Prague, verdict by verdict

Prague is a preserved storybook core over a real, lived-in city: the castle above the river, the astronomical clock's little hourly theatre, the Charles Bridge at dawn before the crowds, Petrin's panorama over the spires, and medieval lanes that survived the twentieth century nearly untouched. Beer is cheap and excellent, Vinohrady pours it like a local, and Kutna Hora's bone church is an hour away.

The real caveats: the Old Town core is one of Europe's most overrun tourist strips, and the streets between the clock and the bridge are a theme park by midday, with pickpockets and tourist-trap menus to match. Golden Lane clogs by late morning, the apostles' 45-second show packs the square, Petrin's ticket creeps up with the lift fee, unofficial drivers solicit outside arrivals, and Prague 1 nightlife noise led the city to ban organized pub crawls. Anyone wanting a wild-child city should note evenings quiet earlier than the reputation.

Three days covers the castle, the Old Town, Mala Strana and a beer-district evening, plus one for Kutna Hora, where St Barbara's outshines the crowded ossuary. Stay in Mala Strana for quiet minutes from the bridge, or Vinohrady for the local version; do the bridge and castle at dawn; eat a district or two out from the square.