This year is a fantastic year for tourists coming to Prague, and once again one of the highlights of the year is the annual beer festival.
Beer festival coming up in Prague
The Czech beer festival has been arranged for years and years, and it is a giant success every year. This year it will open on May 10th and the festival will last until May 26th. That means you have 17 days to enjoy cold Czech beer and all sorts of brands that you have never even heard about before. There is a small entrance fee to enter the festival area, but for as little as 100 CZK you get the right to enter into the festival area every single day of the festival, which truly is a ridiculously low price.
You should also be warned. April has been incredibly hot in Prague, and so far May has started the same way. Do not forget to drink a lot, bring some sun lotion, and be careful with the combination of strong sun and lots of alcohol! Enjoy your stay!
After a long and cold winter, it is always amazing to experience the temperatures and the smells of spring. Suddenly the city center comes to life, the ice cream bars open, and tourists fill the streets.
We had to wait for quite some time in 2018 for the real spring to arrive, but now it is here. In the last week, we have been able to enjoy temperatures around 25 Celsius during the daytime, and the temperatures have remained enjoyable even in the evenings. The sun has been shining, meaning that you even need sun lotion if you spend the entire day outdoors.
But, if you come to Prague on a beautiful spring day (like today), what should you do?
Spring in Prague
So, what should you do in Prague on a beautiful spring day? It couldn’t be better… do exactly what you want to do! The is the best answer. On a beautiful spring day, you can do exactly as planned. You do not need to fear rain or snow, and it doesn’t get unbearable hot either. Guess you understand why tourists love to visit Prague in the spring now. Spring might be the best time to visit Prague because you can simply enjoy the entire city and enjoy life without suffering. Of course, spring also means rain, so you might get unlucky and visit Prague on a rainy day, but in general, spring is amazing in Prague.
Are you not satisfied? Do you want some recommendations on what to do in Prague on a spring day? Here you have some!
Prague spring recommendations
On a beautiful spring day, you should, of course, enjoy a trip on the Vltava river. There are quite a lot of trips available, and the beauty of spring is that you can sit outdoors and enjoy the view and the sun simultaneously.
Another beautiful experience is to put on some good shoes, and then just walk around in the city of Prague for an entire day. You will quickly discover areas most tourists do not see, and thus you will get an even better impression of the city and what life is like in the city. Besides this, you will also burn a lot of calories. As a consequence, you can eat even more and taste some Czech beer with a good consciousness.
Another experience that the entire family will enjoy on a spring day is a visit to the zoo. The zoological garden in Prague is a fantastic place to visit, and you can see beautiful animals in a very nice environment, a bit outside the city center of Prague.
There is a group arranging blockchain events regularly in Prague, and on March 1st they will host an event titled: “Blockchain as a Business – International Insights.”
The host of the event is Prague Blockchain Meetup, and the goal is to let people interesting in the blockchain industry get more information and learn more about the development within the business, and the opportunities waiting for business leaders in the industry.
The event on March 1st will have the following program:
16:00 – 16:05 Opening remarks
16:05 – 16:20 Daniel Gasteiger will present Procivis and Valid platforms – Procivis AG, Switzerland
16:20 – 16:35 Shaul Lifshitz will present the Israeli fintech and blockchain ecosystems and opportunities – Israel – Czech Chamber of Commerce and Industry & ScoutX, Israel
16:35 – 16:50 Vojtěch Makovec will present legal issues of blockchain, ICO & crypto transactions – Rutland Jezek law Firm, Czechia
16:50 – 17:05 Martin Houska will present Tax and accounting impacts of blockchain transaction, cryptocurrencies trading and their derivatives to EU/off shore companies – Acredos Tax Firm, Czechia
17:05 – 17:20 Pavel Kysilka will present on blockchain future business models – 6D Academy, Czechia
17:20 – 17:35 Petr Rokusek will present on blockchain in peer-to-peer energy supply – Nano Energies a.s., Czechia
17:35 – 18:00 Open discussion / open microphone / networks and light refreshments
Would you like to know more about the event? You can check the full description at meetup.com. It is important to understand that even though people might be skeptical to Bitcoin, Ethereum, and the other cryptocurrencies, the blockchain technology is here to stay. That is what you will hear more about if you attend this event as well. But, be aware of the fact that it is almost completely booked, meaning that there are only a few spots left.
