CZECH IT OUT.

DANCING under the lasers and lights of a huge warehouse club, the central DJ booth spinning like a UFO, it was hard to believe I'd been exploring the cobbled city of old Prague only a few hours before. The mega club of SaSaZu, said to be one of the largest nightspots in central Europe, attracts all kinds of Czechs on a Saturday night.

That lunchtime we had been indulging in several courses at the huge Asian restaurant next door, part of the SaSaZu complex, and had been persuaded by the club manager to return in the evening. "Ladies, what are you doing later?" he smiled. Well, we had a hectic schedule.

The weekend was a whirlwind tour of sightseeing, shopping, fine dining and drinking cocktails. The aim was to see whether Prague could live up to its reputation as a stylish 21st-century capital and still retain its charm as a historical city.

We arrived with the light fading on a Friday evening, and were immediately shown to The Augustine Hotel. Created from a 13th-century monastery in the Mala Strana district, . BA (0844 offer three Prague from 2009 departures, Flights. B&B at roccofortecollection.

it sits across the Charles Bridge from the old town. Several practising monks still live in a separate part of the monastery next door.

The Augustine is the latest addition to the growing portfolio being collected by Rocco Forte across Europe, which includes Manchester's Lowry Hotel and The Balmoral in Edinburgh. Mostly priced for demanding business travellers, they are a rare treat for leisure trippers.

All 101 bedrooms of The Augustine enjoy picturesque views of red-tiled rooftops and towers fading into the distance. We were given a sneak peek of the breathtaking Tower Suite in the monastery's astronomical tower - the second-most expensive suite in the hotel - in which a winding staircase leads upwards through a living room, a bathroom and finally a bedroom with views from all four walls.

ba.com) November Heathrow.

pounds 732 7666 6667, starts My room, though less awe-inspiring than a tower, was still the height of luxury. A huge kingsized bed and grand marble bathroom with a pair of stone angel wings above the bath greeted me on arrival, and I spied some fresh apple pie waiting on the desk.

We took full advantage of the hotel bar in the monastery's former double-height hall, ordering colourful cocktails that corresponded to the four angels painted on the ceiling.

Crossing the Charles Bridge for dinner, the lights of the grand buildings along the Vltava River were glinting in the black water. At that moment, I could understand the mystery and the strange charm of Eastern Europe.

Prague's unpredictable architecture - Gothic spires above Cubist facades, Renaissance townhouses alongside Baroque palaces - understandably attracts tourists from across the world.

It is worth lingering in the Old Town Square with the crowds to see the Prague Astronomical Clock strike the hour: the bell tolls, the windows above the clock fly open and mechanical skeletons and apostles pop out and dance.

Next day, we wandered around Prague Castle, just up the hill from the Augustine, and gazed at the imposing St Vitus Cathedral.

In the Old Town area, there are so many little alleyways, cobbled streets and courtyards of town houses where you can suddenly discover fascinating shops selling clothes, hand-glazed kitchenware and traditional wooden toys. Hand-blown glass is another local speciality.

Besides the clubs, Prague is famous for its beer halls, where artists, musicians and poets mingle with city workers and passing groups of tourists.

That night I was surprised to find no noisy British stag-dos underway at all (although we did catch a glimpse of a pink-jacketed group of hens). In fact, drink prices in the city centre are now not much less expensive than London, which may deter beery men from choosing Prague as a cheap and cheerful destination.

After a delicious taster menu at the hotel's Monastery restaurant, we headed out to Bar & Books, a wood-panelled bar hidden away on a cobble-stoned street near Old Town Square.

The bar, which lives up to its name with a well-stacked library, attracts a wellheeled crowd who like their whisky, and we were soon ready to dance the night away.

A few of us hopped in a taxi to SaSaZu and the others walked to Blue Light Bar, a late-night spot complete with candles, secondhand furniture and graffiti on the walls. Judging by our tired faces at breakfast, it's fair to say we all had a good night out in the capital.

Ending my time in Prague with a massage in the hotel spa was the icing on the cake of this girls' weekend.

whirlwind tour of dining aim upwards bathroom with TRAVEL INFORMATION . BA (0844 493 0758, www.ba.com) offer three nights' B&B at Augustine, Prague from pounds 654pp based on November 2009 departures, inc flights ex-Heathrow.

Flights ex-Manchester from pounds 732 shown . B&B at Augustine (00800 7666 6667, roccofortecollection.com) starts at 320 for classic double room above on fresh

CAPTION(S):

The iconic Charles Bridge, the Old Town Square (inset left) and Tom's Bar at The Augustine Hotel (right)