Be in Prague by spring

Prague can make a respectable claim to being Europe's most beautiful capital city. It is certainly an architectural feast, with buildings dating from the 11th century and encompassing 18th century Hapsburg imperial grandeur, Art Nouveau and Art Deco, the Bauhaus and the Cubism, to designs by the postmodernist forerunner Josip Plecnik and now the spectacular style of Frank Ghery.

The view of the city from the 14th century Charles Bridge - or any of the other graceful crossings of the river Vlatava - is spectacular; in spring Prague's parks are scented with lilac and cherry blossom, and the historic parts of the city are an easy walk apart.

Countless restaurants and cafés offer inexpensive fare (you can enjoy an excellent meal for two for less than £12), and, although there are few rock-bottom bargains these days, property prices remain well below London's. A two-bedroom 100sq m flat in a refurbished apartment block in a good area is likely to cost between £107,000 and £128,000, while studios can be snapped up for about £54,000.

If you love the buzz of 21st century central Europe, Prague, only two hours from Heathrow and Stansted, may be the ideal place for a second home.

First choose your district

Prague's districts 1, 2 and 6 are favourite areas for overseas homebuyers. Prague 1 includes the historic Old Town (Staré Mesto), the Jewish Quarter (Josefov) and M·la Strana, the district beneath the Castle, where you will find much of the city's oldest architecture.

Although Prague now attracts large numbers of tourists particularly in April/May, the guided tours follow a set path through the Old Town and across the Charles Bridge to the Castle, only occasionally diverting to take in the Jewish Quarter.

This means that most side streets, even in the centre, are relatively tourist-free. Nove Mesto, spanning Prague 1 and 2, is an up-and-coming area with wonderful architecture but a more contemporary urban feel.

Also in Prague 2, only a short walk from Wenceslas Square, is Vinohrady, a delightful residential suburb of parks and splendidly ornate 19th and early-20th century apartment blocks, while the Riverbank, in Prague 1, 2 and 5, offers apartment blocks of a similar vintage combined with glorious Vltava views.

The most expensive property is in Prague 4 and 6, where apartments give way to villas that fetch up to £625,000.

Keeping it simple

To buy in Prague, you will need an estate agent who is used to overseas clients. The restitution of property after Communism complicated ownership in many cases, which is why most overseas buyers prefer to buy in fully restored apartment blocks where ownership is no longer in dispute. Fortunately, there are many of these available.