Panoramic Prague: Lots to see in the city of 100 spires

Published on Friday 27 November 2009 16:15

FROM the parapets of Prague Castle, you have a sweeping panorama of the "city of 100 spires". From here, you can see baroque towers, gothic splendour and Soviet-era tower blocks. The eclectic built heritage of Prague has survived wars and revolutions to become a living museum of architecture.

• The Old Town Square and Tyn Church, Prague

If you have a sharp eye, you might be able to pick out a complex of orange pantile roofs among the cluster of buildings in Mala Strana (Lesser Town) just below you. Founded as a monastery in the 13th century, the building has been variously an office, a pub and an old folks' home. When hotelier Sir Rocco Forte came looking for a corner of central Prague as yet undeveloped, it proved ideal.

The building opened in May as The Augustine, a 101-bedroom luxury hotel, after a sensitive restoration reflecting both its history as a monastery and the Czech passion for early 20th-century design.

The monastery refectory is now Tom's Bar, but retains the Rococo ceiling painted for the coronation of Maria Theresa in 1742, offering a cocktail named after each of the archangels in the design. The hotel has also revived the tradition of brewing St Thomas Beer, a dark lager first made by the monks in 1352, which is also used in beauty treatments in the hotel spa.

What is less obvious, however, is that part of the complex is still a monastery. An unassuming wooden door in the hotel courtyard leads to pretty gothic chapel. As well as the larger baroque church, the monastery houses a historic library.

There are many ways to explore the city of Prague: by vintage car with your own dedicated tour guide; by water on board the Prague Venice Boat Tour; even in seven-league boots – a kind of springy stilt that allows you to take extra-big steps – with an instructor. But perhaps the best way is on foot, and The Augustine is within walking distance of most of the city's attractions.

You might begin with the castle, a sprawling complex of buildings including various royal palaces, St Vitus' Cathedral and the city's governmental headquarters. Be sure to take in the 15th-century Vladislav Hall, with its beautiful vaulted ceiling, and the windows that gave the city its reputation for "defenestration".

From Mala Strana, cross the statue-lined Charles Bridge, the most iconic of the bridges over the Vltava, to the Old Town, a busy network of streets, lively markets and elegant cafes. As well as grand Wenceslas Square and the Old Town Square with its astronomical clock, buildings from different periods stand shoulder to shoulder: Gothic, Baroque, Art Nouveau and Modern.

The Czechs were the only people in Europe to translate Cubism into architecture and design. The Museum of Czech Cubism is in the House of the Black Madonna, designed by Josef Goclr in 1912 in a cubist style. Today it houses an extensive collection of Czech cubist art and furniture.

Nearby is the stunning Municipal House, a grand complex of concert halls, cafes and restaurants, making it well worth stopping by for a coffee or even a concert of Smetana or Dvorak.

The artist Alfons Mucha was a key player here, as he was in the movement for Czech independence in the 1910s. See the bank notes and stamps he designed for the new republic in the Mucha Museum. His magnificent stained-glass window in St Vitus Cathedral is also a must-see.

To grasp something of the city's complex, uneasy history, it is necessary to visit the Jewish Town (museums are closed on Saturdays, and very busy on Sundays). Of 118,000 Jews in Prague before the Second World War, only 10,000 survived and many of those fled the country. Five of the area's six synagogues are now museums.

It is sobering to walk through the Pinas Synagogue and read list upon list of names, or to visit the museum upstairs to see the drawings done by children in the Terezin Concentration Camp.

The crowds at the Jewish Quarter are a worthy reminder of how popular Prague has become since the Velvet Revolution put it on the map of must-see European cities. On the positive side, this means an ever wider range of hotels and restaurants.

Food options range from the elegantly traditional Bellevue Restaurant, overlooking the river, to contemporary cuisine in Kampa Park and unique experiences such as La Dgustation Bohme Bourgeoise, which is what you might get if Heston Blumenthal cooked dinner with a 19th-century Czech housewife.

It is true that sometimes you have to work to avoid the crowds in the city of 100 spires. On the other hand, there will always be something worth seeing.

The facts:

The Augustine, Letensk 12, (00800 7666 6667, www.theaugustine.com or www.roccofortecollection.com). Prices start at e290 per room per night.

• British Airways flies to Prague four times daily from Glasgow and Edinburgh. Prices start from 171.60 return. For information and bookings see www.ba.com or call 0844 493 0787.

Visit www.holidays.scotsman.com for more UK holidays