Prague: The City of a Hundred Spires

Dawn alone on the Charles Bridge, tank beer in the taverns and an exchange office trap on every corner: Prague rewards the traveler who pays attention.

Written in first person and led by its photographs, this guide decodes the Astronomical Clock and St. Vitus in the right light, pours at a forty eight tap beer hall and the Letna beer garden, finds the fortress the tour groups forget, and lays out the current tram fares before a plainclothes inspector does.

Inside the guide:

• The icons decoded: the Astronomical Clock, St. Vitus Cathedral, Golden Lane and the Old Jewish Cemetery

• Where to eat and drink: svickova, tank Pilsner at Lokal and the grand cafe ritual at Cafe Savoy

• Where to stay, from Mala Strana romance to Vinohrady and New Town local life

• Best photo spots with their light hours, plus Vysehrad and other hidden gems

• Watch Out: exchange offices, the Euronet ATM trick and pickpocket spots, plus itineraries for 1, 3 and 5 days

18 full-color photographs, panoramics leading the way: a hundred spires, walked early and hungry.