Prague delivers on, but doesn't exceed, its reputation

If you are truly blessed, you will have moments in life of such satisfaction that if Death arrived to proclaim "game over" you could shrug, smile and admit that you had no complaints. Other than your frustrated desire to keep on with the fine game in progress. What more could anyone really ask?

I had a moment like that in Prague last week. I was sitting in Kampa Park, one of the finest restaurants in the city, replete with a delicious four course meal and the discovery of excellent local wines. The view over the river and the famous Charles Bridge was sublime. One of my best friends was celebrating her birthday, and was glowing with joy over the perfectly selected gift to which we'd all contributed. Hillary had brought together a fun and fascinating group of people from a variety of countries and professions. We'd started the evening quaffing sparkling wine on the rooftop of the Hotel Aria, watching the sun set behind the picturesque city skyline. Now the room buzzed with wit, charm and intellectual stimulation. How can life get much better?

It is perhaps strange, given my love of history and architecture, that this sublime moment was the highlight of my trip to Prague. Maybe it was just that the party was so good that any sightseeing had to pale in comparison. Or perhaps Prague is so oversold these days that it's almost impossible for it to live up to expectations. I enjoyed the city, and found it a lovely venue for a long weekend, but I felt that a three day weekend quenched my thirst. I left happy that I'd gone, but with no great desire to return any time soon. Unless, of course, Hillary has another birthday party.

The highlights? Prague is indeed an architectural wonder. I found it to be a spiritual twin to Venice; an architectural masterpiece, captured in time, existing now almost entirely for tourism. At its core, it is a city of gracious baroque palaces, towering domes and hills topped with castles and monasteries. There are many streets you suspect Mozart would still recognise. It is almost achingly picturesque, thanks to the way the famous buildings layer one on top of another in your line of sight. Charles Bridge, the Cathedral of St. Nicholas (my favourite building), Prague Castle, St. Vitus' Cathedral ... all jockey for eye space as in one of those architectural capriccio drawings. But this is real.

The city clearly has one of the liveliest music scenes in Europe. Concerts are being advertised everywhere, and the quality of the buskers is remarkable. While prices are going up, it's still much cheaper to see an opera here than in other venues in Europe. (Cosi fan Tutti in one of the best boxes at the State Opera cost us £35 per person, the same price as the nosebleed seats at London's Royal Opera.)

Shops are abundant and clearly geared toward the masses of tourists. Galleries, charming artisan shops and glass works abound. Prices, however, are on par with any other European city. If I were planning to buy a crystal chandelier I'd probably come here; prices on such big ticket quality items looked good. But there was little else to tempt me. I kept suspecting I could get the same thing for less in the housewares departments of one of many American department stores.

Prices, in fact, were generally surprising. And not in a good way. Prague had a reputation for ages as a fantastic bargain. That's long gone. The taxi from the airport cost £35, a three course meal with drinks cost £40, a three-star hotel room close to Charles Bridge cost £100 per night. Marginally cheaper than London, but I can think of many other places in Europe where I felt my money stretched further. That hasn't kept the crowds away. Returning to the Venice comparison, the only other place I've felt so packed in with tourists was Venice during high tourist season. Prague, frankly, can be hard work.

All I have to do is look at my pictures, however, to remind myself of the worth of the place. If you're going to emerge yourself in the picturesque, there are few places better.

Readers will, hopefully, forgive me for only including the briefest of highlights. An intense work week followed my return from this trip, that followed by an activity-packed weekend, and now I'm off for four days' holiday hiking in the Lake District. Quiet time for reflection and writing is at a bit of a premium at the moment. I promise there will be more to come on Prague at a future date.