CHILDREN’S ATTRACTIONS
1. Mirror Maze
The warped mirrors lining the walls here are great fun for making faces, pointing fingers at distended bellies and elongated bodies and giggling hysterically, whatever your age. For older children interested in a bit of gore and history combined, the battle-scene diorama is another of the many attractions on Petřín Hill.
Castle-like entrance of the Petřín Hill Mirror Maze
2. Swan Feeding
Grab a bag of seeds and head to the riverbank. Střelecký ostrov (island) is an ideal spot to watch these graceful white birds dip their necks in the water to catch the morsels, much to children’s delight. Take care that little feet don’t go into the water and mud, however, and make sure that fingers don’t inadvertently get snapped in the feeding frenzy. Good for all seasons.
3. Puppet Shows
Puppetry is a long-standing Czech tradition, and late afternoon shows will keep your children entertained for up to an hour. There’s enough action that younger folk usually don’t mind not understanding the libretto or narration. Weekend presentations of well-known fairy tales at the National Marionette Theatre can fill up quickly, so book in advance.
Czech puppet
4. Gargoyle-Spotting
This is rather addictive. Give the little ones their first taste finding faces on St Vitus Cathedral and they’ll have their heads pointed upwards for days. In addition to gargoyles, train your kids to spot the innumerable statues, house signs and strange faces that adorn arches, cornices and gateways all over the city. Just take care that they don’t get stiff necks or stumble on uneven pavement surfaces.
Gargoyle, St Vitus Cathedral
5. White Tower
Zlatá ulička, Prague Castle • Open Apr–Oct: 9am–5pm; Nov–Mar: 9am–4pm • Adm
This is an entertaining spot at Prague Castle. Here kids can shoot a real crossbow, pick out their favourite suit of armour and imagine the grisly goings-on in the torture chamber. They’ll have no trouble negotiating the low, narrow passages, but the adults with them might.
6. The Kingdom of Railways
Stroupežnického 23, Smíchov • Open daily • www.railroad-kingdom.com
The amazing miniature world of the Railway Kingdom has dozens of model trains and cars, hundreds of metres of track, replicas of important buildings and places in the Czech Republic, as well as an exhibition which features a unique interactive model of Prague at a 1:1000 scale.
7. Výstaviště
In addition to Křižík Fountain, the Prague exhibition grounds are home to the Lunapark carnival: ferris wheels, rollercoasters and other similar rides (see Výstaviště) will toss and turn the kids for hours, and, if they can still stomach it, there’s even candy floss (cotton candy). The fun begins in March and carries on through the warmer summer months.
8. Black Light Theatre
Divadlo Ta Fantastika: Karlova 8
There is an abundance of black-light shows at theatres (see Performing Arts Venues) around the Old Town, but the best one is at Divadlo Ta Fantastika. So long as the youngsters don’t mind strange images suddenly popping out of the dark, the brilliant displays should keep them mesmerized.
9. Boat Trips
While adults might enjoy the old-fashioned (and more romantic) rowing boats, children will prefer the splashing, pedalling action of the miniature paddleboats that travel up and down the Vltava. Numerous vendors rent boats and sell tickets in the vicinity of the National Theatre. Take all the usual precautions that no one goes overboard, accidentally or otherwise.
Sightseeing boats on the Vltava
10. Prague Zoo
U Trojského zámku 120, Troja • www.zoopraha.cz
Prague Zoo is located on a rocky slope north of the centre overlooking the right bank of the Vltava. Founded in 1924, it is now home to more than 5,000 animals representing more than 680 species, around 50 of them extremely rare in the wild.
A young orangutan at Prague Zoo
