Prague Christmas Markets

Prague in the Czech Republic was not originally on our travel list, but we wouldn’t change the opportunity we had. We loved our accommodation called the Charles Bridge Palace Hotel. A historic building itself, the old winding staircase and antique décor added to the charm of our two-story room fit for a king. A dear friend was going to travel there, but their plans changed suddenly after we booked, so we had Prague all to ourselves…NOT.

Prague has many Christmas markets around the city, and we had the pleasure of visiting three of them. With the city squares adorned in music, lights, and garland, the festivities proved warm and inviting. Each wooden booth was equally and clearly signed in both Czech and English. It seems these Christmas markets have become fully commercialized for the season in this city. Most booths took credit cards, Euros or Czech Crowns.

Prague was a very busy city. With cars, buses, trams, and trains bustling about the city very efficiently, people were easily moved to the amazing historic buildings, delicious restaurants, and Christmas markets. We fell in love immediately with the history on our side of the city and an excursion later took us to the newer parts of town which could have been a city anywhere. It was clear that Czechia has great pride for its history as seen in the cleanliness, well maintained sidewalks, and gorgeous buildings ranging from 100-1000 years old.

By day you could wander at your leisure and look at the crafts and food booths or speak with the vendors. By night, you had to wait your turn in clustered queues, use a lot of patience to navigate the crowded walkways, and raise your camera high above others heads to capture that great shot. The foods we trialed were delicious including Papriková Klobása v Bagetě, Knedlíčky & Hranolky, svařeně vino, horká medovina, and Perníčk (sausage in baguette, dumplings, mulled wine, hot mead, and gingerbread cookies).

In the Old Town Christmas Market, we found the children’s entertainment delightful even though there weren’t chairs to sit and enjoy it. The kids sparkled with both the excitement of the season and nervousness with their performance.

If you ever get the chance to visit a Prague Christmas Market, we highly recommend taking the opportunity. One-two hours would be long enough to see all the vendors and sample a bit of food. If your time is limited, one market will do you just fine as we saw repetitive vendors through the markets. So, make your season glow and share it with everyone around you.