Where to Go for the Holidays?

Christmas markets in Prague and sheep petting

Prague is gorgeous during Christmas. You can visit Christmas markets – one of the largest can be found in the old square where you can try some Prague ham or cinnamon spit cake known in Czech as trdelnik. Don’t forget that mulled wine is known as svarak in Czech, and it’s interesting that you can add sugar to it if desired. And if you have kids, check out if there are any events at the Prague zoo. They have an interesting programme for their guests each year. Maybe you’ll get a chance to hang out with and pet a lamb this year. There are also events where kids can make Christmas cards and other interesting items that are typical for the Czech Republic. Spending Christmas with animals can be beautiful and maybe the staff will allow you to bring a small gift for them as well. Check out the zoo’s website to find out what they’ve got in store for you this year.

Even more fun during the holidays

You can ice skate in the city centre, but the ice rink conditions depend on the weather. Don’t forget 5 December when Saint Nicholas Day is celebrated. It’s quite an event in Prague. The celebrations start around five in the evening in the old square, you can find nativity scenes displayed all over the city, and there are even live ones at the Prague Castle between 25 and 26 December.

And what do our journalists say about Prague?

If you haven’t been to Prague yet, you can follow the Franz Kafka trail. Our volunteer Barbara Gonzales wrote a great guide about it. Or you can opt for a quick three-day tour and follow in the footsteps of our Patricija Gavez who also decided to take a quick tour of the city. And if you want to see one of the surrounding cities or towns, feel free to check out our world map where you can use your mouse pointer to find the Czech Republic and listen to the advice of our journalists who work hard collecting travel information to make your world travel easier.

Where to stay

Are you ready to spend Christmas holidays in Prague? You can book the Advantage hostel in the city centre and enjoy the magical lights, mulled wine or the delicacies from the hostels Christmas market.

Did you know?

• The Czechs are number one in the world when it comes to drinking beer. They drink more than 130 litres per person. They’ve been drinking beer since 900 BC.
• The Czech Republic is home to more than 2,000 castles, manors and castle ruins. The Prague Castle was entered into the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s largest ancient castle.
• The Czechs have retained quite a few interesting traditions. During Easter, women are spanked with a stick, while men are doused with water, so they’d become more fertile.

Which travel guide to choose?

Lonely Planet offers a wide array of travel guides for Prague. You can choose the traditional guide with more pictures or the more practical pocket edition. There are also maps.

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