TRAVEL TIPS
Christmas in Prague
Last-minute plans for places to visit this Christmas? — Personal account and tips for visiting Prague
If any postcard pictures of white Christmas appear in your mind, it would inevitably be that of Prague. There could not be a more picture-perfect European city than Prague, with its beautiful cobblestone streets running between the nicely preserved mix of Baroque, Gothic, and Romanesque architectures in pastel giving it the fairy-tale feeling, where everybody would simply dream of being.
That was for the cityscape and now for the landscape, there’s the classic river Vlatva flowing right through the heart of this city with enchanting bridges spanning the breadth of it. And to top it all, there is the Prague castle perched up above the city overlooking the spectacular view of the cityscape. Now, imagine this place covered in snow in different tiers right from the castle to the river, I could not picture any other city in my mind but only the postcard picture of snow-decked Prague!
So, let’s head to Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. It is known for being the seat of history, art, and culture, by playing host to many international events in all of those fields and much more. If you have never been there, please comment and let me know what you associate with Prague in your head.
For me, other than the white Christmas postcard, I remember Prague through scenes from multiple Bollywood movies. The actress runs down the elegantly lit classic Charles bridge in Rockstar, flying past the line up of carved statues lining the bridge, to find her lover at the other end in a baroque-styled mansion, where else would you film such a romantic setting? But that’s just the appetizer!
What I am about to unravel is more of my personalized account and how I saw it, while strolling on the cobblestones of Prague.
How I experienced Prague during Christmas
I can imagine the Europeans still frowning about going to Prague at Christmas, for them, I would do the convincing in the later part of this story — “What all you could do in Prague any time of the year”. But others, hear me out! If white Christmas was not a motivation enough, now I will tell you my reason for visiting Prague during Christmas.
If you are a student, or you are far away from home which you do not plan to visit during Christmas, then the holiday season could get pretty boring. In Germany, pretty much everything remains closed during those times including the Christmas markets (Of course, it is a great gesture so that everyone can enjoy family time). There it is — my reason to visit Prague during Christmas. The Christmas markets in Prague start in November and are open until the New Year. If you want to know more about the Christmas markets in Prague and other cities, here is a story for you.
So, we arrived in Prague in the late afternoon of 24th December. While dragging our trolleys through the inclined cobblestoned alleys, we instantly fell in love with the traditional touch of the city. Since Christmas Eve was closing in, we were excited to see this beautiful town decked up. Of course for the top view, you need to be perched atop. So, starting from the Charles Bridge, we were climbing up some flights up stone stairways to Prague Castle. But yes, before I forget to mention we had booked beautiful accommodation two minutes from the Charles Bridge. (Tip: Since most of the beautiful parts of the old town are located next to this iconic bridge, it is a good idea to book your stay near the Charles Bridge).
On the stairs to the castle, just like in the movies, many musicians were playing their instruments bringing on the mood for Christmas Eve. Normally, the castle museum closes before evening, but you can still walk around the compound and enjoy the view of the city. And, what a beautiful view was this! Whether it was pastel buildings radiating beautiful lights, or it was just how the city is constructed, the golden yellow lights with the orange-colored rooftops looked positively mesmerizing.
The castle compound and a few other monuments and churches were beautifully lit up along with some straw figurines from the nativity scenes. I am sure the castle and its interior would have a different charm during the day, but I was really glad to see it glowing in the dark.
After a few hearty sips of Glühwein (mulled wine), we descended to the Charles Bridge. I just simply love to see the reflections of a lit-up city in the shimmering water and this bridge along with a few others running parallel through the heart of the city makes it a vision to behold. You can enjoy your bit of peace and calm looking at the river while standing in the projected balconies at the base of historical statues dotting the bridge.
When you have charged up, simply walk down this bridge to the old town square where a surprise party awaits you. Of course, this is the historic town square of Prague with beautiful churches and spires standing in all glamour. In the center stands the huge Christmas tree with brilliant decorations and a small stage to climb up to the top. Festive mood warmly hugs you with Christmas choir singing songs along with the smell of mulled wine, fries, and sausages floating in the air. We found almost all kinds of shops open along with restaurants hosting their own Christmas parties and traditional Christmas dinner. We loved the fried carp fish with potato salad, which was one of the specials on the Christmas menus. And, the shops selling the popular Trdelník, traditional chimney pastries, had long queues into the fairy tale night.
