family travel guide
For those who have not been to the Czech Republic, it still bears the stamp of a socialist camp country. This page of history cannot be crossed out — just like the struggle between the Celts and the Germans, the emergence of Czech tribes, the construction of Vysehrad and Prague Castle, being part of the Holy Roman Empire and under the rule of the Habsburgs, unification with Slovakia and independence.
However, is this what tourists think about when tasting Czech beer and dumplings with dipping sauce?
A family holiday in the Czech Republic has its charm: lots of beauty, walks, children's entertainment and no time limit — you can come to this country all year round. Find all practical information about holidays with children in the Czech Republic in Kidpassage's review.
The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, is a state in Central Europe. It is bordered by Austria to the south, Poland to the north, Germany to the northwest and west, and Slovakia to the east. The Czech Republic is historically divided into three regions: Bohemia, Moravia, and a part of Silesia. The area is 78.866 thousand square kilometres. The population is 10.5 million people. The capital of the state is Prague.
Contrary to fears, travelling to the Czech Republic is in no way reminiscent of travelling back to the Soviet past. It is a European, cheerful, open for exploring the country with relatively affordable prices.
If you want to organise a holiday with your child with comfort, more impressions, and fewer expenses, the Czech Republic will be in the top three options.
Let's start our praise by saying that you can get to the Czech Republic relatively quickly, especially if you choose a plane as your means of transport.
A two or three-hour flight and you're already in Prague, and your child doesn't even have time to get tired. And since holidays in the Czech Republic are not limited to Prague, buses and trains will take you from the capital to any point in the country. And further, you will start to collect lots of impressions. Castles, museums, parks, lakes, caves, mineral springs — wherever you visit in the Czech Republic, all this will be in the vicinity or most within a radius of 100 kilometres.
A few unusual sights are added to the standard set (more about them in the "What to See" section).
And there's no shortage of family fun: instead of amusement parks, you'll find ropes parks, bobsleigh tracks and rafting (more options in the 'Things to do' and 'Outdoor recreation' sections).
Many people come to the Czech Republic with their children to go skiing and discover the benefits of thermal water.
Ski resorts in this country are not as large as those in Austria, but in terms of equipment and quality of slopes, they are not inferior to Austrian ones. Balneotherapy resorts compete with Austria in the same way.
Hotels in the Czech Republic can be described in one word: decent. They have created conditions for rest with infants, offer special deals for families with older children, and in general, you will find comfort and care, as expected in good hotels.
There are also excellent souvenirs for children in the Czech Republic: wooden or fabric figures of a cute mole from a Czech cartoon, marionette puppets, Christmas tree toys made of glass beads or a fundamental Merkur constructor.
No one part of the year can be called a low season in the Czech Republic. In December, tourists are eager to see the magical Christmas fairs; in January-March — to go skiing; in April-September — to explore and drive through as many old towns as possible.
Slightly fewer travellers come to the country in late autumn, although there is no decrease in activity in the balneotherapy resorts.
What is the best time to enjoy your holiday in the Czech Republic? Summer is the most popular time for travelling, and hundreds of thousands of tourists want to see the country's main attractions and natural beauty. It is better to postpone your trip until May or September if possible. The weather is fine in late spring and early autumn, and there are relatively few tourists in the cities. It is also an excellent time to come to the Czech Republic with a baby.
But in the pre-Christmas period, you can hardly avoid the crowds — unless you go not to Prague but to some small town. However, the crowds are pleasant and festive, centred around Christmas creches, souvenir stalls and tents where aromatic Trdelník, a delightful pastry often seen as national pride, is baked.
A winter holiday with a child in the mountains should be carefully planned. The fact is that Czechs themselves love skiing, and in February and March, during the school holidays, entire families go to ski resorts. Choose January and the first half of February for your holiday to avoid crowds.
You can catch a short beach season if you come to the Czech Republic in July and August. The main thing is to be lucky with the weather: summer is equally generous in providing Czech resorts with sun and rain.
When choosing the time for your trip, it is helpful to look at the calendar of holidays and festivals. For example, at the end of May, Brno is coloured with fireworks — there is an international festival Ignis Brunensis.
