Prague Christmas market and other activities

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Cold. There’s no single word that sums up my brief time in Prague better than cold. Prague is a beautiful city in the Czech Republic, with a lot of history and a lot of character. But there’s probably only one reason anyone would want to visit there in the winter. The Prague Christmas market. That’s why I was there. Was it worth it? Definitely!

Czech-ing out Prague Christmas market

I wanted to go to a Christmas Market in Europe. Christmas Markets are the biggest and best thing about December in Europe. Many capital cities have them, as well as plenty of smaller cities. They bring literally millions of visitors each year, as everyone travels in search of the quintessential Christmas activity. Germany dominates the market (I know!) but there are still a number of other countries that manage to hold their own.

Czech Republic is one of them. Formerly part of Czechoslovakia, the capital city Prague is a popular travel destination. It’s a short plane ride from the U.K.where I am from, like many European destinations. It has also often been one of the cheaper places to visit for a long weekend. That was part of the reason for my trip to Prague. I found it was cheaper than other bigger and more popular Christmas Market cities when I was researching places to go. It was both cheaper to get to, and cheaper to stay there. I flew out of Newcastle in the North of England which is only about an hour or so away from my hometown of Carlisle. To read more on Carlisle read my post here.

Our flight was only 2 hours from Newcastle, and we had four nights booked at a central hotel. It wasn’t anything fancy but it was just off of Wenceslas Square and had a breakfast included which was an added bonus. I feel like the temperature dropped at least 15 degrees when we arrived though. It was going to be a cold few days.

Prague in the winter

In the summer Prague is supposedly lovely, and even when my parents went a year later, they said it was nice in December and not too cold. But when I went with my Mum I had never really experienced a bitterness like it. I was so unprepared it wasn’t even funny.

Over the few days we were there, I must have consumed more than my weight in hot chocolate. For two reasons. One, I don’t like coffee, so this was my hot drink of choice to try and warm myself up. Two, because we hoped by going into a cafe we would escape the cold a bit. We were wrong, even the cafes were freezing cold. I think once it got to me, I just couldn’t get away from feeling cold.

My first day I was so cold we went back to the hotel to put on extra socks. My coat was not as winter appropriately thick as it should have been, which I definitely regretted immediately. I had a scarf and gloves but even they didn’t help much. I actually bought big, thick mittens at the Prague Christmas market that fit over my regular gloves just to try and feel my fingers again. My fingers, toes and face were number for 3 days. Don’t be like me – take a winter coat and appropriate layers if you’re visiting in the colder months. It might be nice, but it sure can get cold. Most of the time it was too cold to snow. Though there was a little bit of snow while we were there.

Prague Christmas market

The whole reason we came here was the Prague Christmas market. We were not disappointed. There were traditional wooden stalls at the bottom end of Wenceslas Square which we found within minutes of leaving our hotel. It was already evening, so initially we had gone in search of food. But we soon got distracted by Christmas lights, the smell of gingerbread cookies and mulled wine, and the comforting sound of familiar Christmas carols. 

One vendor after another sold beautiful handmade wooden and straw Christmas ornaments. With everything from stars and angels, to depictions of the nativity scene and intricately carved snowflakes, the decorations were fantastic. We found fine lace hanging decorations, as well as larger free standing decorations. Despite the cold, I was having the best time in this new winter wonderland.

Prague Christmas market specialties

Armed with a hot drink and enough gingerbread to get even Hansel and Gretel into trouble, we made our way through the winding streets to the Old Town. In the Old Town Square there were even more market stalls. It’s here that I found the gloriously thick woolen mittens that stopped my fingers from dropping off. They had a number of other clothing items for sale, as well as other arts and crafts. Amber is the gem of choice in Prague, and I found a wide array of delicate Amber jewelry to buy. I loved that the market also had many stalls selling traditionally decorated beer steins with lids. More than a couple of people received those for Christmas that year.

The Prague Christmas market was amazing, although I will admit that a lot of the same style of decorations were found at a number of stalls. Mix in the beer steins and Amber jewelry for sale, and we found a lot of repetition by the end of the trip. The market is not as big as many others in Europe and therefore the variety is also not as big. But it’s worth a visit for the market, as well as what else Prague has to offer. If you would like a guided tour to get more information on the Prague Christmas market, Viator have a great tour advertised here.

Wenceslas Square, Prague

The main square, is actually a street a few blocks long. There are ornate buildings lining the square with some newer building mixed in. I found more to do there than I originally expected and we found big name international stores, as well as smaller independent shops. In a place where I often found beer for cheaper than a soft drink, my Mum was more than thrilled when we stumbled upon Marks & Spencer for a good cup of tea. You can take the Brits out of the U.K….

