Prague Christmas Markets 2026-2027: Dates and Locations

Prague’s Christmas markets run from the last weekend of November to 6 January, and the Old Town Square market has been announced for 28 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, so confirm the dates on the organiser’s site before you travel. Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí) is the main market, with the tall tree, the open-air stage and around 100 wooden huts in recent years. Wenceslas Square holds the second large market, while Republic Square, Peace Square (Náměstí Míru) and Tyl’s Square are smaller neighbourhood markets that usually close on Christmas Eve. Entry is free everywhere. The things to eat and drink are svařák (mulled wine), medovina (hot mead), Prague ham carved off the spit, klobása sausages, langoš flatbread and the sweet trdelník. Weekend evenings and the hourly tree-lighting show bring the thickest crowds, so keep your wallet and phone in an inside pocket, because packed squares attract pickpockets.

Prague Christmas markets 2026-2027 at a glance

Prague’s Christmas markets for the 2026-2027 season are listed in the table below, with announced dates where two current sources agree and the usual pattern where the organisers have not yet published dates. Prague City Tourism (prague.eu) names Taiko, a.s. as the organiser of the Old Town Square market, and its event listings are the place to confirm dates and hours in the autumn.

1. Old Town Square Christmas Market: the main market

Old Town Square hosts Prague’s main Christmas market, announced for 28 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, daily from 10:00 to 22:00; confirm on the organiser’s site before you go. Old Town Square’s market fills Staroměstské náměstí in Prague 1 with rows of red-roofed wooden huts, a nativity scene of wood and straw, a music stage and a raised viewing platform strung with lights, framed by the Old Town Hall with its Astronomical Clock, the twin-towered Týn Church and the baroque St Nicholas Church. In recent years the market has counted around 100 huts selling glass baubles, wooden toys, straw ornaments, beeswax candles, ceramics and lace. Entry is free, and you pay only for what you eat, drink or buy.

The tree is the centrepiece. The organisers bring in a spruce cut in a different part of Czechia each year; in recent years it has stood about 26 m (85 ft) tall and carried roughly 95,000 LED lights. The first lighting happens on opening evening, and in recent seasons the lights have then been switched on in a short show every hour from 16:30 to 21:30. Dusk falls around 16:30 in December, so the first show of the evening is the most crowded and the later ones are calmer.

The stage programme runs daily in the late afternoon and early evening, in recent years from about 16:00 to 19:00. Choirs, folk groups in traditional costume and dance troupes perform short sets, and a board next to the stage lists the day’s times. On 5 December, Mikuláš (St Nicholas) walks the square with an angel and a devil and hands sweets to children.

For photos, use the free viewing platform inside the market or take the lift up the Old Town Hall Tower (ticketed) for a view over the huts and the tree. Old Town Square is a 5 to 10 minute walk from Wenceslas Square, so the two main markets fit into one evening.

2. Wenceslas Square Christmas Market

Wenceslas Square holds Prague’s second-largest Christmas market, with stalls running along Václavské náměstí from the Můstek metro station at the bottom to the statue of St Wenceslas in front of the National Museum at the top. Wenceslas Square’s market runs from Saturday 28 November 2026 to Wednesday 6 January 2027, daily from 10:00 to 22:00, the same window as Old Town Square. The square is 750 m (0.5 mi) long and 60 m (197 ft) wide, so the market feels like a long festive street, and the upper end by the statue is usually the calmer part.

Wenceslas Square’s market has its own smaller Christmas tree, a stage with performances from Thursday to Sunday in recent years, a nativity scene, a blacksmith working over an open fire and selling what he makes, and an open-air ice rink with skate hire, so families tend to prefer it. Stalls sell Christmas ornaments, winter hats and gloves, wooden toys, and the same ham, sausages and svařák as Old Town Square. The square is Prague’s main shopping street, so it is busy all day, and bloggers who visit both squares rate it below Old Town Square for atmosphere; treat it as a stop on the way rather than a destination. Locals call the square Václavák, a name you will see on some market listings.

3. Republic Square Christmas Market (Náměstí Republiky)

Republic Square hosts a small, food-led Christmas market at Náměstí Republiky in Prague 1, on the edge of the Old Town between the Municipal House and the Palladium shopping centre. Republic Square’s market runs from Wednesday 25 November to Thursday 24 December 2026, daily from 10:00 to 20:00, and in past years it has closed at 14:00 on 24 December. The stalls in front of the Palladium concentrate on food and drink with plenty of standing tables, while the stalls across the square by the Museum of Communism lean towards gifts and decorations.

