Vyšehrad, Letná and Prague Beyond the Old Town

Once you have seen the castle and the Old Town, the best thing you can do in Prague is leave them. The places below are all within a few tram or metro stops of the centre, and they show a city of parks, river terraces and neighbourhood pubs that many visitors never reach.

Vyšehrad. According to legend, Prague was founded here, on a rocky outcrop above the river south of the New Town. Today it is a quiet park inside old fortress walls. The twin spires of the Basilica of Sts Peter and Paul rise over the Vyšehrad Cemetery, where Dvořák, Smetana, the painter Alfons Mucha and dozens of Czech writers and artists are buried; the arcaded Slavín tomb at its centre holds the most celebrated. Walk the ramparts for a view up the river to the castle, and visit the brick casemates to see several original statues from Charles Bridge. Take metro line C to Vyšehrad, or tram to Výtoň and climb the steps.

Náplavka. Below Vyšehrad, the stone embankment of Rašínovo nábřeží becomes a long riverside promenade. Converted boats serve as bars, and on Saturday mornings a farmers' market sets up with bread, cheese, coffee and street food. On summer evenings it is one of the city's favourite places to sit by the water.

Letná. North of the Old Town, across the river, the Letná plateau looks straight down on the bridges. A giant metronome stands where a huge Stalin monument was blown up in 1962, and the beer garden nearby fills its long tables on warm evenings. Behind the park, the Holešovice district has the DOX centre for contemporary art and the National Gallery's modern collection in the Trade Fair Palace.

Vinohrady and Žižkov. East of the National Museum, Vinohrady is a district of tree-lined streets, Art Nouveau apartment blocks and cafés around Náměstí Míru. The Riegrovy sady park has another beer garden and a sunset view over the city. Next door, Žižkov is grittier, with more pubs per street than anywhere else in Prague and the TV tower decorated with David Černý's giant crawling babies.

Karlín. Rebuilt after the 2002 floods, this former industrial district east of the centre is now full of restaurants, bakeries and converted factories, with fast links on metro line B. Several of the places in our food and beer guide are here, and it makes a calm base, as our neighbourhood comparison explains.