Cesky Krumlov or Verona?

Neither town is a beach destination, but Verona has the better swimming. Lake Garda's southern shore is about half an hour away, reachable by train to Peschiera, and it is warmer and clearer than Lipno, with lidos, lawns and Sirmione's flat limestone shelves.

Cesky Krumlov's nearest swimming is the Lipno reservoir in the Bohemian Forest, a drive away and noticeably cooler even in high summer. The Vltava in town is for rafting, not swimming.

Verona eats far better. Its tables carry risotto made with Amarone or Vialone Nano rice, bigoli with duck and bollito with pearà, and the vineyards of Valpolicella, Soave and Bardolino are close enough to make every meal a wine meal.

Cesky Krumlov serves solid South Bohemian cooking, roast pork, duck, dumplings and river trout, in vaulted cellars, with excellent local beer. The range is narrow and many menus are aimed at day-trippers, so food is a pleasure here rather than a reason to come.

Both are UNESCO-listed old towns in a river loop, but Verona has more layers and more to see. It has Roman remains in the Arena and the hillside theatre, the Scaliger tombs from medieval rule, the Romanesque San Zeno and Scarpa's Castelvecchio museum, enough for two or three full days.

Cesky Krumlov is a single, intact set piece. Its castle, with the painted tower, the Cloak Bridge and a rare Baroque theatre, is the heart of it, and the Schiele art centre adds a modern note. Most people have seen it all within a day, and it looks best at dawn and dusk.

Verona has the livelier evenings, though it is no party city. The aperitivo spills across Piazza delle Erbe, the student wine bars of Veronetta stay busy later, and on summer opera nights the centre fills again near midnight.

In Cesky Krumlov an evening means a beer on a riverside terrace or in a cellar pub. There are no clubs, and outside summer the lanes are empty early.

The two are well matched outdoors, but the landscapes differ. Cesky Krumlov's is soft and wooded: canoeing down the Vltava's meanders, spruce forest and peat bogs in the Bohemian Forest, the views from Klet, and cross-country skiing in winter.

Verona looks towards the Alps and the lake. It offers vineyard walks in Valpolicella, ridge hikes and paragliding on Monte Baldo above Garda, strong winds for sailing at the lake's northern end, and limestone gorges on the Lessinia plateau.

This is where Verona pulls furthest ahead. Venice, Vicenza's Palladian buildings, Giotto's chapel in Padua and Mantua are all an easy train ride away, and Lake Garda's harbour towns and the Valpolicella and Soave wine country are closer still.

Cesky Krumlov has a pleasant regional circuit: the arcaded square of České Budějovice, Hluboká's white castle, the Baroque farmhouses of Holašovice and the spa town of Třeboň. Most of these need a car, and Prague is too far for a comfortable day.

Verona does more for children. A large theme park, water parks and a safari zoo are all within about half an hour, the lake offers shallow swimming, and the flat, car-free centre is easy with a pushchair. Summer heat and the need for transport are the drawbacks.

Cesky Krumlov has storybook charm, with bears in the castle moat and a gentle family raft trip on the river, plus Lipno's treetop walk nearby. Its steep cobbles are hard work with a pushchair, though, and the castle interiors suit adults better.

Both centres are best on foot, but Verona is easier in and beyond town. Its river-loop centre is flat and largely free of traffic, and fast trains run to Venice, Milan and Garda.

Cesky Krumlov is even smaller, crossed in a quarter of an hour, but the cobbles and the climb to the castle take effort. Regional buses and trains go little beyond České Budějovice, so exploring South Bohemia usually means hiring a car.

Verona offers real shopping, Cesky Krumlov mostly souvenirs. Via Mazzini and the corsos have Italian fashion labels, jewellers and shoe shops, and the best things to take home are Amarone, Garda olive oil and pandoro.

Cesky Krumlov's lanes sell Bohemian glass, garnets, marionettes and green moldavite, with a few craft workshops. There are no fashion streets at all.

Cesky Krumlov is the cheaper stay. Family guesthouses, Czech meals and local beer stay moderately priced, and only the rooms with views and the restaurants on the main lanes charge a premium.

In Verona, rooms are the main expense. Central hotels are costly for a provincial city and fill up on opera nights and during trade fairs, although wine counters, student osterie in Veronetta and the walkable centre help keep daily costs down.

Verona has one of Europe's signature summer events: grand opera on the stone tiers of the Roman Arena, with Shakespeare, dance and jazz in the Roman theatre, and a Teatro Filarmonico season through the cooler months.

Cesky Krumlov's stage is also mostly a summer one, with plays and opera in the castle garden's revolving open-air theatre and a classical music festival. The rest of the year there is very little to attend.

Verona has the better spa options nearby. Sirmione's thermal pools face Lake Garda, a spring-fed thermal lake lies near Lazise, and Caldiero's springs date back to Roman times. In town, the Giardino Giusti and evening walks by the river set a gentle pace.

Cesky Krumlov offers stillness rather than treatments: a few hotel wellness rooms, beer baths and a hushed old town in winter. For proper peat baths, it means a day out to Třeboň.