At the end of June, Prague celebrates City Day. In July, Hradec Králové hosts the major rock festival Rock for People. In August, Pilsen gathers beer fans for a beer festival. On September 28th, the whole country celebrates St Wenceslas Day, the patron saint of the Czech Republic.
The mild climate of the Czech Republic is a gift for tourists who want to travel not only in summer. Moderate summer heat and low-snow winters with a bit of frost make it possible to rest in this country all year round, and the problem of a child's acclimatisation is eliminated.
The holiday season in the Czech Republic is divided into two parts: winter, skiing, and summer, designed for excursions or relaxing holidays. Winter, in this case, lasts from December to April, and summer — from May to September.
The weather in different parts of the country differs, sometimes significantly. For example, Prague is hot in the summer, Karlovy Vary is warm, while in Špindlerův Mlýn, there is no heat at all, and there are more cool days than warm ones.
Winter in the capital and the mineral spas is warm, foggy, and often snowless, while it is frosty and snowy in the mountains. Here is how the air temperature varies by month in different regions (the first indicator means night temperature, and the second indicator means day temperature).
| Prague | Karlovy Vary | Špindlerův Mlýn | Brno | |
| Jan. | -2…+2°С | -3…+1°С | -4…-2°С | -2…+1°С |
| Feb. | -2…+2°С | -4…+1°С | -4…-2°С | -2…+2°С |
| Mar. | +2…+8°С | 0…+7°С | -1…+4°С | +3…+9°С |
| Apr. | +6…+14°С | +3…+13°С | +4…+10°С | +7…+15°С |
| May | +9…+19°С | +7…+18°С | +8…+14°С | +11…+19°С |
| Jun. | +12…+22°С | +10…+20°С | +11…+18°С | +14…+23°С |
| Jul. | +15…+25°С | +12…+23°С | +14…+20°С | +16…+26°С |
| Aug. | +15…+25°С | +12…+23°С | +14…+20°С | +16…+26°С |
| Sep. | +11…+19°С | +9…+18°С | +10…+16°С | +12…+20°С |
| Oct. | +7…+13°С | +5…+12°С | +6…+10°С | +8…+13°С |
| Nov. | +3…+7°С | +2…+6°С | +2…+4°С | +4…+7°С |
| Dec. | +1…+4°С | -1…+2°С | -1…0°С | 0…+2°С |
If you are planning a summer holiday in the Czech Republic, take umbrellas and waterproof shoes: this is the rainiest time of the year. The least rainy days are in April, September and October.
In late autumn, there are few tourists in the Czech cities, while the season is just about to open in the mountains. By the end of December, the slopes of the Krkonoše Mountains are covered with a thick layer of snow, and the stable snow cover lasts until at least mid-March.
The time for the best holiday in the Czech Republic with children is considered to be summer. However, if we take into account the weather conditions, the best time for a trip is the end of spring and the beginning of autumn, and for a winter trip — January and February.
The spa towns of the Czech Republic have been famous for two centuries. In the 19th century, members of the imperial families came to relax on vacation, which is why hotels and sanatoriums still resemble royal residences.
In addition to the natural resources of our time, tourist infrastructure, excellent treatment facilities, and a cultural programme have been added. Which Czech Republic resort should you choose to have a holiday with children and improve your health?
It is the most famous balneotherapeutic spa. Hot water from 13 springs treats diseases of the digestive and endocrine systems (the fourteenth spring is jokingly called "Becherovka", produced in Karlovy Vary). The spa has treatment programmes for children.
It is a specialised children's spa where diseases of the respiratory system, kidneys and urinary tract, musculoskeletal apparatus, and infections caused by metabolic disorders are treated. The water in Mariánské Lázně, unlike in Karlovy Vary, is cold.
In the region of the Czech Republic where Karlovy Vary and Mariánské Lázně are located, hundreds of healing springs are known. Therefore, there are several smaller springs in the vicinity of the two large spas: Františkovi Lazne, Lazne Kynžvart, Konstantinovi Lazne, Jáchymov, Klášterec nad Ohří.
It is another renowned Czech spa where heart and vascular diseases are treated. Cold water saturated with carbon dioxide helps to dilate blood vessels and lower blood pressure. There is a specialised children's sanatorium in Poděbrady, and adult sanatoriums also have children's health programmes.
