The elephants are a popular attraction at Prague's zoo (photo: www.czechtourism.com)

During the summer months Prague Zoo in Troja offers guided tours at night, providing an unforgettable atmosphere while also displaying nocturnal creatures that you would otherwise not recognise. At the end of 2004, a new exhibit was opened, the unique Indonesian jungle pavilion. With a total exhibition area of 2200 m2, the pavilion leads you into the tropical forests of south-eastern Asia and presents its typical inhabitants, from orang-utans to rare Komodo dragons. The only barrier between you and the animals are water-filled moats. Included in the pavilion is a gigantic sculpture of an artificial tree measuring 16 m. Also, do not miss the African Panorama and the pavilion called ‘Africa Up Close’.

Zoos outside the capital also have something to offer: A speciality of the zoo in Dvůř Králové is the evening safari, the only one of its kind in Europe. The chief attraction of the zoo in Liberec is the family of white tigers, unmatched anywhere else. Other zoos can be found in  Pilsen, Děčín, Olomouc, Brno and many other places.

From Prague Zoo it is only a short walk to the botanical gardens in Troja, which features many outdoor exhibits and a new tropical greenhouse. Covering nearly 2200 m2, it is divided into 3 sections – arid semi-desert, tropical rain forest, and cold mountain locations with plants from the Andes, Patagonia, Tasmania and New Zealand.

Prague is one of only a few cities in the world with a botanical greenhouse containing a cold-weather display. Many other points of interest abound in the botanical garden, and at times you will think you have travelled around the entire globe. Within a few steps, you can visit a Japanese garden with original types of Japanese plants, an exhibition of the vegetation of Turkey and the Mediterranean, collections of impressive trees and a section devoted to domestic and foreign dwarf pines.

Are you and your children intrigued by life below the seas? Visit the largest marine aquarium in the Czech Republic, right in the capital Prague, which perfectly simulates the natural setting of sea creatures using 75 thousand litres of specially treated salt water, artificial sun and moon light, artificial high and low tides, and even a simulation of the full moon. Mořský Svět (Sea World) is located in the Holešovice fairgrounds (Výstaviště).

The zoos and botanical gardens can be visited year round (of course, in winter, the Botanical Garden is not nearly as lush), and the aquarium makes for a fine day spent indoors on a winter's day.