City corners — hidden gems — page 6

Kagurazaka in Tokyo: cobbled lanes of a former geisha district, the Bishamonten temple, French cafes and stairways behind the hill.

In Dublin, beside St Patrick's Cathedral, Marsh's Library has preserved since 1707 its oak shelves, rare books and the reading cages.

Bakkehuset, the Rahbeks' home in Frederiksberg: period rooms, a historic garden and the literary salons frequented by H.C. Andersen.

In Kispest, the garden district of Wekerle: houses with steep roofs and wooden gateways around Kós Károly tér. How to get there.

A stone's throw from the crowded Hackesche Höfe, the Heckmann courtyards in Berlin-Mitte: workshops, a sweet factory and quiet.

In the 13th arrondissement of Paris, the Cité Florale: six flower-named lanes, Art Deco cottages and wisteria, born in 1928 on a marsh of the Bièvre.

A few steps from Stephansplatz, a silent Baroque courtyard with a chapel and fountain, owned by Heiligenkreuz Abbey.

Nový Svět, the cobbled enclave behind Prague Castle: pastel cottages and silence five minutes from the crowds of the Golden Lane.

Behind a small door on the Egelantiersgracht, the second-oldest hofje in Amsterdam: a corridor of blue tiles and a silent garden.