Christmas Activities in Prague
Take in the Christmas spirit during the Advent season in Prague
While the spring and summer months see locals and the city’s many visitors in its usual setting – with cafés and pubs spilling onto the streets and square, fantastic beer gardens with great view opportunities – the Advent time is a magical time to take in the beauty of this vibrant historical city wrapped in Christmas decorations. In winter you’ll find lots of things to do, both indoor and outdoor activities. From evening concerts and great Christmas parties to holiday markets, Prague sparkles with attractions from the end of November throughout December until January. Make sure to wrap up warm, because it can get very cold, and don’t hesitate to take a stroll down the frosty, cobbled streets. In winter Prague turns into a winter wonderland, with snow covered Old Town and tons of snow in eerily parks to enjoy a snowball fight or even go cross-country skiing.
Besides indulging in the ubiquitous cups of mulled wine and tempting food throughout the city there are other festive activities not to be missed out on. Why not make the most of Prague’s musical heritage by attending a Christmas concert? Concerts are mainly held in Prague’s many beautiful concert halls and churches and the tickets are either available prior to performances or you can order your tickets in advance. The concerts are held the downtown locations such as St Salvator Church, Klementinum (the National Library building), St Nicholas Church, or Rudolfinum. For more information check out: http://www.classictic.com/en.
While you’re cruising the maze of small Old Town streets sipping on something warm, do go see the lightning of the Christmas tree on November 30th. The event takes place at 5pm and the gigantic Christmas tree will be lit with all the other light decorations on Old Town Square.
Another highlight of Christmas season – St Nicholas Day (Mikuláš in Czech) – takes place on December 5th. The St Nicholas tradition is celebrated on Old Town Sqaure and at other Prague locations on the event of December 5th. This kindly saint takes his own day to roam the streets of Prague with his crew, an angles and a devil to pass out candy and treats to good children. Look for the original St Nicolas – the one with a bishop’s miter and his cohorts. However, this is not a holiday for kids anymore, there are tons of parties happening around St Nicholas day; in fact Student Zone is hosting one at Roxy together with Nation 2 Nation, certainly not to be missed out on. For more details, check out: https://www.facebook.com/events/604052809630879
For the more energetic ones there is the ice skating. Ice skating is an easily accessible, inexpensive, relatively easy, and dun sport to endeavor in. As the Czechs love ice hockey there are plenty of skating rinks located in the city. Ice skating rinks are erected in various locations around the city during the coldest months of the year. This is a cheap sport with entry costs usually around 50 CZK and skate rental is inexpensive as well. Prague has several outdoor and indoor ice skating rinks available for people to go to. The rink that we recommend is the small outdoor one in the vicinity of Wenceslas square in Ovocný Trh. It is operated and maintained by the Prague 1 district and opened annually on St Nicholas Day with a procession of St Nicolas and his crew. It is for free and definitely offers a unique atmosphere surrounded by the historical buildings.And the best part is that all proceeds from the rental of ice skates go to charities. Where else can you ice skate and also help those in need? If you prefer an indoor rink the pretty cool one is in Incheba Arena – the sight of many concerts. The ice skating rink at Incheba is not far from the center of Prague, located in Holešovice Exhibition grounds next to beautiful Stromovka Park, which one can visit prior or after ice skating. This huge park gains a truly fairytale look in winter. The entry price is 50 CZK and they rent skates. Rent skates the take a whirl on the ice to get your heart pumping!
Since the Czech tradition is to eat carp with potato salad for Christmas Eve dinner, do not be freaked out when you see carp being sold in the streets during the week before Christmas. Tubs full of live carp are placed at various locations around Prague and with it might be a gruesome scene.
Last but not least the New Year’s Eve celebrations are pretty big in Prague. For those staying in Prague the good news is there are tons of parties to go to, but make sure to get your ticket in advance. Many flock to the Old Town Square to celebrate the New Year and see the fireworks. The official New Year’s fireworks should take place either at midnight on December 31st,or at 6 pm, which is yet to be decided by the city. The fireworks are typically set up on the Vltava River between Střelecký Island and Charles Bridge, and you can watch them from the bridges, the embankment, Petřín Hill, or Prague Castle.
Our tip for New Year's Eve: The World is Ours! At SaSaZu: https://www.facebook.com/events/213261475522322
By Vero Arutyunyan
veronika.arutyunyan@gmail.com
