It's not just the well-preserved architecture and creepy cemeteries that make Prague a Gothic wonderland. There's something inherent in the atmosphere that's made the city a Mecca for cynical artists, intellectuals and disciples of the Gothic music scene. As one popular travel Web site notes, "Every young Goth should dream of going to Prague."

But the city conspicuously lacks a Goth scene — no Goth bands, no Goth clubs and only intermittent concerts.

A group of Goth enthusiasts are hoping to change that, starting with a one-night Gothic/Dark Music festival at Abaton this weekend. The goal is to bring bands, local fans and Goth travelers together. And if the talk on Internet bulletin boards is any indication, it will.

The fest is the first of this scale in Prague and more than simply an evening of music. Czech vendors Nosferatu (Gothic and metal clothing) and Neosfera (music and bookstore) will be there, along with Fiendforce Records from Germany and Drop Dead magazine from New York City.

"It's a shame that this most Gothic city has no scene," says Polina Y, a DJ and editor of Drop Dead. "We must make it happen."

Headlining the fest is the American band Cinema Strange, whose music has been likened to a delicious, naughty little secret, like a box of chocolates stolen from your grandmother and hidden in the wardrobe. Internationally known and fanatically adored, these self-proclaimed "Gothic dirgists" extend Goth into dark cabaret, theater, fantasy and the grotesque.

Asked about the Gothic scene today, Cinema Strange guitarist and composer Mik Ribiat characterizes it as "a blender in which the castaways of every club genre are thrown." He makes a good point: The terms Gothic or "dark music" encompass a vast domain of styles, including such genres as dark folk, EBM, industrial, death rock and even horror punk.

The other bands playing at the fest represent some of those aspects. Germany's Golden Apes play Gothic rock reminiscent of Nick Cave. The Dead End Guys, also German, are horror punk, playing creepy themes with spook-house makeup. Slovakia's Hysteric Helen is influenced by The Cure, but the band's neurotic postpunk antics and cyber-sexual costumes represent a new era. And the German electro band Bakterielle Infektion will be a high point for fans of minimalist music.

When asked about the lack of a Gothic scene in Prague, Michal Chalupa, owner of Neosfera, points to the debilitating effects of communism. "It is philosophy, fashion and music for introverts," he says, which did not exist under communism and has been slow to develop.

But this is a new era, and Chalupa and his fellow Goth devotees are prepared to change that. For them, the festival will be a concert, a cultural event and an awakening.