Republic Square’s market is the one to choose for eating rather than shopping. In recent years it has held around 30 stalls, so it never feels as packed as Old Town Square, and svařák and hot food cost less than on the main square. The gift stalls are a mixed bag of wooden toys, candles, wreaths and ceramics next to some mass-produced winter wear, so look closely before you buy.

4. Peace Square Christmas Market (Náměstí Míru): the locals’ market

Náměstí Míru in Vinohrady hosts the Christmas market that Prague residents recommend most often, set in front of the neo-Gothic St Ludmila Church in Prague 2. Náměstí Míru’s market has been announced for 20 November to 24 December 2026, daily from 10:00 to 20:00, which makes it the first of the main markets to open; confirm on the organiser’s site before you go. It is a 15-minute walk from Wenceslas Square, or one stop on metro line A from Muzeum to Náměstí Míru.

Peace Square’s market is smaller than the centre markets, decorated with trees and wreaths, and has its own tree and nativity scene. It is the market that locals on the r/Prague forum and the travel bloggers we compared rate highest for shopping, with a decent variety of ceramics, decorations and gift stalls, and for a relaxed, mostly Czech crowd, though it does get busy on weekend evenings. Hot food and svařák cost less here than on Old Town Square, and Vinohrady’s streets are full of cafés and wine bars for afterwards.

5. Tyl’s Square Christmas Market (Tylovo náměstí)

Tylovo náměstí hosts the smallest of the Vinohrady markets, a short walk from Náměstí Míru in Prague 2 and a few minutes from the I. P. Pavlova metro station (line C). Tyl’s Square’s market runs from Thursday 26 November to Thursday 24 December 2026, and in past years it opened daily from 10:00 to 20:00. The market is a single line of stalls along the pedestrian strip, centred on one large tree, with far more food than gifts: cured meats, hot dogs, pelmeni and other dumplings, coffee and svařák, with menus that are often in Czech only. Tyl’s Square’s market is worth a stop only if you are already at Náměstí Míru and hungry, because it has room to stand and eat away from the crowds and prices are local.

Kampa, Prague Castle and Anděl: smaller and irregular markets

Prague adds a few small Christmas markets that do not return every year, and the 3 you are most likely to read about are listed below.

1. Kampa (Na Kampě): Kampa’s market is a handful of food and drink stalls on the little square below Charles Bridge in Malá Strana, Prague 1. It usually runs from early December to early January, daily from 10:00 to 20:00, and its 2026 dates are not yet published. Walk onto Charles Bridge at dusk afterwards to watch the lamplighter light the gas lamps.
2. Prague Castle: Prague Castle’s market is a small craft-and-food market in the castle grounds that has run in some years and skipped others. It closes earlier than the city-centre markets, so make it a morning stop after St Vitus Cathedral; take tram 22 or 23 from Malostranská to the Pražský hrad stop. For 2026, Prague Castle holds a Christmas walk from Saturday 28 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027.
3. Anděl (Smíchov): Anděl’s market is a neighbourhood market on the pedestrian zone by the Anděl metro station in Prague 5, running from Friday 27 November to Thursday 31 December 2026. It has few tourists and, according to locals on r/Prague, better-made goods than the centre.

Havelské tržiště, the permanent market between the two main squares, dresses up for Christmas as well and sells souvenirs and produce.

What to eat and drink at Prague’s Christmas markets

Prague’s Christmas markets serve hot, heavy Czech street food and hot drinks ladled from cauldrons, and most of the cooking happens in front of you. Prague’s market food is often priced by weight (per 100 g), so read the board before the vendor carves, and ask for a small portion if you want to try several things. The 4 drinks to try are listed below.

1. Svařák (mulled wine): Svařák is red wine heated with sugar, cinnamon, cloves and orange. Quality varies from stall to stall, and locals on r/Prague warn that some stalls use cheap wine or powder mixes, so buy from the stall with the queue. Hot apple juice and hot chocolate are the non-alcoholic warmers.
2. Medovina (hot mead): Medovina is honey wine served warm, sweeter and lighter than svařák.
3. Punč and grog: Punč is hot rum with fruit juice, sugar and spices; grog is hot water, rum, lemon and sugar. Both are stronger than they taste.
4. Czech beer: Czech beer is sold cold at the stalls: Pilsner Urquell, Budvar and Prague’s own Staropramen, and it goes with the sausages.

The 6 foods to try are listed below.