Lovers of hearty meals and good beer praise Czech cuisine — and rightly so — but many Czech dishes are hard on children's stomachs.
For little tourists, look for vegetable soups or broth with noodles, chicken or turkey chops with boiled potatoes, potato pancakes — Bramboráky.
Schoolchildren may be offered the Czech specialities — potato mushroom soup (Czech Bramboračka) with smoked meat and mushrooms served in a loaf of bread, or Pečené vepřové koleno, the famous knuckle, so beloved in the Czech Republic and neighbouring countries.
You should look for authentic Czech cuisine in places where locals dine. Instead of "restaurant", the sign may say hostinec, pivnice or hospoda.
And neither kids nor adults can resist Czech sweets. At Christmas fairs, the air is filled with the aroma of freshly baked trdelnik. Dough is rolled into thin strips, wound around a spindle called a “trdlo”, glazed with sugar and grilled over open coals until the dough is cooked brown and the sugar caramelized. A variation of trdelník with an ice cream filling was popularized by Prague cafés.
In the pastry shops, which are called "cukrárna" here, children will be served Jablečný závin (puff pastry roll with apples) and dort (cake), eclair věneček or fruit ice cream zmrzlinový pohár, kolache (round sweet pastry with various fillings) or knedlíky, hearty cottage cheese dumplings with berries.
In Karlovy Vary and Mariánské Lázně, you must try the huge oplatki waffles with different flavours.
Public transport in the Czech Republic is very convenient for tourists: modern trains and buses travel throughout the country, and just a couple of hours of tireless journey separates Prague from other cities.
Only ski resorts cannot be reached by railway, but buses are common, and their fare is cheaper than trains. City transport in the Czech Republic also does not cause any complaints because it runs frequently, does not deviate from the schedule and provides comfort to all passengers.
There is a choice of what to take — metro, tram, bus, ferry, funicular — only in Prague. In other cities, there are usually several bus routes, cable cars and funiculars, and tourist trains in resorts.
There is a single ticket for all public transport (except for tourist trains), the price of which depends on the length of the journey and the travel zone.
It's more cost-effective and convenient to use a one-day ticket. The ticket is always valid from the moment of its marking (the marking machines are in the metro, on the trams and buses).
If you plan to use a taxi, do not take a taxi directly in the street and rather call one by phone. Use only taxis that are clearly identified and ask about the price to your destination beforehand, if it is too high, do not get on.
The average price per kilometre is 30-37 CZK; up to 60 CZK may be charged for boarding. All taxis have a meter, but if you catch a car on the street, the driver may "forget" about the meter and charge an unfair price.
Travelling around the Czech Republic is convenient to rent a car: offices of car rental companies are located at airports and in major cities.
However, it is usually impossible to get close to the sights by car, as the historical centre of many cities is closed for entry, overcrowded with cars, or accessible only to those drivers who have a special permit (it is pretty realistic to get it).
The list of children's activities in the Czech Republic does not look the same. There are not many amusement parks or water parks, but there are many outdoor activities and amazing museums where children are the most welcome guests.
Prague, of course, has the most attractions for children. Even the shortest family holiday programme will include the Toy Museum, the massive model of the Czech Republic "Kingdom of Railways", the Lego Museum, Majaland Amusement Park, the mirror maze on Petřín Hill and the Children's Island with unimaginable playgrounds.
But it would be unfair to say that there is nothing interesting for children in other cities. Look at this list:
Bobsleigh is also incredibly popular in the Czech Republic — a winter sport that the Czechs will not give up even in summer. Many ski resorts have bobsleigh tracks, but even Prague, Kutná Hora and Cesky Krumlov have their tracks.
In terms of zoos, the Czech Republic can surprise little tourists. There are 16 zoos in the country, and almost everyone deserves the title "the most". The largest zoo is in Prague.
Prague Zoo
The oldest one is in Liberec. The most similar to an ordinary forest — in Zlín. The most "African" — in the town of Dvůr Králové nad Labem. The most "marine" — in Olomouc, a huge aquarium inhabited by reef sharks and tropical fish.
Holidays with small children in the Czech Republic are also pleasant. Babies most of all need good playgrounds, and there are plenty of them in any city.
Attractions on many playgrounds are made of natural materials, and in summer, you can run barefoot on the clean sand. One popular type of playground that children like very much is designed for playing and experimenting with water.
