Prague (Praha) Malá Strana

Church of Saint Nicholas, Malostranské náměstí 272/1 If you've spent any time in Europe by now, you've likely seen a church or two, or 50. But this ain't no ordinary house of the Lord. Boldly colored celestial scenes play out on an enormous fresco that spans the entire length of the towering ceilings, and floating above it all, like a magical cherry on a holy sundae (see what we did there?), sits the behemoth, effortless dome. Built by a father-son team in the 17th century, St. Nicholas is considered to be the most beautiful example of high Baroque architecture in central Europe, and was influential in defining the style throughout the continent. Music fans can stay after hours for a concert on an organ that Mozart played. A: Malostranská. Follow Letenská to Malostranské náměstí. Concerts held daily at 6pm. 70Kč, students 30Kč. Open daily Apr-Oct 9am-4:45pm, Nov-Mar 9am-3:45pm. Does not take credit cards.

Petřínská Rozhledna, Petřín hill If the Petřín lookout tower seems like a shameless knockoff of the Eiffel Tower, it's because it is. The Eiffel Tower debuted at the 1889 World's Fair, and this shorter, fatter cousin popped up two years later at the Czech Jubilee Exposition. So what if it's only 60m tall; it's built at the peak of Petřín hill, and from the lookout 299 steps up, you can see a 360-degree panorama of the entire Czech countryside. If you're a lazier breed, take the lift (50Kč), big enough for one fat man or five uncomfortable skinny men. The basement has an impressively blasé exhibit on the tower's history. It's the giant tower on the hill visible from anywhere in the city. Just walk towards it. 100Kč, students 50Kč. Open daily 10am-10pm. Does not take credit cards. Wheelchair access.

The Top of Petřín, Petřín Hill The hilltop has a number of sites worth briefly checking out, like the medieval Hunger Wall, Charles IV's purposeless welfare project to provide jobs to Prague's starving citizens. For a somewhat more purposeful, or at least aethestic, sight, go see the gardens with hundreds of varieties of roses; Czech lovers like to take up residence on benches there and remind the world how much they love each other. If canoodling Czechs don't do it for you, retreat to the observatory, where guides will help you view sunspots on a clear day, and creep on tourists on the ground when it's shady. There's also an underwhelming mirror labyrinth from the 1891 Jubile Exposition. The maze boasts a mural of the 30 Years' War in the middle of a mirror labyrinth. Go ahead, check it out, since you've already walked all the way up the mountain. When you get back down, see the Memorial to the Victims of Communism, a haunting monument near the funicular station that will give you the heeb A: Malostranská. Walk southwest towards the hill. If you don't want to take the semi-strenuous 30min. mini-hike to the top of Petřín hill, take the funicular, which leaves from a station in the middle of Malá Strana at Újezd and U tanové drahá. The alpine tram runs daily from 9am-11:30pm, accepts normal 26 Metro tickets, and takes 10min. of your time. Observatory 55Kč, students 40Kč. Mirror labriynth 70/50Kč. Observatory open Nov-Feb Tu-F 6-8pm, Sa-Su 11am-8pm; Apr-Aug Tu-F 2-7pm abd 9-11pm, Sa-Su 11am-7pm and 9pm-11pm; Mar and Oct Tu-F 9-11pm, Sa-Su 11am-6pm and 8pm-10pm. Mirror labyrinth open daily 10am-9:30pm. Serves alcohol.

Strahov Monestary, Strahovské nádvoří 1 (☎233 107 711; www.strahovskyklaster.cz), This 17th-century monastic compound confuses as much as it entertains; just enjoy the beauty and question the craziness later. The compound's principal attraction, the monastic libraries, have some of the most beautiful interiors in Prague: gilded bookshelves flow endlessly under a fresco depicting the story of human progress, while the floor brims with relics like globes that lack Australia or models of an Earth-centered universe. The library's “Hall of Wonders” has everything from a dried whale penis to an eighth century Bible to a set of 68 “tree box/books,” bound in a species' bark and filled with its leaves, fruits or cones. Oh, yeah—and a narwal horn, a 12th century spear, and buckets of very ordinary sea shells. Additional non-essentials here include the cloister and attached gallery of 14th-19th century pieces, the church (open only during services), and the cloister's microbrewery (}233 353 155 From Petřín Hill, take the paved asphalt road that leads away from the funicular station. Follow it along the left side of the Hunger Wall for about 10min. A free guided tour can be arranged by calling ahead ( Monastery admission free. Library 80Kč, students 50Kč. Cloister 30/15Kč. Gallery 30/15Kč. Monastery open 10am-9:30pm. Library open daily 9am-noon and 1-5pm. Cloister and gallery open daily 9am-noon and 12:30pm-5pm. Microbrewery open daily 10am-10pm. Does not take credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.

