EASY to get to and reasonably priced, Prague is just a two-hour flight from the Midlands.

Making my first visit I found it packed with surprises and rich in grand architecture, providing homes to familiar high street stores.

Capital of the Czech Republic, the city is a crazy mix of architectural styles. Gothic cathedrals rise over Romanesque churches, Art Nouveau facades sit alongside Cubist buildings and in every part of the city are clock towers.

On the hour the Town Hall attracts hundreds of visitors to watch and listen to the chimes of the Astronomical Clock with its complex series of filigreed wheels.

And this ornamented craftsmanship doesn’t just mark hours. Signs of the zodiac chart the course of the heavens, windows fly open and skeletons perform a ritualistic dance.

Hollywood discovered Prague ten years ago and has used the architecture and Barrandov Studios to make over 60 movies including Mission Impossible, Casino Royale, Chronicles of Narnia and The Illusionist.

The city has a modern day reputation for stag parties and it is still attracting groups although many have now moved on to cheaper destinations.

Prince Ferdinand shot four legged Stags in the late 1800s and a total of 300,000 animals in his lifetime, some of which you can see on a tour of his former home, Konopiste Castle.

A 13th century Gothic fortress once home to 12 noble families, it has a shooting range and gardens within 225 hectares spread out in the form of an English park.

Navigating the city on foot is easy. Labyrinths of passageways link streets lined with an eclectic mix of interesting bohemian coffee shops, musical instruments and a seemingly endless choice of art shops and restaurants.

The Old City is beautiful with its narrow and winding cobble-stoned streets and as winter nights draw in the streets are lit by meticulously-restored gas lighting.

Souvenir shops cram the Old Quarter packing in brightly decorated beer steins, puppets and the usual tourist fare, although some include attractive large glass chandeliers.