Nightlife

For many Czechs, the best nighttime entertainment is boisterous discussion and world-class brew at a noisy pub. Visitors with a penchant to blend in with the locals can learn a lot about this part of the world with an evening at the corner hospoda. Many are fascinated just by a quiet stroll over the ancient city's cobblestones lit by the mellow lamps of Charles Bridge and Malá Strana. Others seek the dark caverns of a fine jazz club or the black light and Day-Glo of a hot dance club.

But Prague's longest entertainment tradition, of course, is classical music. Sadly, many visitors leave disappointed at the level of the performances, especially the operas. Some of your choices can be entertaining and others thoroughly disappointing. Government cutbacks amid post-Communist budget realities have forced directors to skimp, while many great young voices have migrated to more lucrative stints abroad or to the rock operas and musicals that have sprung up around town.

A safe bet is Mozart's Don Giovanni, usually presented about twice a month in its original 2-centuries-old home, the Estates' Theater. This production, which has modern accents, can be choppy, but the beautifully restored setting makes even a mediocre performance worth attending.

Serious music lovers are better off at one of the numerous performances of the Czech Philharmonic at the Rudolfinum, the Prague Symphony Orchestra at Obecní dum, or top chamber ensembles at salons and palaces around the city. A pipe organ concert heard while sitting in the pews of one of the city's baroque churches can be inspirational.

For a more daring night, the cutting-edge Laterna Magika has been wowing audiences with its multimedia performance art since the Communists made the surprising decision to allow limited freedom of expression in the 1980s. See "Theaters," later in this chapter.

Tickets -- Events rarely sell out far in advance, except for major nights during the Prague Spring Music Festival or a staging of Don Giovanni in the high season. To secure tickets before arriving, contact the travel bureau Cedok in Prague, at Na Príkope 18, Praha 1 (tel. 224-197-777; www.cedok.cz; or in Britain, at 314-322 Regent St., London W1B 3BG tel. 020-7580-3778; www.cedok.co.uk). You can also contact the Prague ticket agency Ticketpro, Klimentská 22, Praha 1 (tel. 296-329-999; www.ticketpro.cz). This largest computerized ticket service sells seats online to most events around town. You can purchase tickets using Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club, or American Express, or reserve them on the Web and pay when you arrive.

Once in Prague, you can get tickets for most classical performances at the box office in the modern Nová scéna annex to the National Theater at Národní trída 2, Praha 1 (tel. 224-901-448; www.nd.cz). You can purchase tickets either at theater box offices or from any one of the dozens of ticket agencies. The largest handle most of the entertainment offerings and include a service charge. Ask how much this is before buying, as sometimes rates are hiked substantially. Large, centrally located agencies are Prague Tourist Center, Rytírská 12, Praha 1 (tel. 296-333-333), open daily from 9am to 8pm; Bohemia Ticket, Na Príkope 16, Praha 1 (tel. 224-215-031; www.bohemiaticket.cz), open Monday to Friday from 10am to 7pm, Saturday from 10am to 5pm, and Sunday from 10am to 3pm; and Cedok, Na Príkope 18, Praha 1 (tel. 800-112-112 toll free or 224-197-777; www.cedok.cz), open Monday to Friday from 9am to 7pm and Saturday from 10am to 2pm. You can buy event tickets in person at these computerized outlets.

Prague's Mysterious Nights--If you've never been here, the otherwise uninspired film Kafka with Jeremy Irons will give you a fine sense of the dark mystery trapped in the shadows cast over the palace walls and cobblestone streets throughout Old Town and Malá Strana. You'll never forget a slow stroll across Charles Bridge, with its dim lampposts (gas flames were used until well into the 20th c.) cutting eerie silhouettes from the attendant statues. The artfully lit facades of Prague Castle hover above as if the whole massive complex is floating in the darkness. The domes and spires of the skyline leading up to Hradcany have more varied textures and contours than a Dutch master could ever have dreamed of painting. Students howling with a guitar, or a single violinist playing his heart out for a few koruny in his hat, create the bridge's ambient sound.

Evenings are also a fine time to walk through the castle courtyards; as the crowds disperse, a quiet solemnity falls over the city. From high atop the castle hill, you can see Prague sparkling below.

Across the river, the brightly lit belfries of Týn Church cast a spine-tingling glow on the rest of Old Town Square, and the mellow lamps around the Estates' Theater provide light for a memorable walk home after a performance.

Casinos

Prague has many casinos, and most offer blackjack, roulette, and slot machines. House rules are usually similar to those in Las Vegas, but there are often slight variations.

Casino Palais Savarin, Na Príkope 10, Praha 1 (tel. 224-221-636; metro: Mustek), occupying a former rococo palace, is the most beautiful game room in the city. It's open daily from 1pm to 4am. Other recommendable casinos are Casino Atrium, in the hotel Hilton Prague, Pobrezní 1, Praha 8 (tel. 224-810-988; metro: Florenc), open daily from 2pm to 6am; and Casino U Nováku, Vodickova 30, Praha 1 (tel. 224-222-098; metro: Mustek), open daily from 1pm to 5am.

Movie Theatres

Unlike neighboring Germany, which has made dubbing so commonplace that it has become the scourge of the industry, foreign films are generally screened here in their original language, with Czech subtitles. Now, better Czech films are also being screened for visitors with English subtitles. Unlike the prerevolution days, when hardly a decent Western film could be seen, the cinemas (kinos) are filled with most first-run films from Hollywood and the independents within a few weeks after their general release.

Many cinemas are on or near Václavské námestí (Wenceslas Sq.). Tickets cost 80Kc to 180Kc ($3.35-$7.50). Most screenings have reserved seats, and many popular films sell out in advance, so make your choice early. Check the Prague Post for listings, or for a more accurate list, look at the billboards outside Kino Lucerna, Vodickova 36, near Wenceslas Square (tel. 224-216-972; metro: Mustek).

A new complex of cinemas is at shopping gallery Palác Flóra, Vinohradská 149, Praha 3 (tel. 255-742-021; www.cinemacity.cz). Here, you can visit the virtual world if you get a ticket (160Kc/$6.65) for one of the 3-D movie shows offered on the IMAX screen. On the programs of eight other cinemas are the newest films in English. At the centrally located shopping and cultural center Slovanský Dum, Na Príkope 9/11, Praha 1 (tel. 221-451-214; www.palacecinemas.cz) you also can enjoy the latest releases at their Palace Cinemas. The same chain has newly opened its Multiplex Palace Cinemas at the brand-new shopping center Nový Smíchov, Plzenská 8, Praha 5 (tel. 257-181-212; www.palacecinemas.cz).