Almanac X Alcron Prague

Worth getting out of bed for

Almanac X Alcron Prague is well placed for exploring the city's New and Old Towns. But first, take yourself on an art tour of the hotel (QR codes let you interact with some works). Or buy covetable Czech wares in the lobby concept store. Wenceslas Square is a short walk away, but before you hit it, turn off to investigate Lucerna Passage, where you’ll see an irreverent David Černý sculpture of St Wenceslas and find Prague’s oldest and grandest cinema. At the head of the square is the National Museum, with two massive buildings to explore (and a cinematic staircase to pose on).

Head northwest to see the spinning head of native writer Franz Kafka (another Černý) and visit NaFilm Museum — a hands-on spot to learn about Czech animation and more. In the Old Town, you can watch the Astronomical Clock’s show, marvel at the Baroque abundance of St Nicholas Church and Our Lady before Týn, and find the secret to eternal life (maybe) on a guided tour of Speculum Alchemiae’s underground labs.

Shop the big-name boutiques of Pařížská Street, clock the second bizarre Kafka statue by the Moorish Spanish Synagogue, then stop into the Rudolfinum to see its cultural goings-on before you cross the Charles Bridge. On the Vltava’s left bank, you can explore the vast Prague Castle complex, wander genteel Waldstein Gardens and embrace the surreal at the Kafka Museum.  

Local restaurants

If you’re unfamiliar with Czech cuisine, don’t go from nought to pork knuckle — start at La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise where earthy, rustic eats (beets with poppy seeds, lamb with carraway and cabbage) are presented with a palatable, contemporary polish. New Town eatery Alma is another that excels at updating traditional menus; and to full-on time-travel, book Café Imperial — a romantic, turn-of-the-century eatery dressed in intricate tiles and panelling. The menu skews French, but the classic beef in cream sauce with dumplings and berries remains firmly in favour.

Local cafés

Venture into the Old Town early to bag a table at Venue — a brunching spot so stylish it’s gained viral status (and, fair warning, the queues that brings). Café Letka also has appealing aesthetics of the shabby-chic sort — amid an assortment of vintage furnishings, tuck into porridge with poached pears and fig jam, poppy-seed pancakes and buns filled with rum cream and berries.

Local bars

Lokál Dlouhááá offers a warm, welcoming intro to potent pivo (beer), with Pilsners and Kozels to sip, plus measures of absinthe and herby Becherovka if you can stomach Prague’s strong stuff. If you’re pacing yourself, try a curious mlíko: a pint that’s 90 per cent head, intended to keep yours level. There’s no such sacrilege at 15th-century beer hall U Fleků, with its atmospheric, antique interiors and house-brewed dark beer, which waiters slam down in front of you as lederhosen-clad men play the tuba and accordion.