Christmas Markets 2024: PRAGUE

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Prague Old Town Square

On our way from Krakow to Prague we stopped for lunch in Olomouc, a charming Moravian town in the Czech Republic. To our surprise and delight, their small Christmas Market was up and running with very few people. It was fun to just take a leisurely stroll through the stalls and enjoy the displays.

Olomouc Town Hall
Mistletoe, painted or natural
Warm chips!
Locals lined up to ring the bell and make a wish

We arrived in Prague just as the Sunday evening crowds made their way to the Old Town Market Square, site of the largest of Prague’s Christmas Markets. Several of the smaller squares throughout the community also host charming markets, and elaborate Christmas decorations adorn beautiful historic buildings inside and out! We soaked it all in while sampling  some of the delicacies on offer. A bit overwhelmed by the crowds, we grabbed a coffee and headed to our hotel to make it an early night.

Old Town Square at its Christmas best
Local carolers (mostly students) take the stage and fill the air with sweet song
The splendid tree
The aromas from grilling meats, thick hot chocolate, warm mulled wine and other Czech favorites filled the air and blended with inviting stalls to create a truly festive atmosphere into which huge crowds packed to kick off the market season
Beautiful Art Nouveau Municipal House cultural center

The next day we logged in over seven miles on an excellent guided walking tour of Prague. Built on the Vltava River, Prague’s striking architecture ranges from Medieval to Romanesque, Baroque, Art Nouveau and Brutalist which was introduced during the Communist regime.

In addition to visiting several markets, we enjoyed many of the historic highlights of this beautiful city.

Landmark Astronomical Clock. The ssmall blue doors open every hour on the hour for the “Walk of the Apostles” and the golden rooster crows
The pedestrian-only Charles Bridge was the coronation route for generations of Bohemian royalty

Grand Priory Mill on Kampa Island
Charming Nativity on an island under the Charles Bridge
Church of Our Lady at
Market Square (note the resemblance to Disney Castle)
Charles Riverbank
Magnificent crystal chandelier in St. Nicholas’ Church
Infant of Prague wearing purple for Advent in the Church of Our Lady Victorious
The magnificent Basilica of St. James houses the largest pipe organ in Europe as well as the withered arm of a would-be thief who attempted to steal a strand of pearls from the statue of the Virgin Mary. The legend is that she grabbed the arm allowing monks cut it off
Astronomical Clock at night

In addition to its many architectural and historic treasures, Prague has a lot of fun and quirky street art.

Based on original art by artist Josef Lada, a mural depicting beloved local character “Good Soldier Svejk” adorns a restaurant by the same name
Doug getting “pissed” by a robotic outdoor sculpture in front of the Franz Kafka Museum. Political satirist and sculptor David Cerny designed this piece to poke fun at Czech politicians …note that they’re relieving themselves into a small pool in the shape of the Czech Republic

The food in Prague is plentiful and delicious. On the recommendation of our favorite butcher Mr. Brisket, we enjoyed a memorable meal at LaGare. Here are the highlights:

Dry-aged ribeye, snails, poached cod with caviar and tiny clams, brussels sprouts and tallow fries, mixed salad and foie gras. No room for dessert!

On our last day in Prague, we spent some enlightening time at the Museums of Communism and the Cold War.

The Museum of Communism presents a vivid picture of what life was like in the former Czechoslovakia between the time of the Soviet liberation from the Nazis in 1945 and the Velvet Revolution in 1989.

Christmas Markets in front of the Museum of Communism
Sports were encouraged by the Communist government as a way of showing strength
Czech motorcycles
A typical small apartment built after WW II

The Cold War Museum is  located in the basement of the Jalta Hotel at Wenceslas Square, site of the Velvet Revolution. The Jalta was built by the Communist party to provide luxury accommodations for the wealthy party leaders. While the workers (the majority of the population) had their property confiscated and were forced to live on meager rations, the Soviets lived in comfort. Fearful of a nuclear attack, they built an elaborate shelter under the hotel, much of which is still intact.

Jalta Hotel
The shelter included an interrogation room, weapons, gas masks, escape tunnels, medical facilities and the ability to monitor communication throughout the hotel above. They also kept a two-week supply of food and water

In November, 1989 students and some older dissidents  gathered at Wenceslas Square to lead a peaceful protest to the totalitarian, repressive government in what has become known as the Velvet Revolution. The result was the successful transition of power to a parliamentary republic. Over time, property that had been confiscated was returned to the rightful owners, and the Czech Republic was established.

Wenceslas Square, site of the Velvet Revolution

All too soon it was time to say goodbye to Prague and travel to Decin where the Viking Bayla River boat was waiting for us.

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Published by deniseanddoug

We're a "timeless" retired couple who are grateful for every opportunity to experience life as long and as fully as we can! Time with our family and dear friends means everything to us, and although we love our time on two or four wheels, on the rails, in the air, or at sea, we're happiest when we're spending time with those we love the most. So this blog will reflect some of the timeless moments in our life, and we hope you'll enjoy spending some time with us.

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