Christmas markets hold a special place in Europeans’ hearts

Book now for Christmas 2020!

Maybe it’s the Old City lit up by lamplight and Christmas lights, and the wooden stands showcasing handmade goods and homemade goodies. Maybe it’s the tranquil vibe emanating from the market area, despite all the bustle. Or maybe it’s the smell of roasted nuts, a properly spiced mulled wine, gingerbread, and cut pine.

All of these add something unique to an already intriguing city, so let’s navigate with you through oft-missed parts of Prague — with a few treats along the way!

We meet at Jungmann Square (close to the great Wenceslas Square), where we start this Prague tour with an introduction to the classic Czech Christmas: A nativity scene in a grand church.

We then hop on board the metro and escape the bustle of the centre to experience the first market on our list of stops. Here, you get to taste mulled wine and we sample our first Christmas snack. As we eat and explore, you learn about local holiday traditions like Christmas carps, find out what baby Jesus has to do with a little hedgehog, why there’s no Santa in this part of the world, and what Christmas means in our mostly secular nation. Discover that locals in Prague have a lot of holiday traditions that are very different from what you might expect!

Loafing our way over to our second Christmas market, we walk along some of the beautiful streets of Prague. At the market, you’re greeted by hot mead and roasted almonds, and somewhere throughout the tour, your guide chooses yet another snack, depending on what’s best and on offer that day. We also take a moment to point out some of the best places for you to visit while you’re in Prague over the holidays. After warming up with our tasty treats, we make our way back to the city centre, where you learn about Christmas before, during, and after the 1989 Revolution, and you also hear about our beloved former President Havel.

At our third, and final, Christmas market, you’re seeing the market that put Prague on the Christmas map. The Old Town Square’s impressive tree is only one of the spectacles to admire here; the square in the winter is captivating with all its sights and smells and sounds of the market adding to the overall holiday experience.

It’s here that our Prague Christmas Markets tour ends, but that doesn’t mean you have to leave the festivities! We leave you at the Old Town Square to explore to your heart’s content — after all, there are dozens of reasons to venture further into the Christmas markets of Prague. So go on, have another cup of mead and lose track of time!