In all, if you want to be cozied up and surrounded by a lively festive atmosphere on Christmas Eve, Prague is the place to go. While some restaurants, businesses, and attractions might be closed or work with altered timings, there’s nothing major that you would miss. Although we would have loved to witness a white Christmas, the weather didn’t agree with us. What we did on the following days is what anyone could enjoy any time of the year.
What you can do in Prague any time of the year
For a city steeped in history, art, and culture, there are practically many things to visit and see around Prague. Also, Prague being relatively less expensive as compared to other big and popular European cities makes it even more attractive to tourists.
Stroll Around
As I might have repeated a few times by now, one can not simply not enjoy walking around the streets of Prague. To the west of the Vltava river, as we start from Charles Bridge towards Prague castle, any street in this area of the old town is an absolute time warp. There are different palaces, museums, gardens, beautiful churches like St. Nicholas church, the Jewish ghettos in Josefov, beautiful graffiti walls like Lennon Wall, and so on.
As you cross the Charles Bridge, you will find all sorts of people and activities that will amuse you. We met a caricature artist who draws quick and interesting caricatures. It appears to be always crowded since all the tourists flock a few times at the iconic bridge but I think this hustle bustle also keeps this place alive. Still, if you want to enjoy the bridge in relative quiet, just visit it before 7.30 or 8 in the morning or much later in the night. It’s a drone-restricted area, so it’s difficult to capture a nice picture of this bridge unless you go in these hours.
As you cross the Charles Bridge to the eastern side of the river, you will arrive at the old town square. Just turning a full round in this square, summarizes the timeless architecture from Prague as I was talking earlier as this is also the place that hosts the Christmas markets. You can stroll around any of the alleys around. One of the popular attractions here is the medieval Astronomical Clock Tower. One could further walk towards the new town area and see the modern Prague around Wenceslas Square.
You can simply keep walking further down along the bank of the river, and witness the beauty of the city across multiple parallel bridges. Some popular buildings you would meet here are Fred and Gingers Dancing House which is a building that’s constructed as if in a dancing pose, as well as the National Theatre which hosts operas and international shows.
Sun Downers
One of the best times to take a walk along the river is the sunset. I feel this is the time lively activities gradually start to move towards their nest and this transition of nature and human civilization is simply beautiful to watch. Somehow, watching sunsets across those several parallel bridges of Prague has been one of the most spectacular moments. The pastel-colored buildings seem to pair with similar pastel hues in the sunset sky, making it simply breathtaking.
Sip and Eat
A good vacation generally means you had great food. When I am visiting somewhere in winter, I feel I see a bit and then tuck myself in somewhere cozy and warm. Prague is a perfect place where you can find all sorts of food options at great prices. I remember just going in and out of so many nice cafes. Apart from Trdelník pastries for your sweet tooth which seemed to be sold at every corner, there are several different cafes, restaurants, and eateries around the old town square.
We enjoyed the vibe of Cafe Louvre and Cafe Slavia. We had one of the best Christmas dinners at the later, with nice piano pieces played live by very talented artists. Lastly, maybe it was my first experience, but everywhere in Prague when you order hot chocolate, this is what you get served melted hot chocolate quite literally and it’s quite savory.
Cruise Along
While walking through the city gives you the vibe of how the city lives and breathes, sometimes cruising along the lifeline river of the city brings you a distant perspective of how the city evolved. We took one of the 2-hour lunch cruises sailing through the Vltava River and it was indeed a beautiful experience with great food and musical cheer.
Night Crawlers
If you knew none of the above facts about Prague, I am sure you would still have heard about the vibrant nightlife of Prague. One can seek all sorts of activities associated with night crawling at various pubs and nightclubs.
Now, I have said it all. While I am also the one who says that after visiting a few European cities they feel and look similar, I also believe every city stands there with its own story to tell.
I liked the Christmas story of Prague, who else did?
So, if you have no plans this Christmas, here is a Prague plan for you.
I write stories on AI and computer vision topics, personal travel experiences, poems, and articles on reflections about life and human behavior. If you like my stories, follow Poulami Sinhamahapatra and subscribe to my email for updates.