You don't have to go to the countryside to escape the noise of the city: Czech cities are full of gardens and parks where spending time with your child is so pleasant. And some resorts, such as Karlovy Vary and Mariánské Lázně, are located in the forest.
But there are natural sights in the Czech Republic that are worth forgetting about museums and city walks for a while.
One such place has the eloquent name Bohemian Paradise (Czech: Český ráj). It is a Protected Landscape Area and a region in Bohemia in the Czech Republic. For those who holiday with a child in the Czech Republic in the warm season, this is an opportunity to gather a rich collection of impressions without running around museums.
Here is a list of the best highlights:
Strangely enough, there are museums here — one exhibits toys, another motorbikes, another jewellery, and the fourth Škoda cars.
No less attractive is a visit to the Moravian Karst Nature Reserve (Moravský kras). It is a complex of caves, each of which can surprise you with bizarre stalactites, complex intertwining passages, underground lakes, and colonies of bats.
Also on the territory of Moravský kras is the 138-metre-deep Macocha Abyss. Some routes of the reserve are intended for tourists with children.
Summer holidays on the lakes are also popular. Forests surround Lake Machovo, Lakes Lipno, Slapy and Orlik and are perfect for a relaxing holiday. The water in the lakes is the cleanest, although a bit cold for children (+22°C).
Summer is also a traditional time for rafting. The quiet Vltava River, on the banks of which the most beautiful cities of the Czech Republic are located, is suitable for a child to taste the victory over the water element (and not particularly scared).
Rafting clubs, canoe and kayak rentals are available in almost all river tourist towns. And what to do in the Czech Republic with a child in winter? A good option is to go to a ski resort.
The Krkonoše mountain range in the north of the Czech Republic is well known to skiers who appreciate quality pistes but do not like to waste money. The Krkonoše ski resorts are not inferior to Austrian resorts in infrastructure while offering reasonable prices for ski passes and accommodation.
The most famous and largest winter resort in the Czech Republic is Špindlerův Mlýn. Despite the relatively low altitude (700 to 1,235 metres), the resort is snowy from December to March, and skiing often continues into April.
Špindlerův Mlýn is suitable for a winter holiday in the Czech Republic for several reasons:
Ski holidays in the Czech Republic with children are not limited to Špindlerův Mlýn alone. There are several other winter resorts in the mountains: Harrachov, Rokytnice nad Jizerou, Pec pod Sněžkou, and Janske Lazne.
There are also small resort towns in other parts of the Czech Republic. One of them is located near Mariánské Lázně: between drinking mineral water and therapeutic procedures, you can ride three easy slopes.
Czech excursions blend so seamlessly into the entertainment programme that you can't always tell whether it's still carefree fun or a serious educational event. However, it is great luck when exciting places for children are found in the most reputable museums.
Here are a few examples of what to see with children in the Czech Republic. The hall of the Prague Technical Museum dedicated to astronomical instruments is like Albus Dumbledore's study at Hogwarts — just as immersed in semi-darkness and full of bizarre devices.
In the ŠKODA Museum (Mladá Boleslav), you can watch the work of the restoration workshop, and in the Ferdinand Porsche Museum (Liberec), you can show your child the first hybrid car, which was not invented in the XXI century. Techmania Science Center in Pilsen is designed for children: play and learning go hand in hand here.
There are not many large museums in the country — usually, these are historical museums, such as the National Museum in Prague, the Museum of East Bohemia in Hradec Králové or Landek Park near Ostrava.
However, there are small museums you can visit in the Czech Republic with a preschool child in every town — and they are often enjoyable places. Examples include the Museum of Miniatures in Prague, the Moser Crystal Museum in Karlovy Vary, the Museum of Glass and Costume Jewellery in Jablonec nad Nisou, and the Ethnographic Museum in Pilsen.
And a couple of other museums should be recommended separately.
The non-serious, unscientific иге filled with mystery Museum of Magicians and Alchemists in Prague and the Museum of Ghosts and Fairy Tales in Pilzen will appeal to those who love urban legends. Teenagers will appreciate these adventures (unless they are scared of ghosts).
Children who read history books will love the medieval castles. Whichever city you choose for a holiday in the Czech Republic with children, there will be a couple or three ancient castles nearby.
