Prague
1. Start a walk at the horse statue of St. Wenceslas on Wenceslas Square - everyone meets and gets to know each other here. You can finish at the observation deck - on Petrin Hill or at the TV tower in Zizkov.
2. Go to the medieval Jewish quarter Josefov, where one of the oldest (15th century!) Cemeteries in the world is located.
3. Look into one of the strange museums - there are about a hundred of them. Our choice is the Franz Kafka Museum (www.kafkamuseum.cz), the Electric Train Museum (www.ntm.cz), the Alphonse Mucha Museum (www.mucha.cz), the Alchemy Museum (www.muzeumkavy.cz), the Jewish Culture Museum (www.jewishmuseum.cz), the Beer Museum (www.praguebeermuseum.com) and the Butter Museum (www.maslovice.cz).
4. Drink coffee or tea with freshly baked strudel in the beautiful, completely non-touristy Alchymist cafe (JanZajíce 7) with adjoining Scarabeus gallery of contemporary art.
5. Go on an hour-long excursion to the Staropramen brewery (www.staropramen.com), and then taste a long-term aromatic beer in a bar and restaurant for a long time.
6. Take a ride around the city center on the old tram number 91 (departure from the Public Transport Museum).
7. Have a cocktail in the cozy Bugsy's Bar (www.bugsysbar.cz). Pork knuckles are not washed down with beer here; rather, you will meet a group of fashionable young people drinking a huge strawberry daiquiri for six. You can continue the evening at the LucernMusic Bar (www.musicbar.cz) or at the new and largest discotheque in Prague, SaSaZu (www.sasazu.com).
How to fly
Czech Airlines, which flies from Moscow to Prague and back three times a day. Information and Reservation Department in Moscow: +7 (499) 973-1847, www.czechairlines.ru
Where to sleep
Four Seasons Hotel Prague, located on the banks of the Vltava, a stone's throw from Charles Bridge, with the exquisite Michelin-starred restaurant Allegro. www.fourseasons.com/prague
Istanbul
1. Buy bagels with sesame seeds in the square near Hagia Sophia and go on foot to the sea, past houses with balconies built into the remains of the walls of ancient Constantinople.
2. Try to find Greek churches in Istanbul. To begin with - the Patriarchate of Constantinople, where the See of John Chrysostom stands - made of ebony with mother-of-pearl. While you search for it in the narrow streets, take a look at the picturesque houses of the unlikely Fener district, where very Orthodox Muslims have moved into the carved wooden houses of the Phanariots. After asking the Patriarchate for directions, go to the active church of Blakherna (Albayrak Sk., In the back of the streets opposite the Ayransaray ferry station), where a miracle happened, which is celebrated as the Feast of the Intercession. Finish the route at Chora Church (Kariye Mosque) for stunning 14th century Byzantine mosaics. Try to be in Istanbul at Christmas - then you will see women who came from Greece in mink coats, who, as in the days of Byzantium,procession followed by the bishop to consecrate the water in the Bosphorus (find out where and when exactly in the Patriarchate). The bishop throws a cross into the water, and half-naked guys rush after him into the cold (January after all) water. Whoever finds it is great.
3. Take a taxi to the Eyup area, where there is a completely non-tourist Muslim life. Take the funicular up the mountain past a beautiful cemetery to the open-air cafe Pierre Loti (Gumussuyu Cad., Balmumcu Sok.) With a stunning view of the Golden Horn and the city. Drink coffee (bad, like everywhere else in Turkey) or black sweet tea from a small glass cup (very good). The cafe was named after the French decadent, who at the beginning of the century got stuck in Istanbul and became so Turkic that he sat in a fez all day in this cafe, plunged into an Eastern narcotic slumber.
4. Eat fish on the Bebek quay at the Bebek Balikci restaurant (26 / Cevdet PasCad.) Overlooking the yachts and with the magical atmosphere of the 1930s, when the Orient Express made Constantinople a dream of modern Europeans.
5. Dinner on the roof. In the most fashionable restaurant 360 Istanbul (32/309 Istiklal Caddesi, Misir Apt., 8th floor) with the accompaniment of a DJ it is good to drink, meet and eat grilled sardines with grape leaves. A slightly more traditional establishment is the Leb-i dery (115/7 Kumbaraci Yokusu) restaurant, all in the same Beyo˘glu district. After that, walk the streets around the funniest street in the city ˙Istiklal, moving with the crowd of locals and non-locals from bar to bar, from disco to club.
