Prague before the crowds wake up

By ten in the morning, the heart of Prague belongs to tour groups. Charles Bridge turns into a slow-moving queue and the Old Town Square fills up for the clock. But Prague is a city of early risers, and if you join them you get a very different place.

Sunrise on Charles Bridge

Charles Bridge has crossed the Vltava since the 14th century, and 30 statues of saints line its sides. Most are copies now, with the originals kept safe in a museum, but in the soft light before seven, with mist on the river and the castle above you, nobody minds.

Walk it from the Old Town side towards the castle, then turn round at the far end. That is the view in every photo of Prague, and at this hour you will have it almost to yourself.

The clock that has run for 600 years

The astronomical clock on the Old Town Hall was first recorded in 1410, which makes it one of the oldest working astronomical clocks in the world. Its dials show the position of the sun and moon as well as the time, and every hour the twelve apostles appear in the little windows above.

On the hour, the square below is packed. Come a few minutes after instead: you can stand right in front of it, and the dials are more interesting than the show.

Climb for the view

• Letná Park: on the hill across the river, with a beer garden under chestnut trees and a view down onto the bridges. Locals' favourite for a reason.
• Petřín Hill: take the funicular up and climb the lookout tower, which looks a lot like a small Eiffel Tower and was built in 1891.

Where Prague goes to be quiet

Vyšehrad, the old fortress on a rock above the river south of the centre, is where Prague comes to walk. Its cemetery is the resting place of the composer Antonín Dvořák and many of the country's great names, and the view upriver to the castle is one of the best in the city.

Our Prague guide has more, and decide can build a full day that starts early and avoids the crowds.