On the evening of December 5, Mikuláš (St. Nicholas) walks the city with an angel and a devil. Kids say a poem or sing a song to earn a bag of sweets, while the čert rattles his chains at anyone who misbehaved. This year it falls on a Saturday. Here's what we checked, from the show on Old Town Square to devil boat rides on the Čertovka.
Prague 7's yearly Saint Nicholas afternoon at the Výstaviště fairgrounds. Kids skate in the Small Sports Hall, in their own skates or rental ones. Then they head to the nearby Ateliér for a pre-Christmas craft, a photo-booth picture to take home and a small Saint Nicholas gift.
A St. Nicholas afternoon built around old folk customs. Kids learn the Mikuláš tradition, then make a little devil from dried plums or a straw chain for the Christmas tree. The finale is a face-to-face chat with St. Nicholas, an angel and a devil. It suits families with preschoolers and school-age kids who enjoy crafts and costumes.
A St. Nicholas afternoon inside a historic tram depot. Mikuláš, an angel and a devil walk among the old trams and buses and hand out small gifts, a Czech December tradition. It suits children who enjoy vehicles and are fine with a costumed devil nearby.
On the eve of St. Nicholas Day, Mikuláš, his devils and his angels gather on the Christmas market stage for an interactive show. The band Myš a Maš plays its own songs and carols, and kids sing, dance rock 'n' roll and samba steps, and win small prizes for joining in.
The devil is the playful kind, so it suits kids who are nervous about čerti. The show is in Czech.
On St Nicholas Eve, wooden boats leave the Vltava and slip into the Čertovka, the narrow canal behind Kampa. Devils lurk along the banks, hurling spooky but kind tales full of fire at the passing boats. On the river you also meet an angel and St Nicholas, who rewards the good kids.
A thrill for kids who know the Mikuláš tradition. Very fearful toddlers may find the devils too much.
Prague's biggest Christmas markets fill Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square with wooden stalls of Czech crafts: wooden nativity scenes, glass and straw ornaments, gingerbread and Czech sausages.
Old Town Square's giant spruce is the centerpiece, and choirs from around the country sing on the stage. Kids who like lights and music do well here; on evenings the crowds get thick, so a stroller moves slowly.
One of Prague's bigger Christmas markets fills the square in front of St. Ludmila Church in Vinohrady, the square locals call Mírák. Wooden stalls sell glass ornaments, wooden toys, ceramic nativity scenes, sheep's wool goods and handmade jewelry, with mulled wine and hot holiday snacks on the side.
It suits a short wander with kids after dark, when the stalls are lit up.
The main square of the Old Town, edged by the Týn Church and the Old Town Hall. On the hall's Gothic tower, the medieval astronomical clock puts on its show every hour, when the twelve apostles file past above the dial.
Kids can ride a futuristic elevator or climb the tower for views over the square, and guided tours go down into the Romanesque-Gothic vaults under the hall.
Mikuláš, the Czech St. Nicholas, comes to Kampa with angels and devils to hand out gifts to kids, and the neighborhood switches on its Christmas tree on the island by the Vltava. It is an open-air, local evening that suits kids who like a costumed visitor, and the tree lighting gives everyone a reason to linger.
On the evening of December 5, Mikuláš (St. Nicholas) walks the city with an angel and a devil. Kids say a poem or sing a song to earn a bag of sweets, while the čert rattles his chains at anyone who misbehaved. This year it falls on a Saturday. Here's what we checked, from the show on Old Town Square to devil boat rides on the Čertovka.
Prague 7's yearly Saint Nicholas afternoon at the Výstaviště fairgrounds. Kids skate in the Small Sports Hall, in their own skates or rental ones. Then they head to the nearby Ateliér for a pre-Christmas craft, a photo-booth picture to take home and a small Saint Nicholas gift.
A St. Nicholas afternoon built around old folk customs. Kids learn the Mikuláš tradition, then make a little devil from dried plums or a straw chain for the Christmas tree. The finale is a face-to-face chat with St. Nicholas, an angel and a devil. It suits families with preschoolers and school-age kids who enjoy crafts and costumes.
A St. Nicholas afternoon inside a historic tram depot. Mikuláš, an angel and a devil walk among the old trams and buses and hand out small gifts, a Czech December tradition. It suits children who enjoy vehicles and are fine with a costumed devil nearby.
On the eve of St. Nicholas Day, Mikuláš, his devils and his angels gather on the Christmas market stage for an interactive show. The band Myš a Maš plays its own songs and carols, and kids sing, dance rock 'n' roll and samba steps, and win small prizes for joining in.
The devil is the playful kind, so it suits kids who are nervous about čerti. The show is in Czech.
On St Nicholas Eve, wooden boats leave the Vltava and slip into the Čertovka, the narrow canal behind Kampa. Devils lurk along the banks, hurling spooky but kind tales full of fire at the passing boats. On the river you also meet an angel and St Nicholas, who rewards the good kids.
A thrill for kids who know the Mikuláš tradition. Very fearful toddlers may find the devils too much.
Prague's biggest Christmas markets fill Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square with wooden stalls of Czech crafts: wooden nativity scenes, glass and straw ornaments, gingerbread and Czech sausages.
Old Town Square's giant spruce is the centerpiece, and choirs from around the country sing on the stage. Kids who like lights and music do well here; on evenings the crowds get thick, so a stroller moves slowly.
One of Prague's bigger Christmas markets fills the square in front of St. Ludmila Church in Vinohrady, the square locals call Mírák. Wooden stalls sell glass ornaments, wooden toys, ceramic nativity scenes, sheep's wool goods and handmade jewelry, with mulled wine and hot holiday snacks on the side.
It suits a short wander with kids after dark, when the stalls are lit up.
The main square of the Old Town, edged by the Týn Church and the Old Town Hall. On the hall's Gothic tower, the medieval astronomical clock puts on its show every hour, when the twelve apostles file past above the dial.
Kids can ride a futuristic elevator or climb the tower for views over the square, and guided tours go down into the Romanesque-Gothic vaults under the hall.
Mikuláš, the Czech St. Nicholas, comes to Kampa with angels and devils to hand out gifts to kids, and the neighborhood switches on its Christmas tree on the island by the Vltava. It is an open-air, local evening that suits kids who like a costumed visitor, and the tree lighting gives everyone a reason to linger.
