We overheard this brilliant aside from an American backpacker in a bar in Zizkov: “What the hell is up with all the puppets?”

It’s sort of a good question. Prague’s more touristy areas have marionette shops on practically every corner. The art of puppetry has been a popular form in Prague since the 17th Century. It was one of the first forms of theatre performed in Czech. Historically, the innocence of the marionettes and the naïveté of their puppeteers have allowed many censored ideas to reach the public.

The National Marionette Theatre (Zatecka 1 in Stare Mesto) performs Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni twice daily. With a theatre bar that allows you to bring your Pilsner into the performance, this Giovanni is a burlesque send-up for those who love and loathe opera alike. Sit in the front row if you don’t mind getting wet.

If you’re in Prague on Saturday, June 16, 2007 don’t spend your day museum-hopping. Wait until 7 p.m., when the bulk of the city’s museums and galleries will waive admission as part of Prague’s Museum Night.

In its fourth year (2007), Prague’s Museum Night is part of a European movement to make art open, accessible, and (best of all) free. The only two museums not offering free admission are asking for “symbolic admission”: the Museum of the City of Prague is charging CZK1 (€.04; $.05), while the City Gallery Prague is asking for CZK10 (€.35; $.47) per entrant. If you’re completely strapped for crowns, don’t fret. There are over 15 other museums and galleries to keep you busy.

Transportation between museums will also be free. A handful of other cultural events and exhibitions will complement the evening’s festivities. So if you’ve ever found yourself jonesing for a Cinderella, stroke-of-midnight moment at Prague Castle, June 16 is your chance.

Along the Vltava river, which Bedrich Smetana immortalized in his collection of symphonic poems “Má vlast,” now sits a museum that’s worth interrupting your riverside stroll. Go a little past the Charles Bridge and cut into the small side street of Novotneho lavka to visit the Bedrich Smetana Museum.

While the waistcoat pocket-sized museum doesn’t have the space or artifacts to compete with the Dvorak House or the Mozart Museum at Bertramka, there is nothing more Czech than listening to “Vltava” while sitting on the Vltava. Point the laser-tipped baton in the main section of the museum’s room towards any of the music stands to sample “Má Vlast,” the “Bartered Bride,” or a handful of other works by the composer.

More interestingly, and worth the price of the CZK50 (€1.75; $2.35) admission fee, is the display of Smetana’s ossicles—that is, his ear bones. They’re available for viewing under magnification among the standard mix of journals, letters, scores, and family photos.

Whether you’ve never heard of Smetana (for shame!) or can hum the “Bartered Bride” from memory, this is definitely a waistcoat pocket worth checking out.

In Prague, you can get your fill of apple strudel at any sidewalk cafe. However, (especially if you’re in the Czech Republic long-term) no one will blame you for craving a giant soft-baked chocolate chip cookie. And expat Anne Feeley’s Bakeshop Praha (Kozi 1, just a block down from the Kafka statue) is just the place to find them, along with a wide range of other American-style baked goods (including bread that isn’t rye!).

The cheery shop, located near the Jewish Quarter, has a design that isn’t too far from Feeley’s Californian roots, warm with a retro, gee-whiz interior. The staff is oh-so-helpful, whether toasting your ham and cheese croissant (a delicious buttery sin) or bagging up a dozen scrumptious oatmeal raisin cookies to bring home.

While the shop makes for a nice afternoon pick-me-up, it is also the perfect locale for a quick, cheap lunch (their quiches are roughly CZK65/$2.00 and are so addictive they should be outlawed). If you have some extra time and extra money burning a hole in your pocket, Feeley’s sister restaurant Bakeshop Diner, is nearby in Mala Strana (next to the Charles Bridge) and offers up the full dining experience for a few extra Czech crowns.

Seeing this integral part of Czech culture, a part of its living history, in the blue velvet jewel-box of an opera house is a must. And with tickets for Clemenza still available for CZK450 to CZK1000 (that’s about $20 to $50), soaking up history and culture won’t soak up your bank account. Bohemia Ticket (located on the net and off Wenceslas Square) is a good resource for getting tickets.

If you ask the older Expat Czech-set, The Globe isn’t what it used to be since it moved seven years ago from the Holesovice to the trendier address on Pstrossova, near the National Theater. Howevery you can still find them in the corner of the bookshop-slash-café that puts Borders to shame.

Browse the wide selection of English books in the storefront (including the box of freebies by the door), and don’t be shy to ask the English-speaking staff if they can order a copy of what anything don’t have in stock. After you’ve grabbed an expat (or expat-in-spirit) appropriate book, head to the back café and sit on or under its grand balcony.

The current owner has a keen eye for the aesthetic experience which works in the café’s favor, making it atmospheric without the overkill. Currently the works of Roman Zakrzewski, whose collection “The Only Woman in the World” features portraits of his wife at various ages, flirt with the eye (and can be purchased for a decidedly non-Cheapo price of $3,000 each).

A hand-picked mix of jazz, European house, and techno remixes of opera arias msehes well with the reasonably priced drinks (stop in for half-priced cocktails every day between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m), and the live music featured on Friday and Saturday nights. In addition to the print menu of beverages and desserts, there is also a dinner menu that offers great portions, wonderful flavors, and prices as friendly as the waitresses.