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Jean-Baptiste Mathey created Count Sternberg’s 17th-century palace when Classical Italian was all the architectural rage. Inside is a collection of 19th-century Czech art.

Prague’s zoological gardens, dating from 1924, are catching up with western zoos, but still lack some creature comforts. The most popular exhibits are the big cats and gorillas.

Among the merchants who lived in the Týn settlement behind the Church of Our Lady (see Church of Our Lady Before Týn) was a Turkish immigrant. When his betrothed ran off and married another, he flew into a rage and chopped her head off. He is said to wander around the Ungelt courtyard carrying the decapitated head.

These pickled sausages, slightly sour, fatty and always piled high with pickled onions, are an ideal accompaniment to the local beer, as a lunchtime or early evening snack.

This strong, smooth beer is well worth seeking out – some consider it the world’s finest.

This sophisticated stout, brewed by Staropramen, is catching on in Prague.

This name is the shortened version for vepřová , knedlíky a zelí – pork, dumplings and sauerkraut. Heavy on fat and low on flavour, this is true Czech soul food. Order it instead of goulash and you’ll impress your waiter with how acclimatized you are, assuming you pronounce it right, of course.

Vyšehrad was the first seat of power, but its importance has been inflated by legend.

Apparently, Rudolph II’s gamekeeper became so enamoured of the wolves that roamed the castle’s Stag Moat that he became one himself. Nowadays, he takes the form of a large dog and tends to chase cyclists, joggers and tourists when the whim takes him, so keep looking over your shoulder.