With our children still being only 6 and 4 years old, our trip planning always starts with exploring options for the kids. We recently went to Prague with children and because of the amazing weather we wanted to stay outside as much as possible so it was no different.
Wherever in the world we go (whether Middle East, Central America or Europe) the fundamental question is always the same – how are we going to keep the kids entertained. City breaks are even more challenging. A lot of walking, looking at “boring” old buildings might be interesting for 5 minutes. There are lots of resources on the web that will flood you with offers of museums, exhibitions, indoor play areas and so on. But what to do if all your kids need is a playground?
Here is a list of 4 free of charge, public playgrounds we found and visited in the historical centre of Prague. Our kids loved all of them.
1. Františkánská zahrada (Franciscan Gardens) – an oasis of tranquility in the busy city centre
If you are visiting Prague with children this is definitely the place to visit.
Every tourist in the Czech capital visits the famous Wenceslas Square but not many know that simply by going through an unmarked passage of Palac U Styblu you end up in a lovely park with no cars around you.
This playground and the gardens are a hidden gem closely kept to themselves by the locals. It offers a green breathing space for adults as well as reasonable size playground for younger and older kids.
So bring your cup of coffee and watch the kids play in this 14th century public garden.
2. Playground with the best view in Prague – Karlův most (the Charles Bridge)
The Charles Bridge must be the most iconic landmark in all of Prague. Normally by the time you reach it your kids will be fed up with crowds around them, seeing old town buildings and the noise around them.
The good news for you is there is a playground just under the bridge on the castle hill side. As you cross the bridge just take the steps down and you are there. Even better news is, that from this place you can admire the undisturbed views of the bridge. And take some most breathtaking photos.
3. At the bottom of the Petřín Hill – playground and funicular in one place
The Petřín Hill is frequently overlooked by families visiting Prague with children. It is overshadowed by other historical places. However, it shouldn’t be.
The whole place is one big playground for the children. Starting with going up in a funicular, followed up by a mirror labyrinth and a viewing tower (Eiffel tower-ish) at the top. When you walk down from the tower you can admire the Prague Castle from a different perspective.
At the bottom, just across the bridge from the lower funicular station is another large playground where the kids can let the steam off.
4. Dětský Ostrov – the whole island just for kids
Last but definitely not least – the playground on the Children Island (Dětský ostrov).
As the name indicates this is an island dedicated to kids fun. It is located on the Vltava river about 15 minutes walk along the river from the Karlův Most. On the way to the playground you may find some interesting sculptures. Our kids used them as climbing frames and slides in one.As you enter the island over a little bridge there is a bar and a coffee place to get your drink from or have a lunch with a river view.
The playground itself is the biggest we found in central Prague with all sorts of equipment you can think about. It has been designed for all abilities and ages. It also comes with free river views for the parents.
I hope the above list would help you and your little ones plan your visit to this beautiful city. All the ones I mentioned here, we visited ourselves and our kids tested and enjoyed them.
I am sure there are more free public playground to visit in Prague with children.
Please share your finds in Prague or other places.
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It is such a great idea to take children to playgrounds in between sightseeing. It can be a great way to help prevent boredom especially if what you are going to see isn’t really child orientated. Nice to know before you go which ones are free. Great idea for a post x
I’ve not been to prague in years but it’s really surprising how many kids you see just playing around outside compared to the UK!
What a great blog. Keeping children happy on a city break can be very challenging. This is a fab way to keep them occupied and give the parents a bit of a break too.
I visited Prague way back in 2004. I would love to go back with Erin.
This is exactly the kind of info that’s useful to have. We’ve travelled to several places where it was impossible to find info online on where any playgrounds were, so you have to rely on locals or people who have travelled there before to give you the insider info.