I’ve always wanted to do a city break around Christmas time – especially one where I could visit some Christmas markets! I’m such a Christmassy person, so the idea of walking around an exciting new city sprinkled with twinkling lights and festive treats is my idea of heaven.
My boyfriend booked this Prague city break as a surprise earlier in the year, to get us in the festive spirit in the run up to Christmas. And I have to say, it more than succeeded! Our 4 days in Prague were the perfect pre-Christmas plans we needed.
From amazing sights to festive events and the tastiest treats imaginable, here’s everything we got up to on our city break to Prague – and why I’ll most certainly be going back!
Seeing the Sights
Even just on our transfer from the airport to our hotel, I could see how beautiful of a city Prague is. Peering out the window I saw a city that looked like an illustration from a children’s story – colourful antique buildings and a winding river, decorated with bold bridges connecting the different sides of the city. I couldn’t wait to get out and explore!
Letna Park
On our first day we set off for a walk to Letna Park – a stunning urban park positioned above the city, looking out over the centre of Prague. It’s only a 15-minute walk from Prague’s main Old Town Square, and it’s definitely worth it for the views!
The park is sat on the most amazing vantage point, and you can literally see for miles. It was such a beautiful, clear winter’s day – blue skies, sun shimmering on the Vltava river, and the silhouettes of grand buildings in the distance. It’s as if you’re on top of the world!
There were fun art exhibits in the park itself, and loads of benches to sit on to soak up the view. The park was stunning in winter, so I can only imagine what it’d be like in spring or summer, too.
Prague Castle
From here we made our way to the most significant monument in the Czech Republic – Prague Castle. Noted by the Guinness World Book of Records as the largest coherent castle complex in the world and an impressive UNESCO World Heritage Site, this was a must visit during our time here.
The castle is made up of various buildings and sections of different eras, and entry into the outer castle area is free. We loved wandering through the Romanesque-style buildings of the 10th century, and going on to discover the stunning Gothic modifications from the 14th century.
You can pay for a guided tour, or even an audio tour, but we fancied wandering through at our own pace. We loved gazing out over the castle walls to the city below, imagining all that had gone on here in years gone by!
Walking further into the fortress we were delighted to find another Christmas market set up in the heart of the castle grounds, with locals selling more traditional Trdelnik treats as well as other artisan stalls, and of course, a gigantic twinkling Christmas tree. It felt so magical!
Charles Bridge
After our own tour of the castle, our next stop was Prague’s oldest and most famous bridge – the Charles Bridge! Its medieval exterior and impressive stone arches spread wide across the Vltava River back towards the Old Town, and it’s an experience in itself just to cross from one side to the other.
We were greeted by unique musical performers (even in the freezing cold!), artists sketching tourists against the beautiful backdrop of the city, and even locals selling artisan gifts. It’s the perfect spot to stop, take in your surroundings, and partake in a good old bit of people watching! For centuries this was the only crossing into the city, and you really get a sense of what this city is all about here.
Back in the Old Town, we simply loved wandering about – the streets here mimic those straight out of a fairytale, with narrow winding alleys and castle-like buildings on every corner. A stroll in this city is a real treat!
The John Lennon Wall
On our second day of exploring, we crossed back over the Charles Bridge to the west of the city to visit the John Lennon Wall.
This once-typical wall has been filled with quotes of peace and love inspired by the life of John Lennon since the 1980’s, and has come to look quite the eye-catching sight!
We loved scanning the wall and reading the thousands of notes – there’s messages of support for local and global causes, self-love reminders, and music lyrics from the most-loved Beatles songs. It’s all very inspiring!
Christmas Markets Galore
Our trip to Prague at this time of year was largely to enjoy the Christmas markets on offer, and they certainly didn’t disappoint!
There are two main squares in the centre of Prague – one in the Old Town, and one in the New. We arrived at night time, and wasted no time at all getting out and about to see what each one had in store!
The New Town area was the closest to our hotel, so we made our way there first. Wenceslas Square opened up into a vibrant hub of activity, a picturesque street stretching out half a mile long, with shops, restaurants, bars, and of course at this time of year, Christmas decorations.
A gigantic Christmas tree took centre stage in the square, with Christmas market stalls stretching out up and down the boulevard. The smell of food in the air was divine! Gigantic hotdogs, fresh chicken skewers, and sweet treats from churros to candy canes.
This square is the centre for local gatherings all throughout the year, and we could hear that was the case before we even laid eyes on it! A local band had gathered as we entered the square and could be heard singing ‘Feliz Navidad’ in the distance. Merry vibes were in the air!
We made our way towards the joyous sound to find a large crowd had gathered around them – before we knew it, everyone was singing, clapping and even dancing in the street! It was a really special atmosphere and one of my favourite memories of our trip.
