Prague’s historic city centre is the perfect place to prepare for Christmas. Browse for gifts and sample Czech Christmas food and drink in its atmospheric Christmas markets whilst enjoying the local seasonal traditions.
Prague’s Christmas Markets
Prague’s Christmas markets or Vanocni Trh are amongst the most evocative in Northern Europe. Running from late November right through December, they are set against the backdrop of the city’s gothic, renaissance and baroque past, making them the perfect places to soak up the Christmas spirit. Visit at dusk when the Christmas lights are lit to best enjoy the atmosphere.
There are a variety of markets to choose from all over the city. The following are only a few minutes walk from each other, making them perfect to visit in one evening. Don’t forget to wrap up warm. Although major snowfalls in December are unusual in the Czech Republic, the temperature can drop as low as -2 degrees C.
- Old Town Square. The most popular and certainly most evocative of the markets. Traditional wooden stalls are set up around the edge of the square, with a huge Christmas tree as the centre piece. This market has a real traditional feel, overlooked by historic buildings such as the medieval Town Hall, the famous astronomical clock and St Nicholas’s church.
Added attractions are the life sized nativity scene with real animals and the concerts of traditional carols which occur after 5pm when the Christmas lights have been lit.
- Wenceslas SquareThe second of Prague’s major town squares, Wenceslas square has a more modern buzz. The museum at the top of the square looks down at boulevard of big stores and nightlife. The market occupies the lower end and despite its wooden stalls, its artificial, brightly coloured Christmas tree gives it a distinctly contemporary feel.
- Havelske Trziste Market One of the city’s main, all year round markets, this is midway between Wenceslas and Old Town Square. Dating from 1232, it has a bustling, business like atmosphere with everyday items on sale as well as Christmas gifts.
Christmas Gifts from Prague
Prague is a great place to buy Christmas gifts and stocking fillers, not only in the markets but in the general stores too. Look out for:
- Czech glass: classic Bohemian crystal or contemporary styled coloured glassware.
- Traditional hand carved wooden toys. Puppets are especially popular, not only in the Christmas markets but in the maze of shops leading to the old town end of Charles Bridge.
- Hand made jewellery.
- Hand made Christmas tree ornaments.
Czech Christmas Food and Drink
A mug of hot wine (svarene vino or svarak), or warm honey liquor (medovina) is great to sip whilst walking around the markets. There are also plenty of traditional Czech Christmas foods to sample. Look out for vanocka, the Czech equivalent of Christmas cake. This sweet spicy bread is traditionally eaten on Christmas day and well worth sampling. Also on sale is the universal Christmas favourite of roasted chestnuts (Pecene kastany) as well as the more distinctly Czech phenomenon of carp. Sold live from tanks on street corners, these fish are a traditional part of Christmas Eve dinner.
St Nicholas (Mikulas) Day
If you are in Prague on the 5th December, don’t miss the St Mikulas day celebrations. Mikulas or Nicholas is the Czech version of Father Christmas and Old Town Square is the venue for the festivities. Children line up around its perimeter whilst the saint, accompanied by an angel and devil, enquires if they have been good. Naturally, they have but St Mikulas requires that they prove themselves by singing a song or reciting a poem. If they convince him, they are rewarded with sweets or other goodies. Naughty children traditionally only get black coal or potatoes.