It might be that Metallica will fool around in Prague on Fool’s day in 2018, but on April 2nd, they will be ready in the O2 Arena to rock the venue.
Metallica will arrive in Prague from Vienna. They will play in the Austrian capital on March 31st but have their day to relax on April 1st. They will most likely spend that day traveling to Prague, and then relax on the evening of April 1st in Prague, maybe taking a walk in the beautiful old town of Prague?
But, on Monday, April 2nd, starting at 19.30, the band will walk onto the stage in the O2 Arena in Prague, and thousands of fans will be ready to rock-n-roll with the legendary band. They are getting older, but they still got a grip on their fantastic music. If you would like to be there at the Metallica concert in Prague, use the ticket link beneath to grab hold of your tickets.
The Metallica tour in 2018 will start in Lisbon on February 1st. If you lack patience, why not travel to Lisbon, let us take care of your airport transfer (in the same way we help you out with your airport transfer in Prague), and enjoy a sunny February day in the capital of Portugal as well!
Are you looking for other programs to enjoy while in Prague? We can warmly recommend a river cruise, an activity that is extremely popular amongst tourists coming to Prague. One other popular activity is our local beer dinner. There are also different guided tours available in Prague, so look around in our Prague Guide for more information and inspiration.
Are you planning to visit Prague and the beautiful Christmas markets this year? Here are some pieces of advice and recommendations that will help you enjoy Prague even more!
You might not find all the advises suiting you, but there will for sure be some of them that will inspire you or help you in the planning process.
If you have further advice to share or maybe a question, use the comment field at the bottom of this article.
Recommendations to those visiting the Christmas markets in Prague – By Jiri Foltyn / Shutterstock
Prague Christmas market recommendations
1) Live in the center of Prague
Prague is a big city, and it is a city with hotels and apartments spread around here and there. You might be tempted as you do your booking to reserve space in a cheap hotel. That might be reasonable, but do not forget that if you book a cheap hotel far outside the city center, you will most likely spend the saved amount on cabs and public transportation traveling between the city center and your hotel. And let us not forget, you will also lose valuable time that could be spent doing Christmas market shopping.
If you want to live in a hotel in the heart of Prague, close to the Christmas markets at the Old Town Square and the Wenceslas square, these are hotels you should consider: Hotel Rott, Hotel Melantrich, or Hilton Old Town hotel.
2) Use the local currency
It might be tempting to pay with Euro as it is a currency easier to understand and grasp than the Czech Koruna. But, if you decide to pay with Euro at the Christmas markets and in stores around Prague, you will soon discover that you pay more than you would have if you had used the local currency. As a result, we recommend everyone to pay with card or with the local currency. You can not pay with VISA/MasterCard at many of the stands at the Christmas markets, so when cash is needed, use CZK instead of Euro. The easiest way to get hold of the local currency is by using an ATM. If you decide to use an exchange office instead, we recommend that you compare 2-3 offices and do the exchange at the one with the best rates.
Prague is beautiful before Christmas -By Kajano / Shutterstock
3) Do not travel with hand luggage only
We live in a time where we save money by not paying for checked in luggage on our flights. That is fantastic and good, but you will suffer if you come to Prague without any checked in luggage. Well, you do not need checked-in luggage as you come to Prague, but you will for sure want to have checked in luggage on your return. At the Christmas markets and in the local stores you will find lots of products that you want to bring home. Maybe you want to bring samples of Czech beers? You cannot bring those with you in a hand-luggage! If you decide to buy clothes, bags or maybe some sausage or other cool products, you need the extra space! Take this into consideration as you plan your trip to the Christmas markets in Prague!
4) Arrive with style
Would you like to arrive in Prague with style? Do you want to check in at your hotel as soon as possible? Let us take care of your airport transfer! We can arrange for a normal cab to pick you up at the airport, or we can arrange with a limousine to pick you up. Both transfer types are great, but if you want real Christmas style and make the transfer an experience, you will never forget, the limo transfer is a big hit.