Pernštejn Catle
Pernštejn, Zvíkov, Kynžvart, Loket, Zbiroh, Karlštejn and many others will surprise even those who have already visited many beautiful castles. If you don't have time to see the most important sights of the country, you can see their smaller copies in the Boheminimum Park near Mariánské Lázně.
Such a programme may seem too trivial to a tourist who has seen everything. What to see in the Czech Republic to leave you open-mouthed? We recommend ossuaries.
They came about because there wasn't enough space for cemeteries, and from time to time, remains were pulled out of the ground and put into storage. One of the largest ossuaries in Europe is located in Brno, and in Kutná Hora, the vault is decorated with compositions of bones and skulls.
The question of where to go to the Czech Republic with a child is not easy to solve — many cities go unnoticed because of the capital, yet they also deserve attention.
In order not to limit your opinion about the country to Prague alone, we offer you brief information about the cities and regions of the Czech Republic for holidays with children.
The capital, a city of exquisite beauty, is a beautiful place to travel any time of the year. The city is rich in children's entertainment, exciting museums and theatres so you can spend a week here. Through Prague lies the way to other cities of the Czech Republic, but to pass this city in transit means losing many pleasant impressions.
Prague is very convenient for independent holidays in the Czech Republic with children because it has excellent transport links with other countries, provides a big choice of accommodation for every taste and has so many attractions that there is no need to go elsewhere.
The country's second-largest city in the Czech Republic and the unofficial (proclaimed by the inhabitants of Brno themselves) capital, the royal castle Špilberk, has stood here since the 13th century. Brno is a friendly and hospitable city, with over 50 public parks and nearly 3,000 hectares of accessible woods.
From here, it is convenient to travel around Moravia to see the castles of Veveří, Lednice and Pernštejn, the natural sights of Moravský Kras, the coal mines in the Landek Park Museum and much more.
Other Moravian cities that are perfect for children to travel are Olomouc, Viškov, Kroměříž, and Zlín.
The towns and villages of the Giant Mountains are not only known as ski resorts — in summer; they are also chosen for family trips by tourists who avoid the heat and love active holidays.
There are dozens of hiking and cycling routes of varying difficulty in the mountains, many suitable for unprepared tourists and families with children. The cultural centre of the region - Liberec — in addition to hiking, will provide a full excursion and entertainment programme.
What other Czech resorts are suitable for holidays with children? If you want a rich excursion programme, visit Cesky Krumlov, Kutná Hora, Telč, Ceske Budejovice, and Pilsen.
If you want to be close to nature, opt for Turnov and other towns in the Bohemian Paradise.
Tourist service in the Czech Republic is being improved every year, and the hotel infrastructure is well-developed. There are high-class hotels, budget but cosy hotels, and a good choice of apartments.
Hotels correspond to the declared category and at the same time please with affordable prices: similar accommodation in neighbouring Austria or Germany will cost significantly more.
Czech hotels are well suited for family holidays. Among the facilities for holidays with children are 2-bedroom rooms and rooms with kitchenettes, cots, free accommodation for children in a room with parents, and special menus for young guests.
In resorts without much entertainment, hotels organise playrooms, playgrounds, and swimming pools for adults and children.
However, travellers often prefer to stay in apartments equipped with a kitchenette. Please note that apartments in the historic part of the cities may be in old houses without a lift.
Vaclav Havel Airport Prague, Ruzyne, is the largest and most convenient airport for tourists in the Czech Republic. The airport handles regular flights from many countries. When travelling to Prague, you can take a charter flight to Pardubice and then get to the capital by train or bus. Karlovy Vary, Ostrava and Brno have their international airports.
The Czech Republic is connected by rail with neighbouring countries. Ticket purchase is available on the website of Czech Railways: https://www.cd.cz.
One option to get to the Czech Republic is to take buses from international carriers such as Ecolines or Flixbus. In Prague, buses from other countries stop at the Florenc station in the city centre. The bus station's website has bus timetables: https://florenc.cz/.
The Czech Republic is located in Central Europe, so it is easy to reach by car from many countries. Many of the country's major roads are toll roads, which require vignettes to be purchased and affixed to the windscreen — these are sold online, at the border and petrol stations.
How to get to the Czech Republic:
