DK Travel : Prague : Places of interest

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Bethlehem Square

The 15th-century Catholic reformer Jan Hus preached in the reconstructed chapel on the square’s north side. The original church was converted into apartments in the 18th century but had a loving restoration to its former state in the 1950s.
Black Light Theatre

There is an abundance of Black Light shows around the Old Town (see St Martin in the Wall), but the best is at Divadlo Ta Fantastika. So long as the kids don’t mind strange images suddenly popping out of the dark, the brilliant displays should keep them mesmerized.
Boat Trips

While adults might enjoy the old-fashioned (and more romantic) rowboats, children prefer the splashing, pedalling action of the miniature paddleboats that travel up and down the Vltava. Numerous vendors rent boats and sell tickets in the vicinity of Charles Bridge. Take all the usual precautions that no one goes overboard, accidentally or otherwise.
Celetná

The medieval route from the silver-mining town of Kutná Hora in Bohemia passed down the street known today as Celetná, through Old Town Square and on to Prague Castle. There’s still a lot of traffic on the gently curving street.
Charles Bridge

For almost all visitors to Prague, this spectacular Gothic bridge, crossing the Vltava from the Old Town to the castle complex, remains their most memorable image of the city, long after they have returned home.
Church of our Lady Victorious

More popularly known as the Church of the Infant Jesus of Prague, Prague’s first Baroque church (1611) got its name – and its Catholic outlook – after the Battle of White Mountain. Visitors stream in to the church to see the miracle-working statue of the Christ Child.
Church of St James

The Gothic and Baroque interior here wins the award for Prague’s creepiest sanctuary. The church is best known for the legend of the mummified arm hanging above the door (see One-Armed Thief), but visitors should not miss the opportunity to take in one of the organ recitals held here.
Clementinum

Built as a Jesuit college in the mid-17th century, the Clementinum now houses the National and State Technical libraries. The astronomer Johannes Kepler discovered the laws of planetary motion atop the observatory tower.
Franciscan Garden

The Franciscans moved into this area near Wenceslas Square in 1603, reclaiming the former Carmelite monastery. The grounds and nearby Church of Our Lady of the Snow had fallen into decay following the Hussite civil war, but the monks beautifully restored them. The gardens remained closed to the public until 1950, when the Communists thought they were worth sharing. Although there’s little love lost for the dictatorship of the proletariat, the gardens remain popular with young kissing couples and pigeon-feeding pensioners.
Gargoyle-Spotting

It’s habit-forming. Give the little ones their first taste finding faces on St Vitus’s Cathedral and they’ll have their heads pointed upwards for days. In addition to gargoyles, train your kids to spot the innumerable statues, house signs) and strange faces that adorn arches, cornices and gateways all over the city. Just take care that they don’t get stiff necks or stumble on uneven pavement surfaces.