In 2022 when Nina and Alex were 11, the European portion of our travels brought us to Switzerland, Holland, and the Czech Republic. Late, stormy and deserted, we arrived in the Prague of novels. Thus began my obsession with documenting the beauty of this town through photos. I admit…I MIGHT have a problem lol. Here is my list of things to see with kids in Prague.
1. Gardens below the Palace
There are many many stairs in this garden, but the view alone was worth the trek (even with bad knees)!
NOTE: Due to “security risks”, you can no longer enter the Prague Castle from the garden.
2. Prague Castle
To get here, you must trudge the never ending stairs in the blazing sun. This is NOT for the elderly or infirmed. We definitely earned our dessert today!
Not really a castle, more like a city, this complex is huge and there is no information desk, so research carefully or book a tour if you are interested in seeing all that is available.
We reached the palace grounds just before noon and stumbled upon changing of the guard. We had to work hard to catch glimpses of the ceremony through the crowds.
Of course, I took a crazy amount of photos while wandering around here. There was the beautiful architecture…
…and the statues…
…and the grounds…
…and the views!
3. Concert at Prague Castle
We had tickets for a concert, but no clue how to find the venue (Lobkowowivz Palace). After what seemed like endless walking, we actually found the place. Gratefully, we sat and enjoyed a beautiful concert in a setting that was just gorgeous. I highly recommend this!
4. Maybe skip the Old Car Tour when planning things to see with kids in Prague?
You can book a vintage car tour of the city through many companies. We did this one. The car was adorable and our driver was lovely, but (you’re not gonna like this!), I do not recommend this tour unless you are only in Prague for one day. The problem is that this city is jam packed with things to do and see. It’s just one beautiful and interesting place after another. The car tour provides a great overview, but its difficult to hear the driver and it’s much too much information to absorb just 90 minutes.
5. John Lennon Wall
I absolutely LOVE this vibrant memorial to John Lennon that symbolizes the ideals of freedom and peace.
My family agrees that this is one of the best things to see with kids in Prague.
The poems written in solidarity with the people of Ukraine were especially moving.
6. Prague Astronomical Clock
Perhaps one of the most beautiful (and famous!) sites in this city is the Prague Orloj.
Every hour on the hour, this incredibly intricate timepiece comes to life, beginning with the skeleton ringing his bell. Luckily, we arrived just 10 minutes before showtime. This is one of the most fun things to see with kids in Prague.
7. Pedal Boat on the Vltava
A few different vendors on Slavonic Island rent boats by the hour. We chose a pedal boat for 4, although pedals are only in the front. We also rented a bluetooth speaker so that we could have some tunes in our boat.
Here is an article that mentions the company we used, and provides rental details.
What a great way to see Prague from an alternate perspective.
8. Walk the Charles Bridge
Like everything else in Prague, the Charles Bridge is a work of art that is a must on my list of things to see with kids in Prague.
9. Jewish Quarter
There are many options for tours of the Jewish Quarter; we chose this one from Viator. During WWII, the Jews of Prague convinced the nazis that their synagogues should be used to store all of the confiscated goods that they gathered. This is why so many ancient synagogues are still standing here. We visited:
Old New Synagogue
Built in the 13th century, this is oldest working synagogue in Europe.
Pinkas synagogue
The walls of this 16th Century synagogue contain the names of all of the 80,000 known Czech Jews that died in holocaust.
Upstairs, there is a small museum with drawings by the children who were in the Terezin ghetto. This is one of the most impactful sites on my list of things to see with kids in Prague.
Old Jewish Cemetery
The tombstones in this cemetery are in such a chaotic jumble because during the years of 1400-1700, people were buried on top of each other (due to a lack of space)! There are layers upon layers of bodies and even headstones below ground here.
Klausen Synagogue
Built in the 17th century, this structure now houses a museum of artifacts from Jewish holidays and Shabbat.
Spanish Synagogue
This ornate and gorgeous synagogue built in the 1860s is not actually Spanish, but is named for its moorish style of architecture. They have classical music concerts here which must be amazing.
10. Learn about Communism in Prague
We felt it was important for Nina and Alex to learn a little bit about what Prague was like during the communist era. The concierge at our hotel found us a guide who was a teenager here in the 1980s. Her synopsis of communism in Prague: “it was good for people who were poor or lazy, and bad for intelligent people with motivation… rich people suffered the most”
According to her, some of the benefits of communism in Prague were:
- Housing was easy to obtain and it was inexpensive to live
- Heat and water were free
- Health care and schools were great
- There was no homeless then, and no disobedient children (lol, imagine!)
- If you obeyed the rules of the government, no one bothered you
Some of the drawbacks were:
- no freedom to travel except to communist countries.
- there was little variety in goods especially clothing and cars
- everyone wanted a German car, but they cost more than a house!
- It was dangerous to practice and study religion: 60% of Czeck citizens remain atheist today
- If you did not obey the rules, you were tortured and killed
11. Visit Terezin: a meaningful day trip from Prague
This day trip may not be on your list of things to see with kids in Prague, but we felt it was important…
Located about an hour drive from Prague central, Theresienstadt (the German word for Terezin) is a town where two fortress were erected in the late 1700s. The nazis felt it was the perfect place to set up a ghetto for the Jews of Czechoslovakia. They claimed to the outside world that they were giving the Jews a whole town to live in and run by themselves, but in actuality, this was a way-station for people passing through to Auschwitz and other death camps.
This sleepy town experienced a huge population boom when all of the Jews arrived. Although starving and diseased and living in deplorable conditions, the people here were relatively lucky because this area was set up as a model camp where culture and art were tolerated. The nazis were careful to make living conditions appear better than they were so that when a Red Cross group visited, they would think that all was fine in nazi controlled territories. It worked.
12. Trdelník and Rolled Ice Cream
Watching people make these two sweets is definitely on my list of things to see with kids in Prague. Trdelnik (chimney cake) is fried dough cone dipped in sugar and cinnamon. You can get this delicious treat with many toppings and fillings, or just eat it plain! It even gets a thumbs up from Alex, which is HIGH praise!
Apparently a Tik Tok sensation, Nina was very excited to try the exotic delicacy called Rolled Ice Cream. She enjoyed it, but Alex and I felt that the creamy texture on our palates lingered way too long. I am not a fan.
13. Golom
We learned a bit about Golom during our Jewish Quarter tour. A famous figure in Jewish mysticism and Prague folklore, meeting his gigantic likeness in the form of a sculpture is on my list of Things To See With Kids In Prague. We enjoyed dinner at the restaurant named in his honor. Renato was thrilled to finally try goulasch, one of Prague’s specialties. He loved it!
Other places we ate in Prague:
14. Mala Strana Mandarin Oriental
Pros: beautiful building, huge and grand spaces, interesting art and gorgeous flowers
Cons: hard euro bed and pillows, lack of friendly and attentive staff, not appetizing breakfast
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