History writ large

A 12-century-old castle which houses a country's president. A 500-year-old bear moat with bears still living in it. An Intercontinental hotel that has communist architectural influences. Welcome to Eastern Europe, where the past is still very much a part of the present. Wander down the cobbled streets of Prague, Vienna and Budapest and you will marvel at how different architectural eras are represented, like a Darwinian evolution of design. Ba roque, Gothic, Art Nouveau - you name it and you'll find it, sometimes right next to each other. And the locals are so proud of their design heritage that should anyone suggest giving an old building a contemporary twist - as happened with the Dancing House of Prague which won accolades for its modern glass facade - they will be up in arms at the travesty.

After a week's immersion which saw us walk down the same halls as the royal Habsburg family, visit a Jewish synagogue-turned-memorial for the victims of World War II, and viewing grey, uniform buildings from the Cold War juxtaposed with Art Nouveau houses, we can understand their sentiments.

Prague