Why should I go? Because it’s a steal. The Four Seasons (00 420-221 427000, fourseasons.com) has nearly halved its prices. The landmark riverside hotel — home to the city’s first Michelin-starred restaurant — has dropped the price of a double from £336 to £177, room-only, until March 31.

It’s not the only Prague hotel to slash prices. Its great rival in the luxury market, the gorgeous Mandarin Oriental (233 088888, mandarinoriental.com), set in a converted 14th-century monastery, is offering a three-nights-for-two deal, with doubles working out at £142 a night, room-only, for a long weekend.

If that still sounds steep, the last-minute price for a suite, with fireplace, in the cute little U Pava is £72 a night, B&B (257 533360, romantichotels.cz).

The streets have emptied, too. Winter is always the quietest season in Prague, and the city is never more romantic than when dusted with snow.

Prague: the complete guide

Behind the fairytale facade lurks Europe’s oddest art and nightlife. . . and cheese

• Casanova: Prague’s priest of pleasure

Seven top city breaks for under £100

The pound-stretching guides to Prague, Bergamo, Porto, Paris, Gothenburg, Lyon and Madrid

• A break for every weekend in 2009

The 10 best new European city breaks

Done Paris and Rome? Try these ten classic historic destinations, from France to the Ukraine

The Top 10 cities to visit in 2009

Guidebook publisher Dorling Kindersley reveals its top spots for city breaks in the new year

• The 10 best new European city breaks

• Seven top city breaks for under £100

• 5 splendid city breaks on a budget

Related Links

• The Top 10 cities to visit in 2009

What should I do? Eat. In the past couple of years, Prague has taken a giant step towards gastronomic credibility, and not only because of the Michelin Guide’s recognition of Allegro, at the Four Seasons. Last year, Gordon Ramsay opened a branch of Maze (221 822300, gordonramsay.com): the three-course set lunch is superb, and it’s only £21.50.

For Czech cuisine, visit the serious-minded La Dégustation (222 311234, ladegustation.cz). A seven-course Bohemian tasting menu is a wallet-busting £61 — there’s a cheaper £31 menu from 6pm-7pm and after 10pm — and the sauces in particular are superb.

Make sure you drink Moravian wine with your food. Moravia is the eastern half of the Czech Republic, and it’s one of the rising stars of European wine — though its whites are far better than its reds. If you fancy taking a bottle home, shop at Dum Vina U Zavoje (226 006120, uzavoje.cz): there’s a wine bar attached. Expect to pay £10 for a worthy bottle.

What should I see? Whatever else you do, walk up to the Castle, the catch-all name given to the rambling complex of cathedral, gardens, cellars and palaces that dominates the city. The best way up is via Zamecke Schody, a long, steep flight of steps leading from Malostranske Namesti square to a balcony overlooking most of historic Prague. This eyeful of baroque domes, gothic spires and higgledy-piggledy roofs is worth the price of the flight — and that’s before you’ve burrowed into the castle itself.

The newest attraction is the Lobkowicz Collection (lobkowiczevents.cz; admission £9.20), in the family palace. The Lobkowiczes were key players in central European politics from the 17th century until the 19th, but lost everything to the Communists after 1948. Since restitution laws were passed in 1991, they’ve been trying to get their fortune back, and this museum is the first fruit of their labours. It’s fascinating, less because of its exhibits (though there are fine canvases by Bruegel the Elder and Canaletto) than the fact that it exists at all. The families who dominated the country under the Hapsburgs had all but gone from Czech society. Now, for better or worse, they’re back.

There are two other must-see museums in town. First is St Agnes Convent (ngprague.cz; £5), the national collection of medieval art, housed in a gorgeous complex of cloisters, halls and churches in the old town. Second is the national collection of 19th- and 20th-century art in the Veletrzni Palace (ngprague.cz; £5.30). There are big names here, including Klimt and Gauguin, but the interesting stuff comes from the Czechs trying to develop a sense of identity in the face of Hapsburg, Nazi and Communist subjugation.

Where should I wander? Most people go to Petrin for their walks — a wooded hill west of Mala Strana, topped with a mini-me version of the Eiffel Tower — but Jeleni Prikop (stag moat), along the northern edge of Prague Castle, is more secretive and special. Actually, it’s not a moat, but a steep-sided ravine, home to deer and a couple of black bears, and has recently been opened to the public. There are entrances at either end of the Powder Bridge, and the paths zigzag down to an area of open lawns and thickly planted trees. Nobody goes there — on a snowy morning, you might well be the first ones to leave tracks.

Getting there: there are direct flights to Prague from 12 UK airports and Dublin. British Airways (0844 493 0787, ba.com) has flights from Heathrow from £118 for travel before March 28. Or try EasyJet (easyjet.com), BMI Baby (bmibaby.com) or Ryanair (ryanair.com).

Sean Newsom was a guest of British Airways and the Mandarin Oriental

Times recommends

• The smart guide to travel blogging
• 30 top takes on New York
• Europe's 20 best Christmas markets 2009