Ride the funicular at Petrin Hill.
Question: My husband and I are travelling to Prague with our 10-year-old daughter. Do you have any ideas about what might interest children in the Czech Republic?
Marionettes. Dinosaur parks. Train rides. There's much to keep the young set captivated here - and you may not need to leave the capital.
As even UNESCO calls Prague "one of the most beautiful cities in Europe," you can probably get away with dragging your daughter through the sites from the sprawling Prague Castle to the art deco beauty of the Municipal House. As for other attractions that may be especially - or surprisingly - appealing for kids, here are five ideas:
*Visit Petrin Hill ( prazskeveze.cz). A funicular takes you up and down. At the top, you scale the tower - modeled after the Eiffel Tower - for city views, as well as snapshots of the sky through the Stefanik Observatory ( observatory.cz). And if stars and city views aren't enough, there's a mirror labyrinth.
*Book an evening at the National Marionette Theatre ( mozart.cz). The city has a number of marionette companies, and this one, with its performances of Mozart's Don Giovanni, is often considered the best.
*Mix in some kid-friendly museum dates. Martina Svajcrova from Prague Information Service recommends the Toy Museum in the Prague Castle area, the Chocolate Museum ( choco-story-praha.cz) or the Ghost Museum ( ghostmuseum.cz).
*Check out the night show at Krizik's Fountain ( krizikovafontana.cz), where water jets, lights and music combine featuring artists that range from Beethoven to Metallica. (Didn't see any listings for Justin Bieber yet.)
*Consider delaying bed time for the Prague State Opera ( www.opera.cz/en), an impressive outing in a beautiful 19th-century opera house. ("I wasn't bored at all," was the succinct review from a 10 year old who visited a family friend there last year.)
*As for venturing beyond Prague, check out the Zoo and DinoPark ( dinopark.cz) in Plzen or the labyrinth-rich Chateau Loucen ( zamekloucen.cz), suggests Alice Dvorakova from CzechTourism ( czechtourism.com).
E-mail your travel questions to concierge@globeandmail.com.
Karan Smith is a former Globe Travel editor. Special to The Globe and Mail