Wenceslas Square has a marvelous statue of Saint Wenceslas (he of the Christmas song fame), mounted on a horse looking right down the length of the square. Standing behind this statue is the Czech National Museum. The grand looking building is an excellent place to spend a couple of hours finding our more about Czech history. If nothing else, it’ll get you out of the cold for a little bit.

Prague astronomical Clock

First of all, even if you don’t know anything about clocks, you have to agree that this one is pretty amazing. It is so elaborate and beautiful, and much more than any other Town Hall clock. Then when you factor in that this clock has been around since the early 1400s, you understand why people are so fascinated by  it. This makes it teh oldest working astonomical clock in the world. We found the clock when we walked around into the Old Town Square. 

The clock facade is so detailed and magnificently decorated that it’s hard not to stand a while and admire it. On the hour every hour the figures adorning the clock move. The skeleton, representing death, strikes a bell on the hour, and the surrounding figures around him shake their heads.

Charles Bridge, Prague

As we walked out of the Old Town and prepared to head towards Prague Castle, we came across the impressive pedestrianized Karlův Most, or Charles Bridge. The bridge is over 600 years old and is lined with statues of saints and patron saints. Even in this cold December, artists and entertainers were still on the bridge painting pictures and playing music to people hurriedly making their way across. 

Prague Castle was visible on the hill in the background as we made our way across this historic bridge. The cobbled stone street was filled with people making their way between the Old Town and Malá Strana, or Lesser Town. The Lesser Town is at the foot of the long climb to the castle perched high upon the hill. We walked the cobbled streets up and around, gradually getting higher as we climbed towards the castle. We stopped along the way for a bite to eat, and a cold beer. When in Rome right? I mean Prague!

Prague Castle

Although not far from the Old Town and the Charles Bridge, Prague Castle is a bit of a climb. Especially when cold weather has rendered your feet borderline useless. We refueled halfway up the hill at a really nice little cafe, and continued to the castle. The castle is huge and has a number of buildings inside the complex. We went to St. Vitus Cathedral first. It was quite busy at the time, and we were kind of herded around the cathedral once inside, caught in the sea of people. Since it can get crowded, watch your things as my Mum found her backpack had been opened when we got out. Nothing was taken, but still it’s a busy tourist spot so keep your belongings close.

We continued our walk around the castle, and found a number of other churches to look at including the beautiful St. George’s Basilica. There is a lot of information about the castle and it’s rich history. We walked along Golden Lane, a picturesque street of houses where many of the castle’s inhabitants once lived.

We were able to see into some of the houses and imagine what it would have been like to live there. At the time there was a wonderful little toy museum in the castle. But it seems like during the 2018 renovations in the castle it has been temporarily moved. Still worth looking into visiting though. Check out this Viator link for a walking tour of Prague Castle.

Beer is cheaper than water in Prague

I made my way through a lot of food at the Prague Christmas market. Gingerbread and other various sweets and pastries, mulled wine and hot chocolate. For traditional foods though, like many Central and Eastern European countries, meat and potatoes are the staple. As a vegetarian it took me more effort to find foods I wanted or could have. We went to an Italian restaurant one night, stuck with mostly soup and sandwiches for lunches, and when we did go somewhere with more of a traditional menu, I stuck to salad. We did go to pubs though which had a bit of something for everyone. I mean, you don’t have to go far anywhere in the world to find an Irish pub, right?

Now for all Prague lacks for vegetarians, it makes up for with two things. Dessert and beer. You’ll find delicious sweet treats everywhere, not just at the Christmas market. And beer! I quickly learned that ordering a beer in most places was cheaper than a soft drink. So I got a beer for lunch, and dinner, and after dinner. One day we were having lunch and I ordered a beer, to my mother’s dismay. “It’s a bit early isn’t it?” she asked. To which I pointed out that it cost less for my pint of beer than it did for her cup of tea. Mic drop! I won my argument and carried on enjoying the delicious frothy goodness that Prague has to offer. There’s a good reason this is the place people go for bachelor parties. If you’re looking for a beer tasting tour in Prague, check this one out on Viator.

Happy Holidays from the Prague Christmas market

If you’ve ever thought about visiting Prague, but aren’t sure if it’s for you, go! I highly recommend this amazingly historic and beautiful city. I’m sure it’s lovely in the summer, but winter is pretty magical. The Prague Christmas market is fun, and the people are so warm and friendly. I was humbled by the genuine kindness and welcoming smiles from everyone I met. I don’t speak Czech and a lot of the people I met were not too good at English, but they tried. And with gesturing and wordless communication we understood enough. There were of course many people who spoke amazing English. I loved how small town like this city felt. My Mum loved it so much she went back with my Dad the following year. I’d love to go again, but maybe this time with a proper winter coat.

Want more on Christmas and winter activities, check out where I live with my post on winter in Vancouver.

If you’ve enjoyed this post please leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. Have you been to the Prague Christmas market or during the summer maybe? What did you do there?