BoHo Prague Hotel, Small Luxury Hotels

New Town is Prague's youngest historical quarter, though that is a matter of perspective: Charles IV laid out these broad streets and market squares in 1348, tripling the city's footprint in a single stroke of urban ambition. The result is a neighbourhood that feels expansive where the Old Town feels winding, with grand boulevards and open plazas that once made this the fourth most populous city north of the Alps. Few medieval buildings remain, but the 14th-century street plan endures, and wandering these blocks means tracing the edges of Charles Bridge and Wenceslas Square, ducking into Art Nouveau cafés, passing beneath the astronomical towers that punctuate the skyline.

The Historic Centre of Prague, a UNESCO World Heritage site built between the 11th and 18th centuries, spreads out within a kilometre's walk. Havelské tržiště, one of the city's oldest markets, sits just over half a kilometre south, selling produce and carved wooden toys beneath taut canvas canopies. Náměstí Republiky, a lively square less than 200 metres from the hotel, buzzes with trams and locals cutting through on their way to the Municipal House, its Smetana Hall a temple of Czech Art Nouveau.

Václav Havel Airport lies 12 kilometres northwest, a swift taxi ride or AirportExpress bus connection into the city centre.

The dining scene within reach is exceptional. La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise, less than a kilometre away, holds one Michelin star and offers a prime view into its open kitchen from the L-shaped dining room, housed in a handsome historical building. Casa De Carli, just over half a kilometre south, showcases chef Matteo De Carli's Italian precision in a modern setting with a walk-in wine fridge and open show kitchen. For a longer journey, Restaurant Papilio, 19 kilometres out, holds two Michelin stars in a former château stable transformed into an all-white space beneath groin-vaulted ceilings.

Book a table at one of the city's wine bars near Vinohrady, then spend a morning at Havelské tržiště browsing stalls of seasonal vegetables and honey. The Vltava River, a short walk west, offers riverside paths and diving sites beneath Charles Bridge for those inclined to explore underwater. Kutná Hora, a UNESCO-listed silver mining town with the extraordinary Church of St Barbara, sits 62 kilometres east, a worthwhile half-day excursion. Closer in, Letenský profil nature reserve lies just over a kilometre north, a geological outcrop above the river where Praguers stroll in the evenings.

Winter descends in earnest: January and February hover near freezing, the sky a flat grey bowl over the spires, cobblestones slick with frost. Nights are long, and the city pulls inward, filling taverns and concert halls with warmth and the smell of mulled wine.

Spring arrives tentatively in March, gaining confidence by April, when the first outdoor tables reappear and the parks along the Vltava flush green. May and June bring rain but also the best light, long evenings that stretch past nine, the river bronze in the low sun.

July and August are warm, occasionally humid, with temperatures climbing into the mid-twenties. The city fills with visitors, but early mornings remain quiet. September is ideal: mild days, thinning crowds, the first yellowing leaves drifting onto the Malá Strana slopes. October cools quickly, and by November the chill returns, the streets again turning inward as the year winds down.