Park Life

When in Prague, a common question to receive is "Why would you come here?" Prague is many things - sordid, sprawling, compact, laid-back, bustling. The city feels on the edge, a collectively held breath that may be expelled at any given moment. There's always something happening or about to happen, a new place to discover, new people to meet. Nestled in Central Europe, the Czech capital is a hub for travellers, wanderers, students, artists and musicians.

It's easy to get sucked in - to allow the city to overwhelm you and dominate your every decision. An evening beer can turn into a heady night of tottering from one bar to another, or dancing until the sun creeps up in one of the many grungey clubs. Sometimes, you just need a break.

In winter, Prague can be unbearably cold. Snow and ice turn the cobbled streets into treacherous obstacle courses. Grey skies serve to highlight the dreary Soviet-era architecture outside the city centre - a grim reminder of darker times. In summer, many Czechs go abroad in search of beaches, or leave the city for summer homes in the countryside. If you choose to stick around in Prague, you might stumble upon a green gem... Riegrovy Sady.

Sitting on a small hill above the famous Wenceslas Square, Riegrovy Sady is both peaceful and lively - a place to disappear from the realities of the city, if only for a few hours - but also the perfect place to meet kindred souls. During my summer in Prague I spent many days in the park. I met an Iranian man cycling from Spain to India, his bicycle weighed down with so many bags I wasn't sure how he'd made it this far. I met a woman who owned a llama farm in the Alps, staffed by volunteer travellers over the summer months. One day a group of actors showed up - they were working on a film, practising in the park.

In Riegrovy Sady, you can curl up under a tree and read. Or take a guitar and form temporary bands with other like-minded musicians. You can sunbathe overlooking the most beautiful part of the city, or sit around a picnic with a group of friends. Ahead of you, most of the city is laid out like a fine dinner, but up here on the hill you're separated from the noise and bluster of the restaurant. Static, inside a world within a world, you can watch the city move around you as you recharge, relax and try to remember the previous night.