The Old Town square is only a five minute walk away through the cutest cobbled street, and there was just an amazing array of Christmas market stalls in this area too. Illuminated baubles and tinsel lit up each stand, and there were festive statues dotted all around.
This square is made all the more astonishing by the pride and joy of Prague, the Gothic spires of the Church of Our Lady Before Tyn. Its bold features make the most stunning centre piece within the square all year round, but it looks even more magical at Christmas.
There are other squares across Prague each with Christmas market pop ups too, so even as you stray away from the main city centre, the Christmas magic continues to sprout wherever you go!
We wandered through the Christmas markets multiple times during our trip, day and night – it’s a really fun and festive atmosphere. We picked up a stunning souvenir to remember our trip by at one of the stalls, a handmade glass bauble, with ‘Praha’ (Prague in Czech) written in a snowy white font. Something to hang on the Christmas tree every year back home!
Foodie Heaven
One of the highlights of our city break to Prague was undeniably, the food! I seriously wasn’t prepared for all the delicious, home cooked, fresh meals we were about to eat, not to mention the most insane desserts that would satisfy any sweet tooth!
On our first day we saw most local restaurants advertising beef goulash in their windows and on their menus, and as a girl who loves a good hearty meal, it was definitely on my list for a taste test! We ordered it at a restaurant just down from Prague Castle, where we sat outside (surrounded by toasty heaters) and wow – it did not disappoint! Beef that just melted in your mouth in a rich gravy, teamed with delicious fresh dumplings. It tasted like something my nana would have made!
Next up on the menu the next day was potato soup – we’d seen people tucking into this as we’d walked around and just had to try it for ourselves. The soup is served inside a whole bread loaf! The hot soup made the freshly cooked bread so soft inside, and it was great to use the ‘lid’ of the bread for dipping too!
Now for the sweet stuff – and boy, oh boy, were we in for a treat! My absolute favourite thing I tried whilst in Prague was Trdelnik – a freshly cooked donut shaped into a cone, dipped in melted chocolate, sugar, nuts, and filled with fresh strawberries and ice cream. If you’re drooling, I don’t blame you. It was so good I got one every day! They were sold at stalls within the Christmas markets but there’s dedicated shops serving them everywhere, too.
The Old Town Christmas market was brimming with stalls selling sweet treats, and one cooking up sweet and savoury dumplings caught our eye. We decided to try a Kinder Bueno dumpling, and wow – what a game changer! I’d have never thought dumplings would be so good as a chocolatey treat, but how wrong I was. I’ll be trying to recreate these at home for sure!
Another indulgent sweet treat was the luxury hot chocolate we sipped on from a boutique chocolate store at the base of Prague Castle. I’ve never tasted such rich, thick hot chocolate in my life! You only needed a small cup as it was so rich, but seriously – chocolate lovers, this is a must.
Nightlife like no other
If you love a good night out, Prague doesn’t disappoint on that front either. Me and my partner Micky love going out for drinks and dancing wherever we go, and there were plenty of places to choose from in this city!
Little did I know but Micky booked us a table at an underground bar right in the Old Town square itself, known as Black Angels bar. This small venue is hidden away downstairs, and each table must be pre-booked in advance. Not only that – but no phones are allowed! You can’t take photos or snap a selfie in here – you’ll only see the inside of this bar by going in yourself!
It has a really exclusive, secret feel to it, and the drinks were to die for. You feel as though you’re in a forbidden castle, with dim lighting and Gothic arches surrounding you as you drink. One cocktail even comes with a passed-down notepad to leave a message for future drinkers – it was interesting reading all the messages of the past! I’d definitely recommend this bar for a totally unique drinking experience.
For a good old boogie, we went to Duplex club, located in the square of the New Town. We had a pretty late one dancing to local DJs, and the price of drinks was pretty reasonable. We did try shots of absinthe whilst in Prague. Note – it’s not for the faint hearted!
Another stand out bar and restaurant we visited more than once during our four day stay was Cerna Madona, located just away from the Old Town square. We were first drawn in by the utterly amazing display of desserts in the restaurant window – we’re talking things that look like they had been crafted by Willy Wonka himself! We couldn’t resist trying two – they were absolutely divine. We were then lured in by the frozen strawberry daiquiris and frozen margaritas – which went down a treat!
If you’d rather go to an event than hit the bars, there are so many music events on in Prague. We went to a classical Christmas concert, where popular Christmas songs and carols were performed by a live orchestra. It was fabulous – standing ovation all around!
I’ll be back!
For my first ever Christmas market getaway in Europe, I have to say, Prague was amazing! I can’t wait to go back, and it’s made me so excited to try out other top European destinations for Christmas markets too.
We returned back to England the week before Christmas with full bellies, full hearts, and full of Christmas cheer. It was perfect!
If you fancy a festive break to Prague this year, you can see all our best deals here!
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