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Almost completely unknown outside Austria, Meyrink is nevertheless responsible for one of the city’s most marketable notions: the Golem. He penned the story of the clay monster, that was supposedly locked up in the Old-New Synagogue, in 1914 and attributed its creation to the real Rabbi Loew (see The Golem).

The Germans call these coarse little noodles Spaetzel . They’re included in the Czech culinary canon as a nod to nearby Slovakia, from which they originate and with whom Bohemia has shared so much history. You can either order them s zelím (with sauerkraut) or s bryndzou (with a creamy, sharp cheese). The dish is a filling and cheap Eastern European alternative to pasta.

A selection of Japanese and Korean dishes. If you’re desperately seeking sushi, make this your destination.

Working-class Žižkov might not be the first place you’d look for daiquiris, martinis and gin fizzes, but sink into a sofa and enjoy. Warning: the room is tiny and fills up fast.

The Old Town’s largest outdoor market. Monday through Friday, the stalls in front of St Havel are crowded with produce as well as handicrafts and textiles. The greengrocers stay away at weekends, leaving more room for souvenirs.

Here’s a twist: Americans brewing beer in Bohemia. The centuries-old recipe produces a caramel, malty brew.

Constructed along with the town hall with funds from Mordecai Maisel, the High Synagogue was built in elegant Renaissance fashion. Subsequent reconstructions updated the exterior, but the interior retains its original stucco vaults. Inside there are also impressive Torah scrolls and mantles.

Prague’s premiere convention hotel boasts nearly 800 rooms and suites, an extensive fitness centre, a casino and the largest meeting facilities aside from the Congress Centre in Vyšehrad. Rates go down in summer.

The old-fashioned streetcar runs a circuit around the city in about 30 minutes, with much ringing of bells. A friendly conductor will take your Kč25 fare and you can hop on and off at any stop on the route, including Malostránská and Národní divadlo marionet. Very handy when you can’t face walking another step. For those who are planning ahead, the end station is Výstaviště, scene of more excitement.

This refined pub takes its name from Bohumil Hrabal’s novel Too Loud a Solitude (see Bohumil Hrabal). Neither loud nor solitary, guests come for the excellent beer and food.