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Wax Museum Prague (Mostecka 18) – The Wax Museum
is a fun introduction to Czech history for kids. The museum has wonderful
historical scenes – Princess Lubese, hovering over Prague Castle with
her founding words, alchemists in their secret laboratories, Rabbi Loew
and a really fine golem, Charles IV with his four wives in lavish medieval
costume, Tycho Brahe, Rudolf II with his collections of curiosities, Francis
Joseph I, King of Bohemia and the Austrian Emperor. |
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 Wax
Museum (Melantrichova 5, Nove Mesto) – The second half of the wax
museum is on the other side town, in Nove Mesto. The Nove Mesto wax
museum has figures from recent history – the line of Communist rulers,
Stalin, Brezhnev, plus writers and composers such as Kafka, Dvorak and Smetana.
There's also a cool 3-D movie with images of Prague that feels like you're
in a big kaleidoscope. |
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Note: Museum of Medieval Torture Instruments (Mostecka) – This is not for kids. Each instrument has historical paintings or
drawings to show how the instrument was used and some are quite ghastly! |
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Infant of Prague – The Infant of Prague is a statue
of the baby Jesus, which you can see in the Church of Panna Maria Vitezna
(Church of our Lady Victorious) on Karmelitska street. According to legend,
the wax figure was created in Seville long ago by a pious monk, who gazed
upon the face of the Christ child. The statue was brought to Prague in the
16th century by a Spanish noblewoman, and displayed on the altar in the
cathedral. Over the centuries, miracles have been attributed to the Infant
of Prague, the protector of the city. The fame of the Infant of Prague has
spread, and the Holy Infant is dressed in beautiful garments that come from
all over the world. |
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Along with the Infant of Prague statute in the cathedral,
there is a tiny museum, where a selection of elaborate costumes and
lacey under vests are on view, plus some lovely gold and silver chalices.
Don't miss a video of the nuns lovingly dressing the Infant of Prague in
all his finery. |
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Kampa Island (Na Kampa) – Underneath to the Charles
Bridge, is Kampa Island, separated from the western shore of the Vltava
River by a man-made canal, called "Devil Stream. Kampa is an oasis. |
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At
the northern tip of Kampa, pick up the cute little shaded boats for
a 45 min. ride on the river from the Charles Bridge to Manesuv Bridge, and
back. |
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Walk
the canal and river – The walkway along the canal is cool and shady,
and has two functioning wooden water wheels at the northern and southern
ends. (The canal was dug to power the mill wheels.) If you keep walking
south from Kampa Island, along the Vltava River, you can see a series of locks opening and closing (for boats to get around the bridges over
the river). |
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Kampa
Park has green grass, and a playground for little kids, with nice, colorful
climbing structures, park benches. |
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Petrin – Petrin is a leafy green park
on the hills, covered with spreading shade trees, and is the perfect place
to picnic. |
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To
get there, ride the funicular (lanova draha) up and down,
and get off at the midpoint for great views of Prague in the distance. |
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Kids
will want to explore the Hunger Wall, a high crenelated wall,
punctuated with gateways, that was the southern edge of the old city. |
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Stop
into the House of Mazes, a fun house with maze of mirrors, concave
and convex mirrors, so you look very short, very stretched out, very wide
– it's a laugh for everyone in the family. |
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Climb
up the mini Eiffel Tower, a landmark built in 1891 for the Prague
Exhibition. It's 299 steps to the top of the metal tower, and you'll have
a panoramic view of Prague in the distance. |
