Prague at Christmas is truly magical. This enchanting city comes alive with Christmas markets, mulled wine and music, along with some great city sights. Get inspired for your trip to Prague at Christmas.
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Prague at Christmas is magical. Every Christmas, the city of Prague comes alive at Christmas. Christmas Markets are scattered around the city, with the main markets in the historic Old Town Square. The air is filled with smells of amazing food and the spices of mulled wine. Christmas music fills the air, and the city’s Christmas decorations are magical. It is just the best place to be.
My guide to Prague at Christmas will show you the best of Prague’s Christmas Markets, and how to make the most of your time in this magical city at Christmas.
Where should I stay in Prague at Christmas?
I recommend staying near the Old Town Square. The Old Town Square is the central hub of Christmas activities in Prague. It’s here that you’ll find the best Christmas Markets and food each evening. So staying near the central square makes sense, so you can spend lots of time there.
The centre of Prague is quite small. So if you stay near the Old Town Square, you’ll be within easy walking distance of all of the top sights in Prague.
Check out hotels in Prague near the Old Town Square on Booking.com here (affiliate).
Is Prague at Christmas busy?
Prague at Christmas can be quite busy. But it’s still enjoyable, and the crowds are generally manageable. There are a few tricks to being able to enjoy Prague at Christmas with minimal crowds.
Ideally, try to visit at the end of November, or in early December. The city gets a lot busier the closer you get to Christmas. So visiting earlier in the Christmas season will limit the crowds at the Christmas Markets.
It’s also best to visit in the middle of the week. Weekends are much busier at the Christmas Markets, when tourists from all across the country and all across Europe pop to Prague for the weekend. So if you can, try to visit in the middle of the week for the Christmas Markets to be a bit quieter.
What are the best things to do in Prague at Christmas?
There are so many fun Christmas-y things to do in Prague. The main highlight is the Christmas Markets. The Christmas Markets are a great place to buy Christmas gifts for your family, and also try lots of different food and drinks.
Visiting Prague at Christmas is also a great chance to see some of Prague’s famous historic sights as well. So here are the top things to do in Prague at Christmas, and how to make the most of Prague’s Christmas Markets.
Christmas Markets in Prague
The main focus of the Christmas Markets in Prague are in the main Old Town Square. This square comes alive with Christmas Markets. There’s a huge variety of different stalls. And there’s a beautiful huge Christmas Tree as well, which just looks so magical next to all the markets.
To really get to know Prague’s Christmas Markets, check out this tour of the markets with an included photoshoot (affiliate). Or this tour of Prague’s Christmas Markets includes lots of free goodies (affiliate).
You can also find great Christmas Markets in Prague in nearby Wenceslas Square.
Both of these Christmas Markets are huge, so you can easily spend hours browsing through the stalls, buying gifts, and eating food. For a full guide visit the Christmas Market website.
In the centre of the Old Town Square, there’s a platform where you can climb up for views over the whole square filled with Christmas Markets. I really loved just being able to take in the view, while listening to Christmas music. For me, this was one of the highlights of being in Prague at Christmas.
Food and drink at the Christmas Markets in Prague
One of the best things about the Christmas Markets in Prague is the food and drink. There’s a huge range to try, with most of the food cooked freshly in the market stalls right in front of you.
You can smell the mulled wine all around the Christmas Markets. I love mulled wine. It’s a great way to warm up on a cold winter’s evening. And for a bit of variety, you can also try mulled mead – warm honey wine. It was amazing and a nice change from all the mulled wine (although that was nice as well!)
One of my favourite foods I discovered in the Prague Christmas Markets was called Langos. It’s a massive fried bread, served with garlic and cheese. It was so good. I don’t want to count how many I ate…
And you definitely need to try the famous Chimney Cake – Trdelník. It’s one of the most famous foods in Prague, and there are lots of stalls at the Christmas Markets selling the cake. It’s made from cake batter that’s wrapped around a stick and then cooked. You can have it served just with sugar, or Nutella, or a wide range of different and extravagant toppings.
The best Christmas gifts to buy at Prague’s Christmas Markets
The Christmas Markets in Prague are a perfect place to do some Christmas shopping and find some really unique gifts to take home to your friends and family.
There’s so much choice of things to buy at the Christmas Markets. I was particularly enchanted with the intricately carved wooden gifts on display. But you could also buy lots of food and drink to take home, or clothing, or nice smelling soaps…the list is endless. It’s best to just wander around the markets and see what you find.
Other things to do in Prague at Christmas
Visiting Prague at Christmas is magical, and experiencing the Christmas Markets in Prague is really special. But there’s more to do in Prague than just the Christmas Markets.
I recommend taking this advent river cruise with included hot drinks and sweets (affiliate). It’s a great way to see more of the city while keeping warm on the boat.
All of Prague’s top sights are open throughout November and December, and shut on just a few days over Christmas and New Year. So when you’re in Prague at Christmas, you can easily do some city sightseeing during the day time. Check out my itinerary for sightseeing in Prague in 2 days in winter.
If you haven’t eaten enough at the Christmas Markets, this walking food tour of Prague (affiliate), or this similar food and beer tour (affiliate) will show you the best Czech food and give you the chance to try even more food and drink.
Make sure you spend time enjoying the architecture of the Old Town Square, along with the Astronomical Clock. Then cross over Charles Bridge, enjoying views of the river. Prague Castle is also a great place to visit, with a stunning Cathedral inside the Castle walls.
And if you’ve got extra time, you can also take a day trip from Prague to Kutna Hora to see the famous (and slightly creepy) Bone Church. I recommend taking this organised day trip from Prague to Kutna Hora (affiliate) or this similar tour (affiliate) to make the most of your day trip.
Enjoy Prague at Christmas! Remember to check out my guide to the best 2 day itinerary for visiting Prague in winter, as well as taking a day trip from Prague to nearby Kutna Hora to see the fascinating Bone Church. Europe has a lot more amazing cities to visit as well – check out my guide to Vienna’s Christmas markets, or Germany’s best Christmas markets in Cologne.