Life is only as interesting and exciting as we make it. Do not be boring, but open up your mouth to new tastes as you come to Prague. At the Christmas markets, you will find lots of tasty meat, sausages, and sweets. Why not taste them all? Do not eat all the traditional and safe food, but experience tastes and food that you haven’t seen, smelled or tasted before. We believe you will be surprised as you discover that the stuff you haven’t tasted before is really tasty, and you might want to repeat the success day after day at the Christmas markets in Prague.
6) Book the most important activities right away
Tens of thousands of people come to Prague for the sole reason of enjoying the Christmas markets. These people all spend several hours at the Christmas markets, but they also spend time enjoying programs such as river cruises, guided tours, excursions and fine dining at restaurants all around Prague. With such an invasion of tourists, you will often find restaurants to be packed, and it can be hard to find free tables. As a consequence, we recommend that you book the most important activities, events and tables as early as possible. Would you like to go on a river cruise while in Prague for the Christmas markets? Read more about
Read about the best restaurants in Prague and book a table in the restaurants you like today!
7) Stay warm
You might be at the most wonderful place on planet, but if you are freezing, you will not have a good time no matter what. When you come to Prague in December you should be prepared for cold temperatures, a cold wind and maybe some snow. If you get a combination of all three at the same time, you are likely to feel very cold, at least if you did not follow this advice: Bring warm clothes with you to Prague! You can not enjoy the Christmas markets in Prague if you are freezing. You should rather bring to much warm clothes. Some ladies will on purpose bring to little, giving them an excuse to do some extra shopping, but if you want to avoid those bonus visits to the fashion stores in Prague, bring clothes with you from home!
Do not miss out on the Christmas market at the Old Town Square – By S-F / Shutterstock
8) Watch out for your belongings
The Old Town Square is often packed with people, and where there are crowds, there are thieves. It isn’t very often you will bump into pick-pockets in Prague, but it happens from time to time, and it can totally destroy your day if you are the unlucky person. Therefore, take care of your belongings and you will have no trouble with pick-pockets as you visit the Christmas markets in Prague or the other popular areas in town.
9) Discover some new areas in Prague
Those who have been to Prague several times might look for inspiration for new programs. Read our article on hidden gems in Prague for you to discover, and you might get some good ideas.
10) Have you got some recommendations and good advice?
Have you been to the Christmas markets in Prague and tasted something you want to recommend to everyone else? Did you experience something you want to tell the world about? Use the comment field beneath to share your thoughts, experiences or to ask your questions!
Have you heard about the beer from Kozel? The Kozel beer is exported to lots of nations worldwide, and it is easy to understand why you are eager to visit the homeplace of this fantastic beer.
The Kozel brewery is located in Velke Popovice, a city only 25km from the heart of Prague. For that reason, you can easily do a trip to the brewery and taste some unfiltered beer, and continue with your program in Prague both before and after the program. Does it sound cool?
The dates for the Christmas market at the Old Town Square in Prague are official. Come to Prague between December 2nd, 2017 and January 6th, 2018 to experience the fantastic atmosphere and delightful smells of one of the most beautiful Christmas markets in the world.
I can almost feel the smell of Christmas and traditional Czech sausages in my nose as I write this article. The magnificent Christmas market at the Old Town Square in Prague is significant to get the Christmas atmosphere into the body. So, why don’t you start planning your Christmas trip to Prague already?
Christmas Market in Prague 2017 – By Kajano / Shutterstock
Some people complain and ask why they decide to open the market that late in Prague? It is tradition again. Sometimes they open smaller markets in part earlier, but in general, the big Christmas market at the Old Town Square opens four Sundays before Christmas. You can read more general information about the Christmas markets in Prague in this article.
Christmas markets in Prague 2017
December 2nd, 2017 – January 6th, 2018
Other cool programs in Prague?
Do not forget to book a beer dinner in Prague, a river cruise or maybe a guided tour? You can read more about these and lots of other fantastic Prague programs here in our Prague Guide. And do not waste time at the airport after arrival. Order your airport transfer in Prague through us to get to your hotel as soon as possible, and then to the Christmas market!
Václav Havel Airport is the official name of the airport in Prague. It is located within the city borders, but still outside the heart of the city. What is the distance between the airport and downtown Prague?
