City Layout--The river Vltava bisects Prague and provides the best line of orientation; you can use Charles Bridge as your central point. From the bridge, turn toward Prague Castle, the massive complex on the hill with the cathedral thrusting out. Now you're facing west.

Up on the hill is the castle district known as Hradcany. Running up the hill between the bridge and the castle is the district known as Malá Strana (literally the "Small Side," but known as Lesser Town in English). Turn around, and behind you on the right (east) bank is Staré Mesto (Old Town), and farther to the south and east Nové Mesto (New Town). The highlands even farther east used to be the royal vineyards, Vinohrady, now a popular neighborhood for expatriates with a growing array of accommodations and restaurants. The districts farther out are where most Praguers live, and have few attractions.

Main Bridges, Squares & Streets -- You'll best enjoy Prague by walking its narrow streets, busy squares, and scenic bridges. After Charles Bridge (Karluv most), the other two bridges worth walking are Mánes Bridge (Mánesuv most), which provides a stunning low-angle view of the castle especially at night, and the Bridge of the Legions (most Legií), which links the National Theater to Petrín Hill.

On the left bank coming off Charles Bridge is Mostecká Street, and at the end of it sits the cozy square under the castle hill, Malostranské námestí. On the hill outside the main castle gate is the motorcade-worn Hradcanské námestí, on the city side of which you'll find a spectacular view of spires and red roofs below.

On the east side of Charles Bridge, you can wind through most any of the old alleys leading from the bridge and get pleasantly lost amid the shops and cafes. The tourist-packed route through Old Town is Karlova Street. Like Karlova, almost any other route in Old Town will eventually lead you to Staromestské námestí (Old Town Sq.), the breathtaking heart of Staré Mesto. A black monument to Jan Hus, the martyred Czech Protestant leader, dominates the square. The tree-lined boulevard to the right behind Hus is Parízská (Parisian Blvd.) with boutiques and restaurants; it forms the edge of the Jewish Quarter. Over Hus's left shoulder is Dlouhá Street, and in front of him to his left is the kitschy shopping zone on Celetná. Across the square to Hus's right, past the clock tower of Old Town Hall (Staromestká radnice), is Zelezná Street, which leads to Mozart's Prague venue, the Estates' Theater. Farther to Hus's right is the narrow alley Melantrichova, which winds southeast to Václavské námestí (Wenceslas Sq.), site of pro-democracy demonstrations in 1989.

Finding an Address -- Don't worry about getting lost -- everyone does temporarily, even lifelong Praguers. If you're pressed for time and can't enjoy an aimless wander, you'll find that street signs are emblazoned on red Art Nouveau frames, usually bolted to buildings. House numbers generally increase as you get farther from the Vltava or the square from which the street begins.

Note that Prague street names always precede the numbers, like Václavské nám. 25. Ulice (abbreviated ul. or omitted) means "street," trída (abbreviated tr.) means "avenue," námestí (abbreviated nám.) is "square" or "plaza," most is "bridge," and nábrezí is "quay."

Prague is divided into 10 postal districts whose numbers are routinely included in addresses. The districts forming the main tourist areas are listed below with their corresponding neighborhoods.

Praha 1 -- Hradcany, Malá Strana, Staré Mesto, Josefov, northern Nové Mesto.

Praha 2 -- Southern Nové Mesto, Vysehrad, western Vinohrady.

Praha 3 -- Eastern Vinohrady, Zizkov.

Praha 6 -- Western Bubenec, Dejvice, Vokovice, Stresovice, Brevnov, Veleslavín, Liboc, Ruzyne, Repy, Nebusice, Lysolaje, Sedlec, Suchdol.

Maps -- A detailed Prague street map is recommended if you want to venture off the main streets or retrace where you think you were during your wandering odyssey. Kartographia Praha produces a series of Prague city maps and also has hiking maps covering the best of the intricately marked footpaths throughout the country. Maps are called turistická mapa and have translated keys. You can find them at Czech-language bookstores.

What's All the U-ing About?--Czech establishments have traditionally taken on the name of a distinctive landmark nearby, the name of the house, or the name of the owner of the house. The Czech preposition for at is u. You'll find that a u fronts many pubs, restaurants, hotels, and other businesses, followed by the distinctive name, such as the Malá Strana restaurant U Malíru (At the Painter's), originally the home of 16th-century artist Sic. Another example is U Fleku (At Flek's), which was Mr. Flek's 1499 home brewery, now a regular stop for German tour buses.

Often the place takes the name of a statue or frieze over the entrance to the building that sets it apart from all others (much more so than just an address number). For example, the frieze above the door of the popular Old Town pub U medvídku tells patrons that they're about to drink "At the Little Bear's" house.