Our Lady Victorious, Karmelitská 382/14 (☎257 537 345), This place might be small potatoes next to St. Nicholas down the street, but for the faithful, it's a must-see. The church houses a wax Christ figurine that's supposed to have protected the city during the 30 Years' War and now posseses healing powers. A museum in the back shows off the more than 80 outfits of this figurine. The church also deserves some attention in its own right, as the oldest Baroque church in Prague, dating back to 1613. Follow Letecká through Malostranské náměstí and continue onto Karmelitská. Free. Open daily 8:30am-7pm. Su Mass (in English) noon. No wheelchair access.

Wallenstein Castle and Gardens, Valdštejnské náměstí 17/4 (☎257 075 707; www.senat.cz), Originally built from 1623-1626 as a castle for nobleman Albrecht Wallenstein, this immaculate and detail-rich compound now serves as the seat of the Czech Senate. Keep your eyes peeled for live peacocks wandering between the hedge rows and reflecting pools. And don't worry, that albino peacock isn't possessed by Satan, he was just born that way. Some sad-looking owls fill out the aviary next to the “stalagtite wall” with a disorienting concrete array affecting the interior of a cavern. If the statues of Hercules killing all manner of mythical beasts don't impress you, come back on the weekends, when tourists can snoop around the castle's interior. A: Malostranská. Free. Gardens open daily June-Sept 10am-6pm, Oct-May 10am-4:30pm. Interiors open Sa and Su 10am-4:30pm. No wheelchair access.

Franz Kafka Museum, Cihelná 2b (☎257 535 507; www.kafkamuseum.cz), In an attempt to be as “disillusioning” as Kafka's writing, this museum goes a bit overboard with the shadowy video projections and dramatic lighting effects. Walking through this exhibit feels like riding through Slugworth's evil tunnel from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Histrionics aside, the facsimiles of Kafka's letters and the images from Kafka's life warrant at least the student admission price. Best thing: Kafka's cartoon drawings of depression and madness, but you could technically also just see these in an anthology in the gift shop. A: Malostranská. Go down Klárov toward the river, turn right on U. Luzické Semináré and left on Cilhená. 160Kč, students 80Kč. Open daily 10am-6pm. No wheelchair access.

John Lennon Wall, Velkopřevorské náměstí After John Lennon got shot, someone painted his face here and then everyone went crazy on it. A lot of mumbo jumbo graffiti decorates it now. Don't get your hopes up, it's just a wall. But it's in a garden, and worth a five-minute walk-by. From Charles Bridge, take a left on Lázeňská soon after the bridge ends. Stay on it as it curves around into Velkopřevorské náměstí. Free. Open as long as walls are open. Wheelchair access.

St. Nicholas Tower, Malostranská náměstí 556/29 (☎724 323 375; www.abl.cz), Not one of Prague's best towers, but a cool vantage point in the middle of Lesser Town, St. Nicholas Tower has something of a sordid history. During Communist rule, the secret police used the belfry to spy on suspicious Czechs and Western diplomats. A mildly interesting exhibit on said spy work now lines the last of the 299 steps that lead 65m up to the tower's peak. At one point, they rang this bell on cloudy days—it was thought that the sound made clouds disappear. A: Malostranská. Follow Letenská to Malostranské náměstí. 70Kč, with exhibition 100Kč, students 50Kč. Open Apr-Sept 10am-10pm, Nov-Feb 10am-6pm, Oct and Mar 10am-8pm. No wheelchair access.