6. Drink tea on the private floating island Suad on the Bosphorus (a ticket costs about $ 30, you need to order it by phone + 90-212-263-7300).
7. Go down to the antique underground cistern at the beginning of Yerebatan Street, look at Medusa Gorgon and goldfish, then find the Kibele Hotel further down the street, have tea in the lobby among the collection of Ottoman antiques and buy a ring and bracelet in a nearby jewelry store owned by the brother of the hotel owner … End the day at the Jaaloglu Hammam (www.cagalogluhamami.com.tr), order a soapy massage and see for yourself that the marble of this establishment, which opened in 1741, has not changed since the days when Ferenc Liszt washed here. Other convinced ones include Kate Moss, Gianfranco Ferre, Harrison Ford. They liked it.
Where to sleep
Hilton ParkS (www.istanbul-park.hilton.com) and Conrad Istanbul (www.conradistanbul.com) are both hotels in the European side of the city, close to major attractions. At Hilton ParkS, we recommend the Cloud 7 Restaurant, Bar and Terrace with a massive cocktail menu, modern Turkish cuisine and the best Bosphorus view in town. Hotel address on Twitter: www.twitter.com/HILTONPARKSA
Alexandria
1. Eat a year's supply of fish and king prawns at the Waterfront Fish Market Restaurant (Corniche Bahari). Every 15 minutes, a fresh catch is brought to the restaurant's back door by colorful fishing boats. Before the fish, order hummus cakes and other snacks.
2. Drink a weak Egyptian Stell beer in a street cafe. And in the evening go to the bar at the Sofitel Cecil Alexandria to drink strong alcohol, which is practically inaccessible in this city, behind the thick velvet curtains.
3. Walk along the embankment of the Mediterranean Sea - the only place in the city where there is no trade and no crowds. They fish on the sea side until dark. On the other side are picturesquely shabby colonial-style houses. The lower floors are densely stocked with pastry shops and tea shops. In any of them there is a baklava, a wicker chair and a free hookah.
4. Drink the strongest coffee in the old Delicies cafe (46 ShariSaad Zaghloul Attareen).
5. Look into the 15th century fort Kite Bay (at the end of the embankment) and take a photo of the view of the bay and the city from there.
6. Get rid of complexes about appearance once and for all by looking at the coins with the profile of the hook-nosed Cleopatra (5 Sharial-Mathaf ar-Romani) in the Greco-Roman Museum.
6. Get to the Karmuz area to see the granite scarab beetle and the symbol of Alexandria - the 25-meter column of Pompey, carved from a single piece of red Aswan granite.
7. After waiting for the night, go to the market in the Manchei area, which stretches for a whole block. There is a golden street, furniture, hookah and a million clothing lanes. In order not to get lost, it is better to focus on the smell of spices from the street of products, where hibiscus, nuts and basturma are sold by weight.
How to fly
By Egyptair or Aeroflot flights to Cairo, then about three hours by train to Alexandria.
Where to sleep
At Sofitel Cecil AlexandriHotel, which is located on the waterfront, in the most well-kept part of the city, www.sofitel.com
Marrakesh
1. Download the song "Marrakesh, Come to Marrakesh" by the Goombay Dance Band and listen to it on the plane. In the medina, it will play in your brain by itself, intertwining with the screams of the muezzins and the conversations of the Berbers in white sheets.
2. Enter the Majorelle Gardens, where Yves Saint Laurent lived and where his ashes are scattered among palm trees, birds and fountains painted in stunning blue (www.jardinmajorelle.com).
3. Get lost in the streets of the medieval bazaar, where there is no electricity. They forge swords, sell carpets, antique copper baths with paws, luxurious Moroccan tiles. Buy grandmother slippers, painted plates, a silver teapot and swear to come again for decor for a global makeover of your apartment.
4. Consider the 12th century carvings on the minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque (Avenue Mohamed V).
5. Drink very sweet mint tea on the rooftop of Cafe de France in Djemaa el Fna square.
6. When it gets dark, sit at one of the long tables in Djemaa el-Fna square next to people from all over the world. Eat whatever is put in a huge cauldron (it will be either couscous, or kebab, or soup with mint and lamb). Then go look at acrobats, magicians and snake charmers.