The official airport in Prague is enjoying more and more passengers every single year. It is expected to surpass a total of 15,000,000 passengers in 2017, and that number will just keep on growing in 2018 as well. According to Wikipedia, it is located about 12 km outside the city center of Prague. If you do a cross-check on Google Maps, you will, however, see that the real distance between Prague Airport and downtown Prague (the Old Town square) is rather 16-17km. That isn’t much of a distance either, at least not compared to the Ciampino Airport in Rome which is 30km outside the city center. If you compare it with Stansted Airport in London, then it is like a dream (as Stansted is located more than 60km outside London).
How much time does the ride take from Prague Airport to downtown?
If you jump in a taxi (or book an airport transfer with us), then the travel time should be quick. Depending on the location of your hotel or apartment, you should, however, calculate a travel time of 25-40 minutes. It might be quicker sometimes, but in general, it takes between 25-40 minutes.
Want to use public transportation to get from the airport to downtown?
You can also travel with public transportation from Prague Airport to downtown. You can then first travel by bus 119 to the stop Nádraží Veleslavín (7 stops). There you will jump on the tram which will take you to Staroměstská which is in the city center of Prague. From there you just walk on to wherever you want to be downtown Prague.
What to do when you arrive in Prague?
When you get to Prague downtown, there are millions of things to do. You can read around in our Prague Guide to find ideas and inspiration. Some of the most popular programs in Prague are for sure the river cruises, the guided tour and of course shopping. We hope you will find inspiration as you read, and we wish you a fantastic stay in Prague.
Have you been to Prague several times? Have you seen the Charles Bridge, the Vitus Cathedral and the Astronomical clock several times? Would you like to discover something new?
Prague is a magnificent city, with some magnificent attractions. If you have not visited the town yet, you should of course discover the main attractions of the city first, like the Charles Bridge, the Vitus Cathedral, the Astronomical clock and some more sights. Are you among those people who have already seen these sights, and now long for more? Here we will present to you 10 hidden gems in Prague that you might want to discover during your next trip to the beautiful city.
Nine hidden gems in Prague
Divoká Šárka
This is a beautiful area outside the main city of Prague. The area is special for several reasons, but first of all, because of its canyon (gorge). It is named after a warrior named Sarka, who is supposed to have thrown herself into this after she had betrayed her lover Ctirad. In the area, you might also see black woodpeckers. Would you like to take a swim, then you can do so in the outdoor pool.
Divoka Sarka
How can you get to Divoka Sarka? You can travel with the metro to the stop Dejvicka, and from there travel on with bus 119 to Divoka Sarka. You might also travel with tramline 20 or 26 to the stop Divoka Sarka.
John Lennon Wall
Are you fond of graffiti? If your answer is yes, then you should head to the John Lennon Wall which is located in the castle area. Here local people add their paintings and art, and whenever you come, you will see a wall heavily decorated. It is well worth looking at, and it can be found in the street named Velkopřevorské náměstí, very close to the Prague Gallery.
The John Lennon Wall in Prague
Sapa Vietnamese Market
Would you like to do some authentic Vietnamese shopping while in Prague? This is not important on your first trip to Prague, but if you have seen all the important attractions of Prague, this is a cool add-on program. To get to the Vietnamese market, you can travel with metro to the stop Kačerov, and from there you travel with bus 113 to the stop Sídliště Písnice. Another option is to travel with bus 197 from Smíchovské Nádraží (a bus station) to Sídliště Písnice. The place is open every day from 8.00 to 18.00. The exact address of the place is Libušská 319/126 (in the fourth district of Prague). Here you can buy both souvenirs and groceries. Should you get hungry, then there are also places where you can buy some nice Vietnamese food for lunch.
Sapa Market Prague
Prague metronome
This is a giant monument that was raised in 1991. Earlier a giant Joseph Stalin statue had been on the same spot, but that was destroyed in 1962, and until 1991 the area was left empty. Now this is a place where you can enjoy the beautiful panorama of Prague. If you walk on the other side of the river, you can enjoy the view towards the metronome from lots of spots in Prague.
Prague Metronome
Love locks
The love locks are popular all across the world, and you will find examples of those in Prague as well. There is a small pedestrian bridge close to the John Lennon Wall, and there you will find thousands of these locks. In recent time people have also started with love locks at the Charles Bridge, but the local community really do not like it, and try to remove those. The love locks unfortunately endanger the bridges with their weight, and it would be terrible to see beautiful bridges be destroyed because of love locks. If you come to Prague, feel free to look, but please do not add new locks!
