Museum Night at the Citadel - how to plan the evening

Queues form at the popular museums, so start with the one that interests you most. Check in advance which institutions take part and at what hours - the museums announce the programme each year.

Choose public transport: on the night itself, driving and parking can be difficult. Museum Night takes place in mid-May, with free entry and late opening hours.

The Citadel’s advantage is having several museums in one place - in a single evening you can move between entirely different exhibitions without crossing the city. It is a rare chance to compare the narratives of national history, military history and political repression in one go.

Plan two or three museums rather than all of them. A shorter but calmer evening gives you more than running from one queue to the next.

Dress comfortably and in layers - part of the route is outdoors and the evenings can be cool. Bring water and a charged phone, since the programme and map are easiest to check as you go.

With children, consider arriving for the earlier hours and seeing one or two museums at most. The late evening and the crowds can tire you out faster than the exhibition itself.

Museum Night has a different atmosphere from ordinary sightseeing - interiors are seen after dark, often with extra events, and entry that night is usually free or symbolic. In return, expect crowds and queues at the most popular exhibitions.

It is a once-a-year event, so the programme and hours are announced in advance - check them just before, as they change with each edition.

Start with the museum you care about most, while you have energy and the crowds are smaller, and leave lighter or open-air points for later. Between exhibitions, use the Citadel grounds for a moment of breathing space away from the queues.

If you come from further away, check the night-time return connections - it is easy to lose track of time during the event.