1. Pražská šunka (Prague ham): Prague ham is roasted on a spit, carved to order and sold by the 100 g with rye bread and mustard, so check the price per 100 g before you point at a slab.
2. Klobása (grilled sausage): Klobása is a coarse pork sausage grilled over coals and served with mustard and bread.
3. Bramborák (potato pancake): Bramborák is grated potato with garlic and marjoram fried crisp, sometimes topped with cheese or bacon, and it is the vegetarian hot dish when served plain.
4. Langoš: Langoš is a fried flatbread topped with garlic, grated cheese and ketchup or sour cream, Hungarian in origin and a fixture of every Czech market.
5. Trdelník (chimney cake): Trdelník is dough wrapped around a spit, baked over coals, rolled in sugar and walnuts, and sometimes filled with ice cream or chocolate. Trdelník is a tourist treat rather than an old Czech Christmas tradition, sold year-round from shops across the centre and of disputed origin, but the plain cinnamon version fresh off the spit is still worth one try.
6. Rybí polévka (fish soup) and perníčky (gingerbread): Christmas fish soup, made with carp, is cooked in cauldrons at the main markets in the run-up to Christmas Eve, and gingerbread shaped as trees, bells and snowmen is the cheapest edible souvenir.

Most stalls accept cards and phone payments, a few small stalls at the neighbourhood markets are cash-only, and all of them price in Czech koruna (CZK), so carry some notes. Drinks come in returnable cups, which you hand back at the cup-return hut. For the same dishes explained by a local guide, see our post on the traditional Czech food tour in Prague.

Where to eat near the markets

Restaurants near Old Town Square are the fallback when you want a sit-down meal instead of a third sausage. The 3 closest that we list are Lot of Wine Prague (a minute from the square, French and Mediterranean dishes, a wide price range), Restaurace Mincovna (Czech classics with vegetarian and gluten-free options, just off the square) and Bar Restaurant Orloj on the square itself (Czech and European food, late opening, mixed reviews for service). For more choices by district, see our guide to restaurants in Prague.

Are the Prague Christmas markets worth visiting?

Prague’s Christmas markets are worth visiting for the setting: a lit spruce in front of the Týn Church, on a Gothic square, is a view few European markets can equal. Prague’s markets themselves are smaller and more repetitive than Nuremberg or Dresden, and the stalls on the two main squares sell a lot of the same mass-produced goods at tourist prices, the consistent complaint from locals on r/Prague and visiting bloggers. Go for the atmosphere, eat and shop at the neighbourhood markets, and you will enjoy the trip; the city is less crowded in December than in summer, and the sights stay open through the season except on Christmas Eve.

The 4 things to beware of are listed below.

1. Prices near Old Town Square are the highest in the city, and hot food is priced per 100 g. Check the board, ask for a small portion, and eat at Republic Square or Náměstí Míru when you want value. The same logic runs through other ways to save money in Prague, from transport tickets to attraction passes.
2. Pickpockets work the crowds at Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square. Keep phones and wallets in inside pockets, and do not hang bags on the standing tables.
3. Crowds peak on weekend evenings and in the minutes before each tree-lighting show. A weekday visit before 16:00 is the calm option, and the last lighting at 21:30 is the quiet one.
4. Souvenir quality varies. Glass baubles, wooden toys and ceramics from named Czech makers are worth carrying home, while the generic scarves and magnets are the same as in the souvenir shops, so look for stalls where the seller made the goods.

Tips: when to go, opening hours, getting there, what to wear

The tips for when to go, opening hours, getting there and what to wear are listed below, ordered by how much they change your day.

1. Go on a weekday afternoon and stay for dark. Arrive around 15:00, see the huts in daylight, watch the 16:30 lighting, then eat. Weekdays are calmer than weekends, and early December is quieter than the week before Christmas.
2. Plan around the opening hours. The main markets on Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square open daily from 10:00 to 22:00 and stay open on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day through to 6 January. The neighbourhood markets open from 10:00 to 20:00 and close on 24 December, some at 14:00.
3. Use the metro and trams. Old Town Square: Staroměstská (line A) or Můstek (lines A and B), or trams 2, 17 and 18 to Staroměstská. Wenceslas Square: Můstek at the bottom, Muzeum (lines A and C) at the top, or trams 3, 5, 6, 9, 14 and 24 to Václavské náměstí. Republic Square: Náměstí Republiky (line B). Peace Square: Náměstí Míru (line A). Tyl’s Square: I. P. Pavlova (line C). Prague Castle: tram 22 or 23 to Pražský hrad. Pay contactless on board, or buy a 24-hour ticket for a market-hopping day.
4. Dress for cobbles and cold. December sits a few degrees above freezing by day and around zero at night. Wear layers, a waterproof coat, a hat, gloves and flat shoes with grip, because heeled boots are a mistake on cobblestones. Cold drains phone batteries, so carry a power bank.
5. Carry some koruna. Most stalls accept cards and phone payments, and a few small stalls, especially at the neighbourhood markets, are cash-only. Pay in CZK; only a few stalls take euros.
6. Combine the markets with the sights. Walk Charles Bridge at dusk for the lamplighter, and spend a morning in Josefov, the Jewish Quarter 5 minutes from Old Town Square. Our Prague travel guide lists the attractions by neighbourhood.