Discover the works of David Cerny
David Cerny is a fantastic artist, and while in Prague, it is recommend discovering his works. Most of these can be discovered here and there while walking around town. David Cerny created three babies climbing the walls of the Zizkov TV tower, which you can see on your trip to the TV tower. During your stay, you will also visit the Wenceslas square, and there you should visit the Lucerna Music Bar. Inside the building, you will find a room in which St. Vitus is riding his horse. It might not sound very special, but the fact that the horse is upside down, will for sure catch your attention.
If you decide to join us for a beer dinner in the street Na Perstyne, you can enjoy another statue. To discover it you will have to look upwards, and you will then discover a man hanging from the roof. The guy is Sigmund Freud, and this is one of the most popular and bizarre works of David Cerny in Prague.
Where to find the works of David Cerny in Prague – From TerraNovaMag
Would you like to know more about David Cerny and his sculptures in Prague? We recommend that you read this article.
The Magical Cavern
Are you tired of all the traditional art galleries? Why not visit the Magical Cavern in Prague. The artist Reon Argondian decided to make his home his gallery. It is an old mill, which has now become the home of the Kingdom of Argondia. Every wall in this former mill are covered with paintings and sculptures, and if you take a look at the picture beneath you will get a feeling about this place.
The Magical Cavern is located at the Petrin Hill, and the exact address is Petřínské sady 417/5.
Visit the Magical Cavern in Prague
The Zizkov Tower
We have already mentioned the three babies climbing Zizkov tower. If those do not interest you, then you should simply visit the Zizkov tower because it is interesting. The Zizkov tower gives you a splendid view of Prague, and is probably the best panorama spot of the city. As a result people come here from morning till evening to enjoy the view, but also to enjoy a delicious meal. The restaurant in the tower is known for high quality, and if you want even more luxury, then there is a luxury hotel room (one room only) available in the tower. The entrance fee for an adult is 230 CZK.
At their very own website the Zizkov tower boosts in the following three “awards”:
Highest building in Czech Republic
The highest observatory in Czech Republic
The second ugliest building in the world
To get to the tower, travel with metro line A to Jiriho z Podebrad and enjoy the five minute walk from there.
The second ugliest building in the world?
Visit an art cinema (Bio Oko or Kino Aero)
Prague has some very special cinemas, better known as art cinemas. Here you sit in very different chairs, and the very feeling of it all is old school. They normally have quite a lot of performances available in English, so you should be able to understand what you are actually watching.
The address of Bio Oki is Františka Křížka 15 (seventh district). The address of Kino Aero is Biskupcova 31 (in the third district).
What about using a bicycle while watching the movie?
Are you ready to discover the hidden beauties of Prague?
These were some hidden gems in Prague. We believe you will be delighted to discover all or some of them. If you have questions related to any of the places mentioned, or maybe want to share some feedback or recommend other hidden gems, use the comment field beneath.
Did you find this article interesting or useful? Why not share it on Facebook or Twitter, to let even more people know about these beauties awaiting you in Prague?
Want to combine a trip to Prague in May with the annual Marathon, the annual Beer festival and an Andrea Bocelli concert? Sounds like a treat, doesn’t it?
We do not have the dates for the Czech Beer festival yet in 2018, but it will probably be arranged around this period. The annual Wolkswagen Prague Marathon will be arranged one week earlier, meaning that you have time to relax and regain your strength before sitting down to listen to the beautiful tones coming from the mouth of Andrea Bocelli.
In May there are lots of things happening in Prague, so hurry up and do the preparations already. Why not book a nice hotel, reserve a river cruise and set the time for a romantic beer dinner? We can help you out with these and other programs.
If you press the ticket link above, do a quick search for Andrea Bocelli. You will then find tickets for all his concerts around the world in 2018, and you can buy tickets for the events that you want to attend. For more information about events taking place in other cities around Europe, visit www.worldcityguides.net.
It might be that Metallica will fool around in Prague on Fool’s day in 2018, but on April 2nd, they will be ready in the O2 Arena to rock the venue.
Want to combine a trip to Prague in May with the annual Marathon, the annual Beer festival and an Andrea Bocelli concert? Sounds like a treat, doesn’t it?