7. Dine at the riad (traditional Moroccan home) by booking in advance through the hotel concierge or online at www.riadreviews.com. Then, together with the cheerful local elite, break the dry law at the Pach Club (www.pachamarrakech.com) or at Le Comptoir (www.comptoirdarna.com).
How to fly
With a change in Nice, Paris, Milan. Air Marocco and many low-cost carriers fly from there to Marrakech. Best of all - EasyJet.
Where to sleep
In the medina (old town) at the luxurious Hotel & Riads NaourBarriere with a huge pool and underground spa. www.lucienbarriere.com
Amsterdam
1. Riding the canals is the best way to experience Amsterdam (www.amsterdamcitytours.com).
2. Go to the Museum of Handbags, the largest in the world (more than 4000 models), which is located in a beautiful 17th century house on the canal, where the mayor of Amsterdam used to live (Herengracht, 573, www.tassenmuseum.nl/en/home). More serious options - the unique Van Gogh Museum (www.vangoghmuseum.nl) and the Anne Frank House (www.annefrank.org) - are guaranteed to impress.
3. Look into one of the most famous coffee shops in Amsterdam, Dampkring (where Ocean's 12 was filmed). Just don't try to order coffee there (29 Handboogstraat, www.dedampkring.nl).
4. Walk through the largest street market in Amsterdam, Albert Cuypstraat. If you get hungry, you can eat the famous herring right on the street. A stone's throw from the market, there is a lovely Bazaar restaurant serving North African cuisine (182 Albert Cuypstraat, www.bazaramsterdam.nl/).
5. Mingle with the crowd at the Rembrandtplein, home to the trendiest nightclubs (eg Escape Club, www.escape.nl), cafes, restaurants and gay bars.
6. Go to a sex show in the Red Light District. The most professional and incendiary erotic performances are staged at the Casarosso Theater (www.casarosso.nl). The event is absolutely safe - you can even sit next to your mother on squeezed red chairs. It is not necessary to take your mother to the Erotic Museum.
7. Sip a mojito at the trendy Twenty Third Bar on the 23rd floor of the Okura Design Hotel. If you get hungry, you can order fresh oysters from the nearby Michelin-starred Ciel Bleu restaurant at the bar.
Where to sleep
In the new Hotel OkurAmsterdam, decorated in the tradition of Japanese minimalism, www.okura.nl. The hotel features the only two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Amsterdam, Ciel Blue (French cuisine), and the trendy Japanese one-Michelin-star Yamazato restaurant.
Hague
1. Upon arrival, dine at the excellent Grand Cafe Pearl restaurant at the recently reopened Hilton The Hague. In the center is a giant projection of Vermeer's painting "Girl with a Pearl Earring", and every accessory and decor element of this establishment is related to this artist. If the weather is good (though here it changes every half an hour), you can sit on the terrace and drink the Dutch beer Grolsch.
2. Go for a walk around Denneweg, looking into other people's windows. The Dutch - true Protestants who have nothing to hide from God and people - do not use curtains and blinds. This part of The Hague is full of designer shops, antique shops, pubs and restaurants.
3. View (already in the original) paintings by Vermeer, Rembrandt and other famous Dutch people at the Royal Art Gallery Mauritshuis (www.mauritshuis.nl).
4. Go to a liqueur tasting at the Van Kleef Dutch Gin Factory Museum - you will be served delicious food there (www.vankleef.org).
5. Walk along the coast of the North Sea along the Scheveningen promenade and buy something from Delft porcelain or Klompen shoes.
6. Go to Madurodam Park - a miniature model of the Dutch city. Ships go along the canals. The bridges are being raised. The mills are turning. 13,000 handmade figurines live their own lives. Children and adults are delighted (Haringkade, www.madurodam.nl).
7. Drink Amstel Malt beer and flirt with taller local guys in the trendiest bar in The Hague, Crazy Pianos (Strandweg 21-29, www.crazypianos.com).
How to fly
There are no direct flights to The Hague from Russia. Every day, planes fly from Moscow to Amsterdam (Aeroflot, KLM), and trains leave from Amsterdam airport every 15–20 minutes. The ticket can be bought on the spot.
Where to sleep
At Hilton The Hague in the heart of the old city, with spacious rooms and spectacular views. www.thehague.hilton.com
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