Prague's postcard view is worth the crowd once, but the city gives more to those who look past it.
Cross the Charles Bridge at sunrise, before the statues disappear behind a wall of selfie sticks, then climb to Prague Castle for the long view back over the red rooftops. The castle complex is bigger than photographs suggest — budget half a day if you want to see St Vitus Cathedral properly rather than glimpse it.
Spend a second day in the Old Town beyond the astronomical clock: the Jewish Quarter's synagogues and old cemetery, then a wander into the winding lanes of Mala Strana where the tour groups thin out fast. A beer in a proper Czech pub — order what the regulars are drinking, not what the menu recommends to tourists — is not optional here; it is closer to a local ritual.
Give the third day to the view from Petrin Hill, reached on foot or by funicular, where Prague spreads out below without a single tour group in the frame. Come down through the Lennon Wall and Kampa Island, and end where you started, on the river, watching the bridge towers go gold at dusk.
