Prague winters are cold and dark by late afternoon, so it helps to know where the ice is. Outdoor rinks open in November, the zoo and botanical garden light up after dark, and the Three Kings cross Charles Bridge on camels in January. For the coldest days we added indoor rinks and warm pools. Here's what we checked, from Letná plain to Aquapalace.
Crystal Garden fills the winter garden in Troja with large glass sculptures of flowers, trees and animals made by the Czech glassmaker Jiří Pačinek and his studio. Kids wander the paths spotting glass birds and blooms among the real plants, and after dark the pieces are lit up.
It suits kids who like a walk with something to find. Toddlers in strollers can come along.
Garden of Lights turns Prague Zoo into an evening walking trail of giant lantern animals, light tunnels and glowing gardens, some with sound and interactive effects. The theme changes each winter: African wildlife in 2024, wild Asia in 2025.
Kids spot lit-up big cats, crocodiles and birds along the paths after dark. It suits families who want a zoo outing that still works once the sun sets early.
Prague dropped its New Year fireworks over the noise and the stress on animals. In their place, the city gives Praguers a New Year's gift: on the first day of the year, its own zoo, gardens, museums, observatories and lookout tower open free or for a token price.
It turns a slow holiday into a cheap outing for families who want fresh air after a late night.
Three kings on camels lead a noisy band of drummers and trumpeters through Prague's old center, retelling the Magi's journey to Bethlehem. At the end they hand their gifts to the baby Jesus in a nativity scene.
It marks Three Kings Day, the close of Christmas, and kicks off the Three Kings Collection, a charity drive by Prague's Catholic charity. Kids who like animals and marching bands get both.
An open-air ice rink, 43 by 20 meters, set up each winter on Letná plain. Skates and helmets are for rent at the rink, and a skating school runs lessons for kids still learning to stand on the ice.
There's a snack bar, toilets, a bag check and skate sharpening. School groups also skate here on weekday mornings and early afternoons.
River Rink is an outdoor ice rink by the Vltava in the Riverside Karlín quarter: a 30 x 15 m sheet of ice with a skate rental and a street-food and punch bar beside it. The rental also has helmets and skating aids for kids still finding their balance, and the operator runs children's skating courses on the ice.
In summer the space becomes an open-air zone with dance nights and yoga.
A year-round indoor ice rink where kids can skate at public sessions or learn in groups. Family on Ice sessions cap the number of families and set out play stations, with an instructor on the ice.
Family mini-hockey and pond hockey are played on small goals with no gear, and kids' skating lessons split beginners from advanced skaters.
The home rink of hockey club HC Hvězda Praha: a covered 58 x 28 m ice surface with seating for 300. Outside club training, the ice opens for public skating, and a weekly skating school puts beginners and stronger skaters in separate groups led by the club's youth coaches.
The JB Sport shop rents and sharpens skates, and Kanada Pizza and the HC Bar look out over the ice.
Aquapalace is a big indoor water park just outside the city, split into three halls. The Adventure Palace holds most of the slides and a winding wild-water river. The Palace of Treasures has a pirate ship, wave pool, water cannons and a toddler splash pool. The Palace of Relaxation adds whirlpools, a lazy river and a lap pool. Outside sits the country's longest slide, over 350 meters.
A public swimming complex on the Vltava riverbank with three big pools. Inside is a 50m pool under an arched roof. Outside are a 33m pool, a 50m pool open in summer, a small relaxation pool with massage jets, and a water slide that runs in the summer season. Most of the water is lane swimming, so it suits kids who already swim more than toddlers looking for splash play.
Prague winters are cold and dark by late afternoon, so it helps to know where the ice is. Outdoor rinks open in November, the zoo and botanical garden light up after dark, and the Three Kings cross Charles Bridge on camels in January. For the coldest days we added indoor rinks and warm pools. Here's what we checked, from Letná plain to Aquapalace.
Crystal Garden fills the winter garden in Troja with large glass sculptures of flowers, trees and animals made by the Czech glassmaker Jiří Pačinek and his studio. Kids wander the paths spotting glass birds and blooms among the real plants, and after dark the pieces are lit up.
It suits kids who like a walk with something to find. Toddlers in strollers can come along.
Garden of Lights turns Prague Zoo into an evening walking trail of giant lantern animals, light tunnels and glowing gardens, some with sound and interactive effects. The theme changes each winter: African wildlife in 2024, wild Asia in 2025.
Kids spot lit-up big cats, crocodiles and birds along the paths after dark. It suits families who want a zoo outing that still works once the sun sets early.
Prague dropped its New Year fireworks over the noise and the stress on animals. In their place, the city gives Praguers a New Year's gift: on the first day of the year, its own zoo, gardens, museums, observatories and lookout tower open free or for a token price.
It turns a slow holiday into a cheap outing for families who want fresh air after a late night.
Three kings on camels lead a noisy band of drummers and trumpeters through Prague's old center, retelling the Magi's journey to Bethlehem. At the end they hand their gifts to the baby Jesus in a nativity scene.
It marks Three Kings Day, the close of Christmas, and kicks off the Three Kings Collection, a charity drive by Prague's Catholic charity. Kids who like animals and marching bands get both.
An open-air ice rink, 43 by 20 meters, set up each winter on Letná plain. Skates and helmets are for rent at the rink, and a skating school runs lessons for kids still learning to stand on the ice.
There's a snack bar, toilets, a bag check and skate sharpening. School groups also skate here on weekday mornings and early afternoons.
River Rink is an outdoor ice rink by the Vltava in the Riverside Karlín quarter: a 30 x 15 m sheet of ice with a skate rental and a street-food and punch bar beside it. The rental also has helmets and skating aids for kids still finding their balance, and the operator runs children's skating courses on the ice.
In summer the space becomes an open-air zone with dance nights and yoga.
A year-round indoor ice rink where kids can skate at public sessions or learn in groups. Family on Ice sessions cap the number of families and set out play stations, with an instructor on the ice.
Family mini-hockey and pond hockey are played on small goals with no gear, and kids' skating lessons split beginners from advanced skaters.
The home rink of hockey club HC Hvězda Praha: a covered 58 x 28 m ice surface with seating for 300. Outside club training, the ice opens for public skating, and a weekly skating school puts beginners and stronger skaters in separate groups led by the club's youth coaches.
The JB Sport shop rents and sharpens skates, and Kanada Pizza and the HC Bar look out over the ice.
Aquapalace is a big indoor water park just outside the city, split into three halls. The Adventure Palace holds most of the slides and a winding wild-water river. The Palace of Treasures has a pirate ship, wave pool, water cannons and a toddler splash pool. The Palace of Relaxation adds whirlpools, a lazy river and a lap pool. Outside sits the country's longest slide, over 350 meters.
A public swimming complex on the Vltava riverbank with three big pools. Inside is a 50m pool under an arched roof. Outside are a 33m pool, a 50m pool open in summer, a small relaxation pool with massage jets, and a water slide that runs in the summer season. Most of the water is lane swimming, so it suits kids who already swim more than toddlers looking for splash play.
