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Local resident Michal Fried dons a white cloak each night and leads visitors through an after-dark ramble around the Old Town in search of some of Prague’s ghostly nightlife. To join the tour, look out for the ghoulish-looking man standing beneath the Old Town Hall’s Astronomical Clock.

Rumour has it that a thief sought to steal jewels from a statue of the Madonna in the Church of St James), but the stony Virgin seized him by the arm and local butchers had to cut him loose. According to some, he still haunts the church asking visitors to help him fetch his arm, which hangs from the wall inside.

Believing his fiancée had been untrue, a knight called off his wedding. After she drowned herself in grief, he realized his mistake and hanged himself. Every 100 years he “appears” in Platnéřská Street, hoping to find a young woman to free him. His next appearance is due in 2009.

When the bicycle was all the rage in the late 19th century, young Bobeř Říma stole one and rode it into the river. If a soggy young fellow tries to sell you a bike near the Old Town end of Charles Bridge, just keep walking.

In an attempt to bedevil the monks at the Emaus Monastery, Satan took a job there as a cook and seasoned their food with pepper and other spices. To this day, Czech cuisine has few piquant flavours.

The story goes that the devil bet a local priest that he could carry this pillar to St Peter’s Basilica in Rome before the clergyman finished his sermon. A sore loser, he threw the column to the ground here.

The jumble of tombstones in this tiny graveyard give some indication of the number of bodies buried here. Prague’s Jewish community lived and worshipped in the surrounding ghetto.

Bohemia’s great figures all come together in one happy community here, with lifelike waxwork representations of Franz Kafka, Rudolf II and The Good Soldier Švejk, making for a wonderful stroll through Czech history. The presence of Bill Clinton, Elton John, Tina Turner and other modern icons is a little more difficult to fathom.

If you can’t quite grasp how these grisly instruments work, the helpful illustrations should make their operation painfully clear. More than 60 implements of pain from all over Europe are on display, accompanied by explanations in several languages.

An exhibition in a slightly different sense, this is one show definitely not for the kids. The museum traces the history of gratifying instruments from their origins to the modern day. While not entirely without cultural merit, the overall package is rather bizarre. There is, predictably, a gift shop.

The first church to stand on this site was founded by Vratislav II in the 11th century, but the Neo-Gothic structure seen today dates from 1885. The altar is decorated with a beautiful Gothic panel depicting Our Lady of the Rains .

The glory of the castle complex, St Vitus’s took more than 500 years to build. Climb its southern tower for wonderful views of Prague, or visit its crypt to see the tombs of Bohemia’s Holy Roman Emperors.

Prague’s oldest Gothic building is now home to the National Gallery’s collection of medieval art and remains a monument to its founder, a Přemyslid princess who gave up a life at court to pursue her faith.

The Nazis turned Prague’s film studios into a propaganda mill during World War II, as did the Communists, but today they are thriving as western filmmakers discover Prague (see Film Locations).

The Czech love of operetta knows no limits, except perhaps the number of performers willing to take part in the latest rock opera at locations around town. It began with Romany and Juliette , proceeded to Dracula and is still going strong with a romping Monte Cristo . Check The Prague Post for performance times (see The Prague Post).

In the 18th century, occupying French troops drilled holes in Vyšehrad rock to store ammunition.

The work-horse of the Prague diet, these ubiquitous banana-shaped bread rolls are served up to accompany the main meal at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dip them in soft cheese or your dish’s sauce, spread them with pâté or order them hot-dog style on nearly every street corner.

St Wenceslas’s mother was, by all accounts, an unpleasant woman. She killed her mother-inlaw and might have done in her son, too, but the gates of hell swallowed her up before she could act. She sometimes wheels through Loretanská náměstí in a fiery carriage.

Each summer evening, the fountain’s 50 pumps, 3,000 water jets and more than 1,200 lights put on a dizzying display of hydro-mechanic choreography. The musical accompaniment ranges from classical to heavy metal to Disney tunes. Recent productions have included live folk dance troupes and a melodrama based on James Bond plots (see Výstavište).

Cubist architecture took off in Prague, as a cluster of houses below Vyšehrad testifies. Josef Chochol built the angular buildings on Podolské nábřeží, Libušina and the corner of Přemyslova and Neklanova.

The burial place of notable Czech cultural figures, students laid flowers in remembrance here on 17 November 1989, before marching into town for the Velvet Revolution.

At the start of each year’s Prague Spring music festival (see Prague Spring International Music Festival), musicians attend a ceremony at composer Bedřich Smetana’s grave.

Pilgrims have visited this Baroque shrine to the Virgin Mary since the 17th century. Visitors can see priceless ornaments in its treasury.

From its origins as a humble horse market, Wenceslas Square has grown into a modern business centre. Monuments on the square remind visitors of its role in the nation’s tumultuous history.

Perched above Malá Strana, the forested Petřín Hill is criss-crossed with footpaths, giving visitors some of the finest views in the city. The old Ukrainian church is wonderfully romantic.

Here you’ll find oils and salts for that hot bath your travel-weary feet crave, as well as perfumes, candles, soaps and every natural health and beauty product you can imagine. Branches are scattered around town but the main one is off the Old Town Square.

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.

Enter this shop filled with antique furnishings, vintage clothing and one-of-a-kind knickknacks and you’ll feel you’ve stepped back into the First Republic. Outfit yourself in Jazz-Age style, right down to the spats and cigarette holder, or dress up your parlour with an Art Nouveau clock or cordial set.

Prague’s favourite junk shop. As the rest of the Old Town goes up-market, this little hole in the wall keeps up a lively trade in trinkets and gossip. Very little gets sold and it’s hard to understand how the shop stays in business, but if your decorating calls for rust and dust, this is your supplier.

The Estates Theatre is well known as the venue where Mozart’s Don Giovanni saw its first performance. It was also the first Czech-language playhouse in what was then a largely German-speaking city. The productions occasionally leave something to be desired, but if you don’t see the Don here, then where?