Where to stay for the Christmas markets

Stay in Prague 1 to be within walking distance of the two main markets: Old Town (Staré Město) puts you steps from Old Town Square, New Town (Nové Město) around Wenceslas Square is better connected by metro, and Malá Strana across the river is quieter and near Kampa. Prague 1’s hotels fill up for December weekends, so book a hotel in Prague early. The 3 hotels closest to Old Town Square’s market that we list are given below.

1. Hotel Rott: Hotel Rott stands on Malé náměstí, the small square next to Old Town Square, a 3-minute walk from the market, in a 19th-century building with modern rooms.
2. Hotel Clementin Old Town: Hotel Clementin Old Town is a small 4-star hotel a 6-minute walk from the market, with breakfast, air conditioning and laundry.
3. DOMINICAN Hotel: DOMINICAN Hotel sits at Jilská 7, a 4-minute walk from Old Town Square, with free Wi-Fi, breakfast and room service.

For a quieter base near the locals’ market, look at Vinohrady around Náměstí Míru, one metro stop from Muzeum. Our full guide to hotels in Prague covers more options by district.

Frequently asked questions about the Prague Christmas markets

The 5 questions readers ask most about the Prague Christmas markets are answered below.

When do the Prague Christmas markets start and end in 2026? The Old Town Square market has been announced for 28 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, and Wenceslas Square is listed for the same window; Náměstí Míru opens earlier, on 20 November 2026, and the neighbourhood markets close on 24 December. Confirm on the organiser’s site before you book, because dates can shift in the autumn.

Are the Prague Christmas markets open on Christmas Day? Yes, the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square markets stay open on 24, 25 and 26 December and over New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, through to 6 January. The neighbourhood markets at Republic Square, Náměstí Míru and Tyl’s Square close on Christmas Eve, and some shut early that afternoon.

Is entry to the Prague Christmas markets free? Yes, every Christmas market in Prague is free to enter, with no tickets or time slots. You pay only for food, drink and goods, and for extras such as the ice rink at Wenceslas Square or the Old Town Hall Tower.

Which is the best Christmas market in Prague? Old Town Square wins for the setting, the tree and the stage programme, and Náměstí Míru wins for shopping and a local crowd. Visit Old Town Square once after dark, then do your eating and buying at Náměstí Míru or Republic Square.

How many days do you need for the Prague Christmas markets? 2 full days cover all the main markets, and 3 days is not too long: it gives you the markets after dark, the castle, Josefov and Charles Bridge by day, and one evening for a concert. The markets alone do not need more than 2 evenings.

More Prague guides

The Wonderful Wanderings guides below cover the rest of a December trip to Prague and the Christmas markets a train ride away.

• Prague travel guide: Prague’s attractions, neighbourhoods and practical tips.
• Czechia travel guide: the hub for all our Czech guides.
• Hotels in Prague: where to stay by district.
• Restaurants in Prague: where to eat beyond the market stalls.
• Traditional Czech food tour in Prague: the market dishes with a local guide.
• Josefov, Prague’s Jewish Quarter: a daytime walk 5 minutes from Old Town Square.
• Dresden Christmas market: the nearest big German market, on a direct train from Prague that you can price on Omio, the train and bus search for Europe.
• Nuremberg Christmas markets: the German market locals compare Prague’s to.
• Germany’s Christmas markets: our hub for every German market we cover.

About the author. This guide is written and maintained by the Wonderful Wanderings editorial team. Wonderful Wanderings was founded in 2012 by Sofie Couwenbergh. The team covers Prague and its Christmas markets for independent travellers, including the hotels near Old Town Square, the Czech food tour and the restaurants worth booking, and updates this page when the market dates, opening hours and rules change.