city guides

If you have a free hour…

Visit the newly opened Charles Bridge Museum, where exhibits portray howPrague’s landmark bridge was constructed 650 years ago. Visitors can not only see models of the tools and technology used to build the bridge, but also gain a unique perspective on the lives of those who built and protected this key European structure. After touring the historic rooms of the museum, built on the foundations of an even older bridge, a walk across the current span is a must.

If you have a free day…

Go forth and wander. Prague’s historic center is small, with so many twisting lanes and hidden courtyards to explore that you’ll scarcely notice how tired your feet are. Start early and stroll from Strahov Monastery above Mala Strana to Prague Castle. Slip across the river and explore the Jewish Quarter and Old Town, taking care to pop into gardens along the way. And bring along a good guidebook—there’s history under every step. One good companion is the recently published Prague: Artel Style (Artel Books, 2007), by locally based designer and businesswoman Karen Feldman.

If you have a free weekend…

Get out of town. Hire a car or driver and head south to Konopiste Castle, the hunting lodge of Archduke Franz Ferdinand d’Este. From there, take an hour-long hot air balloon ride over the Bohemian countryside (ballooning.cz, book two weeks in advance) before continuing to UNESCO-listed Cesky Krumlov for the night. In Cesky, stay at the Hotel Ruze (hotelruze.cz), a converted 16th-centuryJesuit monastery, and spend the day exploring the city and its castle.