Prague Zoo

The breeding work that helped save Przewalski's horse from extinction is the achievement Prague Zoo, Zoologická zahrada Praha, is best known for. For decades it kept the international studbook for the species, and its horses have been returned to the wild in Mongolia. Opened in 1931 in the Troja district, the zoo spreads across a steep, wooded slope above the Vltava, with a chairlift carrying visitors up the hill.

The grounds combine rocky outcrops, meadows and large themed pavilions, among them the Indonesian Jungle, a gorilla house and Elephant Valley. Riverside sections were badly damaged in the floods of 2002, and much of the zoo has been rebuilt since. It is one of the most visited attractions in the Czech Republic, drawing more than two million people a year.

The zoo suits families and anyone interested in animals and conservation. Its size and hilly terrain mean that seeing most of it fills a good part of a day.