour choices are few, and the airport's route list is thin, so Vienna or Prague rail is the usual door.

Two days covers Brno itself, with the Moravian Karst's underground Punkva boat ride or the free Lednice-Valtice parkland as the argument for a third, though Karst slots sell out days ahead and chateau interiors run fixed guided circuits. December's markets are Prague's calmer alternative. It suits second-time Czech visitors, coffee people and anyone who likes cities mid-sentence rather than finished.