Prague or Zakopane?

Neither is a beach destination, as both are far from any sea. In Prague, summer swimming means the Dzban reservoir in the Sarka valley or a day at Slapy on the Vltava. In Zakopane, bathing is banned in the Tatra lakes and the Czorsztyn reservoir is an hour's drive away, but the outdoor thermal pools stay warm all year, so you can swim there in January as well as July.

Prague eats and drinks better, mostly because of its beer: carefully poured, often unpasteurised lager, a long microbrewery tradition, and neighbourhood pubs and Moravian wine bars in Vinohrady, Karlin and Letna, with a modest modern restaurant scene around them.

Zakopane's highland cooking is more unusual but has even less range: grilled oscypek with cranberry jam, kwaśnica and lamb in timber inns with musicians. Both towns cook worst where the crowds are, around Old Town Square in one and on Krupówki in the other, and in both the side streets are worth the walk.

This is where the two differ most. Prague's whole centre is a UNESCO site, from the Castle and St Vitus through Baroque Mala Strana and the Gothic Old Town to the synagogues of Josefov, with Art Nouveau and rare Cubist buildings on top. Three or four days only cover the essentials.

Zakopane's heritage is small but its own: the timber villas of the Zakopane style, Villa Koliba, the Jaszczurówka chapel and the carved grave markers of Pęksowy Brzyzek. It makes a pleasant day off from hiking, not a reason to go.

Prague has far more evenings out: cheap, excellent beer in Zizkov's plain local pubs, wine bars in Vinohrady, summer beer gardens on Letna, and a techno and alternative circuit in Holesovice alongside the big clubs near Wenceslas Square that stay open until dawn.

In Zakopane, going out means the pubs and few dance clubs on Krupówki. They are rowdiest on après-ski weekends and at New Year and quiet midweek, which suits hikers with an early start.

Zakopane is the outdoors destination of the two. The granite Tatras begin where the streets end: crocus meadows in Kościeliska, the walk to Morskie Oko, the climb to Rysy at 2,499m and the cable car to Kasprowy Wierch, with skiing and cross-country routes in winter and rafting on the Dunajec in summer.

Prague's green side is gentler: Petrin Hill, Stromovka and the Divoka Sarka gorge inside the city, and the sandstone towers of Bohemian Switzerland about two hours away. The walking and cycling are good, but there are no mountains.

Prague is the stronger base. Trains run to Kutna Hora's cathedral and ossuary, Karlstejn is under an hour away, and Terezin, the Melnik vineyards and Dresden along the Elbe all make easy outings without a car.

Zakopane's excursions are good but depend on the roads: Kraków and the Wieliczka salt mine, the painted wooden church at Dębno, the log houses of Chochołów, and Spiš Castle and Levoča across the Slovak border. Weekend traffic can make any of them much longer.

Zakopane suits active families better. It has the Gubałówka funicular with slides and a summer toboggan at the top, flat valley trails for pushchairs, sledging and nursery slopes in winter, and thermal water parks for a wet day, though the steep hikes are for older children only.

Prague has its storybook castle, the astronomical clock and an excellent zoo at Troja, but little beyond those. Cobbles, the castle stairs and summer crowds make it harder going with small children.

Prague is much easier to get around. Its compact centre takes about fifteen minutes to cross from Old Town Square to Mala Strana, and three metro lines and night trams share one ticket, though pickpockets work the trams through Mala Strana.

Zakopane's pedestrianised core is easy on foot, and minibuses reach Kuźnice and the valley trailheads. Arriving is the hard part: the road in jams at peak times, the winding train from Kraków is slow, and you need a car for the outlying villages.

Prague has much more range: luxury labels on Parizska, chains on Na Prikope, Bohemian crystal, garnet jewellery and marionettes, small design and vintage shops in Holesovice and Karlin, and Christmas markets on the old squares.

Zakopane is a souvenir town with a real craft tradition: sheep's-wool sweaters, sheepskins, felt slippers and carved boxes at the Gubałówka market, plus outdoor gear on Krupówki. It is worth buying one good sweater there, but it is not a shopping trip.

Both cost far less than their Western European equivalents, and neither is cheap everywhere, so the difference lies in what pushes prices up. In Prague it is location: beer, transport and neighbourhood pubs stay inexpensive, while hotels in the historic core and restaurants with a river view are priced for visitors.

In Zakopane it is the calendar. Guesthouses and inn meals cost little in spring and autumn, but Christmas, New Year, the winter school breaks and long summer weekends push room prices up and need booking early.

Prague is a serious classical music city, with opera at the National Theatre, the State Opera and the Estates Theatre, where Don Giovanni had its premiere. The Czech Philharmonic plays at the Rudolfinum, and black-light and marionette theatre need no Czech.

Zakopane's live culture is small and local: the Witkacy Theatre, highland string bands fiddling in the inns, and the mountain folklore festival every August. It is charming in passing, but nothing to plan a trip around.

Zakopane began as a mountain health resort and still works as one. Geothermal water feeds big outdoor pools in Chochołów, Białka Tatrzańska, Bukowina and Szaflary, steaming in the snow with the Tatras in view, and a soak after hiking is part of the day for many visitors.

Prague has no bathing tradition, and the Czech spa towns are far away in western Bohemia. Rest there means a hotel spa, an afternoon in a grand coffee house or a quiet bench on Kampa island.